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28 April 2012
No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man - Extracted from the Gospel according to John, Chapter 3:7-15
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"Do not be surprised when I say: 'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
'How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
Sharing: Listen to “Spirit Touch Your Church”, “Great Awakening” by Tom Iglis & “We’ll Stand in the Gap (Pray for the Nations) by Hosanna! Music” @ http://www.youtube.com . |
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Endless Joy for all who take refuge in Yahweh- Extracted from Psalm 5:
1 [For the choirmaster For flutes Psalm Of David] Give ear to my words, Yahweh, spare a thought for my sighing.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God! To you I pray,
3 Yahweh. At daybreak you hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my case before you and fix my eyes on you.
4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil, no sinner can be your guest.
5 Boasters cannot stand their ground under your gaze. You hate evil-doers,
6 liars you destroy; the violent and deceitful Yahweh detests.
7 But, so great is your faithful love, I may come into your house, and before your holy temple bow down in reverence of you.
8 In your saving justice, Yahweh, lead me, because of those who lie in wait for me; make your way plain before me.
9 Not a word from their lips can be trusted, through and through they are destruction, their throats are wide - open graves, their tongues seductive.
10 Lay the guilt on them, God, make their intrigues their own downfall; for their countless offences, thrust them from you, since they have rebelled against you.
11 But joy for all who take refuge in you, endless songs of gladness! You shelter them, they rejoice in you, those who love your name.
12 It is you who bless the upright, Yahweh, you surround them with favour as with a shield.
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Fatherly Advice- Extracted from Ecclesiasticus / Sirach, Chapter 10:
Prosperity of a Nation
1 A wise ruler educates his people, and he makes his subjects understand order.
2 As the magistrate is, so will his officials be, as the governor is, so will be the inhabitants of his city.
3 An undisciplined king will be the ruin of his people, a city owes its prosperity to the intelligence of its leading men.
4 The government of the earth is in the hands of the Lord, he sets the right leader over it at the right time.
5 Human success is in the hands of the Lord. He invests the scribe with honour.
Against Pride
6 Do not resent your neighbour's every offence, and never act in a fit of passion.
7 Pride is hateful to God and humanity, and injustice is abhorrent to both.
8 Sovereignty passes from nation to nation because of injustice, arrogance and money.
9 What has dust and ashes to pride itself on? Even in life its entrails are repellent.
10 A long illness makes a fool of the doctor; a king today is a corpse tomorrow.
11 For in death the portion of all alike will be insects, wild animals and worms.
12 The first stage of pride is to desert the Lord and to turn one's heart away from one's Maker.
13 Since the first stage of pride is sin, whoever clings to it will pour forth filth. This is why the Lord inflicts unexpected punishments on such people, utterly destroying them.
14 The Lord has turned mighty princes off their thrones and seated the humble there instead.
15 The Lord has plucked up the proud by the roots, and planted the lowly in their place.
16 The Lord has overthrown the lands of the nations and destroyed them to the very foundations of the earth.
17 Sometimes he has taken them away and destroyed them, and blotted out their memory from the earth.
18 Pride was not created for human beings, nor furious rage for those born of woman.
28 April 2012
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