For “Scripture Sunday”:
Rockets Fall on Jerusalem
“Attacks on Jerusalem by Hamas could have unintended consequences.”
[Darris McNeely] “Tensions have once again escalated in the Middle East. Rockets are being fired out of the Gaza strip into Israel and Tel Aviv and now reports today even show that today a rocket has struck near Jerusalem, which raises the stakes of the problems that could spin out of control as a result of this latest flair up of the problems in the Middle East…..”
Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/news-and-prophecy/rockets-fall-jerusalem Friday, November 16, 2012
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The Petraeus Episode
“As this unfortunate story unfolds before the public what lessons should we learn?”
Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/christian-living/petraeus-episode Tuesday, November 13, 2012
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Why is the Sabbath Commandment Not Repeated in the New Testament?
“Jesus Christ and the apostles lived and taught in a Sabbath-keeping society.
Some people believe that, since the Sabbath commandment isn't explicitly repeated in the New Testament, it is no longer binding. But is this true?
The Sabbath commandment did not have to be repeated in the New Testament, simply because the people to whom Jesus Christ and the apostles preached would never have imagined that it needed to be repeated!
The Scriptures that would later be called the Old Testament were their Bible, their guide for living (Romans 15:4 See All...). Paul described them as being "given by inspiration of God, and . . . profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 See All...). The Holy Scriptures clearly commanded them to keep the Sabbath, and the common people accepted that as God's inspired instruction.
Jesus Christ and the apostles lived and taught in a Sabbath-keeping society. Jesus' confrontations with the Pharisees were over how to observe the Sabbath, never over whether to observe it.
When the apostles took their message beyond the confines of Judea, Sabbath observance was well known in other parts of the Roman Empire. Notice, for example, what the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, writing during the New Testament period, said: "The multitude of mankind itself have had a great inclination for a long time to follow our religious observances; for there is not any city of the Grecians, nor any of the barbarians, nor any nation whatsoever, whither our custom of resting on the seventh day hath not come . . . As God himself pervades all the world, so hath our law passed through all the world also" ( Against Apion, Book 2, chap. 40).
The examples of Jesus and the apostles confirm that they believed in and obeyed all of the Ten Commandments. Throughout the book of Acts—written by Luke, a gentile —the Sabbath and the annual Sabbaths described in Leviticus 23 are mentioned quite routinely (Acts 13:14But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
See All..., 42, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4, 21; 20:6, 16; 27:9).
Whether to observe them simply wasn't a question.” From: http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/was-sabbath-changed-new-testament/why-sabbath-commandment-no/
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This Week's Amazing Fact, For the week ending Nov 24, 2012
Thanksgiving
“The U.S. day of thanks might not be celebrated today were it not for a remarkable woman named Sarah Hale (1788–1879).
It is well-known that pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in 1621 to give thanks for their bountiful harvest in the New World. In 1789, President George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation to commemorate the first Pilgrim celebration. But Thomas Jefferson, the third president, discontinued it federally. After this, Thanksgiving was observed by some individual states on whatever date suited them.
Then in 1828, Mrs. Hale, a patient, persistent 34-year-old widow and mother of four, began campaigning for the restoration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For years she wrote letters and sought appointments with national leaders—from five different Presidents on down. Time after time she was politely rebuffed, sometimes being told it was “impractical,” and “impossible.” Other times she was chased off and scolded with “this-is-none-of-your-business!”
But Sarah was relentless. And in 1863, President Lincoln listened seriously to her plea that North and South “lay aside enmities and strife on (Thanksgiving) Day.” He proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November to be the official “National Thanksgiving Day.” This day was finally ratified by U.S. Congress in 1941.
Sarah Hale was the first woman magazine editor in the U.S. and the first person to use the word “lingerie” to describe undergarments. Sarah also helped start the first college for girls in the States, was also the first to suggest public playgrounds, and started the first day nursery for working mothers. But Sarah Hale is probably best remembered as author of the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)” From: http://www.amazingfacts.org/news-and-Features/this-weeks-amazing-fact.aspx
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Cancelling Troubles
“Trouble comes all too often in life, and knowing what to do when that happens is a great strength.
Too many people shut their eyes to the problems facing them, and sure enough, the problems get bigger. Troubles are like a boomerang; you can't throw them away because they come right back at you. Troubles can quickly multiply.
Meeting troubles head on is not always easy to do, but there are a number of benefits that come to us from taking the challenge when we act with wisdom. The Bible tells us to count it all joy when we have trials, or troubles, because they teach us faith and patience and result in us growing into levels of maturity that make our life better and also add to the betterment of all we know (James 1:2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
See All...). We do not need to seek troubles—we have plenty to go around. We need to tackle them one at a time with gusto and determination. That makes life exciting, and we are the better for it.” From: http://www.ucg.org/this-is-the-way/cancelling-troubles/
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Middle East Family Feud
“Ever watch families fight? It isn’t pretty. But this family clash threatens world stability. Learn why and what you can do!”
Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-program/news-and-prophecy/mideast-family-feud
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The Church of God program on WGN this morning:
Will I Go to Heaven?
When facing death, the idea of heaven seems comforting. But does that make it true? The Bible's answer may astonish you.
Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-program/doctrinal-beliefs/will-i-go-heaven
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On This Day:
Railroads create the first time zones, Nov 18, 1883:
“At exactly noon on this day, American and Canadian railroads begin using four continental time zones to end the confusion of dealing with thousands of local times. The bold move was emblematic of the power shared by the railroad companies.
The need for continental time zones stemmed directly from the problems of moving passengers and freight over the thousands of miles of rail line that covered North America by the 1880s. Since human beings had first begun keeping track of time, they set their clocks to the local movement of the sun. Even as late as the 1880s, most towns in the U.S. had their own local time, generally based on "high noon," or the time when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. As railroads began to shrink the travel time between cities from days or months to mere hours, however, these local times became a scheduling nightmare. Railroad timetables in major cities listed dozens of different arrival and departure times for the same train, each linked to a different local time zone.
Efficient rail transportation demanded a more uniform time-keeping system. Rather than turning to the federal governments of the United States and Canada to create a North American system of time zones, the powerful railroad companies took it upon themselves to create a new time code system. The companies agreed to divide the continent into four time zones; the dividing lines adopted were very close to the ones we still use today.
Most Americans and Canadians quickly embraced their new time zones, since railroads were often their lifeblood and main link with the rest of the world. However, it was not until 1918 that Congress officially adopted the railroad time zones and put them under the supervision of the Interstate Commerce Commission.”
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Yesterday:
It was cold first thing, but now that the vinyl is up in the screen porch, Prime went out there instead of waiting until the weather warmed up. Wendy and I had our long Saturday morning phone call, and I knew that I would be going to the afternoon service at the Willis church. The SPCA foster mom who lives near me, came to pick up Prime for Adoption Day just after noon, so then I left for church.
The Bible Study was still about the Gifts of the Spirit, and one comment impressed me, “that all head of households are ‘pastors’ of their family.”
The sermon was “Watch and Pray”, since the latest news of rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel near Jerusalem. He quoted some of the places where Gaza is prophesied in the Bible.
Like Zeph 2:4 (For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up)
And Zech 9:5 (Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited)
The potluck was good, but I didn’t stay too long, as the kitten hadn’t been fed since midday.
2 comments:
The end times are getting nearer. They shall come as surely as they were predicted.
Nothing I can add about that, DD. You have hit it right on the head.
Happy Tails, and Trails, Penny.
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