Teacher... Student...

Canon S45

"Jesus then crossed to the other side of the lake and while He was still on the shore, a large crowd gathered around Him. Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and seeing Jesus, threw himself at His feet and asked Him earnestly, 'My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your Hands on her so that she may get well and live.'

"Jesus went with him and many people followed, pressing from every side. Among the crowd was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot at the hands of many doctors and had spent everything she had, but instead of getting better, she was worse. Since she had heard about Jesus, this woman came up behind Him and touched His cloak thinking, 'If I just touch His clothing, I shall get well.' Her flow of blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her complaint.

"But Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from Him, so He turned around in the crowd and asked, 'Who touched my clothes?' His discipled answered, 'You see how the people are crowding around You. Why do You ask who touched You?' But He kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, aware of what happened, came forward trembling and afraid. She knelt before Him and told Him the whole truth.

"Then Jesus said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be free of this illness.'

"While Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official's house to inform him, 'Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?' But Jesus ignored what they said and told the official, 'Do not fear, just believe.' And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James.

"When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion with people weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus entered and said to them, 'Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.'

"They laughed at Him. But Jesus sent them outside and went with the child's father and mother and His companions into the room where the child lay. Taking her by the hand, He said to her, 'Talitha kumi!' which means: 'Little girl, get up!'

"The girl got up at once and began to walk around. (She was twelve years old.) The parents were astonished, greatly astonished. Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat."

MARK 5:21-43

"May my heart never be too proud to acknowledge
that others may be better at loving than I am."

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Announcing God's Work

Canon EOS 350D, f8, 1/40 sec

"They arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gerasenes. No sooner did Jesus leave the boat than He was met by a man with evil spirits who had come form the tombs. He lived among the tombs and no one could restrain him, even with a chain. He had often been bound with fetters and chains but he would pull the chains apart and smash the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. Night and day he stayed among the tombs on the hillsides, and was continually screaming and beating himself with stones.

"When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell at his feet and cried with a loud voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God's sake I beg you, do not torment me.' He said this because Jesus had commanded, 'Come out of the man, evil spirit.' And when Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' he replied, 'Legion is my name, for we are many.' And all of them kept begging Jesus not to send them out of that region.

"Now, a great herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside, and the evil spirits begged Him, 'Send us to the pigs and let us go into them.' So Jesus let them go. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and immediately the herd rushed down the cliff and all were drowned in the lake. The herdsmen fled and reported this in the town and in the countryside, so all the people came to see what had happened.

"They came to Jesus and saw the man freed of the evil spirits sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the same man who had been possessed by the legion. They were afraid. And when those who had seen it told what had happened to the man and to the pigs, the people begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

"When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possesed begged to stay with him. Jesus would not let him and said, 'Go home to your people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you.' So he went throughout the country of Decapolis telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were astonished."

MARK 5:1-20

"Lord, grant me the courage to speak to others about You
and all You've done in my life."

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Sweet

Canon EOS 350D, f2.2, 1/8 sec

"They went into the town of Capernaum and Jesus began to teach the synagogue during the sabbath assemblies. The people were astonished at the way He taught, for He spoke as one having authority and not like the teachers of the Law.

"It happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue and he shouted, 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are: You are the Holy One of God.' Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, 'Be silent and come out of this man!' The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him.

"All the people were astonished and they wondered, 'What is this? With what authority He preaches! He even orders evil spirits and they obey him!' And Jesus' fame spread throughout all the country of Galilee."

MARK 1:21-28

"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight..."
Matthew 10:27

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Loudmouth

"On that same day when evening had come, Jesus said to them, 'Let's go across to the other side.' So they left the crowd and took him away in the boat he had been sitting in, and other boats set out with him. Then a storm gathered and it began to blow a gale. The waves spilled over into the boat so that it was soon filled with water. And Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

"They woke him up and said, 'Master, don't you care if we sink?' As Jesus awoke, he rebuked the wind and order the sea, 'Quiet now! Be still!' The wind dropped and there was a great calm. Then Jesus said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?'

"But they were terrified and they said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him!'"

MARK 4:35-41

"Curb my tongue, Lord,
when I no longer use it to glorify You."

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Wrong Timing

"In the spring of that year, when kings usually set out to fight, David sent out Joab, his officers and all the Israelite troops. They slaughtered the Ammonites and attacked Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem.

"One afternoon, David got up from his siesta and took a walk on the roof of the royal house. From the rooftop, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful. David sent to inquire about the woman, and was told, 'She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah, the Hittite.' So David sent messengers to have her brought to him, and had intercourse with her after she had cleansed herself after her monthly period. Then she returned to her house.

"As the woman saw she was with child, she sent word to David, 'I am with child.'

"David then sent a message to Joab, 'Send me Uriah the Hittite.' So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came, David asked him about Joab, how the people were and how the war was proceeding; then he told Uriah, 'Go down to your house and wash your feet.'

"Uriah left the palace and the king had a portion from his table sent to him. Uriah, however, did not go down to his house but slept by the door of the king's palace with all the servants of his lord. David was told that Uriah did not go down to his house, and he said to him, 'Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?'

"David invited him to table and he ate and drank until he was drunk. When evening fell, however, he went to lie down on his couch with the guards of his lord instead of going down to his house.

"The next morning, David wrote Joab a letter to be taken by hand by Uriah, in which he said, 'Place Uriah in the front row where the fighting is very fierce and then withdraw from him so that he may be struck down and die.' When Joab was attacking the city, he assigned Uriah to a place which he knew was being defended by strong warriors. And the defenders attacked the men of Joab. Some of David's soldiers and officers were killed; Uriah the Hittite also died."

2 SAMUEL 11:1-10, 13-17

"Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to always do Your will,
in Your time, and not mine."

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Good Deeds

Canon S45, f3.5, 1/60 sec

"Jesus also said to them, 'When the light comes, is it to be put under a tub or a bed? Surely it is put on a lampstand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then if you have ears!'

"And He also said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive and still more will be given to you.'"

MARK 4-21-24

"Lord, teach us to serve You, as we should."

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Fixation

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/4 sec

"'I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in this city where I was educated in the school of Gamaliel, according to the strict observance of our Law. And I was dedicated to God's service as are all of you today. As for this way, I persecuted it to the point of death and arrested its followers, both men and women, throwing them into prison.

"The High Priest and the whole Council of elders can bear witness to this. From them I received letters for the Jewish brothers in Damascus and I set out to arrest the Christians I would find there and bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. But as I was traveling along, nearing Damascus, at about noon a great light from the sky suddenly flashed about me. I fell to the ground and heard a Voice saying to me: 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' I answered: 'Who are you, Lord?' And He said to me: 'I am Jesus the Nazarean whom you persecute.' The men who were with me saw the light and were afraid, but they did not understand the Voice of the One who was speaking to me. I asked: 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord replied: 'Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told all that you are destined to do.' Yet the brightness of that light had blinded me and so I was led by the hand into Damascus by my companions.

"There was a certain Ananias who came to me. He was a devout observer of the Law and well spoken of by all the Jews who were living there. And he stood by me, he said: 'Brother Saul, recover your sight.' At that moment I could see and I looked at him. He then said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will, to see the Just One and to hear the Words from His mouth. From now on you shall be His witness before all the pagan peoples and tell them all that you have seen and heard. And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by calling upon His Name.'"

ACTS 22:3-16

"Enlighten all families, Lord,
to let go of that which keeps them apart."

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Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Canon EOS 350D, f5.6, 1/8 sec

"King David was told that Yahweh had blessed the family of Obededom and all that belonged to him because of the ark of God, so he went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obededom to the city of David, rejoicing. Afer those who carried the ark of Yahweh had walked six paces, they sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.

"David whirled round dancing with all his heart before Yahweh, wearing a linen ephod, for he and all the Israelites brought up the ark of Yahweh, shouting joyfully and sounding the horn.

"They brought in the ark of Yahweh and laid it in its place in the tent which David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt and peace offerings before Yahweh. Once the offerings had been made, David blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts, and distributed to each of them, to each man and woman of the entire assembly of Israel, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake. With this, all the people left for their homes."

2 SAMUEL 6:12-15, 17-19

"May I always give my utmost for Your Highest, Lord."

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No Fear

Canon S45, f2.8, 1/400 sec

"All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, 'We are your bone and flesh. In the past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel. And Yahweh said to you, "You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel and you shall be commander over Israel."' Before Yahweh, King David made an arrangement with the elders of Israel who came to him at Hebron, and they anointed him king of Israel.

"David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years: he reigned over Judah, from Hebron, seven and a half years; and over Israel and Judah, from Jerusalem, for thirty-three years.

"The king and his men set out for Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who lived there. They said to David, 'If you try to break in here, the blind and the lame will drive you away,' which meant that David could not get in. Yet David captured the fortress of Zion that became the 'city of David'.

"And David grew more powerful, for Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him."

2 SAMUEL 5:1-7, 10

"Lord, little by little I promise to learn
to be more generous."

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Guaranteed

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/15 sec

"After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, 'The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.'

"As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.' At once, they left their nets and followed Him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed Him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men."

MARK 1:14-20

"Lord, thank You for calling me to follow You!"

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What Matters Most

Canon EOS 350D, f5.6, 1/8 sec

"They went home. The crowd began to gather and they couldn't even have a meal. Knowing what was happening his relatives came to take charge of him: 'He is out of his mind,' they said."

MARK 3:20-21

"Lord, bless all our unseen motives,
that they maybe pleasing to You. Amen"

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Vengeance Is Mine

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/6 sec

"So Saul took three thousand picked men from all Isarael and went in search of David and his men to the east of the Wild Goat crags. When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he entered a cave to relieve himself.

"Now David and his men were far back in the cave. David's men said to him, 'This is the day which Yahweh spoke of: look I will deliver your enemy into your hands and you will do with him as you see fit.' So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul's robe. But afterward, David regretted having cut off an end of Saul's robe, and he said to his men, 'Let me not lay my hands on my master, for he is Yahweh's anointed.' With these words, david restrained his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way.

"Then David himself stepped out of the cave and called after Saul, 'My master, the king!' When Saul looked back, David knelt and then bowed to the ground in homage and asked him, 'Why do you listen to those who say that I want to harm you? Look, today you ahve seen that Yahweh delivered you into my hands in the cave, and I was told to kill you but I held myself back and said, 'I will not lift my hands against my master who is Yahweh's anointed.' My father look at this end of your robe which I am holding! I cut off the end of your robe but I did not kill you. Now you may know that I mean you no harm or treason. I have done you no wrong and yet you are hunting me down to kill me. May Yahweh be judge between you and me and may he exact justice from you in my case, but I shall do you no harm.

"'As the saying goes, "From the wicked comes wickedness"; as for me, my hand shall not harm you. But who is it you are after, O king of Israel? Are you prusuing a dead dog? A flea? May Yahweh be judge between you and me. May he see and uphold my cause and deliver me from your hands.'

"After David had spoken these words, Saul asked, 'Is that your voice, my son David?' He wept aloud and said to David, 'You are right and I am wrong, for you have repaid with kindness the harm I have inflicted on you. This day you have shown your righteousness to me by not taking my life when Yahweh put me into your hands. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go unharmed? My Yahweh reward you for what you have done for me today. Now I know for certain that you shall reigh and the kingdom of Israel will be firm in your hand.'"

1 SAMUEL 24:3-21

"Lord, You are the God of Justice.
When I'm tempted to take vengeance into my own hands,
remind me that it's not mine to take."

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Envy Is Your Inner Wound

"When they arrived after David had slain the Philistine, the women came out from the cities of Israel to meet King Saul singing and dancing with timbrels and musical instruments. They were merrily singing this song, 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David, his tens of thousands.'

"Saul was very displeased with this song and said, 'They have given tens of thousands to David but to me only thousands! By now he has everything but the kingdom!' From then on, Saul became very distrustful of David.

"Saul told his son Jonathan and his servants of his intention to kill David. But Jonathan, who liked David very much, said to David, 'My father Saul wants to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning and hide yourself in a secret place. I will go out and keep my father company in the countryside where you are and I will speak to him about you. If I find out something, I will let you know.' Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said, 'Let not the king sin against his servant David for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, what he has done has benefited you. He risked his life in killing the Philistine and Yahweh brought about a great victory for Israel. You yourself saw this and greatly rejoiced. Why then sin against innocent blood and kill David without a cause?' Saul heeded Jonathan's plea and swore, 'As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.' So Jonathan called David and told him all these things. He then brought him to Saul and David was back in Saul's service as before."

1 SAMUEL 18:6-9, 19:1-7

"Lord, heal the inner wound of my soul.
I choose to love myself as I am. Amen."

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The Right Priority

Pentax Optio S50

"Again Jesus entered the synagogue. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there and some people watched Jesus: Would He heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did they could accuse Him.

"Jesus said to the man with the paralyzed hand, 'Stand here in the center.' Then He asked them, 'What does the Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?' But they were silent.

"Then Jesus looked around at them with anger and deep sadness because they had closed their minds. And He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out and his hand was healed. But as soon as the Pharisees left, they met with Herod's supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus."

MARK 3:1-6

"Lord, may I use my anger correctly."

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On Letting Go

Pentax Optio S50

"Yahweh asked Samuel, 'How long will you be grieving over Saul whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have chosen my king from among his sons.'

"Samuel asked, 'How can I go? If Saul hears of this, he will kill me!' Yahweh replied, 'Take a heifer with you and say, "I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh." Invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will let you know what to do next. You shall anoint for me the one I point out to you.'

"Samuel did what Yahweh commanded and left for Bethlehem. When he appeared, the elders of the city came to him asking, fearfully, 'Do you bring us peace?' Samuel replied, 'I come in peace; I am here to sacrifice to Yahweh. Cleanse yourselves and join me in sacrifice.' He also had Jesse and his sons cleansed and invited them to the sacrifice.

"As they came, Samuel looked at Eliab the older and thought, 'This must be Yahweh's anointed.' But Yahweh told Samuel, 'Do not judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him. Yahweh does not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; Yahweh sees with the heart.'

"Jesse called his son Abinadab and presented him to Samuel who said, 'Yahweh has not chosen this one either.' Jesse presented Shammah and Samuel said, 'Nor has Yahweh chosen this one.' Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who said, 'Yahweh has chosen none of them. But are all your sons here?' Jesse replied, 'There is still the youngest, tending the flock just now.' Samuel said to him, 'Send for him and bring him to me; we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives.' So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him to Samuel. He was a handsome lad with ruddy complexion and beautiful eyes. And Yahweh spoke, 'Go, anoint him for he is the one.' Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed him in his brothers' presence. From that day onwards, Yahweh's Spirit took hold of David. Then Samuel left for Ramah."

1 SAMUEL 16:1-13

"Teach us, Lord, to surrender our all to You
and allow You to fulfill Your purpose for us
in spite of any circumstance. Amen."

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Empty Service

Canon S45, f2.8, 0.3 sec

"Samuel then told Saul, 'Enough! Let me tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.' Saul replied, 'Please tell me.' So Samuel went on and said, 'Though you had no confidence in yourself, you became chief of the tribes of Israel, for Yahweh wanted to anoint you king over Israel. Then He sent you with this command, 'Go. Completely crush the Amalekite offenders, engaging them in battle until they are destroyed.' Why then did you not obey the voice of Yahweh but instead swooped down on the spoil, doing what was evil in His sight?' To this, Saul replied, 'I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh and have carried out the mission for which He sent me. I have captured Agag, king of Amalek and completely destroyed the Amalekites. If my men spared the best sheep and oxen from among thsoe to be destroyed, it was in order to sacrifice them to Yahweh, your God, in Gilgal.'

"Samuel then said, 'Does Yahweh take as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to His command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission better than the fat of rams. Rebellion is like the sin of divination, and stubborness like holding onto idols. Since you have rejected the Word of Yahweh, He too has rejected you as king.'"

1 SAMUEL 15:16-23

"Make Your will my delight."

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Inner Child

"People were bringing their little children to Him to have Him touch them, and the disciples rebuked them for this.

"When Jesus noticed it, He was very angry and said, 'Let the children come to Me and don't stop them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.' Then He took the children in His arms and laying His hands on them, blessing them."

MARK 10:13-16

"I pray for all the vulnerable children of the world.
Protect them, Lord, from lasting harm
and intolerable cruelty.
Strengthen their spirits and make them know
that in You they have healing."

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Late Calling

"When Jesus went out again beside the lake, a crowd came to Him and he taught them. As He walked along, He saw a tax collector sitting in his office. This was Levi, the son of Alpheus, Jesus said to him, 'Follow me.' And Levi got up and followed Him.

"And so it happned that while Jesus was eating in Levi's house, tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Him and His disciples for there were indeed many of them. But there were also teachers of the Law of the Pharisees' party, among those who followed Jesus, and when they saw Him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, 'Why! He eats with tax collectors and sinners!'

"Jesus heard them and answered, 'Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.'"

MARK 2:13-17

"Lord, whisper in my heart today,
what You want me to do."

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Painless

"After some days Jesus returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that He was home, so many people gathered that there was no longer room even outside the door. While Jesus was preaching the Word to them, some people brought a paralyzed man to Him.

"The four men who carried him couldn't get near Jesus because of the crowd, so they opened the roof above the room where Jesus was and, through the hole, lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, He said to the paralytic, 'My son, your sins are forgiven.'

"Now, some teachers of the Law who were sitting there wondered within themselves, 'How can He speak like this insulting God? Who can forgive sins except God?'

"At once Jesus knew through His Spirit what they were thinking and asked, 'Why do you wonder? Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man: 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say: 'Rise, take up your mat and walk?' But now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.'

"And He said to the paralytic, 'Stand up, take up your mat and go home." The man rose and, in the sight of all those people, he took up his mat and went out. All of them were astonished and praised God saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!'"

MARK 2:1-12

"Jesus, heal my life for I am yours. Amen."

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Unboxed

Canon EOS 350D, f5, 1/30 sec

"At that time Samuel was a prophet of Israel. The Israelites went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines then drew up in battle formation. They attacked Israel and after a fierce struggle, Israel was defeated, leaving about four thousand men dead on the battlefield. When the troops retreated to their camp, the elders of Israel asked, 'Why has Yahweh allowed us to be defeated by the Philistines? Let us take the ark of God from Shiloh and bring it here so that Yahweh may be with us and save us from our enemies.' So the people sent messengers to Shiloh to take the ark of Yahweh who is seated on the cherubim. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the ark.

"As soon as the ark of Yahweh entered the camp, the Israelites began to cheer so loudly that the earth resounded. The Philistines heard the shouting and asked, 'What does this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?' And they were told that the ark of Yahweh had been brought to the camp.

"The Philistines were overcome with fear. They exclaimed, 'A god has come into the camp. Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can save us from the power of these mighty gods! These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues--and in the desrt. Take courage and conduct yourselves liek men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews the way they have been slaves to you. Be manly and fight.'

"So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated. Everyone fled to his home. It was a disastrous defeat; thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel were killed. The ark of God was captured and the two sons of Eli, Hohpni and Phinehas, were slain."

1 SAMUEL 4:1-11

"Help me, Lord, to trust in Your love
and not in man-made formulas for success."

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Quiet Time

Canon S45

"On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John. As Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever, they immediately told Him about her. Jesus went to her and taking her by the hand, raised her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening at sundown, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had evil spirits: the whole town was pressing around the door. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and drove out many demons; but He did not let them speak, for they knew who He was.

"Very early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went off to a lonely place where He prayed. Simon and the others went out, too, searching for Him; and when they found Him they said, 'Everyone is looking for You.' Then Jesus answered, 'Let's go to the nearby villages so that I may preach there too; for that is why I came.'

"So Jesus set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; He also cast out demons."

MARK 1:29-39

"Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening."

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True Bosses

"They went into the town of Capernaum and Jesus began to teach in the synagogue during the sabbath assemblies. The people were astonished at the way He taught, for He spoke as one having authority and not like the teachers of the Law.

"It happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue and he shouted, 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are: You are the Holy One of God.' Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, 'Be silent and come out of this man!' The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him.

"All the people were astonished and they wondered, 'What is this? With what authority He preaches! He even orders evil spirits and they obey Him!' And Jesus' fame spread throughtout all the country of Galilee."

MARK 1:21-28

"May I learn to obey only the true Boss."

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It Doesn't Have To Be Big

Canon EOS 350D, f5.6, 1/60 sec

"Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight.
I have put my spirit upon him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.

"He does not shout or raise his voice.
proclamations are not heard in the streets.
A broken reed he will not crush,
nor will he snuff out the light
of the wavering wick.
He will make justice appear in truth.

"He will not waver or be broken
until he has established justice on earth;
the islands are waiting for his law.

"I, Yahweh, have called you for the sake of justice;
I will hold your hand to make you firm;
I will make you as a covenant to the people,
and as a light to the nations,
to open eyes that do not see,
to free captives from prison,
to bring out to light those who sit in darkness."

ISAIAH 42:1-4, 6-7

"Lord, send me to bring love
to those in any kind of prison.
Prisons of hate,
prisons of hunger,
prisons of rejection,
prisons of pain..."

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Faith Flickers

Canon EOS 350D, f5.6, 1/100 sec

"Arise, shine, for your light has come.
The Glory of Yahweh rises upon you.
Night still covers the earth
and gloomy clouds veil the peoples,
but Yahweh now rises
and over you his glory appears.
Nations will come to your light
and kings to the brighness of your dawn.

"Lift up your eyes round about and see:
they are all gathered and come to you,
your sons from afar,
your daughters tenderly carried.

This sight will make your face radiant,
your heart throbbing and full;
the riches of the sea will be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations will come to you.

"A floot of camels will cover you,
caravans from Midian and Ephah.
Those from Sheba will come,
bringing with them gold and incense,
all singing in praise of Yahweh."

ISAIAH 60:1-6

"Lord, grant us peace and order in our land.
Eradicate political conflicts and tribal wars.
Free us from corruption and self-serving politicians.
Revive our economic recovery.
And bless the Philippines."

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Convenient

"Three days later there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus was also invited to the wedding with His disciples. When all the wine provided for the celebration had been served and they had run out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'They have no wine.' Jesus replied, 'Woman, your thoughts are not mine! My hour has not yet come.'

"However His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you.'

"Nearby were six stone water jars meant for the ritual washing as practiced by the Jews; each jar could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them to the brim. Then Jesus said, 'Now draw some out and take it to the steward.' So they did.

"The steward tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing from where it had come; for only the servants who had drawn the water knew. So, he called the bridegroom to tell him, 'Everyone serves the best wine first and when people have drunk enough, he serves that which is ordinary. Instead you have kept the best wine until the end.'

"This miraculous sign was the first and Jesus performed it at Cana in Galilee. In this way, He let His Glory appear and His disciples believed in Him.

"After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum with His mother, His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there for a few days."

JOHN 2:1-12

"May we live to please You and
to make obedience to Your will our convenience."

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The Father's Love

"He preached to the people saying, 'After me comes One who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. As for me, I am not worthy to bend down and untie His sandals.'

"At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And the moment He came up out of the water, heaven opened before Him and He saw the Spirit coming down on Him like a dove. And these words were heard from heaven, 'You are My Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.'"

MARK 1:7-11

"I am beautiful,
I am loved,
I am forgiven by the mercy of God."
St. Catherine

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The Choice To Pray

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/6 sec

"For this is the message taught to you from the beginning: we must love one another. Do not imitate Cain who killed his brother, for he belonged to the Evil One. Why did he kill him? Because he himself did evil and his brother did good.

"So, be not surprised, brothers if the world hates us; we love our brothers and sisters, and with this we know that we have passed from death to life. The one who does not love remains in death.

"The one who hates his brother is a murderer, and, as you know, eternal life does not remain in the murderer.

"This is how we have known what love is: He gave His Life for us. We, too, ought to give our life for our brothers and sisters.

"If anyone enjoys the riches of this world, but closes his heart when he sees his brother or sister in need, how will the love of God remian in him? My dear children, let us love not only with words and with our lips, but in truth and in deed.

"Then we shall know that we are of the truth and we may calm our conscience in His presence. Every time it reproaches us, let us say: God is greater than our conscience, and He knows everything.

"When our conscience does not condemn us, dear friends, we may have complete confidence in God."

1 JOHN 3:11-21

"Lord, teach me how to pray."

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God's Protection

Canon S45

"My little children, do not be led astray; those who do what is right are upright, just as Jesus Christ is upright. But those who sin belong to the devil, for the devil sins from the the beginning.

"This is why the Son of God was shown to us, He was to undo the works of the devil.

"Those born of God do not sin, for the seed of God remains in them; they cannot sin because they are born of God.

"What is the way to recognize the children of God and those of the devil? The one who does not do what is right is not of God; so, too, the one who does not love his brother or sister."

1 JOHN 3:7-10

"Protect me, Lord, from those who have evil intentions.
Save me from harm."

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A New Song

Canon EOS 350D, f2, 1.0 sec

"Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

"He has not forgotten His love nir His faithfulness to Israel. To the farthest ends of the earth all have seen God's saving power.

"All you lands, make a joyful noise to the Lord, break into song and sing praise, with melody of the lyre and with music of the harp.

"With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, the Lord."

PSALM 98:1, 3-6

"Lord, let my life be a new song--
pleasing to You--everyday."

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Holding On To God's Words

Canon S45, f2.8, 0.4 sec

"Who is the liar?

"The one who denies that Jesus is the Christ.

"This is an antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. The one who denies the Son is without the Father, and those who acknowledge the Son also have the Father.

"Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you too, will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise He Himself gave us: eternal life.

"I write this to you thinking of those who try to lead you astray.

"You received from Him an anointing, and it remains in you, so you do not need someone to teach you. His anointing teaches you all things, it speaks the truth and does not lie to you; so remain in Him, and keep what He has taught you.

"And now, my children, live in Him so that when He appears in His glory, we may be confident and not ashamed before Him when He comes."

1 JOHN 2:22-28

"Heavenly Father, strengthen my faith in the words
that You speak to me."

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New Year, New Life

Canon EOS 350D, f8, 3.2 sec

"So they came hurriedly and found Mary and Joseph with the Baby lying in the manger. On seeing this, they related what they had been told about the child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

"As for Mary, she treasured all these messages and continually pondered over them.

"The shepherds then returned giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them.

"On the eighth day the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived."

LUKE 2:16-21

"Thank God for the everlasting life.
I pray that I may receive it."

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