Mistaken

Pentax Optio S50

"This was the salvation for which the prophets so eagerly looked when, in days past, they foretold the favor of God with regard to you. But they could only investigate when the Spirit of Christ present within them pointed out the time and the circumstances of this--the sufferings of Christ and the glories which would follow.

"It was revealed to them that they were working not for themselves but for you. Thus, in these days, after the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven, the Gospel's preachers have taught you these mysteries which even the angels long to see.

"So, then, let your spirit be ready. Be alert, with confident trust in the grace you will receive when Jesus Christ appears. Like obedient children, do not return to your former life given over to ignorance and passions. Imitate the one who called you. As he is holy so you, too, be holy in all your conduct, since Scripture says: Be holy for I am holy."

1 PETER 1:10-16

"Guide my steps, that they will only lead me closer to You...
and that others may follow the right path, too."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Reckless Abandonment

Pentax Optio S50

"Just as Jesus was setting out on his journey again, a man ran up, knelt before him and asked, 'Good Master, what must I do to have eternal life?'

"Jesus answered, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat, honor your father and mother.' The man replied, 'I have obeyed all these commandments since my childhood.'

"Then Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him and he said, 'For you, one thing is lacking. Go, sell what you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.' On hearing these words, his face fell and he went away sorrowful for he was a man of great wealth.

"Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.' The disciples were shocked at these words, but Jesus insisted, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'

"They were more astonished than ever and wondered, 'Who, then, can be saved?' Jesus looked steadily at them and said, 'For humans it is impossible, but not for God; all things are possible with God.'"

MARK 10:17-27

"Lord Jesus, please make me less religious
and more relational in loving You."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Love in the Midst of Doubt

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/30 sec

"So I am going to allure her,
lead her once more into the desert,
where I can speak to her tenderly.
Then I will give back her vineyards,
make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will answer me as in her youth,
as when she came out of the land of Egypt.

"You will be my spouse forever,
betrothed in justice and integrity;
we will be united in love and tenderness.
I will espouse you in faithfulness
and you will come to know Yahweh."

HOSEA 2:16, 17, 21-22


"Lord, strengthen my faith with Your love."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Peek-A-Boo

"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, blessed them.

MARK 10:13-16

"Lord, teach me to trust in You with my whole heart."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

The Promise Keeper

"Beloved, do not fight among yourselves and you will not be judged. See, the judge is already at the door. Take for yourselves, as an example of patience, the suffering of the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name. See how those who were patient are called blessed. You have heard of the patience of Job and know how the Lord dealt with him in the end. For the Lord is merciful and shows compassion.

"Above all, my beloved, do not swear either by heaven or by earth, or make a habit of swearing. Let your yes be yes and your no be no, lest you become liable for judgment."

JAMES 5:9-12

"Help me to be trustworthy with the words I speak, Lord."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Extra Mile

Pentax Optio S50

"If anyone gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward.

"If anyone should cause of one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck.

"If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is beter for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. And if your foot makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is bettr for you to enter life without a foot than with both feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell where the worms that eat them never die, and the fire never goes out. The fire itself will preserve them.

"Salt is a good thing; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another."

MARK 9:41-50

"May I never forget to make sure I can."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

One Assurance

"After that Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, 'What do people say of the Son of Man? Who do they say I am?' They said, 'For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'

"Jesus asked them, "But you, who do you say I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.

"'And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church, and never will the powers of death overcome it.

"'I will give you the keys of the kingdome of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.'"

MATTHEW 16:13-19

"Lord, thank You for who You are!
Continue to reveal to me Your many wonders.
Amen."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Something Better

"What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your inner longings which make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want because you do not pray for it. You pray for something and you do not get it because you pray with the wrong motive of indulging your pleasures. You adulterers! Don't you know that making friends with the world makes you enemies of God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be world's friend becomes God's enemy.

"Surely, Scripture is not wrong when it says that our spirit tends towards excess. But God has something better to give, and Scripture also says, God opposes the proud but he gives his favor to the humble. Give in, then, to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw close to God and he will come close to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubters. Recognize your distress, be miserable and weep. Turn your laughter into tears and your joy into sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will raise you up."

JAMES 4:1-10

"Lord, may I not forget that You want
the best of the best for me!"

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Pathway of the Wise

"If you consider yourself wise and learned, show it by your good life and let your actions, in all humility, be an example for others. But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and ambition, do not try to show off; that would be covering up the truth; this kind of wisdom does not come from above but from the world and it is earthly and devilish. Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will aslo find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom which comes from above is pure and peace-loving. Persons with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice."

JAMES 3:13-18

"Jesus, I want to be someone who follows You constantly,
not just when I feel like it.
Grant me the grace to live out my commitments to You."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Showing God's Face

Canon S45

"After some days Jesus returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that he was at home, so many people gathered that there was no longer room een 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 hte 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 Laws 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 forgive," 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

"Lord, help me to also say, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
Each day, let me show Your face in this world."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

His Holy Presence

Canon EOS 350D, f9, 1/125 sec

"Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus.

"Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, 'Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe. But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came this word, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.' And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus with them.

"As they came down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead. So they kept this to themselves, although they discussed with one another what 'to rise from the dead' could mean.

"Finally they asked him, 'Why then do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?' Jesus answered them, 'Of course, Elijah will come first so that everything may be as it should be... But, why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised? I tell you that Elijah has already come and they have treated him as they pleased, as the Scriptures say of him.'"

MARK 9:2-13

"Take me higher, Lord,
than I am able to become on my own."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Preaching by Works

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/5 sec

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you says, 'May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied,' without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So it is for faith without deeds: it is totally dead.

"Say to whoever challenges you, 'You have faith and I have good deeds; show me your faith apart from actions and I, for my part, will you my faith in the way I act.' Do you believe there is one God? Well enough, but do not forget that the demons also believe and tremble in fear!

"You foolish one, do you have to be convinced that faith without deeds is useless? Think of our father Abraham. Was he not justified by the act of offering his son Isaac on the altar? So you see, his faith was active along with his deeds and became perfect by what he did. The word of Scripture was thus fulfilled, Abraham believed in God so he was considered a righteous person and he was called the friend of God.

"So you see, a person is acknowledged by works and not by faith alone.

"So, just as the body is dead without its spirit, so faith without deeds is also dead."

JAMES 2:14-24, 26

"Equip Your ministers, Lord Jesus,
with a sensitive and responsive heart for their flock
so that You can build Your church through them."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

The Great Divide

"My brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in our glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate between persons. Suppose a person enters the synagogue where you are assembled, dressed magnificently and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags. If you focus your attention on the well-dressed and say, 'Come and sit in the best seat,' while to the poor one you say, 'Stay standing or else sit down at my feet,' have you not, in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged, using a double standard?

"Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? Yet you despise them! Is it not the rich who are against you and drag you to court? Do they not insult the holy name of Christ by which you are called?

"If you keep the Law of the Kingdom, according to Scripture: Love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you make distinctions between persons, you break the law and are condemned by the same law."

JAMES 2:1-9

"Dear Jesus, teach me to love You through the poor."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Do it

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

"My beloved, be quick to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger, for human anger does not fulfill the justice of God. So get rid of any filth and reject the prevailing evil, and welcome the Word which has been planted in you and has the power to save you.

"Be doers of the Word and not just hearers, lest you deceive yourselves. The hearer who does not beome a doer is like that one who looked himself at the mirror. He looked and then promptly forgot what he was like. But those who fixe their gaze on the perfect law of freedom and hold onto it, not listening and then forgetting, but acting on it, will find blessing on their deeds.

"Those who think they are religious but do not restrain their tongue, deceive themselves and their religion is in vain. In the sight of God, our Father, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans and widows in their need and keeping oneself from the world's corruption."

JAMES 1:19-27

"May I be true to my commitment to Your Word."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Stories of the Heart

"The disciples had forgotten to bring more bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then Jesus warned them, 'Keep your eyes open and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.' And they said to one another, 'He saw that we have no bread.'

"Aware of this, Jesus asked them, 'Why are you talking about the loaves you are short of? Do you not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Have you eyes that don't see and ears that don't hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand? How many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?' They answered, 'Twelve.' 'And having seven loaves for the four thousand, how many wicker baskets of leftovers did you collect?' They answered, 'Seven.' Then Jesus said to them, 'Do you still not understand?'"

MARK 8:14-21

"Thank you Lord, for sustaining us through the difficulties
of our relationships."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

A Woman's Test of Faith

Canon S45

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greetings to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.

"Consider yourselves fortunate, my brothers and sisters, when you meet with every kind of trial, for you know that the testing of your faith makes you steadfast. Let your steadfastness become perfect with deeds, that you yourselves may be perfect and blameless, without any defect.

"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God who gives to all easily and unconditionally. But ask with faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave driven and tossed on the sea by the wind. Such a person should not expect anything from the Lord, since the doubter has two minds and his conduct will always be insecure.

"Let the believer who is poor boast in being uplifted, and let the rich one boast in being humbled, because he will pass away like the flower of the field. The sun rises and its heat dries the grass; the flower withers and its beauty vanishes. So, too, will the rich person fade away even in the midst of his pursuits."

JAMES 1:1-11

"Lord Jesus, help me surmount the challenges I face in my life. Amen."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Habhab

Canon S45

"Then, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. Give no offense to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God just as I try to please everyone in everything. I do not seek my own interest, but that of many, this is: that they be saved.

"Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ."

1 CORINTHIAN 10:31 to 11:1

"Lord, give me a generous heart."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

He Doesn't Argue

"Soon afterwards Jesus was in the midst of another large crowd that obviously had nothing to eat. So he called his disciples and said to them, 'I feel sorry for these people because they have been with me for three days and now have nothing to eat. If I send them to their homes hungry, they will faint on the way; some of them have come a long way.'

"His disciples replied, 'Where in a deserted place like this could we get enough bread to feed these people?' He asked them, 'How many loaves have you?' And they answered, 'Seven.'

"Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute. And they distributed them among the people. They also had some small fish, so Jesus said a blessing and asked that these be shared as well.

"The people ate and were satisfied. The broken pieces were collected, seven wicker baskets full of leftovers. Now there had been about four thousand people. Jesus sent them away and immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha."

MARK 8:1-10

"Lord, teach us to trust you more and more each day.
There is nothing impossible to you."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Listen

"Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and skirting the sea of Galilee he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him.

"Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tounge with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, 'Ephphetha,' that is, 'Be opened'.

"And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and said, 'He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.'"

MARK 7:31-37

"Forgive me for not listening to You.
Help me seek Your Word."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

We Are A Dying People

Pentax Optio S50

"In Solomon's old age, his wives led him astray to serve other gods and, unlike his father David, his heart was no longer wholly given to Yahweh his God. For he served Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites. He did what displeased Yahweh and, unlike his father David, was unfaithful to him. Solomon even built a high place for Chemosh, the idol of Moab, on the mountain east of Jerusalem and also for Molech, the idol of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

"Yahweh became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel. Yahweh appeared to him twice and commanded him not to follow other gods. But he did not obey Yahweh's command. Therefore, Yahweh said to Solomon, 'Since this has been your choice and you have kept neither my Covenant nor the statutes I commanded you, I will take the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do this during your lifetime for the sake of your father David; I will take it from your son. But I will not take it all; I will reserve one tribe for your son for the sake of David my servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen."

1 KINGS 11:4-13

"Lord, I don't want to be like Solomon.
When I become old, I want You to find me faithful.
Until the last breath of my soul."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

That's Fine...

Canon S45, f4.9, 1/30 sec

"The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame, and came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a vast retinue and with camels loaded with spices, an abundance of gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she told him all that she had on her mind and Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing that the king could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, the food on his table, the residence of his officials, the attendance of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings which he offered at Yahweh's House, it left her breathless.

"Then she said to the king, 'All that I heard in my own land concerning you and your wisdom was true. But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. And what did I see! I was told only half the story; for your wisdom and wealth surpass the report I heard.

"Fortunate are your wives! Fortunate are your servants who are ever in your presence and hear your wisdom! Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has looked kindly on you and has put you on the throne of Israel! Because of Yahweh's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so that you may dispense justice and righteousness.

"Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in abundance, and precious stones. Such an abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon was never again seen."

1 KINGS 10:1-10

"Lord, teach me to be excellent in all my ways.
More importantly, teach me to be excellent
when it comes to my relationship with You. Amen"

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

A Boring Life?

Canon S45, f3.2, 1/1000 sec

"Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel. He raised his hands towards heaven and said, 'O Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no God like you either in heaven or on earth! You keep your covenant and show loving-kindness to your servants who walk before you wholeheartedly.

"But will God really live among men on earth? If neither heavens nor the highest heavens can contain you, how much less can this House which I have built! yet, listen to the prayer and supplication of your servant, O Yahweh my God; hearken to the cries and pleas which your servant directs to yout his day. Watch over this House of which you have said, 'My name shall rest there.' Hear the prayer of your servant in this place.

"Listen to the supplication of your servant and your people Israel when they pray in this direction; listen from your dwelling place in Heaven an, on listening, forgive."

1 KINGS 8:22-23, 27-30

"Make my life, a foretaste of the life You want for us."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

The Master's Touch

Canon EOS 350D, f2.2, 1/13 sec

"Having crossed the lake, they came ashore at Gennesaret where they tied up the boat. As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus and ran to spread the news throughout the countryside. Wherever he was they brought to him the sick lying on their mats. And wherever he went, to villages, towns or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplace and begged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were cured."

MARK 6:53-56

"See, upon the palms of my hands
I have written your name."
Isaiah 49:16

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Let The Spirit Teach

Canon S45, f2.8, 0.3 sec

"Because I cannot boast of announcing the Gospel: I am bound to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! If I preached voluntarily, I could expect my reward, but I have been trusted this office against my will. How can I, then, deserve a reward? In announcing the Gospel, I will do it freely without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel.

"So, feeling free with everybody, I have become everybody's slave in order to gain a greater number. With people of unformed conscience I acted as if I were sharing their scruples in order to gain those who are still weak. So I made myself all things to all people in order to save, by all possible means, some of them. This I do for the Gospel, so that I too have a share of it."

1 CORINTHIANS 9:16-19, 22-23

"Lord, send me Your Spirit so I may share You with others."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Only The Best

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/25 sec

"The king used to sacrifice at Gibeon, the great high place; on the altar there he had offered a thousand burnt offerings. It was in Gibeon, during the night, that Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, 'Ask what you want me to give you.'

"Solomon answered, 'You have shown your servant David my father a great and steadfast love because he served you faithfully and was righteous and sincere towards you. You have given him proof of your steadfast love in making a son of his sit on his throne this day. And now, O Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a young boy who does not know how to undertake anything. Meantime, your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen--a people so great that they can neither be numbered or counted.

"Give me, therefore, an understanding mind in governing your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this multitude of people of yours?'

"Yahweh was pleased that Solomon had made this request. And he told him, 'Because you have requested this rather than long life or wealth or even vengeance on your enemies; indeed, because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right'"

1 KINGS 3:4-13

"Thank You Father, for giving me only the best."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

One Hundred Percent

Canon EOS 350D, f1.4, 1/13 sec

"As fat is selected from the peace offering, so David was chosen from among the Israelites.

"He played with lions and bears as if they were lambs or young goats.

"He was still young when he slew a giant to restore the honor of his people; with a sling he aimed a stone that killed the arrogant Goliath.

"He invoked the Lord Most High, who gave him strength to slay a mighty warrior, and so exalt the power of his people.

"So they glorified him fo rhis ten thousands and praised him as a blessing from the Lord when he was chosen king.

"For he wiped out his enemies on all sides and annihilated his adversaries, the Philistines, crushing their power forever.

"In all that he did he gave thanks to the Most High, and showed his love for his Maker by singing with all his heart.

"He placed singers accompanied by harps before the altar to make beautiful music: he gave splendor to feasts and even greater magnificence to the more solemn occasions, exalting the holy Name of the Lord and having the sanctuary ring with his praises from early morning.

"The Lord forgave David's sins and established his power forever; he made a covenant with him for the benefit of the kings and gave him a glorious throne in Israel."

SIRACH 47:2-11

"O God, grant me the grace
to love You with my whole being... Amen."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

Angels of Grace

Canon EOS 350D, f5.6, 1/15 sec

"When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, they brought the baby up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God. And they offered a sacrifice as ordered in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

"There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel, and he had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law.

"Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God, saying,

'Now, O lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace,
for you have fulfilled your word
and my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you display for all the people to see.
Here is the light you will reveal to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.'

"His father and mother wondered at what was said about the child. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, 'See him; he will be for the rise or fall of the multitudes of Israel. He shall stand as a sign of contradiction, while a sword will pierce your own soul. Then the secret thoughts of many may be brought to light.'

"There was also a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father's home, she had been seven years with her husband, and since then she had been continually about the Temple, serving God as a widow night and day in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty-four. Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

"When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew in stature and strength and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon him."

LUKE 2:22-40

"Lord, use me if You will, to enter another person's life
so that Your grace may flow in."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>

To Reveal It Or Not?

Canon EOS 350D, f2.5, 6 sec

"The king said to Joab and the commanders of the army who were with him, 'Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people that I may know how many they are.'

"Joab gave the total count of the people to the king: eight hundred thousand sword-wielding warriors in Israel and five hundred thousand men in Judah.

"The following day, before David awoke, Yahweh's word had come to the prophet Gad, David's seer, 'Go , and give David this message: I offer you three things and I will let one of them befall you according to your own choice.' So Gad went to David and asked him, 'Do you want three years of famine in your land? Or do you want to be pursued for three months by your foes while you flee from them? Or do you want three days' pestilence in your land? Now, think and decide what answer I shall give him who sent me.'

"David answered Gad, 'I am greatly troubled. Let me fall in to the hands of Yahweh whose mercy is abundant; but let me not fall into the hands of men.'

"So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from morning until the appointed time, causing the death of seventy thousand men from Dan to Beersheba. When the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh would punish no more and said to the angel who was causing destruction among the people, 'It is enough, hold back your hand.' The angel of Yahweh was already at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite.

"When David saw the angel striking the people, he spoke to Yahweh and said, 'I have sinned and acted wickedly, but these are only the sheep; what have they done? Let your hand strike me and my father's family.'"

2 SAMUEL 24:2, 9-17

"Oh Jesus, I pray that You give me Your strength and happiness."

---

<<PREV | HOME | NEXT>>