Believe, And Then Watch

From http://rosarycreations.com

"Once again Yahweh addressed Ahaz, 'Ask for a sign from Yahweh your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.'

"But Ahaz answered, 'I will not ask, I will not put Yahweh to the test.'

"Then Isaiah said, 'Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:

"'The Virgin is with a child and bears a son and calls his name Immanuel.'

"Devise a plan and it will be thwarted, make a resolve and it will not stand, for God is with us."

ISAIAH 7:10-14;8:10

"Lord, I believe that You love me more
than what my mind can conceive.
Help me trust in that love."

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Jesus, I Trust In You

From http://thesheepfold.typepad.com

"On the evening of that day, the first day after the sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews, but Jesus came and stood in their midst. He said to them, 'Peace be with you.'; then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were full of joy.

"Again Jesus said to them, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' After saying this he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.'

"Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he replied, 'Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.'

"Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Resist no longer and be a believer.'

"Thomas then said, 'You are my Lord and my God.' Jesus replied, 'You believe because you see me, don't you? Happy are those who have not seen and believe.'

"There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of his disciples, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; believe and you will have life through his Name."

JOHN 20:19-31

"Jesus, King of Mercy... my Lord and my God... I trust in You!"

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A Powerful Thing

Canon EOS 350D, f/6.3, 0.8 sec

"They were astonished at the boldness of Peter and John, considering that they were uneducated and untrained men. They recognized, also, that they had been with Jesus, but as the man who had been cured stood beside them, they could make no reply.

"So they ordered them to leave the council room while they consulted with one another. They asked, 'What shall we do with these men? Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign has been given through them, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak anyone in the name of Jesus.' So they called them back and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

"But Peter and John answered them, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's eyes for us to obey you rather than God. We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.' Then the council threatened them once more and let them go. They could find no way of punishing them because of the people who glorified God for what had happened."

ACTS 4:13-21

"Lord, grant me courage to be what You want me to be."

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Our Ways, His Ways

Canon EOS 350D, f/8, 1/80 sec

"After this Jesus revealed himself to the disciples by the Lake of Tiberias. He appeared to them in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas who was called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples were together; and Simon Peter said to them, 'I'm going fishing.' They replied, 'We will come with you.' and they went out and got into the boat. But they caught nothing that night.

"When day had already broken, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus called them, 'Children, have you anything to eat?' They answered, 'Nothing.' Then he said to them, 'Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' When they had lowered the net, they were not able to pull it in because of the great number of fish.

"Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It' the Lord!' At these words, 'I'ts the Lord,' Simon Peter put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and jumped into the water. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish; they were not far from land, about a hundred meters.

"When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish you've caught.' So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and pulled the net to shore. It was full of big fish--one hundred and fifty three--but, in spit of this, the net was not torn.

"Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast,' and not one of the disciples dared ask him, 'Who are you?' for they knew it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and he did the same with fish.'

"This was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to his disciples after rising from the dead."

JOHN 21:1-14

"Dear Jesus, strengthen my faith in You, to let go of my own ways,
and let Your power work in me."

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Miracles

Canon EOS 350D f/4.5, 1/4 sec

"While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, struck with astonishment, came running to them in Solomon's Porch, as it was called. When Peter saw the people, he said to them,

"'Fellow Israelite, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if it was by some power or holiness of our own that we made this man walk? The God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over to death and denied before Pilate, when even Pilate had decided to release him. You rejected the Holy and Just One, and you insisted that a murdered be released to you. You killed the Master of life, but God raised him from the dead and we are witnesses to this. It is his Name, and faith in his Name, that he has healed this man whom you see and recognize. The faith which comes through Jesus has given him wholeness in the presence of all of you.

"'Yet I know that you acted out of ignorance, as did your leaders. God has fulfilled in this way what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.

"'Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out and the time of refreshment may come by the mercy of God, when he sends the Messiah appointed for you, Jesus. For he must remain in heaven until the time of the universal restoration which God spoke of long ago through his holy prophets.

"'Moses foretold this when he said: The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall listen to him in all that he says to you. Whoever does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from among his people.

"'In fact, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel onward, have announced the events of these days. You are the children of the prophets and heirs of the covenant which God gave to your ancestors when he said to Abraham: All the families of the earth will be blessed through your descendant. It is to you first that God sends his Servant; he raised him to life to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.'"

ACTS 3:11-26

"Lord Jesus, I pray for openness to be used by You
for Your kingdom here on earth. Amen."

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Pilgrims

Canon EOS 350D, f/4.5, 1/8 sec

"That same day, two of them were going to Emmaus, a village seven miles from Jerusalem, and they talked about what happened. While they were talking and wondering, Jesus came up and walked with them, but their eyes were held and they did not recognize him.

"He asked, 'What is this you are talking about?' The two stood still, looking sad. Then one named Cleophas answered, 'Why, it seems you are the only traveller in Jerusalem who doesn't know what has happened there these past few days.' And he asked, 'What is it?'

"They replied, 'It is about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet, you know, mighty in word and deed before God and the people. But the chief priests and our rulers sentenced him to death. They handed him over to be crucified. We had hoped that he would redeem Israel.

"'It is now the third day since all this took place. It is true that some women of our group have disturbed us. When they went to the tomb at dawn, they did not find his body; they came to tell us that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that Jesus was alive. Some friends of our group went to the tomb and found everything just as the women had said, but they did not see him.'

"He said to them, 'How dull you are, how slow of understanding! You fail to believe the message of the prophets. Is it not written that the Christ should suffer all this and then enter his glory?' Then starting with Moses and going through the prophets, he explained to them everything in the Scriptures concerning himself.

"As they drew near he village they were heading for, Jesus made as if to go farther. But they prevailed upon him, 'Stay with us, for night comes quickly. The day is now almost over.' So he went in to stay with them. When they were at table, he took the bread, said a blessing, broke it and gave each a piece.

"Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; but he vanished out of their sight. And they said to each other, 'Were not our hearts filled with ardent yearning when he was talking to us on the road and explaining the Scriptures?'

"They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and their companions gathered together. They were greeted by these words: 'Yes, it is true, the Lord is risen! He has appeared to Simon!' Then the two told what had happened on the road and how Jesus made himself known when he broke bread with them."

LUKE 24:13-35

"Give me the grace, Lord, to rummage for Your presence
in the ordinariness of my life."

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The Good Kind

Canon S45

"Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she bent down to look inside; she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She answered, 'Because they have taken my Lord and I don't know where they have put him.'

"As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' She thought it was the gardener and answered him, 'Lord, if you have taken him away; tell me where you have but him, and I will go and remove him.'

"Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him, 'Rabboni!'--which means, Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me; you see I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God.'

"So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me.'"

JOHN 20:11-18

"Lord, help me to always remember that You are right within me,
even if I don't feel it."

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Haller!

Canon EOS 350D, f/6.3, 1/5 sec

"They left the tomb at once in holy fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to the disciples.

"Suddenly, Jesus met them on the way and said, 'Peace.' The women approached him, embraced his feet and worshiped him. But Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me.'

"While the women were on their way, the guards returned to the city and some of them reported to the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests met with the Jewish authorities and decided to give the soldiers a good sum of money, with this instruction, 'Say that his disciples came by night while you were asleep, and stole the body of Jesus. If Pilate comes to know of this, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.' The soldiers accepted the money and did as they were told. This story has circulated among the Jews until this day."

MATTHEW 28:8-15

"Lord, You rose from the dead for us.
Let me not forget that You did it
personally for me, too.
Hello Jesus! Make me new!"

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Resurrection

Canon S45

"After the sabbath, at the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake: an angel of the Lord descending from heaven, came to the stone, rolled it from the entrance of the tome, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his garment white as snow. The guards trembled in fear and became like dead men when they saw the angel.

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him; then go at once and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. This is my message for you.'

"They left the tomb at once in holy fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to the disciples.

"Suddenly, Jesus met them on the way and said, 'Peace.' The women approached him, embraced his feet and worshiped him. But Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me.'"

MATTHEW 28:1-10

"Lord, make my life a witness to Your resurrection power."

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Romantic Lines

Canon S45

"For your Maker is to marry you: Yahweh Sabaoth is his name. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel: He is called God of all the earth.

"For Yahweh has called you back as one forsaken and grieved in spirit. Who could abandon his first beloved? says your God.

"For a brief moment I have abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will gather my people. For a moment, in an outburst of anger, I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I have had mercy on you, says Yahweh, your Redeemer.

"This is for me like Noah's waters, when I swore that they would no more flood the earth; so now I swear not to be angry with you and never again to rebuke you. The mountains may depart and the hills be moved, but never will my love depart from you nor my covenant of peace be removed, says Yahweh whose compassion is for you.

"O afflicted city, lashed by storm and unconsoled, I will set your stones and turquoise, you foundations with sapphires. I will crown your wall with agate, make your gates crystal, and your ramparts of precious stones.

"All your children will be taught by Yahweh, and they will prosper greatly. Justice will be your foundation; tyranny and the fear of oppression will never come near you."

ISAIAH 54:5-14

"Lord, may I always remember that although
everything in this word will fade,
Your love will remain constant and true until the end."

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Good Friday

Pentax S50

"When Jesus had finished speaking, he went with his disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley. There was a garden there where Jesus entered with his disciples.

"Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place since Jesus had often met there with his disciples. He led soldiers of the Roman battalion and guards from the chief priests and Pharisees, who went there with lanterns, torches and weapons.

"Jesus knew all that was going to happen to him; he stepped forward and asked, 'Who are you looking for?' They answered, 'Jesus the Nazarene.' Jesus replied, 'I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, let these others go.' So what Jesus had said came true: 'I have not lost one of those you gave me.'

"Simon Peter had a sword; he drew it and struck Malchus, the High Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus said to Peter, 'Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?'

"The guards and the soldiers, with their commander, seized Jesus and bound him; and they took him first to Annas. Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the High Priest that year; and it was Caiaphas who had told the Jews: 'It is better that one man should die for the people.'

"Simon Peter with another disciple followed Jesus. Because this disciple was know to the High Priest, they let him enter the courtyard of the High Priest along with Jesus, but Peter had to stay outside at the door. The other disciple, who was know to the High Priest went out and spoke to the maidservant at the gate and brought Peter in. Then, this servant on duty at the door said to Peter, "So you also are one of his disciples?' But he answered, 'I am not.'

"Now the servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire and were standing and warming themselves, because it was cold. Peter was also with them warming himself.

"The High Priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, 'I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in places where the Jews meet together, either at the assemblies in synagogues or in the Temple. I did not teach secretly. Why then do you ask me? Ask those who heard me, they know what I said.'

"At this reply one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a blow on the face saying, 'Is that the way to answer the High Priest?' Jesus asked him, 'If I have spoken wrongly, point it out; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?'

"Then Annas sent him, bound, to Caiaphas, the High Priest.

"Now Simon Peter stood there warming himself. They said to him, 'Surely you also are one of his disciples.' He denied it and answered, 'I am not.' One of the High Priest's servants, a kinsman of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, 'Did I not see you with him in the garden?' Again Peter denied it, and at once the cock crowed.

"Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the court of the Roman governor. It was now morning. The Jews didn't enter lest they be made unclean (by coming into the house of a pagan) and be unable to eat the Passover meal. So Pilate went out and asked, 'What charge do you bring against this man?'

"They answered, 'If he were not a criminal, we would not be handing him over to you.' Pilate said, 'Take him yourselves and judge him according to your own law.' But they replied, 'We ourselves are not allowed to put anyone to death.'

"It was clear form this what kind of death Jesus was to die, according to what Jesus himself had foretold.

"Pilate then entered the court again, called Jesus and asked him, 'Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus replied, 'Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?'

"Pilate answered, 'Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?' Jesus answered, 'My kingship does not come from this world. If I were king like those of this world, my guards would have fought to save me from being handed over to Jews. But my kingship is not from here.'

"Pilate asked him, 'So you are a king?' And Jesus answered, 'Just as you say, I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice.' Pilate said, 'What is truth?'

"Pilate then went out to the Jews again and said, 'I find no crime in this man. Now, according to a custom, I must release a prisoner of yours at the Passover. With your agreement I will release for you the King of the Jews.' But they insisted and cried out, 'Not this man, but Barabbas!' Now Barabbas was a robber.

"Then Pilate had Jesus taken away and scourged. The soldiers also twisted thorns into a crown and put it on his head. They threw a cloak of royal purple around his shoulders and began coming up to him and saluting him, 'Hail, king of the Jews.' and they struck him on the face.

"Pilate went outside yet another time and said to the Jews, 'Look, I am bringing him out and I want you to know that I find no crime in him.' Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak and Pilate pointed to him, saying 'Here is the man!'

"On seeing him the chief priests and the guards cried out, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' Pilate replied, 'Take him yourselves and have him crucified, for I find no cause against him.' The Jews then said, 'We have a Law, and according to the Law this man must die because he made himself Son of God.'

"When Pilate heard this he was more afraid. And coming back into the court he asked Jesus, 'Where are you from?' But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to him, 'You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you just as I have power to crucify you?' Jesus replied, 'You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is more guilty.'

"From that moment Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, 'If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.'

"When Pilate heard this, he had Jesus brought outside to the place called the Stone Floor--in Hebrew Gabbatha--and there he had him seated in the tribune. It was the Preparation Day for the Passover, about noon. So Pilate said to the Jews, 'Here is your king.' But they cried out, 'Away! Take him away! Crucify him!' Pilate replied, 'Shall I crucify your king?' And the chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.'

"Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.

"They took charge of him. Bearing his own cross, Jesus went out of the city to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew: Golgotha. There he was crucified and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus was in the middle.

"Pilate had a notice written and fastened to the cross that read: Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews. Many Jewish people saw this title, because the place where Jesus was crucified was very close to the city. It was, moreover, written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. The chief priests said to Pilate, 'Do not write: "The king of the Jews"; but: "This man claimed to be king of the Jews."' Pilate answered them, 'What I have written, I have written.'

"When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each of them. But as the tunic was woven in one piece from top to bottom, they said, 'Let us not tear it, but cast lots to decide who will get it.' This fulfilled the words of Scripture: They divided my clothing among them; they cast lots for my garment. This was what the soldiers did.

"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the Mother, and the disciple, he said to the Mother, 'Woman, this is your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'There is your mother.' And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.

"With that Jesus knew all was now finished and he said, I am thirty, to fulfill what was written in Scripture. A jar full of bitter wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a twig of hyssop, they raised it to his lips. Jesus took the wine and said, 'It is accomplished.' Then he bowed his head and gave up the spirit.

"As it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the sabbath, for this sabbath was a very solemn day. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so they might take away the bodies.

"The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who had been crucified with Jesus. When they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead; so they did not break his legs. One of th soldiers, however, pierced his side with a lance and immediately there came out blood and water.

"The one who has seen here gives his witness to that you may believe: his witness is true and He knows that he speaks the truth. All this happened to fulfill the the words of Scripture, Not one of his bones shall be broken. Another text says: they shall look on him whom they have pierced.

"After this, Joseph of Arimathea approached Pilate, for he was a disciple of Jesus, though secretly, for fear of the Jews. And he asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate agreed, so he came and took away the body.

"Nicodemus, the man who earlier had come to Jesus by night, also came and brought a jar of myrrh mixed with aloes, about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spiced, following the burial custom of the Jews.

"There was a garden in the place where Jesus had been crucified, and, in the garden, a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. As the tomb was very near, they buried Jesus there because they had no time left before the Jewish Preparation Day."

JOHN 18:1-19:42

"My Jesus, please help me to see the meaning
behind Your passion and death
and allow it to be fulfilled in me. Amen."

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Tragedy or Blessing?

"It was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, and as he had loved those who were his own in the world, he would love them with perfect love.

"They were at supper and the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to him, and as he had come from God, he was going to God. So he got up from table, removed his garment and taking a towel, wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.

"When he came to Simon Peter, Simon said to him, 'Why, Lord, you want to wash my feet!' Jesus said, 'What I am doing you cannot understand now, but afterwards you will understand it.' Peter replied, 'You shall never wash my feet.'

"Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you can have no part with me.' Then Simon Peter said, 'Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!'

"Jesus replied, 'Whoever has taken a bath does not need to wash (except the feet), for he is clean all over. You are clean, though not all of you.' Jesus knew who was to betray him; because of this he said, 'Not all of you are clean.'

"When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put on his garment again, went back to the table and said to them, 'Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another's feet. I have just given you an example that as I have done, you also may do."

JOHN 13:1-15

"When things don't seem to go my way,
help me to trust in You, for You know best."

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Thirty Pieces Of Silver

Pentax S50

"Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went off to the chief priests and said, 'How much will you give me if I hand him over to you?' They promise to give him thirty pieces of silver, and from then on he kept looking for the best way to hand him over to them.

"On the first day of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, 'Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?' Jesus answered, 'Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him: "The Master says: My house is near, and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house."'

"The disciples did as Jesus had ordered and prepared the Passover meal.

"When it was evening, Jesus sat at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, Jesus said, 'Truly, I say to you: one of you will betray me.' They were deeply distressed and asked him in turn, 'You do not mean me, do you Lord?'

"He answered, 'He who will betray me is one of those who dips his bread in the dish with me. The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will. But alas for that one who betrays the Son of Man; better for him not to have been born.' Judas, who was betraying him, also asked, 'You do not mean me, Master, do you?' Jesus replied, 'You have said it.'"

MATTHEW 26:14-25

"Lord Jesus, may You always be my one true treasure."

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Shady Deals

From www.imdb.com

"After saying this, Jesus was distressed in spirit and said plainly, 'Truly, one of you will betray me.' The disciples then looked at one another, wondering who he meant. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining near Jesus; so Simon Peter signaled him to ask Jesus whom he meant.

"And the disciple who was reclining near Jesus asked him, 'Lord, who is it?' Jesus answered, 'I shall dip a piece of bread in the dish, and he to whom I give it, is the one.'

"So Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And as Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus then said to him, 'What you are going to do, do quickly.'

"None of the others reclining at table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. As he had the common purse, they may have thought that Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the feast,' or, 'Give something to the poor.' Judas left as soon as he had eaten the bread. It was night.

"When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. God will glorify him, and he will glorify him very soon.

"'My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for me, but, as I already told the Jews, so now I tell you: where I am going you cannot come.'

"Simon Peter said to him, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus answered, 'Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but afterwards you will.' Peter said, 'Lord, why can't I follow you now? I am ready to give my life for you.' Jesus answered, 'To give your life for me! Truly, I tell you, the cock will not crow before you have denied me three times.'"

JOHN 13:21-33,36-38

"Lord, grant me the courage to say no to wrongdoing.
Remind me that saying yes to You means
doing the right thing all the time."

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Liberty To Captives

From www.alibaba.com

"When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the sabbath as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah.

"Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord's year of mercy.'

"Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said to them, 'Today, these prophetic words come true even as you listen.'"

LUKE 4:16-21

"Lord, thank You for freedom. Thank You for setting us free.
Thank You for the promise of a year of favor from You. Amen."

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A Refreshing Desert

Canon EOS 350D, f/5.6, 1/200 sec

"When they drew near Jerusalem and arrived at Bethpage, on the mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying 'Go to the village in front of you, and there you will find a donkey tied up with its cold by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says something to you, say: The Lord needs them but he will send them back immediately.'

"This happened in fulfillment of what the prophet said: Say to the daughter of Zion: See, your king comes to you in all simplicity, riding on a donkey, a beast of burden, with its colt.

"The disciples went as Jesus had instructed them, and they brought the donkey with its colt. Then they threw their cloaks on its back, and Jesus sat on them.

"Many people also spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The people who walked ahead of Jesus and those who followed him began to shout: 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna, glory in the highest!'

"When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was disturbed. The people asked, 'Who is this man?' And the crowd answered, 'This is the Prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.'"

MATTHEW 21:1-11

"Lord, make my heart a fertile place for You
to come and provide growth."

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Sacramental Grace

Canon EOS 350D, f/4, 1/50 sec

"But that very night, Yahweh's word came to Nathan, 'Go and tell my servant David, this is what Yahweh says:

"'When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for my name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a father to him and he shall be my son... Your house and your reign shall last forever before me, and your throne shall be forever firm.'"

2 SAMUEL 7:4-5a,12-14a,16

"Lord God, You are the element that bonds couples in marriage.
Grant us Your sacramental grace."

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Love Never Dies

Canon EOS 350D, f/9, 1/160 sec

"The Jews then picked up stones to throw at him; so Jesus said, 'I have openly done many good works among you which the Father gave me to do. For which of these do you stone me?'

"The Jews answered, 'We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for insulting God; you are only a man and you make yourself God.'

"Then Jesus replied, 'Is this not written in your Law: I said: you are gods? So those who received this word of God were galled gods and the Scripture is always true. Then what should be said of the one anointed and sent into the world by the Father? Am I insulting God when I say: "I am the Son of God"?

"'If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do them, even if you have no faith in me, believe because of the works I do, and know that the Father is in me and I in the Father.'

"Again they tried to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands. He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John had baptized, and there he stayed.

"Many people came to him and said, 'John showed no miraculous signs, but he spoke of this man and everything he said was true.' And many became believers in that place."

JOHN 10:31-42

"Lord, I truly believe that nothing in this age or in the ages to come,
can ever separate me from Your love."

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Himaya

From www.kabayancentral.com

"'Truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death.' The Jews replied, 'Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets as well, but you say: "Whoever keeps my word will never experience death." Who do you claim to be? Do you claim to be greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets also died.'

"Then Jesus said, 'If I were to praise myself, it would count for nothing. But he who gives glory to me is the Father, the very one you claim as your God, although you don't know him. I know him and if I were to say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and I keep his word.

"'As for Abraham, your ancestor, he looked forward to the day when I would come; and he rejoiced when he saw it.'

"The Jews then said to him, 'You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?' And Jesus said, 'Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.' They then picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple."

JOHN 8:51-59

"All glory, and honor, and power is Yours,
now and forever. Amen."

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Make Room

Pentax S50

"Jesus went on to say to the Jews who believed in him: 'You will be my true disciples if you keep my word. Then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.' They answered him, 'We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves of anyone. What do you mean by saying: You will be free?'

"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a salve. But the slave doesn't stay in the house forever; the son stays forever. So, if the Son makes you free, you will be really free.

"I know that you are the descendants of Abraham; yet you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you. For my part I speak of what I have seen in the Father's presence, but you do what you have learned from your father.'

"They answered him, 'Our father is Abraham.' Then Jesus said, 'If you were Abraham's children, you would do as Abraham did. But now you want to kill me, the one who tells you the truth--the truth that I have learned from God. That is not what Abraham did; what you are doing are the works of your father.'

"The Jews said to him, 'We are not illegitimate children; we have one Father, God.' Jesus replied, 'If God were your Father you would love me, for I came forth from God, and I am here. And I didn't come by my own decision, but it was he himself who sent me."

JOHN 8:31-42

"I pray for the grace to know You more, Lord.
Grant me an unquenchable thirst for Your Word."

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Shrimp or Tuyo

Canon EOS 350D, f/5, 1/30 sec

"From Mount Hor they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey and began to complain against God and Moses, 'Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.'

"Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away.'

"Moses pleaded for the people and Yahweh said to him, 'Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.'

"So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived."

NUMBERS 21:4-9

"You, O God, prepare a table before me,
in the presence of my enemies."

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Little Sin, Long Guilt

"As for Jesus, he went to the Mount of Olives.

"At daybreak, Jesus appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them.

"Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone. 'Master,' they said, 'this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but you, what do you say?' They said this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against him.

"Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. And as they continued to ask him, he straightened up and said to them, 'Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' And he bent down again, writing on the ground.

"As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with woman standing before him. Then Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She replied, 'No one.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go away and don't sin again.'"

JOHN 8:1-11

"Lord, take me and make me whole,
worthy of Your great love for me."

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Far Better Place

Canon EOS 350D, f/4.5, 1/3 sec

"There was a sick man named Lazarus who was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the same Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick.

"So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.' On hearing this Jesus said, 'This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God's glory and the Son of God will be glorified through it.'

"It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after he heard of the illness of Lazarus, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Only then did he say to his disciples, 'Let us go into Judea again.' They replied, 'Master, recently the Jews wanted to stone you. Are you going there again?'

"Jesus said to them, 'Are not twelve working hours needed to complete a day? Those who walk in the daytime shall not stumble, for they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, for there is no light in them.'

"After that Jesus said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him.' The disciples replied, 'Lord, a sick person who sleeps will recover.' But Jesus has referred to Lazarus' death, while they thought that he had meant the repose of sleep. So Jesus said plainly, 'Lazarus is dead and for your sake I am glad I was not there, for now you may believe. But let us go there, where he is.' Then Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, 'Let us also go that we may die with him.'

"When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. As Bethany is near Jerusalem, about two miles away, many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to offer consolation at their brother's death.

"When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, 'If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.' Jesus said, 'Your brother will rise again.'

"Martha replied, 'I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.' But Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection; whoever believes in me, though he die, shall live. Whoever is alive by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?'

"Martha then answered, 'Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.'

"After that Martha went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, 'The Master is here and is calling for you.' As soon as Mary heard this, she rose and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.

"The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her, also came. When they saw her get up and go out, they follower her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep.

"As for Mary, when she came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews also who had come with her, he was moved in the depths of his spirit and troubled. Then he asked, 'Where have you laid him?' They answered, 'Lord, come and see.' And Jesus wept.

"The Jews said, 'See how he loved him!' But some of them said, 'If he could open the eyes of the blind man, could he not have kept this man from dying?'

"Jesus was deeply moved again and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus ordered, 'Take the stone away.' Martha said to him, 'Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.' Jesus replied, 'Have I not told you that if you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?' So they removed the stone.

"Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you for you have heard me. I knew that you hear me always; but my prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that you sent me.' When Jesus had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!'

"The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, 'Untie him and let him go.'

"Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what he did."

JOHN 11:1-45

"In light or darkness, Lord, let me believe steadfastly in heaven."

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A Mere Reflection

Canon EOS 350D, f/5.6, 1/80 sec

"Many who had been listening to these words began to say, 'This is the Prophet.' Others said, 'This is the Christ.' But some wondered, 'Would the Christ come from Galilee? Doesn't Scripture say that the Christ is a descendant of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David?' The crowd was divided over him. Some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

"The officers of the Temple went back to the chief priests who asked them, 'Why didn't you bring him?' The officers answered, 'No one ever spoke like this man.' The Pharisees then said, 'So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in him? Only these cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!'

"Yet one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, 'Does our law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?' They replied, 'Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee.'

"And they all went home."

JOHN 7:40-53

"Lord, use me to speak Your words of truth."

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The Remedy

Canon EOS 350D, f/5, 1/40 sec

"Led by mistaken reasons they think, 'Life is short and sad and there is no cure for death. It was never heard that anyone came back from the netherworld.

"'Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing.

"'He claims knowledge of God and calls himself son of the Lord. He has become a reproach to our way of thinking; even to meet him is burdensome to us. He does not live like others and behaves strangely.

"'According to him we have low standards, so he keeps aloof from us as if we were unclean. He emphasizes the happy end of the righteous and boasts of having God as father.

"'Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries.

"'Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words.'

"This is the way they reason, but they are mistaken, blinded by their malice. They do not know the mysteries of God nor do they hope for the reward of a holy life; they do not believe that the blameless will be recompensed."

WISDOM 2:1a,12-22

"Jesus, You are the Resurrection and the Life!"

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When A Child Prays

"If I bore witness to myself, my testimony would be worthless. But Another One is bearing witness to me and I know that his testimony is true when he bears witness to me. John also bore witness to the truth when you sent messengers to him, but I do not seek such human testimony; I recall this for you, so that you may be saved.

"John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were willing to enjoy his light. But I have greater evidence than that of John--the works which the Father entrusted to me to carry out. The very works I do bear witness: the Father has sent me. Thus he who bears witness to me is the Father who sent me. You have never heard his voice and have never seen his likeness; then, as long as you do not believe his messenger, his word is not in you.

"You search in the Scriptures thinking that in them you will find life; yet Scripture bears witness to me. But you refuse to come to me, that you may live. I am not seeking human praise."

JOHN 5:31-47

"Dear Lord, may every word I speak be a true form of worship. Amen."

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Tunnel Vision

Pentax S50

"This is what Yahweh says"

"'At a favorable time I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have been your help; I have formed you and made you to be my covenant with the people.

"'You will restore the land, and allot its abandoned farms. You will say to the captives: Come out, and to those in darkness: Show yourselves.

"'They will feed along the road; they will find pasture on barren hills. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the scorching wind or the sun beat upon them; for he who has mercy on them will guide them and lead them to springs of water.

"I will turn all my mountains into roads and raise up my highways.

"'See, they come from afar, some from the north and west, others from the land of Sinim.'

"Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth;
break forth into song, O mountains;
for Yahweh has comforted his people
and taken pity on those who are afflicted.

"But Zion said: 'Yahweh has forsaken me,
my Lord has forgotten me.'
Can a woman forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child of her womb?
Yet though she forget, I will never forget you.

"See, I have written your name upon the palm of my hands: your walls are ever before me. Your sons hurry back, and those who laid you waste hasten to depart from you.

"Lift up your eyes, look around and see: your sons are all assembling and coming to you. As I live, says Yahweh, you will wear them all as your jewels; they will adorn you as brides are adorned.

"Your lonely places and your ruins, your wastelands and devastated country, will now be too small for your people, while those who destroy you will be driven off."

ISAIAH 49:8-15

"You give me fullness of life, Yahweh, my Lord."

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Prayer Is Like Water

Canon EOS 350D, f/22, 1/15 sec

"The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and flowing eastwards. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there I saw the stream coming from the south side.

"The man had a measuring cord in his hand. As he went towards the east he measured off a thousand cubits and led me across the water which was up to my ankles. He measured off another thousand cubits and made me cross the water which came to my knees. He measured of another thousand cubits and we crossed the water which was up to my waist. When he had again measured a thousand cubits, I could not cross the torrent for it had swollen to a depth which was impossible to cross without swimming.

"The man then said to me, 'Son of man, did you see?' He led me on further and then brought me back to the bank of the river. There I saw a number of trees on both sides of the river. He said to me, 'This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome. Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound.

"Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop because the water comes from the Temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing."

EZEKIEL 47:1-9,12

"Dear Lord, renew and refresh me with each prayer I say."

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Callous!

Pentax S50

"When the two days were over, Jesus left for Galilee. Jesus himself said that no prophet is recognized in his own country. Yet the Galileans welcomed him when he arrived, because of all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the Festival and which they had seen. For they, too, had gone to the feast.

"Jesus went back to Cana of Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. At Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill, and when he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked him to come and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

"Jesus said, 'Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe!' The official said, 'Sir, come down before my child dies.' And Jesus replied, 'Go, you son is living.'

"The man had faith in the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. He was already going down the hilly road when his servants met him with this news, 'You son has recovered!' So he asked them at what hour the child had begun to recover and they said to him, 'The fever left him yesterday in the afternoon about one o'clock.' And the father realized that it was the time when Jesus told him, 'Your son is living.' And he became a believer, he and all his family.

"Jesus performed this second miraculous sign when he returned from Judea to Galilee."

JOHN 4:45-54

"Lord, let me be Your miracle
as I live my life for You each day."

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Good Intentions

"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.'

"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 the heart.'

"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 16:1b,6-7,10-13a

"Lord, I know that You see into my heart.
Help me to look beyond my own vision
that I may see and follow Your will instead."

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The Fall of Rev. Ted Haggard

From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15536263

"Jesus told another parable to some persons fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down on others, 'Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and said: "I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give the tenth of all my income to the Temple."

"'In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying: "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

"'I tell you, when this man went down to his house, he had been set right with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.'"

LUKE 18:9-14

"Lord, help me catch myself when I am being arrogant
so that I may change my ways."

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