Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways. For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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"There is no scarcity. There is no shortage. No lack of love, of compassion, of joy in the world. There is enough. There is more than enough. Only fear and greed make us think otherwise. No one need starve. There is enough land and enough food. No one need die of thirst. There is enough water. No one need live without mercy. There is no end to grace. And we are all instruments of grace. The more we give it, the more we share it, the more we use it, the more God makes. There is no scarcity of love. There is plenty. And always more."
-- Rosemarie Freeney Harding (1930-2004) Psalm 97:10-12 O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! The lesson Daniel will be teaching on Sunday (2/2/25) will be from Luke 6:1-16...
On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. A Miktam of David.Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low, and the crooked will be made straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth, and all humanity will see the salvation of God.’” So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” So the crowds were asking him, “What then should we do?” John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He told them, “Collect no more than you are required to.” Then some soldiers also asked him, “And as for us—what should we do?” He told them, “Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay.” While the people were filled with anticipation and they all wondered whether perhaps John could be the Christ, John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I am is coming—I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” And in this way, with many other exhortations, John proclaimed good news to the people. But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil deeds that he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison. Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.” Someone once asked Billy Graham, “If Christianity is valid, why is there so much evil in the world?” To which he replied, “With so much soap, why are there so many dirty people in the world? Christianity, like soap, must be personally applied if it is to make a difference in our lives.”
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24-hours of Prayer
December 31/January 1 12 noon (12/31/24) to 12 noon (1/1/24) King’s Orchard Church of Christ will be praying for 24-hours to ask for peace, comfort and wisdom for our city, state, country and world. Please join us in prayer by committing to pray for 30 minutes (twice if possible!) in this 24-hour period: praying for victims of violent crime/horrendous accidents; survivors & victims of fires/hurricanes/floods; for our government—for the elected officials AND for the un-elected officials—and for the country and the world. Remember that whoever is elected, God can use them or turn their actions, and the effects of the actions, to show HIS truth and righteousness and power. God never promised that our days here on earth would be easy, but He did promise to give us strength and courage whatever may happen to us. Suggestion on how to pray for 30 minutes: A-C-T-S Adoration—When starting your time of prayer, begin by revering the name of God. Another term for adoration is “praise”. Praise is simply vocal adoration of God; we praise God first because Jesus instructed us to (Matthew 6:9) and because it puts God in His rightful position at the very beginning of our prayers. Confession—When approaching God, it’s important to have a time of confession. Read the following verses out loud: Psalm 139:23-24, Psalm 66:18, 1 Peter 3:12, James 5:16. Note the important link between confessed sin and answered prayer. After reading the verses, spend time confessing any sin in your own heart so that the Lord will hear your prayers. Thanksgiving—Thanksgiving is closely related to adoration. While adoration is praising God for WHO HE IS, thanksgiving is praising God for what He has done! Thank Him for: Spiritual blessings, Material blessings, Physical blessings. Supplication—Supplication is when we bring our needs and requests to God, asking Him to act on our behalf. Pray specifically and BOLDLY. See Matthew 21:21-23, Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16-18 and Matthew 7:7. Lost Melody
Now that the angels all have gone away The shepherds, too, with them Staffs no longer rattling on paving stones; And those old fog-eyed men With sand in their beards, They, too, have disappeared Like their augur bones Cast into the eastern horizon. And now I can’t remember the song from the ruptured sky. Only the words, though I thought I never would forget that; Could teach it to the Child, Could remember where it went up What the pitches were Every word Every note But it has disintegrated into a chant I mumble to myself, and to Him Glory Peace Savior Look! He has found His voice. He is searching for his Hands, One seeking the other, Both seeking His mouth. Some day He will remind me Some day He will rejoice over me with singing Every word Every note By: Dr. Latayne C. Scott Praise the Lord!
Praise Him, you servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time on and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting, The name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who looks far down to The heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the garbage heap, To seat them with noblemen, With the noblemen of His people. He has the infertile woman live in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord! |