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| Dust. (inspired by, and heavily plagiarized from Nooma .008 Dust)Torah. Most christians and all Jews who hear that word think of the same thing: The First five books in the old testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In First Century B.C. These books were the foundation for the entire hebrew educational system, and in a less direct was, used to determine status amongst the people.
Around the age of seven, Jewish boys began learning the Torah from a Synagog leader, usually a Rabbi. Until they were Ten or so, these children would work at memorizing the Torah, word for word. At the end of this stage of education most children would go home and learn a trade, but the best students would continue their education for another four to five years. During this time, students were to memorize the remaining 28 books of the hebrew old testament. At fifteen, after this second stage, these children would go home and be considered like someone with a college degree today, definitely smarter than average, but still doing the same jobs as everybody else. But the best of those kids would go to a Rabbi and ask to be that Rabbi's disciple. Consider this, the Rabbi were the highest educated people in Jewish culture. To ask a rabbi if you could be his follower and learn from him was like asking if you were good enough to be like him. If you were the best.
Jesus called twelve men from among the "uneducated". If you think of it as Jesus saying to them, "I Believe you are the best. I believe you can be like me.", then it is no wonder that Peter and Andrew dropped their nets and Matthew Left what was probably a rather well paying business as a tax collector. By calling them he said, You can be like me. Jesus called these men from lives that told the world that these were the worst and lowest in status, and they changed the course of history. That begs the question: Are those Jesus has called today changing the face of history?
It kinda' makes things make a little more sense. Like when The disciples of Christ were in the boat in the Sea of Galilee and Jesus walks out to them on water. When they realize it's Jesus, what does Peter say?
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What I've always found strake is why did peter ask to be called? What did that mean? In Context, if you think about it, Peter is asking Jesus Do you think i can do it. Do you really think i can do what you are doing. Do you believe in me?
And how does Jesus answer? Come.
Now heres the part where people always bash Peter. He doubts and starts to sink. But if you think about it, how many people in the history of the world have walked on water Jesus and Peter. In my opinion, Peters doing pretty darn good.
You all know the story, Jesus saves him and then says: "You of little faith. Why did you doubt?" But what is it exactly that Peter doubts? Naturally we assume he doubted Jesus. But Jesus isn't sinking. Peter doubts himself. Thats why Peter asks before he first gets out of the boat. Jesus wouldn't have called Peter out if he didn't know Peter could do it.
This brings up a whole new idea: It's important to believe and have faith in God. But with that we need to realize that God believes and has faith in us. God would not have called us unless He believed that we could do what He wanted us to do. Unless He knew that we could be like our Rabbi.
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| The Truth of America: (and this aint the half of it!)"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often
that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by
Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.For
this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum,
prosperity, and freedom of worship here."
-- Patrick Henry
"Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens."
"If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due
to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If
we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on
prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its
instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may
overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."
-- Daniel Webster
"I have examined all religions, as well as my narrow sphere, my
straightened means, and my busy life, would allow; and the result is that the
Bible is the best Book in the world. It contains more philosophy than all the
libraries I have seen."
-- John Adams
"It is the duty of mankind on all suitable occasions to acknowledge their
dependence on the Divine Being... [that] Almighty God would mercifully
interpose and still the rage of war among the nations... [and that] He would
take this province under his protection, confound the designs and defeat the
attempts of its enemies, and unite our hearts and strengthen our hands in
every undertaking that may be for the public good, and for our defence and
security in this time of danger."
"I can only show my gratitude for these mercies from God, by a readiness to
help his other children and my brethren. For I do not think that thanks and
compliments, through repeated weekly, can discharge our real obligations to
each other, and much less those to our Creator.
"You will see in this my notion of good works, that I am far from expecting to
merit heaven by them. By heaven we understand a state of happiness, infinite
in degree, and eternal in duration. I can do nothing to deserve such
rewards.... Even the mixed, imperfect pleasures we enjoy in this world, are
rather from God's goodness than our merit; how much more such happiness of
heaven!"
"Whoever shall introduce into public affairs the
principles of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world."
-- Benjamin Franklin
"Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ."
"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the
power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our
political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon
the capacity of each and all of us to government ourselves, to control
ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
-- James Madison
"The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.
Where, say some, is the king of America? I'll tell you, friend, He reigns
above."
-- Thomas Paine
"This is a Christian nation."
-- Harry Truman
"You have this day to declare
yourself head of a nation. 'And now, O Lord, my God, Thou hast made thy
servant ruler over the people. Give unto him an understanding heart, that
he may know how to go out and come in before this great people; that he may
discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this thy so great a
people?' were the words of a royal Sovereign; and not less applicable to him who
is invested with the Chief Magistracy of a nation, though he wear not a crown,
nor robes of royalty."
-- Abigail Adams
"I find in the New Testament, Jesus Christ accosted in His own presence by
one of His disciples as God, without disclaiming the appellation. I see Him
explicitly declared by at least two other of the Apostles to be God, expressly
and repeatedly announced, not only as having existed before the worlds, but as
the Creator of the worlds without beginning of days or end of years. I see
Him named in the great prophecy of Isaiah concerning him to be the mighty God!
. . .
The texts are too numerous, they are from parts of the Scriptures too
diversified, they are sometimes connected by too strong a chain of argument,
and the inferences from them are, to my mind, too direct and irresistible, to
admit of the explanations which the Unitarians sometimes attempt to give them,
or the evasions by which, at others, they endeavor to escape from them."
-- John Quincy Adams
O! Thus be it
ever when free men shall stand
Between their
loved home and the war's desolation;
Blest with
vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r
that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we
must, when our cause it is just;
And this be our
motto, "In God is our trust!"
And the star
spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of
the free and the home of the brave!
Francus Scott Key
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| God Bless AmericaToday is Fourth of july, and I'm not going to go into alot of explination of the history behind this day, but rather i'm going to Ask everyone to Pray...
Pray for our country. Pray for it as you would a Good friend. Because the sad truth is that we are a decadent nation.
We are a country who Give more rights to trees and animals than to unborn children... did you know that more children are killed every year in America alone than there are trees cut down in ten years for paper... Isn't that sad?
Even waiting for state fireworks to start i witnessed the decline of american population right before my eyes... the general consensus was that whoever launched the most firework was the most patriotic. there were hardly any "families" sitting and waiting, but many, many overweight twentysomethingswith their significant others and illegitimate children... I found it sad that man silently reading his bible was laughed at, cursed, and even threatened while even a ten year old told his mother to "fuck off" without offending anyone...
It is late and i have little energy to elaborate further...
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we’re lying in the dark
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
God Bless and SAVE America....
Please. If you love your country at all, pray for her. she is dying.
Will we be sleeping
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| Recently i asked everyone to pray hard for me. Well now im asking
again. Pray for me, by sister, my dad. But Most importantly, pray for
my mom.... Hard. Please pray right now for her. Tonite is a book fait
that im not supposed to help with. It will be her and Dad. Thats not
the hard part though.
This morning my family recieved some really bad news about my brother.
My mom called me at home. I haven't heard her cry so hard since august
04. I love my mom.
What im feeling is hard to capture with words. Much less what she is feeling.
I know my mom feels abandoned. I cant really explain.
PLEASE. PLEASE PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | |
| PrayPlease Pray For me
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
(Ps 9.9-10)
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones
are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your
mercies' sake! (Ps 6.2-4)
I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.
My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. (Ps 6.6-7)
O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me (Ps 7.1)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
(Ps 19.14)
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if
need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious
than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation
of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with
joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Pet 1.3-9)
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever
shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will
bless the righteous; With favor You will surround
him as with a shield. (Ps 5.11-12)
One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I
may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in
His temple.
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in
His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide
me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around
me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
(Ps 27.4-6)
O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies
triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without
cause.
Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your
truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old. (Ps 25.1-6)
O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful,
and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of
good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
(Ps 31.23-24)
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Ps 55.22)
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our
transgressions from us.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them
that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth
that we are dust
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so
he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon
them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children. (Ps 103.11-17)
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"But he said to me, "My
grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that
Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I
delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Mark 4:37-41
"A furious squall came up, and the
waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in
the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to
him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Psalm 103:1-4
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion.
I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
My eyes are lifted up to the hills: O where will my help come from? My help comes from Yahweh, who made heaven and earth. Psa 121:1&2
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