just read all of Psalm 91....that is faith and quantum physics in action

Life Verses for me:

Galatians 6:9
~And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

II Cor. 12:7-9a
~And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
~For this thorn I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
~And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

At our meeting tonight there was a lady who was angry at God. We told her that God is big enough to accept her anger. I know from the scriptures that both God and Jesus got angry. We told her to keep coming back. I added it might get bitter before it gets better. Ecclesiastes 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. There is a high in Christ.

Lovemeifyoucan, skad great to see you here.

Thank you for sharing.


Rainbow, great words as always.

Thank you, Britty. Since she is a Christian woman it is a struggle for her with her addiction. Addiction can be like a God in the way as addicts we worshiped our addiction. But as a God like that we have to see it as a false God. When we see that it is a false God we can also know as Christian we can't let it be the ruling God because that would be a violation of the first commandment. Greater is he that is within us than he that is in the world. She asked if there was anyone she could turn to beside God because of her anger. It is just the addiction trying to survive. We gave her the desire chip because she does have a honest desire to stop using. She is like a babe in Christ all over again. The addiction is like the roaring lion seeking to devour. I pray that Christ may pacify the addiction. She is at valley now spoken of Psalm 23 and is facing the crossroad but I hope that like me she finds that there is more to God than she could have ever imagined. We are doing our best to encourage her and pray that she has peace from the anger because she is angry at herself as well. Neither do we condemn her as Christ didn't condemn the woman at the well. As addicts who are we to throw the first stone. We welcome her to the fold.

Very well said RainbowTrout

As Greyhound said, very well put.

continue to be a good friend, and Christian witness to this woman.

The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1189
What time of year was Jesus really born in the flesh?


Conception of John the Baptist
Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
This verse holds the major key to determining the birth date of Jesus Christ.
Do you know what it is?
May I pose the question,
"If you don't understand the Old Testament, how are you to understand the New Testament?"
Well, there is something of great importance in this verse
and that is that Zacharias was a priest, a Levitical Priest,
and he was performing the priestly duties assigned to the "Course of Abia".
It is this course of Abia that will give us the key
to the date of the conception and hence the birth of Jesus.
Again, there is a reason we are given this information,
and I want to add that it HAS BEEN HERE ALL ALONG,
every Christmas season, year after year, right here in Luke 1:5.
And who has questioned it and learned what it is?
(Having said that, we are going to hold off studying about the significance of the "course of Abia" until we get to the 23rd verse.)
Luke 1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
The order of his course is Abia (I Chron. 24:10), and here is what his duties were:
[9] According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
So Zacharias is faithfully executing the priest's duties of the course of Abia.
This is important to show the accuracy of the events that occur.
[10] And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
[11] And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
[12] And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
It can be an awesome experience for a flesh man (or woman) to encounter a supernatural, spirit being.
[13] But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Luke 1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
Now, this is extremely important.
When were the days of Zacharias' ministration accomplished, i.e. over with?
This is referring to that "course of Abia" in verse 5.
You will find listed in I Chron. 24 that there were 24 priestly courses of ministration
of which the course of Abia is the 8th.
(8 in Biblical numerics means "new beginnings".)
These courses were changed every week,
beginning each with a Sabbath,
and performed twice each year and all together at the three great feasts.
They commenced on the 22nd day of Tisri (our September).
Note: All of these dates are documented for you in appendix 179 of the Companion Bible.
So the dates for the two yearly ministrations of Abijah would be:
1st ministration: From 12-18 Chisleu which is our December 6-12.
2nd ministration: From 12-18 Sivan which is our June 13-19.
Now, we just read in verse 23 that Zacharias departed for home
after his ministration had been accomplished, i.e. completed.
His course of Abijah would have ended at sunset on Friday (they all ended on a Friday) June 19th.
However, it was now a Sabbath day (Sivan 19)
and so he would not have been able to travel,
so he couldn't leave Jerusalem until Sunday, the 20th.
So Zacharias, the aged man,
left for his home which was in "the hill country" (see verse 39).
It would have taken him a few days to get home, as the next verse shows.
[24] And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
"After those days", which would have been on June 23-24,
Elizabeth conceived, and went into seclusion for 5 months.
[25] Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
It was a reproach not to be able to bear a child. (Gen. 30:23)

Conception of Jesus
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
It is now December 24th - 25th, sixth months after the conception of John the Baptist.
It is now the 1st of Tebeth, our 25th of December,
and the angel Gabriel is dutifully,
and I'm sure very delightedly,
carrying out his directive from the Father to bring the good news to the Virgin Mary,
who was chosen before the foundation of this earth age,
that she would be the vessel, the mother,
who would be blessed among women to bring forth the Perfect Child, the Son of God.
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Just in case we miss the "fact" that this is six months from the conception of John the Baptist,
which we documented was June 23-24,
Gabriel will declare it AGAIN in verse 36.
Sometimes we have to be told more than once before we "pick up" on that which we are supposed to know,
and besides, repeating a fact gives emphasis to its importance.
Also, remember that although today our calendar date changes at 12:00 midnight,
back then the days were reckoned from sunset to sunset,
so that when you see June 23-24 it is the same day from June 23rd sunset to June 24th sunset.
The same applies to Dec. 24-25.
[27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Sometimes people are confused as to whether the Bible says Mary and Joseph
were "married" or "engaged" at this point.
There is never a need to be confused, only a need to do our homework.
The Greek word for "espoused" is mnesteuo and means "betroth".
Look it up for yourself. The Strong's number is Greek 3423.
[28] And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Mary indeed was blessed, not only among women, but among all of mankind.
Imagine the honor of being the one chosen to bring forth the Son of God.
Of course, "wise men" know that her honor doesn't make her a goddess to be worshipped,
which is why the "wise men" kneeled down and worshipped only the Christ Child.
And when this Child is fully grown,
He will instruct us all to pray only to the Father, "which art in heaven".
And the great thing about the gift of freewill that our Father gave to each of us,
is we can chose to follow what Christ says or follow what some church or religion says.
[29] And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Mary wasn't displaying any doubt or disbelief here at the presence of Gabriel.
She was just trying to figure out in her mind what was going on, i.e. what this all meant.
[30] And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
[31] And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Gabriel is still speaking to the Virgin Mary about the Son she shall bring forth.
[32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And He will sit on that throne of David when He returns at the 7th Trump
and reign for ever and ever.
Do you know who sits on that throne right now?
God told Jeremiah there would always be a man (no gender implied)
upon it [the throne of Israel] until He whose rightfully it is comes!
Jeremiah 33:17 For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
Queen Elizabeth, a direct descendant of King David, now resides upon the throne.
Her family tree is a matter of public record, so check out her genealogy.
(If you would like more information on this, write to us and request the booklet,
"The Abrahamic Covenant", by E. Raymond Capt.)
Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
WAIT a minute! Hold everything right there!
Mary has a question for Gabriel, and it is a really good one, not a "dumb" question at all.
(Zacharias asked a truely "dumb" question, one which defines what a "dumb" question really is.
It is not one you ask "because" you are dumb, it is one you ask that "causes" you to become "dumb".)
Here's the question:
[34] Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Mary was no fool.
She knew how Adam "knew" his wife and how babies are conceived
(even without attending sex education classes in school).
Gabriel responds with the most incredible answer anyone could ever imagine.
[35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
"And don't think this is an impossibility,
Mary, because guess what?
Your old cousin Elizabeth who is past her child bearing years
is pregnant because of divine intervention also.
In fact, she's now entering her third trimester."
[36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
[37] For with God nothing shall be impossible.
So you see, Mary (and everyone else in the whole world who reads this),
nothing is impossible for Him.
Amazing, isn't it?
Here we have two seemingly impossible conceptions,
one by a woman too old to bear children,
and one by a woman perhaps too young,
but nevertheless a virgin, one without a man.
And so it would come to pass that John, who would be called "the Baptist",
would be born in the spring and Yashua,
the Savior of the World, Emmanuel,
the Messiah, the Anointed One,
would be born that fall, six months later,
on the 1st Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the 29th of September.
He would be hers and His firstborn
and He would be wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger,
and all the angels of heaven would worship Him (Heb 1:6).
And that is how and when the Miracle of the Begettal and the Birth of our Lord,
the beginning of God Tabernacling with men, happened.
Yes, "it happened on this wise".
What then? Should we as Christians celebrate Christmas?
If you do some research into the early apostolic church era,
you will find this celebration was what September the 29th was all about.
BUT the "mystery of iniquity" which was "already working"
even at the time of the apostle Paul (2 Thes. 2:7) quickly obscured
and enshrouded this day and also the great day of the Lord's begetting on 1st Tebeth, December 25th.
There are a lot of people who know that there are valid arguments
and reasons why Christ could not have been born in late December.
We're not going to go into detail concerning them,
but they are numerous and include the fact that the shepherds
would not have been "abiding" in the open fields in late December,
not just because of the weather,
but because there wouldn't have been any pasturage for the sheep anyway.
And then there's the Roman authorities who wouldn't, and didn't,
impose census taking and taxation at the most inclement and inconvenient season of the year, etc.
You can also discover beyond doubt that December the 25th
was a pagan festival long before the time of the our Lord.
It is often said, however, that "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing",
and it certainly can be.
Many sincere, albeit ill-informed Christians have allowed this discovery
to rob them and their children of some of our rich Christian heritage.
Don't let it happen to you!

Let's recap the dates we have learned.
The conception of John................... 23rd Sivan = June 23-24
The birth of John................................ 7th Nisan = March 28-29
The Miraculous Begetting of Jesus.... 1st Tebeth = December 25th
The Nativity..................................... 15th Tisri = September 29th



And so it would come to pass that John, who would be called "the Baptist",
would be born in the spring and Yashua,
the Savior of the World, Emmanuel, the Messiah, the Anointed One,
would be born that fall, six months later,
on the 1st Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the 29th of September.
He would be hers and His firstborn and He would be wrapped in swaddling clothes
and laid in a manger, and all the angels of heaven would worship Him (Heb 1:6).
And that is how and when the Miracle of the Begettal and the Birth of our Lord,
the beginning of God Tabernacling with men, happened.
Yes, "it happened on this wise".

The "American Wisdom Series"
is
Published by:
Rhine Publishing Co.
199 Joseph Drive
Middletown, PA 17057

I kinda like Revelation 9:02
2He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft(A) rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and(B) the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.

I got a chance to witness to that lady, again, Britty. I think before she is ready for the church or her pastor she would have to have an exorcism first. The pastor asks her how she is doing and she keeps saying fine. Of course, we get to see how much rage, guilt and shame she is carrying. Her vents sound like mine when I first start to try to vent; A lot of cussing, yelling and self righteous puking. She said if she keeps passing her drug tests that she can get her RN license back in August. The devil is just having a field day with her. She is living with her mom and her mom has her drug of choice in her medicine cabinet; Her doctor's prescription for her daughter is just as bad and her son has her drug of choice at his house because he hasn't gave up the stuff. I asked her why she wanted to be a nurse and she said to help people. I asked her if she could forgive someone like her. She said she could. She was telling me that she doesn't think she is getting better. I said you had a chance to use drugs three times and you turned it down and you don't think you are getting better. She smiled.

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

I like this new Christian Singles place. Plenty of room to grow.

That makes me think of:

Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

You may like James 5:16 then.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Yes I do. I like it even better in the Amplified:

James 5:16 (Amplified Bible)
16Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

So much healing comes just from being humble enough to confess and share, doesn't it? Not just for us, but for the others listening. It's also awesome to think that not only can we pray for one another with tremendous power, but that God actually delights in our prayers. Even though He knows every thought before we speak it, He still wants us to ask.

Proverbs 15:8b
He delights in the prayers of the upright.

Not only does He delight in our prayers, but they are kept in golden bowls lifted up to him as incense, a sweet smelling aroma acceptable to Him.

Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 8:3
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.

Good morning all.

Advent All Year
Marybeth Whalen
(Proerbs 31 ministries)


“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7 (NIV)


Devotion:

The word “advent” means “to come.” So the advent season we are entering is a time of preparing for Christ to come. This season becomes a time to turn our hearts towards the practice of seeking Him. And indeed, during this festive time on the calendar, many hearts are turned, and many intentions renewed.

In the gospels, Jesus refers to the Church as His bride. He speaks of a day when He will come for the Church and there will be a wedding ceremony like no one has ever seen! In the midst of a struggling economy, failing marriages, and brokenness everywhere I look, that is a vision that motivates me beyond my circumstances. And yet, is it a vision that is kept within the confines of Christmas? Or can we look for Jesus to come all year?

When Jesus used the marriage analogy to describe His relationship with His people, He knew that His listeners would attach certain cultural perceptions about marriage to this word picture. In Biblical times, it was common for an engaged couple to spend a year apart. The bride would spend time with her mother and other women she respected, learning to run a household and getting prepared, becoming a student of the desires and expectations of her groom. She took this time very seriously as she readied her heart and life for what was to come. The groom also spent time preparing. He would spend his time making a home for them to live in, the place he would bring his bride to with pride. Both parties had a pivotal role to play.

What a beautiful picture this is for the Church and her Bridegroom! Christ has, as promised, gone to prepare a place for us. While we are apart, we can trust that He is working to build something beautiful. But we have an equally important role to play. While we are apart, we must learn what it takes to be His bride. We must study Him, learning how to keep His house in a way that pleases Him. This is not merely a suggestion, but an expectation. We can’t lose that expectation in the shuffle of changing times and cultures!

Though traditionally the season of advent is hemmed in between the dates of Thanksgiving and New Year’s, let’s not leave it there. Let’s make this season merely the beginning of our preparation for what is to come. We can commit this time that we are apart from our Bridegroom to prepare for Him, to anticipate His return, and to focus not only on when He came, but when He is coming again.

Thanks for sharing. What a great devotional and a beautiful picture.

Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

This verse has helped me in my line of work. Because I figure that my Lord isn't done with teaching me things. And some days are really a struggle to endure.

Good morning everyone.


http://mingle2.com/topic/show/184966 - Christian Meeting Place - Stop in and introduce yourself

I hope you all have a blessed day.

(((((((( Britty ))))))))))) always a pleasure

Thank you Tom,