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Now I Can See
by Andy Rupert 1 – The disciples and Jesus were passing a manWho had never been able to seeWas this the result of the parents or manWho had sinned so egregiously? Je-sus responded and had to explainThat the fault was from neither of thoseIn God’s perfect mind this misfortune was plannedTo showcase the good works that He chose With hope for the man Jesus spat on the groundand mixed it with dirt to make clayWhen applied to the eyes of the suffering manTo the pool he was soon sent away When the clay was removed the man’s eyes had been healedHis reaction was filled with such blissAs he smiled with…
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The Soldier in Armor
by Andy Rupert The soldier who fought in battles galoreAnd was known for his valiant standWas constantly looking for dangers abroadAs he finally returned to the land But having returned with his life now at easeAnd his family and friends all around himThey slowly convinced him that what he had fearedWas now just a memory behind him But when he relaxed and forgot ‘bout the dangerThe enemy quickly assembledThe soldier who’d always protected the peopleNo longer a hero resembled The lesson to learn from this soldier in armorWho forgot that the danger was thereIs to always be ready and watch like a sentryDon’t sit back but always prepare
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What God Will Do
As the Word was proclaimed and the Spirit ledWere their eyes full of hope as their spirit was fedIn the end will their soul be brought back from the deadNow we wait for what God will do When they came to the church how we hoped they’d stayWould they hear what God said or walk quickly awayHow we’d prayed for each soul who had come here that dayNow we wait for what God will do Some will leave some will stay we may not know whySo we preach so we pray and we always must tryFor eternity looms on the day that they dieNow we wait for what God will…
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Why was John 8:1-11 removed from some Greek manuscripts?
“The episode of the woman, covering the first eleven verses, is not found in some of the better manuscripts. As I am sure you know, our English Bibles are translated from the original languages. The New Testament was first written in the Greek language. Extant manuscripts were used to compile a Greek New Testament; then our English translations were made from that. The Greek text of Westcott and Hort omits the incident of the woman taken in adultery from its position in the eight chapter of John but inserts it at the end of that gospel. Nestle’s Greek text includes it but encloses it in brackets. Augustine writes that it…
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Late Night Creations
A professional calligrapher once told me that his best work was done at night when he was relaxed. That seems to be my best time, too. It may be while working late, when I can’t get to sleep, or when something is on my mind. When it comes to music, this has happened several times. At times, I have written lyrics that seemed to fit a beautiful tune someone else composed. And less often, I have composed my own melody with lyrics. Both have been an enjoyable exercise in creativity. While none have become big hits, I enjoy going back and listening to them occasionally. Tonight was one of those…
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Luke 10:38-42 – What is Really Necessary?
Early one morning, I was awakened by a coworker whose vehicle had broken down. As a manager, this required me to get up quite a bit earlier than intended to rescue the other person. As you can imagine, this unplanned event disrupted what I had been planning on doing that day. But it was necessary to help the other person, so I did it. As you go through your day, do you ever consider whether something is actually necessary before you do it? Or are you so bound to your schedule that nothing can pry you away from it? Perhaps our Scripture passage will help us to discover what is…
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Would you go back? Would you?
If you had been to heathen landsWhere weary souls stretch out their handsTo plead, yet no one understands,Would you go back? Would you? If you had seen the women bearTheir heavy loads, with none to shareHad heard them weep, with none to care,Would you go back? Would you? If you had seen them in despairBeat their breasts and pull their hairWhile demon powers filled the air,Would you go back? Would you? If you had seen the glorious sightWhen heathen people seeking rightHad turned from darkness to the light,Would you go back? Would you? If you had walked through Afric’s sandYour hand within the Saviour’s handAnd knew He’d called you to…
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Who was Quirinius?
Quirinius (51 BC – AD 21) is mentioned in the Bible as someone who governed Syria around the time that Jesus was born (Luke 2:2). Historians state that he governed Syria in 6 AD. However, this date conflicts with what Matthew says about the birth of Jesus. If you recall, Herod was the king who was visited by the magi (Matt. 2:1-12) after Jesus’ birth. He later ordered the murder of all baby boys near Bethlehem (Matt. 2:16-18) to keep the newborn from usurping his throne. Here is the supposed contradiction. Historians say that Herod died in AD 4 … before Quirinius governed Syria. This has led some to say…
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When you are overwhelmed by life…
“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.” —Jonah 2:7 The person who penned those words was none other than the runaway prophet Jonah. God had commissioned him to preach a message of judgment to the wicked people of Nineveh. But Jonah was unwilling to obey. When he took a boat in the opposite direction, God got his attention with a fierce storm. When the sailors found out he was the problem, they cast him into the sea, but his troubles were far from over. A great fish swallowed him whole, and he lay inside it for 3 days. This was the trouble that caused him to faint,…
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The Four Women in the Genealogy of Jesus
“When Matthew cites these four women, he is probably reminding his readers that three ancestors of King David and the mother of King Solomon were Gentiles. The Bible that accepted David’s mixed race also implied it for the messianic King; Matthew thus declares that the Gentiles were never an afterthought in God’s plan, but had been part of his work in history from the beginning. One who traces Matthew’s treatment of Gentiles through the Gospel, from the Magi who sought Jesus in chapter 2 through the concluding commission to disciple the nations in 28:19, will understand Matthew’s point in emphasizing this. Matthew exhorts his readers that as much as Jesus…
