ERZA 5:6-17

ERZA 5:6-17

This is the copy of the letter Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to king Darius. The report they sent him reads as follows:
To King Darius: Cordial greetings, The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction. We questioned the elders and asked them, " Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it? We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information. This is the answer they gave us: " We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. " However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, " Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.' " So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished." Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

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MARK 10:32-52

MARK 10:32-52

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. " We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, " and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
    Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. " Teacher," they said, " we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
     " What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
    They replied, " Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
     " You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. " Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
     " we can," they answered.
     Jesus said to them, " You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
    When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, " You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
     Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus ( which means " son of Timaeus"), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, " Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"
     Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, " Son of David, have mercy on me!"
    Jesus stopped and said, " Call him." So they called to the blind man, " Cheer up! on your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
    " What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.
    The blind man said, " Rabbi, I want to see."
     " Go," said Jesus, " Your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

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Abundant Supply

Abundant Supply

We have a hummingbird feeder in the garden, and we love to see the little birds come and drink from its sugary water. Recently, however, we went on a short trip and forgot to replenish its contents. When we came back, it was completely empty dry. Poor birds! I thought. Because of my forgetfulness, they haven't had any nourishment. Then I was reminded that I am not the one who feeds them: God is.
    Sometimes we may feel that all of the demands of our life have depleted our strength and there is no one to replenish it. But others don't feed our souls: God does.
    In Psalm 36 we read about God's lovingkindness. It describes those who put their trust in Him and are abundantly satisfied. God gives them water from His " river of delights". He is the fountain of life!
    We can go to God every day for the supply of our needs. As Charles Spurgeon wrote, " The springs of my faith and all my graces; the springs of my life and all my pleasures; the springs of my activity and all its right doings; the springs of my hope, and all its heavenly anticipations, all lie in thee, my Lord."
    Let us be filled with His abundant supply. His fountain will never dry.
    Lord, I come to You with the confidence that You will fill me with what I need.
    God's love is abundant.

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PSALM 36:5-12

PSALM 36:5-12

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in my heart. May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. See how the evildoes lie fallen-thrown down, not able to rise!

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MARK 11:1-18

MARK 11:1-18

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpahage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, " Why are you doing this?' say, ' The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "
     They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "  What are you doing, untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
    " Hosanna!"
    " Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
    " Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"
    " Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
    Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
    The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, " May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
    On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, " Is it not written: ' My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it ' a den of robbers.' "
    The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

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Memory

The memory I have, I cannot explain. I remember so much that I think it's lame.
People tell me that my memory is a gift. I tell them I'd rather be swift!
I think my memory is a curse or maybe something much worse. I don't know how to explain how my memory works.
My memory is just something that's stuck in my head. If I didn't have that I'd probably be dead!

A Girl named Shannon

I once new a girl named Shannon. She thought she had her life all figured out. But when the time came to end all her pain she didn't know how to go about. She tossed and she turned at times even squirmed and even would cry like a baby. But when she woke up and took a good look she realized that she was a lady.

I once new a girl named Shannon. She tried to buy her way to heaven. She begged and she pleaded and screamed Lord Jesus please let me live with you? He looked at her softly, his words never lofty and said " Dear child I don't know You."

I once new a girl named Shannon, who thought she had it all figured out. But when the time came she ended her pain with a loud cry for help.