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Monday morning 10/6Kohen--Deuteronomy 32:1-3Levi--vs. 4-6Yisra'el--vs. 7-12 Thrsday 10/9--Yom KippurMORNING Kohen--Leviticus 16:1-6Levi--vs. 7-11Shelishi--vs. 12-17Revi`i--vs. 18-24Chamishi--vs. 25-30Shishi--vs.31-34Maftir--Numbers 29:7-11Haftarah--Isaiah 57:14-58:14 EVENING Kohen--Leviticus 18:1-5Levi--vs. 6-21Yisra'el/Maftir--vs. 22-30Haftarah--The Book of Jonah; Micah 7:18-20 Strday 10/11--Shabbat Parashat Ha'azinuMORNING Kohen--Deuteronomy 32:1-6Levi--vs. 7-12Shelishi--vs. 13-18Revi`i--vs. 19-28Chamishi--vs. 29-39Shishi--vs. 40-43Shevi`i--vs. 44-52Maftir--vs. 48:52Haftarah--II Samuel 22:1-51 EVENING Kohen--Deuteronomy 33:1-7Levi--vs. 8-12Yisra'el--vs. 13-17

Delilah is dangerous, Jezebel, wicked, and as for Eve... Whether they are temptresses, harlots or simply Old Testament chattels, women (it is often argued) get a raw deal in Scripture, with the odd saintly exception (the virgin Mary). But new research into Biblical women shows that the majority receive positive or matter-of-fact write-ups. Words such as "blessed", "righteous" "outstanding" and - of course - "beautiful" crop up in descriptions of 60 of the Bible's 175 female characters, according to research from The Bible Society.

Revealed for the first time: The truth about Angels from Heaven … Armageddon … Israel’s Role in Prophecy … The Y2012 Crisis … The Rapture … The Mark of the Beast THE world as we know is vanishing and will disappear in an earth-shaking series of Year 2012 events that are clearly laid out in prophecies appearing in the Holy Bible for everyone to see. And contrary to what many clergymen have told their flocks, that God frowns on fortune-telling and has hidden the future from us, an increasing number of religious experts - from Pope Benedict XVI and the...

A wave of irate protest silenced a Jews for Jesus radio campaign last week on a local radio station in the north. It took just a few hours for Kol Rega, which broadcasts to the Galilee and northern valleys, to cave in to pressure from listeners who phoned in to demand that the Jews for Jesus campaign be taken off the air. "Shortly after we broadcast it, we received dozens of angry phone calls from listeners telling us they were hurt by the crudeness of the ad," said Haim Hecht, manager of Kol Rega. "The truth is that even before...

(The following is the legend of the breviary for St. Bruno, as quoted in Dom Prosper Guéranger's entry in The Liturgical Year for October 6, in Volume XIV of the 1983 Marian House edition of the English translation by the Benedictines of Stanbrook.) "Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian Order, was born at Cologne [Germany], and from his very cradle gave great promise of future sanctity. Favoured by divine grace, the gravity of his character made him shun all childishness; so that, even at that age, one might have foreseen in him the future father of monks and restorer...

Propitiation Propitiation describes the act whereby God’s wrath toward sin is fully satisfied through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. It is debated among Christians as to whether Christ’s death was a propitiation for all sins of all people, or limited only to the elect. 1 John 2:2 seems to suggest that the propitiation is universal, but this is not without its problems. “Propitiation” translates the Greek words hilaskomai (Luke 18:13 “be merciful” and Heb 2:17 “to make expiation”, hilasmos (1 John 2:2 and 4:10 “expiation” or “propitiation”), and hilasterion (Rom 3:25 “an expiation” and Heb 9:5 “mercy...

That You May Be Healed Today's Scripture “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Relationships are so important in the eyes of God. As His children, He desires that we live in unity and stay connected with one another. When we are transparent and pray for each other, something supernatural takes place. We open the door for God to pour out His abundant blessing and healing in...

The Nature of Regeneration " When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me . . . " —Galatians 1:15-16 If Jesus Christ is going to regenerate me, what is the problem He faces? It is simply this— I have a heredity in which I had no say or decision; I am not holy, nor am I likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is tell me that I must be holy, His teaching only causes me to despair. But if Jesus Christ is truly a regenerator, someone who can put His...

As a ramp up to reformation Day 2008, I present some thoughts from reformation Days past. ______________________________________________________________ It seems fitting to mark this Reformation Day by quoting the first and third of the ninety-five-shot volley that Martin Luther nailed to the door of the Wittenberg church. Note how timely it is: 1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent," He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. 3. Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of...

In the 14th Century, Oxford was the most outstanding university in the world, and John Wycliffe was its leading theologian and philosopher. The Black Death ( Bubonic Plague), which killed a third of the population of Europe, lead Wycliffe to search the Scriptures and find salvation in Christ. THE KING’S CHAMPION As a professor at Oxford University, Wycliffe represented England in a controversy with the Pope. Wycliffe championed the independence of England from Papal control. He supported King Edward III’s refusal to pay taxes to the Pope. (It was only one step away from denying the political supremacy of the...

October 6, 2008                                 Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Gal 1:6-12 Brothers and sisters:I am amazed that you are so quickly forsakingthe one who called you by the grace of Christfor a different gospel (not that there is another).But there are some who are disturbing youand wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ.But even if we or an angel from heavenshould preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you,let...

The Nature of Degeneration " Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned . . . " —Romans 5:12 The Bible does not say that God punished the human race for one man’s sin, but that the nature of sin, namely, my claim to my right to myself, entered into the human race through one man. But it also says that another Man took upon Himself the sin of the human race and put it away— an infinitely more profound revelation (see Hebrews 9:26 ). The...

October 5, 2008                                 Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Is 5:1-7 Let me now sing of my friend,my friend's song concerning his vineyard.My friend had a vineyardon a fertile hillside;he spaded it, cleared it of stones,and planted the choicest vines;within it he built a watchtower,and hewed out a wine press.Then he looked for the crop of grapes,but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,judge between me and my vineyard:What more was there to do for my vineyardthat I...

The 12th European temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be built in Rome.-SNIP- The Rome Italy Temple will be the first to be constructed near the worldwide headquarters for the Roman Catholic Church. It will serve church members from a variety of countries and greatly reduce travel time and expense to the Latter-day Saints living in the area, the release states. President Monson said the church also plans to build temples in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cordoba, Argentina; the greater Kansas City area; and in Philadelphia. The announcement of the temple in Rome brought an audible...

How Many Books Are in the Bible? By: Erwin W. Lutzer , M.A., LL.D. (Bio) Also available in: from The Doctrines That Divide1 Erwin W. Lutzer Even the most casual Bible student knows that there are more books in the Catholic Bible than in the one used by Protestants. Where did these differences originate? On what basis were some books selected to be in the Bible, and why were others rejected?Upon reflection, we could expect that there would be some dispute regarding these matters. After all, the Bible did not come down from heaven bound in beautiful leather and adorned...

The Vision and The Reality " . . . to those who are . . . called to be saints . . . " —1 Corinthians 1:2 Thank God for being able to see all that you have not yet been. You have had the vision, but you are not yet to the reality of it by any means. It is when we are in the valley, where we prove whether we will be the choice ones, that most of us turn back. We are not quite prepared for the bumps and bruises that must come if we are...

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells of two men, a rich man who rejects God and a beggar whose trust is in the Lord (Luke 16:19-31). Both of them die, and the beggar goes to heaven, while the rich man goes to hell. One reason he tells this story is so that we may know something of what comes after death. Many will enjoy the pleasures of heaven, but others will suffer the horrors of hell. This rich man who is suffering the torments of hell makes two requests of Abraham. First, he asks to be relieved of his torment, which...

October 4, 2008                            Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, religious       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17 Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things,and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.I had heard of you by word of mouth,but now my eye has seen you.Therefore I disown what I have said,and repent in dust and ashes. Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Jobmore than his earlier ones.For he...

Last evening at Carlow University in Pittsburg, the Sisters of Mercy hosted a Catholics for Obama event. I received a call from someone who attended the event who told me the “high point was when a Catholic priest urged everyone in the crowd to report any priest to the IRS and to the diocese of Pittsburgh who preaches from the pulpit that you must vote based on one issue.” There were about 15 sisters present and three priests. Here is the description of the event sent to me by those who attended. A paper was supposed to be delivered by...

Are we, as Christians, to judge other people? Did Jesus judge people in his ministry? As you know, there are many in the religious world today who claim that it is an outright sin to judge other people. They say these things especially at times when they, individually, are caught red handed within some particular sin or another or some particular false doctrine or another. They say this as an excuse from dealing with the truth of God's word on any particular subject in which they have learned that they stand condemned before God. The passages that are often cited...

“Revival! June 1- June 6th — Special singing each night.” How often we have observed similar advertisements in front of various churches. Also we have seen such wording in the media announcing the special meeting. Because of this type of promotion, the average American would equate having a special meeting with revival. But, is this a true definition? When the late missionary Dr. James A. Stewart first came to the U.S.A. from Scotland, he spotted such a sign in front of a church. He was riding on a bus at the time and was excited by a sign that...

Apologetics (Gk. apologia “an answer”) Apologetics is the discipline of defending or giving an answer for the faith to those who have questions or objections to the Christian faith. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Significant apologists today include J.P. Moreland, William Lane Craig, Robert Bowman Jr., and Alvin Plantinga, among others.

He Keeps Watch Today's Scripture “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Everyone has seasons when they feel overwhelmed by the busyness of life. In fact, one of the tricks of the enemy is to get you so caught up in the everyday “hustle and bustle” so that he can distract you and make you feel disconnected from the Father. But no matter how overwhelmed you may feel, you can find rest in knowing that the eyes of the Lord are...

The Place of Ministry " He said to them, ’This kind [of unclean spirit] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting’ " —Mark 9:29 His disciples asked Him privately, ’Why could we not cast it out?’ " ( Mark 9:28 ). The answer lies in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. "This kind can come out by nothing but" concentrating on Him, and then doubling and redoubling that concentration on Him. We can remain powerless forever, as the disciples were in this situation, by trying to do God’s work without concentrating on His power, and by following instead the...

October 3, 2008                                 Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week                                in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5 The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morningand shown the dawn its placeFor taking hold of the ends of the earth,till the wicked are shaken from its surface?The earth is changed as is clay by the seal,and dyed as though it were a garment;But from the wicked the light is withheld,and the...

Today's offering: Assumption of Mary The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was assumed bodily into heaven either shortly before her death or shortly after. The Catholics do not dogmatize when Mary was assumed but the Orthodox believe that the assumption took place three days after her death. Although this doctrine finds no biblical support and little support in early Church history, it was dogmatically and infallibly declared to be true by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950 in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus. Read the official pronouncementRead a refutation of the Assumption...

(This offering is from yesterday) imago dei Lat. “image of God” The theological concept that man uniquely represents the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27). It is debated exactly what characteristics are unique to man. The options are many: personality, eternality, relationality, volitionality, rationality, spirituality, morality, dominionality. The best option seems to be that man possesses all these qualities to a greater degree than does the rest of creation. According to the Christian worldview, the imago dei was marred at the fall, but not destroyed. Therefore, all people still represent God’s image and have dignity as his image bearers...

A lament of a person betrayed by friends. The psalmist prays that the evildoers be publicly exposed as unjust. PSALM 35 Oppose, LORD, those who oppose America; war upon those who make war upon America. Take up the shield and buckler; rise up in her defense. Brandish lance and battle-ax against her pursuers. Say to her heart, "I am your salvation." Let those who seek her life be put to shame and disgrace. Let those who plot evil against America be turned back and confounded. Make them like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them...

Victory through Him Today's Scripture “Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 AMP). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria No matter what challenges you may be facing today—at work, home, in your health or in your relationships, God promises that even in the middle of “all these things”, you can have victory. How? Victory starts in your heart and mind. Victory starts with peace that passes understanding. That means that you can have peace when it doesn’t make sense to have peace. When the...

The Place of Humiliation " If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us " —Mark 9:22 After every time of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as they really are, where it is neither beautiful, poetic, nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation...

October 2, 2008                                     Memorial of the Guardian Angels       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 19:21-27 Job said: Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,for the hand of God has struck me!Why do you hound me as though you were divine,and insatiably prey upon me? Oh, would that my words were written down!Would that they were inscribed in a record:That with an iron chisel and with leadthey were cut in the rock forever!But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,and that he will at last stand forth...

THE COMING PERFECT STORM by John Paul Jackson For those of you who have followed this ministry, you have heard me say more than once during the past eight years that from 2009 or 2010, things will become very difficult. I have been praying and hoping that what I am about to write may be averted. However, I am now concerned that without prophetic people speaking up, we will not play our redemptive part in bringing change for the good. FIVE ELEMENTS OF THE BREWING PERFECT STORM As in the movie The Perfect Storm, the storm I see coming to...

In Ezekiel 1:1, Ezekiel said that he saw visions of God. Now, we know that no man can see God and live; but we can see visions of God. (Verse 3) Ezekiel also heard the voice of God. The word of the Lord came expressly to him, and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. Ezekiel saw four living creatures (verse 5). Their appearance was the likeness of a man. (Verse 6) And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. (Verse 7) And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet...

Righteousness Exalts Today's Scripture “Righteousness exalts a nation…” (Proverbs 14:34). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria Many people are looking for ways to climb higher in life and the answer is found in the Word of God! The Bible tells us that righteousness exalts a nation. Righteousness simply means to be in right standing with God. It means you are honoring Him and following His ways. Webster’s dictionary says that the word “exalt” means “to raise in rank, power or character.” Righteousness exalts a nation, and righteousness exalts individuals. There are so many promises in the Word of God...

The Place of Exaltation " . . . Jesus took . . . them up on a high mountain apart by themselves . . . " —Mark 9:2 We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the...

October 1, 2008                           Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus,                         virgin and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 9:1-12, 14-16 Job answered his friends and said: I know well that it is so;but how can a man be justified before God?Should one wish to contend with him,he could not answer him once in a thousand times.God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;who has withstood him and remained unscathed? He removes the mountains before they know it;he overturns them in his anger.He shakes the earth out...

Greek mono “one” + arche “ruler” Monarchianism represents a type of teaching in the early Church which sought to preserve the uniqueness of the rulership of God through the preservation of an extreme monotheism and the essential denial of a plurality within the Godhead (i.e. the Trinity). There were two main types of monarchianism: 1) The Adoptionists or Dynamic Monarchians believed that Christ was not truly God in essence, but became God sometime during his life or at the resurrection. 2) The Patripassionists or Modalistic Monarchians (modalists) believed that God was one who who revealed himself in different ways or...

Samuel Goldywn Films' Fireproof Ablaze: Indie Film far Surpasses Industry Expectations to Open at #4 in the Country with $6.8 Million Highest Opening Weekend of 2008 for any Film Released on Fewer than 1,000 Screens NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Samuel Goldwyn Films' FIREPROOF, starring Kirk Cameron, far surpassed industry expectations to place #4 at the box office for the weekend. Produced by Sherwood Pictures in Albany GA, FIREPROOF is the company's third film following FACING THE GIANTS – also released by Goldwyn, which went on to gross more than $10 million. With an all-volunteer, 1,200-person cast and...

Priceless Treasure Today's Scripture “In the house of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is great [priceless] treasure, but with the income of the wicked is trouble and vexation” (Proverbs 15:6 AMP). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria When something is priceless, its value is so great that it can’t be quantified. It’s worth more than human minds can determine. As believers, we have priceless treasures. The scripture tells us that there are priceless treasures in the house of the uncompromisingly righteous. These treasures are so valuable that all the money in the world can’t buy them - treasures of peace, joy,...

The Assigning of the Call " I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church . . . " —Colossians 1:24 We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him He brushes all this aside. Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us. And for...

September 30, 2008                                      Memorial of Saint Jerome,                                     priest and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.Job spoke out and said: Perish the day on which I was born,the night when they said, “The child is a boy!” Why did I not perish at birth,come forth from the womb and expire?Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth,like babes that have never seen the light?Wherefore did the knees receive me?or why did...

Holy Michael the Archangel statue in Kiev, courtesy of The Roving Medievalist blog (The following is excerpted from Dom Prosper Guéranger's entry in The Liturgical Year for May 8, The Apparition of Saint Michael, in Volume VIII of the 1983 Marian House edition of the English translation by the Benedictines of Stanbrook.) "The very name of Michael urges us to honour this glorious spirit; it is a cry of enthusiasm and fidelity, for it signifies: 'Who is like unto God?' Satan trembles at hearing this name, for it reminds him of the noble protest wherewith the bright Archangel answered the...

Blessed to be a Blessing Today's Scripture “For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever…” (Psalm 21:6 AMP). Today's Word from Joel and Victoria God is love, and out of His love, He gives good gifts to His children. It pleases Him to see you prosper, and He longs to pour out His blessings upon you. He wants to lavish you with His goodness and grace so that you can be an example of His goodness by extending that blessing to those around you. We are blessed to be a blessing! We are never more like...

The Awareness of the Call " . . . for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! " —1 Corinthians 9:16 We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come...

This past week has been troubling in many ways. We have two wars ongoing, and trouble looms on other fronts as well. The current financial crisis has most of us nervous about what the future holds here at home. During times like these, we can find comfort and assurance from the scriptures. Colossians 1:16-17 says: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and...

Sitting here thinking about current events and their larger meaning, and a thought occurred to me. We know from mathematics that saying "A and B" is the same as "B and A". So, would the concept of "separation of church and state" therefore imply "separation of state and church"? There's a subtle difference between the two in terms of who is the oppressor and the oppressed. The church cannot control the state, nor can the *state* control the *church*. Obviously, today we are way too focused on the separation of "church and state", but I think it's because people don't...

September 29, 2008                         Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael,                                 archangels       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set upand the Ancient One took his throne.His clothing was bright as snow,and the hair on his head as white as wool;His throne was flames of fire,with wheels of burning fire.A surging stream of fireflowed out from where he sat;Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.As...

We’ve all heard that the choice and purchase of a home is one of the most significant decisions a person will ever make. In this temporal world that may be true. However, choosing where you and your children will learn the things of God and serve the Lord Jesus Christ has eternal ramifications.Every week at Grace to You we receive letters from people asking us to recommend a good church in their area. Those requests indicate three types of people wanting to make a wise choice in selecting a church home: those who have moved or will be moving, new...

The "Go" of Unconditional Identification " Jesus . . . said to him, ’One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor . . . and come, take up the cross, and follow Me’ " —Mark 10:21 The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which...

September 28, 2008                                     Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Ez 18:25-28 Thus says the LORD:You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"Hear now, house of Israel:Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,he does what is right and just,he shall preserve his life;since he has turned away...