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"Mary, the Message Bearer" by Pat Kissell
John 20: 11 but Miryam stood outside crying. As she cried, she bent down, peered into the tomb, 12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Yeshua had been, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 “Why are you crying?” they asked her. “They took my Lord,” she said to them, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 As she said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she didn’t know it was he. 15 Yeshua said to her, “Lady, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you’re the one who carried him away, just tell me where you put him; and I’ll go and get him myself.” 16 Yeshua said to her, “Miryam!” Turning, she cried out to him in Hebrew, “Rabbani!” (that is, “Teacher!”) 17 “Stop holding onto me,” Yeshua said to her, “because I haven’t yet gone back to the Father. But go to my brothers, and tell them that I am going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Miryam of Magdala went to the talmidim with the news that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this.
19 In the evening that same day, the first day of the week, when the talmidim were gathered together behind locked doors out of fear of the Judeans, Yeshua came, stood in the middle and said, “Shalom aleikhem!” 20 Having greeted them, he showed them his hands and his side. The talmidim were overjoyed to see the Lord. 21 “Shalom aleikhem!” Yeshua repeated. “Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you.” 22 Having said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Ruach HaKodesh!
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The story in John 20 of Mary Magdalene coming to Jesus’ tomb and Jesus’ first appearance to His disciples generates a number of curious questions:
- Did Mary have some type of light since it was still dark?
- How far did the disciples have to run to get to the tomb?
- Why didn’t Peter and John see angels in the tomb?
- What was the role of the angels?
- Did Peter and John tell Mary what they saw in the tomb?
- Why did Mary not go into the tomb, but just kneeled and look in?
- Had Jesus’ looks changed so much that she did not recognize Him, or was it still dark?
- How did Mary know where the disciples were staying?
- Why did the fact that Jesus had not ascended to the Father prohibit Mary from touching Him?
- Did Jesus literally take a breath and breathe the Holy Spirit on each individual disciple or on the group as a whole–or was this symbolic?
- How much did the disciples understand about the Holy Spirit?
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Hymn for Today: "One Day" by J. Wilbur Chapman
1. One day when Heaven Was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was As black as could be,
Jesus came forth To be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!
Chorus:
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried My sins far away;
Rising He justified freely forever:
One day He's coming-- O glorious day!
2. One day they led Him Up Calvary's mountain,
One day they nailed Him To die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!
Chorus:
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried My sins far away;
Rising He justified freely forever:
One day He's coming-- O glorious day!
3. One day they left Him Alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o'er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!
Chorus:
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried My sins far away;
Rising He justified freely forever:
One day He's coming-- O glorious day!
4. One day the grave Could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!
Chorus:
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried My sins far away;
Rising He justified freely forever:
One day He's coming-- O glorious day!
5. One day the trumpet Will sound for His coming,
One day the skies With His glory will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved One bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!
Chorus:
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried My sins far away;
Rising He justified freely forever:
One day He's coming-- O glorious day!
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Thought for Today: John 11:25 Yeshua said to her, “I AM the Resurrection and the Life! Whoever puts his trust in me will live, even if he dies; 26 and everyone living and trusting in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
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Please Pray: That many people in Cyprus will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "On the Homestretch" by Pat Kissell for Saturday, 10 December 2016 with Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-11
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"On the Homestretch" by Pat Kissell
Ezekiel 37:1 With the hand of Adonai upon me, Adonai carried me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He had me pass by all around them — there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry! 3 He asked me, “Human being, can these bones live?” I answered, “Adonai Elohim! Only you know that!” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, ‘Dry bones! Hear what Adonai has to say! 5 To these bones Adonai Elohim says, “I will make breath enter you, and you will live. 6 I will attach ligaments to you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you. You will live, and you will know that I am Adonai.”’”
7 So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place. 8 As I watched, ligaments grew on them, flesh appeared and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Next he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.’”
10 So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army! 11 Then he said to me, “Human being! These bones are the whole house of Isra’el; and they are saying, ‘Our bones have dried up, our hope is gone, and we are completely cut off.’
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As you read Ezekiel 37, if you are like me, you are singing, “’Dem bones, ’dem bones, ’dem dry bones.” What quartet is worth its salt if it doesn’t have this folk spiritual in its repertoire?
The “hand of the LORD” (v. 1) brought Ezekiel to a valley where he received a vision. These dry human bones indicated an extremely large army slain in a great battle. God enumerated how He would restore these bones to life: sinew, flesh, skin, and then breath. (Breath and spirit are used interchangeably in this passage.)
Despondent Israel was in a similar position without hope. They were in graves of exile in Babylon, completely cut off; only an act of God could restore the house of Israel to its homeland. In this restoration, Israel would know that it was God who had rescued them. They would have confidence in this. Note how lovingly God called them, “My people. . . . My people” (vv. 12, 13).
An old plaque that hung in the kitchen of my childhood home read, “Home is where the Heart is.” Israel had God’s promise. They were going home.
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Hymn for Today: "Raised from Death to Love and Living" by Ken Bible copyright 1984 by Pilot Point Music, Box 419527. All rights reserved.
1. Raised from death to love and living,
Freed from sin to serve our Lord;
Called to share His holy purpose,
Know His likeness here restored.
Holy God, I stand before You
Pardoned, cleansed, and reconciled.
Help me live as in Your presence:
Holy Father, holy child.
2. What a loving, faithful Father,
Mighty God who knows each need.
All His paths are truth and kindness
When we daily let Him lead.
Father God, I stand before You
Pardoned, cleansed, and reconciled.
Help me live as in Your presence:
Caring Father, trusting child.
3. God, who knows our thoughts and actions,
Soon will judge us by His Son.
Each will then appear before Him,
See His perfect justice done.
Judge of all, I stand before You
Pardoned, cleansed, and reconciled.
Help me live as in Your presence:
Righteous Father, watchful child.
4. God, who planned and gave and suffered,
Took our pain and death and sin,
What a price to buy a sinner!
Where can gratitude begin?
Father God, I bow before You;
No response could be enough.
Fill my life with all Your fulness:
Constant, holy, selfless love.
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Thought for Today: Joel 3:1 (2:28) “After this, I will pour out
my Spirit on all humanity.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions;
2 (2:29) and also on male and female slaves
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Croatia.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A Heart Transplant" by Pat Kissell for Friday, 9 December 2016 with Scripture: Ezekiel 36:16-28
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"A Heart Transplant" by Pat Kissell
Ezekiel 36:16 The word of Adonai came to me: 17 “Human being, when the house of Isra’el lived in their own land, they defiled it by their manner of life and their actions; their way before me was like the uncleanness of niddah. 18 Therefore I poured out my fury on them, because of the blood they had shed in the land and because they defiled it with their idols. 19 I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them throughout the countries; I judged them in keeping with their manner of life and actions. 20 When they came to the nations they were going to, they profaned my holy name; so that people said of them, ‘These are Adonai’s people, who have been exiled from his land.’ 21 But I am concerned about my holy name, which the house of Isra’el is profaning among the nations where they have gone.
22 “Therefore tell the house of Isra’el that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I am not going to do this for your sake, house of Isra’el, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have been profaning among the nations where you went. 23 I will set apart my great name to be regarded as holy, since it has been profaned in the nations — you profaned it among them. The nations will know that I am Adonai,’ says Adonai Elohim, ‘when, before their eyes, I am set apart through you to be regarded as holy.
24 For I will take you from among the nations,
gather you from all the countries,
and return you to your own soil.
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you,
and you will be clean;
I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness
and from all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit inside you;
I will take the stony heart out of your flesh
and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put my Spirit inside you
and cause you to live by my laws,
respect my rulings and obey them.
28 You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors.
You will be my people,
and I will be your God.
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The Lord said to His people, “I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them” (v. 23a). “Shame on you!” Do you remember how you felt when your parent, a sibling, or a playmate said this to you? God was clearly shaming Israel for their despicable behavior.
God minced no words in letting them know what their actions had done in profaning His holy name before other nations. Ezekiel 36:24-28 is packed full of what God told them He would do: He would pull them from other nations into their own land, clean them up, give them a new heart, and put His Spirit within them.
The heart of stone would become a heart that was God-willed, not self-willed. The heart of flesh would be a human, tender heart. This was not just a change in disposition, but a supernatural gift. His Spirit would change their way of thinking and make them want to obey God’s laws and commands.
The change of a hard heart makes me think of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Scrooge's radically changed behavior demonstrated his new heart.
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Hymn for Today: "O for a Heart to Praise My God" by Charles Wesley
1. O for a heart to praise my God,
a heart from sin set free;
a heart that's sprinkled with the blood
so freely shed for me:
2. A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
my great Redeemer's throne;
where only Christ is heard to speak,
where Jesus reigns alone:
3. A humble, lowly, contrite heart,
believing, true, and clean,
which neither life nor death can part
from him that dwells within:
4. A heart in every thought renewed,
and full of love divine;
perfect and right and pure and good —
a copy, Lord, of thine.
5. Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart,
come quickly from above;
write thy new name upon my heart,
thy new best name of Love.
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Thought for Today: Galatians 4:6 Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”).
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Please Pray: That many people in Crotia will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "The Last Shall Be First" by Pat Kissell for Thursday, 8 December 2016 with Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
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"The Last Shall Be First" by Pat Kissell
1 Samuel 16:1 Adonai said to Sh’mu’el, “How much longer are you going to go on grieving for Sha’ul, now that I have rejected him as king over Isra’el? Fill your horn with oil, and set out; I will send you to Yishai the Beit-Lachmi, because I have chosen myself a king from among his sons.” 2 Sh’mu’el said, “How can I go? If Sha’ul hears of it, he will have me killed.” Adonai said, “Take a female cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Adonai.’ 3 Summon Yishai to the sacrifice. I will tell you what to do, and you are to anoint for me the person I point out to you.”
4 Sh’mu’el did what Adonai said and arrived at Beit-Lechem. The leaders of the city came trembling to meet him and asked, “Are you coming in peace?” 5 He answered, “In peace. I have come to sacrifice to Adonai. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He consecrated Yishai and his sons and summoned them to the sacrifice. 6 When they had come, he looked at Eli’av and said, “This has to be Adonai’s anointed one, here before him.” 7 But Adonai said to Sh’mu’el, “Don’t pay attention to how he looks or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. Adonai doesn’t see the way humans see — humans look at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks at the heart.” 8 Then Yishai called Avinadav and presented him to Sh’mu’el; but he said, “Adonai hasn’t chosen this one either.” 9 Yishai presented Shammah; again Sh’mu’el said, “Adonai hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10 Yishai presented seven of his sons to Sh’mu’el; but Sh’mu’el told Yishai, “Adonai has not chosen these. 11 Are all your sons here?” Sh’mu’el asked Yishai. He replied, “There is still the youngest; he’s out there tending the sheep.” Sh’mu’el said to Yishai, “Send and bring him back, because we won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” 12 He sent and brought him in. With ruddy cheeks, red hair and bright eyes, he was a good-looking fellow. Adonai said, “Stand up and anoint him; he’s the one.” 13 Sh’mu’el took the horn of oil and anointed him there in his brothers’ presence. From that day on, the Spirit of Adonai would fall upon David with power. So Sh’mu’el set out and went to Ramah.
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“The LORD said to Samuel . . . ‘I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king’” (v. 1). This is almost déjà vu for Samuel, who had once before anointed a reluctant and handsome young man to become Israel’s king. God’s plan was clear: “You are to anoint for me the one I indicate” (v. 3).
God clarified that this was not a beauty pageant. Samuel was impressed by the looks of the eldest, Eliab; but he was not the one. More sons came: Abinadab, Shammah–seven in all, but each one rejected (v. 10). Did Samuel know how many sons Jesse had when he asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” (v. 11).
Let’s picture David in the field watching the sheep. Jesse sent for him to come immediately. No time to get cleaned up. Maybe he smelled the sacrificial meal being prepared. There stood his seven brothers. Next thing he knew, Samuel was pouring olive oil on his head!
With this anointing, the Spirit of Yahweh gave him great power. What a change in his life! God had prepared and equipped David.
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Hymn for Today: "I Would Be True" by Howard W. Walter
1. I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
2. I would be friend of all--the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.
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Thought for Today: Psalm 147:11 Adonai takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who wait for his grace.
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Please Pray: For the Development of Christian leaders in Bulgaria.
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