"Give Thanks To Jehovah, For He is Good"
Psalm 106:1
2015 year text

Friday, March 29, 2013

Friday Meditations

Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week, however, they went very early to the tomb, bearing the spices they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the memorial tomb,  3 and when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
   4 While they were in perplexity over this, look! two men in flashing clothing stood by them. 5 As the women became frightened and kept their faces turned to the ground, the men said to them: "Why are you looking for the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has been raised up. Recall how he spoke to you while he was yet in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be impaled and yet on the third day rise." 8 So they called his sayings to mind, 9 and they returned from the memorial tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 They were the Magdalene Mary, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. Also, the rest of the women with them were telling the apostles these things. 11 However, these sayings appeared as nonsense to them and they would not believe the women.
   12 But Peter arose and ran to the memorial tomb, and, stooping forward, he beheld the bandages alone. So he went off, wondering within himself at what had occurred.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Thursday Meditation

Matthew 27:62-66

   62 The next day, which was after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together before Pilate, 63 saying: "Sir, we have called to mind that that impostor said while yet alive, 'After three days I am to be raised up'  64 Therefore command the grave to be made secure until the third day, that his disciples may never come and steal him and say to the people, 'He was raised up from the dead!' and this last  imposture will be worst than the first." 65 Pilate said to them: "You have a guard. Go make it as secure as you know how." 66  So they went and made the grave secure by sealing the stone and having the guard.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Wednesday Meditations

Luke 22:66-71

   66 At length when it became day, the assembly of older men of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they haled him into their Sanhedrin hall, saying: 67 "If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them: "Even if I told you, you would not believe it at all. 68 Moreover, it I questioned you, you would not answer at all. 69 However, from now on the Son of man will be sitting at the powerful right hand of God." 70 At this they all said: "Are you, therefore,  the Son of God?" He said to them: "You yourselves are saying that I am." 71 They said: "Why do we need further witness?" For we ourselves have heard it out of his own mouth."

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Tuesday Evening Scriptures

Luke 22:7-65

  7 The day of unfermented cakes now arrived, on which the passover victim must be sacrificed; 8 and he dispatched Peter and John, saying: "Go and get the passover ready for us to eat." 9 They said to him: "Where do you want us to get it ready?" 10 He said to them: "Look! When you enter into the city a man carrying an earthenware vessel of water will meet you. Follow him into the house into which he enters. 11 And you must say to the landlord of the house, "The Teacher says to you: "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the passover with my disciples?" 12 And that man will show you a large upper room furnished. Get it ready there." 13 So they departed and found it just as he had said to them, and they got the passover ready.
   14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: "I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17 And, accepting a cup, he gave thanks and said: "Take this and pass it from one to the other among yourselves; 18 for I tell you, From now on I will not drink again from the product of the vine until the kingdom of God arrives."
  19  Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: "This means my body which is to be  given in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me. 20  Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.
   21 "But, look! the hand of my betrayer is with me at the table.  22 Because the Son of man is going his way according to what is marked out; all the same, woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!" 23 So they started to discuss among themselves the question of which of them would really be the one that was about to do this.
  24  However,  there also arose a heated dispute among them over which one of them seemed to be the greatest. 25  But he said to them: "The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those having authority over them are called Benefactors. 26 You, though, are not to be that way. But let him that is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the one acting as chief as the one ministering. 27 For which one is greater, the one reclining at the table or the one ministering; Is  it not the one reclining at the table? But I am in your midst as the one ministering.
   28 "However, you are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials;  29 and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
   31 "Simon, Simon, look! Satan has demanded to have you men to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have made supplication for you that your faith may not give out; and you, when once you have returned, strengthen your brothers." 33 Then he said to him: "Lord, am ready to go with you both into prison and into death."  34 But he said" "I tell you, Peter, A cock will not crow today until you have three times denied knowing me."
   35 He also said to them: "When I sent you forth with out purse and food pouch and sandals, you did not want for anything, did you?" They said: "No!"  36 Then he said to them: "But now let the one that has a purse take it up, likewise also a food pouch; and let the one having no sword sell his outer garment and buy one.  
37 For I tell you that this which is written must be accomplished in me, namely, 'And he was reckoned with lawless ones.' For that which concerns me is having an accomplishment." 38 Then they said: "Lord, look! here are two swords." He said to them: "It is enough"
   39  On going out he went as customarily to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed him.
40 Having come to the place he said to them: "Carry on prayer, that you do not enter into temptation." 41 And he himself drew away from them about a stone's throw away, and bent his knees and began to pray,  
42 saying: "Father, if you wish, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, let, not my will, but yours take place." 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 But getting into an agony he continued praying more earnestly; and his sweat became as drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 And he rose from prayer, went to  the disciples and found them slumbering from grief; 46 and he said to them: "Why are you sleeping? Rise and carry on prayer, that you do not enter into temptation."
   47 While he was yet speaking, look! a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was going before them; and he approached Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said to him: "Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?" 49 When those about him saw what was going to happen, they said: "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" 50 A certain one of them even did strike the slave of the high priest and took off his right ear. 51 But in reply Jesus said: "Let it go as far as this." And he touched the ear and healed him. 52 Jesus then said to the chief priests and captains of the temple and older men that had come there for him: "Did you come out with swords and clubs as against a robber? 53 While I was with you in the temple day after day you did not stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour and the authority of darkness."
   54 Then they arrested him and led him off and brought him into the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. 55 When they lit a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter was sitting in among them. 56 But a certain servant girl saw him sitting by the bright fire and looked him over and said: "This man also was with him." 57 But he denied it, saying: "I do not know him, woman." 58 And after a short time another person seeing him said: "You also are one of them." But Peter said: "Man, I am not."   
59 And after about an hour intervened a certain other man began insisting strongly: "For a certainty this man also was with him; for, in fact, he is a Galilean!" 60 But Peter said: "Man, I do not know what you are saying.: And instantly, while he was yet speaking, a cock crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter recalled the utterance of the Lord when he said to him: "Before a cock crows today you will disown me three times." 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
   63 Now the men that had him in custody began to make fun of him, hitting him; 64 and after covering him over they would ask and say: "Prophesy. Who is it that struck you!" 65 And they went on saying many other things in blasphemy against him.

Mark 14:12-16

   12 Now on the first day of unfermented cakes, when they customarily sacrificed the passover victim, his disciples said to him: "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the passover?" 13 With that he sent forth two of his disciples and said to them: "Go into the city, and a man carrying an earthenware vessel of water will encounter you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he goes inside say to the householder, "The Teacher says: "Where is the guest room for me where I may eat the passover with my disciples:" 15 And he will show you a large upper room, furnished in preparation: and there prepare for us." 16 So the disciples went out, and they entered the city and found it just as he said to them; and they prepared for the passover.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Monday Meditations

Luke 22:1-6

Now the festival of the unfermented cakes, the so-called Passover, was getting near. 2 Also, the chief priests and the scribes were seeking the effective way for them to get rid of him, for they were in fear of the people. 3 But Satan entered into Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve; 4 and he went off and talked with the chief priests and temple captains about the effective way to betray him to them. 5 Well, they rejoiced and agreed to give him silver money. 6 So he consented, and he began to seek a good opportunity to betray him to them without a crowd around.

Mark 14:1, 2, 10, 11

Now the passover and the festival of unfermented cakes was two days later. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize him by crafty device and kill him; 2 for they repeatedly said: "Not at the festival; perhaps there might be an uproar of the people."

...10  And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 When they heard it, they rejoiced and promised to give him silver money. So he began seeking how to betray him conveniently.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sunday Scriptures for Meditation

Luke 20:1-47

  On one of the days while he was teaching the people in the temple and declaring the good news, the chief priests and the scribes with the older men came near, 2 and they spoke up, saying to him: "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority." 3 In reply he said to them: "I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?" 5 Then among themselves they drew conclusions, saying: "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why is it you did not believe him?' 6 But if we say, 'From men, 'the people one and all will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet." 7 So they replied that they did not know its source. 8 And Jesus said to them: "Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things."
   9 Then he started to tell the people this illustration: "A man planted a vineyard and let it out to cultivators, and he traveled abroad for considerable time. 10 But in due season he sent out a slave to the cultivators, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. The cultivators, however, sent him away empty, after beating him up. 11 But he repeated and sent them a different slave. That one also they beat up and dishonored and sent away empty. 12 Yet again he sent a third, this one also they wounded and threw out. 13 At this the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son the beloved. Likely they will respect this one.' 14 When the cultivators caught sight of him they went reasoning with one another, saying: 'This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may become ours.' 15 With that they threw him outside the vineyard and killed him. What therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and  destroy these cultivators, and will give the vineyard to others."
   On hearing this they said: "Never may that happen!" 17 But he looked upon them and said: "What, then, does this that is written mean, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the chief cornerstone'? 18 Everyone falling upon that stone will be shattered. As for anyone upon whom it falls, it will pulverize him."
  19 The scribes and the chief priests now sought to get their hands on him in that very hour, but they feared the people; for they perceived that he spoke this illustration with them in mind.  20 And, after observing him closely, they sent out men secretly hired to pretend that they were righteous, in order that they might catch him in speech, so as to turn him over to the government and to the authority of the governor. 21  And they questioned him, saying: "Teacher, we know you speak and teach correctly and show no partiality, but you teach the way of God in line with truth: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay tax to Caesar or not?" 23 But he detected their cunning and said to them: 24 "Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." 25 He said to them: "By all means, then, pay back Caesar's things to Caesar, but God's things to God." 26  Well, they were not able to catch him in this saying before the people, but in amazement at his answer, they said nothing.
    27  However, some of the Sadduccees, those who say there is no resurrection, came up and questioned him, 28  saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote us, 'If a man's brother dies having a wife, but this one remained childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring from her for his brother.' 29 Accordingly there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless. 30 So the second, 31 and the third took her, Likewise even the seven: they did not leave children behind, but died off. 32 Lastly, the woman also died. 33 Consequently, in the resurrection, of which one of them does she become the wife? For the seven got her as wife."
   34 Jesus said to them: "The children of this system of things marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who have been counted worthy of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 In fact, neither can they die anymore, for they are like the angels, and they are God's children by being children of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised up even Moses disclosed, in the account about the thornbush, when he calls Jehovah 'the God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob.' 38 He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all living to him." 39 In response some of the scribes said: "Teacher, you spoke well." 40 For no longer did they have the courage to ask him a single question.
   41  In turn he said to them: "How is it they say that the Christ is David's son? 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand 43 until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.' 44  David, therefore, calls him 'Lord; so how is he his son?"
    45 Then, while all the people were listening he said  to the disciples: 46 "Look out for the scribes  who desire to walk around in robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and front seats in the synagogues and most prominent places at evening meals, 47 and who devour the houses of the widows and for a pretext make long prayers. These will receive a heavier judgment."

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Saturday Evening Reading

Luke 19:45-48

  45  And he entered into the temple and started to throw out those who were selling, 46 saying to them: "It is written, 'And my house will be a house of prayer', but you made it a cave of robbers."
  47  Furthermore, he went teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the principal ones of the people were seeking to destroy him; 48 and yet they did not find the effective thing for them to do, for the people one and all kept hanging onto him to hear him.


Matthew 21:18, 19 

  18  While returning to the city early in the morning, he got hungry. 19  And he caught sight of a fig tree by the road and went to it, but he found nothing on it except leaves only, and he said to it: "Let no fruit come from you anymore forever." And the fig tree withered instantly.


Matthew 21:12, 13

  12 And Jesus entered into the temple and threw out all those selling and buying in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 And he said to them: "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a cave of robbers."

Friday Evening Reading..

Luke 19:29-44

29. And when he got near to Beth'-pha-ge and Beth'-a-ny at the mountain called Mount of Olives, he sent forth two of the disciples, 30 saying: "Go into the village that is within sight of you, and in it after you pass in you will find a colt tied, on which none of mankind ever sat. Loose it and bring it. 31 But if anyone asks you, 'Why is it you are loosing it?' you must speak in this way, 'The Lord needs it.'
 32 So those who were sent forth departed and found it just as he said to them. 33 But as they were loosing the colt the owners of it said to them: "Why are you loosing the colt?" 34 They said: "The Lord needs it." 35 And they led it to Jesus, and they threw their outer garments upon the colt and set Jesus upon it.
  36 As he moved along they kept spreading their outer garments on the road. 37 As soon as he got near the road down the Mount of Olives all the multitude of the disciples started to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice concerning all the powerful works they had seen, 38 saying: "Blessed is the One coming as the King in Jehovah's name! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest places!" 
39 However, some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him: "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."
40 But in reply he said: "I tell you, If these remained silent, the stones would cry out."
   41 And when he got nearby, he viewed the city and wept over it, 42 saying: "If in this day the things having to do with peace--but now they have been hid from your eyes. 43 Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side, 44 and they will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your being inspected."

Thursday, March 21, 2013

The Memorial of Jesus' Death

What is the significance of the Memorial?
This Passover, was a very special night. Jesus had arranged for the apostles to celebrate it with him.
Jesus used this opportunity to teach them true humility, real love and warned them of tribulations they would be facing. After the meal was over, and Judas Iscariot had left,  to the faithful eleven, Jesus said: "Keep doing this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19)   Later, the apostle Paul would write to members of the spirit-begotten Christian congregation: "As often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives." (1 Corinth. 11:26) The Memorial calls special attention to the meaning of Jesus death in working out Jehovah's purpose. It highlights the meaning of Jesus sacrificial death especially in relation to the new covenant and to the way that his death affected those who will be heirs with him of the heavenly Kingdom.
(John 14:2, 3; Heb 9:15)

The Memorial is also a reminder that Jesus' death and the way it was accomplished, in harmony with God's first prophecy at Genesis 3:15, served to vindicate Jehovah's name. By maintaining integrity to Jehovah down till his death, Jesus proved that Adam's sin was not due to any flaw in the Creator's designing of man but that it is possible for a human to maintain perfect godly devotion even under severe pressure, and thus Jesus vindicated Jehovah God as Creator and Universal Sovereign.  Besides that, Jehovah had purposed that Jesus' death would provide the perfect human sacrifice needed to ransom Adam's offspring, and thus make it possible for billions who would exercise faith to live forever in a paradise earth, in fulfillment of Jehovah's original purpose and in expression of his great love for mankind. -John 3:16; Gen 1:28

What a tremendous burden rested upon Jesus on his last night on earth as a man! He knew what his heavenly Father had purposed for him, but he also knew that he had to prove faithful under test. Had he failed, what a reproach it would have meant for his Father and what a loss to humankind! Because of all that would be accomplished by means of his death, it was most fitting that Jesus instructed that it be memorialized.

Information from:  Reasoning From the Scriptures  page 266, paragraph 1 thru page 267, paragraph 1

Friday, March 8, 2013

An Invitation ...For You


(If you click on the above picture it will be easier to read)
 
The anniversary of Jesus' death is Tuesday, March 26,2013

Many people from around the world will be taking time to gather together for the purpose of remembering the self-sacrificing love Jesus and Jehovah showed to mankind.

You may find the meeting places in your area here: 


Please call a congregation in your area for correct time and location .

Friday, March 1, 2013

Graduation Day


 Final Day in 
American Sign Language 
School

 Accepting their diplomas
 They all worked very hard!
 "Singing" 
Listen, Obey and be Blessed
 There were 28 students in their class. 
The sister in the red next to Kyria is deaf,
but could only read lips in Spanish, 
she is very pleased to be able to communicate in ASL

Koen was the youngest in the class
The brother next to Dalton was the oldest.

 Of course, we had to celebrate, 
with the best gluten-free Pizza in town!
They will use their new skill by finding deaf who are interested 
in learning what the Bible teaches.