Main Pages Today's Word You are welcome to use the writings on these pages or pass them on to others who might find a touch from God in the words. Our purpose is always to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you everything, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring these words to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom its been shared. All rights reserved. Peggy Hoppes Christian Bible Study Pages Proverbs 31, Archives
Travel Pages Salisbury PlainClimb a Hill, Look at a Rock Day
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Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances. The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers. (Click for enlarged) “King David was told, ‘Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of God’s ark.’ So David went and brought up God’s ark from the house of Obed-Edom into David’s city with joy. When those who bore Yahweh’s ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up Yahweh’s ark with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. As Yahweh’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart. They brought in Yahweh’s ark, and set it in its place, in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of Armies. He gave to all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a portion of bread, dates, and raisins. So all the people departed, each to his own house. Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, ‘How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!’ David said to Michal, ‘It was before Yahweh, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Yahweh, over Israel. Therefore I will celebrate before Yahweh. I will be yet more vile than this, and will be worthless in my own sight. But the maids of whom you have spoken will honor me.’” 2 Samuel 6:12-22, WEB Children rarely appreciate when their parents begin to act silly, especially in public. “Oh, Mom!” or “Oh, Dad!” are phrases that typically flow from the mouths, especially teenage girls. They are terribly embarrassed by anything that might be less than dignified. After all, their friends’ parents are normal and act old like they should. Anything less is unacceptable. They’d rather be dropped a block from a meeting place, walk twenty feet ahead or sit in a completely different row in the movie theater. They are willing to do anything to keep the world from knowing that those weird people are her mom and dad. It is even bothersome if the silliness is in the privacy of our home. It is as if the whole world will know. Bruce and I were once going through a pile of vinyl records, deciding which ones we would like to try to sell at a yard sale. It was a journey down memory lane as we found our favorite albums. With each new discovery we began singing the songs, laughing together, and enjoying each other’s company. Add to it the fact that we were sitting in a closet at the time, and you have the makings of an entirely embarrassing situation for a teenager. Who would see us was beyond our understanding, but we certainly felt that our glaring daughter was about to close the closet door so that there would be no chance that someone might find out how weird we really are. As parents we are supposed to be dignified. We should not dance around the house when cleaning. We should not laugh and sing at a concert. We should not enjoy the things of youth because we have to uphold the decorum of our position in life. We aren’t teenagers; we shouldn’t act like we are! This is also true of those with prominent roles in our community. We don’t expect church leaders, politicians, company presidents or teachers to act silly in public. It would be embarrassing and upsetting. Saul’s children thought they would take over the throne of Israel when he died, but God anointed David to be the king. The event in today’s story is a most solemn and joyous occasion; the Ark of the Covenant was being moved into the city of David. God was to be honored with every footstep with sacrifices of blood and praise. David understood that he was in the presence of greatness and clothed himself appropriately: in linen without royal robes. But Saul’s daughter was upset by David’s actions. He was not dressed or dignified as befitting a king. He was like a servant girl dancing in the streets. Yet, David knew that it was humility before God that would bring the blessings that Saul never saw. Saul sought his own agenda, raised himself above all others because he was king. David served the Lord and was lifted high and blessed beyond measure. Oh, perhaps there are times when we should, as parents, be a little more dignified in the presence of our children and for their sake. Yet, we should never let go of the joy and thankfulness of living. Most of all, we should be humble before the Lord even when we are in positions of authority so that we remember the One from whom all blessings flow. If you would like to contact me, please use the following address, replacing the bracketed words with the symbol. Thank you for your continued interest, prayers and messages of encouragement. A WORD FOR TODAY is available daily through a mailing list. Visit the link below and you will receive the WORD in your box Monday through Friday. “Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For, ‘He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’” 1 Peter 3:8-12, WEB A seer once told Julius Caesar to beware of the Ides of March. On the Roman calendar, the Ides fell in the middle of the month, somewhere between the 13th and the 15th. In March it fell on the 15th. The Ides of March signified the new year and was a day of feasting and religious ceremonies. Jupiter’s high priest slaughtered a sheep and there was a festival in honor of the Roman goddess Anna Perenna which celebrated the first full moon of the year on the Roman calendar with drinking, picnics, and lively festivities. It was a favorite of the common folk. Another ritual of the day was Mamuralia, an observance akin to the scapegoat of ancient Israel. Instead of a goat, however, an old man was dressed in an animal costume, beaten, and cast out of the city, perhaps to symbolize the passing of the old year. Other celebrations followed the Ides of March, telling the stories of other gods and goddesses they honored. I suppose it is easy to come up with holy days when you worship so many gods. Caesar was a man without fear, so he did not take the warning of the seer seriously. He was a powerful man. He expanded the Roman world by conquering many lands. But his success led to his destruction, he let his power go to his head. As he conquered more and more people, he took upon himself a title that was not deserved; he became a dictator, removing the authority of other men. Caesar said, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” He wasn’t just referring to his military victories; he was referring to everything about his life. Caesar was indifferent to the seer’s warning of impending doom. Men who he deemed loyal surrounded him. Take Marcus Brutus, for example. He was Caesar’s friend and a man who he pardoned from punishment. On March 15, 44 BC, Brutus led a group of upper statesmen in the murder of Julius Caesar. They were unhappy with the manner in which Caesar had usurped their authority. He had named himself dictator of the empire, making the Senate worthless. Caesar expected men like Brutus to remain loyal because they reached their positions of authority by his grace, but they did what they felt was necessary for the empire. Caesar was not God; he was not even like a god. He was a man who stepped over the line of his given authority and stole an empire. However, murder is never the right solution. Caesar might be an extreme case of power gone wild, but it is not unique; every generation has had to deal with authorities that take more power than they are given. It happens in homes, in politics, in workplaces, and in religion. These usurpers use deceit and violence to get their way. Though this is wrong, we should not repay the deceit and violence with the same. Do not seek revenge when you feel you have been wronged. Instead, turn your eyes to God and let Him deal with the evil and trust that He will be faithful to overcome the usurpers by His power. The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honour Him today. Thanks be to God. The Story of our Saviour's Passion The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective When researching, I use several versions of the bible, including the New International Version and English Standard Version. Due to copyright restrictions, I have not included quotes for the scriptures on some of the archives, but highly encourage you to open your own bibles to read the scripture passages for yourselves. Where scripture is quoted, it is usually the American Standard Version or World English Bible which belong to the public domain. Any other versions used in quotes are identified. The devotion posted on Wednesday is based on the Lectionary texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The Lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text and follows the church calendar. Archives for these writings are found at Midweek Oasis.
You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes |