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Saturday – 23 November 2013
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Verses:
1 Maccabees 6:1-13
Psalm 9:2-4, 6, 16, 19
Luke 20:27-40
1 Maccabees 6:1-13
6 Now king
Antiochus was going through the higher countries, and he heard that the city of
Elymais in Persia was greatly renowned, and abounding in silver and gold.
2 And that there
was in it a temple, exceeding rich: and coverings of gold, and breastplates,
and shields which king Alexander, son of Philip the Macedonian that reigned
first in Greece, had left there.
3 Lo, he came,
and sought to take the city and to pillage it: But he was not able, because the
design was known to them that were in the city.
4 And they rose
up against him in battle, and he fled away from thence, and departed with great
sadness, and returned towards Babylonia.
5 And whilst he
was in Persia, there came one that told him, how the armies that were in the
land of Juda were put to flight:
6 And that Lysias
went with a very great power, and was put to flight before the face of the
Jews, and that they were grown strong by the armour, and power, and store of
spoils, which they had gotten out of the camps which they had destroyed:
7 And that they
had thrown down the abomination which he had set up upon the altar in
Jerusalem, and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls as
before, and Bethsura also his city.
8 And it came to
pass when the king heard these words, that he was struck with fear, and
exceedingly moved: and he laid himself down upon his bed, and fell sick for
grief, because it had not fallen out to him as he imagined.
9 And he remained
there many days: for great grief came more and more and more upon him, and he
made account that he should die.
10 And he called
for all his friends, and said to them: Sleep is gone from my eyes, and I am
fallen away, and my heart is cast down for anxiety.
11 And I said in
my heart: Into how much tribulation am I come, and into what floods of sorrow,
wherein now I am: I that was pleasant and beloved in my power!
12 But now I
remember the evils that I have done in Jerusalem, from whence also I took away
all the spoils of gold, and of silver that were in it, and I sent to destroy
the inhabitants of Juda without cause.
13 I know
therefore that for this cause these evils have found me: and behold I perish
with great grief in a strange land.
Psalm 9: 2-4, 6, 16, 19
2 I will give
praise to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will relate all thy wonders.
3 I will be glad
and rejoice in thee: I will sing to thy name, O thou most high.
4 When my enemy
shall be turned back: they shall be weakened and perish before thy face.
6 Thou hast
rebuked the Gentiles, and the wicked one hath perished: thou hast blotted out
their name for ever and ever.
16 I will rejoice
in thy salvation: the Gentiles have stuck fast in the destruction which they
have prepared. Their foot hath been taken in the very snare which they hid.
19 For the poor
man shall not be forgotten to the end: the patience of the poor shall not
perish for ever.
Luke 20:27-40
27 And there came
to him some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, and they
asked him,
28 Saying: Master,
Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he leave no
children, that his brother should take her to wife, and raise up seed unto his
brother.
29 There were
therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the next
took her to wife, and he also died childless.
31 And the third
took her. And in like manner all the seven, and they left no children, and
died.
32 Last of all the
woman died also.
33 In the
resurrection therefore, whose wife of them shall she be? For all the seven had
her to wife.
34 And Jesus said
to them: The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35 But they that
shall be accounted worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from the dead,
shall neither be married, nor take wives.
36 Neither can
they die any more: for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of
God, being the children of the resurrection.
37 Now that the
dead rise again, Moses also shewed, at the bush, when he called the Lord, The
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
38 For he is not
the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.
39 And some of the
scribes answering, said to him: Master, thou hast said well.
40 And after that
they durst not ask him any more questions.
INSIGHTFUL
WISDOM
DEATH
CONQUERED!
“He is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of
them are alive.” – Luke 20:38
When I was young, I wanted to do whatever my will dictated. I joined
gangs, went to clubs, attended parties, and in the process, wasted time. All
the while, what I thought was good was a big mistake. I only cared for the
moment, not what was ahead. I didn't know then that I was very much away from
God.
From that pit of darkness, God plucked me out and gave me a new
life. My mind was renewed as I began to read and study God’s Word, which brings
forth His plan for me. Now I am a servant of God, a minister of His Word, a
recipient of His blessings. Yes, we have a God who planned everything, and He
is in total control. We have a God who designed salvation, conquered even
death, to bring eternal life for His people. He alone authored and put it into
effect, and I am very glad to be a part of it.
How about you – have you committed your life to Him? Don't wait
another day, don't delay. Do it now before it’s too late! – Nestor
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, please give me
renewed strength so that I can look forward to each day as a pleasure of work
for Your kingdom. Amen.
Wise Words:
“God just doesn't throw a life preserver to a drowning person. He
goes to the bottom of the sea, and pulls a corpse from the bottom of the sea,
takes him up on the bank, breathes into him the breath of life and makes him
alive.” – RC Sproul
Source:
Douay-Rheims
1899 American Edition (DRA)
Living Water 2013
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