(Unknown)
"Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance."
(Unknown)
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Let's Think:
Now that the baby is born and Zechariah can talk again, he praises God with his voice. The baby (who would become a baptizer, paving the road for Jesus) is John, and his father is a priest. He is compelled at this time not only to praise, but to prophecy. Zechariah begins by complimenting the Almighty on the manner in which He has assisted the Jews in the past. He acknowledges that God has been with His people for a long, long time, and they have come through treacherous times only because of Him. In fact, they have become stronger through the centuries because God has led them and protected them. For these reasons, Zechariah proclaims a blessing upon God (Strength is what is indicated by the "horn" in verse 69.). The House of David is very important to the account because John will prepare the path for Jesus. Since Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, is to come through David's descendants, we may think of Jesus as the horn of the House of David. Salvation comes only through that lineage. Salvation comes through mercy, and mercy comes because God remembers and executes all of His agreements. This is the first half of Zechariah's prophecy. There is more to come as the first chapter of Luke concludes. Our society objects to exclusivity. Our world rejects the claims of one religion over another. Even our own community denies that a person can know the truth in a situation; imagine that: the truth can apparently change with a situation these days. No longer does two plus two equal four. There are no more losers in games. Right and wrong can coexist on the same level – as long as someone will accept both of them. The lines between truth and lies is blurred when spotted through the lens of our carnal world. Yet God has called us to a mind transformed from such worldliness to His good, acceptable, and perfect will.
Romans 12:1 and 2: "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Our brother, Phil Sanders, wrote, "No substitute exists for that perfect will, but men are forgetful and gullible." Satan promises us the world and steals our souls. He is devious and tricky. While we often reference the beauty of creation as proof of the awesome creative power of God, we must also admit that the devil is a masterful artist. Truly a masterful artist, Satan crafts deception and seduction in living color. To suggest he has a better way than the perfect will of God, Satan arrays himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). "Worry is a misuse of your imagination."
(Unknown) Life in the 18th Century (the 1700s) was a bit different from our life in the 21st Century. Some work that existed then no longer exists for us. Other work might have been more difficult. At the same time, this type of hands-on, physical work might have also been more fulfilling.
Some Questions:
Let's Think: The eighth day of a boy's life is the optimal time for circumcision. On that day Vitamin K is produced at levels above 100 percent, aiding in blood clotting necessary to protect the boy from death during the procedure. This wasn't known to science until fairly recently. It is a matter of fact in the Bible, but the science proves the inspiration of Scripture. The people in the neighborhood wonder at Zechariah's and Elizabeth's choice to go with the name of John rather than a family name. Surely the priest's son will enjoy more recognizability and prestige if he is given a relatable name. Elizabeth stays with the plan of naming the boy John. When they don't get the answer they want from Mommy, the folks go to Daddy to influence him to overturn the decision. They make signs to Zechariah, indicating that, not only was the priest struck mute, but he must have also been deaf. Otherwise, he could have just heard their conversation. In any event, he understands their signs and puts the whole naming thing to rest by telling them, "His name is John." Put your foot down Zechariah! It's pretty shocking that the parents are taking such a radical detour from tradition. After making the statement, Zechariah also praises God, perhaps even delivering a sermon to the people. It's enough to strike fear into them and spark gossip in the hills, but mostly, it causes the people to ask a very important question. If the elderly new parents are willing to buck the system in such a way, certainly John is going to b e something special. The question remains: "“What then will this child be?” Wait and see.
It is one of the perks of teaching I wish I had discovered much earlier in my career, and this one looks to be unique and interesting. Check out the descriptions below, and then click on over to the Ford's Theatre to apply. If I know you and you need somebody to help you tweak your writing, let me know. Discover historical content to share with students. There was a man who had been lame from birth. He was being carried, in order to beg of those who were entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began begging from them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" And grabbing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. Verse 8 of Acts chapter 3 tells us that with a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. Leaping and praising God! Well I suppose we might all be inclined to be enthusiastic upon being able to walk when we never had before, right? But listen to this: Jesus said, in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” He has just delivered a speech to His disciples about His being the vine and God being the vinedresser. He has just explained that we are branches on His vine and that we are to bear fruit, keep His commandments, and abide in love. Then He says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." It’s one thing to say we would all leap and praise God for being able to suddenly walk, but as for being joyful and made full of joy for working for the Lord, is that different? When was the last time we felt like leaping for joy because of something we accomplished for God? The Lord, in Malachi 4:2, says, “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall The psalmist wrote, I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will observe Your statutes. (Psalm 119:145) A paraphrase of this verse puts it this way: I call out at the top of my lungs. Psalm 5:11 says, let all who take refuge in You be glad. Let them ever sing for joy; and may You shelter them, that those who love Your name may exult in You. For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield. And Isaiah puts it this way in chapter 55, verse 12: For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Now what kind of person can actually inspire the mountains and hills to shout with joy? What kind of person can motivate the trees to applause? Is it a person who hohums about his day, hanging his head? Of course not. It is a person who is thankful, thoughtful, and genuinely excited to be alive. Look, Ivern Bell said, Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch. We drag ourselves down with negative thoughts about politics, education, career path, health. We even apply negativity toward the church: we aren’t doing enough to involve the youth; we aren’t getting people to attend on Wednesday nights. Why does he start all his prayers in the same way? Why can’t he preach a shorter lesson? Why does he drag the songs? Part of the problem is that we know what we’re doing in the church; we just may not be enthusiastic about it. Look up that word: enthusiastic. You’ll find that it’s a 17th century word, from the French or early Latin, through the Greek word enthousiasmos, and it originally meant “possessed by God, or inspired” The word in its purest form means “in God”. How about that! Now don’t I wish I were a little more enthusiastic for the Lord! It’s one thing to be thankful: this year, celebrate enthusiastically! Originally posted January 8, 2022 I handed in my resignation The date was Friday, January 7, 2022 A single sheet of white paper printed on the copy machine in the teachers lounge A single piece of paper Simple questions Why are you resigning? Answer: retirement Not much more than that All I needed to do was hand it to my immediate supervisor So I did It shouldn't have been difficult Just extend a hand with the paper in it Extend it toward the principal Smile Release the page when the principal has it in his grasp Should be easy Should be easy Should be easy NOT that easy I guess I hadn't envisioned the simple event Thought it was simple enough The principal happens to enter the room for another reason, and I quickly decide to "rip off the bandaid" I matter-of-factly pick up the paper and hand it in his direction He says he doesn't want it I say I don't really want to give it to him Something crashes inside of me and rushes upwards into my eyes That lump suddenly appears in the throat The eyes expand The tear ducts threaten to open like a spillway He reacts as he should I shuffle him out of the room and continue teaching the class Slowly at first The lump is still there Slow to shrink A hitch is in the voice Keep teaching At lunch, someone asks how things are going I can't talk I don't want to talk about it I would, but I can't without breaking I force myself to tell others about it The more I talk, the better it will get Right? Right? Until I get home and tell my wife, "I handed him my retirement paper, today" And the emotion burns in my face Can't look her in the eyes I break Again We embrace She didn't expect that reaction from me Hadn't thought I would react that way Neither had I, I say It will not be the last time A 32-year career Ended with a single piece of white paper A single sheet of white paper printed on the copy machine in the teachers lounge The date was Friday, January 7, 2022 The day I handed in my resignation "Don't be banging your shin on a stool that's not in the way."
(Unknown)
Program ExplanationTap into the unique expertise of a professional, award-winning educator who has been an active member of the Lord’s church for decades. The weekend’s target is to help students become better students and teachers become better teachers. Friday’s evening presentation kicks things off, followed by a full Saturday morning (with options for a Sunday follow-up). Dale Hoggatt brings his experience to you in this important set of presentations. Participants learn how to present the Word of God with effective questioning skills, classroom discussion, and activities that get classes to think deeper. ExperienceDuring Hoggatt’s 32-year career as a classroom teacher in America’s public schools, he received:
He has been trained on site in Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, and Virginia. In addition to his Bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Education and his Master’s degree in Teaching, he currently supervises student-teachers for Pittsburg State University in Kansas. He serves as a master teacher for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City and recently wrote curriculum for the Lincoln Presidential Foundation in Illinois. Dale also preaches for churches of Christ in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma when needed (as many as 44 weeks of the year), and he teaches adult Bible classes. Engaging Bible Classes means activating discussion with academic rigor. Participants are invited to enter the conversation in a non-threatening process, all while focusing on Scripture.
Invite area congregations to participate with you! The presentation invites everyone to become better learners, ministers, and stewards of the Word. The following is a lesson in a historical and faithful study beginning at 7:00 pm on Wednesdays. at the church of Christ in Carthage, Missouri, south of the Ford dealership PLEASE JOIN US! Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de LotbinièreThe photos above are of a document that I held and turned over in my hands when I visited Fort Ticonderoga. During the French and Indian War, the French built the fort in upstate New York, and it was named Fort Carillon. This document was written in French, and I had to attempt to decipher it. Not being acquainted with the language made that difficult. I did catch the date - April 1, 1753. The two pages were sealed together, and I wasn't about to break the seal; however, I could curl the pages back to see more writing on the inside. The curator, Matt Keagle, revealed that these were commission papers for a French soldier. When we asked about the signature, Louis, he shared that it was King Louis XIV, and that these were the commission papers for Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière; that is to say that these were official papers for the man who designed Fort Ticonderoga. There are so many reasons to love the chance to hold this document.
Whether the British or the French won the war, the leaders would often cite a devotion and appreciation to God: collectively, they never intended to leave Christianity out of the new land. The Big Questions Our focus for this study hinges on answering these two big questions. The goal is to get closer to the answers each week in our class. How did we we get the Bible? Is the Bible accurate and dependable? Does God Communicate with Us Outside of the Bible? We contend that the Bible and everything it contains is supported by:
Of what must have originally comprised about 730 leaves, 393 remain, 245 of the Old Testament and 148 of the New. The leaves are of very fine vellum, measuring approximately fifteen inches square. The text is written four columns to a page, except in the case of seven poetic books of the Old Testament where the text is in only two columns. The handwriting is large and clear, simple yet magnificent.
Application Question How important is it? Is it important to you that the Bible comes from reliable sources, or is it just a collection of wise sayings and advice for living? Many atheists agree that there is wisdom in the teachings of Jesus Christ, but they do not believe that Jesus is a Messiah, that He performed miracles, that He walked out of His own grave, or that He prepares a place where His faithful disciples will be rewarded for eternity. So how important is it to you that the Bible can be proven true? Do you believe there is irrefutable evidence to its validity? Is proof something that strengthens your personal faith in the existence of God? Should faith alone be enough to drive you to drive you to your knees? Is "blind" faith a stronger kind of faith? If so, then why did God provide so much evidence? Go forward with us - or in this case, back to the beginning - as we continue our study next time.
Let's Think:
There's not much in these two verses, but they are still important. We're just about to get into the last section of Luke 1 which concerns itself with the baby John, but first, his mother gives birth. Nothing is told to us about special cravings or any difficulties with Elizabeth's pregnancy, and we have no reason to believe that either she or Mary had any. With the Holy Spirit in control of the nature in this situation, why would there be any problems? I don't know if anyone hosted a baby shower for the priest's wife, but we can see that her friends are happy for her. Like Elizabeth, her friends take this birth to be God shining His blessing upon her. No longer is she "cursed" by not providing her husband with a son. The term used in verse 58 is great mercy. It's interesting to see a celebration in relation to a birth. We do the same when a newborn makes it into the world. The word rejoicing seems stronger than just playing some diaper guessing games at a baby shower. It's more than cake and punch. Rejoicing lets us know that they are expressing happiness and thanksgiving to God for this very special child. My face in the mirror isn’t wrinkled or drawn; My house isn’t dirty; the cobwebs are gone. My garden looks lovely, and so does my lawn; I think I might never put my glasses back on! (Unknown) You know, one thing I know about being a Christian is that it helps us look at things in a different light. I’m not talking about looking at the world through rose-colored glasses; I’m talking about seeing things through the eyes of Christ. Sometimes the eyes of Christ help us see things for what they are and not the way we want to see them.
Satan used this principle in leading Eve into sin. He told her, “God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5f). How appealing this must have been! Imagine Eve looking at that offer and blindly accepting it. She didn’t look through the correct eyes.
Jesus uses this same principle in John 12:32 and many other passages, promising to bring us to Him, promising to reward the saints, promising eternal life in Heaven. Jesus makes His kingdom and His reward attractive – to the Christian. But reverse the thought - remember the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul, persecutor of Christians, a non-Christian himself failed to see the value of Christ – until he was physically blinded by Jesus. It was only through his blindness that he was able to see through the eyes of Christ. Without physical eyesight, he was able to utilize a new sight, allowing him to see things in a different light. From time to time, we forget to put our glasses on. At times, we fail to apply the sight of Christ to our lives. We are drawn in by the flash and beauty, and we don’t see the danger and the destruction. |
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