July 17 - Evening
"When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth
— people getting no sleep day or night —
then I saw all that God has done.
No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it."
- Ecclesiastes 8:16-17
No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it."
- Ecclesiastes 8:16-17
Pursuing Knowledge IN Hope or Pursuing Knowledge AS Our Only Hope?
Most people would agree that there is always going to be knowledge we do not have and information we do not understand. But, the important side of this is to acknowledge that there is a God who holds this information. Even though there are some things we will never know or attain we do know God.
How we view this changes everything we do. Are we pursuing knowledge because we have hope in God and know God could make it available? Or, are we pursuing knowledge in desperation since we have no other hope without the knowledge?
The life of hope is a life of joy, peace and meaning. The life that hopes in knowledge will become meaningless.
There are too many pieces missing in the human ability to understand and to know. Without accepting God, human philosophy and life will always cry out,
"Meaningless. Everything is Meaningless."
Krites (Gr) – a judge (Eng) – the Greek word krites is used to refer to God in:
Hebrews 12:23 - "to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect."
Hebrews 10:30 - “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
James 4:12 - "There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy."
Krites is used to refer to Christ in:
Acts 10:42 -"to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead."
2 Timothy 4:8 -"the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day."
James 5:9 - "behold,the Judge is standing at the door."
Krites is used to refer to men as:
Israel’s rulers in Acts 13:20
Roman procurator in Acts 24:10
Krites is also used in:
Luke 11:19
Luke 12:14
James 2:4
Hebrews 12:23 - "to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect."
Hebrews 10:30 - “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
James 4:12 - "There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy."
Krites is used to refer to Christ in:
Acts 10:42 -"to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead."
2 Timothy 4:8 -"the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day."
James 5:9 - "behold,the Judge is standing at the door."
Krites is used to refer to men as:
Israel’s rulers in Acts 13:20
Roman procurator in Acts 24:10
Krites is also used in:
Luke 11:19
Luke 12:14
James 2:4
Because I know God I will never consider myself hopeless even when I do not have an answer.
Because of God I have hope even if I am lacking information.
I will pursue knowledge and seek understanding because my hope is in the Creator.
Because I have seen the light I no longer fear the darkness.
Because of God I have hope even if I am lacking information.
I will pursue knowledge and seek understanding because my hope is in the Creator.
Because I have seen the light I no longer fear the darkness.
Bible Reading Descriptions Here
Personal
To say peaceful words
Church
Financial Support
and Responsible Spending
Nation
President's administration
World
Iraq
Someone to Quote
"The Christian life is a life of paradox's. We must give to receive, realize we are blind to see, become simple to be wise, suffer for gain, and die to live."
Something to Ponder
Columba (521-597 AD)
• Born in Ireland in a culture in turmoil. He was tall, strong, brilliant but also restless and combative. He was a great speaker and humorous.
• Until the age of 42 he worked in the church as a priest and started a monastery.
• In 561 Columba copied Jerome’s Latin translation of Psalms and the gospels without permission. When ordered by the priest and the local king to surrender the manuscript he had made Columba refused. This led to a tribal war between Columba’s supporters and the king. 3,000 men were killed.
• In guilt and sorrow Columba left Ireland and became in his words “an exile for Christ” on an isle half a mile from the coast of Scotland called Iona.
• On the isle of Iona living quarters were set up along with a library, guest houses, a church and necessary industrial shops.
• From there Columba and his friends began to evangelize the land of Scotland.
• Columba’s first goal was to replace the 3,000 souls that had died in the battle in 561.
• Born in Ireland in a culture in turmoil. He was tall, strong, brilliant but also restless and combative. He was a great speaker and humorous.
• Until the age of 42 he worked in the church as a priest and started a monastery.
• In 561 Columba copied Jerome’s Latin translation of Psalms and the gospels without permission. When ordered by the priest and the local king to surrender the manuscript he had made Columba refused. This led to a tribal war between Columba’s supporters and the king. 3,000 men were killed.
• In guilt and sorrow Columba left Ireland and became in his words “an exile for Christ” on an isle half a mile from the coast of Scotland called Iona.
• On the isle of Iona living quarters were set up along with a library, guest houses, a church and necessary industrial shops.
• From there Columba and his friends began to evangelize the land of Scotland.
• Columba’s first goal was to replace the 3,000 souls that had died in the battle in 561.
Here’s a Fact
The front paws of a sphinx with the name of Pharaoh Menkaure inscribed between the paws was found in Hazor in 2013. The remains of the sphinx was found in a destruction layer dating to 1300-1200 BC, which correlates with the time period of the Judges and Deborah’s deliverance of Israel and destruction of Hazor recorded in Judges 4.
The Bible records it like this:
"And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.... on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan." - Judges 4:2, 23-24
(This would be a second destruction after Joshua’s destruction of Hazor in 1400 BC recorded in Joshua 11:10-11 which is also identified in the destruction levels at Hazor.)
Pharaoh Menkaure built the smallest of the great pyramids about 2520 BC.
(Details 1, 2 Photos 1, 2)
The Bible records it like this:
"And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.... on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel. And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan." - Judges 4:2, 23-24
(This would be a second destruction after Joshua’s destruction of Hazor in 1400 BC recorded in Joshua 11:10-11 which is also identified in the destruction levels at Hazor.)
Pharaoh Menkaure built the smallest of the great pyramids about 2520 BC.
(Details 1, 2 Photos 1, 2)
Proverb
"Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out."
- Proverbs 17:14
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out."
- Proverbs 17:14
Coach’s Corner
The greatest miracle is salvation. The godliest spiritual manifestation is the transformed soul.
Ezekiel 18 New International Version (NIV)
The One Who Sins Will Die
18 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
“‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
5
“Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right.
6
He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
7
He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
8
He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties.
9
He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord.
10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them):
“He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12
He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things.
13
He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
15
“He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
16
He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
17
He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
24 “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
The One Who Sins Will Die
18 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
“‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
5
“Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right.
6
He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
7
He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
8
He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties.
9
He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord.
10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them):
“He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12
He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things.
13
He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
15
“He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
16
He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
17
He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
24 “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
Isaiah 21-22New International Version (NIV)
A Prophecy Against Babylon
21 A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
2
A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3
At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
4
My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
5
They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
6 This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
7
When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
8 And the lookout shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post.
9
Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’”
10
My people who are crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11 A prophecy against Dumah:
Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12
The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13 A prophecy against Arabia:
You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14
bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
15
They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
A Prophecy About Jerusalem
22 A prophecy against the Valley of Vision:
What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs,
2
you town so full of commotion, you city of tumult and revelry? Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle.
3
All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using the bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away.
4
Therefore I said, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.”
5
The Lord, the Lord Almighty, has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains.
6
Elam takes up the quiver, with her charioteers and horses; Kir uncovers the shield.
7
Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the city gates.
8
The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah, and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest.
9
You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool.
10
You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.
11
You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.
12
The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
13
But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!”
14 The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“Go, say to this steward, to Shebna the palace administrator:
16
What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
17
“Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, you mighty man.
18
He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die and there the chariots you were so proud of will become a disgrace to your master’s house.
19
I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position.
20 “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 23 I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father. 24 All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.
25 “In that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken.
A Prophecy Against Babylon
21 A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
2
A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3
At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
4
My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
5
They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!
6 This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.
7
When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert.”
8 And the lookout shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post.
9
Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’”
10
My people who are crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the Lord Almighty, from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11 A prophecy against Dumah:
Someone calls to me from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12
The watchman replies, “Morning is coming, but also the night. If you would ask, then ask; and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13 A prophecy against Arabia:
You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14
bring water for the thirsty; you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives.
15
They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
A Prophecy About Jerusalem
22 A prophecy against the Valley of Vision:
What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs,
2
you town so full of commotion, you city of tumult and revelry? Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle.
3
All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using the bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away.
4
Therefore I said, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.”
5
The Lord, the Lord Almighty, has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains.
6
Elam takes up the quiver, with her charioteers and horses; Kir uncovers the shield.
7
Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the city gates.
8
The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah, and you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest.
9
You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool.
10
You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.
11
You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.
12
The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
13
But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!”
14 The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“Go, say to this steward, to Shebna the palace administrator:
16
What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here, hewing your grave on the height and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
17
“Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, you mighty man.
18
He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die and there the chariots you were so proud of will become a disgrace to your master’s house.
19
I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position.
20 “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 23 I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father. 24 All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.
25 “In that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken.