From bstaggs at staggs.net Thu Sep 1 00:44:24 2011 From: bstaggs at staggs.net (Billy Staggs) Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:44:24 -0500 Subject: [Linux4christians] TrueCrypt Locks Down Data In a Rock-Solid Vault In-Reply-To: <4E5EE19D.1070309@lightlink.com> References: <4E5EE19D.1070309@lightlink.com> Message-ID: <4E5F0DA8.5070303@staggs.net> I have used TrueCrypt (on both Windows & Linux platforms) for years and would not hesitate to recommend it. -- bstaggs <>< On 8/31/2011 8:36 PM, Fred A. Miller wrote: > TrueCrypt Locks Down Data In a Rock-Solid Vault > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Linux users are blessed with a collection of file encryption tools. But > chances are, whatever application you use for that task lacks the > efficiency, speed and functionality of TrueCrypt. TrueCrypt does what > any file encryption application is supposed to: It locks down access to > your data so no one without a password or keyfile can grab it. > > See the Full Story: > http://www.technewsworld.com/story/73175.html > -- > "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it > tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Thu Sep 1 01:40:37 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:40:37 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] TrueCrypt Locks Down Data In a Rock-Solid Vault In-Reply-To: <4E5F0DA8.5070303@staggs.net> References: <4E5EE19D.1070309@lightlink.com> <4E5F0DA8.5070303@staggs.net> Message-ID: <4E5F1AD5.1010805@lightlink.com> On 09/01/2011 12:44 AM, Billy Staggs wrote: > I have used TrueCrypt (on both Windows & Linux platforms) for years > and would not hesitate to recommend it. It works very well on just about any system....very quick. About a week and a half ago, I finished building the "hottest" box I've ever built and have used, due to the demands of editing very large images. TrueCrypt simply runs without slowing the system down....not matter what I'd doing, it has no affect on anything else....very impressive. Fred -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Thu Sep 1 20:51:07 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:51:07 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - Ezekiel 44:15 - 46 Message-ID: <4E60287B.20304@bibleseven.com> Friday Ezekiel 44:15 - 46 The Levitical Priests 44:15 "'But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, will approach me to minister to me; they will stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the sovereign Lord. 44:16 They will enter my sanctuary, and approach my table to minister to me; they will keep my charge. 44:17 "'When they enter the gates of the inner court, they must wear linen garments; they must not have any wool on them when they minister in the inner gates of the court and in the temple. 44:18 Linen turbans will be on their heads and linen undergarments will be around their waists; they must not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat. 44:19 When they go out to the outer court to the people, they must remove the garments they were ministering in, and place them in the holy chambers; they must put on other garments so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments. 44:20 "'They must not shave their heads nor let their hair grow long; they must only trim their heads. 44:21 No priest may drink wine when he enters the inner court. 44:22 They must not marry a widow or a divorcee, but they may marry a virgin from the house of Israel or a widow who is a priest's widow. 44:23 Moreover, they will teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the ceremonially unclean and the clean. 44:24 "'In a controversy they will act as judges; they will judge according to my ordinances. They will keep my laws and my statutes regarding all my appointed festivals and will observe my Sabbaths. 44:25 "'They must not come near a dead person or they will be defiled; however, for father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister, they may defile themselves. 44:26 After a priest has become ceremonially clean, they must count off a period of seven days for him. 44:27 On the day he enters the sanctuary, into the inner court to serve in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering, declares the sovereign Lord. 44:28 "'This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance, and you must give them no property in Israel; I am their property. 44:29 They may eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel will be theirs. 44:30 The first of all the first fruits and all contributions of any kind will be for the priests; you will also give to the priest the first portion of your dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house. 44:31 The priests will not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or was torn to pieces by a wild animal. The Lord's Portion of the Land 45:1 "'When you allot the land as an inheritance, you will offer an allotment to the Lord, a holy portion from the land; the length will be eight and a quarter miles and the width three and one-third miles. This entire area will be holy. 45:2 Of this area a square 875 feet by 875 feet will be designated for the sanctuary, with 87? feet set aside for its open space round about. 45:3 From this measured area you will measure a length of eight and a quarter miles and a width of three and one-third miles; in it will be the sanctuary, the most holy place. 45:4 It will be a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary who approach the Lord to minister to him. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 45:5 An area eight and a quarter miles in length and three and one-third miles in width will be for the Levites, who minister at the temple, as the place for the cities in which they will live. 45:6 "'Alongside the portion set apart as the holy allotment, you will allot for the city an area one and two-thirds miles wide and eight and a quarter miles long; it will be for the whole house of Israel. 45:7 "'For the prince there will be land on both sides of the holy allotment and the allotted city, alongside the holy allotment and the allotted city, on the west side and on the east side; it will be comparable in length to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border 45:8 of the land. This will be his property in Israel. My princes will no longer oppress my people, but the land will be allotted to the house of Israel according to their tribes. 45:9 "'This is what the sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Put away violence and destruction, and do what is just and right. Put an end to your evictions of my people, declares the sovereign Lord. 45:10 You must use just balances, a just dry measure (an ephah), and a just liquid measure (a bath). 45:11 The dry and liquid measures will be the same, the bath will contain a tenth of a homer, and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure. 45:12 The shekel will be twenty gerahs. Sixty shekels will be a mina for you. 45:13 "'This is the offering you must offer: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat; a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley, 45:14 and as the prescribed portion of olive oil, one tenth of a bath from each kor (which is ten baths or a homer, for ten baths make a homer); 45:15 and one sheep from each flock of two hundred, from the watered places of Israel, for a grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offering, to make atonement for them, declares the sovereign Lord. 45:16 All the people of the land will contribute to this offering for the prince of Israel. 45:17 It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offering, and the drink offering at festivals, on the new moons and Sabbaths, at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel; he will provide the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel. 45:18 "'This is what the sovereign Lord says: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you must take an unblemished young bull and purify the sanctuary. 45:19 The priest will take some of the blood of the sin offering and place it on the doorpost of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the doorpost of the gate of the inner court. 45:20 This is what you must do on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins inadvertently or through ignorance; so you will make atonement for the temple. 45:21 "'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you will celebrate the Passover, and for seven days bread made without yeast will be eaten. 45:22 On that day the prince will provide for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. 45:23 And during the seven days of the feast he will provide as a burnt offering to the Lord seven bulls and seven rams, all without blemish, on each of the seven days, and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 45:24 He will provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a gallon of olive oil for each ephah of grain. 45:25 In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the feast, he will make the same provisions for the sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering, and for the olive oil, for the seven days. The Prince's Offerings 46:1 "'This is what the sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court that faces east will be closed six working days, but on the Sabbath day it will be opened and on the day of the new moon it will be opened. 46:2 The prince will enter by way of the porch of the gate from the outside, and will stand by the doorpost of the gate. The priests will provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he will bow down at the threshold of the gate and then go out. But the gate will not be closed until evening. 46:3 The people of the land will bow down at the entrance of that gate before the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. 46:4 The burnt offering which the prince will offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day will be six unblemished lambs and one unblemished ram. 46:5 The grain offering will be an ephah with the ram, and the grain offering with the lambs will be as much as he is able to give, and a gallon of olive oil with an ephah. 46:6 On the day of the new moon he will offer an unblemished young bull, and six lambs and a ram, all without blemish. 46:7 He will provide a grain offering: an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wishes, and a gallon of olive oil with each ephah of grain. 46:8 When the prince enters, he will come by way of the porch of the gate and will go out the same way. 46:9 "'When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship will go out by way of the south gate; whoever enters by way of the south gate will go out by way of the north gate. No one will return by way of the gate they entered but will go out straight ahead. 46:10 When they come in, the prince will come in with them, and when they go out, he will go out. 46:11 "'At the festivals and at the appointed feasts the grain offering will be an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as one is able, and a gallon of olive oil with each ephah of grain. 46:12 When the prince provides a freewill offering, a burnt offering, or peace offerings as a voluntary offering to the Lord, the gate facing east will be opened for him, and he will provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings just as he did on the Sabbath. Then he will go out, and the gate will be closed after he goes out. 46:13 "'You will provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering daily to the Lord; morning by morning he will provide it. 46:14 And you will provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, a sixth of an ephah, and a third of a gallon of olive oil to moisten the choice flour, as a grain offering to the Lord; this is a perpetual statute. 46:15 Thus they will provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the olive oil morning by morning, as a perpetual burnt offering. 46:16 "'This is what the sovereign Lord says: If the prince should give a gift to one of his sons as his inheritance, it will belong to his sons, it is their property by inheritance. 46:17 But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will be his until the year of liberty; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance will only remain with his sons. 46:18 The prince will not take away any of the people's inheritance by oppressively removing them from their property. He will give his sons an inheritance from his own possessions so that my people will not be scattered, each from his own property.'" 46:19 Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers for the priests which faced north. There I saw a place at the extreme western end. 46:20 He said to me, "This is the place where the priests will boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they will bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them out to the outer court to transmit holiness to the people." 46:21 Then he brought me out to the outer court and led me past the four corners of the court, and I noticed that in every corner of the court there was a court. 46:22 In the four corners of the court were small courts, 70 feet in length and 52? feet in width; the four were all the same size. 46:23 There was a row of masonry around each of the four courts, and places for boiling offerings were made under the rows all around. 46:24 Then he said to me, "These are the houses for boiling, where the ministers of the temple boil the sacrifices of the people." Prayer Lord, Your new order provided for a higher level of boundaries so as to cause priests and leaders and all of the people to rely upon You and to be humble and just before one-another. May I recognize this as Your desire for Your children even today. Summary & Commentary Ezekiel delivered the Lord God's teaching for the care of the Levitical priests "'This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance, and you must give them no property in Israel; I am their property. They may eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel will be theirs. The first of all the first fruits and all contributions of any kind will be for the priests; you will also give to the priest the first portion of your dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house ... "'When you allot the land as an inheritance, you will offer an allotment to the Lord, a holy portion from the land; the length will be eight and a quarter miles and the width three and one-third miles. This entire area will be holy ... you will measure a length of eight and a quarter miles and a width of three and one-third miles; in it will be the sanctuary, the most holy place. It will be a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary who approach the Lord to minister to him. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. An area eight and a quarter miles in length and three and one-third miles in width will be for the Levites, who minister at the temple, as the place for the cities in which they will live. He then was show the area for the people "'Alongside the portion set apart as the holy allotment, you will allot for the city an area one and two-thirds miles wide and eight and a quarter miles long; it will be for the whole house of Israel." Ezekiel was shown that "the prince" would receive a fixed allotment of land "'For the prince there will be land on both sides of the holy allotment and the allotted city, alongside the holy allotment and the allotted city, on the west side and on the east side; it will be comparable in length to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border of the land. This will be his property in Israel. My princes will no longer oppress my people, but the land will be allotted to the house of Israel according to their tribes." He then was shown that the prince would travel to and from gatherings with the people, all together in one gate and out another, without separation or reversed direction "'When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship will go out by way of the south gate; whoever enters by way of the south gate will go out by way of the north gate. No one will return by way of the gate they entered but will go out straight ahead. When they come in, the prince will come in with them, and when they go out, he will go out." Just as the Levites had a God-ordained and provided inheritance and provision, so did the prince and his family, and it was to be preserved generation to generation "'This is what the sovereign Lord says: If the prince should give a gift to one of his sons as his inheritance, it will belong to his sons, it is their property by inheritance. But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will be his until the year of liberty; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance will only remain with his sons. The prince will not take away any of the people's inheritance by oppressively removing them from their property. He will give his sons an inheritance from his own possessions so that my people will not be scattered, each from his own property.'" Interaction Consider Because the Levitical priests had become greedy and pagan the new statutes for them created a much more God-dependent environment. Discuss Why would it be important that a prince be allowed to temporarily share his inheritance with a non-member of his family but that said gift would have to return to the family after a time? Reflect "The prince" received a fixed allotment of land and no more as a way to keep him from greedily taking more and more for himself. Share When have you found yourself completely dependent on the Lord God? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a boundary He has created in your life in order to protect both you and others. Action: Today I will prayerfully discern from the Holy Spirit where He has established a boundary in my life and I will be intentional about honoring it. The boundary may be in incurring debt or risk-taking behavior, it may be listening to secular music or watching certain types of movies, it may be too much concern for the approval by others of my physical appearance or of my possessions or titles, or it may be an unteachable spirit. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Saturday's text will be: Ezekiel 47 - 48 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Fri Sep 2 09:45:31 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:45:31 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Hackers break into Linux kernel home Message-ID: <4E60DDFB.8030205@lightlink.com> *MULTIPLE SERVERS* that are part of the Linux kernel.org infrastructure were affected during a recent intrusion where attackers managed to gain root access and plant Trojan scripts. According to an email sent out to the community by kernel.org chief administrator John Hawley, known as warthog9, the incident started with the compromise of a server referred to as Hera. The personal colocated machine of Linux developer H Peter Anvin (HPA) and additional kernel.org systems were also affected. "Upon some investigation there are a couple of kernel.org boxes, specifically hera and odin1, with potential pre-cursors on demeter2, zeus1 and zeus2, that have been hit by this," Hawley wrote. The intrusion was discovered on 28 August and according to preliminary findings attackers gained access by using a set of compromised credentials. They then elevated their privileges to root by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability that the kernel.org administrators have yet to identify. [Full story:] http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2105947/hackers-break-linux-kernel-home?WT.rss_f=&WT.rss_a=Hackers+break+into+Linux+kernel+home -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From webservant at trinitybclaramie.org Fri Sep 2 10:22:59 2011 From: webservant at trinitybclaramie.org (Peter B. Steiger) Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 08:22:59 -0600 Subject: [Linux4christians] Hackers break into Linux kernel home In-Reply-To: <4E60DDFB.8030205@lightlink.com> References: <4E60DDFB.8030205@lightlink.com> Message-ID: {grumble grumble grumble} back in my day, a "hacker" was somebody who used clever nonstandard methods to work around a problem -- "I hacked together this operating system that's kind of like UNIX". Stupid news media and their inability to grasp the distinction... >From what I read on Slashdot it sounds like these folks got nowhere near the source code files, so the kernel itself is safe pbs On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 7:45 AM, Fred A. Miller wrote: > ** > **MULTIPLE SERVERS** that are part of the Linux kernel.org infrastructure > were affected during a recent intrusion where attackers managed to gain > root access and plant Trojan scripts. > > According to an email sent out to the community > by > kernel.org chief administrator John > Hawley, known as warthog9, the incident started with the compromise of a > server referred to as Hera. The personal colocated machine of Linux > developer H Peter Anvin (HPA) and additional kernel.org systems were > also affected. > > "Upon some investigation there are a couple of kernel.org boxes, > specifically hera and odin1, with potential pre-cursors on demeter2, > zeus1 and zeus2, that have been hit by this," Hawley wrote. > > The intrusion was discovered on 28 August and according to preliminary > findings attackers gained access by using a set of compromised > credentials. They then elevated their privileges to root by exploiting a > zero-day vulnerability that the kernel.org administrators have yet to > identify. > > [Full story:] > > > http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2105947/hackers-break-linux-kernel-home?WT.rss_f=&WT.rss_a=Hackers+break+into+Linux+kernel+home > > -- > "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it > tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown > > > _______________________________________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Fri Sep 2 11:19:40 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:19:40 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Hackers break into Linux kernel home In-Reply-To: References: <4E60DDFB.8030205@lightlink.com> Message-ID: <4E60F40C.3080609@bibleseven.com> Can you get to the article's authors via E-mail or Blog/Web Comments, or Twitter, or something and challenge them to get their terminology right? Respectfully, with links to technology dictionaries, etc, of course. The more people who challenge this carelessness the more likely it will eventually become embarrassing enough that they will take greater care. If they are not challenged they will not bother to do their homework. > {grumble grumble grumble} back in my day, a "hacker" was somebody who > used clever nonstandard methods to work around a problem -- "I hacked > together this operating system that's kind of like UNIX". Stupid > news media and their inability to grasp the distinction... > > From what I read on Slashdot it sounds like these folks got nowhere > near the source code files, so the kernel itself is safe > > pbs > > > > [Full story:] > > http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2105947/hackers-break-linux-kernel-home?WT.rss_f=&WT.rss_a=Hackers+break+into+Linux+kernel+home > > > -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From hpp3 at lavabit.com Fri Sep 2 13:30:34 2011 From: hpp3 at lavabit.com (Eddy Martin) Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:30:34 -0700 Subject: [Linux4christians] Hackers break into Linux kernel home In-Reply-To: <4E60F40C.3080609@bibleseven.com> References: <4E60DDFB.8030205@lightlink.com> <4E60F40C.3080609@bibleseven.com> Message-ID: <4E6112BA.2000602@lavabit.com> On 09/02/2011 08:19 AM, dcolburn at bibleseven.com wrote: > Can you get to the article's authors via E-mail or Blog/Web Comments, > or Twitter, or something and challenge them to get their terminology > right? > > Respectfully, with links to technology dictionaries, etc, of course. > > The more people who challenge this carelessness the more likely > it will eventually become embarrassing enough that they will take > greater care. > > If they are not challenged they will not bother to do their homework. > >> {grumble grumble grumble} back in my day, a "hacker" was somebody who >> used clever nonstandard methods to work around a problem -- "I hacked >> together this operating system that's kind of like UNIX". Stupid >> news media and their inability to grasp the distinction... >> >> From what I read on Slashdot it sounds like these folks got nowhere >> near the source code files, so the kernel itself is safe >> >> pbs >> I know I've done all I can to try and undo as much of this as one man can, but I'm afraid the damage is already done. Until those individuals who know better _and_ write for tech journals start making the distinction, it's only going get more entrenched, but then again, it may already be too deep in the public consciousness. Besides, saying "Crackers break into Kernel servers" sounds like a Marx Brothers comedy short or the title to some sort of reverse-racism op-ed column. Doesn't have quite the 'ring' to it, I'm afraid. From webservant at trinitybclaramie.org Fri Sep 2 15:31:45 2011 From: webservant at trinitybclaramie.org (Peter B. Steiger) Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 13:31:45 -0600 Subject: [Linux4christians] Hackers break into Linux kernel home In-Reply-To: <4E6112BA.2000602@lavabit.com> References: <4E60DDFB.8030205@lightlink.com> <4E60F40C.3080609@bibleseven.com> <4E6112BA.2000602@lavabit.com> Message-ID: Yeah, it's a battle we lost 20+ years ago. Much too late to change the vocabulary now, I'm afraid. On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 11:30 AM, Eddy Martin wrote: > On 09/02/2011 08:19 AM, dcolburn at bibleseven.com wrote: > >> Can you get to the article's authors via E-mail or Blog/Web Comments, >> or Twitter, or something and challenge them to get their terminology >> right? >> >> Respectfully, with links to technology dictionaries, etc, of course. >> >> The more people who challenge this carelessness the more likely >> it will eventually become embarrassing enough that they will take >> greater care. >> >> If they are not challenged they will not bother to do their homework. >> >> {grumble grumble grumble} back in my day, a "hacker" was somebody who >>> used clever nonstandard methods to work around a problem -- "I hacked >>> together this operating system that's kind of like UNIX". Stupid news >>> media and their inability to grasp the distinction... >>> >>> From what I read on Slashdot it sounds like these folks got nowhere near >>> the source code files, so the kernel itself is safe >>> >>> pbs >>> >>> I know I've done all I can to try and undo as much of this as one man > can, but I'm afraid the damage is already done. > Until those individuals who know better _and_ write for tech journals start > making the distinction, it's only going get more entrenched, but then again, > it may already be too deep in the public consciousness. > > Besides, saying "Crackers break into Kernel servers" sounds like a Marx > Brothers comedy short or the title to some sort of reverse-racism op-ed > column. > Doesn't have quite the 'ring' to it, I'm afraid. > > > > ______________________________**_________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.**net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/**mailman/listinfo/**linux4christians > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sat Sep 3 00:34:37 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2011 00:34:37 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - Ezekiel 47 - 48 Message-ID: <4E61AE5D.9060402@bibleseven.com> Saturday Ezekiel 47 - 48 Water from the Temple 47:1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple. I noticed that water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, from south of the altar. 47:2 He led me out by way of the north gate and brought me around the outside of the outer gate that faces toward the east; I noticed that the water was trickling out from the south side. 47:3 When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured 1,750 feet, and then he led me through water, which was ankle deep. 47:4 Again he measured 1,750 feet and led me through the water, which was now knee deep. Once more he measured 1,750 feet and led me through the water, which was waist deep. 47:5 Again he measured 1,750 feet and it was a river I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. 47:6 He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 47:7 When I had returned, I noticed a vast number of trees on the banks of the river, on both sides. 47:8 He said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and flow down into the Arabah; when they enter the Dead Sea, where the sea is stagnant, the waters become fresh. 47:9 Every living creature which swarms where the river flows will live; there will be many fish, for these waters flow there. It will become fresh and everything will live where the river flows. 47:10 Fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to En-eglaim they will spread nets. They will catch many kinds of fish, like the fish of the Great Sea. 47:11 But its swamps and its marshes will not become fresh; they will remain salty. 47:12 On both sides of the river's banks, every kind of tree will grow for food. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail, but they will bear fruit every month, because their water source flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing." Boundaries for the Land 47:13 This is what the sovereign Lord says: "Here are the borders you will observe as you allot the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Joseph will have two portions.) 47:14 You must divide it equally just as I vowed to give it to your forefathers; this land will be assigned as your inheritance. 47:15 "This will be the border of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to the entrance of Zedad; 47:16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath, as far as Hazer-hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. 47:17 The border will run from the sea to Hazar-enan, at the border of Damascus, and on the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. 47:18 On the east side, between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, will be the Jordan. You will measure from the border to the eastern sea. This is the east side. 47:19 On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, the river, to the Great Sea. This is the south side. 47:20 On the west side the Great Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west side. 47:21 "This is how you will divide this land for yourselves among the tribes of Israel. 47:22 You must allot it as an inheritance among yourselves and for the foreigners who reside among you, who have fathered sons among you. You must treat them as native-born among the people of Israel; they will be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 47:23 In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, there you will give him his inheritance," declares the sovereign Lord. The Tribal Portions 48:1 "These are the names of the tribes: From the northern end beside the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the border of Damascus, toward the north beside Hamath), extending from the east side to the west, Dan will have one portion. 48:2 Next to the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher will have one portion. 48:3 Next to the border of Asher from the east side to the west, Naphtali will have one portion. 48:4 Next to the border of Naphtali from the east side to the west, Manasseh will have one portion. 48:5 Next to the border of Manasseh from the east side to the west, Ephraim will have one portion. 48:6 Next to the border of Ephraim from the east side to the west, Reuben will have one portion. 48:7 Next to the border of Reuben from the east side to the west, Judah will have one portion. 48:8 "Next to the border of Judah from the east side to the west will be the allotment you must set apart. It is to be eight and a quarter miles wide, and the same length as one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west; the sanctuary will be in the middle of it. 48:9 The allotment you set apart to the Lord will be eight and a quarter miles in length and three and one-third miles in width. 48:10 These will be the allotments for the holy portion: for the priests, toward the north eight and a quarter miles in length, toward the west three and one-third miles in width, toward the east three and one-third miles in width, and toward the south eight and a quarter miles in length; the sanctuary of the Lord will be in the middle. 48:11 This will be for the priests who are set apart from the descendants of Zadok who kept my charge and did not go astray when the people of Israel strayed off, like the Levites did. 48:12 It will be their portion from the allotment of the land, a most holy place, next to the border of the Levites. 48:13 "Alongside the border of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment eight and a quarter miles in length and three and one-third miles in width. The whole length will be eight and a quarter miles and the width three and one-third miles. 48:14 They must not sell or exchange any of it; they must not transfer this choice portion of land, for it is set apart to the Lord. 48:15 "The remainder, one and two-thirds miles in width and eight and a quarter miles in length, will be for common use by the city, for houses and for open space. The city will be in the middle of it; 48:16 these will be its measurements: The north side will be one and one-half miles, the south side one and one-half miles, the east side one and one-half miles, and the west side one and one-half miles. 48:17 The city will have open spaces: On the north there will be 437? feet, on the south 437? feet, on the east 437? feet, and on the west 437? feet. 48:18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy allotment will be three and one-third miles to the east and three and one-third miles toward the west, and it will be beside the holy allotment. Its produce will be for food for the workers of the city. 48:19 The workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it. 48:20 The whole allotment will be eight and a quarter miles square, you must set apart the holy allotment with the possession of the city. 48:21 "The rest, on both sides of the holy allotment and the property of the city, will belong to the prince. Extending from the eight and a quarter miles of the holy allotment to the east border, and westward from the eight and a quarter miles to the west border, alongside the portions, it will belong to the prince. The holy allotment and the sanctuary of the temple will be in the middle of it. 48:22 The property of the Levites and of the city will be in the middle of that which belongs to the prince. The portion between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin will be for the prince. 48:23 "As for the rest of the tribes: From the east side to the west side, Benjamin will have one portion. 48:24 Next to the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon will have one portion. 48:25 Next to the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar will have one portion. 48:26 Next to the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun will have one portion. 48:27 Next to the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad will have one portion. 48:28 Next to the border of Gad, at the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the Stream of Egypt and on to the Great Sea. 48:29 This is the land which you will allot to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the sovereign Lord. 48:30 "These are the exits of the city: On the north side, one and one-half miles by measure, 48:31 the gates of the city will be named for the tribes of Israel; there will be three gates to the north: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi. 48:32 On the east side, one and one-half miles in length, there will be three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan. 48:33 On the south side, one and one-half miles by measure, there will be three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun. 48:34 On the west side, one and one-half miles in length, there will be three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. 48:35 The circumference of the city will be six miles. The name of the city from that day forward will be: 'The Lord Is There.'" Prayer Lord, You are the flowing water that brings blessing in this world and eternal life in Heaven, and anything not directly connected to You will not flourish. May I draw near to You and be blessed and nourished every day. Summary & Commentary Ezekiel was shown "These waters go out toward the eastern region and flow down into the Arabah; when they enter the Dead Sea, where the sea is stagnant, the waters become fresh ... But its swamps and its marshes will not become fresh; they will remain salty. On both sides of the river's banks, every kind of tree will grow for food. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail, but they will bear fruit every month, because their water source flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing." He heard that this is what the sovereign Lord says: "Here are the borders you will observe as you allot the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Joseph will have two portions.) You must divide it equally just as I vowed to give it to your forefathers; this land will be assigned as your inheritance ... "This is how you will divide this land for yourselves among the tribes of Israel. You must allot it as an inheritance among yourselves and for the foreigners who reside among you, who have fathered sons among you. You must treat them as native-born among the people of Israel; they will be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, there you will give him his inheritance," declares the sovereign Lord. Ezekiel received this final detail "The circumference of the city will be six miles. The name of the city from that day forward will be: 'The Lord Is There.'" Interaction Consider The water that was to flow from the new temple would bring life to all that came in immediate contact with it -- but that which was close but not immersed would not benefit. Discuss How amazing would it have been to hear that the planned new city would be called 'The Lord Is There."? Reflect A permanent place among Israel would be "foreigners" (gentiles) who had been folded-into their family. Share When have you observed someone just beyond a genuine surrender to the Lordship of Christ who was suffering and wilted while another who had fully surrendered demonstrated a sense of joy and of a renewed life? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone who is close but not yet truly saved. Action: Today I will pray with special earnest for the one who needs to take that final step, and if the Holy Spirit guides, I will encourage them directly. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Sunday's text will be: Daniel 1 - 2:24 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Sat Sep 3 10:54:02 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:54:02 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Morto worm reveals how bad IT is at passwords Message-ID: <4E623F8A.9070406@lightlink.com> A password-guessing worm dubbed Morto is responsible for the recent spike in unauthorized RDP port traffic , serving as a reminder of just how bad IT admins are at coming up with strong passwords to protect critical resources. The worm, which is connected to the spike in RDP traffic observed by SANS and Dshield on Aug. 3, works by attempting to log in to accounts using a series of incredibly weak passwords, such as "12345," "admin," "password," and "test," along with some brute-force dictionary guesses. It also attempts overly common logon names, including "administrator," "admin," "backup," and "sql." http://www.infoworld.com/t/access-control/morto-worm-reveals-how-bad-it-passwords-171336 -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sat Sep 3 20:29:09 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:29:09 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Sunday_-_Daniel_1_=96_2=3A24?= Message-ID: <4E62C655.5090403@bibleseven.com> Sunday Daniel 1 ? 2:24 Daniel Finds Favor in Babylon 1:1 In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem and laid it under siege. 1:2 Now the Lord delivered King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power, along with some of the vessels of the temple of God. He brought them to the land of Babylonia to the temple of his god and put the vessels in the treasury of his god. 1:3 The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent ? 1:4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated and having keen insight, and who were capable of entering the king?s royal service ? and to teach them the literature and language of the Babylonians. 1:5 So the king assigned them a daily ration from his royal delicacies and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king?s service. 1:6 As it turned out, among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 1:7 But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego. 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. 1:9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. 1:10 But he responded to Daniel, ?I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? If that happened, you would endanger my life with the king!? 1:11 Daniel then spoke to the warden whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 1:12 ?Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 1:13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; deal with us in light of what you see.? 1:14 So the warden agreed to their proposal and tested them for ten days. 1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. 1:16 So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine from their diet and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. 1:17 Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom ? and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams. 1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar?s presence. 1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king?s service. 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. 1:21 Now Daniel lived on until the first year of Cyrus the king. Nebuchadnezzar Has a Disturbing Dream 2:1 In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar had many dreams. His mind was disturbed and he suffered from insomnia. 2:2 The king issued an order to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men in order to explain his dreams to him. So they came and awaited the king?s instructions. 2:3 The king told them, ?I have had a dream, and I am anxious to understand the dream.? 2:4 The wise men replied to the king: [What follows is in Aramaic] ?O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its interpretation.? 2:5 The king replied to the wise men, ?My decision is firm. If you do not inform me of both the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered and your homes reduced to rubble! 2:6 But if you can disclose the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, a reward, and considerable honor. So disclose to me the dream and its interpretation!? 2:7 They again replied, ?Let the king inform us of the dream; then we will disclose its interpretation.? 2:8 The king replied, ?I know for sure that you are attempting to gain time, because you see that my decision is firm. 2:9 If you don?t inform me of the dream, there is only one thing that is going to happen to you. For you have agreed among yourselves to report to me something false and deceitful until such time as things might change. So tell me the dream, and I will have confidence that you can disclose its interpretation.? 2:10 The wise men replied to the king, ?There is no man on earth who is able to disclose the king?s secret, for no king, regardless of his position and power, has ever requested such a thing from any magician, astrologer, or wise man. 2:11 What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods ? but they don?t live among mortals!? 2:12 Because of this the king got furiously angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 2:13 So a decree went out, and the wise men were about to be executed. They also sought Daniel and his friends so that they could be executed. 2:14 Then Daniel spoke with prudent counsel to Arioch, who was in charge of the king?s executioners and who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 2:15 He inquired of Arioch the king?s deputy, ?Why is the decree from the king so urgent?? Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 2:16 So Daniel went in and requested the king to grant him time, that he might disclose the interpretation to the king. 2:17 Then Daniel went to his home and informed his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the matter. 2:18 He asked them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and his friends would not be destroyed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 2:19 Then in a night vision the mystery was revealed to Daniel. So Daniel praised the God of heaven, 2:20 saying, ?Let the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. 2:21 He changes times and seasons, deposing some kings and establishing others. He gives wisdom to the wise; he imparts knowledge to those with understanding; 2:22 he reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness, and light resides with him. 2:23 O God of my fathers, I acknowledge and glorify you, for you have bestowed wisdom and power on me. Now you have enabled me to understand what I requested from you. For you have enabled me to understand the king?s dilemma.? 2:24 Then Daniel went in to see Arioch (whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon). He came and said to him, ?Don?t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Escort me to the king, and I will disclose the interpretation to him!? Prayer Lord, You know all things and You share Your perfect knowledge with man as it serves Your perfect plan. May I always look to You first for answers. Summary & Commentary Daniel was among those captured and deported to Babylon, there the king ordered his court official to ?... choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent ? young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated and having keen insight, and who were capable of entering the king?s royal service ? and to teach them the literature and language of the Babylonians. So the king assigned them a daily ration from his royal delicacies and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king?s service.? ?Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. But he responded to Daniel, ?I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? If that happened, you would endanger my life with the king!? Daniel then spoke to the warden whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ?Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; deal with us in light of what you see.? So the warden agreed to their proposal and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine from their diet and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom ? and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.? ?When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king?s service. In every matter of wisdom and insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.? The king had a dream and demanded that his magicians and other frauds and practitioners of witchcraft in his court tell him both the content of his dream and their interpretation. They protested that no king had ever asked such a thing and that no one but ?the gods? could know ?but they don?t live among mortals!? He gave orders that they all be rounded up, including Daniel and his friends, and killed ? and ?... their houses reduced to rubble.? Daniel hear of this and asked the king to give him a little time to get him an answer. Daniel and his friends prayed and the Lord God provided the answer. He gave praise ?O God of my fathers, I acknowledge and glorify you, for you have bestowed wisdom and power on me. Now you have enabled me to understand what I requested from you. For you have enabled me to understand the king?s dilemma.? and he also quickly asked that none be killed ?Then Daniel went in to see Arioch (whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon). He came and said to him, ?Don?t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Escort me to the king, and I will disclose the interpretation to him!?? Interaction Consider The king wanted the best and the brightest of the young men of Israel for his court, both because the court protocol required the most-perfect to serve the king, and because appropriating them to his service sent a message to the captive people. Discuss Why did the king demand that his magical-advisers tell him both the dream and the interpretation, contrary to previous practice? Reflect Daniel risked setting boundaries in order to be clear-headed and healthy, good stewardship of his body, in order to be righteous before the Lord God ? despite his captivity. Share When have you been in a difficult situation where people were in authority who did not share your value system ? and had to make a risky choice to do what was right rather than what was expected by them? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something He wants you to remove from your life which is unhealthy, emotionally, intellectually, physically, or spiritually. Action: Today I will give praise and thanks to the Lord God for His perfect wisdom and I will act immediately to obey the direction of the Holy Spirit. If I am uncertain I will ask one who meets the Biblical requirement of ?elder?, and perhaps others, to pray in-agreement for clarity. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Monday's text will be: Daniel 2:25-49 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sun Sep 4 21:18:27 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:18:27 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Monday - Daniel 2:25-49 Message-ID: <4E642363.1090605@bibleseven.com> Monday Daniel 2:25-49 2:25 So Arioch quickly ushered Daniel into the king's presence, saying to him, "I have found a man from the captives of Judah who can make known the interpretation to the king." 2:26 The king then asked Daniel (whose name was also Belteshazzar), "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I saw, as well as its interpretation?" 2:27 Daniel replied to the king, "The mystery that the king is asking about is such that no wise men, astrologers, magicians, or diviners can possibly disclose it to the king. 2:28 However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the times to come. The dream and the visions you had while lying on your bed are as follows. 2:29 "As for you, O king, while you were in your bed your thoughts turned to future things. The revealer of mysteries has made known to you what will take place. 2:30 As for me, this mystery was revealed to me not because I possess more wisdom than any other living person, but so that the king may understand the interpretation and comprehend the thoughts of your mind. 2:31 "You, O king, were watching as a great statue -- one of impressive size and extraordinary brightness -- was standing before you. Its appearance caused alarm. 2:32 As for that statue, its head was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze. 2:33 Its legs were of iron; its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. 2:34 You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. 2:35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth. 2:36 This was the dream. Now we will set forth before the king its interpretation. Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar's Dream 2:37 "You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has granted you sovereignty, power, strength, and honor. 2:38 Wherever human beings, wild animals, and birds of the sky live -- he has given them into your power. He has given you authority over them all. You are the head of gold. 2:39 Now after you another kingdom will arise, one inferior to yours. Then a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule in all the earth. 2:40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces all of these metals, so it will break in pieces and crush the others. 2:41 In that you were seeing feet and toes partly of wet clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. Some of the strength of iron will be in it, for you saw iron mixed with wet clay. 2:42 In that the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, the latter stages of this kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. 2:43 And in that you saw iron mixed with wet clay, so people will be mixed with one another without adhering to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 2:44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever. 2:45 You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable." 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed down with his face to the ground and paid homage to Daniel. He gave orders to offer sacrifice and incense to him. 2:47 The king replied to Daniel, "Certainly your God is a God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery!" 2:48 Then the king elevated Daniel to high position and bestowed on him many marvelous gifts. He granted him authority over the entire province of Babylon and made him the main prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 2:49 And at Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon. Daniel himself served in the king's court. Prayer Lord, You intervened in history to deliver an end times prophesy through a pagan king and his faithful captive subject, and You prepared the way for the eventual exile of Judah to Babylon. May I be confident that in the great things of the history of the world that Your hand is greater and more certain than any thing any human, other heavenly being, or all of them combined can do. Summary & Commentary Daniel had requested and received the Lord God's revelation of the king's dream and its meaning, and in grateful-awe had given the Lord great praise and thanks. When the king asked him if he could meet the challenge Daniel humbly replied that no mere human could do so but "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the times to come." Daniel described the king's dream then the Lord God's interpretation "... In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever." [The dream was essentially of a series of ancient kingdoms, which history records were followed by lesser kingdoms -- all of which were somehow spin-offs, which we then obliterated upon the second coming of Christ. His first coming ushered-in the spiritual kingdom on earth, His second added the physical kingdom.] "King Nebuchadnezzar bowed down with his face to the ground and paid homage to Daniel. He gave orders to offer sacrifice and incense to him." [Note: Daniel was far too faithful and humble to ever ask anyone to worship him, see "... no wise men, astrologers, magicians, or diviners can possibly disclose it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries ... The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. The king replied to Daniel, "Certainly your God is a God of gods and Lord of kings and revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery!"" Also, in Esther 6 Mordecai was honored but not worshiped. Daniel did not have the authority to forbid the king from his pagan sacrifices, nor would a man as respectful of authority have attempted to do so, but there is nothing about Daniel -- or in the record -- to suggest that he accepted worship. Had Daniel done so he would not have received the blessings from the Lord that followed.] "Then the king elevated Daniel to high position and bestowed on him many marvelous gifts. He granted him authority over the entire province of Babylon and made him the main prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. And at Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon. Daniel himself served in the king's court." [Constable's Notes observe that the Lord's arrangement for the elevation of these Jewish men provided sympathetic persons in authority for when Judah was later deported to Babylon.] Interaction Consider Daniel remained humble throughout the whole process, yet he did not refuse delegated authority from the king. Discuss Satan and his demons seek false worship, and their human agents (pagan kings) did so as well, so despite Daniel's repeated credit given to God-alone would it be the confused thinking of the king that caused him to order sacrifice and incense to Daniel? Reflect The timing and provision of the Lord created the circumstance where Daniel and his friends would be elevated in Babylon and that meant some safety for the Judean Israelites when they were exiled there. Share When have you observed someone accept credit for something that belonged to the Lord-only? How did things go for them later on? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you an opportunity to bless someone by sharing the Lord God's truth with them -- giving Him all of the credit. Action: Today I will boldly and Biblically share His Word and I will pray for His Word to be accepted and acted upon. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Tuesday's text will be: Daniel 3 -- 4:3 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Mon Sep 5 20:37:05 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:37:05 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Tuesday_-_Daniel_3_=96_4=3A3?= Message-ID: <4E656B31.6070400@bibleseven.com> Tuesday Daniel 3 ? 4:3 3:1 Daniel?s Friends Are Tested King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made. It was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 3:2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he had erected. 3:3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. 3:4 Then the herald made a loud proclamation: ?To you, O peoples, nations, and language groups, the following command is given: 3:5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music*,* you must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. 3:6 Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!? 3:7 Therefore when they all heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. 3:8 Now at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against the Jews. 3:9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ?O king, live forever! 3:10 You have issued an edict, O king, that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music. 3:11 And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 3:12 But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon ? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ? and these men have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don?t serve your gods and they don?t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.? 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage demanded that they bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them before the king. 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ?Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don?t serve my gods and that you don?t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? 3:15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music*,* you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don?t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?? 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ?We do not need to give you a reply concerning this. 3:17 If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 3:18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don?t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.? 3:19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. 3:20 He ordered strong soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 3:21 So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 3:22 But since the king?s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed by the leaping flames. 3:23 But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace of blazing fire while still securely bound. God Delivers His Servants 3:24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, ?Wasn?t it three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?? They replied to the king, ?For sure, O king.? 3:25 He answered, ?But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!? 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out, ?Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!? Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire. 3:27 Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically unharmed by the fire. The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them! 3:28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ?Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! 3:29 I hereby decree that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.? 3:30 Then Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. 4:1 ?King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: Peace and prosperity! 4:2 I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me. 4:3 ?How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, and his authority continues from one generation to the next.? Prayer Lord, You used captive people to demonstrate Your sovereign power to a king, leading him to praise Your name. May I never lose my sense of awe for You and may I also declare Your greatness. Summary & Commentary Daniel's friends were confronted by a massive statue about which the king declared ?... you must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!? ?Some Chaldeans ? there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon ? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ? and these men have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don?t serve your gods and they don?t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.? Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage demanded that they bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him ?? He angrily challenged them agree to to worship the statue and mocked their God, to which they replied ?We do not need to give you a reply concerning this. If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don?t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.? ?He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. He ordered strong soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. But since the king?s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed by the leaping flames.? The king declared ?... I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!? ? He called out, ?Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!? ... the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around ... saw ... Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!? ?Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ?Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! I hereby decree that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes the god of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.? ... to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: Peace and prosperity! I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me. ?How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, and his authority continues from one generation to the next.?? Interaction Consider The three friends of Daniel were willing to die a terrible death rather than disobey the Lord God by worshiping a statue. Discuss Isn't it amazing how the arrogant and pride-filled king became suddenly-humbled and worshipful by the combination of the faithful men and the miracle of the Lord God? Reflect Not only did the king serve as a conduit of blessing to the men he also became a clarion of the message of the One true and all-powerful Lord God. Share When have you observed someone standing in faith when challenged to sell-out, only to have the Lord intervene and the one who challenged them turned to a friend of God? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place here He'd like you to stand in faith. Action: Today I will stand in faith, asking others to pray in-agreement with me for protection and strength, and for those who are pressing me to sell-out to recognize and submit to the Lord God. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Wednesday's text will be: Daniel 4:4 - 5 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Tue Sep 6 20:39:24 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:39:24 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - Daniel 4:4 - 5 Message-ID: <4E66BD3C.6010503@bibleseven.com> Wednesday Daniel 4:4 - 5 Nebuchadnezzar Dreams of a Tree Chopped Down 4:4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was relaxing in my home, living luxuriously in my palace. 4:5 I saw a dream that frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed -- these visions of my mind -- were terrifying me. 4:6 So I issued an order for all the wise men of Babylon to be brought before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 4:7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me. 4:8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well, 4:9 saying, "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation! 4:10 Here are the visions of my mind while I was on my bed. While I was watching, there was a tree in the middle of the land. It was enormously tall. 4:11 The tree grew large and strong. Its top reached far into the sky; it could be seen from the borders of all the land. 4:12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful; on it there was food enough for all. Under it the wild animals used to seek shade, and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest. All creatures used to feed themselves from it. 4:13 While I was watching in my mind's visions on my bed, a holy sentinel came down from heaven. 4:14 He called out loudly as follows: 'Chop down the tree and lop off its branches! Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit! Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches! 4:15 But leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the animals in the grass of the land. 4:16 Let his mind be altered from that of a human being, and let an animal's mind be given to him, and let seven periods of time go by for him. 4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels; this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones, so that those who are alive may understand that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, and he bestows them on whomever he wishes. He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.' 4:18 "This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, for none of the wise men in my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you." Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar's Dream 4:19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time; his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream and its interpretation alarm you." But Belteshazzar replied, "Sir, if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries! 4:20 The tree that you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky, and which could be seen in all the land, 4:21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest -- 4:22 it is you, O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth. 4:23 As for the king seeing a holy sentinel coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him' -- 4:24 this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king. 4:25 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. 4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven rules. 4:27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged." 4:28 Now all of this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 4:29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon. 4:30 The king uttered these words: "Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?" 4:31 While these words were still on the king's lips, a voice came down from heaven: "It is hereby announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! 4:32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes." 4:33 Now in that very moment this pronouncement about Nebuchadnezzar came true. He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle's feathers, and his nails like a bird's claws. 4:34 But at the end of the appointed time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me. I extolled the Most High, and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever. For his authority is an everlasting authority, and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next. 4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he wishes with the army of heaven and with those who inhabit the earth. No one slaps his hand and says to him, 'What have you done?' 4:36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored to the honor of my kingdom*,* and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstated over my kingdom. I became even greater than before. 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who live in pride. Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall 5:1 King Belshazzar prepared a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of them all. 5:2 While under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels -- the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father had confiscated from the temple in Jerusalem -- so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them. 5:3 So they brought the gold and silver vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. 5:4 As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5:5 At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand. The king was watching the back of the hand that was writing. 5:6 Then all the color drained from the king's face and he became alarmed. The joints of his hips gave way, and his knees began knocking together. 5:7 The king called out loudly to summon the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple and have a golden collar placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom. 5:8 So all the king's wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its interpretation to the king. 5:9 Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken. His nobles were completely dumbfounded. 5:10 Due to the noise caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother then entered the banquet room. She said, "O king, live forever! Don't be alarmed! Don't be shaken! 5:11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, he proved to have insight, discernment, and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners. 5:12 Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. Now summon Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation." 5:13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 5:14 I have heard about you, how there is a spirit of the gods in you, and how you have insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom. 5:15 Now the wise men and astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they were unable to disclose the interpretation of the message. 5:16 However, I have heard that you are able to provide interpretations and to decipher knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third ruler in the kingdom." Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall 5:17 But Daniel replied to the king, "Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its interpretation. 5:18 As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty. 5:19 Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. 5:20 And when his mind became arrogant and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. 5:21 He was driven from human society, his mind was changed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes. 5:22 "But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, although you knew all this. 5:23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone -- gods that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control your very breath and all your ways! 5:24 Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed. 5:25 "This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEQEL, and PHARSIN. 5:26 This is the interpretation of the words: As for /mene/ -- God has numbered your kingdom's days and brought it to an end. 5:27 As for /teqel/ -- you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. 5:28 As for /peres/ -- your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians." 5:29 Then, on Belshazzar's orders, Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. 5:30 And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. 5:31 So Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old. Prayer Lord, no mere human king is Your equal, and pride has always led to their fall. May I take care to humble myself before you so that I may be your instrument of blessing to others. Summary & Commentary The king had a dream which Daniel interpreted. Daniel pleaded with the king to humble himself before the Lord God but the king refused. One year later, as he walked the grounds, "The King uttered these words: "Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?" While these words were still on the king's lips, a voice came down from heaven: "It is hereby announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes."" He remained in that state, as prophesied, until he had humbled himself "But at the end of the appointed time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me. I extolled the Most High, and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever. For his authority is an everlasting authority, and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next. All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he wishes with the army of heaven and with those who inhabit the earth. No one slaps his hand and says to him, 'What have you done?' At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored to the honor of my kingdom*,* and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstated over my kingdom. I became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who live in pride." Nebuchadnezzar's son, Belshazzar, who knew his father's story chose to ignore it and became so prideful that he used containers taken from the temple in Jerusalem for use in a party -- during which they praised false gods -- when a heavenly hand wrote on the wall he became frightened and his mother instructed him to call Daniel. Daniel delivered the prophesy "This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEQEL, and PHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the words: As for /mene/ -- God has numbered your kingdom's days and brought it to an end. As for /teqel/ -- you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. As for /peres/ -- your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians." Then, on Belshazzar's orders, Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. So Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old." Interaction Consider Nebuchadnezzar made it necessary for the Lord God to humble him, despite his awareness of the power of God when He saved Daniel's friends from the furnace. Discuss Why would Nebuchadnezzar's son, Belshazzar, knowing his father's history have been so foolish as to diss God? Reflect Belshazzar was clearly not listening, or at least was not believing Daniel's prophesy, as he gave him the gifts he had promised -- which fit his pattern since he had learned nothing from his father's experience. Share When have you experienced or observed someone ignoring obvious wisdom? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something that you should understand and which should change your behavior. Action: Today I will humbly acknowledge what the Holy Spirit is teaching me and I will be intentional about changing my behavior accordingly. I will ask a fellow believer to pray in-agreement for courage and strength and to hold me accountable. It may be a tendency toward pride, a self-destructive or selfish habit, carelessness where I should be careful, perfectionism that has become a works-righteousness idol, or some other wrong behavior. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Thursday's text will be: Daniel 6 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From l4c at thelinuxlink.net Wed Sep 7 08:34:17 2011 From: l4c at thelinuxlink.net (linc) Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:34:17 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Mat 10:32 Message-ID: <4E6764C9.6050601@thelinuxlink.net> I am Christian. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He gives me strength when I am weak. He carries me when I cannot go on. He heals me when I am sick in body and spirit. He loves me and encourages me when I feel unloved and despondent. He gives me hope when I feel hopeless. He leads me when I am lost. He cheers me when I am sad. I am not afraid to say it loud and proud (Mat 10:32). Are you? -- -Linc Fessenden In the Beginning there was nothing, which exploded - Yeah right... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Wed Sep 7 12:15:35 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:15:35 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Mat 10:32 In-Reply-To: <4E6764C9.6050601@thelinuxlink.net> References: <4E6764C9.6050601@thelinuxlink.net> Message-ID: <4E6798A7.1090000@lightlink.com> On 09/07/2011 08:34 AM, linc wrote: > I am Christian. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He gives > me strength when I am weak. He carries me when I cannot go on. He > heals me when I am sick in body and spirit. He loves me and encourages > me when I feel unloved and despondent. He gives me hope when I feel > hopeless. He leads me when I am lost. He cheers me when I am sad. I am > not afraid to say it loud and proud (Mat 10:32). Are you? Nope.....not at all! Forgot forgiveness.....SO important!! He forgives when we fail....which for most of us, is frequently. Fred -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From l4c at thelinuxlink.net Wed Sep 7 14:10:45 2011 From: l4c at thelinuxlink.net (linc) Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:10:45 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Mat 10:32 In-Reply-To: <4E6798A7.1090000@lightlink.com> References: <4E6764C9.6050601@thelinuxlink.net> <4E6798A7.1090000@lightlink.com> Message-ID: <4E67B3A5.5020809@thelinuxlink.net> On 09/07/2011 12:15 PM, Fred A. Miller wrote: > On 09/07/2011 08:34 AM, linc wrote: >> I am Christian. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He gives >> me strength when I am weak. He carries me when I cannot go on. He >> heals me when I am sick in body and spirit. He loves me and >> encourages me when I feel unloved and despondent. He gives me hope >> when I feel hopeless. He leads me when I am lost. He cheers me when I >> am sad. I am not afraid to say it loud and proud (Mat 10:32). Are you? > > Nope.....not at all! Forgot forgiveness.....SO important!! He forgives > when we fail....which for most of us, is frequently. > > Fred > -- > "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it > tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown > > > _______________________________________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians Great point, Fred! I often say to people who say Christians are hypocrites that of course we are! Our strife is to follow Jesus but we are doomed to fail, at least in these bodies. Thank God for his forgiveness and his payment! -- -Linc Fessenden In the Beginning there was nothing, which exploded - Yeah right... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Wed Sep 7 23:09:37 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:09:37 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Thursday - Daniel 6 Message-ID: <4E6831F1.5000701@bibleseven.com> Thursday Daniel 6 Daniel is Thrown into a Lions' Den 6:1 It seemed like a good idea to Darius to appoint over the kingdom 120 satraps who would be in charge of the entire kingdom. 6:2 Over them would be three supervisors, one of whom was Daniel. These satraps were accountable to them, so that the king's interests might not incur damage. 6:3 Now this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the other supervisors and the satraps, for he had an extraordinary spirit. In fact, the king intended to appoint him over the entire kingdom. 6:4 Consequently the supervisors and satraps were trying to find some pretext against Daniel in connection with administrative matters. But they were unable to find any such damaging evidence, because he was trustworthy and guilty of no negligence or corruption. 6:5 So these men concluded, "We won't find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it is in connection with the law of his God." 6:6 So these supervisors and satraps came by collusion to the king and said to him, "O King Darius, live forever! 6:7 To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions. 6:8 Now let the king issue a written interdict so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed. 6:9 So King Darius issued the written interdict. 6:10 When Daniel realized that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. Three times daily he was kneeling and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously. 6:11 Then those officials who had gone to the king came by collusion and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God. 6:12 So they approached the king and said to him, "Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?" The king replied, "That is correct, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed." 6:13 Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer." 6:14 When the king heard this, he was very upset and began thinking about how he might rescue Daniel. Until late afternoon he was struggling to find a way to rescue him. 6:15 Then those men came by collusion to the king and said to him, "Recall, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or decree that the king issues can be changed." 6:16 So the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into a den of lions. The king consoled Daniel by saying, "Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!" 6:17 Then a stone was brought and placed over the opening to the den. The king sealed it with his signet ring and with those of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel. 6:18 Then the king departed to his palace. But he spent the night without eating, and no diversions were brought to him. He was unable to sleep. God Rescues Daniel from the Lions 6:19 In the morning, at the earliest sign of daylight, the king got up and rushed to the lions' den. 6:20 As he approached the den, he called out to Daniel in a worried voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God whom you continually serve able to rescue you from the lions?" 6:21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king, live forever! 6:22 My God sent his angel and closed the lions' mouths so that they have not harmed me, because I was found to be innocent before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king." 6:23 Then the king was delighted and gave an order to haul Daniel up from the den. So Daniel was hauled up out of the den. He had no injury of any kind, because he had trusted in his God. 6:24 The king gave another order, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions' den -- they, their children, and their wives. They did not even reach the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. 6:25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and language groups who were living in all the land: "Peace and prosperity! 6:26 I have issued an edict that throughout all the dominion of my kingdom people are to revere and fear the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God; he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed; his authority is forever. 6:27 He rescues and delivers and performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!" 6:28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Prayer Lord, evil people have attacked Your servants for generations yet Your plan to redeem a huge remnant from humankind continues. May I keep faith with You in spite of the threats of those who hate You, Lord. Summary & Commentary Jealous fellow leaders under king Darius conspired to set Daniel up. They appealed to the king's ego and had him issue an "written interdict" [a royal edict that, according to precedent among the Medes and Persians, could not even be over-ruled by the king himself], which made it mandatory for all to pray only to the king for 30 days. [They knew that Daniel prayed three times daily to the Lord God.] They made the king aware of Daniel continuing to pray to the Lord God and when the king sought a way out of throwing Daniel in the lion's den they reminded him that his "written interdict" could not be undone, so he gave the order, but told Daniel that his desire was for "Daniel's God" to save him. The king could not sleep that night and refused any "distractions" [which likely referred to concubines or entertainers and perhaps even alcohol or medications]. In the morning, the king rushed to the lion's den and called to Daniel, who responded "My God sent his angel and closed the lions' mouths so that they have not harmed me, because I was found to be innocent before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king." "The king gave another order, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions' den -- they, their children, and their wives. They did not even reach the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones." The joy-filled king issued a new edict about the Lord God "For he is the living God; he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed; his authority is forever. He rescues and delivers and performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!" Interaction Consider Even the king of a great empire found himself the victim of schemers and of tradition -- trapped into an edict he issued -- prevented from any authority to exercise discretion. Discuss What were Daniel's enemies thinking? Even had they succeeded they would have sealed their fate with the king as evil and untrustworthy. Reflect What Satan, though Daniel's enemies, intended for evil was turned to an empire-wide proclamation of the Lord God and to blessing for Daniel. Share When have you experience or observed a bad decision being made due to the pressure of legalistic-traditionalism when it was obviously wrong? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you need to speak out against a bad decision, or a pattern of bad decisions, being made due to the pressure of legalistic-traditionalism. Action: Today I will ask a fellow believer to pray in-agreement for clarity and wisdom, courage and humility as I respectfully challenge poor decision-making in a family or organization. The problem of wrong-headed thinking may even include me. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Friday's text will be: Daniel 7 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Wed Sep 7 23:23:55 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:23:55 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Mat 10:32 In-Reply-To: <4E67B3A5.5020809@thelinuxlink.net> References: <4E6764C9.6050601@thelinuxlink.net> <4E6798A7.1090000@lightlink.com> <4E67B3A5.5020809@thelinuxlink.net> Message-ID: <4E68354B.3020907@lightlink.com> On 09/07/2011 02:10 PM, linc wrote: > Great point, Fred! I often say to people who say Christians are > hypocrites that of course we are! Our strife is to follow Jesus but > we are doomed to fail, at least in these bodies. Thank God for his > forgiveness and his payment! Yepper!! If not, I'd have to have given up a LONG time ago! Fred -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Wed Sep 7 23:30:23 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:30:23 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Mat 10:32 In-Reply-To: <4E68354B.3020907@lightlink.com> References: <4E6764C9.6050601@thelinuxlink.net> <4E6798A7.1090000@lightlink.com> <4E67B3A5.5020809@thelinuxlink.net> <4E68354B.3020907@lightlink.com> Message-ID: <4E6836CF.70403@bibleseven.com> I never would have chosen to come to faith in the first place without an abiding sense of my need for forgiveness (the the Lord's willingness to grant it), right then and there ... and well into the future. I was in my thirties and was well aware of the pattern of backsliding among believers - and of my own weaknesses. I was not led into the Christian faith by irresponsible people pedaling cheap grace or easy living post-salvation - so no magical thinking! > > On 09/07/2011 02:10 PM, linc wrote: > > Great point, Fred! I often say to people who say Christians are > > hypocrites that of course we are! Our strife is to follow Jesus > > but we are doomed to fail, at least in these bodies. Thank God for > > his forgiveness and his payment! > > Yepper!! If not, I'd have to have given up a LONG time ago! > > Fred -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Thu Sep 8 21:38:21 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:38:21 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - Daniel 7 Message-ID: <4E696E0D.5030304@bibleseven.com> Friday Daniel 7 Daniel has a Vision of Four Animals Coming up from the Sea 7:1 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream filled with visions while he was lying on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream in summary fashion. 7:2 Daniel explained: "I was watching in my vision during the night as the four winds of the sky were stirring up the great sea. 7:3 Then four large beasts came up from the sea; they were different from one another. 7:4 "The first one was like a lion with eagles' wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted up from the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it. 7:5 "Then a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and devour much flesh!' 7:6 "After these things, as I was watching, another beast like a leopard appeared, with four bird-like wings on its back. This beast had four heads, and ruling authority was given to it. 7:7 "After these things, as I was watching in the night visions a fourth beast appeared -- one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. It had two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns. 7:8 "As I was contemplating the horns, another horn -- a small one -- came up between them, and three of the former horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This horn had eyes resembling human eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant things. 7:9 "While I was watching, thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His attire was white like snow; the hair of his head was like lamb's wool. His throne was ablaze with fire and its wheels were all aflame. 7:10 A river of fire was streaming forth and proceeding from his presence. Many thousands were ministering to him; Many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. The court convened and the books were opened. 7:11 "Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into the flaming fire. 7:12 As for the rest of the beasts, their ruling authority had already been removed, though they were permitted to go on living for a time and a season. 7:13 I was watching in the night visions, "And with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was approaching. He went up to the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. 7:14 To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty. All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him. His authority is eternal and will not pass away. His kingdom will not be destroyed. An Angel Interprets Daniel's Vision 7:15 "As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed, and the visions of my mind were alarming me. 7:16 I approached one of those standing nearby and asked him about the meaning of all this. So he spoke with me and revealed to me the interpretation of the vision: 7:17 'These large beasts, which are four in number, represent four kings who will arise from the earth. 7:18 The holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will take possession of the kingdom forever and ever.' 7:19 "Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others. It was very dreadful, with two rows of iron teeth and bronze claws, and it devoured, crushed, and trampled anything that was left with its feet. 7:20 I also wanted to know the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others. 7:21 While I was watching, that horn began to wage war against the holy ones and was defeating them, 7:22 until the Ancient of Days arrived and judgment was rendered in favor of the holy ones of the Most High. Then the time came for the holy ones to take possession of the kingdom. 7:23 "This is what he told me: 'The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth that will differ from all the other kingdoms. It will devour all the earth and will trample and crush it. 7:24 The ten horns mean that ten kings will arise from that kingdom. Another king will arise after them, but he will be different from the earlier ones. He will humiliate three kings. 7:25 He will speak words against the Most High. He will harass the holy ones of the Most High continually. His intention will be to change times established by law. They will be delivered into his hand For a time, times, and half a time. 7:26 But the court will convene, and his ruling authority will be removed -- destroyed and abolished forever! 7:27 Then the kingdom, authority, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be delivered to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; all authorities will serve him and obey him.' 7:28 "This is the conclusion of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and the color drained from my face. But I kept the matter to myself." Prayer Lord, while You will give to the evil powers (the ones that the rebellion of Adam and Eve, and the continuous rebellion of humankind afterward, had invited into the world) a time to reign, You will end their reign and re-establish Your perfect kingdom for those who are Yours. May I pray and act earnestly for the salvation of many prior to that time. Summary & Commentary Daniel had another dream-vision, this went "... four large beasts came up from the sea; they were different from one another." An angel explained the visions as four nations. The angel then explained that the Lord God "the Ancient of Days" would also come and one "... like a son of man" would approach and receive "... ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty. All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him. His authority is eternal and will not pass away. His kingdom will not be destroyed." He will be known as "The Most High". The fourth beast will destroy the first three then he "... will speak words against the Most High. He will harass the holy ones of the Most High continually. His intention will be to change times established by law. They will be delivered into his hand For a time, times, and half a time. But the court will convene, and his ruling authority will be removed -- destroyed and abolished forever!" "Then the kingdom, authority, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be delivered to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; all authorities will serve him and obey him.'" Interaction Consider Daniel's dream was a prophetic vision that would conclude in the latter days of the end times. Discuss Why would Daniel be so troubled by the prophetic vision after the explanation of the angel? Reflect The sequence and timing of the events in the prophetic vision have caused many to speculate as to their meaning and to debate if any have already occurred. Share When have you been in a difficult situation and rested in the comfort that the Lord God will one day render perfect justice and that enduring and serving in this world is worth His promise of eternity with Him? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a fellow believer who is confused about the world and who could be comforted to be reminded that the Lord God will make all things right in the end. Action: Today I will prayerfully listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit and then gently share these verses with the one to whom He has directed me. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Saturday's text will be: Daniel 8 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Fri Sep 9 15:08:24 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:08:24 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] OT: After hacking claims, second firm pulls digital certificates Message-ID: <4E6A6428.9030405@lightlink.com> *After hacking claims, second firm pulls digital certificates* Digital certificates issued by GlobalSign have come under scrutiny after a hacker's claim that he broke into the company's computer systems. If true, it would be the second such compromise in the past few weeks. *Read More* -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Fri Sep 9 21:58:21 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:58:21 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - Daniel 8 Message-ID: <4E6AC43D.40602@bibleseven.com> Saturday Daniel 8 8:1 Daniel Has a Vision of a Goat and a Ram In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me previously. 8:2 In this vision I saw myself in Susa the citadel, which is located in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw myself at the Ulai Canal. 8:3 I looked up and saw a ram with two horns standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long, but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one. 8:4 I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power. It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly. 8:5 While I was contemplating all this, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of all the land without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes. 8:6 It came to the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed against it with raging strength. 8:7 I saw it approaching the ram. It went into a fit of rage against the ram and struck it and broke off its two horns. The ram had no ability to resist it. The goat hurled the ram to the ground and trampled it. No one could deliver the ram from its power. 8:8 The male goat acted even more arrogantly. But no sooner had the large horn become strong than it was broken, and there arose four conspicuous horns in its place, extending toward the four winds of the sky. 8:9 From one of them came a small horn. But it grew to be very big, toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 8:10 It grew so big it reached the army of heaven, and it brought about the fall of some of the army and some of the stars to the ground, where it trampled them. 8:11 It also acted arrogantly against the Prince of the army, from whom the daily sacrifice was removed and whose sanctuary was thrown down. 8:12 The army was given over, along with the daily sacrifice, in the course of his sinful rebellion. It hurled truth to the ground and enjoyed success. 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking. Another holy one said to the one who was speaking, "To what period of time does the vision pertain -- this vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the destructive act of rebellion and the giving over of both the sanctuary and army to be trampled?" 8:14 He said to me, "To 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be put right again." An Angel Interprets Daniel's Vision 8:15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision, I sought to understand it. Now one who appeared to be a man was standing before me. 8:16 Then I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai. It called out, "Gabriel, enable this person to understand the vision." 8:17 So he approached the place where I was standing. As he came, I felt terrified and fell flat on the ground. Then he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision pertains to the time of the end." 8:18 As he spoke with me, I fell into a trance with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me upright. 8:19 Then he said, "I am going to inform you about what will happen in the latter time of wrath, for the vision pertains to the appointed time of the end. 8:20 The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. 8:21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 8:22 The horn that was broken and in whose place there arose four others stands for four kingdoms that will arise from his nation, though they will not have his strength. 8:23 Toward the end of their rule, when rebellious acts are complete, a rash and deceitful king will arise. 8:24 His power will be great, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause terrible destruction. He will be successful in what he undertakes. He will destroy powerful people and the people of the holy ones. 8:25 By his treachery he will succeed through deceit. He will have an arrogant attitude, and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes. He will rise up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken apart -- but not by human agency. 8:26 The vision of the evenings and mornings that was told to you is correct. But you should seal up the vision, for it refers to a time many days from now." 8:27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and again carried out the king's business. But I was astonished at the vision, and there was no one to explain it. Prayer Lord, You allow the prince of this world -- and the people who live apart from You -- to live-out their foolish schemes, but Your great plan to separate-out Your enemies and to reconcile with Your children is undeterred by anything man can do. May I be aware of the schemes of men but have confidence in the victory of You, my Lord and my God. Summary & Commentary Daniel received another prophetic vision. The archangel Gabriel explained "The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia." "The male goat is the king of Greece ..." "... and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. [The NET translator's notes explain " the /large horn/ represents Alexander the Great. Alexander's rapid conquest of the Persians involved three battles of major significance which he won against overwhelming odds: Granicus (334 ), Isus (333 ), and Gaugemela (331 ).] The horn that was broken and in whose place there arose four others stands for four kingdoms that will arise from his nation, though they will not have his strength. [The NET translator's notes explain "The /four conspicuous horns/ refer to Alexander's successors. After his death, Alexander's empire was divided up among four of his generals: Cassander, who took Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachus, who took Thrace and parts of Asia Minor; Seleucus, who took Syria and territory to its east; and Ptolemy, who took control of Egypt."] "Toward the end of their rule, when rebellious acts are complete, a rash and deceitful king [the "small horn"] will arise. His power will be great, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause terrible destruction. He will be successful in what he undertakes. He will destroy powerful people and the people of the holy ones. By his treachery he will succeed through deceit. He will have an arrogant attitude, and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes. He will rise up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken apart -- but not by human agency." [The NET translator's notes explain "This /small horn/ is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who controlled the Seleucid kingdom from ca. 175-164 . Antiochus was extremely hostile toward the Jews and persecuted them mercilessly."] He has been labeled by some "The antichrist of the old testament." The question was asked "To what period of time does the vision pertain -- this vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the destructive act of rebellion and the giving over of both the sanctuary and army to be trampled?" He said to me, "To 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be put right again." "The vision of the evenings and mornings that was told to you is correct. But you should seal up the vision, for it refers to a time many days from now." Interaction Consider As series of kings, great and lesser, were prophesied. Each would express a different scheme to power, without the Lord God, and each would ultimately fail. Discuss Why would Daniel have become exhausted to the point of sickness from this prophetic vision and angelic interpretation? Reflect Power does not always mean blessing or competence "By his treachery he will succeed through deceit. He will have an arrogant attitude, and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes." Share When have you observed someone who has acquired great power through treachery despite the absence of competence to rightly-manage the authority they received? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a situation where someone "... will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes". Action: Today I will pray for courage and wisdom to share the truth and to stand for the truth in order to protect believers from being deceived. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Sunday's text will be: Daniel 9:1-19 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sat Sep 10 20:52:00 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:52:00 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Sunday - Daniel 9:1-19 Message-ID: <4E6C0630.8000105@bibleseven.com> Sunday Daniel 9:1-19 Daniel Prays for His People 9:1 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, who was of Median descent and who had been appointed king over the Babylonian empire -- 9:2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books that, according to the word of the LORD disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem were seventy in number. 9:3 So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way: "O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments, 9:5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards. 9:6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, and to all the inhabitants of the land as well. 9:7 "You are righteous, O Lord, but we are humiliated this day -- the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you. 9:8 O LORD, we have been humiliated -- our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors -- because we have sinned against you. 9:9 Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. 9:10 We have not obeyed the LORD our God by living according to his laws that he set before us through his servants the prophets. 9:11 "All Israel has broken your law and turned away by not obeying you. Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you. 9:12 He has carried out his threats against us and our rulers who were over us by bringing great calamity on us -- what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom from your reliable moral standards. 9:14 The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just in all he has done, and we have not obeyed him. 9:15 "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day -- we have sinned and behaved wickedly. 9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice, please turn your raging anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors. 9:17 "So now, our God, accept the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. 9:18 Listen attentively, my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins and the city called by your name. For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, but because your compassion is abundant. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don't delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name." Prayer Lord, Your servant Daniel recognized that Your judgment was prophesied and earned and that the people had not earned the right to ask You to restore Jerusalem and the temple -- but asked that You do so for the sake of Your witness to the nations. May I also recognize that it is Christ in me, and not anything that I do, which justifies my redemption. Summary & Commentary Daniel came to study and understand the prophesies of Jeremiah, including the historical reasons for the exile, and the 70 years which the Lord God had established for it. Daniel was moved to pray a confession of guilt and a profession of repentance on behalf of the people. He prayed and there were several elements to his prayer: "... great and awesome God" "... who is faithful to his covenant with" "... those who love him" "... and keep his commandments" "... we have sinned!" "All Israel has broken your law and turned away by not obeying you." "... you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened in the law of Moses the servant of God" "Still we have not tried to pacify the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom from your reliable moral standards." "... accept the prayer and requests of your servant" "... show favor to your devastated sanctuary for your own sake." "For your city and your people are called by your name." Interaction Consider Jeremiah's ministry finally found someone who was willing to listen and to respond properly -- and it was another prophet. Discuss Given their failure to repent, why would Daniel believe that he could pray and persuade the Lord God to restore Jerusalem and the temple? Reflect Daniel showed humility before the Lord God and believed that a restored Jerusalem and temple would bring glory to Him despite the conduct of his rebellious people. Share When have you been faced with a difficult situation and found that acknowledging your role in your circumstances opened the door to the Lord God's blessing? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a frustrating circumstance where your refusal to acknowledge your own sin has created a barrier for the Lord to bless you. Action: Today I will confess and repent, seek and accept the Lord's forgiveness, then partner with him to change my life so that it is more in line with His will, rather than my own. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Monday's text will be: Jeremiah 31:29 - 33 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sun Sep 11 20:53:08 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:53:08 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Monday - Daniel 9:20-27 Message-ID: <4E6D57F4.2080905@bibleseven.com> Monday Daniel 9:20-27 Gabriel Gives to Daniel a Prophecy of Seventy Weeks 9:20 While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my request before the LORD my God concerning his holy mountain -- 9:21 yes, while I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previously in a vision, was approaching me in my state of extreme weariness, around the time of the evening offering. 9:22 He spoke with me, instructing me as follows: "Daniel, I have now come to impart understanding to you. 9:23 At the beginning of your requests a message went out, and I have come to convey it to you, for you are of great value in God's sight. Therefore consider the message and understand the vision: 9:24 "Seventy weeks have been determined concerning your people and your holy city to put an end to rebellion, to bring sin to completion, to atone for iniquity, to bring in perpetual righteousness, to seal up the prophetic vision, and to anoint a most holy place. 9:25 So know and understand: From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times. 9:26 Now after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. As for the city and the sanctuary, the people of the coming prince will destroy them. But his end will come speedily like a flood. Until the end of the war that has been decreed there will be destruction. 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of that week he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt. On the wing of abominations will come one who destroys, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys." Prayer Lord, Your great and sovereign plan will occur, no matter the machinations of humankind. You gave Daniel a vision of the future in order to bring hope and to build the foundation for additional prophesies for the last days of the end times. May I keep my eyes on You and my responsibilities to You and not worry about the details of what You will sovereignly do. Summary & Commentary Daniel 9 is a highly controversial passage, a subject of much debate as to its last days of the end times prophesy, and one which contains some parallel elements to a prophesy of Jeremiah. [The NET translator's notes read: ""sevens." Elsewhere the term is used of a literal week (a period of seven days), cf. Gen 29:27-28; Exod 34:22; Lev 12:5; Num 28:26; Deut 16:9-10; 2 Chr 8:13; Jer 5:24; Dan 10:2-3. Gabriel unfolds the future as if it were a calendar of successive weeks. Most understand the reference here as periods of seventy "sevens" of years, or a total of 490 years."] One might consider the seventy weeks or years to refer to Daniel's time, into the near-term old testament period, and in a symbolic way also events in the more-distant new testament and last days of the end times period. One might also consider the future application of the days and weeks and years to be divided into periods during which certain events were to unfold rather than times that continued uninterrupted from Daniel's time. Interaction Consider The Lord God prophesied periods of change during which elements of His sifting of humankind, elements of His judgment would be completed, and elements of His provision for salvation would be accomplished. Discuss Why would the Lord God have given such a prophesy to Daniel? Reflect The enemy of the Lord God would have a limited time during which he would be permitted to trouble humankind at an intense level, it would be the Lord's test, and it would be humankind's chance to choose to meet the test or to partner with the enemy in making it a temptation to lock-down in a state of unrepentant rebellion. Share When have you considered the various perspectives of the tribulation and other major new testament events? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to you His big-picture purpose in revealing this sort of distant prophesy to Daniel -- who was asking about the immediate future of his people. Action: Today I will reflect upon the things that are right before me, to which I give great importance and value, and then I will contrast them with the big-picture future plans of the Lord. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Tuesday's text will be: Daniel 10:1 -- 11:1 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Mon Sep 12 21:57:40 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:57:40 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Tuesday_-_Daniel_10=3A1_=96_1?= =?windows-1252?q?1=3A1?= Message-ID: <4E6EB894.60106@bibleseven.com> Tuesday Daniel 10:1 ? 11:1 10:1 An Angel Appears to Daniel In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar). This message was true and concerned a great war. He understood the message and gained insight by the vision. 10:2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three whole weeks. 10:3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine came to my lips, nor did I anoint myself with oil until the end of those three weeks. 10:4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was beside the great river, the Tigris. 10:5 I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen; around his waist was a belt made of gold from Upaz. 10:6 His body resembled yellow jasper, and his face had an appearance like lightning. His eyes were like blazing torches; his arms and feet had the gleam of polished bronze. His voice thundered forth like the sound of a large crowd. 10:7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see it. On the contrary, they were overcome with fright and ran away to hide. 10:8 I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from me, and my vigor disappeared; I was without energy. 10:9 I listened to his voice, and as I did so I fell into a trance-like sleep with my face to the ground. 10:10 Then a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees. 10:11 He said to me, ?Daniel, you are of great value. Understand the words that I am about to speak to you. So stand up, for I have now been sent to you.? When he said this to me, I stood up shaking. 10:12 Then he said to me, ?Don?t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words. 10:13 However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia. 10:14 Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to future days.? 10:15 While he was saying this to me, I was flat on the ground and unable to speak. 10:16 Then one who appeared to be a human being was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, ?Sir, due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I have no strength. 10:17 How, sir, am I able to speak with you? My strength is gone, and I am breathless.? 10:18 Then the one who appeared to be a human being touched me again and strengthened me. 10:19 He said to me, ?Don?t be afraid, you who are valued. Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!? When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, ?Sir, you may speak now, for you have given me strength.? 10:20 He said, ?Do you know why I have come to you? Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming. 10:21 However, I will first tell you what is written in a dependable book. (There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, except Michael your prince. 11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood to strengthen him and to provide protection for him.) Prayer Lord, You allow spiritual warfare because You all of creation is groaning as the consequences of rebellion are experienced, and until You bring it all to an end. May I be alert to spiritual warfare and confident that You are always in control of the big picture. Summary & Commentary Daniel was told by a heavenly-being in a vision ?... from the very first day you applied your mind to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words.? The being apologized for being delayed due to spiritual warfare ?However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia.? Daniel was prepared for the context of the message he was about to receive ?Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to future days.? The being explained ?He said, ?Do you know why I have come to you? Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming. However, I will first tell you what is written in a dependable book. (There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, except Michael your prince. And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood to strengthen him and to provide protection for him.) Interaction Consider Daniel was blessed because he made a choice and ?applied your mind to understand and to humble yourself before your God? Discuss What thoughts come to mind where you read that an angel was delayed on his mission due to spiritual warfare? Reflect The being which spoke to Daniel had been rescued by Michael the archangel and now he was informing Daniel that Michael was watching over him as well. Share When have you tried to deliver a message of encouragement or evangelize someone and found you path blocked in odd ways? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone for whom you should pray because they are being harassed by spiritual warfare. Action: Today I will pray diligently for the one whom the Holy Spirit has identified to me. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Wednesday's text will be: Daniel 11:2-10 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Tue Sep 13 20:18:08 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:18:08 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - Daniel 11:2-10 Message-ID: <4E6FF2C0.8020601@bibleseven.com> Wednesday Daniel 11:2-10 11:2 Now I will tell you the truth. The Angel Gives a Message to Daniel "Three more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth king will be unusually rich, more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 11:3 Then a powerful king will arise, exercising great authority and doing as he pleases. 11:4 Shortly after his rise to power, his kingdom will be broken up and distributed toward the four winds of the sky -- but not to his posterity or with the authority he exercised, for his kingdom will be uprooted and distributed to others besides these. 11:5 "Then the king of the south and one of his subordinates will grow strong. His subordinate will resist him and will rule a kingdom greater than his. 11:6 After some years have passed, they will form an alliance. Then the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power, nor will he continue in his strength. She, together with the one who brought her, her child, and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time. 11:7 "There will arise in his place one from her family line who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully. 11:8 He will also take their gods into captivity to Egypt, along with their cast images and prized utensils of silver and gold. Then he will withdraw for some years from the king of the north. 11:9 Then the king of the north will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land. 11:10 His sons will wage war, mustering a large army which will advance like an overflowing river and carrying the battle all the way to the enemy's fortress. Prayer Lord, sometimes you help us to better understand Your Word through information You have made available to non-Biblical authors. All history belongs to You. May I be excited to access tools that help You to teach me about Your Word. Summary & Commentary Daniel received a prophesy of future events among empires to come. The NET translator's /notes/ provide the following identities of the personalities and kingdoms: /Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522 B.C.), Pseudo-Smerdis (ca. 522 B.C.), and Darius I Hystaspes (ca. 522-486 B.C.). / /This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465 B.C.). The following reference to one of his chiefs apparently has in view Seleucus Nicator./ /The powerful king mentioned here is Alexander the Great (ca. 336-323 B.C.). / /The king of the south is Ptolemy I Soter (ca. 323-285 B.C.). The following reference to one of his subordinates apparently has in view Seleucus I Nicator (ca. 311-280 B.C.). Throughout the remainder of chap. the expressions "king of the south" and "king of the north" repeatedly occur. It is clear, however, that these terms are being used generically to describe the Ptolemaic king (i.e., "of the south") or the Seleucid king (i.e., "of the north") who happens to be in power at any particular time. The specific identity of these kings can be established more or less successfully by a comparison of this chapter with the available extra-biblical records that discuss the history of the intertestamental period. In the following notes the generally accepted identifications are briefly mentioned. / "11:6a After some years have passed, they will form an alliance." /Here they refers to Ptolemy II Philadelphus (ca. 285-246 B.C.) and Antiochus II Theos (ca. 262-246 B.C.). / "11:6b Then the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power, nor will he continue in his strength. She, together with the one who brought her, her child, and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time." /The daughter refers to Berenice, who was given in marriage to Antiochus II Theos. / /Antiochus II eventually divorced Berenice and remarried his former wife Laodice, who then poisoned her husband, had Berenice put to death, and installed her own son, Seleucus II Callinicus (ca. 246-227 B.C.), as the Seleucid king. / "11:7 "There will arise in his place one from her family line who will come against their army and will enter the stronghold of the king of the north and will move against them successfully." /The reference is to the king of Egypt. / / The reference to one from her family line is probably to Berenice's brother, Ptolemy III Euergetes (ca. 246-221 B.C.). / "11:10 His sons will wage war, mustering a large army which will advance like an overflowing river and carrying the battle all the way to the enemy's fortress." /The sons of Seleucus II Callinicus were Seleucus III Ceraunus (ca. 227-223 B.C.) and Antiochus III the Great (ca. 223-187 B.C.)./ Interaction Consider Daniel received a prophesy which extended through the so-called "intertestimental period", that is the period of history between the old and the new testaments. Discuss Could it be that the purpose of this prophesy is to establish the historical credibility of the Word of God and of fore-telling prophesy? Reflect While this prophesy did not initially address events centered upon the Israelites the ebb and flow of empire most assuredly did impact them. Share When have you discovered a Biblical perspective or recognized a piece of Biblical history while studying an extra-Biblical source such as an archeological discovery or a verified history of a civilization other than that of the Israelites? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something He'd like you to understand better about the Word -- but from an extra-Biblical source which contains detail that reinforces the Biblical telling. Action: Today I will humbly study the materials to which the Holy Spirit has led me, I will study it with the filter that the Bible is always the primary authoritative document, and I will prayerfully receive what it is that the Lord wants me to receive. I will share what I have learned with a fellow believer. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Thursday's text will be: Daniel 11:11-20 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Tue Sep 13 22:22:52 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:22:52 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] SanDisk touting SSDs with low-power SATA performance initiative | ZDNet Message-ID: <4E700FFC.3050901@lightlink.com> *SanDisk* has debuted a new initiative enable mobile device manufacturers to offer solid state drives with SATA performance at significantly lower power consumption than current offerings. Introducing the plan amidst Intel Developer Forum this week, SanDisk is aiming to push this initiative industry-wide while also boasting their achievement as the "first" to implement this technology into SSDs. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/sandisk-touting-ssds-with-low-power-sata-performance-initiative/57969?tag=nl.e589 -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Wed Sep 14 22:33:07 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:33:07 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Thursday - Daniel 11:11-20 Message-ID: <4E7163E3.8000004@bibleseven.com> Thursday Daniel 11:11-20 11:11 "Then the king of the south will be enraged and will march out to fight against the king of the north, who will also muster a large army, but that army will be delivered into his hand. 11:12 When the army is taken away, the king of the south will become arrogant. He will be responsible for the death of thousands and thousands of people, but he will not continue to prevail. 11:13 For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies. 11:14 "In those times many will oppose the king of the south. Those who are violent among your own people will rise up in confirmation of the vision, but they will falter. 11:15 Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents. They will have no strength to prevail. 11:16 The one advancing against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stand before him. He will prevail in the beautiful land, and its annihilation will be within his power. 11:17 His intention will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, and he will form alliances. He will give the king of the south a daughter in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but it will not turn out to his advantage. 11:18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. 11:19 He will then turn his attention to the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again. 11:20 There will arise after him one who will send out an exactor of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or battle. Prayer Lord, while the battles for human empire continue Your great plan continues to unfold, one that is not based on geographic boundaries or on the egos of mere men -- but on Your heart's desire to be reconciled and restored in relationship with as many of Your created humankind as possible. May I always remember what is truly important in the big-picture rather than what mere men insist is important in this confused and fallen world. Summary & Commentary The NET translator's /notes/ provide the following identities of the personalities and kingdoms: /This _king of the south_ refers to Ptolemy IV Philopator (ca. 221-204 )./ 11:14 "In those times many will oppose the king of the south. Those who are violent among your own people will rise up in confirmation of the vision, but they will falter. /This was Ptolemy V Epiphanes (ca. 203-181 )./ 11:15 Then the king of the north will advance and will build siege mounds and capture a well-fortified city. The forces of the south will not prevail, not even his finest contingents. They will have no strength to prevail. /This _well-fortified city_ is apparently Sidon. Its capture from the Ptolemies by Antiochus the Great was a strategic victory for the Seleucid kingdom./ 11:17 His intention will be to come with the strength of his entire kingdom, and he will form alliances. He will give the king of the south a daughter in marriage in order to destroy the kingdom, but it will not turn out to his advantage. /The _daughter_ refers to Cleopatra, the daughter of Antiochus, who was given in marriage to Ptolemy V./ 11:18 Then he will turn his attention to the coastal regions and will capture many of them. But a commander will bring his shameful conduct to a halt; in addition, he will make him pay for his shameful conduct. /The _commander_ is probably the Roman commander, Lucius Cornelius Scipio./ 11:20 There will arise after him one who will send out an exactor of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or battle. /The _one who will send out an exactor of tribute_ was Seleucus IV Philopator (ca. 187-176 )./ /Perhaps this _exactor of tribute_ was Heliodorus (cf. 2 Maccabees 3)./ Interaction Consider The ebb and flow of conquest, north to south, and back again -- means little or nothing compared to the spiritual battle that rages unseen for each and every heart. Discuss Why would it be important for Daniel to learn, in the midst of the tale of battles to come, that one whose job it was to "... exact tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom" would "... be destroyed" - but not "... in anger or battle"? Reflect In this series of events Daniel learned that his "people" would be involved at one point but nothing was said of a significant negative or positive impact upon them -- they are not major players in this era of time. Share When have you observed a person intent upon selfish evil suddenly "destroyed" apart from the events, perhaps by an unexpected illness or what appeared to be a freak accident, and you wondered if the Lord had intervened? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you are too concerned about worldly events and therefore too distracted from that which the Lord God says is most-important. Action: Today I will confess and repent, request and receive forgiveness, and I will adjust my priorities to make the things that the Lord says are most-important the things that I make most important. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Friday's text will be: Daniel 11:21-45 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Thu Sep 15 14:03:30 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:03:30 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] OT: Ballmer's Windows swagger includes touch of delusion | Microsoft windows - InfoWorld Message-ID: <4E723DF2.4040707@lightlink.com> Serving as a cheerleader for the various Windows platforms, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on Wednesday morning hailed Windows as the platform where software developers need to be. But Microsoft has an uphill battle to make Windows trendy again, now that Apple's iOS mobile devices and Google's Android devices have grabbed so much of the spotlight from the stalwart software giant. http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/ballmers-windows-swagger-includes-touch-delusion-173086?source=IFWNLE_nlt_daily_2011-09-15 -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Thu Sep 15 20:57:15 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:57:15 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - Daniel 11:21-45 Message-ID: <4E729EEB.6000606@bibleseven.com> Friday Daniel 11:21-45 11:21 "Then there will arise in his place a despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit. 11:22 Armies will be suddenly swept away in defeat before him; both they and a covenant leader will be destroyed. 11:23 After entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force. 11:24 In a time of prosperity for the most productive areas of the province he will come and accomplish what neither his fathers nor their fathers accomplished. He will distribute loot, spoils, and property to his followers, and he will devise plans against fortified cities, but not for long. 11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm against the king of the south with a large army. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to prevail because of the plans devised against him. 11:26 Those who share the king's fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; many will be killed in battle. 11:27 These two kings, their minds filled with evil intentions, will trade lies with one another at the same table. But it will not succeed, for there is still an end at the appointed time. 11:28 Then the king of the north will return to his own land with much property. His mind will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action, and then return to his own land. 11:29 At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did. 11:30 The ships of Kittim will come against him, leaving him disheartened. He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor those who forsake the holy covenant. 11:31 His forces will rise up and profane the fortified sanctuary, stopping the daily sacrifice. In its place they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 11:32 Then with smooth words he will defile those who have rejected the covenant. But the people who are loyal to their God will act valiantly. 11:33 These who are wise among the people will teach the masses. However, they will fall by the sword and by the flame, and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time. 11:34 When they stumble, they will be granted some help. But many will unite with them deceitfully. 11:35 Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time. 11:36 "Then the king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. 11:37 He will not respect the gods of his fathers -- not even the god loved by women. He will not respect any god; he will elevate himself above them all. 11:38 What he will honor is a god of fortresses -- a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities. 11:39 He will attack mighty fortresses, aided by a foreign deity. To those who recognize him he will grant considerable honor. He will place them in authority over many people, and he will parcel out land for a price. 11:40 "At the time of the end the king of the south will attack him. Then the king of the north will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships. He will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river. 11:41 Then he will enter the beautiful land. Many will fall, but these will escape: Edom, Moab, and the Ammonite leadership. 11:42 He will extend his power against other lands; the land of Egypt will not escape. 11:43 He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians will submit to him. 11:44 But reports will trouble him from the east and north, and he will set out in a tremendous rage to destroy and wipe out many. 11:45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him. Prayer Lord, You used the ebb and flow of mere human conflict and conquest as a foundation to then also begin to communicate expectations for the terrible events of the very last days of the end times. May I be mindful that the struggles that humankind, especially believers, has (have) faced is not as great as what is to come. Summary & Commentary The NET translator's /notes/ provide the following identities of the personalities, places, and kingdoms: 11:21 "Then there will arise in his place a despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. /This _despicable person to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred_ is Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164 )./ 11:25 He will rouse his strength and enthusiasm against the king of the south with a large army. /This //_king of the south_// was Ptolemy Philometer (ca. 181-145 )./ 11:30a The ships of Kittim will come against him ... /The name _Kittim_ has various designations in extra-biblical literature. It can refer to a location on the island of Cyprus, or more generally to the island itself, or it can be an inclusive term to refer to parts of the Mediterranean world that lay west of the Middle East (e.g., Rome). For ships of Kittim the Greek OT (LXX) has "Romans," an interpretation followed by a few English versions (e.g., TEV). A number of times in the Dead Sea Scrolls the word is used in reference to the Romans. Other English versions are more generic: "[ships] of the western coastlands" (NIV, NLT); "from the west" (NCV, CEV)./ /11:30b /... leaving him disheartened. This is apparently a reference to the Roman forces, led by Gaius Popilius Laenas, which confronted Antiochus when he came to Egypt and demanded that he withdraw or face the wrath of Rome. Antiochus wisely withdrew from Egypt, albeit in a state of bitter frustration. 11:32 Then with smooth words he will defile those who have rejected the covenant. But the people who are loyal to their God will act valiantly. /This is an allusion to the Maccabean revolt, which struggled to bring about Jewish independence in the second century ./ 11:36 "Then the king will do as he pleases. /The identity of this king is problematic. If vv. 36-45 continue the description of Antiochus Epiphanes, the account must be viewed as erroneous, since the details do not match what is known of Antiochus' latter days. Most modern scholars take this view, concluding that this section was written just shortly before the death of Antiochus and that the writer erred on several key points as he tried to predict what would follow the events of his own day. Conservative scholars, however, usually understand the reference to shift at this point to an eschatological figure, viz., the Antichrist. The chronological gap that this would presuppose to be in the narrative is not necessarily a problem, since by all accounts there are many chronological gaps throughout the chapter, as the historical figures intended by such expressions as "king of the north" and "king of the south" repeatedly shift./ 11:40a "At the time of the end the king of the south will attack him. Then the king of the north will storm against him ... /The referent of the pronoun [him] is most likely the king of the south, in which case the text describes the king of the north countering the attack of the king of the south./ 11:40b He will invade lands ... /This most likely refers to the king of the north who, in response to the aggression of the king of the south, launches an invasion of the southern regions./ 11:41 Then he will enter the beautiful land. /The _beautiful land_ is a cryptic reference to the land of Israel./ 11:43 He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians will submit to him. /Or "Nubians" (NIV, NCV); Heb "Cushites."/ "/Libyans and Cushites [will be] at his footsteps."/ 11:45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas toward the beautiful holy mountain. /Presumably seas refers to the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea./ Interaction Consider "Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ca. 175-164 )" acquired great power through deceit, and many since then have done so as well. Discuss Does it help to know that no matter how powerful the enemy of the Lord God, and His people, that at some point "... he will come to his end, with no one to help him" ? Reflect We are not expected to be perfect, and there is a path for restoration, even in the old testament "Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time." Share When have you observed a person of power, one who for a time appeared to be invincible, fall suddenly without an obvious cause (from another person or worldly force)? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a failure in your life which has troubled you greatly -- one that He wants you to know that He is working in you for "... refinement, purification, and cleansing." Action: Today I will humbly acknowledge my failure, what the Lord has done to-date to refine, purify, and clean me, and I will gratefully partner in my continued restoration. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Saturday's text will be: Daniel 12 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Fri Sep 16 12:06:05 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:06:05 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Open source rushes in where Microsoft fears to tread Message-ID: <4E7373ED.30806@lightlink.com> *Open source rushes in where Microsoft fears to tread* LibreOffice launches a repository for user-developed templates just weeks after Microsoft announced it's pulling user-submitted Office templates. *Read More* -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Fri Sep 16 21:26:58 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:26:58 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - Daniel 12 Message-ID: <4E73F762.1090705@bibleseven.com> Saturday Daniel 12 12:1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation's beginning up to that time. But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book, will escape. 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake -- some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. 12:3 But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever. 12:4 "But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, and knowledge will increase." 12:5 I, Daniel, watched as two others stood there, one on each side of the river. 12:6 One said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river, "When will the end of these wondrous events occur?" 12:7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen who was over the waters of the river as he raised both his right and left hands to the sky and made an oath by the one who lives forever: "It is for a time, times, and half a time. Then, when the power of the one who shatters the holy people has been exhausted, all these things will be finished." 12:8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I said, "Sir, what will happen after these things?" 12:9 He said, "Go, Daniel. For these matters are closed and sealed until the time of the end. 12:10 Many will be purified, made clean, and refined, but the wicked will go on being wicked. None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand. 12:11 From the time that the daily sacrifice is removed and the abomination that causes desolation is set in place, there are 1,290 days. 12:12 Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days. 12:13 But you should go your way until the end. You will rest and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive what you have been allotted." Prayer Lord, You have determined the perfectly-just conclusion to history. May I invest my life in growing in my relationship with the One with Whom I will spend eternity. Summary & Commentary The final words of prophesy to Daniel focused entirely on events to come in the distant future during the last days of the end times. Daniel was told of the tribulation, the Book of Life, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment "Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake -- some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence." He learned not only that the prophesy was not for the present but also that show who wanted a peek into the future would be denied it until the Lord God deemed the time suitable "But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, and knowledge will increase." There are a variety of non-canonical books associated with the Word of God. They have been deemed inappropriate to include either because they contain texts that conflict with canonical text, therefore are not of God, or they have been determined not to be peer-texts (they are later writings falsely inserted into the canon). From the NET translator's notes: /The deuterocanonical writings known as the Story of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon appear respectively as chapters 13 and 14 of the book of Daniel in the Greek version of this book. Although these writings are not part of the Hebrew/Aramaic text of Daniel, they were popular among certain early communities who valued traditions about the life of Daniel./ Interaction Consider The text of Daniel is considered to be the only one where resurrection and judgment are clearly described in the old testament. Discuss Was it important to "... close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end?" Reflect Daniel was blessed to learn of the tribulation, the Book of Life, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment. Share When have you pondered the events of the last days of the end times; the tribulation, the Book of Life, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something about the tribulation, the Book of Life, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment that you need to understand better than you do. Action: Today I will prayerfully read my Bible, and as is appropriate, consult with one who is Biblically-qualified to be a spiritual elder -- in order to find clarity as to the knowledge which the Holy Spirit desires me to obtain. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Sunday's text will be: Hosea 1 - 3 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sat Sep 17 20:18:49 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:18:49 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Sunday - Hosea 1 - 3 Message-ID: <4E7538E9.3080901@bibleseven.com> Sunday Hosea 1 - 3 1:1 Superscription This is the word of the Lord which was revealed to Hosea son of Beeri during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah ruled Judah, and during the time when Jeroboam son of Joash ruled Israel. Symbols of Sin and Judgment: The Prostitute and Her Children 1:2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, he said to him, "Go marry a prostitute who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution, because the nation continually commits spiritual prostitution by turning away from the Lord." 1:3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. Then she conceived and gave birth to a son for him. 1:4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, "Name him 'Jezreel,' because in a little while I will punish the dynasty of Jehu on account of the bloodshed in the valley of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 1:5 At that time, I will destroy the military power of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." 1:6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, "Name her 'No Pity' (Lo-Ruhamah) because I will no longer have pity on the nation of Israel. For I will certainly not forgive their guilt. 1:7 But I will have pity on the nation of Judah. I will deliver them by the Lord their God; I will not deliver them by the warrior's bow, by sword, by military victory, by chariot horses, or by chariots." 1:8 When she had weaned 'No Pity' (Lo-Ruhamah) she conceived again and gave birth to another son. 1:9 Then the Lord said: "Name him 'Not My People' (Lo-Ammi), because you are not my people and I am not your God." The Restoration of Israel 1:10 However, in the future the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea which can be neither measured nor numbered. Although it was said to them, "You are not my people," it will be said to them, "You are children of the living God!" 1:11 Then the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint for themselves one leader, and will flourish in the land. Certainly, the day of Jezreel will be great! 2:1 Then you will call your brother, "My People" (Ammi)! You will call your sister, "Pity" (Ruhamah)! Idolatrous Israel Will Be Punished Like a Prostitute 2:2 Plead earnestly with your mother (for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband), so that she might put an end to her adulterous lifestyle, and turn away from her sexually immoral behavior. 2:3 Otherwise, I will strip her naked, and expose her like she was when she was born. I will turn her land into a wilderness and make her country a parched land, so that I might kill her with thirst. 2:4 I will have no pity on her children, because they are children conceived in adultery. 2:5 For their mother has committed adultery; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, "I will seek out my lovers; they are the ones who give me my bread and my water, my wool, my flax, my olive oil, and my wine. The Lord's Discipline Will Bring Israel Back 2:6 Therefore, I will soon fence her in with thorns; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. 2:7 Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not catch them; she will seek them, but she will not find them. Then she will say, "I will go back to my husband, because I was better off then than I am now." Agricultural Fertility Withdrawn from Israel 2:8 Yet until now she has refused to acknowledge that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil; and that it was I who lavished on her the silver and gold -- which they used in worshiping Baal! 2:9 Therefore, I will take back my grain during the harvest time and my new wine when it ripens; I will take away my wool and my flax which I had provided in order to clothe her. 2:10 Soon I will expose her lewd nakedness in front of her lovers, and no one will be able to rescue her from me! 2:11 I will put an end to all her celebration: her annual religious festivals, monthly new moon celebrations, and weekly Sabbath festivities -- all her appointed festivals. 2:12 I will destroy her vines and fig trees, about which she said, "These are my wages for prostitution that my lovers gave to me!" I will turn her cultivated vines and fig trees into an uncultivated thicket, so that wild animals will devour them. 2:13 "I will punish her for the festival days when she burned incense to the Baal idols; she adorned herself with earrings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but she forgot me!" says the Lord. Future Repentance and Restoration of Israel 2:14 However, in the future I will allure her; I will lead her back into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. 2:15 From there I will give back her vineyards to her, and turn the "Valley of Trouble" into an "Opportunity for Hope." There she will sing as she did when she was young, when she came up from the land of Egypt. 2:16 "At that time," declares the Lord, "you will call, 'My husband'; you will never again call me, 'My master.' 2:17 For I will remove the names of the Baal idols from your lips, so that you will never again utter their names!" New Covenant Relationship with Repentant Israel 2:18 "At that time I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground. I will abolish the warrior's bow and sword -- that is, every weapon of warfare -- from the land, and I will allow them to live securely." 2:19 I will commit myself to you forever; I will commit myself to you in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and tender compassion. 2:20 I will commit myself to you in faithfulness; then you will acknowledge the Lord." Agricultural Fertility Restored to the Repentant Nation 2:21 "At that time, I will willingly respond," declares the Lord. "I will respond to the sky, and the sky will respond to the ground; 2:22 then the ground will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil; and they will respond to 'God Plants' (Jezreel)! 2:23 Then I will plant her as my own in the land. I will have pity on 'No Pity' (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to 'Not My People' (Lo-Ammi), 'You are my people!' And he will say, 'You are my God!'" An Illustration of God's Love for Idolatrous Israel 3:1 The Lord said to me, "Go, show love to your wife again, even though she loves another man and continually commits adultery. Likewise, the Lord loves the Israelites although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols." 3:2 So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley to purchase her. 3:3 Then I told her, "You must live with me many days; you must not commit adultery or have sexual intercourse with another man, and I also will wait for you." 3:4 For the Israelites must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols. 3:5 Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king. Then they will submit to the Lord in fear and receive his blessings in the future. Prayer Lord, Your mercy is great, You love the unlovable humankind -- yet You do not tolerate rebellion -- and so we must return to You in Your time and in Your way. There is only one path to reconciliation and restoration with You. May I live and teach Your truth, rejecting the lies of the world, and be Your instrument of evangelism and discipleship as long as You may find me useful. Summary & Commentary Hosea recorded his experiences across the kingship's of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah over Judah, "... and during the time when Jeroboam son of Joash ruled Israel." The Lord God instructed Hosea to marry the prostitute Gomer, warning him that she would be unfaithful, including having children with the partners of her adultery. Just as other prophets had been instructed to bear humiliation and trouble, in order to serve as illustrations of His teaching to His people, so was Hosea. He named his children according to the lesson the Lord planned, and he did not divorce his wife even as she sold herself into sexual slavery. The lessons to follow included: "The Lord's Discipline Will Bring Israel Back" Hosea was told that a time would come when Gomer would return to him just as Israel would turn back to the Lord God (the rhetorical "husband" of Israel) "Then she will say, "I will go back to my husband, because I was better off then than I am now."" "Agricultural Fertility Withdrawn from Israel" Just as Gomer forgot the value of her husband, Hosea, so Israel had forgotten the Lord. So, just as Gomer surrendered herself to the false-affections and unpredictable provision of her adulterous partners the Lord God withdrew provision from Israel because they had turned away to false gods. "Future Repentance and Restoration of Israel" At the perfect time the Lord God would speak to His people and they would repent and be restored. "New Covenant Relationship with Repentant Israel" The new relationship would be as husband and wife rather than as servant and master. The peace of pre-Fall Eden, between the rest of Creation and humankind, would be restored. "Agricultural Fertility Restored to the Repentant Nation The land would again become productive and the rejected people restored to His family. Then finally: "An Illustration of God's Love for Idolatrous Israel" Hosea again served the Lord God as His living-illustration "The Lord said to me, "Go, show love to your wife again, even though she loves another man and continually commits adultery. Likewise, the Lord loves the Israelites although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols." So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley to purchase her. Then I told her, "You must live with me many days; you must not commit adultery or have sexual intercourse with another man, and I also will wait for you." For the Israelites must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols.Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king. Then they will submit to the Lord in fear and receive his blessings in the future." Interaction Consider Hosea surrendered his life in a remarkable way, marrying a woman that no faithful Israelite would have even wanted to allow near to him, and bearing the shame of her adultery. Discuss Why would the illustration of the adulterous wife, the illustration of the stripping-naked of rhetorical Israel, the loss of fertility (land and people), and promise of an Exodus-like reconciliation and restoration have been necessary to get the peoples' attention? Reflect All of what was prophesied was conditional -- the people had to listen to the Lord God "... speak tenderly" and respond with repentant hearts. Share When have you been trapped in a relationship with an unfaithful friend or co-worker or other person who made promises but then selfishly broke them? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a time in your life where you have been unfaithful to Him, and how He reached down to "... speak tenderly" to you, and because you responded with a repentant heart He forgave and reconciled with you. Action: Today I will give praise and thanks to the Lord God for His love and mercy! Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Monday's text will be: Hosea 4 -- 11:7 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sun Sep 18 22:07:35 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:07:35 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Monday_-_Hosea_4_=96_11=3A7?= Message-ID: <4E76A3E7.3050609@bibleseven.com> Monday Hosea 4 ? 11:7 The Lord?s Covenant Lawsuit against the Nation Israel 4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites! For the Lord has a covenant lawsuit against the people of Israel. For there is neither faithfulness nor loyalty in the land, nor do they acknowledge God. 4:2 There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. They resort to violence and bloodshed. 4:3 Therefore the land will mourn, and all its inhabitants will perish. The wild animals, the birds of the sky, and even the fish in the sea will perish. The Lord?s Dispute against the Sinful Priesthood 4:4 Do not let anyone accuse or contend against anyone else: for my case is against you priests! 4:5 You stumble day and night, and the false prophets stumble with you; You have destroyed your own people! 4:6 You have destroyed my people by failing to acknowledge me! Because you refuse to acknowledge me, I will reject you as my priests. Because you reject the law of your God, I will reject your descendants. 4:7 The more the priests increased in numbers, the more they rebelled against me. They have turned their glorious calling into a shameful disgrace! 4:8 They feed on the sin offerings of my people; their appetites long for their iniquity! 4:9 I will deal with the people and priests together: I will punish them both for their ways, and I will repay them for their deeds. 4:10 They will eat, but not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but not increase in numbers; because they have abandoned the Lord by pursuing other gods. Judgment of Pagan Idolatry and Cultic Prostitution 4:11 Old and new wine take away the understanding of my people. 4:12 They consult their wooden idols, and their diviner?s staff answers with an oracle. The wind of prostitution blows them astray; they commit spiritual adultery against their God. 4:13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops, and burn offerings on the hills; they sacrifice under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is so pleasant. As a result, your daughters have become cult prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery! 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men consort with harlots, they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. It is true: ?A people that lacks understanding will come to ruin!? Warning to Judah: Do Not Join in Israel?s Apostasy! 4:15 Although you, O Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty! Do not journey to Gilgal! Do not go up to Beth Aven! Do not swear, ?As surely as the Lord lives!? 4:16 Israel has rebelled like a stubborn heifer! Soon the Lord will put them out to pasture like a lamb in a broad field! 4:17 Ephraim has attached himself to idols; Do not go near him! The Shameful Sinners Will Be Brought to Shame 4:18 They consume their alcohol, then engage in cult prostitution; they dearly love their shameful behavior. 4:19 A whirlwind has wrapped them in its wings; they will be brought to shame because of their idolatrous worship. Announcement of Sin and Judgment 5:1 Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen closely, O king! For judgment is about to overtake you! For you were like a trap to Mizpah, like a net spread out to catch Tabor. 5:2 Those who revolt are knee-deep in slaughter, but I will discipline them all. 5:3 I know Ephraim all too well; the evil of Israel is not hidden from me. For you have engaged in prostitution, O Ephraim; Israel has defiled itself. 5:4 Their wicked deeds do not allow them to return to their God; because a spirit of idolatry controls their heart, and they do not acknowledge the Lord. 5:5 The arrogance of Israel testifies against it; Israel and Ephraim will be overthrown because of their iniquity. Even Judah will be brought down with them. The Futility of Sacrificial Ritual without Moral Obedience 5:6 Although they bring their flocks and herds to seek the favor of the Lord, They will not find him ? he has withdrawn himself from them! 5:7 They have committed treason against the Lord, because they bore illegitimate children. Soon the new moon festival will devour them and their fields. The Prophet?s Declaration of Judgment 5:8 Blow the ram?s horn in Gibeah! Sound the trumpet in Ramah! Sound the alarm in Beth Aven! Tremble in fear, O Benjamin! 5:9 Ephraim will be ruined in the day of judgment! What I am declaring to the tribes of Israel will certainly take place! The Oppressors of the Helpless Will Be Oppressed 5:10 The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary markers. I will pour out my rage on them like a torrential flood! 5:11 Ephraim will be oppressed, crushed under judgment, because he was determined to pursue worthless idols. The Curse of the Incurable Wound 5:12 I will be like a moth to Ephraim, like wood rot to the house of Judah. 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and begged its great king for help. But he will not be able to heal you! He cannot cure your wound! The Lion Will Carry Israel Off Into Exile 5:14 I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a young lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear them to pieces, then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them! 5:15 Then I will return again to my lair until they have suffered their punishment. Then they will seek me; in their distress they will earnestly seek me. Superficial Repentance Breeds False Assurance of God?s Forgivene 6:1 ?Come on! Let?s return to the Lord! He himself has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us! He has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds! 6:2 He will restore us in a very short time; he will heal us in a little while, so that we may live in his presence. 6:3 So let us acknowledge him! Let us seek to acknowledge the Lord! He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn, as certainly as the winter rain comes, as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.? Transitory Faithfulness and Imminent Judgment 6:4 What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, O Judah? For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn?s dew! 6:5 Therefore, I will certainly cut you into pieces at the hands of the prophets; I will certainly kill you in fulfillment of my oracles of judgment; for my judgment will come forth like the light of the dawn. 6:6 For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. Indictments Against the Cities of Israel and Judah 6:7 At Adam they broke the covenant; Oh how they were unfaithful to me! 6:8 Gilead is a city full of evildoers; its streets are stained with bloody footprints! 6:9 The company of priests is like a gang of robbers, lying in ambush to pounce on a victim. They commit murder on the road to Shechem; they have done heinous crimes! 6:10 I have seen a disgusting thing in the temple of Israel: there Ephraim practices temple prostitution and Judah defiles itself. 6:11 I have appointed a time to reap judgment for you also, O Judah! If Israel Would Repent of Sin, God Would Relent of Judgment Whenever I want to restore the fortunes of my people, 7:1 whenever I want to heal Israel, the sin of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria are exposed. For they do what is wrong; thieves break into houses, and gangs rob people out in the streets. 7:2 They do not realize that I remember all of their wicked deeds. Their evil deeds have now surrounded them; their sinful deeds are always before me. Political Intrigue and Conspiracy in the Palace 7:3 The royal advisers delight the king with their evil schemes, the princes make him glad with their lies. 7:4 They are all like bakers, they are like a smoldering oven; they are like a baker who does not stoke the fire until the kneaded dough is ready for baking. 7:5 At the celebration of their king, his princes become inflamed with wine; they conspire with evildoers. 7:6 They approach him, all the while plotting against him. Their hearts are like an oven; their anger smolders all night long, but in the morning it bursts into a flaming fire. 7:7 All of them are blazing like an oven; they devour their rulers. All of their kings fall ? and none of them call on me! Israel Lacks Discernment and Refuses to Repent 7:8 Ephraim has mixed itself like flour among the nations; Ephraim is like a ruined cake of bread that is scorched on one side. 7:9 Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, but he does not recognize it! His head is filled with gray hair, but he does not realize it! 7:10 The arrogance of Israel testifies against him, yet they refuse to return to the Lord their God! In spite of all this they refuse to seek him! Israel Turns to Assyria and Egypt for Help 7:11 Ephraim has been like a dove, easily deceived and lacking discernment. They called to Egypt for help; they turned to Assyria for protection. 7:12 I will throw my bird net over them while they are flying, I will bring them down like birds in the sky; I will discipline them when I hear them flocking together. Israel Has Turned Away from the Lord 7:13 Woe to them! For they have fled from me! Destruction to them! For they have rebelled against me! I want to deliver them, but they have lied to me. 7:14 They do not pray to me, but howl in distress on their beds; They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from me. 7:15 Although I trained and strengthened them, they plot evil against me! 7:16 They turn to Baal; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because their prayers to Baal have made me angry. So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt. God Will Raise Up the Assyrians to Attack Israel 8:1 Sound the alarm! An eagle looms over the temple of the Lord! For they have broken their covenant with me, and have rebelled against my law. 8:2 Israel cries out to me, ?My God, we acknowledge you!? 8:3 But Israel has rejected what is morally good; so an enemy will pursue him. The Political and Cultic Sin of Israel 8:4 They enthroned kings without my consent! They appointed princes without my approval! They made idols out of their silver and gold, but they will be destroyed! 8:5 O Samaria, he has r ejected your calf idol! My anger burns against them! They will not survive much longer without being punished, even though they are Israelites! 8:6 That idol was made by a workman ? it is not God! The calf idol of Samaria will be broken to bits. The Fertility Cultists Will Become Infertile 8:7 They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind! The stalk does not have any standing grain; it will not produce any flour. Even if it were to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it all up. 8:8 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations; they will be like a worthless piece of pottery. The Willful Donkey and the Wanton Harlot 8:9 They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers. 8:10 Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, I will soon gather them together for judgment. Then they will begin to waste away under the oppression of a mighty king. Sacrifices Ineffective without Moral Obedience 8:11 Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning! 8:12 I spelled out my law for him in great detail, but they regard it as something totally unknown to them! 8:13 They offer up sacrificial gifts to me, and eat the meat, but the Lord does not accept their sacrifices. Soon he will remember their wrongdoing, he will punish their sins, and they will return to Egypt. 8:14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces, and Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will send fire on their cities; it will consume their royal citadels. Fertility Cult Festivals Have Intoxicated Israel 9:1 O Israel, do not rejoice jubilantly like the nations, for you are unfaithful to your God. You love to receive a prostitute's wages on all the floors where you thresh your grain. 9:2 Threshing floors and wine vats will not feed the people, and new wine only deceives them. Assyrian Exile Will Reverse the Egyptian Exodus 9:3 They will not remain in the Lord?s land. Ephraim will return to Egypt; they will eat ritually unclean food in Assyria. 9:4 They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the Lord; they will not please him with their sacrifices. Their sacrifices will be like bread eaten while in mourning; all those who eat them will make themselves ritually unclean. For their bread will be only to satisfy their appetite; it will not come into the temple of the Lord. 9:5 So what will you do on the festival day, on the festival days of the Lord? No Escape for the Israelites This Time! 9:6 Look! Even if they flee from the destruction, Egypt will take hold of them, and Memphis will bury them. The weeds will inherit the silver they treasure ? thorn bushes will occupy their homes. 9:7 The time of judgment is about to arrive! The time of retribution is imminent! Let Israel know! Israel Rejects Hosea?s Prophetic Exhortations The prophet is considered a fool ? the inspired man is viewed as a madman ? because of the multitude of your sins and your intense animosity. 9:8 The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on behalf of God, yet traps are laid for him along all of his paths; animosity rages against him in the land of his God. The Best of Times, the Worst of Times 9:9 They have sunk deep into corruption as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their wrongdoing. He will repay them for their sins. 9:10 When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness. I viewed your ancestors like an early fig on a fig tree in its first season. Then they came to Baal-Peor and they dedicated themselves to shame ? they became as detestable as what they loved. The Fertility Worshipers Will Become Infertile 9:11 Ephraim will be like a bird; what they value will fly away. They will not bear children ? they will not enjoy pregnancy ? they will not even conceive! 9:12 Even if they raise their children, I will take away every last one of them. Woe to them! For I will turn away from them. 9:13 Just as lion cubs are born predators, so Ephraim will bear his sons for slaughter. 9:14 Give them, O Lord ? what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry, and breasts that cannot nurse! 9:15 Because of all their evil in Gilgal, I hate them there. On account of their evil deeds, I will drive them out of my land. I will no longer love them; all their rulers are rebels. 9:16 Ephraim will be struck down ? their root will be dried up; they will not yield any fruit. Even if they do bear children, I will kill their precious offspring. 9:17 My God will reject them, for they have not obeyed him; so they will be fugitives among the nations. Israel is Guilty of Fertility Cult Worship 10:1 Israel was a fertile vine that yielded fruit. As his fruit multiplied, he multiplied altars to Baal. As his land prospered, they adorned the fertility pillars. 10:2 Their heart is slipping; soon they will be punished for their guilt. The Lord will break their altars; he will completely destroy their fertility pillars. The Lord Will Punish Israel by Removing Its Kings 10:3 Very soon they will say, ?We have no king since we did not fear the Lord. But what can a king do for us anyway?? 10:4 They utter empty words, taking false oaths and making empty agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a plowed field. The Calf Idol and Idolaters of Samaria Will Be Exiled 10:5 The inhabitants of Samaria will lament over the calf idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it; its idolatrous priests will wail over it, because its splendor will be taken from them into exile. 10:6 Even the calf idol will be carried to Assyria, as tribute for the great king. Ephraim will be disgraced; Israel will be put to shame because of its wooden idol. 10:7 Samaria and its king will be carried off like a twig on the surface of the waters. 10:8 The high places of the ?House of Wickedness? will be destroyed; it is the place where Israel sins. Thorns and thistles will grow up over its altars. Then they will say to the mountains, ?Cover us!? and to the hills, ?Fall on us!? Failure to Learn from the Sin and Judgment of Gibeah 10:9 O Israel, you have sinned since the time of Gibeah, and there you have remained. Did not war overtake the evildoers in Gibeah? 10:10 When I please, I will discipline them; I will gather nations together to attack them, to bind them in chains for their two sins. Fertility Imagery: Plowing, Sowing, and Reaping 10:11 Ephraim was a well-trained heifer who loved to thresh grain; I myself put a fine yokeon her neck. I will harness Ephraim. Let Judah plow! Let Jacob break up the unplowed ground for himself! 10:12 Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap unfailing love. Break up the unplowed ground for yourselves, for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers deliverance on you. 10:13 But you have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your chariots; you have relied on your many warriors. Bethel Will Be Destroyed Like Beth Arbel 10:14 The roar of battle will rise against your people; all your fortresses will be devastated, just as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children. 10:15 So will it happen to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness! When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be destroyed. Reversal of the Exodus: Return to Egypt and Exile in Assyria 11:1 When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son, and I summoned my son out of Egypt. 11:2 But the more I summoned them, the farther they departed from me. They sacrificed to the Baal idols and burned incense to images. 11:3 Yet it was I who led Ephraim, I took them by the arm; but they did not acknowledge that I had healed them. 11:4 I led them with leather cords, with leather ropes; I lifted the yoke from their neck, and gently fed them. 11:5 They will return to Egypt! Assyria will rule over them because they refuse to repent! 11:6 A sword will flash in their cities, it will destroy the bars of their city gates, and will devour them in their fortresses. 11:7 My people are obsessed with turning away from me; they call to Baal, but he will never exalt them! Prayer Lord, You were incredibly patient with Israel and Judah, but their unrepentant rebellion could not continue forever. May I not make it necessary for You to discipline me. Summary & Commentary Hosea delivered a prophesy to Israel for her unrepentant and chronic rebellion ?... the land will mourn, and all its inhabitants will perish. The wild animals, the birds of the sky, and even the fish in the sea will perish.? He continued a terrible prophesy against the apostate prophets, the disobedient kings, those who consorted with cultic prostitutes, those who worshiped false idols, those who abused and neglected the poor, and those who turned to foreign nations instead of to the Lord God. Hosea warned Judah to not follow in the rebellious footsteps of Israel. He concluded with a prophesy of a reverse-Exodus; Israel would return to bondage in Egypt and also to exile in Assyria. Interaction Consider When Lord God cleanses the sinful place that the lands of Israel had become He really cleansed it ?... all its inhabitants will perish. The wild animals, the birds of the sky, and even the fish in the sea will perish.? Discuss Watching what had happened to Gibbea and then Israel why would Judah even need to be warned? Reflect The reverse-Exodus had to be heartbreaking, for God and man. Share When have you discovered something wrong in your own walk with the Lord as you observed someone else struggling? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place in your walk where you need to make a change so that you do not risk discipline from Him. Action: Today I will confess and repent, seek and receive the Lord God's forgiveness, and place Him first in all things rather than try to live apart from Him in some things. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Tuesday's text will be: Hosea 11:8 - 14 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Mon Sep 19 01:20:12 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:20:12 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] OT: Internet gatekeepers censoring Christian content? Message-ID: <4E76D10C.805@lightlink.com> Discrimination on the Web Religious broadcasters say Internet service providers are censoring traditional moral views at the behest of homosexual rights advocates. -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Mon Sep 19 20:39:42 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:39:42 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Tuesday - Hosea 11:8 - 14 Message-ID: <4E77E0CE.7050101@bibleseven.com> Tuesday Hosea 11:8 - 14 The Divine Dilemma: Judgment or Mercy? 11:8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? I have had a change of heart! All my tender compassions are aroused! 11:9 I cannot carry out my fierce anger! I cannot totally destroy Ephraim! Because I am God, and not man -- the Holy One among you -- I will not come in wrath! God Will Restore the Exiles to Israel 11:10 He will roar like a lion, and they will follow the Lord; when he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. 11:11 They will return in fear and trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria, and I will settle them in their homes," declares the Lord. God's Lawsuit against Israel: Breach of Covenant 11:12 Ephraim has surrounded me with lies; the house of Israel has surrounded me with deceit. But Judah still roams about with God; he remains faithful to the Holy One. 12:1 Ephraim continually feeds on the wind; he chases the east wind all day; he multiplies lies and violence. They make treaties with Assyria, and send olive oil as tribute to Egypt. 12:2 The Lord also has a covenant lawsuit against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds. Israel Must Return to the God of Jacob 12:3 In the womb he attacked his brother; in his manly vigor he struggled with God. 12:4 He struggled with an angel and prevailed; he wept and begged for his favor. He found God at Bethel, and there he spoke with him! 12:5 As for the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is the name by which he is remembered! 12:6 But you must return to your God, by maintaining love and justice, and by waiting for your God to return to you. The Lord Refutes Israel's False Claim of Innocence 12:7 The businessmen love to cheat; they use dishonest scales. 12:8 Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich! I have become wealthy! In all that I have done to gain my wealth, no one can accuse me of any offense that is actually sinful." 12:9 "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again as in the days of old. 12:10 I spoke to the prophets; I myself revealed many visions; I spoke in parables through the prophets." 12:11 Is there idolatry in Gilead? Certainly its inhabitants will come to nothing! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed field! Jacob in Aram, Israel in Egypt, and Ephraim in Trouble 12:12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram, then Israel worked to acquire a wife; he tended sheep to pay for her. 12:13 The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt by a prophet, and due to a prophet Israel was preserved alive. 12:14 But Ephraim bitterly provoked him to anger; so he will hold him accountable for the blood he has shed, his Lord will repay him for the contempt he has shown. Baal Worshipers and Calf Worshipers to be Destroyed 13:1 When Ephraim spoke, there was terror; he was exalted in Israel, but he became guilty by worshiping Baal and died. 13:2 Even now they persist in sin! They make metal images for themselves, idols that they skillfully fashion from their own silver; all of them are nothing but the work of craftsmen! There is a saying about them: "Those who sacrifice to the calf idol are calf kissers!" 13:3 Therefore they will disappear like the morning mist, like early morning dew that evaporates, like chaff that is blown away from a threshing floor, like smoke that disappears through an open window. Well-Fed Israel Will Be Fed to Wild Animals 13:4 But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you must not acknowledge any God but me; except me there is no Savior. 13:5 I cared for you in the wilderness, in the dry desert where no water was. 13:6 When they were fed, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; as a result, they forgot me! 13:7 So I will pounce on them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk by the path. 13:8 I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs -- I will rip open their chests. I will devour them there like a lion -- like a wild animal would tear them apart. Israel's King Unable to Deliver the Nation 13:9 I will destroy you, O Israel! Who is there to help you? 13:10 Where then is your king, that he may save you in all your cities? Where are your rulers for whom you asked, saying, "Give me a king and princes"? 13:11 I granted you a king in my anger, and I will take him away in my wrath! Israel's Punishment Will Not Be Withheld Much Longer 13:12 The punishment of Ephraim has been decreed; his punishment is being stored up for the future. 13:13 The labor pains of a woman will overtake him, but the baby will lack wisdom; when the time arrives, he will not come out of the womb! The Lord Will Not Relent from the Threatened Judgment 13:14 Will I deliver them from the power of Sheol? No, I will not! Will I redeem them from death? No, I will not! O Death, bring on your plagues! O Sheol, bring on your destruction! My eyes will not show any compassion! The Capital of the Northern Empire Will Be Destroyed 13:15 Even though he flourishes like a reed plant, a scorching east wind will come, a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. As a result, his spring will dry up; his well will become dry. That wind will spoil all his delightful foods in the containers in his storehouse. 13:16 Samaria will be held guilty, because she rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their infants will be dashed to the ground -- their pregnant women will be ripped open. Prophetic Call to Genuine Repentance 14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sin has been your downfall! 14:2 Return to the Lord and repent! Say to him: "Completely forgive our iniquity; accept our penitential prayer, that we may offer the praise of our lips as sacrificial bulls. 14:3 Assyria cannot save us; we will not ride warhorses. We will never again say, 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made. For only you will show compassion to Orphan Israel!" Divine Promise to Relent from Judgment and to Restore Blessings 14:4 "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger will turn away from them. 14:5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily, he will send down his roots like a cedar of Lebanon. 14:6 His young shoots will grow; his splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. 14:7 People will reside again in his shade; they will plant and harvest grain in abundance. They will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon. 14:8 O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do with idols anymore! I will answer him and care for him. I am like a luxuriant cypress tree; your fruitfulness comes from me! Concluding Exhortation 14:9 Who is wise? Let him discern these things! Who is discerning? Let him understand them! For the ways of the Lord are right; the godly walk in them, but in them the rebellious stumble. Prayer Lord, You have always kept Your part of the covenants You made, humankind has been unfaithful to theirs. You have consistently provided for, encouraged, taught, implored, and facilitated the path of genuine repentance to reconciliation and restoration. May I accept Your Words of divine wisdom and remember that "... the ways of the Lord are right; the godly walk in them, but in them the rebellious stumble." Summary & Commentary Hosea told of the Lord God's appearance of a dilemma, reconciling His grace with the law. While the law dictated that He destroy them all, as had been the case way back in the Garden of Eden, His grace sought a path to reconciliation and restoration. Because Jacob/Israel had striven with an angel and cried out to the Lord God a covenant had been made on behalf of humankind (Jacob/Israel's descendants and others who had been adopted-into that covenant family) with the Lord which He would not break. The covenant required punishment of the people but not the wrath of God -- that was reserved for those people, things, and institutions that were outside of the covenant. Hosea's prophesy reminded the people that the Lord God had given them a human king in anger, due to their unrepentant demandingness for "a king like the nations around us", and now in His righteous wrath He intended to remove the role of king from them. He shared the Lord's call for genuine repentance and told of the Lord's promise to bless and to restore them. Hosea concluded with a word of wisdom from the Lord "Who is wise? Let him discern these things! Who is discerning? Let him understand them! For the ways of the Lord are right; the godly walk in them, but in them the rebellious stumble." Interaction Consider The pattern of humankind from Adam and Eve on has been rebellion against the Lord God, yet He has been equally persistent in seeking the restoration of relationship; that is Love. Discuss What might be the value-added of removing the role of human king from the people? Reflect Genuine repentance was the consistent expectation of the Lord God throughout history. Share When have you experienced or observed the making of a celebrity, political, or religious person a type of king who stood between people and the Lord God? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a person who has or who is like a king in your life -- one whose approval, opinion, and/or words have (or do) are sometimes more powerful than those of the Lord God. Action: Today I will confess and repent, seek and receive the Lord God's forgiveness, and place Him first -- removing any mere human from anything that bears the slightest resemblance of a "throne" in my life. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Wednesday's text will be: Joel -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Tue Sep 20 18:22:13 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:22:13 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - Joel Message-ID: <4E791215.1060800@bibleseven.com> Wednesday Joel Introduction 1:1 This is the Lord's message that was given to Joel the son of Pethuel: A Locust Plague Foreshadows the Day of the Lord 1:2 Listen to this, you elders; pay attention, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life or in the lifetime of your ancestors? 1:3 Tell your children about it, have your children tell their children, and their children the following generation. 1:4 What the /gazam/-locust left the '/arbeh/-locust consumed, what the '/arbeh/-locust left the /yeleq/-locust consumed, and what the /yeleq/-locust left the /hasil/-locust consumed! 1:5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine drinkers, because the sweet wine has been taken away from you. 1:6 For a nation has invaded our land. There are so many of them they are too numerous to count. Their teeth are like those of a lion; they tear apart their prey like a lioness. 1:7 They have destroyed our vines; they have turned our fig trees into mere splinters. They have completely stripped off the bark and thrown them aside; the twigs are stripped bare. A Call to Lament 1:8 Wail like a young virgin clothed in sackcloth, lamenting the death of her husband-to-be. 1:9 No one brings grain offerings or drink offerings to the temple of the Lord anymore. So the priests, those who serve the Lord, are in mourning. 1:10 The crops of the fields have been destroyed. The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished. The fresh wine has dried up; the olive oil languishes. 1:11 Be distressed, farmers; wail, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley. For the harvest of the field has perished. 1:12 The vine has dried up; the fig tree languishes -- the pomegranate, date, and apple as well. In fact, all the trees of the field have dried up. Indeed, the joy of the people has dried up! 1:13 Get dressed and lament, you priests! Wail, you who minister at the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God, because no one brings grain offerings or drink offerings to the temple of your God anymore. 1:14 Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. 1:15 How awful that day will be! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come as destruction from the Divine Destroyer. 1:16 Our food has been cut off right before our eyes! There is no longer any joy or gladness in the temple of our God! 1:17 The grains of seed have shriveled beneath their shovels. Storehouses have been decimated and granaries have been torn down, for the grain has dried up. 1:18 Listen to the cattle groan! The herds of livestock wander around in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering. 1:19 To you, O Lord, I call out for help, for fire has burned up the grassy pastures, flames have razed all the trees in the fields. 1:20 Even the wild animals cry out to you; for the river beds have dried up; fire has destroyed the grassy pastures. The Locusts' Devastation 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear, for the day of the Lord is about to come. Indeed, it is near! 2:2 It will be a day of dreadful darkness, a day of foreboding storm clouds, like blackness spread over the mountains. It is a huge and powerful army -- there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come! 2:3 Like fire they devour everything in their path; a flame blazes behind them. The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness -- for nothing escapes them! 2:4 They look like horses; they charge ahead like war horses. 2:5 They sound like chariots rumbling over mountain tops, like the crackling of blazing fire consuming stubble, like the noise of a mighty army being drawn up for battle. 2:6 People writhe in fear when they see them. All of their faces turn pale with fright. 2:7 They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each one proceeds on his course; they do not alter their path. 2:8 They do not jostle one another; each of them marches straight ahead. They burst through the city defenses and do not break ranks. 2:9 They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief. 2:10 The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine. 2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders as he leads his army. Indeed, his warriors are innumerable; Surely his command is carried out! Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome and very terrifying -- who can survive it? An Appeal for Repentance 2:12 "Yet even now," the Lord says, "return to me with all your heart -- with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!" 2:13 Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love -- often relenting from calamitous punishment. 2:14 Who knows? Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, and leave blessing in his wake -- a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly! 2:16 Gather the people; sanctify an assembly! Gather the elders; gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom and the bride from her private quarters. 2:17 Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. Let them say, "Have pity, O Lord, on your people; please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked, to become a proverb among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, "Where is their God?" The Lord's Response 2:18 Then the Lord became zealous for his land; he had compassion on his people. 2:19 The Lord responded to his people, "Look! I am about to restore your grain as well as fresh wine and olive oil. You will be fully satisfied. I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations. 2:20 I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell." Indeed, the Lord has accomplished great things. 2:21 Do not fear, my land! Rejoice and be glad, because the Lord has accomplished great things! 2:22 Do not fear, wild animals! For the pastures of the wilderness are again green with grass. Indeed, the trees bear their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield to their fullest. 2:23 Citizens of Zion, rejoice! Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! For he has given to you the early rains as vindication. He has sent to you the rains -- both the early and the late rains as formerly. 2:24 The threshing floors are full of grain; the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil. 2:25 I will make up for the years that the '/arbeh/-locust consumed your crops -- the /yeleq/-locust, the /hasil/-locust, and the /gazam/-locust -- my great army that I sent against you. 2:26 You will have plenty to eat, and your hunger will be fully satisfied; you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has acted wondrously in your behalf. My people will never again be put to shame. 2:27 You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel. I am the Lord your God; there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame. An Outpouring of the Spirit 2:28 After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. 2:29 Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 2:30 I will produce portents both in the sky and on the earth -- blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 2:31 The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the Lord comes -- that great and terrible day! 2:32 It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the Lord has promised; the remnant will be those whom the Lord will call. The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations 3:1 For look! In those days and at that time I will return the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem. 3:2 Then I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment against them there concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance, whom they scattered among the nations. They partitioned my land, 3:3 and they cast lots for my people. They traded a boy for a prostitute; they sold a little girl for wine so they could drink. 3:4 Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon? Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia? I will very quickly repay you for what you have done! 3:5 For you took my silver and my gold and brought my precious valuables to your own palaces. 3:6 You sold Judeans and Jerusalemites to the Greeks, removing them far from their own country. 3:7 Look! I am rousing them from that place to which you sold them. I will repay you for what you have done! 3:8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. They will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away. Indeed, the Lord has spoken! Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat 3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for a holy war! Call out the warriors! Let all these fighting men approach and attack! 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears! Let the weak say, 'I too am a warrior!' 3:11 Lend your aid and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves to that place." Bring down, O Lord, your warriors! 3:12 Let the nations be roused and let them go up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations. 3:13 Rush forth with the sickle, for the harvest is ripe! Come, stomp the grapes, for the winepress is full! The vats overflow. Indeed, their evil is great! 3:14 Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision! 3:15 The sun and moon are darkened; the stars withhold their brightness. 3:16 The Lord roars from Zion; from Jerusalem his voice bellows out. The heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge for his people; he is a stronghold for the citizens of Israel. The Lord's Presence in Zion 3:17 You will be convinced that I the Lord am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy -- conquering armies will no longer pass through it. 3:18 On that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the dry stream beds of Judah will flow with water. A spring will flow out from the temple of the Lord, watering the Valley of Acacia Trees. 3:19 Egypt will be desolate and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, because of the violence they did to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. 3:20 But Judah will reside securely forever, and Jerusalem will be secure from one generation to the next. 3:21 I will avenge their blood which I had not previously acquitted. It is the Lord who dwells in Zion! Prayer Lord, all things of importance are tied together in Your great plan, across the old testament and new. May I trust Your prophesy, Your amazing love for Your children, and Your perfect plan. Summary & Commentary Joel delivered what appeared to be a dual-event prophesy, one that described an immediate crisis and another of the last days of the End Times. He appeared to be focused more on circumstances impacting Jerusalem and Judah than Israel. [The NET translator's notes observe that there is an ongoing debate in scholarly circles as to the era in which Joel prophesied, some say it must have been during or prior to approximately 750 BC as the prophet Amos referred to Joel and there is general scholarly agreement to a 750 BC date for Amos (based primarily on an earthquake record). Others have suggested 600-500 BC, and a third group 400-350 BC. Unless the dating of Amos is voided then 750 BC or earlier appears to be the best dating for Joel. The resolution of such is important as current events to which Joel referred would differ significantly.] [New Testament references to Joel may include Mark 4:29 (Joel 3:13), Acts 2:16-21 (Joel 2:28-31), and Romans 10:13 (Joel 2:31). There are some who suggest parallels between Joel and Revelation but the associations are loose.] Based on a 750 BC or earlier date for Joel the events swirling about would have included the death of Solomon in 930 BC followed by a division of the kingdom into Northern (Israel) and Southern (Judah) kingdoms. The Northern kingdom ended in 722 BC, after many struggles, when they were exiled by the Assyrians. The Southern kingdom struggled but remained somewhat intact until the Babylonian captivity in 586 BC. Joel described invading armies much like the hordes of Assyrian king Sennacherib and the destruction of food and other resources is a common strategy of war, both to demoralize and to limit the capacity of the invaded people to resist for long. In Chapter 2 there was a call to repentance before the Lord God, a repeated theme of the old testament "Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, and leave blessing in his wake -- a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God! Blow the trumpet in Zion. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly!" The Lord God did intervene, while allowing the Assyrians to serve as His instrument of judgment upon Israel, he drove Sennacherib away from his attempted conquest of Jerusalem and thus Judah also was spared. [Note: The recorded history of Assyrian king Sennacherib is said to affirm the Biblical account.] Joel prophesied of a time to come when the Lord God would cause many to "... prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions" which was in the context of "In those days and at that time I will return the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem." The apostle Peter made reference to Joel's prophesy in Acts 2:16-21 as he explained what they were experiencing and observing during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Peter used the term "last days" - referring to the time between the ascension of Jesus the Christ home to Heaven and the time of His return. Joel concluded with additional prophesy as to the upcoming events as well as events into the future. Interaction Consider The Lord God allowed the Assyrians to punish Israel but as He sent Joel to call Jerusalem and Judah to repentance He prevented the Assyrians from over-running Jerusalem -- driving them back to Assyria. Discuss Could it be that Joel's prophesy was stimulated by the Lord God for the future purpose of Peter's statement to the people during the Pentecost events? Reflect The desire of the Lord was to bless His people but as was consistent He expected repentance. Share When have you discovered clarity about a New Testament concept or event from an Old Testament concept or event? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to a purpose the Lord God had for your future in something He did in your life in the past. Action: Today I will prayerfully reflect on what the Lord God has done in my life with an eye toward what He wants to teach me about His constant preparation of me to grow and to serve. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Thursday's text will be: Amos 1 - 5 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mITw at shaw.ca Wed Sep 21 13:28:41 2011 From: mITw at shaw.ca (Georges Rodier) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:28:41 -0700 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen Message-ID: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> Our grandson has just started high school here in Canada and has bought his own notebook PC "for homework". He wanted a Mac, "because that's what I've used all through school and that's what many of the kids have." But... since he had to pay with his own money he found himself a few hundred dollars short. (At least I had prepared him not to waste money on M$ Office) Perhaps as a sop to his grandfather he did say that since he cannot afford a Mac and has to buy a PC he doesn't want Windows on it but would like me to put Ubuntu on it like he has at home. So... now we need tools to keep him safe on the Internet. In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? Other suggestions or recommendations? Many thanks, Georges From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Wed Sep 21 13:40:07 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:40:07 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> References: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> Message-ID: <4E7A2177.2040607@bibleseven.com> OpenDNS has excellent services and support. No filter is bulletproof but theirs have generic filters and may also be customized. > In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from > Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so > at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the > Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need > WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). > > So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome > Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? > > Other suggestions or recommendations? > > Many thanks, > > Georges > > -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From hpp3 at lavabit.com Wed Sep 21 15:17:27 2011 From: hpp3 at lavabit.com (Eddy Martin) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:17:27 -0700 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> References: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> Message-ID: <4E7A3847.9030406@lavabit.com> On 09/21/2011 10:28 AM, Georges Rodier wrote: > Our grandson has just started high school here in Canada and has bought > his own notebook PC "for homework". He wanted a Mac, "because that's > what I've used all through school and that's what many of the kids > have." But... since he had to pay with his own money he found himself a > few hundred dollars short. (At least I had prepared him not to waste > money on M$ Office) > > Perhaps as a sop to his grandfather he did say that since he cannot > afford a Mac and has to buy a PC he doesn't want Windows on it but would > like me to put Ubuntu on it like he has at home. So... now we need tools > to keep him safe on the Internet. > > In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from > Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so > at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the > Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need > WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). > > So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome > Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? > > Other suggestions or recommendations? > > Many thanks, > > Georges > > > _______________________________________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians > For WiFi access at school, I would suggest all parties concerned have a discussion with the school about filtering their access. My guess is they do already, but make sure before opening that can of worms. The OpenDNS Family Shield is the same as the standard OpenDNS filters with certain 'family-oriented' categories enabled. You'll get as much or better just defining your own filters. I have used DansGuardian in the past, and it works well, but best installed on a separate box used as a proxy. http://dansguardian.org Caveat is, that will only work at home. I have used the ProCon Latte Firefox extension for in-browser filtering. It can be installed "locked" so it cannot be uninstalled, configured or disabled without a password. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/procon-latte/ With Mozilla going off the deep end with version numbering, you'll have to hack the 'install.rdf' file to force it to work on Firefox versions over 4. Works fine once that's done, however. Here's a very good article on Content Filtering for Linux; their winner is Privoxy (which I'd never heard of) and includes reviews of Gnome Nanny, FoxFilter and others. http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/6-of-the-best-content-filters-for-linux-698307?artc_pg=1 Hope this helps... -Eddy From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Wed Sep 21 21:07:33 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:07:33 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Thursday - Amos 1 - 5 Message-ID: <4E7A8A55.8080400@bibleseven.com> Thursday Amos 1 - 5 Introduction 1:1 The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. He was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him during the time of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake. God Will Judge the Surrounding Nations 1:2 Amos said: "The Lord comes roaring out of Zion; from Jerusalem he comes bellowing! The shepherds' pastures wilt; the summit of Carmel withers." 1:3 This is what the Lord says: "Because Damascus has committed three crimes -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped through Gilead like threshing sledges with iron teeth. 1:4 So I will set Hazael's house on fire; fire will consume Ben Hadad's fortresses. 1:5 I will break the bar on the gate of Damascus. I will remove the ruler from Wicked Valley, the one who holds the royal scepter from Beth Eden. The people of Aram will be deported to Kir." The Lord has spoken! 1:6 This is what the Lord says: "Because Gaza has committed three crimes -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They deported a whole community and sold them to Edom. 1:7 So I will set Gaza's city wall on fire; fire will consume her fortresses. 1:8 I will remove the ruler from Ashdod, the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. I will strike Ekron with my hand; the rest of the Philistines will also die." The sovereign Lord has spoken! 1:9 This is what the Lord says: "Because Tyre has committed three crimes -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold a whole community to Edom; they failed to observe a treaty of brotherhood. 1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre's city wall; fire will consume her fortresses." 1:11 This is what the Lord says: "Because Edom has committed three crimes -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. He chased his brother with a sword; he wiped out his allies. In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 1:12 So I will set Teman on fire; fire will consume Bozrah's fortresses." 1:13 This is what the Lord says: "Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped open Gilead's pregnant women so they could expand their territory. 1:14 So I will set fire to Rabbah's city wall; fire will consume her fortresses. War cries will be heard on the day of battle; a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. 1:15 Ammon's king will be deported; he and his officials will be carried off together." The Lord has spoken! 2:1 This is what the Lord says: "Because Moab has committed three crimes -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They burned the bones of Edom's king into lime. 2:2 So I will set Moab on fire, and it will consume Kerioth's fortresses. Moab will perish in the heat of battle amid war cries and the blaring of the ram's horn. 2:3 I will remove Moab's leader; I will kill all Moab's officials with him." The Lord has spoken! 2:4 This is what the Lord says: "Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They rejected the Lord's law; they did not obey his commands. Their false gods, to which their fathers were loyal, led them astray. 2:5 So I will set Judah on fire, and it will consume Jerusalem's fortresses." God Will Judge Israel 2:6 This is what the Lord says: "Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions -- make that four! -- I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold the innocent for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals. 2:7 They trample on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; they push the destitute away. A man and his father go to the same girl; in this way they show disrespect for my moral purity. 2:8 They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral; they do so right beside every altar! They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied; they do so right in the temple of their God! 2:9 For Israel's sake I destroyed the Amorites. They were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks, but I destroyed the fruit on their branches and their roots in the ground. 2:10 I brought you up from the land of Egypt; I led you through the wilderness for forty years so you could take the Amorites' land as your own. 2:11 I made some of your sons prophets and some of your young men Nazirites. Is this not true, you Israelites?" The Lord is speaking! 2:12 "But you made the Nazirites drink wine; you commanded the prophets, 'Do not prophesy!' 2:13 Look! I will press you down, like a cart loaded down with grain presses down. 2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; strong men will have no strength left; warriors will not be able to save their lives. 2:15 Archers will not hold their ground; fast runners will not save their lives, nor will those who ride horses. 2:16 Bravehearted warriors will run away naked in that day." The Lord is speaking! Every Effect has its Cause 3:1 Listen, you Israelites, to this message which the Lord is proclaiming against you! This message is for the entire clan I brought up from the land of Egypt: 3:2 "I have chosen you alone from all the clans of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins." 3:3 Do two walk together without having met? 3:4 Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey? Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something? 3:5 Does a bird swoop down into a trap on the ground if there is no bait? Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has surely caught something? 3:6 If an alarm sounds in a city, do people not fear? If disaster overtakes a city, is the Lord not responsible? 3:7 Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. 3:8 A lion has roared! Who is not afraid? The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy? Samaria Will Fall 3:9 Make this announcement in the fortresses of Ashdod and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt. Say this: "Gather on the hills around Samaria! Observe the many acts of violence taking place within the city, the oppressive deeds occurring in it." 3:10 "They do not know how to do what is right." (The Lord is speaking.) "They store up the spoils of destructive violence in their fortresses. 3:11 Therefore," says the sovereign Lord, "an enemy will encircle the land. He will take away your power; your fortresses will be looted." 3:12 This is what the Lord says: "Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion's mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. They will be left with just a corner of a bed, and a part of a couch." 3:13 Listen and warn the family of Jacob! The sovereign Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking! 3:14 "Certainly when I punish Israel for their covenant transgressions, I will destroy Bethel's altars. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 3:15 I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. The houses filled with ivory will be ruined, the great houses will be swept away." The Lord is speaking! 4:1 Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan who live on Mount Samaria! You oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your husbands, "Bring us more to drink!" 4:2 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his own holy character: "Certainly the time is approaching when you will be carried away in baskets, every last one of you in fishermen's pots. 4:3 Each of you will go straight through the gaps in the walls; you will be thrown out toward Harmon." The Lord is speaking! Israel has an Appointment with God 4:4 "Go to Bethel and rebel! At Gilgal rebel some more! Bring your sacrifices in the morning, your tithes on the third day! 4:5 Burn a thank offering of bread made with yeast! Make a public display of your voluntary offerings! For you love to do this, you Israelites." The sovereign Lord is speaking! 4:6 "But surely I gave you no food to eat in any of your cities; you lacked food everywhere you live. Still you did not come back to me." The Lord is speaking! 4:7 "I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. I gave rain to one city, but not to another. One field would get rain, but the field that received no rain dried up. 4:8 People from two or three cities staggered into one city to get water, but remained thirsty. Still you did not come back to me." The Lord is speaking! 4:9 "I destroyed your crops with blight and disease. Locusts kept devouring your orchards, vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees. Still you did not come back to me." The Lord is speaking! 4:10 "I sent against you a plague like one of the Egyptian plagues. I killed your young men with the sword, along with the horses you had captured. I made the stench from the corpses rise up into your nostrils. Still you did not come back to me." The Lord is speaking! 4:11 "I overthrew some of you the way God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the flames. Still you did not come back to me." The Lord is speaking! 4:12 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel. Because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel! 4:13 For here he is! He formed the mountains and created the wind. He reveals his plans to men. He turns the dawn into darkness and marches on the heights of the earth. The Lord, the God who commands armies, is his name!" Death is Imminent 5:1 Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, family of Israel: 5:2 "The virgin Israel has fallen down and will not get up again. She is abandoned on her own land with no one to help her get up." 5:3 The sovereign Lord says this: "The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out with a hundred soldiers will have only ten left for the family of Israel." 5:4 The Lord says this to the family of Israel: "Seek me so you can live! 5:5 Do not seek Bethel! Do not visit Gilgal! Do not journey down to Beer Sheba! For the people of Gilgal will certainly be carried into exile; and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds." 5:6 Seek the Lord so you can live! Otherwise he will break out like fire against Joseph's family; the fire will consume and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel. 5:7 The Israelites turn justice into bitterness; they throw what is fair and right to the ground. 5:8 (But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion; he can turn the darkness into morning and daylight into night. He summons the water of the seas and pours it out on the earth's surface. The Lord is his name! 5:9 He flashes destruction down upon the strong so that destruction overwhelms the fortified places.) 5:10 The Israelites hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; they despise anyone who speaks honestly. 5:11 Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops and exact a grain tax from them, you will not live in the houses you built with chiseled stone, nor will you drink the wine from the fine vineyards you planted. 5:12 Certainly I am aware of your many rebellious acts and your numerous sins. You torment the innocent, you take bribes, and you deny justice to the needy at the city gate. 5:13 For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time. 5:14 Seek good and not evil so you can live! Then the Lord, the God who commands armies, just might be with you, as you claim he is. 5:15 Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph. 5:16 Because of Israel's sins this is what the Lord, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One, says: "In all the squares there will be wailing, in all the streets they will mourn the dead. They will tell the field workers to lament and the professional mourners to wail. 5:17 In all the vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst," says the Lord. The Lord Demands Justice 5:18 Woe to those who wish for the day of the Lord! Why do you want the Lord's day of judgment to come? It will bring darkness, not light. 5:19 Disaster will be inescapable, as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear, then escaped into a house, leaned his hand against the wall, and was bitten by a poisonous snake. 5:20 Don't you realize the Lord's day of judgment will bring darkness, not light -- gloomy blackness, not bright light? 5:21 "I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies! 5:22 Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. 5:23 Take away from me your noisy songs; I don't want to hear the music of your stringed instruments. 5:24 Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up. 5:25 You did not bring me sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family of Israel. 5:26 You will pick up your images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kiyyun, your star god, which you made for yourselves, 5:27 and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord. He is called the God who commands armies! Prayer Lord, You teach and You encourage and You warn and still Your people rebel, yet Your patience is not endless. May I learn from the past and not test Your patience with unrepentant sin. Summary & Commentary Amos delivered his prophesies "Listen, you Israelites, to this message which the Lord is proclaiming against you! This message is for the entire clan I brought up from the land of Egypt: "I have chosen you alone from all the clans of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins." Do two walk together without having met? If an alarm sounds in a city, do people not fear? If disaster overtakes a city, is the Lord not responsible? Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who is not afraid? The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy?" He warned them that judgment was coming for all of the nations and all of the tribes who had rebelled and who had committed terrible sins -- and who remained unrepentant. While the Lord God continued to plead with them to return to Him there was to be no escape from a terrible judgment in their immediate future. Amos was primarily delivering his prophesy of judgment to Israel, the Northern region of the divided people of God. Interaction Consider The prophets of the Lord God, despite their reluctance to deliver a prophesy of judgment, felt compelled to do so once He gave that prophesy to them. Discuss Do you find it encouraging that so great was the love of the Lord was that even as He was initiating the judgment of Israel He was still seeking those who would repent and return to Him so that they might be His instruments to preserve a remnant in the exile? Reflect Israel, Damascus, Moab, and others were judged first but Judah and Jerusalem were placed on-notice that unless they ceased from their rebellion what they were about to observe would be their fate as well. Share When have you experienced or observed the delivery of some sort of punishment -- deserved - yet the one delivering it held-out hope for a future reconciliation? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a warning that He wants you to share with someone who is making choices that are harming their relationship with Him and his children. Action: Today I will humbly and prayerfully deliver the Lord's warning. I will share my own experience with His chastising, I will share my own struggle to remain faithful in all things, and I will ask them to pray for me as well. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Friday's text will be: Amos 6 - 9 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shengchieh at linuxwaves.com Wed Sep 21 22:39:02 2011 From: shengchieh at linuxwaves.com (R Sheng-Chieh Cheng) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:39:02 -0700 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen Message-ID: <20110921193902.8E8D695F@resin17.mta.everyone.net> I agree no filter is bulletproof. All one has to do is boot the laptop with a liveCD/liveUSB. The best filter is from the internet provider. So definitely talk w/ the school about their internet. Unfortunately, one could just use the internet at a library, McDonald, etc. It's a losing battle. The other option is to setup some kind of limit to social media. And force him to learn social responsibilities. --- dcolburn at bibleseven.com wrote: From: "dcolburn at bibleseven.com" To: Linux for Christians Cc: Georges Rodier Subject: Re: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:40:07 -0400 OpenDNS has excellent services and support. No filter is bulletproof but theirs have generic filters and may also be customized. > In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from > Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so > at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the > Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need > WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). > > So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome > Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? > > Other suggestions or recommendations? > > Many thanks, > > Georges > > -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _______________________________________________ Linux4christians mailing list Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians _____________________________________________________________ Get your FREE, LinuxWaves.com Email Now! --> http://www.LinuxWaves.com Join Linux Discussions! --> http://Community.LinuxWaves.com From treed873 at gmail.com Thu Sep 22 10:00:50 2011 From: treed873 at gmail.com (=?utf-8?B?dHJlZWQ4NzNAZ21haWwuY29t?=) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:00:50 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] =?utf-8?q?Need_tools_to_safeguard_young-teen?= Message-ID: <4e7b3f95.2591ec0a.1ac3.55b4@mx.google.com> I used Dansguardian for years. It worked really well. It runs locally on the machine. Sent from my HTC Inspire? 4G on AT&T ----- Reply message ----- From: "Georges Rodier" To: "Linux for Christians" Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen Date: Wed, Sep 21, 2011 1:28 pm Our grandson has just started high school here in Canada and has bought his own notebook PC "for homework". He wanted a Mac, "because that's what I've used all through school and that's what many of the kids have." But... since he had to pay with his own money he found himself a few hundred dollars short. (At least I had prepared him not to waste money on M$ Office) Perhaps as a sop to his grandfather he did say that since he cannot afford a Mac and has to buy a PC he doesn't want Windows on it but would like me to put Ubuntu on it like he has at home. So... now we need tools to keep him safe on the Internet. In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? Other suggestions or recommendations? Many thanks, Georges _______________________________________________ Linux4christians mailing list Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From webservant at trinitybclaramie.org Thu Sep 22 10:26:03 2011 From: webservant at trinitybclaramie.org (Peter B. Steiger) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:26:03 -0600 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> References: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> Message-ID: My suggestion is to ditch the software solution and set up the computer in a high traffic area -- living room, den, even kitchen table if necessary -- so he will always have an audience watching whatever he does. I'm a systems administrator myself and I gave up trying to keep the software up with all the junk sites that showed up just inadvertently in google searches, much less the thousands of sites you don't even know exist. *PBS* On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 11:28 AM, Georges Rodier wrote: > Our grandson has just started high school here in Canada and has bought > his own notebook PC "for homework". He wanted a Mac, "because that's > what I've used all through school and that's what many of the kids > have." But... since he had to pay with his own money he found himself a > few hundred dollars short. (At least I had prepared him not to waste > money on M$ Office) > > Perhaps as a sop to his grandfather he did say that since he cannot > afford a Mac and has to buy a PC he doesn't want Windows on it but would > like me to put Ubuntu on it like he has at home. So... now we need tools > to keep him safe on the Internet. > > In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from > Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so > at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the > Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need > WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). > > So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome > Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? > > Other suggestions or recommendations? > > Many thanks, > > Georges > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gorkon at gmail.com Thu Sep 22 10:30:35 2011 From: gorkon at gmail.com (Joel Mclaughlin) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:30:35 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: References: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> Message-ID: DING! A brilliant idea. I do the same. Luke can have his own computer, but it can be only used in the kitchen or living room. On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 10:26 AM, Peter B. Steiger wrote: > My suggestion is to ditch the software solution and set up the computer in a > high traffic area -- living room, den, even kitchen table if necessary -- so > he will always have an audience watching whatever he does.? I'm a systems > administrator myself and I gave up trying to keep the software up with all > the junk sites that showed up just inadvertently in google searches, much > less the thousands of sites you don't even know exist. > > PBS > > On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 11:28 AM, Georges Rodier wrote: >> >> Our grandson has just started high school here in Canada and has bought >> his own notebook PC "for homework". He wanted a Mac, "because that's >> what I've used all through school and that's what many of the kids >> have." But... since he had to pay with his own money he found himself a >> few hundred dollars short. (At least I had prepared him not to waste >> money on M$ Office) >> >> Perhaps as a sop to his grandfather he did say that since he cannot >> afford a Mac and has to buy a PC he doesn't want Windows on it but would >> like me to put Ubuntu on it like he has at home. So... now we need tools >> to keep him safe on the Internet. >> >> In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from >> Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so >> at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the >> Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need >> WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). >> >> So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome >> Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? >> >> Other suggestions or recommendations? >> >> Many thanks, >> >> Georges >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians > > -- Joel McLaughlin Life in Ohio Podcast life.in.ohio.pod at gmail.com gorkon at gmail.com http://lifeinohio.libsyn.com joel at geardiary.com geardiary.com From fmiller at lightlink.com Thu Sep 22 12:32:18 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:32:18 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: <4e7b3f95.2591ec0a.1ac3.55b4@mx.google.com> References: <4e7b3f95.2591ec0a.1ac3.55b4@mx.google.com> Message-ID: <4E7B6312.2080908@lightlink.com> On 09/22/2011 10:00 AM, treed873 at gmail.com wrote: > I used Dansguardian for years. It worked really well. It runs locally > on the machine. But, you have to use a proxy with it (one it likes) which is frequently not what an admin. wants to do. Fred -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hpp3 at lavabit.com Thu Sep 22 13:12:25 2011 From: hpp3 at lavabit.com (Eddy Martin) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:12:25 -0700 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: <4E7B6312.2080908@lightlink.com> References: <4e7b3f95.2591ec0a.1ac3.55b4@mx.google.com> <4E7B6312.2080908@lightlink.com> Message-ID: <4E7B6C79.7020402@lavabit.com> On 09/22/2011 09:32 AM, Fred A. Miller wrote: > On 09/22/2011 10:00 AM, treed873 at gmail.com wrote: >> I used Dansguardian for years. It worked really well. It runs locally >> on the machine. > > But, you have to use a proxy with it (one it likes) which is > frequently not what an admin. wants to do. > > Fred > -- > "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it > tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown > > > > _______________________________________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians > Actually, when I was running Dansguardian, I used TinyProxy instead of Squid. Much easier to set up, much lighter on RAM and CPU. Ubuntu Christian Edition or Ichthux had a script that set it up automagically, can't find it ATM. -Eddy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Thu Sep 22 19:53:51 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:53:51 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: <4E7B6C79.7020402@lavabit.com> References: <4e7b3f95.2591ec0a.1ac3.55b4@mx.google.com> <4E7B6312.2080908@lightlink.com> <4E7B6C79.7020402@lavabit.com> Message-ID: <4E7BCA8F.4040501@lightlink.com> On 09/22/2011 01:12 PM, Eddy Martin wrote: > Actually, when I was running Dansguardian, I used TinyProxy instead of > Squid. > Much easier to set up, much lighter on RAM and CPU. > > Ubuntu Christian Edition or Ichthux had a script that set it up > automagically, can't find it ATM. If I needed it now, I might consider using it, but our kids are all grown up. I just wanted to mention that limitation for anyone who was considering it. Fred -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Thu Sep 22 20:11:54 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:11:54 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - Amos 6 - 9 Message-ID: <4E7BCECA.7060204@bibleseven.com> Friday Amos 6 - 9 The Party is over for the Rich 6:1 Woe to those who live in ease in Zion, to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria. They think of themselves as the elite class of the best nation. The family of Israel looks to them for leadership. 6:2 They say to the people: "Journey over to Calneh and look at it! Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! Then go down to Gath of the Philistines! Are they superior to our two kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?" 6:3 You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, but you establish a reign of violence. 6:4 They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, and sprawl out on their couches. They eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the middle of the pen. 6:5 They sing to the tune of stringed instruments; like David they invent musical instruments. 6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, and pour the very best oils on themselves. Yet they are not concerned over the ruin of Joseph. 6:7 Therefore they will now be the first to go into exile, and the religious banquets where they sprawl on couches will end. 6:8 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking: "I despise Jacob's arrogance; I hate their fortresses. I will hand over to their enemies the city of Samaria and everything in it." 6:9 If ten men are left in one house, they too will die. 6:10 When their close relatives, the ones who will burn the corpses, pick up their bodies to remove the bones from the house, they will say to anyone who is in the inner rooms of the house, "Is anyone else with you?" He will respond, "Be quiet! Don't invoke the Lord's name!" 6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. He will smash the large house to bits, and the small house into little pieces. 6:12 Can horses run on rocky cliffs? Can one plow the sea with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant, and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant. 6:13 You are happy because you conquered Lo-Debar. You say, "Did we not conquer Karnaim by our own power?" 6:14 "Look! I am about to bring a nation against you, family of Israel." The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking. "They will oppress you all the way from Lebo-Hamath to the Stream of the Arabah." Symbolic Visions of Judgment 7:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw him making locusts just as the crops planted late were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest.) 7:2 When they had completely consumed the earth's vegetation, I said, "Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!" 7:3 The Lord decided not to do this. "It will not happen," the Lord said. 7:4 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw the sovereign Lord summoning a shower of fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the fields. 7:5 I said, "Sovereign Lord, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!" 7:6 The Lord decided not to do this. The sovereign Lord said, "This will not happen either." 7:7 He showed me this: I saw the sovereign One standing by a tin wall holding tin in his hand. 7:8 The Lord said to me, "What do you see, Amos?" I said, "Tin." The sovereign One then said, "Look, I am about to place tin among my people Israel. I will no longer overlook their sin. 7:9 Isaac's centers of worship will become desolate; Israel's holy places will be in ruins. I will attack Jeroboam's dynasty with the sword." Amos Confronts a Priest 7:10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent this message to King Jeroboam of Israel: "Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! The land cannot endure all his prophecies. 7:11 As a matter of fact, Amos is saying this: 'Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.'" 7:12 Amaziah then said to Amos, "Leave, you visionary! Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living and prophesy there! 7:13 Don't prophesy at Bethel any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!" 7:14 Amos replied to Amaziah, "I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees. 7:15 Then the Lord took me from tending flocks and gave me this commission, 'Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!' 7:16 So now listen to the Lord's message! You say, 'Don't prophesy against Israel! Don't preach against the family of Isaac!' 7:17 "Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets and your sons and daughters will die violently. Your land will be given to others and you will die in a foreign land. Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.'" More Visions and Messages of Judgment 8:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw a basket of summer fruit. 8:2 He said, "What do you see, Amos?" I replied, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the Lord said to me, "The end has come for my people Israel! I will no longer overlook their sins. 8:3 The women singing in the temple will wail in that day." The sovereign Lord is speaking. "There will be many corpses littered everywhere! Be quiet!" 8:4 Listen to this, you who trample the needy, and do away with the destitute in the land. 8:5 You say, "When will the new moon festival be over, so we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, so we can open up the grain bins? We're eager to sell less for a higher price, and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! 8:6 We're eager to trade silver for the poor, a pair of sandals for the needy! We want to mix in some chaff with the grain!" 8:7 The Lord confirms this oath by the arrogance of Jacob: "I swear I will never forget all you have done! 8:8 Because of this the earth will quake, and all who live in it will mourn. The whole earth will rise like the River Nile, it will surge upward and then grow calm, like the Nile in Egypt. 8:9 In that day," says the sovereign Lord, "I will make the sun set at noon, and make the earth dark in the middle of the day. 8:10 I will turn your festivals into funerals, and all your songs into funeral dirges. I will make everyone wear funeral clothes and cause every head to be shaved bald. I will make you mourn as if you had lost your only son; when it ends it will indeed have been a bitter day. 8:11 Be certain of this, the time is coming," says the sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land -- not a shortage of food or water but an end to divine revelation! 8:12 People will stagger from sea to sea, and from the north around to the east. They will wander about looking for a revelation from the Lord, but they will not find any. 8:13 In that day your beautiful young women and your young men will faint from thirst. 8:14 These are the ones who now take oaths in the name of the sinful idol goddess of Samaria. They vow, 'As surely as your god lives, O Dan,' or 'As surely as your beloved one lives, O Beer Sheba!' But they will fall down and not get up again." 9:1 I saw the sovereign One standing by the altar and he said, "Strike the tops of the support pillars, so the thresholds shake! Knock them down on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the survivors with the sword. No one will be able to run away; no one will be able to escape. 9:2 Even if they could dig down into the netherworld, my hand would pull them up from there. Even if they could climb up to heaven, I would drag them down from there. 9:3 Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel, I would hunt them down and take them from there. Even if they tried to hide from me at the bottom of the sea, from there I would command the Sea Serpent to bite them. 9:4 Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will not let them out of my sight; they will experience disaster, not prosperity." 9:5 The sovereign Lord who commands armies will do this. He touches the earth and it dissolves; all who live on it mourn. The whole earth rises like the River Nile, and then grows calm like the Nile in Egypt. 9:6 He builds the upper rooms of his palace in heaven and sets its foundation supports on the earth. He summons the water of the sea and pours it out on the earth's surface. The Lord is his name. 9:7 "You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight," says the Lord. "Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir. 9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching the sinful nation, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will not completely destroy the family of Jacob," says the Lord. 9:9 "For look, I am giving a command and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations. It will resemble a sieve being shaken, when not even a pebble falls to the ground. 9:10 All the sinners among my people will die by the sword -- the ones who say, 'Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.' The Restoration of the Davidic Dynasty 9:11 "In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut of David. I will seal its gaps, repair its ruins, and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. 9:12 As a result they will conquer those left in Edom and all the nations subject to my rule." The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking! 9:13 "Be sure of this, the time is coming," says the Lord, "when the plowman will catch up to the reaper and the one who stomps the grapes will overtake the planter. Juice will run down the slopes, it will flow down all the hillsides. 9:14 I will bring back my people, Israel; they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble and settle down. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; they will grow orchards and eat the fruit they produce. 9:15 I will plant them on their land and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the Lord your God. Prayer Lord, You approached Your people with love and provision, protection and a process to stay righteous before You -- but they rebelled and remained unrepentant until a terrible judgment remained at the end of Your mercy -- and still You looked ahead to redemption. May I always be certain that You will find a way to bring redemption to each believer and to Your Creation. Summary & Commentary Amos continued his prophesy of judgment upon Israel. He recorded an exchange with the Lord God where three symbolic visions were presented, the first two were of the destruction of Israel, Kudah, and Jerusalem, two which he responded with the plea that Judah could not bear it, the third was against Israel alone. The high priest of Israel, Amaziah, challenged Amos to cease prophesy in Israel and to relocate to Judah. Amos replied that the Lord God had called him into his prophetic ministry and that he would continue as instructed -- and that since Amaziah had disrespected him terrible things would happen to his family and he would be exiled. Amos concluded with a prophesy of hope, that one day the Lord God would restore all of His people to a land made-new. Interaction Consider The arrogance of the Israelites to imagine that the Lord God would not fulfill His prophesies and that they would not suffer consequences for the worship of false idols and for unrepentant sin is incredible. Discuss Why would the priest think that he could get away with disrespecting God's prophet? Reflect The Lord's love for His Creation, despite the Fall, is amazing. Share When have you drifted into sin and resisted efforts to encourage you to repent -- and suffered some consequences you should have known were coming? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place in your life where you are at risk of trouble because of continuing sin. Action: Today I will confess and repent, seek and receive the Lord God's forgiveness, and I will listen more-closely to the Holy Spirit so that I will have the strength and wisdom to live rightly. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Saturday's text will be: Obadiah -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From john.puhalski at gmail.com Fri Sep 23 16:25:27 2011 From: john.puhalski at gmail.com (John Puhalski) Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:25:27 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Need tools to safeguard young-teen In-Reply-To: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> References: <1316626121.1615.38.camel@Leysin.PleinSoleilOuest> Message-ID: I use opendns and I like it. You set it up on your router and it covers all the pc's connected to it. john On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 1:28 PM, Georges Rodier wrote: > Our grandson has just started high school here in Canada and has bought > his own notebook PC "for homework". He wanted a Mac, "because that's > what I've used all through school and that's what many of the kids > have." But... since he had to pay with his own money he found himself a > few hundred dollars short. (At least I had prepared him not to waste > money on M$ Office) > > Perhaps as a sop to his grandfather he did say that since he cannot > afford a Mac and has to buy a PC he doesn't want Windows on it but would > like me to put Ubuntu on it like he has at home. So... now we need tools > to keep him safe on the Internet. > > In addition to porn-prevention his parents want to block him from > Facebook, MySpace, etc. His mother refuses to have WiFi in the house so > at home his Internet access will only be via the wired router in the > Family Room. But what about when he is away from home? And, he may need > WiFi at school (don't have info on that yet). > > So far my searches have turned up FamilyShield (by OpenDNS) and Gnome > Nanny. Does anyone have experience with either of these? > > Other suggestions or recommendations? > > Many thanks, > > Georges > > > _______________________________________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Fri Sep 23 23:17:08 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:17:08 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - Obadiah Message-ID: <4E7D4BB4.3010201@bibleseven.com> Saturday Obadiah God's Judgment on Edom|Edom's Approaching Destruction 1:1 The vision that Obadiah saw. The Lord God says this concerning Edom: God's Judgment on Edom|Edom's Approaching Destruction We have heard a report from the Lord. An envoy was sent among the nations, saying, "Arise! Let us make war against Edom!" 1:2 The Lord says, "Look! I will make you a weak nation; you will be greatly despised! 1:3 Your presumptuous heart has deceived you -- you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs, whose home is high in the mountains. You think to yourself, 'No one can bring me down to the ground!' 1:4 Even if you were to soar high like an eagle, even if you were to make your nest among the stars, I can bring you down even from there!" says the Lord. 1:5 "If thieves came to rob you during the night, they would steal only as much as they wanted! If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards, they would leave some behind for the poor! But you will be totally destroyed! 1:6 How the people of Esau will be thoroughly plundered! Their hidden valuables will be ransacked! 1:7 All your allies will force you from your homeland! Your treaty partners will deceive you and overpower you. Your trusted friends will set an ambush for you that will take you by surprise! 1:8 At that time," the Lord says, "I will destroy the wise sages of Edom! the advisers from Esau's mountain! 1:9 Your warriors will be shattered, O Teman, so that everyone will be destroyed from Esau's mountain! Edom's Treachery Against Judah 1:10 "Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever. 1:11 You stood aloof while strangers took his army captive, and foreigners advanced to his gates. When they cast lots over Jerusalem, you behaved as though you were in league with them. 1:12 You should not have gloated when your relatives suffered calamity. You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed. You should not have boasted when they suffered adversity. 1:13 You should not have entered the city of my people when they experienced distress. You should not have joined in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress. You should not have looted their wealth when they endured distress. 1:14 You should not have stood at the fork in the road to slaughter those trying to escape. You should not have captured their refugees when they suffered adversity. The Coming Day of the Lord 1:15 "For the day of the Lord is approaching for all the nations! Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. You will get exactly what your deeds deserve. 1:16 For just as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations will drink continually. They will drink, and they will gulp down; they will be as though they had never been. 1:17 But on Mount Zion there will be a remnant of those who escape, and it will be a holy place once again. The descendants of Jacob will conquer those who had conquered them. 1:18 The descendants of Jacob will be a fire, and the descendants of Joseph a flame. The descendants of Esau will be like stubble. They will burn them up and devour them. There will not be a single survivor of the descendants of Esau!" Indeed, the Lord has spoken it. 1:19 The people of the Negev will take possession of Esau's mountain, and the people of the Shephelah will take possession of the land of the Philistines. They will also take possession of the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, and the people of Benjamin will take possession of Gilead. 1:20 The exiles of this fortress of the people of Israel will take possession of what belongs to the people of Canaan, as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will take possession of the towns of the Negev. 1:21 Those who have been delivered will go up on Mount Zion in order to rule over Esau's mountain. Then the Lord will reign as King! Prayer Lord, Esau made choice after choice, most of them poor ones. The Lord God knew His heart and therefore his future, thus Esau was "hated" for the purpose of the future as he was an unfit instrument. Obadiah delivered the inevitable prophesy. May I recognize that each decision, piled on top of those which came before it, has a cumulative effect -- before I drift into an Esau-heart may the Holy Spirit lead me to repent and return to a right-place before the Lord God. Summary & Commentary Obadiah was the Lord God's prophet to "... the people of Esau", Edom. Esau had done the forbidden, married a Canaanite woman, actually three of them. He never appears to have been discipled by his father and later failed to demonstrate any serious interest in a relationship with the Lord God. The people who followed, with a few notable exceptions, continued in the same way and became increasingly hostile to the children of God. He recited the list of their offenses, especially those against Israel and Kudah, and then warned them "For the day of the Lord is approaching for all the nations! Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. You will get exactly what your deeds deserve." Obadiah compared the tribes and nations "The descendants of Jacob will be a fire, and the descendants of Joseph a flame. The descendants of Esau will be like stubble. They will burn them up and devour them. There will not be a single survivor of the descendants of Esau! Indeed, the Lord has spoken it." He described how their lands would be redistributed "The people of the Negev will take possession of Esau's mountain, and the people of the Shephelah will take possession of the land of the Philistines. They will also take possession of the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, and the people of Benjamin will take possession of Gilead. The exiles of this fortress of the people of Israel will take possession of what belongs to the people of Canaan, as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will take possession of the towns of the Negev. Those who have been delivered will go up on Mount Zion in order to rule over Esau's mountain." Obadiah concluded "Then the Lord will reign as King!" Interaction Consider Esau was in trouble from the womb as the omniscient Lord God not only knew his heart but He also knows the beginning through the end as He is the Creator of time and therefore not limited to temporary linear time. Discuss Is it not consistent with the entire Word of God that in the end all of ones striving and acquisition of worldly things will be worthless without a saving relationship with the Lord? Reflect While the children of God suffered, mostly due to their own poor choices, in the end a repentant and faithful remnant will be preserved. Share When have you observed someone filled with arrogance toward the Lord God do well in the world's eyes only to end their life empty and sad? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you have been resisting His leading and as a result have built-up a wall between you and the Lord. Action: Today I will confess and repent, seek and receive the Lord God's forgiveness, and I will listen more-closely to the Holy Spirit so that I will not drift into an Esau-heart condition. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Sunday's text will be: Jonah 1:1 - 16 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sat Sep 24 21:01:00 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 21:01:00 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Sunday - Jonah 1:1-16 Message-ID: <4E7E7D4C.6000700@bibleseven.com> Sunday Jonah 1:1-16 Jonah Tries to Run from the Lord 1:1 The Lord said to Jonah son of Amittai, 1:2 "Go immediately to Nineveh, that large capital city, and announce judgment against its people because their wickedness has come to my attention." 1:3 Instead, Jonah immediately headed off to Tarshish to escape from the commission of the Lord. He traveled to Joppa and found a merchant ship heading to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard it to go with them to Tarshish far away from the Lord. 1:4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind on the sea. Such a violent tempest arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break up! 1:5 The sailors were so afraid that each cried out to his own god and they flung the ship's cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold below deck, had lain down, and was sound asleep. 1:6 The ship's captain approached him and said, "What are you doing asleep? Get up! Cry out to your god! Perhaps your god might take notice of us so that we might not die!" 1:7 The sailors said to one another, "Come on, let's cast lots to find out whose fault it is that this disaster has overtaken us." So they cast lots, and Jonah was singled out. 1:8 They said to him, "Tell us, whose fault is it that this disaster has overtaken us? What's your occupation? Where do you come from? What's your country? And who are your people?" 1:9 He said to them, "I am a Hebrew! And I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." 1:10 Hearing this, the men became even more afraid and said to him, "What have you done?" (The men said this because they knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had previously told them.) 1:11 Because the storm was growing worse and worse, they said to him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?" 1:12 He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea to make the sea quiet down, because I know it's my fault you are in this severe storm." 1:13 Instead, they tried to row back to land, but they were not able to do so because the storm kept growing worse and worse. 1:14 So they cried out to the Lord, "Oh, please, Lord, don't let us die on account of this man! Don't hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, Lord, have done just as you pleased." 1:15 So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. 1:16 The men feared the Lord greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord. Prayer Lord, Your desire to bring hope to wretches like us, as well as to the historically-brutal Ninevites, is consistent with Your character as a loving God of grace and of mercy. May I praise You for Your patient and persistent love for me. Summary & Commentary The Lord said go and Jonah said no. The beneficiaries of the prophetic ministry assigned to Jonah were the people of Ninevah. Jonah and his people despised them because of their exceptionally brutal conduct during war and in their vicious treatment of captive people. Jonah discovered that what David had written was true -- there is nowhere one may go to escape the presence of the Lord God. Because of his rebellion Jonah placed many others, the Ninevites and the sailors (and fellow passengers) in jeopardy. When confronted Jonah finally acknowledged his responsibility for the trouble and accepted that he had to sacrifice himself to save the others, despite their resistance he finally persuaded them to throw him overboard, which they reluctantly did. The men promised to sacrifice to the Lord to cover their fear of punishment. Interaction Consider Jonah placed national/tribal emotions ahead of the calling of the Lord. Discuss Why would Jonah have thought he could disobey and then hide from the Lord God? Reflect The sailors were placed in a terrible predicament, to die in a storm that was caused by a prophet of the Lord God, or to throw that prophet into the sea to die and maybe survive the storm -- and be punished by the Lord God. Share When have you been trapped between emotional desires of the world and what you know to be different expectations of the Lord? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you are placing your human emotional response ahead of His heavenly spiritual perspective. Action: Today I will give praise and thanks to the Lord God for His patience with me. I will confess and repent of that place in my life where I have been allowing anger, bitterness, greed, laziness, lust, revenge, selfishness, or some other emotion to hold first-place instead of the fruits of Your Holy Spirit Who lives in me. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Monday's text will be: Jonah 1:17 -- 2:10 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! 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URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Sun Sep 25 21:57:04 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:57:04 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Monday_-_Jonah_1=3A17_=96_2?= =?windows-1252?q?=3A10?= Message-ID: <4E7FDBF0.2040309@bibleseven.com> Monday Jonah 1:17 ? 2:10 1:17 Jonah Prays The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. 2:1 Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish 2:2 and said, ?I called out to the Lord from my distress, and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol I cried out for help, and you heard my prayer. 2:3 You threw me into the deep waters, into the middle of the sea; the ocean current engulfed me; all the mighty waves you sent swept over me. 2:4 I thought I had been banished from your sight, that I would never again see your holy temple! 2:5 Water engulfed me up to my neck; the deep ocean surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 2:6 I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains; the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever; but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God. 2:7 When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the Lord, and my prayer came to your holy temple. 2:8 Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs. 2:9 But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise; I will surely do what I have promised. Salvation belongs to the Lord!? 2:10 Then the Lord commanded the fish and it disgorged Jonah on dry land. Prayer Lord, You brought Jonah where he could recognize and repent of his sin, then You rescued him. May I not make it necessary for You to get my attention in such a profound way. Summary & Commentary Jonah was rescued by the Lord God Who sent a great fish to swallow him, keeping him from drowning. While inside the fish Jonah prayed and reflected ? confessed his sin and his fear that his separation from the Lord God could be permanent - then he repented. Jonah observed that just as he thought he would die the Lord God reached-out and saved him. He also observed that those who worshiped false idols would miss that mercy. The Lord caused the fish to swim to a beach near the city of Nineveh and to spit-out Jonah there. Interaction Consider The Lord God created an opportunity for Jonah to be isolated where he could recognize his sin, and then repent of it. Discuss Why would the Lord God have confronted Jonah rather than discarding him and replacing him? Reflect While needing the mercy of the Lord, in the way that Jonah did, is something we'd rather avoid ? it is encouraging to know that it is available ? and sad that the unsaved have no such access. Share When have you benefited from the mercy of the Lord? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you have been resisting the Lord God's call to a ministry project and He may have to get your attention because you are allowing some flesh-based attitude to block the way. Action: Today I will confess and repent, seek and receive the Lord God's forgiveness, and then overcome my flesh-based resistance and in-faith with His power complete the task He has assigned to me. It may be confronting a brother or sister in sin, it may be sharing the Word with something who is considering-Christ, it may be confessing your own sin, it may be seeking forgiveness from someone you find difficult to deal with, or something else. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Tuesday's text will be: Jonah 3:1 ? 4:1 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za Mon Sep 26 16:58:11 2011 From: raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za (Raoul Snyman) Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:58:11 +0200 Subject: [Linux4christians] OpenLP 1.9.7 released! Message-ID: <1557599.5oo8ImZDil@animal> OpenLP one point nine point seven, "Joyful John" aka beta 3, has been released! http://openlp.org/en/blog/2011/09/25/openlp-one-point-nine-point-seven-joyful- john-aka-beta-3-has-been-released -- Raoul Snyman, B.Tech IT (Software Engineering) Saturn Laboratories m: 082 550 3754 e: raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za w: http://www.saturnlaboratories.co.za b: blog.saturnlaboratories.co.za From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Mon Sep 26 20:47:54 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:47:54 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Tuesday_-_Jonah_3=3A1_=96_4?= =?windows-1252?q?=3A1?= Message-ID: <4E811D3A.2030803@bibleseven.com> Tuesday Jonah 3:1 ? 4:1 The People of Nineveh Respond to Jonah?s Warning 3:1 The Lord said to Jonah a second time, 3:2 ?Go immediately to Nineveh, that large city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.? 3:3 So Jonah went immediately to Nineveh, as the Lord had said. (Now Nineveh was an enormous city ? it required three days to walk through it!) 3:4 When Jonah began to enter the city one day?s walk, he announced, ?At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!? 3:5 The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 3:6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes. 3:7 He issued a proclamation and said, ?In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, cattle or sheep, is to taste anything; they must not eat and they must not drink water. 3:8 Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly to God, and everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do. 3:9 Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.? 3:10 When God saw their actions ? they turned from their evil way of living! ? God relented concerning the judgment he had threatened them with and he did not destroy them. Jonah Responds to God?s Kindness 4:1 This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry. 4:2 He prayed to the Lord and said, ?Oh, Lord, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish! ? because I knew that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment. 4:3 So now, Lord, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!? 4:4 The Lord said, ?Are you really so very angry?? 4:5 Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made a shelter for himself there and sat down under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city. 4:6 The Lord God appointed a little plant and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue him from his misery. Now Jonah was very delighted about the little plant. 4:7 So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up. 4:8 When the sun began to shine, God sent a hot east wind. So the sun beat down on Jonah?s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life, and said, ?I would rather die than live!? 4:9 God said to Jonah, ?Are you really so very angry about the little plant?? And he said, ?I am as angry as I could possibly be!? 4:10 The Lord said, ?You were upset about this little plant, something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. 4:11 Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals!? Prayer Lord, Jonah tried to foil You plan to offer mercy to the enemies of his people, but You overcame his resistance. May I be a willing instrument of Your mercy no matter to whom You may choose to offer it. Summary & Commentary Jonah obeyed the Lord God, went to Nineveh, and walked a third of the way across the city (on-days walk) then proclaimed the message he had been given ?At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!? From the people to the king they were terrified and responded with clothing of repentance and by fasting and they even turned ?... from their evil way of living and from ... violence?. The Lord God was impressed by their repentance and relented from His angry judgment. Jonah, who despised the Ninevites for their violence against his people, was angry ? for the Lord had done as he feared ? shown mercy, and He had used him as His agent to make that possible. He declared that he would rather die than see the Ninevites forgiven and that he had fled from his mission from the Lord God because he wanted to prevent them from being forgiven. The Lord God questioned him if he was really that angry and watched as Jonah left the city, made himself a shelter from the sun, and watched hopeful that the city would not succeed in avoiding destruction. The Lord God caused a small plant to grow very large and to provide Jonah with a great deal more shade than his little shelter and so Jonah was quite pleased with the plant. In the morning the Lord caused the plant to die and a hot wind to overcome Jonah ? who complained again that he'd be better-off dead. The Lord questioned him about his anger at the death of the plant, which he had neither planted nor fed, but not the greatly-populated city of Nineveh ?... more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals!? Interaction Consider The Lord God said that the Ninevites ?... do not know right from wrong?, which means that they had never been taught about Him. Jonah must have been preaching the entire first day's walk into the city before declaring the impending judgment of the Lord. Discuss Why would Jonah have continued to watch the city in expectation of destruction when the Lord God had already told him that He had decided to withhold it? Reflect Jonah's petulant disregard for the Lord's sovereign decision to give mercy to those whom he, a mere human, thought unworthy was hypocritical since he had only just experienced mercy ? both before and after his ministry to the city. Share When have you experienced or observed someone challenging the Lord God's decision(s)? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you have, in the past, questioned a decision of the Lord ? but learned and come to appreciate His perfect wisdom. Action: Today I will humbly and prayerfully ask that I be shown another place where I may be doubting the mercy, or some other redemptive action, of the Lord - so that I may again learn to trust His grace and wisdom even more. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Wednesday's text will be: Micah -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Tue Sep 27 00:11:06 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:11:06 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] OT: An FYI from a Linux elist. Message-ID: <4E814CDA.60605@lightlink.com> On 27/09/11 07:14, Rashkae wrote: > Am I the only one who thinks this is actually a good idea from MS? This so-called secure boot applies only to UEFI and not BIOS. But yes, I think it's a good idea that Windows 8 cannot be installed in BIOS computers (currently more than 99% of all existing computers), that Windows 7 (or older) cannot upgrade to Windows 8. Microsoft revenue stream, since Wins 98, has been from upgrades. I'll be cheering if they do that. -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Tue Sep 27 00:29:03 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:29:03 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] OT: Reengineering the Windows boot experience - Building Windows 8 Message-ID: <4E81510F.10100@lightlink.com> This answers some questions about BIOS based boxen and 'Bloze 8. Fred Windows 8 will also enter the market in a time when the industry is shifting to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) for BIOS on all new client systems. We will continue to support the legacy BIOS interface, but machines using the UEFI interface will have significantly richer capabilities. For instance, UEFI systems can render rich graphical experiences in native resolution via the Graphic Output Protocol (GOP) driver. With UEFI, the OS can finally communicate with boot firmware in a standard way; this work is strongly supported by standards work in UEFI and the TCG (Trusted Computing Group). This enables such features as secure boot, where the OS and firmware cooperate in creating a secure handoff mechanism. It also enables a seamless visual experience from the time you hit the power button -- one experience owned by two distinct components. http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/20/reengineering-the-windows-boot-experience.aspx -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bromichaelhenry at gmail.com Tue Sep 27 02:52:35 2011 From: bromichaelhenry at gmail.com (Michael Henry) Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:52:35 -0500 Subject: [Linux4christians] OpenLP 1.9.7 released! In-Reply-To: <1557599.5oo8ImZDil@animal> References: <1557599.5oo8ImZDil@animal> Message-ID: Thank you so much for your work on OpenLP. Will play with it this week. On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 3:58 PM, Raoul Snyman < raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za> wrote: > OpenLP one point nine point seven, "Joyful John" aka beta 3, has been > released! > > > http://openlp.org/en/blog/2011/09/25/openlp-one-point-nine-point-seven-joyful- > john-aka-beta-3-has-been-released > > > -- > Raoul Snyman, B.Tech IT (Software Engineering) > Saturn Laboratories > m: 082 550 3754 > e: raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za > w: http://www.saturnlaboratories.co.za > b: blog.saturnlaboratories.co.za > _______________________________________________ > Linux4christians mailing list > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians > -- Bro. Michael Henry Associate Pastor Monticello Christian Church Be kinder than necessary. Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life for a life -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Tue Sep 27 19:53:28 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:53:28 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - Micah Message-ID: <4E8261F8.7050401@bibleseven.com> Wednesday Micah Introduction 1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to Micah of Moresheth. He delivered this message during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The prophecies pertain to Samaria and Jerusalem. The Judge is Coming 1:2 Listen, all you nations! Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth! The sovereign Lord will testify against you; the Lord will accuse you from his majestic palace. 1:3 Look, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling place! He will descend and march on the earth's mountaintops! 1:4 The mountains will disintegrate beneath him, and the valleys will be split in two. The mountains will melt like wax in a fire, the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope. 1:5 All this is because of Jacob's rebellion and the sins of the nation of Israel. How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! Where are Judah's pagan worship centers, you ask? They are right in Jerusalem! 1:6 "I will turn Samaria into a heap of ruins in an open field -- vineyards will be planted there! I will tumble the rubble of her stone walls down into the valley, and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. 1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces; all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. I will make a waste heap of all her images. Since she gathered the metal as a prostitute collects her wages, the idols will become a prostitute's wages again." 1:8 For this reason I will mourn and wail; I will walk around barefoot and without my outer garments. I will howl like a wild dog, and screech like an owl. 1:9 For Samaria's disease is incurable. It has infected Judah; it has spread to the leadership of my people and has even contaminated Jerusalem! 1:10 Don't spread the news in Gath! Don't shed even a single tear! In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust! 1:11 Residents of Shaphir, pass by in nakedness and humiliation! The residents of Zaanan can't leave their city. Beth Ezel mourns, "He takes from you what he desires." 1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth hope for something good to happen, though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem. 1:13 Residents of Lachish, hitch the horses to the chariots! You influenced Daughter Zion to sin, for Israel's rebellious deeds can be traced back to you! 1:14 Therefore you will have to say farewell to Moresheth Gath. The residents of Achzib will be as disappointing as a dried up well to the kings of Israel. 1:15 Residents of Mareshah, a conqueror will attack you, the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam. 1:16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; shave your foreheads as bald as an eagle, for they are taken from you into exile. Land Robbers Will Lose their Land 2:1 Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead, those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed. As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, because they have the power to do so. 2:2 They confiscate the fields they desire, and seize the houses they want. They defraud people of their homes, and deprive people of the land they have inherited. 2:3 Therefore the Lord says this: "Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of catastrophe. 2:4 In that day people will sing this taunt song to you -- they will mock you with this lament: 'We are completely destroyed; they sell off the property of my people. How they remove it from me! They assign our fields to the conqueror.' 2:5 Therefore no one will assign you land in the Lord's community. 2:6 'Don't preach with such impassioned rhetoric,' they say excitedly. 'These prophets should not preach of such things; we will not be overtaken by humiliation.' 2:7 Does the family of Jacob say, 'The Lord's patience can't be exhausted -- he would never do such things'? To be sure, my commands bring a reward for those who obey them, 2:8 but you rise up as an enemy against my people. You steal a robe from a friend, from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a war. 2:9 You wrongly evict widows among my people from their cherished homes. You defraud their children of their prized inheritance. 2:10 But you are the ones who will be forced to leave! For this land is not secure! Sin will thoroughly destroy it! 2:11 If a lying windbag should come and say, 'I'll promise you blessings of wine and beer,' he would be just the right preacher for these people! The Lord Will Restore His People 2:12 I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob, I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain. I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in the middle of a pasture; they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise. 2:13 The one who can break through barriers will lead them out they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave. Their king will advance before them, The Lord himself will lead them. God Will Judge Judah's Sinful Leaders 3:1 I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel! You ought to know what is just, 3:2 yet you hate what is good, and love what is evil. You flay my people's skin and rip the flesh from their bones. 3:3 You devour my people's flesh, strip off their skin, and crush their bones. You chop them up like flesh in a pot -- like meat in a kettle. 3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time, because they have done such wicked deeds." 3:5 This is what the Lord says: "The prophets who mislead my people are as good as dead. If someone gives them enough to eat, they offer an oracle of peace. But if someone does not give them food, they are ready to declare war on him. 3:6 Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions; it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads. 3:7 The prophets will be ashamed; the omen readers will be humiliated. All of them will cover their mouths, for they will receive no divine oracles." 3:8 But I am full of the courage that the Lord's Spirit gives, and have a strong commitment to justice. This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion, and Israel with its sin. 3:9 Listen to this, you leaders of the family of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel! You hate justice and pervert all that is right. 3:10 You build Zion through bloody crimes, Jerusalem through unjust violence. 3:11 Her leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, her priests proclaim rulings for profit, and her prophets read omens for pay. Yet they claim to trust the Lord and say, "The Lord is among us. Disaster will not overtake us!" 3:12 Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed up like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the Temple Mount will become a hill overgrown with brush! Better Days Ahead for Jerusalem 4:1 In the future the Lord's Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; it will be more prominent than other hills. People will stream to it. 4:2 Many nations will come, saying, "Come on! Let's go up to the Lord's mountain, to the temple of Jacob's God, so he can teach us his commands and we can live by his laws." For Zion will be the source of instruction; the Lord's teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. 4:3 He will arbitrate between many peoples and settle disputes between many distant nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not use weapons against other nations, and they will no longer train for war. 4:4 Each will sit under his own grapevine or under his own fig tree without any fear. The Lord who commands armies has decreed it. 4:5 Though all the nations follow their respective gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever. Restoration Will Follow Crisis 4:6 "In that day," says the Lord, "I will gather the lame, and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. 4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, and those far off into a mighty nation. The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion, from that day forward and forevermore." 4:8 As for you, watchtower for the flock, fortress of Daughter Zion -- your former dominion will be restored, the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem. 4:9 Jerusalem, why are you now shouting so loudly? Has your king disappeared? Has your wise leader been destroyed? Is this why pain grips you as if you were a woman in labor? 4:10 Twist and strain, Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor! For you will leave the city and live in the open field. You will go to Babylon, but there you will be rescued. There the Lord will deliver you from the power of your enemies. 4:11 Many nations have now assembled against you. They say, "Jerusalem must be desecrated, so we can gloat over Zion!" 4:12 But they do not know what the Lord is planning; they do not understand his strategy. He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed at the threshing floor. 4:13 "Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion! For I will give you iron horns; I will give you bronze hooves, and you will crush many nations." You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them, and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler of the whole earth. 5:1 But now slash yourself, daughter surrounded by soldiers! We are besieged! With a scepter they strike Israel's ruler on the side of his face. A King Will Come and a Remnant Will Prosper 5:2 As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah -- from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past. 5:3 So the Lord will hand the people of Israel over to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of the king's countrymen will return to be reunited with the people of Israel. 5:4 He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the Lord's strength, by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth. 5:5 He will give us peace. Should the Assyrians try to invade our land and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, we will send against them seven shepherd-rulers, make that eight commanders. 5:6 They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with a drawn sword. Our king will rescue us from the Assyrians should they attempt to invade our land and try to set foot in our territory. 5:7 Those survivors from Jacob will live in the midst of many nations. They will be like the dew the Lord sends, like the rain on the grass, that does not hope for men to come or wait around for humans to arrive. 5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations, in the midst of many peoples. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which attacks when it passes through; it rips its prey and there is no one to stop it. 5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed! The Lord Will Purify His People 5:10 "In that day," says the Lord, "I will destroy your horses from your midst, and smash your chariots. 5:11 I will destroy the cities of your land, and tear down all your fortresses. 5:12 I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. 5:13 I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst; you will no longer worship what your own hands made. 5:14 I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst, and destroy your idols. 5:15 I will angrily seek vengeance on the nations that do not obey me." The Lord Demands Justice, not Ritual 6:1 Listen to what the Lord says: "Get up! Defend yourself before the mountains! Present your case before the hills!" 6:2 Hear the Lord's accusation, you mountains, you enduring foundations of the earth! For the Lord has a case against his people; he has a dispute with Israel! 6:3 "My people, how have I wronged you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! 6:4 In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I delivered you from that place of slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. 6:5 My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you, how Balaam son of Beor responded to him. Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal, so you might acknowledge that the Lord has treated you fairly." 6:6 With what should I enter the Lord's presence? With what should I bow before the sovereign God? Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? 6:7 Will the Lord accept a thousand rams, or ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion, my offspring -- my own flesh and blood -- for my sin? 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God. 6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city! It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! 6:10 "I will not overlook, O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. 6:11 I do not condone the use of rigged scales, or a bag of deceptive weights. 6:12 The city's rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; her inhabitants lie, their tongues speak deceptive words. 6:13 I will strike you brutally and destroy you because of your sin. 6:14 You will eat, but not be satisfied. Even if you have the strength to overtake some prey, you will not be able to carry it away; if you do happen to carry away something, I will deliver it over to the sword. 6:15 You will plant crops, but will not harvest them; you will squeeze oil from the olives, but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies; you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink. 6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri, and all the practices of Ahab's dynasty; you follow their policies. Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, the city's inhabitants will be taunted derisively, and nations will mock all of you." Micah Laments Judah's Sin 7:1 I am depressed! Indeed, it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered, and the grapes have been harvested. There is no grape cluster to eat, no fresh figs that I crave so much. 7:2 Faithful men have disappeared from the land; there are no godly men left. They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood; they hunt their own brother with a net. 7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; government officials and judges take bribes, prominent men make demands, and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. 7:4 The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen -- your appointed time of punishment -- is on the way, and then you will experience confusion. 7:5 Do not rely on a friend; do not trust a companion! Don't even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! 7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool, a daughter challenges her mother, and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are his own servants. 7:7 But I will keep watching for the Lord; I will wait for the God who delivers me. My God will hear my lament. Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated 7:8 My enemies, do not gloat over me! Though I have fallen, I will get up. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. 7:9 I must endure the Lord's anger, for I have sinned against him. But then he will defend my cause, and accomplish justice on my behalf. He will lead me out into the light; I will experience firsthand his deliverance. 7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame. They say to me, "Where is the Lord your God?" I will gloat over them. Then they will be trampled down like mud in the streets. 7:11 It will be a day for rebuilding your walls; in that day your boundary will be extended. A Closing Prayer 7:12 In that day people will come to you from Assyria as far as Egypt, from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River, from the seacoasts and the mountains. 7:13 The earth will become desolate because of what its inhabitants have done. 7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd's rod, the flock that belongs to you, the one that lives alone in a thicket, in the midst of a pastureland. Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, as they did in the old days. 7:15 "As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt, I will show you miraculous deeds." 7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by all their strength, they will put their hands over their mouths, and act as if they were deaf. 7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake, like serpents crawling on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds to the Lord our God; they will be terrified of you. 7:18 There is no other God like you! You forgive sin and pardon the rebellion of those who remain among your people. You do not remain angry forever, but delight in showing loyal love. 7:19 You will once again have mercy on us; you will conquer our evil deeds; you will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea. 7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob and extend your loyal love to Abraham, which you promised on oath to our ancestors in ancient times. Prayer Lord, Your consistent message was of teaching, encouraging, and facilitating, followed by warning when the people drifted, followed by judgment when they were unrepentant, but then You always held-out the possibility of redemption. May I know Your heart so that when I stumble I return to You with a repentant heart -- knowing that You love to restore. Summary & Commentary Micah was the Lord God's prophet of warning and of judgment primarily to Samaria and Jerusalem and also Judah. He delivered the Lord's list of charges against Samaria for their worship of false idols and for spreading that to Jerusalem. Micah challenged the people that their hearts had become so corrupted that they only wanted to hear what they wanted to hear instead of the Lord God's truth "If a lying windbag should come and say, 'I'll promise you blessings of wine and beer,' he would be just the right preacher for these people!" He spoke of hope in the future "In that day," says the Lord, "I will gather the lame, and assemble the outcasts whom I injured." Micah warned that those who gloated as they attacked Jerusalem would themselves suffer later "But they do not know what the Lord is planning; they do not understand his strategy. He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed at the threshing floor." He warned Judah that the corruption was so complete "Do not rely on a friend; do not trust a companion! Don't even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! For a son thinks his father is a fool, a daughter challenges her mother, and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are his own servants." Then he contrasted their condition with his own "But I will keep watching for the Lord; I will wait for the God who delivers me. My God will hear my lament." Micah concluded with a word of hope "There is no other God like you! You forgive sin and pardon the rebellion of those who remain among your people. You do not remain angry forever, but delight in showing loyal love. You will once again have mercy on us; you will conquer our evil deeds; you will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea. You will be loyal to Jacob and extend your loyal love to Abraham, which you promised on oath to our ancestors in ancient times." Interaction Consider The corrupting impact of false idols and a deadened heart toward the Lord God makes people vulnerable to easy deception by false teachers. Discuss Given the apparent utter-depravity of the people why would Micah pray with assurance that the Lord God would restore them? Reflect The corruption was so bad that one could not even trust ones wife or other relatives or servants. Share When have you experienced or observed a social environment where the people were so depraved that none of them could reasonably trust one-another? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone, or some Christian organization, that is under attack and who needs hope that the Lord God will sustain and restore them and that the attackers will receive their just-reward. Action: Today I will pray for the person or organization You have designated and as-appropriate I will make some kind of contact to share a word of encouragement and of hope. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Thursday's text will be: Nahum -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Wed Sep 28 22:26:49 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:26:49 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Thursday - Nahum Message-ID: <4E83D769.5040503@bibleseven.com> Thursday Nahum Introduction 1:1 The oracle against Nineveh; the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite: God Takes Vengeance against His Enemies 1:2 The Lord is a zealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and very angry. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he sustains his rage against his enemies. 1:3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will certainly not allow the wicked to go unpunished. The Divine Warrior Destroys His Enemies but Protects His People He marches out in the whirlwind and the raging storm; dark storm clouds billow like dust under his feet. 1:4 He shouts a battle cry against the sea and makes it dry up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither; the blossom of Lebanon withers. 1:5 The mountains tremble before him, the hills convulse; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all its inhabitants are laid waste. 1:6 No one can withstand his indignation! No one can resist his fierce anger! His wrath is poured out like volcanic fire, boulders are broken up as he approaches. 1:7 The Lord is good -- indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress, and he protects those who seek refuge in him. 1:8 But with an overwhelming flood he will make a complete end of Nineveh; he will drive his enemies into darkness. Denunciation and Destruction of Nineveh 1:9 Whatever you plot against the Lord, he will completely destroy! Distress will not arise a second time. 1:10 Surely they will be totally consumed like entangled thorn bushes, like the drink of drunkards, like very dry stubble. 1:11 From you, O Nineveh, one has marched forth who plots evil against the Lord, a wicked military strategist. Oracle of Deliverance to Judah 1:12 This is what the Lord says: "Even though they are powerful -- and what is more, even though their army is numerous -- nevertheless, they will be destroyed and trickle away! Although I afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. 1:13 And now, I will break Assyria's yoke bar from your neck; I will tear apart the shackles that are on you." Oracle of Judgment against the King of Nineveh 1:14 The Lord has issued a decree against you: "Your dynasty will come to an end. I will destroy the idols and images in the temples of your gods. I will desecrate your grave -- because you are accursed!" Proclamation of the Deliverance of Judah 1:15 Look! A herald is running on the mountains! A messenger is proclaiming deliverance: "Celebrate your sacred festivals, O Judah! Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God! For never again will the wicked Assyrians invade you, they have been completely destroyed." Proclamation of the Destruction of Nineveh 2:1 The watchmen of Nineveh shout: "An enemy who will scatter you is marching out to attack you!" "Guard the rampart! Watch the road! Prepare yourselves for battle! Muster your mighty strength!" 2:2 For the Lord will restore the majesty of Jacob, as well as the majesty of Israel, though their enemies have plundered them and have destroyed their fields. Prophetic Vision of the Fall of Nineveh 2:3 The shields of his warriors are dyed red; the mighty soldiers are dressed in scarlet garments. The metal fittings of the chariots shine like fire on the day of battle; the soldiers brandish their spears. 2:4 The chariots race madly through the streets, they rush back and forth in the broad plazas; they look like lightning bolts, they dash here and there like flashes of lightning. 2:5 The commander orders his officers; they stumble as they advance; they rush to the city wall and they set up the covered siege tower. 2:6 The sluice gates are opened; the royal palace is deluged and dissolves. 2:7 Nineveh is taken into exile and is led away; her slave girls moan like doves while they beat their breasts. 2:8 Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, but now her people are running away; she cries out: "Stop! Stop!" -- but no one turns back. 2:9 Her conquerors cry out: "Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!" There is no end to the treasure; riches of every kind of precious thing. 2:10 Destruction, devastation, and desolation! Their hearts faint, their knees tremble, each stomach churns, each face turns pale! Taunt against the Once-Mighty Lion 2:11 Where now is the den of the lions, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, lioness, and lion cub once prowled and no one disturbed them? 2:12 The lion tore apart as much prey as his cubs needed and strangled prey to provide food for his lionesses; he filled his lairs with prey and his dens with torn flesh. Battle Cry of the Divine Warrior 2:13 "I am against you!" declares the Lord who commands armies: "I will burn your chariots with fire; the sword will devour your young lions; you will no longer prey upon the land; the voices of your messengers will no longer be heard." Reason for Judgment: Sins of Nineveh 3:1 Woe to the city guilty of bloodshed! She is full of lies; she is filled with plunder; she has hoarded her spoil! Portrayal of the Destruction of Nineveh 3:2 The chariot drivers will crack their whips; the chariot wheels will shake the ground; the chariot horses will gallop; the war chariots will bolt forward! 3:3 The charioteers will charge ahead; their swords will flash and their spears will glimmer! There will be many people slain; there will be piles of the dead, and countless casualties -- so many that people will stumble over the corpses. Taunt against the Harlot City 3:4 "Because you have acted like a wanton prostitute -- a seductive mistress who practices sorcery, who enslaves nations by her harlotry, and entices peoples by her sorcery -- 3:5 I am against you," declares the Lord who commands armies. "I will strip off your clothes! I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms; 3:6 I will pelt you with filth; I will treat you with contempt; I will make you a public spectacle. 3:7 Everyone who sees you will turn away from you in disgust; they will say, 'Nineveh has been devastated! Who will lament for her?' There will be no one to comfort you!" Nineveh Will Suffer the Same Fate as Thebes 3:8 You are no more secure than Thebes -- she was located on the banks of the Nile; the waters surrounded her, her rampart was the sea, the water was her wall. 3:9 Cush and Egypt had limitless strength; Put and the Libyans were among her allies. 3:10 Yet she went into captivity as an exile; even her infants were smashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her nobility; all her dignitaries were bound with chains. 3:11 You too will act like drunkards; you will go into hiding; you too will seek refuge from the enemy. The Assyrian Defenses Will Fail 3:12 All your fortifications will be like fig trees with first-ripe fruit: If they are shaken, their figs will fall into the mouth of the eater! 3:13 Your warriors will be like women in your midst; the gates of your land will be wide open to your enemies; fire will consume the bars of your gates. 3:14 Draw yourselves water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Trample the mud and tread the clay! Make mud bricks to strengthen your walls! 3:15 There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down; it will devour you like the young locust would. The Assyrian Defenders Will Flee Multiply yourself like the young locust; multiply yourself like the flying locust! 3:16 Increase your merchants more than the stars of heaven! They are like the young locust which sheds its skin and flies away. 3:17 Your courtiers are like locusts, your officials are like a swarm of locusts! They encamp in the walls on a cold day, yet when the sun rises, they fly away; and no one knows where they are. Concluding Dirge 3:18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria! Your officers are slumbering! Your people are scattered like sheep on the mountains and there is no one to regather them! 3:19 Your destruction is like an incurable wound; your demise is like a fatal injury! All who hear what has happened to you will clap their hands for joy, for no one ever escaped your endless cruelty! Prayer Lord, You offered Nineveh mercy through Jonah but they had forgotten You and returned to their evil ways, thus You judged them. May I be careful not to backslide. Summary & Commentary Nahum prophesied to Nineveh about a century after Jonah's visit. They had apparently drifted back into their pre-Jonah evil ways. He described Nineveh's great power to destroy other nations, the Lord's permission for them to destroy Israel and Judah as judgment, then stated that they faced even worse punishment for worse sin than those they conquered. Nahum declared "The Lord is good -- indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress, and he protects those who seek refuge in him. But with an overwhelming flood he will make a complete end of Nineveh; he will drive his enemies into darkness." Interaction Consider Nineveh had a wonderful opportunity to start-over and to receive blessings from the Lord God, but they instead returned to their pagan and violent ways of the past. Discuss Why would the Ninevites have drifted backward? Reflect Despite their massive numbers and massive captured wealth the Ninevites could not stand before a God of judgment. Share When have you experienced or observed the giving of a second chance that was squandered due to a return to bad behavior? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you are backsliding some. Action: Today I will confess and repent, seek and receive the Lord God's forgiveness, and then make the necessary adjustments to resist backsliding -- including inviting a fellow believer to hold me accountable and to pray in-agreement with me. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Friday's text will be: Habakkuk -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmiller at lightlink.com Wed Sep 28 23:49:59 2011 From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller) Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:49:59 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Iranian court upholds apostasy conviction and death sentence for convert from Islam to Christianity Message-ID: <4E83EAE7.4050601@lightlink.com> http://resistance.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2600775%3ABlogPost%3A5553112&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_post -- "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Thu Sep 29 23:55:57 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:55:57 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - Habakkuk Message-ID: <4E853DCD.7010800@bibleseven.com> Friday Habakkuk Habakkuk Complains to the Lord 1:1 The following is the message which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: 1:2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, "Violence!" But you do not intervene! 1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. 1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted. The Lord Reveals Some Startling News 1:5 "Look at the nations and pay attention! You will be shocked and amazed! For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. 1:6 Look, I am about to empower the Babylonians, that ruthless and greedy nation. They sweep across the surface of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them. 1:7 They are frightening and terrifying; they decide for themselves what is right. 1:8 Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. 1:9 All of them intend to do violence; every face is determined. They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. 1:10 They mock kings and laugh at rulers. They laugh at every fortified city; they build siege ramps and capture them. 1:11 They sweep by like the wind and pass on. But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty." Habakkuk Voices Some Concerns 1:12 Lord, you have been active from ancient times; my sovereign God, you are immortal. Lord, you have made them your instrument of judgment. Protector, you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. 1:13 You are too just to tolerate evil; you are unable to condone wrongdoing. So why do you put up with such treacherous people? Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour those more righteous than they are? 1:14 You made people like fish in the sea, like animals in the sea that have no ruler. 1:15 The Babylonian tyrant pulls them all up with a fishhook; he hauls them in with his throw net. When he catches them in his dragnet, he is very happy. 1:16 Because of his success he offers sacrifices to his throw net and burns incense to his dragnet; for because of them he has plenty of food, and more than enough to eat. 1:17 Will he then continue to fill and empty his throw net? Will he always destroy nations and spare none? 2:1 I will stand at my watch post; I will remain stationed on the city wall. I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me and can know how I should answer when he counters my argument. The Lord Assures Habakkuk 2:2 The Lord responded: "Write down this message! Record it legibly on tablets, so the one who announces it may read it easily. 2:3 For the message is a witness to what is decreed; it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. Even if the message is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; for it will certainly come to pass -- it will not arrive late. 2:4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness. 2:5 Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! His appetite is as big as Sheol's; like death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations; he seizes all peoples. The Proud Babylonians are as Good as Dead 2:6 "But all these nations will someday taunt him and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: 'The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead (How long will this go on?) -- he who gets rich by extortion!' 2:7 Your creditors will suddenly attack; those who terrify you will spring into action, and they will rob you. 2:8 Because you robbed many countries, all who are left among the nations will rob you. You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them. 2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. He does this so he can build his nest way up high and escape the clutches of disaster. 2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house. Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. 2:11 For the stones in the walls will cry out, and the wooden rafters will answer back. 2:12 The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead -- he who starts a town by unjust deeds. 2:13 Be sure of this! The Lord who commands armies has decreed: The nations' efforts will go up in smoke; their exhausting work will be for nothing. 2:14 For recognition of the Lord's sovereign majesty will fill the earth just as the waters fill up the sea. 2:15 "You who force your neighbor to drink wine are as good as dead -- you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger, so you can look at their genitals. 2:16 But you will become drunk with shame, not majesty. Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin! The cup of wine in the Lord's right hand is coming to you, and disgrace will replace your majestic glory! 2:17 For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them. 2:18 What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things? 2:19 The one who says to wood, 'Wake up!' is as good as dead -- he who says to speechless stone, 'Awake!' Can it give reliable guidance? It is overlaid with gold and silver; it has no life's breath inside it. 2:20 But the Lord is in his majestic palace. The whole earth is speechless in his presence!" Habakkuk's Vision of the Divine Warrior 3:1 This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: 3:2 Lord, I have heard the report of what you did; I am awed, Lord, by what you accomplished. In our time repeat those deeds; in our time reveal them again. But when you cause turmoil, remember to show us mercy! 3:3 God comes from Teman, the sovereign one from Mount Paran. /Selah/. His splendor covers the skies, his glory fills the earth. 3:4 He is as bright as lightning; a two-pronged lightning bolt flashes from his hand. This is the outward display of his power. 3:5 Plague goes before him; pestilence marches right behind him. 3:6 He takes his battle position and shakes the earth; with a mere look he frightens the nations. The ancient mountains disintegrate; the primeval hills are flattened. He travels on the ancient roads. 3:7 I see the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble; the tent curtains of the land of Midian are shaking. 3:8 Is the Lord mad at the rivers? Are you angry with the rivers? Are you enraged at the sea? Is this why you climb into your horse-drawn chariots, your victorious chariots? 3:9 Your bow is ready for action; you commission your arrows. /Selah/. You cause flash floods on the earth's surface. 3:10 When the mountains see you, they shake. The torrential downpour sweeps through. The great deep shouts out; it lifts its hands high. 3:11 The sun and moon stand still in their courses; the flash of your arrows drives them away, the bright light of your lightning-quick spear. 3:12 You furiously stomp on the earth, you angrily trample down the nations. 3:13 You march out to deliver your people, to deliver your special servant. You strike the leader of the wicked nation, laying him open from the lower body to the neck. /Selah/. 3:14 You pierce the heads of his warriors with a spear. They storm forward to scatter us; they shout with joy as if they were plundering the poor with no opposition. 3:15 But you trample on the sea with your horses, on the surging, raging waters. Habakkuk Declares His Confidence 3:16 I listened and my stomach churned; the sound made my lips quiver. My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, and I shook as I tried to walk. I long for the day of distress to come upon the people who attack us. 3:17 When the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines; when the olive trees do not produce, and the fields yield no crops; when the sheep disappear from the pen, and there are no cattle in the stalls, 3:18 I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! 3:19 The sovereign Lord is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. (This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.) Prayer Lord, You punish the wicked, chastize the sinner, but "... the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness." May I grow to become more and more a person of integrity so that I may be one of Your instruments of redemption in this world. Summary & Commentary Habakkuk is estimated to have been written variously around 600 to 650 BC. He prophesied the destruction of the Chaldeans just prior to the fall of Jerusalem. He pleaded with the Lord God to explain why the law was not causing sin to end. He would allow the Babylonians to His instrument of punishment but then they, because they would imagine themselves to be gods, would also be punished. Habakkuk was given a word of hope "Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness." Habakkuk reviewed recent events in history and the Lord God's promises, followed by an instruction to a song leader to accompany the prayer with stringed instruments, with these his final recorded words "I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! The sovereign Lord is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain." Interaction Consider Habakkuk was frustrated and offended by the unrepentant sin of his people and of the nations around him. Discuss Why would Habakkuk have failed to understand that the purpose of the law was to convict and not to make-perfect? Reflect Habakkuk trusted the Lord God to protect and to guide him. Share When have you been frustrated with sin and cried-out to the Lord God? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place in your life where the Lord God is applying the law to show you where and how you need Him. Action: Today I will humbly submit to the teaching of the Lord, repent of my sin, request and receive His forgiveness, then step out in greater faith to serve Him. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Saturday's text will be: Zephaniah -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dcolburn at bibleseven.com Fri Sep 30 20:35:59 2011 From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com) Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:35:59 -0400 Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - Zephaniah Message-ID: <4E86606F.1070908@bibleseven.com> Saturday Zephaniah Introduction 1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah: The Lord's Day of Judgment is Approaching 1:2 "I will destroy everything from the face of the earth," says the Lord. 1:3 "I will destroy people and animals; I will destroy the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. (The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) I will remove humanity from the face of the earth," says the Lord. 1:4 "I will attack Judah and all who live in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place every trace of Baal worship, as well as the very memory of the pagan priests. 1:5 I will remove those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops, those who swear allegiance to the Lord while taking oaths in the name of their 'king,' 1:6 and those who turn their backs on the Lord and do not want the Lord's help or guidance." 1:7 Be silent before the Lord God, for the Lord's day of judgment is almost here. The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal; he has ritually purified his guests. 1:8 "On the day of the Lord's sacrificial meal, I will punish the princes and the king's sons, and all who wear foreign styles of clothing. 1:9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with wealth taken by violence and deceit. 1:10 On that day," says the Lord, "a loud cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the city's newer district, and a loud crash from the hills. 1:11 Wail, you who live in the market district, for all the merchants will disappear and those who count money will be removed. 1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, those who think to themselves, 'The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.' 1:13 Their wealth will be stolen and their houses ruined! They will not live in the houses they have built, nor will they drink the wine from the vineyards they have planted. 1:14 The Lord's great day of judgment is almost here; it is approaching very rapidly! There will be a bitter sound on the Lord's day of judgment; at that time warriors will cry out in battle. 1:15 That day will be a day of God's anger, a day of distress and hardship, a day of devastation and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and dark skies, 1:16 a day of trumpet blasts and battle cries. Judgment will fall on the fortified cities and the high corner towers. 1:17 I will bring distress on the people and they will stumble like blind men, for they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dirt; their flesh will be scattered like manure. 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's angry judgment. The whole earth will be consumed by his fiery wrath. Indeed, he will bring terrifying destruction on all who live on the earth." The Prophet Warns the People 2:1 Bunch yourselves together like straw, you undesirable nation, 2:2 before God's decree becomes reality and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff, before the Lord's raging anger overtakes you -- before the day of the Lord's angry judgment overtakes you! 2:3 Seek the Lord's favor, all you humble people of the land who have obeyed his commands! Strive to do what is right! Strive to be humble! Maybe you will be protected on the day of the Lord's angry judgment. Judgment on Surrounding Nations 2:4 Indeed, Gaza will be deserted and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, and Ekron will be overthrown. 2:5 Those who live by the sea, the people who came from Crete, are as good as dead. The Lord has decreed your downfall, Canaan, land of the Philistines: "I will destroy everyone who lives there!" 2:6 The seacoast will be used as pasture lands by the shepherds and as pens for their flocks. 2:7 Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah will take possession of it. By the sea they will graze, in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening, for the Lord their God will intervene for them and restore their prosperity. 2:8 "I have heard Moab's taunts and the Ammonites' insults. They taunted my people and verbally harassed those living in Judah. 2:9 Therefore, as surely as I live," says the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel, "be certain that Moab will become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah. They will be overrun by weeds, filled with salt pits, and permanently desolate. Those of my people who are left will plunder their belongings; those who are left in Judah will take possession of their land." 2:10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, for they taunted and verbally harassed the people of the Lord who commands armies. 2:11 The Lord will terrify them, for he will weaken all the gods of the earth. All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands. 2:12 "You Ethiopians will also die by my sword!" 2:13 The Lord will attack the north and destroy Assyria. He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins; it will be as barren as the desert. 2:14 Flocks and herds will lie down in the middle of it, as well as every kind of wild animal. Owls will sleep in the tops of its support pillars; they will hoot through the windows. Rubble will cover the thresholds; even the cedar work will be exposed to the elements. 2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up -- the city that was so secure. She thought to herself, "I am unique! No one can compare to me!" What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live! Everyone who passes by her taunts her and shakes his fist. Jerusalem is Corrupt 3:1 The filthy, stained city is as good as dead; the city filled with oppressors is finished! 3:2 She is disobedient; she refuses correction. She does not trust the Lord; she does not seek the advice of her God. 3:3 Her princes are as fierce as roaring lions; her rulers are as hungry as wolves in the desert, who completely devour their prey by morning. 3:4 Her prophets are proud; they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy; they break God's laws. 3:5 The just Lord resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame. The Lord's Judgment will Purify 3:6 "I destroyed nations; their walled cities are in ruins. I turned their streets into ruins; no one passes through them. Their cities are desolate; no one lives there. 3:7 I thought, 'Certainly you will respect me! Now you will accept correction!' If she had done so, her home would not be destroyed by all the punishments I have threatened. But they eagerly sinned in everything they did. 3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently for me," says the Lord, "for the day when I attack and take plunder. I have decided to gather nations together and assemble kingdoms, so I can pour out my fury on them -- all my raging anger. For the whole earth will be consumed by my fiery anger. 3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. All of them will invoke the Lord's name when they pray, and will worship him in unison. 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, those who pray to me will bring me tribute. 3:11 In that day you will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill. 3:12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people, and they will find safety in the Lord's presence. 3:13 The Israelites who remain will not act deceitfully. They will not lie, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth. Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep and lie down; no one will terrify them." 3:14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion! Shout out, Israel! Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! 3:15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; he has turned back your enemy. Israel's king, the Lord, is in your midst! You no longer need to fear disaster. 3:16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Don't be afraid, Zion! Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you." 3:18 "As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals -- I took them away from you; they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. 3:19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you. I will rescue the lame sheep and gather together the scattered sheep. I will take away their humiliation and make the whole earth admire and respect them. 3:20 At that time I will lead you -- at the time I gather you together. Be sure of this! I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you when you see me restore you," says the Lord. Prayer Lord, You always offer hope, even as you punish as Your ultimate purpose is to purify the willing and to purge the unwilling. May I be teachable so that You will not need to take extreme measures to purify me. Summary & Commentary Zephaniah served at about the same time as Nahum, approximately between 650 and 600 BC.* *He prophesied to all of Israel and in some ways to all people. He explained why the Lord God was angry and warns that the day of judgment was coming soon. Zephaniah proclaimed the justice and mercy of the Lord "Seek the Lord's favor, all you humble people of the land who have obeyed his commands! Strive to do what is right! Strive to be humble! Maybe you will be protected on the day of the Lord's angry judgment." He challenged the people of Jerusalem with their chosen circumstance "The just Lord resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame." Zephaniah concluded with hope " will rescue the lame sheep and gather together the scattered sheep. I will take away their humiliation and make the whole earth admire and respect them. At that time I will lead you -- at the time I gather you together. Be sure of this! I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you when you see me restore you," says the Lord." Interaction Consider The judgment of the Lord God would come against every nation, first in judgment-to-purify Israel, then in judgment to punish the pagan nations. Discuss How is it that "The just Lord resides within her ...", Jerusalem, could they have fallen into such sin? Reflect The entire time that He caused prophesies of judgment the Lord also caused prophesies of hope. Share When have you experienced or observed sin even in the high-level presence of the Lord? Faith in Action Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you His presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Action: Today I will celebrate and give praise for the indwelling Holy Spirit and I will commit myself for a more intentional walk so as to not offend Him. Be Specific ______________________________________________________ Sunday's text will be: Zechariah 1 - 4:6 -- Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you, Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day! David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com Bible Resources: http://bible.org Teacher's Verse: John 7:16 Defend free speech or lose your freedom. I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: