Tuesday, October 15, 2024

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah - The Return Home (Ezra 1:1–4:24)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah - The Return Home (...: According to the Second Book of the Kings, the Babylonians conquered the city of David and moved the people of Judah into captivity. But tha...

Bible Readings for October 15, 2024

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are Jeremiah 26-27:222 Thessalonians 3:1-18Psalm 85:1-13; and Proverbs 25:16. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.



Jeremiah 26-27:22 (The Message)


Jeremiah 26

Change the Way You're Living

1 At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this Message came from God to Jeremiah: 2-3"God's Message: Stand in the court of God's Temple and preach to the people who come from all over Judah to worship in God's Temple. Say everything I tell you to say to them. Don't hold anything back. Just maybe they'll listen and turn back from their bad lives. Then I'll reconsider the disaster that I'm planning to bring on them because of their evil behavior. 4-6"Say to them, 'This is God's Message: If you refuse to listen to me and live by my teaching that I've revealed so plainly to you, and if you continue to refuse to listen to my servants the prophets that I tirelessly keep on sending to you—but you've never listened! Why would you start now?—then I'll make this Temple a pile of ruins like Shiloh, and I'll make this city nothing but a bad joke worldwide.'" 7-9Everybody there—priests, prophets, and people—heard Jeremiah preaching this Message in the Temple of God. When Jeremiah had finished his sermon, saying everything God had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and people all grabbed him, yelling, "Death! You're going to die for this! How dare you preach—and using God's name!—saying that this Temple will become a heap of rubble like Shiloh and this city be wiped out without a soul left in it!"
All the people mobbed Jeremiah right in the Temple itself.
10Officials from the royal court of Judah were told of this. They left the palace immediately and came to God's Temple to investigate. They held court on the spot, at the New Gate entrance to God's Temple.
11The prophets and priests spoke first, addressing the officials, but also the people: "Death to this man! He deserves nothing less than death! He has preached against this city—you've heard the evidence with your own ears."
12-13Jeremiah spoke next, publicly addressing the officials before the crowd: "God sent me to preach against both this Temple and city everything that's been reported to you. So do something about it! Change the way you're living, change your behavior. Listen obediently to the Message of your God. Maybe God will reconsider the disaster he has threatened.
14-15"As for me, I'm at your mercy—do whatever you think is best. But take warning: If you kill me, you're killing an innocent man, and you and the city and the people in it will be liable. I didn't say any of this on my own. God sent me and told me what to say. You've been listening to God speak, not Jeremiah."
16The court officials, backed by the people, then handed down their ruling to the priests and prophets: "Acquittal. No death sentence for this man. He has spoken to us with the authority of our God."
17-18Then some of the respected leaders stood up and addressed the crowd: "In the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah, Micah of Moresheth preached to the people of Judah this sermon: This is God-of-the-Angel-Armies' Message for you:
"'Because of people like you,
Zion will be turned back into farmland,
Jerusalem end up as a pile of rubble,
and instead of the Temple on the mountain,
a few scraggly scrub pines.'
19"Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah kill Micah of Moresheth because of that sermon? Didn't Hezekiah honor him and pray for mercy from God? And then didn't God call off the disaster he had threatened? "Friends, we're at the brink of bringing a terrible calamity upon ourselves."
20-23(At another time there had been a man, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, who had preached similarly in the name of God. He preached against this same city and country just as Jeremiah did. When King Jehoiakim and his royal court heard his sermon, they determined to kill him. Uriah, afraid for his life, went into hiding in Egypt. King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Achbor with a posse of men after him. They brought him back from Egypt and presented him to the king. And the king had him killed. They dumped his body unceremoniously outside the city.
24But in Jeremiah's case, Ahikam son of Shaphan stepped forward and took his side, preventing the mob from lynching him.) 

Jeremiah 27

Harness Yourselves Up to the Yoke

1-4 Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah received this Message from God: "Make a harness and a yoke and then harness yourself up. Send a message to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. Send it through their ambassadors who have come to Jerusalem to see Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them this charge to take back to their masters: 'This is a Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel. Tell your masters: 5-8"'I'm the one who made the earth, man and woman, and all the animals in the world. I did it on my own without asking anyone's help and I hand it out to whomever I will. Here and now I give all these lands over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I have made even the wild animals subject to him. All nations will be under him, then his son, and then his grandson. Then his country's time will be up and the tables will be turned: Babylon will be the underdog servant. But until then, any nation or kingdom that won't submit to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon must take the yoke of the king of Babylon and harness up. I'll punish that nation with war and starvation and disease until I've got them where I want them.
9-11"'So don't for a minute listen to all your prophets and spiritualists and fortunetellers, who claim to know the future and who tell you not to give in to the king of Babylon. They're handing you a line of lies, barefaced lies, that will end up putting you in exile far from home. I myself will drive you out of your lands, and that'll be the end of you. But the nation that accepts the yoke of the king of Babylon and does what he says, I'll let that nation stay right where it is, minding its own business.'"
12-15Then I gave this same message to Zedekiah king of Judah: "Harness yourself up to the yoke of the king of Babylon. Serve him and his people. Live a long life! Why choose to get killed or starve to death or get sick and die, which is what God has threatened to any nation that won't throw its lot in with Babylon? Don't listen to the prophets who are telling you not to submit to the king of Babylon. They're telling you lies, preaching lies. God's Word on this is, 'I didn't send those prophets, but they keep preaching lies, claiming I sent them. If you listen to them, I'll end up driving you out of here and that will be the end of you, both you and the lying prophets.'"
16-22And finally I spoke to the priests and the people at large: "This is God's Message: Don't listen to the preaching of the prophets who keep telling you, 'Trust us: The furnishings, plundered from God's Temple, are going to be returned from Babylon any day now.' That's a lie. Don't listen to them. Submit to the king of Babylon and live a long life. Why do something that will destroy this city and leave it a heap of rubble? If they are real prophets and have a Message from God, let them come to God-of-the-Angel-Armies in prayer so that the furnishings that are still left in God's Temple, the king's palace, and Jerusalem aren't also lost to Babylon. That's because God-of-the-Angel-Armies has already spoken about the Temple furnishings that remain—the pillars, the great bronze basin, the stands, and all the other bowls and chalices that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn't take when he took Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim off to Babylonian exile along with all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. He said that the furnishings left behind in the Temple of God and in the royal palace and in Jerusalem will be taken off to Babylon and stay there until, in God's words, 'I take the matter up again and bring them back where they belong.'"



2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 (The Message)


2 Thessalonians 3

Those Who Are Lazy

1-3One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master's Word will simply take off and race through the country to a ground-swell of response, just as it did among you. And pray that we'll be rescued from these scoundrels who are trying to do us in. I'm finding that not all "believers" are believers. But the Master never lets us down. He'll stick by you and protect you from evil. 4-5Because of the Master, we have great confidence in you. We know you're doing everything we told you and will continue doing it. May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God's love and Christ's endurance.
6-9Our orders—backed up by the Master, Jesus—are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don't permit them to freeload on the rest. We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. We didn't sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn't be burdened with taking care of us. And it wasn't because we didn't have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious.
10-13Don't you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? "If you don't work, you don't eat." And now we're getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don't slack off in doing your duty.
14-15If anyone refuses to obey our clear command written in this letter, don't let him get by with it. Point out such a person and refuse to subsidize his freeloading. Maybe then he'll think twice. But don't treat him as an enemy. Sit him down and talk about the problem as someone who cares.
16May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!
17I, Paul, bid you good-bye in my own handwriting. I do this in all my letters, so examine my signature as proof that the letter is genuine.
18The incredible grace of our Master, Jesus Christ, be with all of you!


Psalm 85:1-13 (The Message)


Psalm 85

A Korah Psalm

1-3 God, you smiled on your good earth! You brought good times back to Jacob!
You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people,
you put their sins far out of sight.
You took back your sin-provoked threats,
you cooled your hot, righteous anger.
4-7 Help us again, God of our help;
don't hold a grudge against us forever.
You aren't going to keep this up, are you?
scowling and angry, year after year?
Why not help us make a fresh start—a resurrection life?
Then your people will laugh and sing!
Show us how much you love us, God!
Give us the salvation we need!

8-9 I can't wait to hear what he'll say.
God's about to pronounce his people well,
The holy people he loves so much,
so they'll never again live like fools.
See how close his salvation is to those who fear him?
Our country is home base for Glory!

10-13 Love and Truth meet in the street,
Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss!
Truth sprouts green from the ground,
Right Living pours down from the skies!
Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty;
our land responds with Bounty and Blessing.
Right Living strides out before him,
and clears a path for his passage.



Proverbs 25:16 (The Message)

A Person Without Self-Control

16-17 When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down;
eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick;
And when you find a friend, don't outwear your welcome;
show up at all hours and he'll soon get fed up.


Thought for the Day

“LORD All-Powerful, you are greater than all others. No one is like you, and you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true.” (2 Samuel 7:22 - Contemporary English Version) When we appreciate the freedom and power of God, we're in awe. He is truly the Lord All-Powerful. And when we decide to trust in his love, grace and mercy, we're now free to look into our future with hope and joy.

Quote for the Day

British author, palaeobotanist and campaigner for eugenics and women's rights, Marie Stopes wrote, "You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul's own doing."

Joke for Today

My girlfriend is impossible to buy for so I asked her best friend what I should get her for her birthday.

Best Friend: “Does she like you?”

Me: “Oh yes, I am positive she likes me!!!”

Best friend: “If she likes you, she’ll like anything.”

A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That police officers show strength and compassion when enforcing the law.

Monday, October 14, 2024

Bible Readings for October 14, 2024

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are Jeremiah 23:21–25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; and Proverbs 25:15. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.



Jeremiah 23:21-25:38 (The Message)

Quit the "God Told Me This" Kind of Talk

 21-22"I never sent these prophets,
   but they ran anyway.
I never spoke to them,
   but they preached away.
If they'd have bothered to sit down and meet with me,
   they'd have preached my Message to my people.
They'd have gotten them back on the right track,
   gotten them out of their evil ruts.  23-24"Am I not a God near at hand"—God's Decree—
   "and not a God far off?
Can anyone hide out in a corner
   where I can't see him?"
         God's Decree.
"Am I not present everywhere,
   whether seen or unseen?"
         God's Decree.
 25-27"I know what they're saying, all these prophets who preach lies using me as their text, saying 'I had this dream! I had this dream!' How long do I have to put up with this? Do these prophets give two cents about me as they preach their lies and spew out their grandiose delusions? They swap dreams with one another, feed on each other's delusive dreams, trying to distract my people from me just as their ancestors were distracted by the no-god Baal.
 28-29"You prophets who do nothing but dream—
   go ahead and tell your silly dreams.
But you prophets who have a message from me—
   tell it truly and faithfully.
What does straw have in common with wheat?
   Nothing else is like God's Decree.
Isn't my Message like fire?" God's Decree.
   "Isn't it like a sledgehammer busting a rock?
 30-31"I've had it with the 'prophets' who get all their sermons secondhand from each other. Yes, I've had it with them. They make up stuff and then pretend it's a real sermon.
 32"Oh yes, I've had it with the prophets who preach the lies they dream up, spreading them all over the country, ruining the lives of my people with their cheap and reckless lies.
   "I never sent these prophets, never authorized a single one of them. They do nothing for this people—nothing!" God's Decree.
 33"And anyone, including prophets and priests, who asks, 'What's God got to say about all this, what's troubling him?' tell him, 'You, you're the trouble, and I'm getting rid of you.'" God's Decree.
 34"And if anyone, including prophets and priests, goes around saying glibly 'God's Message! God's Message!' I'll punish him and his family.
 35-36"Instead of claiming to know what God says, ask questions of one another, such as 'How do we understand God in this?' But don't go around pretending to know it all, saying 'God told me this...God told me that....' I don't want to hear it anymore. Only the person I authorize speaks for me. Otherwise, my Message gets twisted, the Message of the living God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
 37-38"You can ask the prophets, 'How did God answer you? What did he tell you?' But don't pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all. I'm telling you: Quit the 'God told me this...God told me that...' kind of talk.
 39-40"Are you paying attention? You'd better, because I'm about to take you in hand and throw you to the ground, you and this entire city that I gave to your ancestors. I've had it with the lot of you. You're never going to live this down. You're going down in history as a disgrace." 

Jeremiah 24

Two Baskets of Figs

 1-2 God showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the Temple of God. This was after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon, along with the leaders of Judah, the craftsmen, and the skilled laborers. In one basket the figs were of the finest quality, ripe and ready to eat. In the other basket the figs were rotten, so rotten they couldn't be eaten.  3God said to me, "Jeremiah, what do you see?"
   "Figs," I said. "Excellent figs of the finest quality, and also rotten figs, so rotten they can't be eaten."
 4-6Then God told me, "This is the Message from the God of Israel: The exiles from here that I've sent off to the land of the Babylonians are like the good figs, and I'll make sure they get good treatment. I'll keep my eye on them so that their lives are good, and I'll bring them back to this land. I'll build them up, not tear them down; I'll plant them, not uproot them.
 7"And I'll give them a heart to know me, God. They'll be my people and I'll be their God, for they'll have returned to me with all their hearts.
 8-10"But like the rotten figs, so rotten they can't be eaten, is Zedekiah king of Judah. Rotten figs—that's how I'll treat him and his leaders, along with the survivors here and those down in Egypt. I'll make them something that the whole world will look on as disgusting—repugnant outcasts, their names used as curse words wherever in the world I drive them. And I'll make sure they die like flies—from war, starvation, disease, whatever—until the land I once gave to them and their ancestors is completely rid of them." 

Jeremiah 25

Don't Follow the God-Fads of the Day

 1 This is the Message given to Jeremiah for all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah. It was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.  2Jeremiah the prophet delivered the Message to all the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem:
 3From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah right up to the present day—twenty-three years it's been!—God's Word has come to me, and from early each morning to late every night I've passed it on to you. And you haven't listened to a word of it!
 4-6Not only that but God also sent a steady stream of prophets to you who were just as persistent as me, and you never listened. They told you, "Turn back—right now, each one of you!—from your evil way of life and bad behavior, and live in the land God gave you and your ancestors, the land he intended to give you forever. Don't follow the god-fads of the day, taking up and worshiping these no-gods. Don't make me angry with your god-businesses, making and selling gods—a dangerous business!
 7"You refused to listen to any of this, and now I am really angry. These god-making businesses of yours are your doom."
 8-11The verdict of God-of-the-Angel-Armies on all this: "Because you have refused to listen to what I've said, I'm stepping in. I'm sending for the armies out of the north headed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant in this, and I'm setting them on this land and people and even the surrounding countries. I'm devoting the whole works to total destruction—a horror to top all the horrors in history. And I'll banish every sound of joy—singing, laughter, marriage festivities, genial workmen, candlelit suppers. The whole landscape will be one vast wasteland. These countries will be in subjection to the king of Babylon for seventy years.
 12-14"Once the seventy years is up, I'll punish the king of Babylon and the whole nation of Babylon for their sin. Then they'll be the wasteland. Everything that I said I'd do to that country, I'll do—everything that's written in this book, everything Jeremiah preached against all the godless nations. Many nations and great kings will make slaves of the Babylonians, paying them back for everything they've done to others. They won't get by with anything." God's Decree. 

God Puts the Human Race on Trial

 15-16This is a Message that the God of Israel gave me: "Take this cup filled with the wine of my wrath that I'm handing to you. Make all the nations where I send you drink it down. They'll drink it and get drunk, staggering in delirium because of the killing that I'm going to unleash among them."  17-26I took the cup from God's hand and made them drink it, all the nations to which he sent me:
   Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, along with their kings and leaders, turning them into a vast wasteland, a horror to look at, a cussword—which, in fact, they now are;
   Pharaoh king of Egypt with his attendants and leaders, plus all his people and the melting pot of foreigners collected there;
   All the kings of Uz;
   All the kings of the Philistines from Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what's left of Ashdod;
   Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;
   All the kings of Tyre, Sidon, and the coastlands across the sea;
   Dedan, Tema, Buz, and the nomads on the fringe of the desert;
   All the kings of Arabia and the various Bedouin sheiks and chieftains wandering about in the desert;
   All the kings of Zimri, Elam, and the Medes;
   All the kings from the north countries near and far, one by one;
   All the kingdoms on planet Earth...
   And the king of Sheshak (that is, Babylon) will be the last to drink.
 27"Tell them, 'These are orders from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: Drink and get drunk and vomit. Fall on your faces and don't get up again. You're slated for a massacre.'
 28"If any of them refuse to take the cup from you and drink it, say to them, 'God-of-the-Angel-Armies has ordered you to drink. So drink!
 29"'Prepare for the worst! I'm starting off the catastrophe in the city that I claim as my own, so don't think you are going to get out of it. No, you're not getting out of anything. It's the sword and nothing but the sword against everyone everywhere!'" The God-of-the-Angel-Armies' Decree.

 30-31"Preach it all, Jeremiah. Preach the entire Message to them. Say:
   "'God roars like a lion from high heaven;
   thunder rolls out from his holy dwelling—
Ear-splitting bellows against his people,
   shouting hurrahs like workers in harvest.
The noise reverberates all over the earth;
   everyone everywhere hears it.
God makes his case against the godless nations.
   He's about to put the human race on trial.
For the wicked the verdict is clear-cut:
   death by the sword.'" God's Decree.
 32A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
"Prepare for the worst! Doomsday!
   Disaster is spreading from nation to nation.
A huge storm is about to rage
   all across planet Earth."
 33Laid end to end, those killed in God's judgment that day will stretch from one end of the earth to the other. No tears will be shed and no burials conducted. The bodies will be left where they fall, like so much horse dung fertilizing the fields.
 34-38Wail, shepherds! Cry out for help!
   Grovel in the dirt, you masters of flocks!
Time's up—you're slated for the slaughterhouse,
   like a choice ram with its throat cut.
There's no way out for the rulers,
   no escape for those shepherds.
Hear that? Rulers crying for help,
   shepherds of the flock wailing!
God is about to ravage their fine pastures.
   The peaceful sheepfolds will be silent with death,
   silenced by God's deadly anger.
God will come out into the open
   like a lion leaping from its cover,
And the country will be torn to pieces,
   ripped and ravaged by his anger.



2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 (The Message)


2 Thessalonians 2

The Anarchist

 1-3Now, friends, read these next words carefully. Slow down and don't go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him. Don't let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumored letter from me that the day of the Master's arrival has come and gone. Don't fall for any line like that.  3-5Before that day comes, a couple of things have to happen. First, the Apostasy. Second, the debut of the Anarchist, a real dog of Satan. He'll defy and then take over every so-called god or altar. Having cleared away the opposition, he'll then set himself up in God's Temple as "God Almighty." Don't you remember me going over all this in detail when I was with you? Are your memories that short?
 6-8You'll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. That doesn't mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose. But don't worry. The Master Jesus will be right on his heels and blow him away. The Master appears and—puff!—the Anarchist is out of there.
 9-12The Anarchist's coming is all Satan's work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. And since they're so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it—gives them what they want. Since they refuse to trust truth, they're banished to their chosen world of lies and illusions.
 13-14Meanwhile, we've got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends—so loved by God! God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God's original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth. This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ.
 15-17So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.


Psalm 84:1-12 (The Message)


Psalm 84

A Korah Psalm

 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! I've always longed to live in a place like this,
   Always dreamed of a room in your house,
      where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
 3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
      sparrows and swallows make nests there.
   They lay their eggs and raise their young,
      singing their songs in the place where we worship.
   God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
      How blessed they are to live and sing there!
 5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
      whose lives become roads you travel;
   They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
      discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
   God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
      at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!
 8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen:
      O God of Jacob, open your ears—I'm praying!
   Look at our shields, glistening in the sun,
      our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.
 10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
      beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
   I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God
      than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.
   All sunshine and sovereign is God,
      generous in gifts and glory.
   He doesn't scrimp with his traveling companions.
      It's smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.



Proverbs 25:15 (The Message)


 15 Patient persistence pierces through indifference;
   gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.


Thought for the Day

“Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” (Romans 12:2 - Contemporary English Version) The world can be very persuasive. It whispers in our ears that we should disregard anything that doesn't support what we think and that we can justify getting everything that we want. But we are not without hope or help. God can change the way we think and show us what's good and pleasing to him.

Quote for the Day

American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright, e. e. cummings wrote, "I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach 10,000 stars how not to dance."


Joke for Today

A doctor in a teaching hospital was discussing an X-ray with his students.

“This patient has been walking with a pronounced limp for some time,” he said. “The X-ray shows us his fibula and tibia are radically arched.” He pointed to a student. “You…what would you do in this case?” 

“Well, gee!” said student. I guess I’d limp, too.”

A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That all racial divisions be healed.