Philippians 2
1SO BY whatever [appeal to you there is in our mutual dwelling in Christ, by whatever] strengthening and consoling and encouraging [our relationship] in Him [affords], by whatever persuasive [a]incentive there is in love, by whatever participation in the [Holy] Spirit [we share], and by whatever depth of affection and compassionate sympathy,
2Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention.
3Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].
4Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.
5Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]
6Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [[b]possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not [c]think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped [d]or retained,
7But stripped Himself [of all privileges and [e]rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.
8And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!
9Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has [f]freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name,
10That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee [g]should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11And every tongue [[h]frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, [i]with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
13[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while [j]effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and [k]delight.
14Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [[l]against God] and [m]questioning and doubting [among yourselves],
15That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guiltless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world,
16Holding out [to it] and offering [to all men] the Word of Life, so that in the day of Christ I may have something of which exultantly to rejoice and glory in that I did not run my race in vain or spend my labor to no purpose.
17Even if [my lifeblood] must be poured out as a libation on the sacrificial offering of your faith [to God], still I am glad [to do it] and [n]congratulate you all on [your share in] it.
18And you also in like manner be glad and [o]congratulate me on [my share in] it.
19But I hope and trust in the Lord Jesus soon to send Timothy to you, so that I may also be encouraged and cheered by learning news of you.
20For I have no one like him [no one of so kindred a spirit] who will be so genuinely interested in your welfare and devoted to your interests.
21For the others all seek [to advance] their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
22But Timothy's tested worth you know, how as a son with his father he has toiled with me zealously in [serving and helping to advance] the good news (the Gospel).
23I hope therefore to send him promptly, just as soon as I know how my case is going to turn out.
24But [really] I am confident and fully trusting in the Lord that shortly I myself shall come to you also.
25However, I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus [back] to you. [He has been] my brother and companion in labor and my fellow soldier, as well as [having come as] your special messenger (apostle) and minister to my need.
26For he has been [homesick] longing for you all and has been distressed because you had heard that he was ill.
27He certainly was ill [too], near to death. But God had compassion on him, and not only on him but also on me, lest I should have sorrow [over him] [p]coming upon sorrow.
28So I have sent him the more willingly and eagerly, that you may be gladdened at seeing him again, and that I may be the less disquieted.
29Welcome him [home] then in the Lord with all joy, and honor and highly appreciate men like him,
30For it was through working for Christ that he came so near death, risking his [very] life to complete the deficiencies in your service to me [which distance prevented you yourselves from rendering].
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
This is the link to the Press Release from the Treasury concerning the 700 billion dollar bailout.
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1150.htm
September 20, 2008hp-1150
FACT SHEET: Proposed Treasury Authority to Purchase Troubled Assets
Washington – The Treasury Department has submitted legislation to the Congress requesting authority to purchase troubled assets from financial institutions in order to promote market stability, and help protect American families and the US economy. This program is intended to fundamentally and comprehensively address the root cause of our financial system's stresses by removing distressed assets from the financial system. When the financial system works as it should, money and capital flow to and from households and businesses to pay for home loans, school loans and investments that create jobs. As illiquid mortgage assets block the system, the clogging of our financial markets has the potential to significantly damage our financial system and our economy, undermining job creation and income growth. The following description reflects Treasury's proposal as of Saturday afternoon.
Scale and Timing of Asset Purchases. Treasury will have authority to issue up to $700 billion of Treasury securities to finance the purchase of troubled assets. The purchases are intended to be residential and commercial mortgage-related assets, which may include mortgage-backed securities and whole loans. The Secretary will have the discretion, in consultation with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, to purchase other assets, as deemed necessary to effectively stabilize financial markets. Removing troubled assets will begin to restore the strength of our financial system so it can again finance economic growth. The timing and scale of any purchases will be at the discretion of Treasury and its agents, subject to this total cap. The price of assets purchases will be established through market mechanisms where possible, such as reverse auctions. The dollar cap will be measured by the purchase price of the assets. The authority to purchase expires two years from date of enactment.
Asset and Institutional Eligibility for the Program. To qualify for the program, assets must have been originated or issued on or before September 17, 2008. Participating financial institutions must have significant operations in the U.S., unless the Secretary makes a determination, in consultation with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, that broader eligibility is necessary to effectively stabilize financial markets.
Management and Disposition of the Assets. The assets will be managed by private asset managers at the direction of Treasury to meet program objectives. Treasury will have full discretion over the management of the assets as well as the exercise of any rights received in connection with the purchase of the assets. Treasury may sell the assets at its discretion or may hold assets to maturity. Cash received from liquidating the assets, including any additional returns, will be returned to Treasury's general fund for the benefit of American taxpayers.
Funding. Funding for the program will be provided directly by Treasury from its general fund. Borrowing in support of this program will be subject to the debt limit, which will be increased by $700 billion accordingly. As with other Treasury borrowing, information on any borrowing related to this program will be publicly reported at the end of the following day in the Daily Treasury Statement. (http://www.fms.treas.gov/dts/)
Reporting. Within three months of the first asset purchases under the program, and semi-annually thereafter, Treasury will provide the appropriate Congressional committees with regular updates on the program.
-30-
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1150.htm
September 20, 2008hp-1150
FACT SHEET: Proposed Treasury Authority to Purchase Troubled Assets
Washington – The Treasury Department has submitted legislation to the Congress requesting authority to purchase troubled assets from financial institutions in order to promote market stability, and help protect American families and the US economy. This program is intended to fundamentally and comprehensively address the root cause of our financial system's stresses by removing distressed assets from the financial system. When the financial system works as it should, money and capital flow to and from households and businesses to pay for home loans, school loans and investments that create jobs. As illiquid mortgage assets block the system, the clogging of our financial markets has the potential to significantly damage our financial system and our economy, undermining job creation and income growth. The following description reflects Treasury's proposal as of Saturday afternoon.
Scale and Timing of Asset Purchases. Treasury will have authority to issue up to $700 billion of Treasury securities to finance the purchase of troubled assets. The purchases are intended to be residential and commercial mortgage-related assets, which may include mortgage-backed securities and whole loans. The Secretary will have the discretion, in consultation with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, to purchase other assets, as deemed necessary to effectively stabilize financial markets. Removing troubled assets will begin to restore the strength of our financial system so it can again finance economic growth. The timing and scale of any purchases will be at the discretion of Treasury and its agents, subject to this total cap. The price of assets purchases will be established through market mechanisms where possible, such as reverse auctions. The dollar cap will be measured by the purchase price of the assets. The authority to purchase expires two years from date of enactment.
Asset and Institutional Eligibility for the Program. To qualify for the program, assets must have been originated or issued on or before September 17, 2008. Participating financial institutions must have significant operations in the U.S., unless the Secretary makes a determination, in consultation with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, that broader eligibility is necessary to effectively stabilize financial markets.
Management and Disposition of the Assets. The assets will be managed by private asset managers at the direction of Treasury to meet program objectives. Treasury will have full discretion over the management of the assets as well as the exercise of any rights received in connection with the purchase of the assets. Treasury may sell the assets at its discretion or may hold assets to maturity. Cash received from liquidating the assets, including any additional returns, will be returned to Treasury's general fund for the benefit of American taxpayers.
Funding. Funding for the program will be provided directly by Treasury from its general fund. Borrowing in support of this program will be subject to the debt limit, which will be increased by $700 billion accordingly. As with other Treasury borrowing, information on any borrowing related to this program will be publicly reported at the end of the following day in the Daily Treasury Statement. (http://www.fms.treas.gov/dts/)
Reporting. Within three months of the first asset purchases under the program, and semi-annually thereafter, Treasury will provide the appropriate Congressional committees with regular updates on the program.
-30-
Let's not rush to blow $700 billion
A Wall Street 'rescue' must be done right, and hastily committing our money -- and our children's money -- is wrong, wrong, wrong. Congress needs to pin down the details first.
Is an article written by MSN Money reporter, By Jim Jubak Chick here to read the article.
A Wall Street 'rescue' must be done right, and hastily committing our money -- and our children's money -- is wrong, wrong, wrong. Congress needs to pin down the details first.
Is an article written by MSN Money reporter, By Jim Jubak Chick here to read the article.
How Did We Get Into This Financial Mess? Writen 12 days ago!
WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) --- With Monday's news of take-overs, bail-outs, and bankruptcies, many Americans are trying to figure out both how we got here and what it means to the overall economy. 9NEWS NOW asked a senior researcher at the Urban Institute, Howard Gleckman, for some insight. "Well, what happened was a lot of very big name Wall Street firms made the same really bad bet, which was that housing prices were going to continue to go up. They lost a fortune in the mortgage market, tens of billions of dollars. Making it worse, the money they lost was money they borrowed from other people, and what you got was a run on the bank. "Lenders looked at these firms that were going south and they all wanted their money out first. A what you've seen over the last few weeks is, basically, a panic. Everybody is trying to get out. The firm is going out of business and here we are, " Gleckman said. "Doesn't the government keep on eye on these things," asked 9NEWS NOW. "Well, we used to back in the 1930's after the Great Depression, and we had a series of laws that limited some of these investments, required banks that made these loans to have capital to back them up. Many of those laws have been repealed in the least decade or two, so it's much more of a wild and wooly market. They've also invented a lot of securities that no one ever imagined before, that people don't really understand; so-called derivatives, and nobody knows how to regulate them. Nobody knows who should regulate them, so they're out there, again in this kind of cowboy atmosphere," Gleckman said. "So far, the impact on the overall economy has been relatively limited. Unemployment is still relatively strong, although people are losing their jobs. People, of course, have lost their homes, but the overall economy is still weak, but alright. "The fear is that what's going to happen is what they call a credit crunch, which means lenders won't lend to anybody no matter how credit-worthy they are, and when that happens, the impact on the overall economy will be very severe. That's what the Fed is trying to prevent," Gleckman said. "How likely is it?" "Hard to know. There is no way to know. It depends on what happens to house prices. It depends on how many more large firms go out of business. These are questions we can't answer. "It's interesting that Bank of America is acquiring Merrill Lynch. Bank of America has had its own financial problems and it has had to write down an awful lot of bad investments over the years. So, in effect, they are now acquiring another company that has had worse financial problems. Now, they are two firms together with financial problems. You have the potential for having even more severe financial problems, " Gleckman told 9NEWS NOW. "One of the issues that people are going to ask after the episodes of the last couple of months is: When should the government bail out firms, and when should it not? And will firms be more prudent in the way they invest their money if they don't think the government is going to bail them out in the end...It is pretty clear that when you think you are going to get bailed out, you're going to take much riskier investments, and that makes it more expensive for all of us," Gleckman said.Written by 9NEWS NOW
Do you think the government should regulate the banks so that they can only lend what they have? I think so! I think it would be more prudent. Sometimes less is more. What do you think?
Just saw another post from MSN Money on how we got into this mess. Check that out too.
WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) --- With Monday's news of take-overs, bail-outs, and bankruptcies, many Americans are trying to figure out both how we got here and what it means to the overall economy. 9NEWS NOW asked a senior researcher at the Urban Institute, Howard Gleckman, for some insight. "Well, what happened was a lot of very big name Wall Street firms made the same really bad bet, which was that housing prices were going to continue to go up. They lost a fortune in the mortgage market, tens of billions of dollars. Making it worse, the money they lost was money they borrowed from other people, and what you got was a run on the bank. "Lenders looked at these firms that were going south and they all wanted their money out first. A what you've seen over the last few weeks is, basically, a panic. Everybody is trying to get out. The firm is going out of business and here we are, " Gleckman said. "Doesn't the government keep on eye on these things," asked 9NEWS NOW. "Well, we used to back in the 1930's after the Great Depression, and we had a series of laws that limited some of these investments, required banks that made these loans to have capital to back them up. Many of those laws have been repealed in the least decade or two, so it's much more of a wild and wooly market. They've also invented a lot of securities that no one ever imagined before, that people don't really understand; so-called derivatives, and nobody knows how to regulate them. Nobody knows who should regulate them, so they're out there, again in this kind of cowboy atmosphere," Gleckman said. "So far, the impact on the overall economy has been relatively limited. Unemployment is still relatively strong, although people are losing their jobs. People, of course, have lost their homes, but the overall economy is still weak, but alright. "The fear is that what's going to happen is what they call a credit crunch, which means lenders won't lend to anybody no matter how credit-worthy they are, and when that happens, the impact on the overall economy will be very severe. That's what the Fed is trying to prevent," Gleckman said. "How likely is it?" "Hard to know. There is no way to know. It depends on what happens to house prices. It depends on how many more large firms go out of business. These are questions we can't answer. "It's interesting that Bank of America is acquiring Merrill Lynch. Bank of America has had its own financial problems and it has had to write down an awful lot of bad investments over the years. So, in effect, they are now acquiring another company that has had worse financial problems. Now, they are two firms together with financial problems. You have the potential for having even more severe financial problems, " Gleckman told 9NEWS NOW. "One of the issues that people are going to ask after the episodes of the last couple of months is: When should the government bail out firms, and when should it not? And will firms be more prudent in the way they invest their money if they don't think the government is going to bail them out in the end...It is pretty clear that when you think you are going to get bailed out, you're going to take much riskier investments, and that makes it more expensive for all of us," Gleckman said.Written by 9NEWS NOW
Do you think the government should regulate the banks so that they can only lend what they have? I think so! I think it would be more prudent. Sometimes less is more. What do you think?
Just saw another post from MSN Money on how we got into this mess. Check that out too.
There are some of my favorite chapters of the Bible.
Isaiah 54
Future Glory for Jerusalem
1 “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord. 2 “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! 3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.
4 “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. 5 For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. 6 For the Lord has called you back from your grief— as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God. 7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. 8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10 For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
11 “O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. 12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones. 13 I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. 14 You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. 15 If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.
16 “I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. 17 But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Isaiah 55
Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation
1 “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.
3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. 4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. 5 You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! 13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Isaiah 56
Blessings for All Nations
1 This is what the Lord says:
“Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. 2 Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong.
3 “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ 4 For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. 5 I will give them—within the walls of my house— a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!
6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. 8 For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.”
Sinful Leaders Condemned 9 Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people! 10 For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. 11 Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. 12 “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!”
Isaiah 57
1 Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. 2 For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.
Idolatrous Worship Condemned 3 “But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! 4 Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars! 5 You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. 6 Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy? 7 You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me. 8 You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies. 9 You have given olive oil to Molech[a] with many gifts of perfume. You have traveled far, even into the world of the dead,[b] to find new gods to love. 10 You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary.
11 “Are you afraid of these idols? Do they terrify you? Is that why you have lied to me and forgotten me and my words? Is it because of my long silence that you no longer fear me? 12 Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you. 13 Let’s see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help. Why, a puff of wind can knock them down! If you just breathe on them, they fall over! But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”
God Forgives the Repentant
14 God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” 15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. 16 For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made. 17 I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. 18 I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, 19 bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them. 20 “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. 21 There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.
Isaiah 54
Future Glory for Jerusalem
1 “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord. 2 “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! 3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.
4 “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. 5 For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. 6 For the Lord has called you back from your grief— as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God. 7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. 8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10 For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
11 “O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. 12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones. 13 I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. 14 You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. 15 If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.
16 “I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. 17 But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Isaiah 55
Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation
1 “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.
3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. 4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. 5 You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! 13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Isaiah 56
Blessings for All Nations
1 This is what the Lord says:
“Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. 2 Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong.
3 “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ 4 For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. 5 I will give them—within the walls of my house— a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!
6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. 8 For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.”
Sinful Leaders Condemned 9 Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people! 10 For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. 11 Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. 12 “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!”
Isaiah 57
1 Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. 2 For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.
Idolatrous Worship Condemned 3 “But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! 4 Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars! 5 You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. 6 Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy? 7 You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me. 8 You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies. 9 You have given olive oil to Molech[a] with many gifts of perfume. You have traveled far, even into the world of the dead,[b] to find new gods to love. 10 You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary.
11 “Are you afraid of these idols? Do they terrify you? Is that why you have lied to me and forgotten me and my words? Is it because of my long silence that you no longer fear me? 12 Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you. 13 Let’s see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help. Why, a puff of wind can knock them down! If you just breathe on them, they fall over! But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”
God Forgives the Repentant
14 God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” 15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. 16 For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made. 17 I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. 18 I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, 19 bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them. 20 “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. 21 There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Just saw the Christian the lion Reunion, FULL LENGTH MOVIE, London Lion reunited in Africa. Check it out at: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjWtRYaxmWM, then pass it on.
Ephesians 5
Living in the Light
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Living by the Spirit’s Power 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.
31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”[c] 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Living in the Light
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Living by the Spirit’s Power 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.
31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”[c] 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Isaiah 51
A Call to Trust the Lord 1 “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance— all who seek the Lord! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined. 2 Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation.”
3 The Lord will comfort Israel[a] again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.
4 “Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. 5 My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm. 6 Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!
7 “Listen to me, you who know right from wrong you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. 8 For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”
9 Wake up, wake up, O Lord! Clothe yourself with strength! Flex your mighty right arm! Rouse yourself as in the days of old when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile.[b] 10 Are you not the same today, the one who dried up the sea, making a path of escape through the depths so that your people could cross over? 11 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem[c] singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
12 “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? 13 Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone! 14 Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate! 15 For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 16 And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out[d] the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my people!’”
17 Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops. 18 Not one of your children is left alive to take your hand and guide you. 19 These two calamities have fallen on you: desolation and destruction, famine and war. And who is left to sympathize with you? Who is left to comfort you?[e] 20 For your children have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as antelopes caught in a net. The Lord has poured out his fury; God has rebuked them.
21 But now listen to this, you afflicted ones who sit in a drunken stupor, though not from drinking wine. 22 This is what the Sovereign Lord, your God and Defender, says: “See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands. You will drink no more of my fury. 23 Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors, those who said, ‘We will trample you into the dust and walk on your backs.’”
Isaiah 52
Deliverance for Jerusalem 1 Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. 2 Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For this is what the Lord says: “When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without having to pay for you.”
4 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Long ago my people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria. 5 What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long.[f] 6 But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.”
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel[g] reigns! 8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.[h] 9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.
11 Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves, you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. 12 You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.
The Lord’s Suffering Servant 13 See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw him.[i] His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. 15 And he will startle[j] many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.[k]
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows[l] that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.[m] No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.[n] But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
A Call to Trust the Lord 1 “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance— all who seek the Lord! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined. 2 Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation.”
3 The Lord will comfort Israel[a] again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.
4 “Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. 5 My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm. 6 Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!
7 “Listen to me, you who know right from wrong you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. 8 For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”
9 Wake up, wake up, O Lord! Clothe yourself with strength! Flex your mighty right arm! Rouse yourself as in the days of old when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile.[b] 10 Are you not the same today, the one who dried up the sea, making a path of escape through the depths so that your people could cross over? 11 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem[c] singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
12 “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? 13 Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone! 14 Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate! 15 For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 16 And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out[d] the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my people!’”
17 Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops. 18 Not one of your children is left alive to take your hand and guide you. 19 These two calamities have fallen on you: desolation and destruction, famine and war. And who is left to sympathize with you? Who is left to comfort you?[e] 20 For your children have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as antelopes caught in a net. The Lord has poured out his fury; God has rebuked them.
21 But now listen to this, you afflicted ones who sit in a drunken stupor, though not from drinking wine. 22 This is what the Sovereign Lord, your God and Defender, says: “See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands. You will drink no more of my fury. 23 Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors, those who said, ‘We will trample you into the dust and walk on your backs.’”
Isaiah 52
Deliverance for Jerusalem 1 Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. 2 Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For this is what the Lord says: “When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without having to pay for you.”
4 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Long ago my people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria. 5 What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long.[f] 6 But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.”
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel[g] reigns! 8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.[h] 9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.
11 Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves, you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. 12 You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.
The Lord’s Suffering Servant 13 See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw him.[i] His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. 15 And he will startle[j] many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.[k]
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows[l] that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.[m] No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.[n] But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Is. 40:29-41:10
29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 41
God’s Help for Israel 1 “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.
2 “Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God’s service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind. 3 He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground. 4 Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am he.”
5 The lands beyond the sea watch in fear. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. 6 The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other, “Be strong!” 7 The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.” Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over.
8 “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, 9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 41
God’s Help for Israel 1 “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.
2 “Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God’s service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind. 3 He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground. 4 Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am he.”
5 The lands beyond the sea watch in fear. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. 6 The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other, “Be strong!” 7 The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.” Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over.
8 “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, 9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Dr. Kamerer's bio for those interested.
Donald B. Kamerer, Jr., MD
Additional Information:
CHARLOTTE EYE EAR NOSE & THROAT ASSOCIATES
EDUCATION:Undergraduate: Summa cum laude, Yale University, 1978
Medical School: Harvard Medical School, 1982.
Internship: General surgery, Boston University Affiliated Surgical Program, 1983.
Residency: Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, a program consistently mentioned as one of the finest in the nation, 1987.
BOARD CERTIFICATION: American Board of Otolaryngology. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
MEMBERSHIPS: North Carolina Medical Society and the Mecklenburg Medical Society.
MEDICAL STAFF: Presbyterian Hospital and Carolinas Medical Center. Dr. Kamerer currently serves as Chief of the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center and is the Surgical Director of the Multidisciplinary Clinic for Head and Neck Cancer at Carolinas Medical Center’s Blumenthal Cancer Center, where he participates in research related to the multidisciplinary approach to head and neck cancer. He sometimes serves as a surgical representative for Presbyterian Hospital’s Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Clinic.
EXPERTISE: Evaluation and treatment of head and neck tumors, diseases of the salivary glands, thyroid and parathyroid disorders, skullbase surgery, transseptal surgery for pituitary tumors, voice disorders, and endoscopic sinus surgery.
SOUTHPARK OFFICE6035 Fairview RoadCharlotte, NC 28210704-295-3000
Donald B. Kamerer, Jr., MD
Additional Information:
CHARLOTTE EYE EAR NOSE & THROAT ASSOCIATES
EDUCATION:Undergraduate: Summa cum laude, Yale University, 1978
Medical School: Harvard Medical School, 1982.
Internship: General surgery, Boston University Affiliated Surgical Program, 1983.
Residency: Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, a program consistently mentioned as one of the finest in the nation, 1987.
BOARD CERTIFICATION: American Board of Otolaryngology. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
MEMBERSHIPS: North Carolina Medical Society and the Mecklenburg Medical Society.
MEDICAL STAFF: Presbyterian Hospital and Carolinas Medical Center. Dr. Kamerer currently serves as Chief of the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center and is the Surgical Director of the Multidisciplinary Clinic for Head and Neck Cancer at Carolinas Medical Center’s Blumenthal Cancer Center, where he participates in research related to the multidisciplinary approach to head and neck cancer. He sometimes serves as a surgical representative for Presbyterian Hospital’s Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Clinic.
EXPERTISE: Evaluation and treatment of head and neck tumors, diseases of the salivary glands, thyroid and parathyroid disorders, skullbase surgery, transseptal surgery for pituitary tumors, voice disorders, and endoscopic sinus surgery.
SOUTHPARK OFFICE6035 Fairview RoadCharlotte, NC 28210704-295-3000
Sunday, September 21, 2008
'MAYA ANGELOU'S'
BEST POEM EVER
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD
HAVE .
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and...a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a feeling of control over her destiny..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend, without ruining the friendship..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect... but it's over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do... for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table..or a charming Inn in the woods....
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
What she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month... and a year...
Pass this on and may you be blessed for all of the year or if nothing else...
you know that you are truly loved and thought of by the friend who sent this to you...
and that she only wishes the best for you and your life..
AND REMEMBER: GOOD FRIENDS ARE LIKE STARS.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE THEM,
BUT YOU ALWAYS KNOW THEY ARE THERE!!!!!!
Be yourself...you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
BEST POEM EVER
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD
HAVE .
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and...a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a feeling of control over her destiny..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend, without ruining the friendship..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect... but it's over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do... for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table..or a charming Inn in the woods....
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
What she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month... and a year...
Pass this on and may you be blessed for all of the year or if nothing else...
you know that you are truly loved and thought of by the friend who sent this to you...
and that she only wishes the best for you and your life..
AND REMEMBER: GOOD FRIENDS ARE LIKE STARS.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE THEM,
BUT YOU ALWAYS KNOW THEY ARE THERE!!!!!!
Be yourself...you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Galatians 4
1 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles[a] of this world.
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.[b] 6 And because we[c] are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”[d] 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.[e] And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians 8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters,[f] I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.
You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?
17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.
19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.
Abraham’s Two Children 21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.[g] 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.
24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia,[h] because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,
“Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”[i]
28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.
30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[j] 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.
1 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles[a] of this world.
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.[b] 6 And because we[c] are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”[d] 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.[e] And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians 8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters,[f] I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.
You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?
17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.
19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.
Abraham’s Two Children 21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.[g] 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.
24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia,[h] because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,
“Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”[i]
28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.
30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[j] 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Getting ready for Jan's surgery tomorrow at CMC Main hospital. Alexandra is coming home tonight from Winston-Salem and Catharine is coming down from Boone tomorrow night. James will be with us on Friday night, he's coming in from taking a weeks course in Greensboro. So, our family is gathering. Gathering strength, gathering prayer, gathering faith, hope, and support for a very positive outcome. I'm feeling the peace of many saints praying for us. Thank you LORD.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Another post on recycling glass. Hope it may be an inspirition to others.
How Glass is Recycled
The ideal environmental packaging medium
A glass container is made of the simplest ingredients - silica sand, soda ash and limestone. When used glass is crushed, it returns virtually to its natural state. It is inert, non-toxic and can't contaminate the environment even when disposed of in landfill sites. But there is also no reason why glass containers should ever take up valuable landfill space when they can be used, over and over again.
Glass is 100% recyclable - it can be recycled indefinitely to make new glass. The glass recycled in a jam jar today can be a juice bottle next month, then a coffee jar, a milk bottle, a pickle jar, a ketchup bottle, and on and on forever.
The goal should be the recycling of all glass food and beverage containers, so that the only new glass made is to meet increasing market growth for the products they contain.
Crushed recycled glass, called cullet, is combined with virgin raw materials (silica sand, soda ash and limestone) in the glass manufacturing process. Currently Consumers Glass is averaging a one-third recycled content in its new glass containers, up from 7% in 1988, with over 50% targeted for the year 2000.
Manufacturing standards for recycled glass
As in any manufacturing process, certain standards must be established and maintained in order for Consumers Glass to make maximum use of the glass householders put into the recycling stream through curbside or other recovery programs.
Since recycled glass is used as a direct substitute for raw materials, good quality recycled glass must be obtained - and this means used container glass which is colour sorted and doesn't include foreign materials such as heat-resistant glass cookware, ceramics, window glass, drinking glasses and light bulbs. All these materials are made of ingredients which are different from container glass and will cause problems in the glass making process.
To make maximum use of collected glass, the containers must be sorted to separate the clear from coloured glass. Only clear recycled glass can be used to manufacture new clear glass containers.
Consumers Glass contracts a number of processors with material handling systems to clean the glass of metal caps and paper labels and crush it into cullet. While the processor has the ability to extract bottle caps and lids, it is much better if the householder removes them. It is almost impossible, however, to take out other kinds of materials, such as ceramics and drinking glasses, once the recycled glass has reached the plant.
Foreign materials such as cookware, ceramics, window glass and light bulbs that go undetected can cause serious problems in the manufacturing process, damaging glass-making machinery as well as resulting in sub-standard glass containers which cannot be used.
The unbroken circle
The chart shown on the following page, titled, "The Glass Container Packaging System Model", shows how the recycling process works... from the manufacture of the glass container... to its sale and filling by a producer... resale to a wholesaler and retailer... final sale to an end user, who chooses whether to return it for refilling, to recycle or dispose of it.... and its recycling and final return to Consumers Glass to be made into a new glass bottle or jar.
The ultimate goal ... is to have an unbroken recycling circle. But this can only be achieved with the full support of the consuming public. They have the most important role to play in the recycling process -- putting out only those glass containers used for food and beverages for recycling. Consumers Glass is also seeking the assistance of recycling truck operators to identify and leave behind unacceptable materials during the collection process.
Glass not recycled into new containers is being substituted for other materials employed in a broad range of industries, including fibreglass manufacturing, in reflective paints, and as a replacement for aggregates used for various construction purposes.
How Glass is Recycled
The ideal environmental packaging medium
A glass container is made of the simplest ingredients - silica sand, soda ash and limestone. When used glass is crushed, it returns virtually to its natural state. It is inert, non-toxic and can't contaminate the environment even when disposed of in landfill sites. But there is also no reason why glass containers should ever take up valuable landfill space when they can be used, over and over again.
Glass is 100% recyclable - it can be recycled indefinitely to make new glass. The glass recycled in a jam jar today can be a juice bottle next month, then a coffee jar, a milk bottle, a pickle jar, a ketchup bottle, and on and on forever.
The goal should be the recycling of all glass food and beverage containers, so that the only new glass made is to meet increasing market growth for the products they contain.
Crushed recycled glass, called cullet, is combined with virgin raw materials (silica sand, soda ash and limestone) in the glass manufacturing process. Currently Consumers Glass is averaging a one-third recycled content in its new glass containers, up from 7% in 1988, with over 50% targeted for the year 2000.
Manufacturing standards for recycled glass
As in any manufacturing process, certain standards must be established and maintained in order for Consumers Glass to make maximum use of the glass householders put into the recycling stream through curbside or other recovery programs.
Since recycled glass is used as a direct substitute for raw materials, good quality recycled glass must be obtained - and this means used container glass which is colour sorted and doesn't include foreign materials such as heat-resistant glass cookware, ceramics, window glass, drinking glasses and light bulbs. All these materials are made of ingredients which are different from container glass and will cause problems in the glass making process.
To make maximum use of collected glass, the containers must be sorted to separate the clear from coloured glass. Only clear recycled glass can be used to manufacture new clear glass containers.
Consumers Glass contracts a number of processors with material handling systems to clean the glass of metal caps and paper labels and crush it into cullet. While the processor has the ability to extract bottle caps and lids, it is much better if the householder removes them. It is almost impossible, however, to take out other kinds of materials, such as ceramics and drinking glasses, once the recycled glass has reached the plant.
Foreign materials such as cookware, ceramics, window glass and light bulbs that go undetected can cause serious problems in the manufacturing process, damaging glass-making machinery as well as resulting in sub-standard glass containers which cannot be used.
The unbroken circle
The chart shown on the following page, titled, "The Glass Container Packaging System Model", shows how the recycling process works... from the manufacture of the glass container... to its sale and filling by a producer... resale to a wholesaler and retailer... final sale to an end user, who chooses whether to return it for refilling, to recycle or dispose of it.... and its recycling and final return to Consumers Glass to be made into a new glass bottle or jar.
The ultimate goal ... is to have an unbroken recycling circle. But this can only be achieved with the full support of the consuming public. They have the most important role to play in the recycling process -- putting out only those glass containers used for food and beverages for recycling. Consumers Glass is also seeking the assistance of recycling truck operators to identify and leave behind unacceptable materials during the collection process.
Glass not recycled into new containers is being substituted for other materials employed in a broad range of industries, including fibreglass manufacturing, in reflective paints, and as a replacement for aggregates used for various construction purposes.
Did I ever tell anyone that I am interested in glass recycling. Since I went down to Charleston, SC, actually before that time, when I read an article in Charleston's Magazine Green Edition about a glass recycler there and the wonderful products he was making and their uses. Fantastic article. I'll see if I can find it on the net.
Today I came across a link from web on a UK recycling program. Check it out. In Europe they recycle 95% of their glass. There is hope for us.
Glass recycling information sheet
Why bother?
What you can do
How's, what's and where's of recycling glass
Sources of Further Information
What the law says
As early as 4000 BC glass was used in the Middle East as a glaze to decorate beads. By 1550 BC, coloured glass vessels were widespread and used for cooking and drinking. The earliest known clear glass is a vase found in Nineveh in Assyria, dating from around 800 BC, which is now in the British Museum in London.
Until the 18th and 19th centuries glass was very expensive and was used for limited applications, such as stained glass windows for churches. Large-scale glass manufacture began with the industrial revolution with the mass production of glass containers beginning at the onset of the 20th century and glass light bulb production automated in 1926.
Nowadays glass is much less expensive and is taken for granted as a packaging material in addition to its use in windows and other applications. New glass is made from a mixture of four main ingredients: sand, soda ash, limestone and other additives. These additives include iron for colour (brown or green), chromium and cobalt for colour (green and blue respectively, lead to alter the refractive index, alumina for durability and boron to improve the thermal options.
Annually, total glass use in the UK is estimated at around 3.6 million tonnes.
Why bother?top of page
Using present technology the UK glass industry has the capacity to recycle over one million tonnes of glass each year and this coupled with the materials unique ability to be infinitely recycled without compromising its quality creates a compelling case for the recycling of glass. Despite this, glass makes up around 7% of the average household dustbin and in 2001 over 2.5 million tonnes of this material was landfilled.
Source: Analysis of household waste composition and factors driving waste increases - Dr. J. Parfitt, WRAP, December 2002
The manufacture of glass uses energy in the extraction and transportation of the raw materials, and during processing as materials have to be heated together to a very high temperature. Large amounts of fuel are used and the combustion of these fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas. In 2002 the glass industry consumed a total of 8611,000,000 kWh of energy including electricity and carbon dioxide emissions totalled 1.8 million tonnes from the fossil fuels burnt in the factories. An efficient furnace will require 4 GJ of energy for each tonne of glass melted.
Glass can be recycled indefinitely as part of a simple but hugely beneficial process, as its structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed. In the case of bottles and jars, up to 80% of the total mixture can be made from reclaimed scrap glass, called "cullet". Cullet from a factory has a known composition and is recognised as domestic cullet. From bottle banks it is known as foreign and its actual properties will not be known.
If recycled glass is used to make new bottles and jars, the energy needed in the furnace is greatly reduced. After accounting for the transport and processing needed, 315kg of CO2 is saved per tonne of glass melted.
Recycling two bottles saves enough energy to boil water for five cups of tea
In addition:
Recycling reduces the demand for raw materials. There is no shortage of the materials used, but they do have to be quarried from our landscape, so from this point of view, there are environmental advantages to recovering and recycling glass. For every tonne of recycled glass used, 1.2 tonnes of raw materials are preserved.
Recycling reduces the amount of waste glass which needs to be landfilled. Although glass is inert and is not directly hazardous to the environment, it will remain there indefinitely.
Taking part in recycling the waste we produce makes us think about the effect we are having on our environment and enables us to contribute towards a greater level of sustainability
How's, what's and where's of recycling glasstop of page
Types of glass
Glass that we are familiar with is divided into different streams based on its particular composition and use.
Container glass
Container glass is largely bottles and jars and represents around 80% of the recycled glass market. Total container glass flow is estimated at 2.23 million tonnes of which around 629,000 tonnes may be imported
On average, every family in the UKconsumes around 330 glass bottles and jars a year.(British Glass)
Reuse
Returning bottles to the retailer and receiving the deposit in return used to be common practice. However as manufacturing plants became larger and decreased in number, bottles had to be carried further for refilling. This removed much of the financial and environmental advantages associated with returnable bottles. In addition to this, consumer preference turned to the convenience of non-returnable bottles. Milk bottles are one of the few types of glass packaging still reused (an average of 12 times). Despite the extra weight required to withstand wear and tear and the costs of cleaning, returning bottles can still be the best option when they are recovered and refilled locally. There is also the option of reusing bottles and jars as storage containers for home made wine, beer or jam.
Recycling
Many people set aside glass for recycling and either participate in kerbside collection schemes or take them to a bottle bank. The first bottle banks appeared in 1977, and there are now roughly 50,000 on some 20,000 sites around the country, usually located at civic amenity sites and supermarkets. To find your nearest bottle bank you can use the recycle bank locator at http://www.recycle-more.com.
Glass can also be recovered from businesses, such as pubs and restaurants, and from companies, schools or organisations which are able to have a bottle bank on site. 600,000 tonnes of glass bottles are thrown out from pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes every year (a quarter of the UK's waste glass containers). Up to 75% of this is currently being sent to landfill sites.
The UK has a current municipal recycling rate of 34% for container glass. This is poor when considering that Switzerland and Finland recycle more than 90% of their container waste and recycling figures of more than 50% are the norm.
Destinations of UK container glass %
Bottle banks are emptied by glass collection companies, or by the reprocessors, and the local authority or other party operating the bank is then paid by the tonne for the 'cullet'. When glass cullet reaches the plant it is monitored for purity, contaminants are removed and it is crushed and added to the raw material mix in the melting furnace. It is then moulded or mechanically blown into new bottles or jars. For more information contact the organisations and websites at the end of this data sheet.
Colour imbalance The main barrier to recycling glass is the shortage of clear cullet collected in the UK. The UK predominantly produces clear and amber glass but because the UK exports a lot of clear glass, in the form of spirit bottles, and because consumers are also reluctant to deposit jars in bottle banks, little clear cullet is produced. The UK imports twice as much green glass as is manufactured, mainly in the form of wine bottles. In the past this has lead to a surplus of green cullet. The industry has worked hard to increase the amount of green glass recycled and currently all the green bottles we make in the UK contain at least 85 per cent recycled green glass.
Glass cullet can also be used for aggregate in the construction industry, and the new road laying material glasphalt. Glasphalt comprises around 30% recycled glass and it has been estimated around 14 million crushed bottles were used in this way during construction in the M6 motorway project. These materials can use mixed coloured and contaminated glass, and may be a good market for green glass.
Inequalities in Glass production and consumption
Uses of recycled glass
Glass cullet can be used in the production of new glass bottles. The rise in recycling means that in 2003 the average jar or bottle made in the UK contained 38 per cent recycled glass, four per cent up on 2002. Recycling glass into new containers has four main environmental benefits - energy saving, lower emissions, reduced landfill and a reduction in quarrying.
Flat glass sector
This is the second largest sector of glass manufacture. As opposed to container glass, flat glass tends to be used in long term applications. This longevity lessens the environmental impact of waste glass but waste flat glass is arising as windows and car windscreens are replaced and cars are scrapped.
Taking into account imports and exports this stream accounts for around 886 thousand tonnes annually. The chart below shows the different outputs for flat glass by percentage.
Outputs of flat glass %
Fibre glass sector
Fibre glass can be manufactured using a number of methods to produce either continuous or short fibres. Continuous fibres are commonly used in the production of glass reinforced plastics and cements. Short fibres may be used in the production of blanket fibre material such as that used for insulation. In the UK 220,000 tonnes per annum of fibre glass is made per annum and approximately 11,000 tonnes of glass waste. Because of the difficulties in reusing and recycling this type of glass there is currently little recycling.
Domestic glass sector & Special glass sector
Domestic glass includes domestic houseware such as glasses and ornaments. The special glass sector includes cathode ray tubes as used in televisions, medical and other specialist equipment.
Nearly all cathode ray tubes disposed of from domestic households end up in landfill. The re-use of domestic TV's and computer monitors is negligible. WRAP has a project to assist the diversion of CRT glass from landfill and enable the UK to meet the WEEE Directive's recycling/recovery targets for equipment containing CRTs in the most cost-effective manner. It will identify and develop high value applications, research and report on the necessary technical criteria and quality standards. For further details please see the Wasteline Electrical and Electronics recycling information sheet.
What the law saystop of page
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997, which makes businesses that deal with over 2 tonnes of packaging partly responsible for recovery and recycling, is intended to increase the level of glass recycling and help to establish a more stable market for the 'cullet'. UK businesses are obliged by law to recover at least 65% of glass in the packaging waste stream in 2006.
Glass recycling has also been affected by the WEEE legislation and the ELV legislation.
What you can dotop of page
If a bottle is returnable it is usually preferable to return it, rather than to recycle it.
Rinse the bottles or jars - ideally in washing-up water you have in the bowl anyway.
Wherever possible, remove metal or plastic tops, corks and rings from bottles or jars. Any tops which remain will be removed by magnets, vibratory screens or other methods, but they can cause damage to furnaces if any get through.
Recycle all glass containers, not just drinks bottles. Containers which hold food, pharmaceutical and household items which are made of glass are all recyclable.
Never deposit light bulbs or cookware such as 'Pyrex' or 'Visionware'. These have different properties to the glass used to make bottles and can contaminate a load, resulting in a sub-standard finished product. Flat glass, such as window glass, whole or broken, should not be put in bottle banks either - see below.
Make sure that you put the bottles in the correct bank - clear, green or brown. Most importantly, ensure clear glass is not contaminated with colours as this will considerably reduce the value as a higher price is paid for uncontaminated clear glass. Bottles made from blue glass can be put in the green glass bank. Bottles with a coloured coating can be recycled as any finishes added later will burn off in the furnace. To find the original glass colour check the top of the bottle where the cap was and put the bottle in the appropriate bank.
Try to plan your trip to bottle banks along with other essential activities such as going shopping or to school. This way the environmental impact of the journey is kept to a minimum.
Do not leave any boxes or bags at the bank that you have used to bring your glass in, there is normally a bin provided for these.
Try to use bottle banks during the day, to avoid disturbing the local community at night.
Sources Of Further Informationtop of page
British Glass9 Churchill WayChapeltown, SheffieldSouth Yorks S35 2PYt 0114 290 1850f 0114 290 1851Info@britglass.co.ukhttp://www.britglass.co.ukBritish Glass maintains a bottle bank directory and provides information and advice on glass recycling.
Glasspachttp://www.glasspac.comInformation on glass as a packaging material.
Independent Glass Recyclers Association - TheBerrymans49 Lidgate CrescentLengthweight Industrial EstateSouth KirkbyWest Yorkshire WF9 3NRt 01977 608020Call for general information on glass recycling
letsrecycle.comhttp://www.letsrecycle.comFor information on glass collectors, recyclers and processors.
Recycle More GlassLidgate Crescent, Langthwaite Grange Industrial EstateSouth Kirkby, West Yorkshire, WF9 3NRt 01977 608020 f 01977 644021www.berryman-uk.co.ukFor information on the recycle-more-glass scheme, and free glass collection to licensed premises and local authorities, and a bottle bank location indicator.
Recyclingglass.co.ukhttp://www.recyclingglass.co.ukEducational site with facts about recycling. They also produce a free educational CD rom for key stages 1 and 2.
WRAP, The Old Academy, 21 Horse Fair, Banbury, Oxon. OX16 0AHt 0808 100 2040 f 01295 819911helpline@wrap.org.ukhttp://www.wrap.org.uk
Updated: February 06
Due to changes in funding, we are no longer able to offer a telephone or email public information service. Should you have further questions on waste and recycling, please contact one of these groups:
Householders and students should call the Recycle Now helpline on 0845 331 31 31 for further waste based information, and where to find your local recycling facilities.
Small to medium businesses should visit the Envirowise website, or call 0800 585 794, for further information on waste issues. Larger businesses should visit www.businesslink.gov.uk.
For industry based questions, please use the WRAP technical helpline on 0808 100 2040 for advice on markets and recycling company development, or visit www.letsrecycle.com for listings of recyclers and reprocessors.
If you find a mistake on this page, have a technical question regarding the wasteonline website, or would be interested in advertising your company logo on this information sheet please email info@wastewatch.org.uk.
Thank you.
top of page
Today I came across a link from web on a UK recycling program. Check it out. In Europe they recycle 95% of their glass. There is hope for us.
Glass recycling information sheet
Why bother?
What you can do
How's, what's and where's of recycling glass
Sources of Further Information
What the law says
As early as 4000 BC glass was used in the Middle East as a glaze to decorate beads. By 1550 BC, coloured glass vessels were widespread and used for cooking and drinking. The earliest known clear glass is a vase found in Nineveh in Assyria, dating from around 800 BC, which is now in the British Museum in London.
Until the 18th and 19th centuries glass was very expensive and was used for limited applications, such as stained glass windows for churches. Large-scale glass manufacture began with the industrial revolution with the mass production of glass containers beginning at the onset of the 20th century and glass light bulb production automated in 1926.
Nowadays glass is much less expensive and is taken for granted as a packaging material in addition to its use in windows and other applications. New glass is made from a mixture of four main ingredients: sand, soda ash, limestone and other additives. These additives include iron for colour (brown or green), chromium and cobalt for colour (green and blue respectively, lead to alter the refractive index, alumina for durability and boron to improve the thermal options.
Annually, total glass use in the UK is estimated at around 3.6 million tonnes.
Why bother?top of page
Using present technology the UK glass industry has the capacity to recycle over one million tonnes of glass each year and this coupled with the materials unique ability to be infinitely recycled without compromising its quality creates a compelling case for the recycling of glass. Despite this, glass makes up around 7% of the average household dustbin and in 2001 over 2.5 million tonnes of this material was landfilled.
Source: Analysis of household waste composition and factors driving waste increases - Dr. J. Parfitt, WRAP, December 2002
The manufacture of glass uses energy in the extraction and transportation of the raw materials, and during processing as materials have to be heated together to a very high temperature. Large amounts of fuel are used and the combustion of these fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas. In 2002 the glass industry consumed a total of 8611,000,000 kWh of energy including electricity and carbon dioxide emissions totalled 1.8 million tonnes from the fossil fuels burnt in the factories. An efficient furnace will require 4 GJ of energy for each tonne of glass melted.
Glass can be recycled indefinitely as part of a simple but hugely beneficial process, as its structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed. In the case of bottles and jars, up to 80% of the total mixture can be made from reclaimed scrap glass, called "cullet". Cullet from a factory has a known composition and is recognised as domestic cullet. From bottle banks it is known as foreign and its actual properties will not be known.
If recycled glass is used to make new bottles and jars, the energy needed in the furnace is greatly reduced. After accounting for the transport and processing needed, 315kg of CO2 is saved per tonne of glass melted.
Recycling two bottles saves enough energy to boil water for five cups of tea
In addition:
Recycling reduces the demand for raw materials. There is no shortage of the materials used, but they do have to be quarried from our landscape, so from this point of view, there are environmental advantages to recovering and recycling glass. For every tonne of recycled glass used, 1.2 tonnes of raw materials are preserved.
Recycling reduces the amount of waste glass which needs to be landfilled. Although glass is inert and is not directly hazardous to the environment, it will remain there indefinitely.
Taking part in recycling the waste we produce makes us think about the effect we are having on our environment and enables us to contribute towards a greater level of sustainability
How's, what's and where's of recycling glasstop of page
Types of glass
Glass that we are familiar with is divided into different streams based on its particular composition and use.
Container glass
Container glass is largely bottles and jars and represents around 80% of the recycled glass market. Total container glass flow is estimated at 2.23 million tonnes of which around 629,000 tonnes may be imported
On average, every family in the UKconsumes around 330 glass bottles and jars a year.(British Glass)
Reuse
Returning bottles to the retailer and receiving the deposit in return used to be common practice. However as manufacturing plants became larger and decreased in number, bottles had to be carried further for refilling. This removed much of the financial and environmental advantages associated with returnable bottles. In addition to this, consumer preference turned to the convenience of non-returnable bottles. Milk bottles are one of the few types of glass packaging still reused (an average of 12 times). Despite the extra weight required to withstand wear and tear and the costs of cleaning, returning bottles can still be the best option when they are recovered and refilled locally. There is also the option of reusing bottles and jars as storage containers for home made wine, beer or jam.
Recycling
Many people set aside glass for recycling and either participate in kerbside collection schemes or take them to a bottle bank. The first bottle banks appeared in 1977, and there are now roughly 50,000 on some 20,000 sites around the country, usually located at civic amenity sites and supermarkets. To find your nearest bottle bank you can use the recycle bank locator at http://www.recycle-more.com.
Glass can also be recovered from businesses, such as pubs and restaurants, and from companies, schools or organisations which are able to have a bottle bank on site. 600,000 tonnes of glass bottles are thrown out from pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes every year (a quarter of the UK's waste glass containers). Up to 75% of this is currently being sent to landfill sites.
The UK has a current municipal recycling rate of 34% for container glass. This is poor when considering that Switzerland and Finland recycle more than 90% of their container waste and recycling figures of more than 50% are the norm.
Destinations of UK container glass %
Bottle banks are emptied by glass collection companies, or by the reprocessors, and the local authority or other party operating the bank is then paid by the tonne for the 'cullet'. When glass cullet reaches the plant it is monitored for purity, contaminants are removed and it is crushed and added to the raw material mix in the melting furnace. It is then moulded or mechanically blown into new bottles or jars. For more information contact the organisations and websites at the end of this data sheet.
Colour imbalance The main barrier to recycling glass is the shortage of clear cullet collected in the UK. The UK predominantly produces clear and amber glass but because the UK exports a lot of clear glass, in the form of spirit bottles, and because consumers are also reluctant to deposit jars in bottle banks, little clear cullet is produced. The UK imports twice as much green glass as is manufactured, mainly in the form of wine bottles. In the past this has lead to a surplus of green cullet. The industry has worked hard to increase the amount of green glass recycled and currently all the green bottles we make in the UK contain at least 85 per cent recycled green glass.
Glass cullet can also be used for aggregate in the construction industry, and the new road laying material glasphalt. Glasphalt comprises around 30% recycled glass and it has been estimated around 14 million crushed bottles were used in this way during construction in the M6 motorway project. These materials can use mixed coloured and contaminated glass, and may be a good market for green glass.
Inequalities in Glass production and consumption
Uses of recycled glass
Glass cullet can be used in the production of new glass bottles. The rise in recycling means that in 2003 the average jar or bottle made in the UK contained 38 per cent recycled glass, four per cent up on 2002. Recycling glass into new containers has four main environmental benefits - energy saving, lower emissions, reduced landfill and a reduction in quarrying.
Flat glass sector
This is the second largest sector of glass manufacture. As opposed to container glass, flat glass tends to be used in long term applications. This longevity lessens the environmental impact of waste glass but waste flat glass is arising as windows and car windscreens are replaced and cars are scrapped.
Taking into account imports and exports this stream accounts for around 886 thousand tonnes annually. The chart below shows the different outputs for flat glass by percentage.
Outputs of flat glass %
Fibre glass sector
Fibre glass can be manufactured using a number of methods to produce either continuous or short fibres. Continuous fibres are commonly used in the production of glass reinforced plastics and cements. Short fibres may be used in the production of blanket fibre material such as that used for insulation. In the UK 220,000 tonnes per annum of fibre glass is made per annum and approximately 11,000 tonnes of glass waste. Because of the difficulties in reusing and recycling this type of glass there is currently little recycling.
Domestic glass sector & Special glass sector
Domestic glass includes domestic houseware such as glasses and ornaments. The special glass sector includes cathode ray tubes as used in televisions, medical and other specialist equipment.
Nearly all cathode ray tubes disposed of from domestic households end up in landfill. The re-use of domestic TV's and computer monitors is negligible. WRAP has a project to assist the diversion of CRT glass from landfill and enable the UK to meet the WEEE Directive's recycling/recovery targets for equipment containing CRTs in the most cost-effective manner. It will identify and develop high value applications, research and report on the necessary technical criteria and quality standards. For further details please see the Wasteline Electrical and Electronics recycling information sheet.
What the law saystop of page
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997, which makes businesses that deal with over 2 tonnes of packaging partly responsible for recovery and recycling, is intended to increase the level of glass recycling and help to establish a more stable market for the 'cullet'. UK businesses are obliged by law to recover at least 65% of glass in the packaging waste stream in 2006.
Glass recycling has also been affected by the WEEE legislation and the ELV legislation.
What you can dotop of page
If a bottle is returnable it is usually preferable to return it, rather than to recycle it.
Rinse the bottles or jars - ideally in washing-up water you have in the bowl anyway.
Wherever possible, remove metal or plastic tops, corks and rings from bottles or jars. Any tops which remain will be removed by magnets, vibratory screens or other methods, but they can cause damage to furnaces if any get through.
Recycle all glass containers, not just drinks bottles. Containers which hold food, pharmaceutical and household items which are made of glass are all recyclable.
Never deposit light bulbs or cookware such as 'Pyrex' or 'Visionware'. These have different properties to the glass used to make bottles and can contaminate a load, resulting in a sub-standard finished product. Flat glass, such as window glass, whole or broken, should not be put in bottle banks either - see below.
Make sure that you put the bottles in the correct bank - clear, green or brown. Most importantly, ensure clear glass is not contaminated with colours as this will considerably reduce the value as a higher price is paid for uncontaminated clear glass. Bottles made from blue glass can be put in the green glass bank. Bottles with a coloured coating can be recycled as any finishes added later will burn off in the furnace. To find the original glass colour check the top of the bottle where the cap was and put the bottle in the appropriate bank.
Try to plan your trip to bottle banks along with other essential activities such as going shopping or to school. This way the environmental impact of the journey is kept to a minimum.
Do not leave any boxes or bags at the bank that you have used to bring your glass in, there is normally a bin provided for these.
Try to use bottle banks during the day, to avoid disturbing the local community at night.
Sources Of Further Informationtop of page
British Glass9 Churchill WayChapeltown, SheffieldSouth Yorks S35 2PYt 0114 290 1850f 0114 290 1851Info@britglass.co.ukhttp://www.britglass.co.ukBritish Glass maintains a bottle bank directory and provides information and advice on glass recycling.
Glasspachttp://www.glasspac.comInformation on glass as a packaging material.
Independent Glass Recyclers Association - TheBerrymans49 Lidgate CrescentLengthweight Industrial EstateSouth KirkbyWest Yorkshire WF9 3NRt 01977 608020Call for general information on glass recycling
letsrecycle.comhttp://www.letsrecycle.comFor information on glass collectors, recyclers and processors.
Recycle More GlassLidgate Crescent, Langthwaite Grange Industrial EstateSouth Kirkby, West Yorkshire, WF9 3NRt 01977 608020 f 01977 644021www.berryman-uk.co.ukFor information on the recycle-more-glass scheme, and free glass collection to licensed premises and local authorities, and a bottle bank location indicator.
Recyclingglass.co.ukhttp://www.recyclingglass.co.ukEducational site with facts about recycling. They also produce a free educational CD rom for key stages 1 and 2.
WRAP, The Old Academy, 21 Horse Fair, Banbury, Oxon. OX16 0AHt 0808 100 2040 f 01295 819911helpline@wrap.org.ukhttp://www.wrap.org.uk
Updated: February 06
Due to changes in funding, we are no longer able to offer a telephone or email public information service. Should you have further questions on waste and recycling, please contact one of these groups:
Householders and students should call the Recycle Now helpline on 0845 331 31 31 for further waste based information, and where to find your local recycling facilities.
Small to medium businesses should visit the Envirowise website, or call 0800 585 794, for further information on waste issues. Larger businesses should visit www.businesslink.gov.uk.
For industry based questions, please use the WRAP technical helpline on 0808 100 2040 for advice on markets and recycling company development, or visit www.letsrecycle.com for listings of recyclers and reprocessors.
If you find a mistake on this page, have a technical question regarding the wasteonline website, or would be interested in advertising your company logo on this information sheet please email info@wastewatch.org.uk.
Thank you.
top of page
Psalm 57
1BE MERCIFUL and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.
2I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!
3He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.
4My life is among lions; I must lie among those who are aflame--the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!
6They set a net for my steps; my very life was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody.
8Awake, my glory (my inner self); awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [I will awaken the dawn]!
9I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.
10For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth and faithfulness to the clouds.
11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.
1BE MERCIFUL and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.
2I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!
3He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.
4My life is among lions; I must lie among those who are aflame--the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!
6They set a net for my steps; my very life was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody.
8Awake, my glory (my inner self); awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [I will awaken the dawn]!
9I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.
10For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth and faithfulness to the clouds.
11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Isaiah 1
1 These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.[a]
A Message for Rebellious Judah 2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see. 8 Beautiful Jerusalem[b] stands abandoned like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest, like a helpless city under siege. 9 If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us,[c] we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.
10 Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” 11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? 13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! 15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. 19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Unfaithful Jerusalem 21 See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. 22 Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine. 23 Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.
24 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes! 25 I will raise my fist against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. 26 Then I will give you good judges again and wise counselors like you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed, and those who desert the Lord will be consumed.
29 You will be ashamed of your idol worship in groves of sacred oaks. You will blush because you worshiped in gardens dedicated to idols. 30 You will be like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire. They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.
Isaiah 2
The Lord’s Future Reign
1 This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. 3 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.
A Warning of Judgment 5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord! 6 For the Lord has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans. 7 Israel is full of silver and gold; there is no end to its treasures. Their land is full of warhorses; there is no end to its chariots. 8 Their land is full of idols; the people worship things they have made with their own hands. 9 So now they will be humbled, and all will be brought low— do not forgive them. 10 Crawl into caves in the rocks. Hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. 11 Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.
12 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning. He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted. 13 He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the mighty oaks of Bashan. 14 He will level all the high mountains and all the lofty hills. 15 He will break down every high tower and every fortified wall. 16 He will destroy all the great trading ships[d] and every magnificent vessel. 17 Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.
18 Idols will completely disappear. 19 When the Lord rises to shake the earth, his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. 20 On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, 21 while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth. 22 Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?
1 These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.[a]
A Message for Rebellious Judah 2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see. 8 Beautiful Jerusalem[b] stands abandoned like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest, like a helpless city under siege. 9 If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us,[c] we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.
10 Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” 11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? 13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! 15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. 19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Unfaithful Jerusalem 21 See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. 22 Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine. 23 Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.
24 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes! 25 I will raise my fist against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. 26 Then I will give you good judges again and wise counselors like you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed, and those who desert the Lord will be consumed.
29 You will be ashamed of your idol worship in groves of sacred oaks. You will blush because you worshiped in gardens dedicated to idols. 30 You will be like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire. They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.
Isaiah 2
The Lord’s Future Reign
1 This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. 3 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.
A Warning of Judgment 5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord! 6 For the Lord has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans. 7 Israel is full of silver and gold; there is no end to its treasures. Their land is full of warhorses; there is no end to its chariots. 8 Their land is full of idols; the people worship things they have made with their own hands. 9 So now they will be humbled, and all will be brought low— do not forgive them. 10 Crawl into caves in the rocks. Hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. 11 Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.
12 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning. He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted. 13 He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the mighty oaks of Bashan. 14 He will level all the high mountains and all the lofty hills. 15 He will break down every high tower and every fortified wall. 16 He will destroy all the great trading ships[d] and every magnificent vessel. 17 Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.
18 Idols will completely disappear. 19 When the Lord rises to shake the earth, his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. 20 On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, 21 while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth. 22 Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?
Friday, September 05, 2008
2 Corinthians 9
The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem 1 I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem.[a] 2 For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece[b] were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.
3 But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. 4 We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! 5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”[c] 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”[d]
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity[e] in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem[f] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for this gift[g] too wonderful for words!
The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem 1 I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem.[a] 2 For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece[b] were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.
3 But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. 4 We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! 5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”[c] 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”[d]
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity[e] in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem[f] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for this gift[g] too wonderful for words!
Ecclesiastes 10
1 As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.
2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.
3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!
4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
The Ironies of Life 5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. 7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!
8 When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. 9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.
10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.
11 If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer?
12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.
13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; 14 they chatter on and on.
No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.
15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home.
16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant,[c] the land whose leaders feast in the morning. 17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.
18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.
19 A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!
20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said.
Ecclesiastes 11
The Uncertainties of Life 1 Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.[d] 2 But divide your investments among many places,[e] for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.
3 When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.
4 Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb,[f] so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.
6 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.
Advice for Young and Old 7 Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.
8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless.
9 Young people,[g] it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.
4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.
5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Concluding Thoughts about the Teacher 8 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”
9 Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.[h]
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd[i] drives the sheep.
12 But, my child,[j] let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.
13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
1 As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.
2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.
3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!
4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
The Ironies of Life 5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. 7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!
8 When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. 9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.
10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.
11 If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer?
12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.
13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; 14 they chatter on and on.
No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.
15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home.
16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant,[c] the land whose leaders feast in the morning. 17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.
18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.
19 A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!
20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said.
Ecclesiastes 11
The Uncertainties of Life 1 Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.[d] 2 But divide your investments among many places,[e] for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.
3 When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.
4 Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb,[f] so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.
6 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.
Advice for Young and Old 7 Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.
8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless.
9 Young people,[g] it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.
4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.
5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Concluding Thoughts about the Teacher 8 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”
9 Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.[h]
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd[i] drives the sheep.
12 But, my child,[j] let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.
13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Ecclesiastes 4
1 Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. 2 So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. 3 But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.
4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
5 “Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.”
6 And yet,
“Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”
The Advantages of Companionship 7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
The Futility of Political Power 13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. 15 But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth[a] who replaces him. 16 Endless crowds stand around him,[b] but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 5
Approaching God with Care 1 [c]As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 [d]Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.
3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.
4 When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. 5 It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. 6 Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.
7 Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.
The Futility of Wealth 8 Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9 Even the king milks the land for his own profit![e]
10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.
13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. 14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.
Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.
3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. 4 His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. 6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?
7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. 8 So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
The Future—Determined and Unknown 10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.
11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?
12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?
Ecclesiastes 7
Wisdom for Life
1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. 2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.
5 Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool. 6 A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.
7 Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart.
8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.
9 Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.
10 Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.
11 Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. 12 Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.
13 Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? 14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
1 Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. 2 So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. 3 But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.
4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
5 “Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.”
6 And yet,
“Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”
The Advantages of Companionship 7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
The Futility of Political Power 13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. 15 But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth[a] who replaces him. 16 Endless crowds stand around him,[b] but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 5
Approaching God with Care 1 [c]As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 [d]Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.
3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.
4 When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. 5 It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. 6 Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.
7 Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.
The Futility of Wealth 8 Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9 Even the king milks the land for his own profit![e]
10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.
13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. 14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.
Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.
3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. 4 His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. 6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?
7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. 8 So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
The Future—Determined and Unknown 10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.
11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?
12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?
Ecclesiastes 7
Wisdom for Life
1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. 2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.
5 Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool. 6 A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.
7 Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart.
8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.
9 Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.
10 Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.
11 Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. 12 Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.
13 Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? 14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
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