Saturday, December 10, 2011

Scripture Reading for Saturday - Second Week of Advent

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GOD'S SPIRIT IS UPON HIM

Isaiah 61:1-3

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.


 (NASB)


Luke 4:17-22

17  And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
  
  18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

  
  20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

(NASB)

Friday, December 9, 2011

A CHRISTMAS STORY (The Real One)

Friday's Scripture Reading for the Second Week of Advent

A Christmas Story
(The real one)

The Exalted Servant

13 Behold, My servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people,
So His appearance was marred more than any man
And His form more than the sons of men.
15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations,
Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him;
For what had not been told them they will see,
And what they had not heard they will understand.

The Suffering Servant

Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

10 But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
(NASB)

Thank you Lord Jesus

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Thursday's Scripture Reading - 2nd Week of Advent

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A SERVANT BRINGS SALVATION

 1Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
   
He conquers through Preaching and His Words are Effective
 
2And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
   3And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
   
The Lord Rejected - But Vindicated After His Death and Resurrection
 
4Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
   
He was Formed in the Womb to Reconcile the Jews With God
 
 5And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
   
And Bring the Gospel to the Nations (Through the Church)
 
 6And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
   7Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
(Isaiah 49:1-7)

(Headings [in red] from the new Geneva Study Bible, notes)

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Wednesday's Scripture Reading - 2nd Week of Advent

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Behold My Chosen One

1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
   2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
   3A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
   4He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
(Isaiah 42:1-4)

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14Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
   15But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
   16And charged them that they should not make him known:
   17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
   18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
   19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
   20A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
   21And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
(Matthew 12:14-21)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tuesday's Scripture Reading - 2nd Week of Advent

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The Sovereign Lord Comes

 9O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
   10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
   11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
(Isaiah 40:9-11)

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 11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
   12How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
   13And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
   14Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
(Matthew 18:11-14)

Monday, December 5, 2011

Monday in the Second Week of Advent

Repent ye; for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. __ Matthew 3:2

Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. __ Isaiah 11:3

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. __ Luke 2:10-11
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ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen. (The collect from the Book of Common Prayer)

Isaiah 9:2-6
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned...

For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (NIV)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT II

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25 NIV)


In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
(Luke 2:1-7 NIV)

2nd Sunday in Advent

"Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ." Amen      (The Collect, from the Book of Common Prayer)

The Epistle

Rom 15:4-13

  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
8Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
9And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
10And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
12And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

The Gospel

Luke 21:25-33

  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
29And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (KJV)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT

ALMIGHTY  God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.  (The collect from the Book of Common Prayer)


The Epistle
Rom 13:8-14

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (KJV)


The Gospel
Matt 21:1-13

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. (KJV)



Thursday, November 24, 2011

Gratitude

O MOST merciful Father, who of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church, and turned our dearth and scarcity into plenty; We give thee humble thanks for this thy special bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness unto us, that our land may yield us her fruits of increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The images are from Our Daily Bread. The prayer of thanksgiving is from The Book of Common Prayer.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Jimmy in California

This is the second week of our daughter Becky's, and grandson Jimmy's visit with us. They will return to Pennsylvania on Saturday. It has been quite a while since there was a baby in the house. It has been a long time since I changed a diaper, but Becky gave me a "refresher" course. It has been a wonderful experience for Sheila and me to meet this little fellow and spend quality time with him. Now that I think about it, this is the longest period of time we have spent with Becky in the last seven years.

2 1/2 month old James

Rebekah and Jimmy in the living room

Relaxing with Uncle Joseph on the front porch

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Our Father Who Art In Heaven

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The creation of a family, with children, is the reason for all of God’s activity. This is how he intends to show his glory.

"[In Ephesians 1:3-6]…Christian experience is traced from its origin in the eternal purpose of God to its goal in the praise of the glory and grace of God – ‘He chose us in him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight … to the praise of his glorious grace.’ But what is God’s purpose in all this? ‘In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.’ The creation of a family, with children, is the reason for all of God’s activity. This is how he intends to show his glory."

Sinclair Ferguson, Children of the Living God – pg. 4 – Banner of Truth Trust

Friday, November 11, 2011

Veterans Day

Craig Boyd 
U.S. Navy from 1966-1970
Petty officer 2nd class - Radarman

USS Goldsborough (DDG 20)
Home port: Pearl Harbor




Tanks of the 6th Armored -
Near Bastogne - Battle of the Bulge
My father:
Bernard Boyd _ U.S. Army
from 1942-1945
Technical Sergeant -
Radio operator
6th Armored Division - Europe


Tachikawa Air Base - Japan
My brother:
Keith Boyd
U.S. Air Force from 1967-1971
Sergeant-

AFSC - aircraft refueling
6100 Support Wing
Supply Squadron


  My son:
 Craig Robert Boyd

 U.S. Navy '87-'91
 USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
 USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)

Veteran of Gulf War