Jesus And The Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:21-28)

Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon”. But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, “Send her away: see how she is shouting after us”. Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel”.

But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus and said, “Sir, help me!”. Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs”. The woman replied, “It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table”. Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish”. And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Reflection:-

Today, we often hear the expression “faith has been lost”, and the same people who ask our communities the baptism of their children or the catechesis for their infants or the sacrament of marriage, say it. These words depict the world in a negative way while trying to convince us bygone times were better and that we are now at the end of a stage where there is nothing left for us to say or to do.

Evidently, these are basically young people who, in its majority, watch rather sadly how the world has changed from their parents’ times, who used to live perhaps a more popular faith, which they have not known how to adapt to. This experience leaves them unsatisfied and without any capacity of reaction when, in fact, they might find themselves at the gates of a new stage they could very well take advantage of.

This passage of the Gospel draws the attention to that Canaanite mother that demands grace for her daughter by recognizing in Jesus the Son of David: “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon” (Mt 15:22). The Master is surprised: ”Woman, how great is your faith!” and He can do nothing but to act in favour of those persons: “Let it be as you wish” (Mt 15:28), although this does not seem to fall within his schedule. However, God’s grace is manifested in human realities.

Faith is not a privilege of a few, nor is it the property of those who think they are so good or of those who have ever been good, and have this social or ecclesial label. God’s action precedes any Church’s action and the Holy Spirit is already acting upon persons we would have never suspected could bring us a message from God, a request in favour of the needy.

St. Leo says: “My beloved, the virtue and wisdom of Christian faith are our love of God and of our neighbour: it does not miss any obligation to any pious works procuring to render God worship due to him and to help our brethren”.

Peter’s Declaration About Jesus (Matthew 16:13-23)

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Reflection:-

Jesus proclaims Peter very fortunate for his rightful faith declaration: Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’. Jesus replied ‘It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven’ (Mt 16:16-17).

By this congratulation Jesus promises Peter the primacy of his Church; but, shortly after, He scolds Peter for having a very human and wrong idea of what the Messiah would do: Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, ‘Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you’. But Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Mt 16:22-23).

We have to be grateful to the evangelists for presenting us the first disciples of Jesus as they actually were: no idealized characters, but people of flesh and blood as ourselves, with their defects and virtues; which gets them closer to us and helps us to see that perfecting ourselves in Christian life is a certain path we all have to follow, for nobody is born knowing all the answers.

As we already know how history goes, let us accept Jesus Christ was the suffering Messiah prophet Isaiah announced who offered his life in the Cross. What is more difficult to accept is that we must keep on presenting his work by following the same path of surrendering, renunciation and sacrifice.

Imbued, as we appear to be, with a society that encourages quick success, learning without any effort and in a funny way, and achieving the maximum profit with the least possible strain, it should not surprise us we end up by seeing things more as people do than as God does. Once he received the Holy Spirit, Peter learned where the path he had to follow went through and he lived by this expectation.

“World tribulations are full of sadness and empty of any prizes; but those we suffer for God are softened by the hope of an eternal prize” – St. Ephraem.

Bible revelation prophecy's 'End Of Time'

Endtime Prophecy Net is devoted to sharing the Message of Salvation, Bible prophecy and Bible studies from God's Word with the world. It has been active in one form or another -- street witnessing, foreign missionary fields, house-to-house ministry, online evangelism -- since 1971. As our name implies, Endtime Prophecy Net is dedicated to the study of the End Times and Endtime prophecies, as they are described within the pages of the Bible. With an emphasis on Bible prophecy and events surrounding the end of the world, we watch for the fulfillment of such Endtime -- or End Times -- prophecies as the appearance of the Antichrist; the Battle of Armageddon; the 666, (a.k.a. Mark of the Beast); the Great Tribulation; the Rapture; the destruction of Babylon the Great; the rise of the Beast and the False Prophet; the Second Coming of Christ; the Rapture of the Saints; the 7-year Holy Covenant; the construction of the Jewish temple; the renewal of the Daily Sacrifice; the Abomination of Desolation; the rise of the two Sackcloth Witnesses; the coming Millennium and other events described in the Book of Revelation -- or Apocalypse -- and other books of the Holy Bible. Bible prophecy is real, the End Times is now, and the prophecies of the End Time are coming to pass right before our very eyes, if we will only see and understand.

In addition to the aforementioned topics, in our hundreds of Bible studies, Endtime Prophecy Net also delves into many other issues which are of interest and concern to modern Christians, such as the quatrains of Nostradamus, the alien and UFO phenomenon, 2012 and the Mayan Calendar, the Nephilim or giants of the Old Testament, Nibiru, the Islamic Mahdi and the Jewish messiah Moshiach ben David. And, of course, many of our Bible studies are dedicated to the discussion of Christian spiritual growth and discipleship, witnessing and our Christian walk of faith in general.

Again, do not doubt; because Bible prophecy is being fulfilled, and we are indeed living in the period known as the Endtime -- or End Times -- as described in the pages of the Holy Bible! The end of the world as we know it may be closer than you think! In fact, the Beast -- who some people refer to as the Antichrist -- may be alive today; and so may the False Prophet who will cause the world to worship the Beast! The Battle of Armageddon is drawing closer in the Middle East, as attempts to bridge the gap between the Jews and the Palestinians fail again and again. According to Bible prophecy, it is only a matter of time before the Beast implements his Mark of the Beast / 666 credit system with help from the False Prophet, and many people will then experience Great Tribulation before the Rapture event occurs! Babylon the Great -- that great city which reigns over the kings and rulers of the Earth -- will likewise burn! Even now the Jews wait to rebuild their third and final temple so that they can resume their cherished Daily Sacrifice. The Holy Covenant -- which is possibly a temporary peace agreement between the Jews and the Palestinians -- may make these events possible.

This is not fiction. Bible prophecy is real, the End Times are now, and the events of the End Time that are described in the pages of the Book of Revelation -- and in other books of the Bible -- are fact! Jesus Christ is coming for His children, despite what End Times scoffers and naysayers may think and say, and He will lead us into the Golden Age of the Millennium, exactly as Bible prophecy predicts! Are you ready for these Endtime prophecies of the Apocalypse? Are you prepared for the end of the world as you now know it? Or will you remain skeptical of the signs of the End Times and foolishly be left behind? The choice is yours.

The End Is Near!!!!

Hii my friends...
I was searching on Internet & I found something that I decided to post it on my blog. I hope You will study it.
I want to speak to you this morning concerning a message that God has given in His Word for all who are called by His name. God has a Word for you and I and it’s a word of encouragement and strength for those who will hear what He has to say. God wants you to know that you have nothing to fear.

I feel that God wants to tell you, first that He loves you so much, and secondly that He longs to have all of us with Him in Heaven. Then, I feel that God wants me to let you know that the end is drawing ever nearer with each passing day, and it won’t be long now until Jesus comes and calls his people to come home for a great family reunion.

For some, this isn’t always an encouraging word. It’s not that we don’t want to make Heaven our home, or that we don’t love the Lord – it’s just that we also love some things in this present world and we don’t want to leave them too quickly.

There are many things about this life that are wonderful.

To look into the eyes of that special someone, whom you love so dearly; to feel their touch and to experience true love; is a truly wonderful thing that none of us wants to give up easily. We don’t really know what it’s going to be like over on the other side. The Bible says that those who live for eternity in Heaven will neither marry nor be given in marriage.

Now for some people that may be a blessing because their marriage isn’t exactly perfect anyway for whatever reason. How many times have I heard the marriage relationship referred to as a “ball and chain”? How often to hear husbands refer to their wives as “my old lady” or wives refer to their husbands as “my old man”. I suppose for these folks, the end of the marriage relationship, as they know it now will be a welcomed thing.

But for those of us who truly love our spouse, we don’t want to give that up so easily. The kind of true love that we find in a happy marriage is hard to find and we want to hold on to that as long as we can.

To experience the birth of a new baby into the family is a wonderful thing. To gaze upon that precious little gift from God that He has given to you for you to love and care for; to suddenly realize that your life is forever changed and that now you can know the joys of parenthood. This is another wonderful experience that we don’t want to give up easily.

Yet for some, even this experience doesn’t mean anything to them. How many people kill their children before they are even born through abortion, and how many throw their children aside as though they are nothing but useless garbage! How someone could cast away a new life that God brings into this world is beyond my comprehension, and yet I know that it is nothing more than a sign of the times and that the time of Jesus return is ever drawing nearer.

Many of us like to travel to see the beautiful vistas of mountain ranges, or the clear skies and beautiful sunsets over the deserts, or the ocean waves on the beaches of the world, and even to see the wonders and beauty of some of man’s power to create. We don’t want to leave the true beauty of God’s creation behind so easily because we really don’t understand or know what is on the other side of the veil of death.

Yes we hear of the beauty of Heaven. We hear of its mansions built along golden avenues, of the great wedding feast, of walking along the River of Life and so many other things, and it all sounds so wonderful. We believe it’s there, we hope its there, we pray that its there, and we try to live in such a way that we can go there, but which us of has actually seen it, touched it or experienced it and came back to tell about it?

There’s an old saying that goes like this, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” In other words, we sometimes consider the joys of this life and want to hang onto them with all that is within us, simply because we really don’t know what’s on the other side, “in the bush”.

I have often prayed, as I am sure that many of you have, “God, give me a glimpse into the glories of Heaven, and give me a glimpse into the pits of hell, so that I will never falter or fail in my journey of life.” I’ve never had God to answer that prayer in the way that I wanted Him to and the reason is that God requires us to “walk by faith and not by sight”! It wouldn’t require walking by faith anymore, if I already knew and experienced Heaven. It wouldn’t require trusting the Word of God, or continuing to believe God, if I really knew what the flames felt like, or the hopelessness of separation from God.

I have heard of a few people who had very short experiences of what hell was like, or perhaps had a glimpse of Heaven but none of them stayed long enough for either place to make a lifelong impression. They still have to walk by faith and not by sight and all too often they soon forget the experience they had as the devil begins to tell them that it was all just a dream.

When we talk about the near coming of the Lord, my mind always goes back to that scruffy looking character walking down the sidewalk of a busy city either carrying a huge sign that says, “Repent, the end is near”, or another one who walks among the crowd with a “sandwich board” that says the same thing. Most of the time we just walk past them and consider them to be a “few French fries short of a Happy Meal”.

It seems that God’s message of his soon coming has become little more than a nuisance as we try to enjoy the best that this life has to offer. We just don’t like to think of the complete destruction of the whole world by fire. It all sometimes seems like just a scare tactic to get us to go to church and serve a God that we revere and respect but really don’t know like we should.

I wish I could say that I am always thinking about the second coming of Christ, but that’s just not the way it is. If you are like me you do think of it quite often but not all the time. The cares and duties of this life often force us to give them all of our attention while the eternal things of God are placed on the back burner for a while.

Even so, God’s message isn’t changed this morning. His message is, “Prepare yourself, make yourself ready, keep yourself ready, and don’t allow the things of this life to lull you to sleep.” There is no more important message than I can give to you today than to let you know that the end of all things as we know them, is truly closer than we think.

I can’t put a day, or a time, or even a year for that great event to happen, but I am convinced by the Word of God and by the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Bible that we see every day, that it won’t be long.

In light of that fact now, I have another message for you so turn with me if you will to Isaiah chapter 51.

Isaiah 51:1, "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged."

As I look around the church this morning, there is no doubt that all of us believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are trusting in Him as our Savior. But God is reminding us to be vigilant in keeping our relationship with Jesus strong. We are to remember that Jesus is the foundation for our life. He is the Rock of my salvation. His death upon the cross on that rock called “Golgotha’s Hill”, and his resurrection from that grave that was carved out of a rock and sealed by a stone, made the way for my sins to be washed away and for this sinful heart to be made righteous. It’s only by His precious blood, through God’s grace and mercy that I can make Heaven my home.

As Christians, even though we want to serve the Lord, and our greatest desire is to spend eternity in Heaven, it’s so easy to get lax in our service to Him. It’s so easy to just drift away and become entangled with the pleasures, the joys and the cares of this life. None of us will leave Jesus by deciding to forget God and do our thing, but we often do just that by slowly becoming more and more involved with everything else but the things of God. The devil knows our weaknesses and he knows how to entice us. All he has to do is put something before us that we truly love and he knows that we will chase after it.

Have you ever seen someone hang a carrot on a stick in front of a mule to make him move? I’ve seen it in pictures and movies several times. The mule doesn’t know where he is going; he’s just chasing the carrot. I know a lot of people whom the devil is leading around with a carrot of fun, of pleasure, of the good life or some other pleasure or dream that we have for our lives. Is there a carrot in your life right now that has your attention? Are you being led away from serving God by something that seems so right? Is there anything in your life that keeps you from the House of God or from reading His Word, or that has power over you to keep you from serving the Lord? That carrot may be something very worthwhile and wonderful to have, but is it really worth missing Heaven? Be careful of what you are chasing because the end really is near and Jesus is coming soon.

He’s going to come when you least expect him. He’s going to come like a thief in the night. And He’s going to come quickly, in the twinkling of eye. We have to be ready all the time, for there will be no time to get ready then.

1 Corinthians 15:52 says the second coming will happen, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Let’s look back at Isaiah for a moment. There’s a little more of this message that God wants you to hear.

Isaiah 51:6, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished."

This is God’s way of letting us know that we can see the time drawing ever nearer just by watching what’s going on around us.

Don’t let the devil blind you to what’s happening behind the scene.

In recent years there has been an ever-growing interest in extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Whether you believe in them or not, mankind seems pre-occupied with watching for UFO’s, comets, asteroids and “little green men” so to speak. We have put tremendous amounts of time and money into research and development for learning more about what Star Trek fans call, “The Final Frontier” and going “where no man has gone before.”

There is also a lot of emphasis being placed on this in the films that are coming out of Hollywood. Perhaps you have seen some of them such as “Deep Impact”, “Armageddon”, and others.

All of mankind is keeping their “eyes to the heavens”. We, as Christians, should be looking to the heavens also, but we shouldn’t be looking for UFO’s, or extra-terrestrials, or comets and asteroids – we should be looking for the coming of the Lord to gather his people home.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

The next part of Isaiah 51:6 says to, “look upon the earth beneath”. What can we see there? What is in the earth that we should be watching?

Can we not see that nations are rising against nations; kingdoms of one religion are rising against other religions, once race of men rising against another race in wars of extermination? All of these are signs that the end is near! You can’t pick up a newspaper without being reminded of the soon coming of Christ if you are looking for it and have the right mindset. The problem is that Satan has most of the world blinded to what’s going on and many people are even convinced that it’s going to get better.

As much as I would like to see this world get better, the Word of God says just the opposite. It’s going to get worse, much worse, until this world and all that is in finally faces the fires of God’s judgment. God has given us a space of time to make ourselves ready so let’s not waste it and be caught unawares.

The next phrase of Isaiah 51:6 says, "...for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: "

Just this week I was reading an article that talked about the peak in cheap oil production around the world. It was said that by 2036 our oil supplies would begin to decline and that the price of oil was only going to increase rapidly from that point on. Our only chance is to develop new sources of energy.

You can probably read similar articles on just about any commodity and resource that we use including wheat, water and even clean air. The point is that Isaiah is right. The earth is getting old and wearing out. It’s getting threadbare. As resources grow smaller, so does supply of all that we need, then the prices grows ever larger until we see the fulfillment of Revelation 6:6, "And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny…”

A penny was a day’s wage in John’s day when this verse was inspired. Before it’s over, it will take a whole day’s wages just for a little bit of bread. But, if you have enough money, you can have what you want while the rest of the world dies of hunger.

People are growing old and showing signs of stress as never before. There is no real time to relax and enjoy life because you have to work too hard just to make ends meet. We are making more money than ever before and having less time to enjoy the fruits of our labor than ever before and it only grows worse from here.

That brings me down to the final part of Isaiah 51:6,"...but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished."

Aren’t you glad that there is something that will last forever! With all the changes in this world, and all of the instability in the world and in our lives, it’s good to know that there is something that never changes. God’s Word never changes. God never changes. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

The plan of salvation through the Blood of Jesus never changes. The righteousness that Jesus gives to us when we accept him as our Lord and Savior never changes. Nothing that God has promised to those who love him and live for him will ever change. God’s promises are true and finished and nothing can change that!

In closing let us read Isaiah 51:11 as we all stand together.

Isaiah 51:11, "Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."

Because Jesus lives – Because He has washed our sin away – Because he has clothed us in his righteousness through his own blood – Because He is coming to take his bride, the church, those who are watching and waiting for his coming – those who are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, we will go to Heaven singing with joy, shouting the victory, and there we will have joy forever and gladness will ever reign in our hearts. Sorrow, sickness, death and mourning will be no more and we will be with Jesus forever!

The final part of God’s message to you this morning is simply this – Are you washed in the Blood of Jesus this morning? Has there been a time in your life when you confessed your need of a Savior from sin? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and then surrendered your life to him? Are you watching and waiting for his soon return?

The end is near and I don’t want you to be left behind to suffer God’s judgment as it falls on this earth. I don’t want any of us to end up in the flames because Satan has kept us blinded to what’s really happening around us. I want us all to be in Heaven with Jesus.

There’s only one way to escape God’s judgment – That way is to accept Jesus as your Savior and surrender your life to Him! Will you do that with me this morning as we close this service?

The 100 most-read Bible verses

What are the most popular Bible verses???

We thought it would be interesting to find out, so we crunched some numbers from a (relatively) small sample of 25 million Bible passage searches from March and April.

This list isn’t actually based on a straight popularity count; simply tallying the most-read verses results in a top 100 list that consists almost entirely of John 3:16 and verses from 1 Corinthians 13, Genesis 1, Romans 8, and Psalm 23.

If you’re curious to know what the least popular Bible passage is, it’s 1 Chronicles 23-27, which details the organization of the priests and officials under King David.

Here are the top 100 most-read Bible verses (all verses quoted from the NIV):

1. John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
2. Jer 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
3. Rom 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
4. Phil 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
5. Gen 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
6. Prov 3:5: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
7. Prov 3:6: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
8. Rom 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
9. Phil 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
10. Matt 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
11. Eph 2:8: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
12. Gal 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
13. Rom 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
14. John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
15. Acts 18:10: For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
16. Acts 18:9: One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.
17. Acts 18:11: So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
18. Gal 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
19. 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
20. Rom 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
21. John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
22. Matt 28:20: and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
23. Rom 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
24. Phil 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
25. Phil 4:7: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
26. Josh 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
27. Isa 40:31: but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
28. Eph 2:9: not by works, so that no one can boast.
29. Rom 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
30. Gal 5:23: gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
31. Isa 53:5: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
32. 1 Pet 3:15: But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
33. 2 Tim 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
34. Matt 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
35. Heb 12:2: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
36. 1 Pet 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
37. Eph 2:10: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
38. 1 Cor 10:13: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
39. Matt 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
40. Heb 11:1: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
41. 2 Cor 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
42. Heb 13:5: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
43. 2 Cor 12:9: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
44. Rom 10:9: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
45. Isa 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
46. Gen 1:26: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
47. Matt 11:29: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
48. John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
49. Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
50. 2 Tim 1:7: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
51. Isa 53:4: Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
52. 2 Cor 5:21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
53. Rom 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
54. John 11:25: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
55. Heb 11:6: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
56. John 5:24: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
57. Jas 1:2: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
58. Isa 53:6: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
59. Acts 2:38: Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
60. Eph 3:20: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
61. Matt 11:30: For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
62. Gen 1:27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
63. Col 3:12: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
64. Heb 12:1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
65. Jas 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
66. Acts 17:11: Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
67. Phil 4:19: And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
68. John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
69. 1 Cor 6:19: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
70. 1 John 3:16: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
71. Ps 133:1: How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
72. John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
73. Heb 4:12: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
74. John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
75. Mic 6:8: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
76. Rom 10:17: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
77. John 1:12: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
78. Jas 1:12: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
79. Jas 1:3: because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
80. Rom 8:38: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
81. Rom 8:39: neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
82. Heb 10:25: Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
83. 2 Pet 1:4: Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
84. Phil 1:6: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
85. Ps 133:3: It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
86. Heb 4:16: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
87. Ps 37:4: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
88. John 3:17: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
89. Acts 4:12: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
90. Isa 26:3: You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
91. 1 Pet 2:24: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
92. Josh 1:8: Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
93. Matt 28:18: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
94. Col 3:23: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
95. Matt 22:37: Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
96. Ps 133:2: It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
97. Matt 5:16: In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
98. Isa 55:8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
99. Heb 4:15: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
100. John 13:35: By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The Palace With 9999 Rooms

They believed the gods have 10,000 rooms. So the Emperor built 9,999 rooms in the palace because he felt he should not out do the gods but not be far off from them either.He also was so paranoid about being killed that he had a room built with 27 beds in it. Each night he decided which bed to sleep in so he wouldn't always be sleeping in the same bed.

The Forbidden City was built for the Emperor. They thought he was a descendant of god It was called The Forbidden City since if a commoner came into it they would be-head them. It was built to protect the Emperor. So there was a large square, then a large wall/gate you had to be let through by guards. Then another large square and another large wall/gate you had to get through. Then another before you got to the actual living quarters.For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

Top 10 Female Politicians of the World

10. Dalia Grybauskaite, President of Lithuania

After Grybauskaite came to power in 2009, European journalists quickly dubbed her Lithuania’s Iron Lady, owing to her steely way with words and her black belt in karate. The daughter of a saleswoman and an electrician, she worked part time in a factory while earning a Ph.D. in economics. She went on to become Deputy Minister of Finance in 1999, before holding a series of positions within the European Commission. In 2009, with Lithuania mired deep in recession, Grybauskaite focused her presidential campaign on protecting those with the lowest incomes and tackling unemployment, which had climbed to nearly 16%. Running as an independent, she won with a 68% majority — the largest margin of victory ever recorded in Lithuania’s presidential election history. 9 More Female Politicians of the World after the break...

09. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland

Brought up in a working-class family in downtown Helsinki, Halonen has built a highly successful political career by building ties with trade unions and nongovernmental organizations. Serving as President since 2000, she has vehemently defended the President’s role as commander in chief of the military, and campaigned against Finnish membership in NATO. Her hobbies belie her powerful position: she is said to enjoy swimming and taking care of her two cats. In 2006, TV host and comedian Conan O’Brien endorsed Halonen’s re-election because of her strong resemblance to him.

08. Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica

A former Vice President under Nobel laureate Oscar Arias Sánchez, Chinchilla won a 47% majority in the February 2010 election. In a country increasingly concerned about crime, the center-leftist played up her security experience: she previously served as both Public Security Minister and Justice Minister in the National Liberation Party. A social conservative, she opposes gay marriage, abortion and the legalization of the morning-after pill. She has pledged to continue the pro-business policies of her predecessor by courting international investment and expanding free trade.

07. Johanna Sigurdardottir, Prime Minister of Iceland

After Iceland’s economy collapsed in October 2008, Sigurdardottir rode a wave of discontent all the way to the premiership. It wasn’t exactly surprising: the former flight attendant turned politician had won eight consecutive elections since entering Parliament in 1978, making her the country’s longest-serving parliamentarian and one of its most popular. In addition to being Iceland’s first female Prime Minister, Sigurdardottir, 67, is also the world’s first openly gay head of state. In June 2010, when Iceland legalized gay marriage, Sigurdardottir tied the knot with her long-term partner, with whom she had entered a civil union seven years earlier.

06. Sheik Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Hasina, the 62-year-old leader of the left-of-center Awami League, has a history of surviving. During a 1975 coup d’état, assassins killed 17 members of her family — including her son, three brothers, mother and father, former Prime Minister Sheik Mujibur Rahman. Hasina, then 28, happened to be abroad at the time. She later survived a grenade attack that killed more than 20 people, dodging the bullets that sprayed her car as she fled. Hasina was first elected Prime Minister in 1996. But in 2001, Transparency International named Bangladesh as the most corrupt country in the world, and Hasina was ousted in a landslide. That wasn’t the end of her, though. In January 2009, the Awami League won 230 of 299 parliamentary seats, and the consummate survivor found herself Prime Minister — again.

05. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia

Educated at the University of Wisconsin and at Harvard, Africa’s first female President served as Liberia’s Minister of Finance in the late 1970s. But when Samuel Doe seized power in a military coup in 1980 and executed the President and several Cabinet members, Johnson Sirleaf fled to Kenya, where she became a director at Citibank. She returned to contest the 1996 presidential election and lost to Charles Taylor. In 2005, she ran again and won, promising to bring motherly sensitivity and emotion to the presidency — a tall order in a country still reeling from years of civil war.

04. Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia

After she helped orchestrate a Labor Party coup that ousted Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on June 24, 2010, Gillard, 48, became Australia’s first female PM. Tasked with rebuilding dwindling support for her party, she called snap elections just three weeks into office, hoping to benefit from her bounce in public opinion. But the Aug. 21 election proved inconclusive: neither Gillard’s center-left government nor the Liberal-National coalition led by Tony Abbott were able to secure an outright majority. The stalemate finally broke on Sep. 7. After more than two weeks of protracted negotiation with a handful of independent candidates, Gillard secured a 76-74 majority in parliament to form a minority government.

03. Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil

“I would like parents who have daughters to look straight in their eyes and tell them: ‘Yes, a woman can,’” Dilma Rousseff said following her victory in Brazil’s runoff election. When she takes the reins of the world’s fourth largest democracy on Jan. 1, Rousseff will become the South American country’s first female president. Her win, a victory for would-be women leaders everywhere, was also a nod to outgoing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who handpicked her for the job. As Lula’s former chief of staff, Rousseff promised to carry on the outgoing and overwhelmingly popular leader’s work. “I offer special thanks to President Lula,” she said in her election night speech. “I will know how to honor his legacy. I will know how to consolidate and go forward with his work.”

02. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina

Elected President in November 2007 (thereby succeeding her husband Néstor), Fernández has proven she is her own woman. Dismissively referred to as “Cristina” by some members of Argentina’s macho political elite, Fernández has survived a standoff with the country’s powerful farming lobby, a fallout with the U.S. over a suitcase allegedly containing illegal campaign contributions and a series of high-profile economic-policy spats that culminated in the ousting of the governor of Argentina’s Central Bank earlier this year. With her striking appearance and polarizing rhetoric, she inevitably draws comparisons with former First Lady Eva Perón.

01. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany

The most influential female politician in the world, Merkel earned a doctorate in physics in East Germany before turning her eye to politics. She won a seat in the Bundestag during the first post-reunification general election, in December 1990, and Chancellor Helmut Kohl appointed her as a Cabinet minister just one year later. Childless and twice married, the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union often comes off as reserved and self-effacing. But as she told TIME in a 2010 interview, she has plenty of confidence: “You could certainly say that I’ve never underestimated myself. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.”

Bible Studies in the Life of Paul (Historical and Constructive)

in a case like this. He could not be content to bide his time. Either the claims of Christ were true or false. If false, then they were doing harm and His doctrine and teaching must be eradicated at any cost. All the aggressive forces of the Jews found a champion in this Saul of Tarsus. Drastic measures were at once inaugurated. There was to be no more temporizing. The cruelty and thoroughness of the persecutor, in his work, are shown in his instituting a house to house canvass seeking for the Christians and sparing neither age nor sex (Acts 8:1, 3).

In the first persecutions the Jews had been content to arrest and imprison those who publicly preached Christ, but now the policy was changed and Christianity was to be exterminated root and branch. All believers in Christ were to be hunted out.

The character of Saul, the arch persecutor, is shown in the characterization of him by Luke, when he represented him as breathing out, "threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord" (Acts 9:1)

World’s Biggest Diamond Mine – Mirny (Mir Mine)

World’s Biggest Diamond Mine is located at Mirna, Eastern Siberia, Russia. The mine is 525 meters (1,722 ft) deep and has a diameter of 1,200 m (3,900 ft).

The mine is so big and giat that the airspace above the mine is closed for helicopters because of a few incidents in which they were sucked in by the downward air flow. To give an idea how big it is here is is a fine illustration.

This giant truck, BELAZ (200-220 ton payload ) (see Figure 1), looks like small spot on next picture (see Figure 2). The truck in the picture, one of the biggest in the world, is just a small point in comparison to the diamond mine.

The town is strictly off limits to outsiders without a special permit and the authorities regard any foreigners with considerable suspicion. BBC Reported about this here

History:
The mine was discovered on June 13, 1955 by Soviet geologists Yuri Khabardin, Ekaterina Elagina and Viktor Avdeenko during the large Amakinsky Expedition in Yakut ASSR. They found traces of volcanic rock kimberlite which are usually associated with diamonds. This finding was the first success in the search for kimberlite in Russia, after numerous failed expeditions of the 1940s and 1950s. For this discovery, in 1957 Khabardin was given the Lenin Prize, which was one of the highest awards in the Soviet Union.

The development of the mine had started in 1957 in extremely harsh climate conditions. Seven months of winter per year froze the ground into permafrost, which was hard in winter, but turned into sludge in summer. Buildings had to be raised on piles, so that they would not sink in summer, and the main processing plant had to be built on a better ground found 20 km away from the mine. The winter temperatures were so low that car tires and steel would shatter and oil would freeze. During the winter, the workers used jet engines to defreeze and dig out the permafrost or blasted it with dynamite to get access to the underlying kimberlite. The entire mine had to be covered at night to prevent the machinery from freezing.

1,000-year-old fishing trap found on Google Earth

Britain's most ancient fishing trap has been discovered off the coastline of Wales after research carried out on Google Earth.

The 853ft (260m) long construction is thought to have been built 1,000 years ago, around the time of the Domesday Book, using large rocks placed on a river bed.

Scientists believe large numbers of people worked together to erect the trap and it allowed them to catch plentiful numbers of fish for their supper.

The trap in the estuary of the River Teifi, near Cardigan, West Wales, lay undiscovered for a millennium until a strange underwater shape was spotted from a plane flying overhead.

Archaeologists were called in and looked at the area using Google Earth.

They found a huge V-shape was clearly visible on the satellite images and divers were sent down to examine the structure.

The discovery has given them a fascinating glimpse into how medieval communities survived through hunting and fishing.

Fish swam into the estuary but became trapped by the outgoing tide before being hooked out using nets.

Dr Ziggy Otto, a marine environment lecturer at Pembrokeshire College who examined the trap, said: "A large, underwater structure was identified on aerial photographs and there can be little doubt that this rather impressive, and quite apparently man-made, structure is an ancient fish trap.

"Its age is unknown but because of its now entirely sub-tidal position this fish trap is very old, possibly dating back more than 1,000 years, when the sea level was lower.

"It would have taken a number of fishermen to work on a structure of this size. The fish were herded into the trap and when the tide went out they would be scooped out with nets."

The trap is believed to have been made from locally quarried rock, or possibly boulders carried in by glaciers during the last Ice Age.

A recent exploratory dive at the site, near Llanelli, revealed that the structure is about one metre wide and protrudes about 30cm above the underwater sand.

Scientific diver Jen Jones, who undertook the first exploratory dive with Dr Otto, said: "This fish trap is probably the oldest man-made structure in Wales ever to be scientifically investigated by way of scuba-diving. It has now metamorphosed from an entirely man-made structure to a naturally functioning reef."

Louise Austin, head of heritage management at the Dyfed Archaeological Trust, said: "Fish traps were a widely used means of catching fish in the past which made a significant contribution to the economy of many coastal and estuarine communities. Today only a few are known to survive in Wales."

Google Earth was launched four years ago and uses images obtained from satellite imagery and aerial photography superimposed on a globe.

It allows computer users to zoom in on cities, houses and natural features.

Last month some observers thought they had spotted the outline of a vast city on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, leading to speculation that it could be the lost city of Atlantis.

However, the criss-crossing lines located 600 miles west of the Canary Islands were later explained as an "artefact" of Google Earth's map making process.

Sea floor terrain data is often collected from boats using sonar to take measurements of the sea floor - the lines people saw turned out to be the path of a boat gathering data.