Of the Week

Producer: Mark Ashurst Year: 2015 Music: "Goodbye" from Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5 ESV

"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them , and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou dids...

Album: The Journey Artist: Stuart Townend Year: 2011 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ" Ephesians 2:4-5

Album: Dark Sky Island ("Echoes in Rain" was released as a single before the album release) Artist: Enya Year: 2015 "I will go home to my father" Luke 15:18 NLT

daily reading:   2 chapters per day left column:  Psalm 65,  Genesis-Job, Isaiah-Malachi, any OT chapter, any NT chapter right column:  Psalm 151, Apocrypha, New Testament, Psalms-Song of Solomon, gospels memorization:  Philippians 2:1-11 (during the last five days of 2015) "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23 KJV

And the four beasts . . . rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Happy birthdays to  Mom, Adriana, and Uncle Adrian! And a merry Christmas to all. "In sweet accordancy of praise and love, The singing waters run; And sunset mountains wear in light above The smile of duty done; Sure stands the promise,—ever to the meek A heritage is given; Nor lose they Earth who, single-hearted, seek The righteousness of Heaven!" John Greenleaf Whittier

daily reading: 2 chapters per day Testaments: Old Testament once, New Testament twice left column: Genesis-Job, Isaiah-Malachi right column: New Testament, Psalms-Song of Solomon, New Testament memorization: 1 Corinthians 13 (during last nine days of 2015) "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." Psalm 19:7-11

"No story so divine" Words: Samuel Crossman Published: 1664 Singer: Fernando Ortega Album: Night of Your Return Date: 1995 These are Crossman's words.  Some words and phrases are edited in Ortega's version of the song. My song is love unknown, My Savior’s love to me; Love to the loveless shown, That they might lovely be. O who am I, that for my sake My Lord should take, frail flesh and die? He came from His blest throne Salvation to bestow; But men made strange, and none The longed for Christ would know: But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed, Who at my need His life did spend. Sometimes they strew His way, And His sweet praises sing; Resounding all the day Hosannas to their King: Then "Crucify!" is all their breath, And for His death they thirst and cry. Why, what hath my Lord done? What makes this rage and spite? He made the lame to run, He gave the blind their sight, Sweet injuries! Yet they at these Themselves displea...

Prince of Peace, control my will; Bid this struggling heart be still; Bid my fears and doubtings cease; Hush my spirit into peace. Thou hast bought me with Thy blood, Opened wide the gate to God; Peace I ask; but peace must be, Lord, in being one with Thee. May Thy will, not mine, be done; May Thy will and mine be one; Chase these doubtings from my heart; Now Thy perfect peace impart. Savior, at Thy feet I fall; Thou my life, my God, my all! Let Thy happy servant be One for evermore with Thee! "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,  whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength" Isaiah 26:3-4

supplies •  table •  chairs • tablecloth •  placemats •  plates •  napkins •  forks •  knives •  spoons •  glasses •  bowls •  food steps 1.  Cover the table with a  tablecloth. 2.  Put  placemats on the table at each seat. 3.  Put one  plate at the center of each placemat. 4.  Fold napkins rectangularly and place to the left of each plate, with the folded side of each napkin on the outside. 5.  Place the forks on top of the napkins. 6.  Place the knives to the right of the plates, with the sharp ends facing toward the plates. 7.  Place the spoons to the right of the knives, and make sure the forks, knives, and spoons are lined up along the bottom. 8.  Place glasses to the top-right of the plates, above the knives and spoons. 9.  Place the dessert bowls  in the center of the plates. 10.  Put the food on the ta...

William Borden There must be a definite determination to do God's will—a will to obey. Christ laid down the conditions of discipleship as denying self and following Him, and that is just what is required here. Each one must examine his life and put away all sin, not holding on to anything which the Spirit tells him he should let go. One of the hardest things anyone can have to do is to confess he has wronged another. But we read, "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).  We touch upon this matter of confession to others because it has played such a prominent part in spiritual awakenings, and because of the conviction that lack of such confession is the cause of much powerlessness in Christian service. Questions of life-work also need to be met squarely and the inq...

On November 16, 1925, Howard Boone Frank, Jr., was born in Daisetta, Texas. At only 14 years of age, he contracted polio, but this difficulty didn't stop him. He and Helene Lavern Casey were married in January 1949, and together, they spread the gospel to many. For 50 years, H.B. was a preacher for churches of Christ in Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Georgia, as well as churches in France and England. He also wrote two books:  From Riches to Poverty to Glory and God's 10 Covenants. Many lives have been touched  through his preaching, writings, and example . H.B. passed away on Christmas Day 2008. My grandfather was a man of honor, truth, and strength. Above all, he was a man of God,  a mighty warrior in His Kingdom.  He knew Whom he had believed, and God was not ashamed to be called his God. What an example for all of us! "I am not ashamed; for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard ...

Paris Reidhead (1919-1992) "In over fifty years of Bible teaching and preaching 'Ten Shekels and a Shirt' is the only message that I feel constrained to explain how it came to be preached. "During a Bethany Fellowship Summer Conference in the mid sixties I was preparing to speak at the Tuesday morning Bible hour. Upon returning to my room after breakfast to meditate and pray about the message for that morning hour, I felt strangely impressed that I could not deliver the message that had been prepared for the session. Instead, I felt that there was some other message that was needed which I was to bring. "After prayer, the message that came to mind was one on which I had begun preparation for the ministry at the church in New York City of which I was pastor at that time. My notes were not with me, but were in a file folder in my study. An empty envelope was on the desk in my room, on the back of which I wrote the scripture texts to be used and one or two id...

Eighty-eight years ago today, on November 1, 1925, Helene Lavern Casey was born in Pontotoc, Oklahoma, the youngest of James and Mollie Casey's ten children. When only 11 years old, Lavern was struck with polio, taking away the use of her legs for the rest of her life. In the late 1940s, God providentially brought Lavern and Howard Boone Frank together, and on January 22, 1949, they were married—"Polio Takes a Back Seat to Love." H.B. and Lavern would be married for over 59 years. Despite her polio and her physical pain, Lavern never stopped being a worker for God. Along with daily housekeeping, she raised five children, all while on the mission field. R eaching out to others and spreading the Good News of Christ,  H.B. and Lavern lived in the United States, France, and England and visited at least 10 others countries. In 2004, Lavern had a stroke which took away the use of her left arm and affected her vision. But even this couldn't diminish her positive spirit or he...

happy, blessed אָשֵׁר "Asher" tune Asa Hull 1888 "And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher." (Genesis 30:13) "Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies." (Genesis 49:20 ESV) "And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." (Deuteronomy 33:24-25) "All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men." (1 Chronicles 7:40) Kindred Spirits Asher Brown Durand 1849 Ἀση ρ "And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher." (Luke 2:36 ESV) ...

THE life that counts must toil and fight; Must hate the wrong and love the right; Must stand for truth, by day, by night—        This is the life that counts. The life that counts must hopeful be; In darkest night make melody; Must wait the dawn on bended knee—        This is the life that counts. The life that counts must aim to rise Above the earth to sunlit skies; Must fix its gaze on Paradise—        This is the life that counts. The life that counts must helpful be; The cares and needs of others see; Must seek the slaves of sin to free—        This is the life that counts. The life that counts is linked with God; And turns not from the cross, the rod; But walks with joy where Jesus trod—        This is the life that counts. "let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ" Philippians 1:27 ESV

Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God. And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Mo...