This devotional thought was presented to the Nipawin Leadership Team and Tisdale Corps Council meetings on the week of September 2nd, 2007.
x
.We have all had the opportunity to read through the book of Acts together these past couple of weeks. I just wanted to open up today by sharing some devotional thoughts on Acts chapters 10 and 11 for us.
Do you remember the story of Peter and the Cornelius? Here is Peter, not only a good synagogue-going person but also a devout follower of Jesus and one day he has a dream. It is a most peculiar dream. One day he dreams of all these foods that he is not supposed to eat - now I am not talking about chocolate or cake or things that were bad for his diet - but ...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/09/acts-10-chocolate-cake-devotional.html
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Dr Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Feb 4th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 37-38 and Psalm 19 and Acts 11
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 37-38 and Psalm 19 and Acts 11
Acts 10: An Interpretation
Acts 10 is important because it is understood to be the place where the good news is brought to the Gentiles. Peter is recorded as declaring after this encounter with God and the centurion, Cornelius, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35). Acts 10:1-16 contains the visions the Lord gave to Cornelius and to the Apostle Peter.
Acts is set after Jesus’ death and resurrection, circa 30 CE. It was written “sometime in the later decades of the first century;”[1] However, “the date and provenance of Acts, while important for determining its original social location, also cannot be determined with precision.”[2]
In the first century CE, Rome was the superpower of the area – controlling the entire Mediterranean basin, including Judea, and parts of Europe and Britain. The Roman Emperors from the time of Jesus until the end of the NT period were Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vespian[3]. The reigns of Claudius (Acts 11:28) and Nero (Acts 25:10) are referred to in Acts itself. Kings Agrippa II and Agrippa III were the local “Kings of the Jews.”[4] A census taken in 48 CE put the population of the citizenry of Rome at 6 984 000 and of the Empire at 25 419 000.[5]
At the beginning of Acts 10, Peter is located at Joppa, the port of Jerusalem; Cornelius is at Caesarea. Previously “Caesarea had been an insignificant place called ‘Strato’s Tower.’ The Emperor Augustus gave it to Herod the Great who rebuilt it.”[6] At the time the events recorded in Acts took place, it had a famous artificial harbour and was the administrative capital of Judea[7].
A couple of major historical events, not covered in the Bible, greatly influenced Jewish, Roman and indeed Christian culture of that time... find out more by clicking here:
http://www.sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Acts 10:1-16
Acts is set after Jesus’ death and resurrection, circa 30 CE. It was written “sometime in the later decades of the first century;”[1] However, “the date and provenance of Acts, while important for determining its original social location, also cannot be determined with precision.”[2]
In the first century CE, Rome was the superpower of the area – controlling the entire Mediterranean basin, including Judea, and parts of Europe and Britain. The Roman Emperors from the time of Jesus until the end of the NT period were Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vespian[3]. The reigns of Claudius (Acts 11:28) and Nero (Acts 25:10) are referred to in Acts itself. Kings Agrippa II and Agrippa III were the local “Kings of the Jews.”[4] A census taken in 48 CE put the population of the citizenry of Rome at 6 984 000 and of the Empire at 25 419 000.[5]
At the beginning of Acts 10, Peter is located at Joppa, the port of Jerusalem; Cornelius is at Caesarea. Previously “Caesarea had been an insignificant place called ‘Strato’s Tower.’ The Emperor Augustus gave it to Herod the Great who rebuilt it.”[6] At the time the events recorded in Acts took place, it had a famous artificial harbour and was the administrative capital of Judea[7].
A couple of major historical events, not covered in the Bible, greatly influenced Jewish, Roman and indeed Christian culture of that time... find out more by clicking here:
http://www.sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Acts 10:1-16
Dr Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Feb 3rd
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 35-36 and Acts 10
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 35-36 and Acts 10
The sheild of 'face'
Dr Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Feb 2nd
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 33-34 and Psalm 16 and Acts 9
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 33-34 and Psalm 16 and Acts 9
Will there ever be peace on earth?
By Captain Michael Ramsay
The Salvation Army
Nipawin Journal
January, 2008.
Yes. The real question is when? The Scriptures say that the heavens and earth will be made anew or that even a whole new heavens and earth will be made. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and Jesus is coming back. When Jesus returns in the flesh (if not before) there will most certainly be peace on earth. This is important. I think that sometimes we forget that Jesus is actually coming back.
The Salvation Army’s official position on world peace is as follows:
The plan for creation is that all people shall live in a harmonious relationship with God. It acknowledges that only within this relationship can perfect peace be fully known, and that this peace transcends the circumstances of this life. Greed, selfishness and injustice, however, have entered human lives and often result in conflict and, at times, armed aggression.
Therefore, in the light of the Gospel and in obedience to the one who declared, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” The Salvation Army through its ministry around the world confronts the poverty, injustice and the inequalities that so often give rise to disharmony and unrest, and seeks to foster mutual respect and understanding between peoples of all races, ethnic origins, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions and cultures.
read more: http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#8969473775180504981
The Salvation Army
Nipawin Journal
January, 2008.
Yes. The real question is when? The Scriptures say that the heavens and earth will be made anew or that even a whole new heavens and earth will be made. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and Jesus is coming back. When Jesus returns in the flesh (if not before) there will most certainly be peace on earth. This is important. I think that sometimes we forget that Jesus is actually coming back.
The Salvation Army’s official position on world peace is as follows:
The plan for creation is that all people shall live in a harmonious relationship with God. It acknowledges that only within this relationship can perfect peace be fully known, and that this peace transcends the circumstances of this life. Greed, selfishness and injustice, however, have entered human lives and often result in conflict and, at times, armed aggression.
Therefore, in the light of the Gospel and in obedience to the one who declared, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” The Salvation Army through its ministry around the world confronts the poverty, injustice and the inequalities that so often give rise to disharmony and unrest, and seeks to foster mutual respect and understanding between peoples of all races, ethnic origins, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions and cultures.
read more: http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#8969473775180504981
Dr Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Feb 1st
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 30-32 and Acts 8
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 30-32 and Acts 8
'Plays and War Ship'
Praise and Worship
Friday, January 28, 2011
Is the gymnasium at the 'Y' as a good of a place for a church* as a cathedral? (Exodus 25-27)
by Michael Ramsay; Founder, H-V News Service; November 3, 2003
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Believe it or not, this is actually quite a controversial question: Is the gymnasium at the 'Y' as a good of a place for Christian worship services as a cathedral? There are actually two separate issues tied to this topic and a third that is not entirely divorced from it: 1) Is it good to hold services in buildings designed for non-Christian purposes? 2) Is it good to rent out the Church sanctuary to non- or anti-Christian organizations? 3) When building a church, is it good to build a sanctuary that doubles as a gymnasium?
read more: http://www.islandnet.com/~havelock/FR%20Church%20Gyms.html
.
Believe it or not, this is actually quite a controversial question: Is the gymnasium at the 'Y' as a good of a place for Christian worship services as a cathedral? There are actually two separate issues tied to this topic and a third that is not entirely divorced from it: 1) Is it good to hold services in buildings designed for non-Christian purposes? 2) Is it good to rent out the Church sanctuary to non- or anti-Christian organizations? 3) When building a church, is it good to build a sanctuary that doubles as a gymnasium?
read more: http://www.islandnet.com/~havelock/FR%20Church%20Gyms.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 30th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 25-27 and Acts 6
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 25-27 and Acts 6
A 'Philli' pie graph
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 29th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 23-24 and Psalm 14 and Acts 5
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 23-24 and Psalm 14 and Acts 5
Thursday, January 27, 2011
As Christians do we have a responsibility to take care of the poor? (Psalm 12)
Nipawin Journal
January 2008
Little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.'"
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:13-26).
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).”
Canada is one of the richest nations on earth; one in six Canadian children live in poverty. Do I have a responsibility to share my wealth with those who are poor? Yes.
January 2008
Little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.'"
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:13-26).
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).”
Canada is one of the richest nations on earth; one in six Canadian children live in poverty. Do I have a responsibility to share my wealth with those who are poor? Yes.
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 28th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures):
Exodus 21-22 and Psalm 12 and Acts 4
The Tower of Babel
Click to read today's rations (scriptures):
Exodus 21-22 and Psalm 12 and Acts 4
The Tower of Babel
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Acts Narrative
Excerpt from Acts 2: An Interpretation
Presented to William and Catherine Booth College (Winter 2005)
Martin “Luther regarded Acts as a beautiful mirror in which one beholds the truth: Sola fides justificat.”[1] “The fathers likewise admired the contents of the book, noting the great variety of subjects and the immense value of each: the great testimony in regard to the apostolic doctrine and the church; the fundamental outline of church government, church discipline, and church organisation; an arsenal full of artillery against the anti-Christ; a laboratory full of remedies against all soul-destroying errors of faith and offences in conduct; a larder stocked with all kinds of food for faith, patience and hope; an inspiration for love and all its works; a very treasury of learning and right doctrine.”[2] Acts 2 is important for “the succession from the now-departed Messiah to the Twelve is made complete with the arrival of God’s promised Spirit.”[3] It is this “reception of God’s Spirit (2:1-4) [which] enables the community to carry an inspired word about God’s risen Messiah to the entire household of Israel.”[4] As such “no episode narrated in Acts has received more attention than this one”[5] and the world.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Acts%202:%20An%20Interpretation
Presented to William and Catherine Booth College (Winter 2005)
Martin “Luther regarded Acts as a beautiful mirror in which one beholds the truth: Sola fides justificat.”[1] “The fathers likewise admired the contents of the book, noting the great variety of subjects and the immense value of each: the great testimony in regard to the apostolic doctrine and the church; the fundamental outline of church government, church discipline, and church organisation; an arsenal full of artillery against the anti-Christ; a laboratory full of remedies against all soul-destroying errors of faith and offences in conduct; a larder stocked with all kinds of food for faith, patience and hope; an inspiration for love and all its works; a very treasury of learning and right doctrine.”[2] Acts 2 is important for “the succession from the now-departed Messiah to the Twelve is made complete with the arrival of God’s promised Spirit.”[3] It is this “reception of God’s Spirit (2:1-4) [which] enables the community to carry an inspired word about God’s risen Messiah to the entire household of Israel.”[4] As such “no episode narrated in Acts has received more attention than this one”[5] and the world.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Acts%202:%20An%20Interpretation
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Acts 2: Scene 1
Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 12 August 2007
by Captain Michael Ramsay
ANSWERS TO QUIZ (and to read more visit) : http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/acts-2-act-ii-scene-1.html
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Acts always reminds me of a play. Maybe it’s the name (Act 1, scene 2). But particularly in the first part, Acts reminds me of a Shakespearian play. Anyone remember studying Shakespeare in school?
All right, here’s another quiz for you. Who can name the play these quotes are from:
- ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears;’
- “to be or not to be, that is the question”
- “Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo”?
Or on a happier note, there is Romeo and Juliet. Young love. But their parents object so they sneak around for a while and then eventually (pause) kill themselves…
ANSWERS TO QUIZ (and to read more visit) : http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/acts-2-act-ii-scene-1.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 26th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 14-16 and Acts 2
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 14-16 and Acts 2
Ahab pursues Elijah
Acts 2 & the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Presented to Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service 16 January 2011 at St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church in Swift Current by Captain Michael Ramsay
.
We are going to look at the reading from Acts today. Acts is a neat book. Did you know that it is the only history (book) in the NT? Did you know that the books Acts and Luke were written by the same author and these books actually come together as sort of a two volume set that many scholars like to call ‘Luke-Acts.’ Together this set comprises more than 30% of the NT.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/01/acts-2-and-week-of-prayer-for-christian.html
.
We are going to look at the reading from Acts today. Acts is a neat book. Did you know that it is the only history (book) in the NT? Did you know that the books Acts and Luke were written by the same author and these books actually come together as sort of a two volume set that many scholars like to call ‘Luke-Acts.’ Together this set comprises more than 30% of the NT.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/01/acts-2-and-week-of-prayer-for-christian.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 25th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 12-13 and Psalm 21 and Acts 1
Moses and the bull rushes
(Happy Robbie Burns Day...)
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 12-13 and Psalm 21 and Acts 1
Moses and the bull rushes
(Happy Robbie Burns Day...)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Who do you say He is? (Luke 23)
Presented to the Community Good Friday Service in Nipawin
at the Apostolic Church, April 10, 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
I remember many years ago when I was starting University. I was a janitor; I worked nights for a big janitorial company in Victoria. They have buildings all over the city and I worked for this company since before I went to university so when I did go back to school, they were kind enough to work around my schedule.
They made me a ‘floater’: now a floater is a very important position because we are given the keys and alarm codes to banks and other important businesses all over the city and our shifts often end late at night or early in the morning. Now break-ins aren’t uncommon in the city so one doesn’t want just anybody walking around some of these buildings in the middle of the night.
I remember one night. I’m on ‘floater’ duty. I have four buildings to clean. The first two buildings take me twice as long to clean as they should so when I get to my third building, it is well passed midnight and I have never been in this building before and I can’t find the light switch anywhere. As a result, I am late turning off the alarm and the thing goes off: it is loud. So while it is still ringing and the place is still dark I bang my leg as I trip over a desk running to turn it off. I turn it off and then the phone rings (the alarm company always calls to see why an alarm is going off to make sure it is a false alarm) so I’m off and running again and this time it is in the other direction -still in the dark - to find the phone before I miss the call and the alarm company phones the police. I get to the phone just in time but not before banging my leg again as I crash into another desk in the pitch black and yelling quite loudly.
I finally get this alarm mess sorted out on the phone but by now my leg that I have bashed twice is killing me as I am limping around the whole building still looking for the light switch in the pitch black. I am very lost in a maze of cubicles and I really can’t see anything and I am not feeling too happy at all when I hear something.
I hear something. I hear something growl…. I hear something growl and bark loudly! This is not good. So what do I do? I yell. I yell quite loudly as I hit the floor. Peering up I can see a couple of police dogs with teeth bared and a police officer staring down at me. I can tell you – I don’t know if you have ever encountered an angry police dog before but that was one of the scariest moments of my life.
What happened was... read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/04/luke-23-who-do-you-say-he-is.html
at the Apostolic Church, April 10, 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
I remember many years ago when I was starting University. I was a janitor; I worked nights for a big janitorial company in Victoria. They have buildings all over the city and I worked for this company since before I went to university so when I did go back to school, they were kind enough to work around my schedule.
They made me a ‘floater’: now a floater is a very important position because we are given the keys and alarm codes to banks and other important businesses all over the city and our shifts often end late at night or early in the morning. Now break-ins aren’t uncommon in the city so one doesn’t want just anybody walking around some of these buildings in the middle of the night.
I remember one night. I’m on ‘floater’ duty. I have four buildings to clean. The first two buildings take me twice as long to clean as they should so when I get to my third building, it is well passed midnight and I have never been in this building before and I can’t find the light switch anywhere. As a result, I am late turning off the alarm and the thing goes off: it is loud. So while it is still ringing and the place is still dark I bang my leg as I trip over a desk running to turn it off. I turn it off and then the phone rings (the alarm company always calls to see why an alarm is going off to make sure it is a false alarm) so I’m off and running again and this time it is in the other direction -still in the dark - to find the phone before I miss the call and the alarm company phones the police. I get to the phone just in time but not before banging my leg again as I crash into another desk in the pitch black and yelling quite loudly.
I finally get this alarm mess sorted out on the phone but by now my leg that I have bashed twice is killing me as I am limping around the whole building still looking for the light switch in the pitch black. I am very lost in a maze of cubicles and I really can’t see anything and I am not feeling too happy at all when I hear something.
I hear something. I hear something growl…. I hear something growl and bark loudly! This is not good. So what do I do? I yell. I yell quite loudly as I hit the floor. Peering up I can see a couple of police dogs with teeth bared and a police officer staring down at me. I can tell you – I don’t know if you have ever encountered an angry police dog before but that was one of the scariest moments of my life.
What happened was... read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/04/luke-23-who-do-you-say-he-is.html
Why do you look for the living among the dead? (Luke 24:1-12)
Presented to Swift Current Corps Easter Sunday, 04 April 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay
Now I must admit that when I was a kid I used to be quite good at hide-and-seek and I still have a great way to not get caught – Rebecca and Sarah-Grace, cover your ears – you see, when I am hiding and they are looking for me, I keep my eyes open and watch to see where they are or listen to discover where they are looking and as soon as they have looked in a particular spot, I will move from where I am to that spot where they just were, knowing that they won’t look there again. This works really well with a house with an upstairs and a downstairs because as soon as the kids come upstairs, one can make a beeline straight for the downstairs.
Hide and seek: Did you ever play hide and seek? There is one thing that you notice playing ‘hide and seek’ with mostly little kids – younger than my two – but sometimes with older ones as well. It is really quite neat. Most of them when they are hiding, they close their eyes. So when you call out, ‘1-2-3, I see you’ – you will sometimes hear – ‘no you don’t! …I have my eyes closed’ or ‘1-2-3, I see you’ - ‘you can’t; I’m invisible still…I still have my eyes closed.’ This is not totally unrelated from our text today, as people are here wondering why they can’t see Jesus.
In our pericope today the disciples and the women are convinced that they know where Jesus is... read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/04/luke-241-12-why-do-you-look-for-living.html
By Captain Michael Ramsay
Now I must admit that when I was a kid I used to be quite good at hide-and-seek and I still have a great way to not get caught – Rebecca and Sarah-Grace, cover your ears – you see, when I am hiding and they are looking for me, I keep my eyes open and watch to see where they are or listen to discover where they are looking and as soon as they have looked in a particular spot, I will move from where I am to that spot where they just were, knowing that they won’t look there again. This works really well with a house with an upstairs and a downstairs because as soon as the kids come upstairs, one can make a beeline straight for the downstairs.
Hide and seek: Did you ever play hide and seek? There is one thing that you notice playing ‘hide and seek’ with mostly little kids – younger than my two – but sometimes with older ones as well. It is really quite neat. Most of them when they are hiding, they close their eyes. So when you call out, ‘1-2-3, I see you’ – you will sometimes hear – ‘no you don’t! …I have my eyes closed’ or ‘1-2-3, I see you’ - ‘you can’t; I’m invisible still…I still have my eyes closed.’ This is not totally unrelated from our text today, as people are here wondering why they can’t see Jesus.
In our pericope today the disciples and the women are convinced that they know where Jesus is... read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/04/luke-241-12-why-do-you-look-for-living.html
Friday, January 21, 2011
High Council
Dear Salvation Army leaders, editors, communications secretaries and web managers/developers,
Please communicate the following to as many Salvationists as possible. Thank you for your assistance. Please spread the word rapidly as this is an event not to be missed.
The High Council website www.salvationarmy.org/highcouncil will include links to a live webcast of the Welcome to the High Council and Retirement Salute to General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton meeting this coming Saturday, 22nd January, commencing at 16.00 GMT (UK time).
If you can't tune in at 16.00 (4pm) London time the entire programme available to watch again after the event at the same website www.salvationarmy.org/highcouncil
Joyfully serving Jesus
Laurie Robertson, Lieut-Colonel
Communications Secretary, Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary
Please communicate the following to as many Salvationists as possible. Thank you for your assistance. Please spread the word rapidly as this is an event not to be missed.
The High Council website www.salvationarmy.org/highcouncil will include links to a live webcast of the Welcome to the High Council and Retirement Salute to General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton meeting this coming Saturday, 22nd January, commencing at 16.00 GMT (UK time).
If you can't tune in at 16.00 (4pm) London time the entire programme available to watch again after the event at the same website www.salvationarmy.org/highcouncil
Joyfully serving Jesus
Laurie Robertson, Lieut-Colonel
Communications Secretary, Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary
Luke 21:29-31: the First Sprigs of Spring.
Presented to St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church,
Swift Current, Saskatchewan, 29 November 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
Luke 21: 29-31: “He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the Kingdom of God is near.”
Now I grew up in Victoria, BC. There we would always have a green Christmas – which it looks like we might actually get here this year. Growing up there, we had snow maybe once every four years or so and when we did, it was gone in about a week. Every February, when much of our great country is still covered in snow, Victoria has its annual flower count. I recently found the statistics for 2002. In that year Victoria counted 8,521,514,876 flowers on that day in February.[1]
When I first moved to the Prairies some years ago now – we lived in Winnipeg – I noticed that Februaries in Winnipeg are a little bit different than in Victoria. Instead of + 8 billion flowers, in Winnipeg we had what felt like - 8 billion degree temperatures.
It is great here on the Prairies though....
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/11/luke-2129-31-first-sprigs-of-spring.html
Swift Current, Saskatchewan, 29 November 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
Luke 21: 29-31: “He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the Kingdom of God is near.”
Now I grew up in Victoria, BC. There we would always have a green Christmas – which it looks like we might actually get here this year. Growing up there, we had snow maybe once every four years or so and when we did, it was gone in about a week. Every February, when much of our great country is still covered in snow, Victoria has its annual flower count. I recently found the statistics for 2002. In that year Victoria counted 8,521,514,876 flowers on that day in February.[1]
When I first moved to the Prairies some years ago now – we lived in Winnipeg – I noticed that Februaries in Winnipeg are a little bit different than in Victoria. Instead of + 8 billion flowers, in Winnipeg we had what felt like - 8 billion degree temperatures.
It is great here on the Prairies though....
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/11/luke-2129-31-first-sprigs-of-spring.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 21st
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 1-2 , Psalm 88, and Luke 21
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Exodus 1-2 , Psalm 88, and Luke 21
Sweeping and Washing of Teeth
(weeping and gnashing)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 20th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 49-50 , Psalm 8, and Luke 20
Noah's Art
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 49-50 , Psalm 8, and Luke 20
Noah's Art
Employee Evaluation: What About the Slaves? (Luke 19:11-27)
Part 2 of 3 of the 3 T Series.
Presented to the Swift Current Corps, 19 September 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay
I remember this story that someone told me once. I don’t remember who told it to me so I can’t give him credit but there was an inner-city teacher in the United States somewhere. Now, I have done some inner-city teaching in BC and that is tough enough: There are many latchkey kids and many broken homes that can contribute to some challenges. I remember in one class of mine, there was even a grade three student who was extorting money from older kids, which was problem enough, but when you add in some of the inter-racial problems in the U.S. and the seemingly insurmountable economic inequality there it can get even worse, I understand. This inner-city teacher in the U.S. was having more than a little bit of a problem with his elementary school class. The kids were loud, disrespectful, acting out and a lot of them were already in gangs. They were dangerous. There was one little boy Johnny who was causing a lot of the problems (his brother was the leader of one of the gangs) when one day the teacher got called out of the classroom for an emergency. There was no one to cover his often out-of-control class and he didn’t know what to do. It was an emergency; he had to leave the classroom. In an act of desperation or of faith, the teacher turned to Johnny – who was often the instigator of the problems – and said, “Johnny, I am putting you in charge; you are responsible to make sure that the class is quiet; I am trusting you.” The teacher leaves the room. He is gone for quite a while. When he starts down the hallway back to his class – he hears nothing. It is quiet. He walks up to the door of his classroom: nothing, it is quiet. He opens the door and sees everyone sitting at their desks not making a single noise and wondering how this could be; he spies Johnny quietly sitting cross-legged on the teacher’s desk…pointing a loaded gun at the class. ‘They didn’t make a noise, sir, not a noise.’ (I never tried that classroom management technique!)
Our story today is about an authority figure who goes away and what happens when he returns...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/09/luke-1911-27-time-talent-and-treasure.html
Presented to the Swift Current Corps, 19 September 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay
I remember this story that someone told me once. I don’t remember who told it to me so I can’t give him credit but there was an inner-city teacher in the United States somewhere. Now, I have done some inner-city teaching in BC and that is tough enough: There are many latchkey kids and many broken homes that can contribute to some challenges. I remember in one class of mine, there was even a grade three student who was extorting money from older kids, which was problem enough, but when you add in some of the inter-racial problems in the U.S. and the seemingly insurmountable economic inequality there it can get even worse, I understand. This inner-city teacher in the U.S. was having more than a little bit of a problem with his elementary school class. The kids were loud, disrespectful, acting out and a lot of them were already in gangs. They were dangerous. There was one little boy Johnny who was causing a lot of the problems (his brother was the leader of one of the gangs) when one day the teacher got called out of the classroom for an emergency. There was no one to cover his often out-of-control class and he didn’t know what to do. It was an emergency; he had to leave the classroom. In an act of desperation or of faith, the teacher turned to Johnny – who was often the instigator of the problems – and said, “Johnny, I am putting you in charge; you are responsible to make sure that the class is quiet; I am trusting you.” The teacher leaves the room. He is gone for quite a while. When he starts down the hallway back to his class – he hears nothing. It is quiet. He walks up to the door of his classroom: nothing, it is quiet. He opens the door and sees everyone sitting at their desks not making a single noise and wondering how this could be; he spies Johnny quietly sitting cross-legged on the teacher’s desk…pointing a loaded gun at the class. ‘They didn’t make a noise, sir, not a noise.’ (I never tried that classroom management technique!)
Our story today is about an authority figure who goes away and what happens when he returns...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/09/luke-1911-27-time-talent-and-treasure.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 19th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 47-48 , Psalm 8 and Luke 19
Levi follows Jesus
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 47-48 , Psalm 8 and Luke 19
Levi follows Jesus
Monday, January 17, 2011
Good News to the Poor: Comparing a Christian Worldview as expressed in Luke’s Gospel to Marx
Presented to William and Catherine Booth College March 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
Marx and Luke’s gospel both predicted an inevitable course of events in the world. They each had a significant view of what this life should and eventually would look like. Luke records:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live” (Luke 10:25-28; cf. Deut 5, Lev 19:18).
The preceding quote sums up the Law and the Prophets (Cf. Matt 22:36-40). Luke’s gospel has been called the gospel for the poor; it is interested in the oppressed and a significant theme contained within is that “Salvation embraces the totality of embodied life, including its social, economic, and political concerns:”[1]
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Marx
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
Marx and Luke’s gospel both predicted an inevitable course of events in the world. They each had a significant view of what this life should and eventually would look like. Luke records:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live” (Luke 10:25-28; cf. Deut 5, Lev 19:18).
The preceding quote sums up the Law and the Prophets (Cf. Matt 22:36-40). Luke’s gospel has been called the gospel for the poor; it is interested in the oppressed and a significant theme contained within is that “Salvation embraces the totality of embodied life, including its social, economic, and political concerns:”[1]
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Marx
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Dr Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 17th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 42-43, Psalm 5 and Luke 17
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 42-43, Psalm 5 and Luke 17
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Luke 16:1-13: Sudden Death Overtime
Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 29 July 2007
and Swift Current Corps on 21 March 2010
by Captain Michael Ramsay
When Rebecca was just born, I used to listen to hockey every Friday night. You see. Friday night was my night to be home with Rebecca and clean the house. So I would listen to the junior hockey games on the radio as I was doing the dishes, etc.
I remember this one game. I caught the 3rd period. The home team just dominated. It was three or even four nothing coming into the last minute of play. These players had worked really hard, just dominated and they started celebrating the winning of the last game of their season -(pause)- with one minute left to go. Then the other team scored. Then again; 30 seconds left. Then again; 10 seconds left. It was four nothing less than a minute ago – they were celebrating – now they are up 4-3 with only 5 seconds left and they aren’t so confident – and now there’s a face-off in their own zone. And you know what happens? The away team scores with less than a second left to force sudden-death overtime.
Our team squanders their lead and as a result they face sudden death.
If you’ll turn with me back to Luke chapter 16, the manager we read about also squanders from his position, and now faces sudden death – or sudden unemployment anyway: he is fired...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-161-13-sudden-death-overtime.html
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http://www.sheepspeak.com/
and Swift Current Corps on 21 March 2010
by Captain Michael Ramsay
When Rebecca was just born, I used to listen to hockey every Friday night. You see. Friday night was my night to be home with Rebecca and clean the house. So I would listen to the junior hockey games on the radio as I was doing the dishes, etc.
I remember this one game. I caught the 3rd period. The home team just dominated. It was three or even four nothing coming into the last minute of play. These players had worked really hard, just dominated and they started celebrating the winning of the last game of their season -(pause)- with one minute left to go. Then the other team scored. Then again; 30 seconds left. Then again; 10 seconds left. It was four nothing less than a minute ago – they were celebrating – now they are up 4-3 with only 5 seconds left and they aren’t so confident – and now there’s a face-off in their own zone. And you know what happens? The away team scores with less than a second left to force sudden-death overtime.
Our team squanders their lead and as a result they face sudden death.
If you’ll turn with me back to Luke chapter 16, the manager we read about also squanders from his position, and now faces sudden death – or sudden unemployment anyway: he is fired...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-161-13-sudden-death-overtime.html
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http://www.sheepspeak.com/
Friday, January 14, 2011
Luke 15: The Lost Parables
Excerpt from 'The Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel as reflected in parables spoken en route to Jerusalem'
by Captain Michael Ramsay
In the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, Jesus speaks about the idea that “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7).” It is a cause for celebration when one joins the kingdom. In the parable of the lost son (15:11-32) the father tells the oldest son that “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found (15:31-32).'” Ethically speaking then we should also be concerned about, show mercy towards, and also celebrate the return of those once lost to the Kingdom...
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics%20of%20Jesus%20in%20Luke’s%20Gospel
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http://www.sheepspeak.com/
by Captain Michael Ramsay
In the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, Jesus speaks about the idea that “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7).” It is a cause for celebration when one joins the kingdom. In the parable of the lost son (15:11-32) the father tells the oldest son that “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found (15:31-32).'” Ethically speaking then we should also be concerned about, show mercy towards, and also celebrate the return of those once lost to the Kingdom...
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics%20of%20Jesus%20in%20Luke’s%20Gospel
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http://www.sheepspeak.com/
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 15th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 37-38, Psalm 7, and Luke 15
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 37-38, Psalm 7, and Luke 15
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Salvation Army established in the Solomon Islands
Hat Tip Armybarmy
13 January 2011
THE General has approved the official opening of Salvation Army work in the Solomon Islands, effective 1 February 2011. This will take the number of countries in which the Army is operating to 123.
A proposal was first made for approval to undertake a feasibility study into the potential for Army work in the Islands in 2005. This study was carried out by the Papua New Guinea Territory who, along with the Australia Eastern Territory (who funded the study), had expressed an interest in mission outreach to the Islands.
Many months of detailed exploration and prayerful consideration of all aspects took place and provisional approval to move ahead with plans was given at the beginning of 2009. Later that year Major Soddy Maraga, an officer of the Papua New Guinea Territory, was appointed to oversight the fledging work in the Solomon Islands.
The Papua New Guinea Territory will have responsibility for the work, which is being helpfully funded by the Australia Eastern and Australia Southern territories.
Legal and constitutional issues were carefully studied and by 2010 it was clear that there were no legal obstacles to the Army’s plan to declare the work officially established in the Solomon Islands. Responsibility for liaison on all related matters was given to the Papua New Guinea Territory.
By the end of 2010 the territorial commander in Papua New Guinea, Commissioner Andrew Kalai, was able to confirm that regular Salvation Army meetings are taking place in the Solomon Islands, soldiers are being sworn in, local officers are being commissioned and already two soldiers have expressed their desire to be considered for training as officers.
The General invites Salvationists around the world to pray God’s blessing upon this newest part of our global family
13 January 2011
THE General has approved the official opening of Salvation Army work in the Solomon Islands, effective 1 February 2011. This will take the number of countries in which the Army is operating to 123.
A proposal was first made for approval to undertake a feasibility study into the potential for Army work in the Islands in 2005. This study was carried out by the Papua New Guinea Territory who, along with the Australia Eastern Territory (who funded the study), had expressed an interest in mission outreach to the Islands.
Many months of detailed exploration and prayerful consideration of all aspects took place and provisional approval to move ahead with plans was given at the beginning of 2009. Later that year Major Soddy Maraga, an officer of the Papua New Guinea Territory, was appointed to oversight the fledging work in the Solomon Islands.
The Papua New Guinea Territory will have responsibility for the work, which is being helpfully funded by the Australia Eastern and Australia Southern territories.
Legal and constitutional issues were carefully studied and by 2010 it was clear that there were no legal obstacles to the Army’s plan to declare the work officially established in the Solomon Islands. Responsibility for liaison on all related matters was given to the Papua New Guinea Territory.
By the end of 2010 the territorial commander in Papua New Guinea, Commissioner Andrew Kalai, was able to confirm that regular Salvation Army meetings are taking place in the Solomon Islands, soldiers are being sworn in, local officers are being commissioned and already two soldiers have expressed their desire to be considered for training as officers.
The General invites Salvationists around the world to pray God’s blessing upon this newest part of our global family
The Parable of the Great Feast
The Parable of the Great Feast (Luke 14:15-24), as told by Luke, is significant. It does not have the open rebellion that is represented in Matthew’s version of the story (Matthew 22:1-14). Luke does not refer to a king and his vassals but merely “someone [who] gave a great dinner and invited many (14:16).” Jesus responds to the comment recorded in v.15, “blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God (v.15)” with this parable.
The parable tells of people who reject the invitation to attend the banquet and have their seats given to others instead. It is interesting that those who reject the invitation appear to be wealthy (vv.18-19) whereas those who accept the invitation are “the crippled, the blind, and the lame (v.21).” This is particularly noticeable given the physical context in which Jesus is speaking. Jesus is eating a meal at the house of a leader of the Pharisees (v.1) and noticing that the guests are clamouring for places of honour, he states that “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted (v.11).” He further tells his host that “when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (14:13-14).” Jesus here is speaking of both the ethics of humility and taking care of the poor.
There is one more element that is particularly interesting about this parable. Recorded in verse 23, after the invitation to the banquet has been accepted by the poor and the crippled, there is still room so the master commands his slave to “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.” These people are not given a choice; they are compelled to experience the joys of the feast whereas “none of those who were invited will taste my dinner (v.24).” This is interesting in that some were permitted to reject the invitation and others were not. While not understanding the full ramifications of this, I suggest that it would be wise not to reject the invitation.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics%20of%20Jesus%20in%20Luke’s%20Gospel
The parable tells of people who reject the invitation to attend the banquet and have their seats given to others instead. It is interesting that those who reject the invitation appear to be wealthy (vv.18-19) whereas those who accept the invitation are “the crippled, the blind, and the lame (v.21).” This is particularly noticeable given the physical context in which Jesus is speaking. Jesus is eating a meal at the house of a leader of the Pharisees (v.1) and noticing that the guests are clamouring for places of honour, he states that “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted (v.11).” He further tells his host that “when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (14:13-14).” Jesus here is speaking of both the ethics of humility and taking care of the poor.
There is one more element that is particularly interesting about this parable. Recorded in verse 23, after the invitation to the banquet has been accepted by the poor and the crippled, there is still room so the master commands his slave to “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.” These people are not given a choice; they are compelled to experience the joys of the feast whereas “none of those who were invited will taste my dinner (v.24).” This is interesting in that some were permitted to reject the invitation and others were not. While not understanding the full ramifications of this, I suggest that it would be wise not to reject the invitation.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics%20of%20Jesus%20in%20Luke’s%20Gospel
Luke 14 and the Parable of the Great Banquet
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Luke 13:1-9: Repent!
Presented to Swift Current Community Lenten Lunch on 11 March 2010 and the Swift Current Corps on 14 March 2010 and CKSW Radio on 28 March 2010
by Captain Michael Ramsay
My wife, Captain Susan Ramsay, preached on this pericope (passage) last Sunday at The Salvation Army and I think it is a very interesting passage in that it addresses both questions of eschatology (the ‘end times’) and theodicy (God is good even when bad things happen). She began her sermon quoting this story by the famous homilitician, the Reverend Tom Long:
In the little Georgia country church of my childhood, there was a story the older folks loved to tell again and again, laughing over it and savoring it and embellishing it. The tale involved a certain Sunday night in October 1938. Evening prayer services were in full swing when a man named Sam, a member of the congregation who lived down the road from the church, charged into the prayer meeting trembling with fear and excitement. Finally gaining the breath to speak, he shouted, "Martians are attacking the earth in spaceships! Some of ‘em have already landed in New Jersey!" The preacher halted in mid-sentence; the congregation stared at Sam blankly. "I s-s-swear," he stammered, now a little unsure of his footing. "I h-h-heard it on the radio."
What Sam had heard, of course, was Orson Welles’s now infamous Mercury Theatre radio production of ‘War of the Worlds’, but no one in the congregation was aware of that at the moment. For all they knew, the world outside was coming to a flaming end. The little flock looked apprehensively at the preacher, but he was mute and indecisive, never having had a sermon disrupted by interplanetary invasion. Finally one of the oldest members of the congregation, a red-clay farmer of modest education, stood up, gripped the pew in front of him with his large, callused hands, and said, "I ‘speck what Sam says ain’t completely true, but if it is true, we’re in the right place here in church. Let’s go on with the meetin’." And so they did.
Spaceships landing in New Jersey? Signs of the end of the world? The old farmer sized it all up, measured it against his rough-hewn view of providence, and decided it was better to be in church praising God than running around the cow pasture shooting buckshot into the night sky[1]
How true. What should we think, what should we do when things are happening in our world today that don’t necessarily make a lot of sense to us? In our scripture passage here people are asking Jesus about significant things going on all around them and they have some questions about what they should do in response – Luke 13:1-5
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/03/luke-131-9-repent.html
by Captain Michael Ramsay
My wife, Captain Susan Ramsay, preached on this pericope (passage) last Sunday at The Salvation Army and I think it is a very interesting passage in that it addresses both questions of eschatology (the ‘end times’) and theodicy (God is good even when bad things happen). She began her sermon quoting this story by the famous homilitician, the Reverend Tom Long:
In the little Georgia country church of my childhood, there was a story the older folks loved to tell again and again, laughing over it and savoring it and embellishing it. The tale involved a certain Sunday night in October 1938. Evening prayer services were in full swing when a man named Sam, a member of the congregation who lived down the road from the church, charged into the prayer meeting trembling with fear and excitement. Finally gaining the breath to speak, he shouted, "Martians are attacking the earth in spaceships! Some of ‘em have already landed in New Jersey!" The preacher halted in mid-sentence; the congregation stared at Sam blankly. "I s-s-swear," he stammered, now a little unsure of his footing. "I h-h-heard it on the radio."
What Sam had heard, of course, was Orson Welles’s now infamous Mercury Theatre radio production of ‘War of the Worlds’, but no one in the congregation was aware of that at the moment. For all they knew, the world outside was coming to a flaming end. The little flock looked apprehensively at the preacher, but he was mute and indecisive, never having had a sermon disrupted by interplanetary invasion. Finally one of the oldest members of the congregation, a red-clay farmer of modest education, stood up, gripped the pew in front of him with his large, callused hands, and said, "I ‘speck what Sam says ain’t completely true, but if it is true, we’re in the right place here in church. Let’s go on with the meetin’." And so they did.
Spaceships landing in New Jersey? Signs of the end of the world? The old farmer sized it all up, measured it against his rough-hewn view of providence, and decided it was better to be in church praising God than running around the cow pasture shooting buckshot into the night sky[1]
How true. What should we think, what should we do when things are happening in our world today that don’t necessarily make a lot of sense to us? In our scripture passage here people are asking Jesus about significant things going on all around them and they have some questions about what they should do in response – Luke 13:1-5
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/03/luke-131-9-repent.html
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Luke 12:13-21: The Parable of the Wicked RSP
Presented to Swift Current Corps 03 September 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay
This pericope that we read today in the meeting is part of a great teaching time of Jesus’. Jesus is a very engaging teacher: I have previously compared Jesus to some of those popular or shock-TV show hosts.[1] He does a lot out of the ordinary in his lessons with miraculous healings, casting out of demons (cf. for ex. Luke 11:14-28; cf. also Matthew 12:22-45, Mark 3:23-27) wonderful stories and parables (ex. Luke 10:25-37, 11:29-32, 33-36), great teaching of course (ex. Luke 11:37-54, 12:1-12), and much, much more. You can read in Luke’s text how big crowds are gathering repeatedly and constantly and more and more people are coming to see him all the time. The crowd today is mentioned in Luke 11:27 and it continues to increase. Luke 11:29: Jesus then goes for dinner at a Pharisee’s house and by the time he leaves there a crowd of many thousands has gathered (Luke 11:37, 53). The word here in Luke 11:53 for many thousands, “myrias means properly ‘ten thousand’ (in Acts 19:19 five ‘myriads’ amount to 50,000). But the term is often used indefinitely of a large crowd and that will be the meaning here. The article with it in the Greek may mean ‘the usual large crowd.’”[2] Whatever the details of this crowd, this great amount of people, Luke 12:1 records that there are so many people that they are trampling on one another.
Picture this scene with me, if you will. Jesus is popular. I don’t know if people still get trampled waiting in line to buy tickets for popular concerts with all the on-line tickets available nowadays and with less festival seating than there was years ago but I can remember in my teen years waiting in a line-up to see a concert and people were starting to push and trample and I got knocked down and caught in the middle of it. When I got up, disoriented as I was from my experience, my eyesight was even blurry for quite a while. I wasn’t seeing right. It was scary. It was quite a thing and there weren’t even thousands, let alone tens of thousands, in that crowd. I know in my time people have even died being crushed in concert or in ticket line-ups for popular acts.
Imagine what it must be like for the people pushing and fighting to see and hear Jesus in such large numbers...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/10/luke-1114-28-matthew-1225-29-parable-of.html
By Captain Michael Ramsay
This pericope that we read today in the meeting is part of a great teaching time of Jesus’. Jesus is a very engaging teacher: I have previously compared Jesus to some of those popular or shock-TV show hosts.[1] He does a lot out of the ordinary in his lessons with miraculous healings, casting out of demons (cf. for ex. Luke 11:14-28; cf. also Matthew 12:22-45, Mark 3:23-27) wonderful stories and parables (ex. Luke 10:25-37, 11:29-32, 33-36), great teaching of course (ex. Luke 11:37-54, 12:1-12), and much, much more. You can read in Luke’s text how big crowds are gathering repeatedly and constantly and more and more people are coming to see him all the time. The crowd today is mentioned in Luke 11:27 and it continues to increase. Luke 11:29: Jesus then goes for dinner at a Pharisee’s house and by the time he leaves there a crowd of many thousands has gathered (Luke 11:37, 53). The word here in Luke 11:53 for many thousands, “myrias means properly ‘ten thousand’ (in Acts 19:19 five ‘myriads’ amount to 50,000). But the term is often used indefinitely of a large crowd and that will be the meaning here. The article with it in the Greek may mean ‘the usual large crowd.’”[2] Whatever the details of this crowd, this great amount of people, Luke 12:1 records that there are so many people that they are trampling on one another.
Picture this scene with me, if you will. Jesus is popular. I don’t know if people still get trampled waiting in line to buy tickets for popular concerts with all the on-line tickets available nowadays and with less festival seating than there was years ago but I can remember in my teen years waiting in a line-up to see a concert and people were starting to push and trample and I got knocked down and caught in the middle of it. When I got up, disoriented as I was from my experience, my eyesight was even blurry for quite a while. I wasn’t seeing right. It was scary. It was quite a thing and there weren’t even thousands, let alone tens of thousands, in that crowd. I know in my time people have even died being crushed in concert or in ticket line-ups for popular acts.
Imagine what it must be like for the people pushing and fighting to see and hear Jesus in such large numbers...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/10/luke-1114-28-matthew-1225-29-parable-of.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 12th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 29-30 and Luke 12
'The Book of Axe'
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 29-30 and Luke 12
'The Book of Axe'
Luke 11:14-28:The Parable of the Haunted House
Presented to the Swift Current Corps 31 October 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay
I had a sermon all ready to go on Psalm 1 for today – well, almost all ready to go for three weeks now. (Susan had thought that we could start looking at some of the psalms as we start gearing up for Advent). I had prepared this sermon for 3 weeks ago but 3 weeks ago Susan preached, 2 weeks ago the CCM provided the message and meeting lead, and last week –of course– the youth led the meeting and Sarah-Grace did a wonderful job preaching.[1] But today is October 31st so I thought that there were a couple of other things that I should speak about. I am going to start of with an October 31st quiz [ANSWERS AT http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/10/luke-1114-28-matthew-1225-29-parable-of.html]:
1) What historic event happened in Wittenburg on this date in 1517?
2) True or False: Ghosts are mentioned in the Bible.
3) True or False: A king of Israel went to a witch to speak with the spirit of a dead person.
- Bonus Marks name the King, the dead person, and the witch
4) Name people who the Bible records God used to raise others from the dead?
5) The man possessed by so many demons that they called themselves Legion, where did he live?
6) True or False: Jesus tells a parable about a haunted house?
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/10/luke-1114-28-matthew-1225-29-parable-of.html
By Captain Michael Ramsay
I had a sermon all ready to go on Psalm 1 for today – well, almost all ready to go for three weeks now. (Susan had thought that we could start looking at some of the psalms as we start gearing up for Advent). I had prepared this sermon for 3 weeks ago but 3 weeks ago Susan preached, 2 weeks ago the CCM provided the message and meeting lead, and last week –of course– the youth led the meeting and Sarah-Grace did a wonderful job preaching.[1] But today is October 31st so I thought that there were a couple of other things that I should speak about. I am going to start of with an October 31st quiz [ANSWERS AT http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/10/luke-1114-28-matthew-1225-29-parable-of.html]:
1) What historic event happened in Wittenburg on this date in 1517?
2) True or False: Ghosts are mentioned in the Bible.
3) True or False: A king of Israel went to a witch to speak with the spirit of a dead person.
- Bonus Marks name the King, the dead person, and the witch
4) Name people who the Bible records God used to raise others from the dead?
5) The man possessed by so many demons that they called themselves Legion, where did he live?
6) True or False: Jesus tells a parable about a haunted house?
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/10/luke-1114-28-matthew-1225-29-parable-of.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 11th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 27-28, Psalm 4, Luke 11
The Inn Carnation
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 27-28, Psalm 4, Luke 11
The Inn Carnation
Sunday, January 09, 2011
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 10th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 25-26, Psalm 6, Luke 10
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 25-26, Psalm 6, Luke 10
Luke 9: Don’t Miss the Bus!
Presented to Swift Current Corps 28 February 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay
Doctrine 4 of The Salvation Army: We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
We went to men’s camp as you know last weekend and I thought it was a great time of worship and fellowship and I hope teaching and learning as well. I want to share a story with you. We men, as you know, can be fairly organized and very task-orientated and when I was in teacher-training many years ago we learned that while women are generally more skilled at the creative side of things men have a much higher aptitude for math and all that side of things. So here is a math question for you. If you start off with 1 driver and 5 other men from Maple Creek and you add 1 Officer and 4 other men from Swift Current, how many men do you have? (11).
Good. Now if you subtract 1 Alvin and plan to add 1 David (David is Captain Ed’s son and we’re going to add him as we drive through Saskatoon at a later time) how many men should you have on your bus as you leave men’s camp? (10) Do you think we could get that right? With nine men on the bus doing a head count we came up with anywhere from 6– 11 people present and we were quite content with that until someone eventually asked, ‘where’s Tim?’ Sure enough as soon as we pulled out of the camp, down came Tim to where the bus was supposed to be and we were already gone - leaving Tim standing at the path wondering what had happened and why we had left without him.
Now to be fair to all of us in the bus who did leave Tim behind, we did come back as soon as we realized our error. And when we were doing our head counts, just as we were pulling out without Tim, I did ask anyone who wasn’t there before we left to raise their hand and speak up now or we’d leave them behind and Tim – Tim didn’t speak up to let us know that we’d left him behind.
We did get Tim and were joking with him most of the way back – all the way through Saskatoon anyway, through Delisle. We were joking as we were talking about how we could be so ‘out of it’ that someone could be left behind when all of a sudden, Ed pulled the bus over to the side of the highway: “we forgot David”, he said. In all our excitement in mocking ourselves for forgetting Tim, we completely forgot to pick up Ed’s son, David, in Saskatoon. To make a much longer story short, read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/02/luke-9-dont-miss-bus.html
By Captain Michael Ramsay
Doctrine 4 of The Salvation Army: We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
We went to men’s camp as you know last weekend and I thought it was a great time of worship and fellowship and I hope teaching and learning as well. I want to share a story with you. We men, as you know, can be fairly organized and very task-orientated and when I was in teacher-training many years ago we learned that while women are generally more skilled at the creative side of things men have a much higher aptitude for math and all that side of things. So here is a math question for you. If you start off with 1 driver and 5 other men from Maple Creek and you add 1 Officer and 4 other men from Swift Current, how many men do you have? (11).
Good. Now if you subtract 1 Alvin and plan to add 1 David (David is Captain Ed’s son and we’re going to add him as we drive through Saskatoon at a later time) how many men should you have on your bus as you leave men’s camp? (10) Do you think we could get that right? With nine men on the bus doing a head count we came up with anywhere from 6– 11 people present and we were quite content with that until someone eventually asked, ‘where’s Tim?’ Sure enough as soon as we pulled out of the camp, down came Tim to where the bus was supposed to be and we were already gone - leaving Tim standing at the path wondering what had happened and why we had left without him.
Now to be fair to all of us in the bus who did leave Tim behind, we did come back as soon as we realized our error. And when we were doing our head counts, just as we were pulling out without Tim, I did ask anyone who wasn’t there before we left to raise their hand and speak up now or we’d leave them behind and Tim – Tim didn’t speak up to let us know that we’d left him behind.
We did get Tim and were joking with him most of the way back – all the way through Saskatoon anyway, through Delisle. We were joking as we were talking about how we could be so ‘out of it’ that someone could be left behind when all of a sudden, Ed pulled the bus over to the side of the highway: “we forgot David”, he said. In all our excitement in mocking ourselves for forgetting Tim, we completely forgot to pick up Ed’s son, David, in Saskatoon. To make a much longer story short, read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/02/luke-9-dont-miss-bus.html
Luke 9:23- 9:27: 3T's Series, Part 1: Time, Lost and Saved
Presented to the Swift Current Corps 05 September 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me (and for the gospel) will save it (Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Matthew 16:25).
I’ve got a test for us today: Famous Quotes. Let’s see which side can name the speaker of each of the following quotes:[1]
1) “Hi Ho Silver, Away…”
2) “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto”
3) “I am not a crook”
4) “Living next to you [the Americans] is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”
5) “While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end!”
6) “Up, up, and away!”
7) “I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eat my spinach; I’m _________ the sailor man.”
8) “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but for whoever loses his life for me (and for the gospel) will save it.”
These are all famous quotes from people and in some ways the quotes have even served to summarize the impact the individual had on history. Nixon is famous for his speeches around the time of his resignation. Another little quiz for you: only two American presidents have ever been impeached, can you name them?
click to read more (and find out the answers to the quiz): http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/09/mark-834-91-luke-923-927-matthew-1621.html
By Captain Michael Ramsay
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me (and for the gospel) will save it (Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Matthew 16:25).
I’ve got a test for us today: Famous Quotes. Let’s see which side can name the speaker of each of the following quotes:[1]
1) “Hi Ho Silver, Away…”
2) “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto”
3) “I am not a crook”
4) “Living next to you [the Americans] is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”
5) “While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end!”
6) “Up, up, and away!”
7) “I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eat my spinach; I’m _________ the sailor man.”
8) “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but for whoever loses his life for me (and for the gospel) will save it.”
These are all famous quotes from people and in some ways the quotes have even served to summarize the impact the individual had on history. Nixon is famous for his speeches around the time of his resignation. Another little quiz for you: only two American presidents have ever been impeached, can you name them?
click to read more (and find out the answers to the quiz): http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/09/mark-834-91-luke-923-927-matthew-1621.html
Friday, January 07, 2011
Luke 8:1-18 - The Jesus Show
Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 15 July 2007
by Captain Michael Ramsay
As a family we rent movies from time to time but, as a rule, I don’t watch TV (we don’t even have one accessible right now) – I find that it takes too much time…but ‘in the old days’ I used to love Monty Python's Flying Circus. I don’t know who remembers it but one of the reasons it was neat was because I have heard said that John Clease, one of the main actors, was actually educated as a lawyer and shortly after becoming a lawyer he was offered two jobs – one as a lawyer and one as a comedian / actor. Like all of us, I’m sure [ha, ha, ha], he chose to be an actor - and as a result he reached more people than he ever could as a lawyer and affected them to an even greater extent. You see, in today’s world the media is a significant way to make an impact on the world; John Clease made an impact.
Shows popular these days include Survivor, Big Brother, Great Race, talk shows like Oprah. I must confess that I’ve never even seen an episode of most of them but I still know about them. These shows make an impact. They have elements of reality that our society at large can understand but they are couched in such a way as to make it exciting – either parodies, intensity of settings, or extreme subject matters: it is entertainment for the mass market and -When one does this, one reaches a lot of people, one gains a lot more exposure for oneself, and one’s message. More exposure than one gets from writing for an academic journal or practicing law, for instance.
Now I was thinking of giving you guys another quiz this week...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-81-18-jesus-show.html
by Captain Michael Ramsay
As a family we rent movies from time to time but, as a rule, I don’t watch TV (we don’t even have one accessible right now) – I find that it takes too much time…but ‘in the old days’ I used to love Monty Python's Flying Circus. I don’t know who remembers it but one of the reasons it was neat was because I have heard said that John Clease, one of the main actors, was actually educated as a lawyer and shortly after becoming a lawyer he was offered two jobs – one as a lawyer and one as a comedian / actor. Like all of us, I’m sure [ha, ha, ha], he chose to be an actor - and as a result he reached more people than he ever could as a lawyer and affected them to an even greater extent. You see, in today’s world the media is a significant way to make an impact on the world; John Clease made an impact.
Shows popular these days include Survivor, Big Brother, Great Race, talk shows like Oprah. I must confess that I’ve never even seen an episode of most of them but I still know about them. These shows make an impact. They have elements of reality that our society at large can understand but they are couched in such a way as to make it exciting – either parodies, intensity of settings, or extreme subject matters: it is entertainment for the mass market and -When one does this, one reaches a lot of people, one gains a lot more exposure for oneself, and one’s message. More exposure than one gets from writing for an academic journal or practicing law, for instance.
Now I was thinking of giving you guys another quiz this week...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-81-18-jesus-show.html
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Dr Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 7
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 18-19 , Psalm 3, Luke 7
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 18-19 , Psalm 3, Luke 7
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Covenant: When God is Bound...a look at Genesis:15:7-21
Journal of Aggressive Christianity, Issue 52, December 2007 – January 2008 (pp. 5-10)
by Captain Michael Ramsay
In our world today, people seem to be entering into covenants less and less and the ones that we are engaging in then are being taken less and less seriously. Of the 'till death do we part' vows that couples take before God, half are broken. Covenants are not being taken any more seriously by those in the church than they are by those in secular society. This is distressing. For the Salvationist this should be even more alarming. I have heard testimony of some soldiers drinking, smoking, gambling, and seen many who are obviously flirting with that 'which can enslave the mind and body.' I think we try to walk away from our vows too easily; I am not convinced that God actually lets the ties of covenant fall as easily as some might like. I am not convinced that simply declaring oneself 'un-wed' in the courts or renouncing our soldiership vows necessarily releases us from these covenants with God. There are no consequences for taking vows but there are consequences for breaking vows.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_JAC.htm#Covenant%20-%20When%20God%20is%20Bound
related: Sermon: 'Genesis 15:7-21: When God is Bound...' by Captain Michael Ramsay. Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 07 October 2007. Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/10/genesis-157-21-when-god-is-bound.html
see also: Ramsay, Captain Michael. 'Praise The Lord For Covenants: Old Testament wisdom for our world today'. Vancouver, BC: Credo Press, 2010. (c) The Salvation Army. For sale (only $10) at http://www.sheepspeak.com/
by Captain Michael Ramsay
In our world today, people seem to be entering into covenants less and less and the ones that we are engaging in then are being taken less and less seriously. Of the 'till death do we part' vows that couples take before God, half are broken. Covenants are not being taken any more seriously by those in the church than they are by those in secular society. This is distressing. For the Salvationist this should be even more alarming. I have heard testimony of some soldiers drinking, smoking, gambling, and seen many who are obviously flirting with that 'which can enslave the mind and body.' I think we try to walk away from our vows too easily; I am not convinced that God actually lets the ties of covenant fall as easily as some might like. I am not convinced that simply declaring oneself 'un-wed' in the courts or renouncing our soldiership vows necessarily releases us from these covenants with God. There are no consequences for taking vows but there are consequences for breaking vows.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_JAC.htm#Covenant%20-%20When%20God%20is%20Bound
related: Sermon: 'Genesis 15:7-21: When God is Bound...' by Captain Michael Ramsay. Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 07 October 2007. Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/10/genesis-157-21-when-god-is-bound.html
see also: Ramsay, Captain Michael. 'Praise The Lord For Covenants: Old Testament wisdom for our world today'. Vancouver, BC: Credo Press, 2010. (c) The Salvation Army. For sale (only $10) at http://www.sheepspeak.com/
A New Year's Experiment
We host on our site the world's first on-line comic liturgy. This year we are trying something new. Where the resources are available, we accompany the scriptures and comics with applicable sermons and articles for your enjoyment and edification. If you give this a try let us know what you think...
Michael
Michael
Monday, January 03, 2011
Genesis 11:1 -12:4: A Very Moving Covenant
Journal of Aggressive Christianity (Issue 70: Dec 2010-Jan 2011)
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Moving is something that is very familiar to families in The Salvation Army. I have heard of Officers and children of Officers who, if they don’t move in a given year, need to rearrange the house and make it look like they have moved to a new home.
Genesis 11:1-9 and 12:1-4 has something to do with moving. It says in 11:2 that the people were moving either from the east (KJV, NRSV) or eastward (NIV) when they find a place to settle down for a while. Now, just as my daughters’ have moved four times in their 8 and 9 years of life, respectively, I imagine that the people in the story today of Genesis Chapter 11 have moved quite a bit too. At any rate they seem to have had quite enough of it. They say to each other, Verse 4, “Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the whole earth.” They are tired of moving; they want to set down roots...
read more: http://www.armybarmy.com/JAC/article5-70.html
See also the sermon 'Genesis 11:1-8, 31-12:4: “So that we can make a name for ourselves”' Presented to the Nipawin Corps on 14 June 2009 by Captain Michael Ramsay: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/06/genesis-111-8-31-124-so-that-we-can.html
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Moving is something that is very familiar to families in The Salvation Army. I have heard of Officers and children of Officers who, if they don’t move in a given year, need to rearrange the house and make it look like they have moved to a new home.
Genesis 11:1-9 and 12:1-4 has something to do with moving. It says in 11:2 that the people were moving either from the east (KJV, NRSV) or eastward (NIV) when they find a place to settle down for a while. Now, just as my daughters’ have moved four times in their 8 and 9 years of life, respectively, I imagine that the people in the story today of Genesis Chapter 11 have moved quite a bit too. At any rate they seem to have had quite enough of it. They say to each other, Verse 4, “Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the whole earth.” They are tired of moving; they want to set down roots...
read more: http://www.armybarmy.com/JAC/article5-70.html
See also the sermon 'Genesis 11:1-8, 31-12:4: “So that we can make a name for ourselves”' Presented to the Nipawin Corps on 14 June 2009 by Captain Michael Ramsay: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/06/genesis-111-8-31-124-so-that-we-can.html
Luke 4 - Jesus' Forty Days
Presented to Stony Mountain Penitentiary 18 June 2007
by Captain Michael Ramsay
I’ve really enjoyed living in Winnipeg the last couple of years. It was good getting to know all of you as well. In a week or so I’m getting out. I’m going to miss you guys but (you know what) I’m kind of happy to get out. I don’t know if you can relate to that at all.
I’ve been in Winnipeg for about 2 years now and I’ve been at the college that whole time where they tell me what to do, what to wear, when and where to go and, if I want to do anything different, I have to meet with my advisors, my workers, and have tons of paper work filled out. Many times, by the time I have jumped through all the hoops, it’s too late to do the programme that I wanted to do anyway. I don’t know if you would know what that is like. Oh wait? Maybe there are some similarities between us here.
All kidding aside, I know it’s not the same but I am still looking forward to being free. But to tell you the truth I’m a little nervous. I’ve made a lot of good friends here in Winnipeg. I’m going to miss you guys. I really am. I’ve liked coming here every Monday. I’ve even looked forward to it.
And I’m also a little nervous too because things have changed since I’ve been out on my own making decisions for myself. The world doesn’t stand still. But God is good He has been preparing me for my release into the world, just like He has with those of you who are getting out of here soon. God is getting us ready for our next stage in life.
Because of this I thought that it would be good to look at the part in the Bible where God is getting Jesus ready for the next part of his life, when he is about to start his full-time ministry.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-4-jesus-forty-days.html
by Captain Michael Ramsay
I’ve really enjoyed living in Winnipeg the last couple of years. It was good getting to know all of you as well. In a week or so I’m getting out. I’m going to miss you guys but (you know what) I’m kind of happy to get out. I don’t know if you can relate to that at all.
I’ve been in Winnipeg for about 2 years now and I’ve been at the college that whole time where they tell me what to do, what to wear, when and where to go and, if I want to do anything different, I have to meet with my advisors, my workers, and have tons of paper work filled out. Many times, by the time I have jumped through all the hoops, it’s too late to do the programme that I wanted to do anyway. I don’t know if you would know what that is like. Oh wait? Maybe there are some similarities between us here.
All kidding aside, I know it’s not the same but I am still looking forward to being free. But to tell you the truth I’m a little nervous. I’ve made a lot of good friends here in Winnipeg. I’m going to miss you guys. I really am. I’ve liked coming here every Monday. I’ve even looked forward to it.
And I’m also a little nervous too because things have changed since I’ve been out on my own making decisions for myself. The world doesn’t stand still. But God is good He has been preparing me for my release into the world, just like He has with those of you who are getting out of here soon. God is getting us ready for our next stage in life.
Because of this I thought that it would be good to look at the part in the Bible where God is getting Jesus ready for the next part of his life, when he is about to start his full-time ministry.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-4-jesus-forty-days.html
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 3rd
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 6-8 and Luke 3
Elijah in "Chariots of Fire"
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 6-8 and Luke 3
Elijah in "Chariots of Fire"
Luke 2: 21-39: Harold, Harold, and Jesus
Presented to Swift Current Corps on December 27, 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
Those of you who know Rebecca know that she reads a lot of books. She loves reading. The other day she shared with us a short chapter book that she read in school. I believe it is called ‘Harold and Harold’ but I could find no record of it on-line – it is a Canadian book anyway. I believe that it is set on the east coast. There is a family. The father is a fisherman. They live by an area of the ocean that can be particularly treacherous for boats in a storm near a place called Ledgy Island. One day – as I understand the story having only heard it second hand – a young boy named Harold and his pet parrot, who is also named Harold, get up early. The boy Harold goes to play in the attic and the parrot Harold flies to the dangerous Ledgy Island. As the other members of the family wake up and get going for the day a family member calls out, “where’s Harold?” and the voice from the attic replies, “on Ledgy Island” – the parents start to panic. There is a storm brewing and Ledgy Island is a very dangerous place in the storm so they call out the search parties to look for him on and off the island, they call all their relatives, they call the RCMP, they call the coast guard, they call everyone they can think of to help find Harold the boy whom they fear must be lost in the storm. Now of course, it is Harold the bird who did leave for the island but arrived there without incident: he is fine. The community is searching high and low for Harold the boy however, who never did leave the safety of his own home. At some point during the day, Harold the boy, who is playing in the attic hears all the noise as the searchers are gathering below and decides to come down and check it out – it sounds like a party – he walks into the midst of everyone and no one notices him. He sees people watching TV with his face on the TV, he sees the RCMP running around the living room. He sees people everywhere and He sees neighbours bringing over food and Harold figures this definitely must be a party. He stays in the middle of all this activity as – unbeknownst to him – everyone is looking for him and then Harold notices that everyone looking and sounding sad. Nobody is having fun at this party. Some people are crying; nobody looks happy so he pipes up in the middle of this crowd and says, “Some party this is!” It is only then – when they take a break from what they were doing that they see what is right in front of their eyes and they notice that Harold is actually standing in their midst – He was never really lost.
This is not unlike the world and 1st century Israel with the Advent of Jesus...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/12/luke-2-21-39-harold-harold-and-jesus.html
By Captain Michael Ramsay
Those of you who know Rebecca know that she reads a lot of books. She loves reading. The other day she shared with us a short chapter book that she read in school. I believe it is called ‘Harold and Harold’ but I could find no record of it on-line – it is a Canadian book anyway. I believe that it is set on the east coast. There is a family. The father is a fisherman. They live by an area of the ocean that can be particularly treacherous for boats in a storm near a place called Ledgy Island. One day – as I understand the story having only heard it second hand – a young boy named Harold and his pet parrot, who is also named Harold, get up early. The boy Harold goes to play in the attic and the parrot Harold flies to the dangerous Ledgy Island. As the other members of the family wake up and get going for the day a family member calls out, “where’s Harold?” and the voice from the attic replies, “on Ledgy Island” – the parents start to panic. There is a storm brewing and Ledgy Island is a very dangerous place in the storm so they call out the search parties to look for him on and off the island, they call all their relatives, they call the RCMP, they call the coast guard, they call everyone they can think of to help find Harold the boy whom they fear must be lost in the storm. Now of course, it is Harold the bird who did leave for the island but arrived there without incident: he is fine. The community is searching high and low for Harold the boy however, who never did leave the safety of his own home. At some point during the day, Harold the boy, who is playing in the attic hears all the noise as the searchers are gathering below and decides to come down and check it out – it sounds like a party – he walks into the midst of everyone and no one notices him. He sees people watching TV with his face on the TV, he sees the RCMP running around the living room. He sees people everywhere and He sees neighbours bringing over food and Harold figures this definitely must be a party. He stays in the middle of all this activity as – unbeknownst to him – everyone is looking for him and then Harold notices that everyone looking and sounding sad. Nobody is having fun at this party. Some people are crying; nobody looks happy so he pipes up in the middle of this crowd and says, “Some party this is!” It is only then – when they take a break from what they were doing that they see what is right in front of their eyes and they notice that Harold is actually standing in their midst – He was never really lost.
This is not unlike the world and 1st century Israel with the Advent of Jesus...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/12/luke-2-21-39-harold-harold-and-jesus.html
Luke 1:68-79: Next Year in Edmonton: The Waiting Game
Presented to Swift Current Corps, 06 December 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
Advent. Last week was the first week of Advent. Does anyone know what Advent is? Advent is waiting. Who here likes to wait? Our Saskatchewan Roughriders have to wait until next year to play for the Grey Cup in Edmonton. Hopefully they will be playing in the game and hopefully they will be redeemed – next year in Edmonton.
The Israelites during the exile began using an expression in their Passover meal - ‘next year in Jerusalem’ – to express their hope that next year they will no longer be exiled, next year they will be restored to their homeland. “Next year in Jerusalem” was the rally cry of the exiled Hebrews just like “Next year in Edmonton” is becoming the rallying call for avid Roughriders fans. Advent – in the Christian calendar – is a time of waiting for that victory, that restoration. Advent recognizes 2 times of waiting actually: 1) A remembrance of waiting for the arrival of Christ, who was born around 2000 years ago – advent is a waiting for Christmas. 2) It is also a waiting for Jesus to return in all of his glory.
I was at the Advent lunch this week (they’re Thursdays at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church) and Pastor Greg Kiel, one of the Lutheran pastors, was speaking there. He told this joke about waiting:
A fellow was speaking to God and he said, “Lord, I have two questions for you, I was wondering if you could help me. 1) A Millennium, a thousand years, is a long time to us – how long is that time for an eternal God?”
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
Advent. Last week was the first week of Advent. Does anyone know what Advent is? Advent is waiting. Who here likes to wait? Our Saskatchewan Roughriders have to wait until next year to play for the Grey Cup in Edmonton. Hopefully they will be playing in the game and hopefully they will be redeemed – next year in Edmonton.
The Israelites during the exile began using an expression in their Passover meal - ‘next year in Jerusalem’ – to express their hope that next year they will no longer be exiled, next year they will be restored to their homeland. “Next year in Jerusalem” was the rally cry of the exiled Hebrews just like “Next year in Edmonton” is becoming the rallying call for avid Roughriders fans. Advent – in the Christian calendar – is a time of waiting for that victory, that restoration. Advent recognizes 2 times of waiting actually: 1) A remembrance of waiting for the arrival of Christ, who was born around 2000 years ago – advent is a waiting for Christmas. 2) It is also a waiting for Jesus to return in all of his glory.
I was at the Advent lunch this week (they’re Thursdays at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church) and Pastor Greg Kiel, one of the Lutheran pastors, was speaking there. He told this joke about waiting:
A fellow was speaking to God and he said, “Lord, I have two questions for you, I was wondering if you could help me. 1) A Millennium, a thousand years, is a long time to us – how long is that time for an eternal God?”
“It is just a second”
2) “God, there is a lottery draw coming up next Saturday and I was wondering if I could help me win the lottery?”
“Just a second.”
.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/12/luke-168-79-next-year-in-edmonton.html
Luke 1:46-56: Christmas is Coming
Presented to Swift Current Corps, 20 December 2009
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
There is the classic definition from Hebrews of course. Hebrews 11: 1: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Martin Luther says: “Faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly.”[1]
The ultimate example of faith that I found in my research was this: Faith is a belief in the seemingly impossible. Faith is a belief in what the natural man only sees to be impossible. Faith is a belief that you will come home and find that your children have cleaned their rooms or done the dishes all on their own.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/12/luke-146-56-christmas-is-coming.html
By Captain Michael Ramsay
.
There is the classic definition from Hebrews of course. Hebrews 11: 1: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Martin Luther says: “Faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly.”[1]
The ultimate example of faith that I found in my research was this: Faith is a belief in the seemingly impossible. Faith is a belief in what the natural man only sees to be impossible. Faith is a belief that you will come home and find that your children have cleaned their rooms or done the dishes all on their own.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/12/luke-146-56-christmas-is-coming.html
Luke 1:26-37: Do You Believe?
Presented to the Nipawin Corps 14 December 2008
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Luke 1:26: In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
This sixth-month referred to here by Luke is the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy. Elisabeth, as we know from earlier in this chapter of Luke, is Mary’s relative but Mary was quite young and Elisabeth and her husband Zechariah were old and 3 months from now Elisabeth is about to have a baby. The messenger, the angel who went to speak to Elisabeth’s husband was Gabriel. Here Gabriel is bringing another message from God about a miraculous birth but this time he is bringing the message of a very significant birth to a very insignificant fishing town, in an insignificant region, of insignificant Palestine (John 1:36).
Gabriel, the angel, the messenger of God is bringing this message…
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/luke-126-37-do-you-believe.html
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Luke 1:26: In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
This sixth-month referred to here by Luke is the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy. Elisabeth, as we know from earlier in this chapter of Luke, is Mary’s relative but Mary was quite young and Elisabeth and her husband Zechariah were old and 3 months from now Elisabeth is about to have a baby. The messenger, the angel who went to speak to Elisabeth’s husband was Gabriel. Here Gabriel is bringing another message from God about a miraculous birth but this time he is bringing the message of a very significant birth to a very insignificant fishing town, in an insignificant region, of insignificant Palestine (John 1:36).
Gabriel, the angel, the messenger of God is bringing this message…
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/luke-126-37-do-you-believe.html
The Appeal of Creation: Genesis 1, Romans 1.
Presented to the Nipawin Corps, 07 June 2009
by Captain Michael Ramsay
It is amazing as we were walking around yesterday. We walked around the trees in some of the small forests around here a little bit. It really is a very beautiful part of the country. In many ways it actually does remind me of where and when I grew up on Vancouver Island. We would spend many days exploring trails in the woods, hiking, walking along streams. Even when I was a young adult there was this time in my life when we would go hiking almost every weekend. My friend Dan would pick me up after I finished work Friday nights and we would drive up Island as far as we could get and find new areas to explore. It was a lot of fun. One often really experiences the power of God in these situations.
Stepping out into the wilderness is like peeling a banana. You see much of our life has become peels hiding the beauty of the fruit of the Lord’s creation beneath them. Our cities and towns have added ever so many peels, so many layers atop of God’s creation. We have our warm houses, our fancy cars, pavement, telephone poles and wires obscuring the view and in this area we even have quads (ATVs), sleds (snowmobiles) and some pretty fancy farm machinery that makes life easier but also changes the way we’d otherwise work and play...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/06/appeal-of-creation-genesis-1-romans-1.html
by Captain Michael Ramsay
It is amazing as we were walking around yesterday. We walked around the trees in some of the small forests around here a little bit. It really is a very beautiful part of the country. In many ways it actually does remind me of where and when I grew up on Vancouver Island. We would spend many days exploring trails in the woods, hiking, walking along streams. Even when I was a young adult there was this time in my life when we would go hiking almost every weekend. My friend Dan would pick me up after I finished work Friday nights and we would drive up Island as far as we could get and find new areas to explore. It was a lot of fun. One often really experiences the power of God in these situations.
Stepping out into the wilderness is like peeling a banana. You see much of our life has become peels hiding the beauty of the fruit of the Lord’s creation beneath them. Our cities and towns have added ever so many peels, so many layers atop of God’s creation. We have our warm houses, our fancy cars, pavement, telephone poles and wires obscuring the view and in this area we even have quads (ATVs), sleds (snowmobiles) and some pretty fancy farm machinery that makes life easier but also changes the way we’d otherwise work and play...
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/06/appeal-of-creation-genesis-1-romans-1.html
Luke 15: The Parables of the Lost.
Excerpt from 'The Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel as reflected in parables spoken en route to Jerusalem' by Captain Michael Ramsay
In the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, Jesus speaks about the idea that “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7).” It is a cause for celebration when one joins the kingdom. In the parable of the lost son (15:11-32) the father tells the oldest son that “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found (15:31-32).'” Ethically speaking then we should also be concerned about, show mercy towards, and also celebrate the return of those once lost to the Kingdom.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics%20of%20Jesus%20in%20Luke’s%20Gospel
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http://www.sheepspeak.com/
In the parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, Jesus speaks about the idea that “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7).” It is a cause for celebration when one joins the kingdom. In the parable of the lost son (15:11-32) the father tells the oldest son that “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found (15:31-32).'” Ethically speaking then we should also be concerned about, show mercy towards, and also celebrate the return of those once lost to the Kingdom.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics%20of%20Jesus%20in%20Luke’s%20Gospel
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http://www.sheepspeak.com/
DR Was (Daily Rations with a Smile) Jan 15th
http://drwas.blogspot.com/
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 37-38, Psalm 7, and Luke 15
Click to read today's rations (scriptures): Genesis 37-38, Psalm 7, and Luke 15
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