Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Revelation 21:1-4

New International Version (NIV)

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
 
 
 
This is my scripture that I will attribute to my new year.  Humanity's inhumanity to humans is growing greater and greater everyday.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Thank You Lord

Thank You God Almighty for letting me know what I am mad about. I want to be clear that I just discovered, through seriously deep and spiritual self exploration, the reason why I think I am mad at you. Why I am distant. I think when I went to Hawaii I  expected a different outcome and when it didn't happen, I changed.
I am looking to spend the next 15 or so years of my life preparing for my retirement.
I plan to teach overseas for the department of defense dependent schools next year.
I can't stay with CPS and will not, under these conditions.
I thank God that I am qualified and able, health wise and other, to have a choice to make. I know what my problem is and was.

Santa or Satan

Its really so clever, just switch one letter and you can divert the attention from the greatest Christian Holiday. One act that can not be disputed. Mary gave birth to a baby boy. So Satan moves the 'n' to the middle, now its Santa and its one of the most beloved children figures around. It really doesn't make it past childhood because as adults we are able to discern the truth. Deception is an act of the devil. How he has tricked us with this santa stuff.

 The Devil comes to KILL, STEAL, and TO DESTROY. He is for real and he managed to fool us into believing in santa as something good for children. It only makes them want stuff. So we divert the attention from stuff to how we treat people. God will not allow good to go unnoticed. If you speak in his name, work in his name, then he will bless you. Thank You Lord for blessing me. I love the Lord.

We Can Not Baby Our Students

Frazier is also a very filthy school. I don't think the administration really understands the problem. These schools are run by the students now. Central Office has to begin to assess each and evry school to find out which ones they are still in control of and which ones the students are in control of. This is serious and the more the problem is ignored, the more the students will act out. Love them but DISCIPLINE them. Who is in charge, really?

Glory BeTo God

Lord I pray that people who can make a difference for the schools will.

The students are seeing power in revolt.

The parents are silent and uninvolved.

The schools and the transportation is filthy and sick. The germs and disease in these
low poverty schools that I have been to just recently are disgusting. Pritzker, OK; Herbert, Filthy, The city needs to hire the out of work O'Hare workers to clean thehey need a dentist to come to the school. Their personal hygine is horrible.  classrooms, window to window, corner to corner. The surfaces of the desks need to be cleaned. It will be on the news. All of the children have runny noses, coughing, sneezes, everything is wrong with their healt. T schools over the holidays. If law suits haven't come up, they will. The CTA was filthy when I too it for the Millenium Parade. The city transportation is filthy. Paris and London have a clean transportation system, cleaned each and every night. When do you clean this city? The schools are filthy, the transportation systems are filthy, the streets are filthy? What must be done Lord.? Can I have my King for Christmas?

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

It ain't over until God says it's Over



All of God's people experience great spiritual privilege. We are granted new mercies each and every day.

All of God's people experience great spiritual failures. We hope and pray but sometimes, things do not go our way. We experience great disappointments.

But, through it all, we are reminded that it ain't over until God says it's over. Be humble. Be mindful of others.

Hope

Believe

Pray

It's Christmastime. God grants our wishes.



1 Corinthians 10:1-13

New International Version (NIV)

Warnings From Israel’s History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ,[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.



 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Glory to God

Thank you Lord for your blessings. I am blessed and highly favored. I am a child of God and the Lord love me. Each and every day God will give me some attention, even when I may seem distracted. God is happy to see me and not interested in what is going on elsewhere. Our relationship is so important that the Lord makes a big deal out of making me feel comfortable and loved. When I am in the Lord's presence, the Lord's attention is on me. WE hold conversations that just the two of us know. My love is forever. The Lord says He will never leave me, nor forsake me. I am blessed. I love the Lord. Be blessed today and be a blessing to someone.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

History repeating itself - Stop The Violence


Isaiah 3:12

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
12 Youths oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
O my people, your guides lead you astray;
    they turn you from the path.


Isaiah 3:12

King James Version (KJV)
12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.



Friday, November 30, 2012

Date Night

Here it it is Friday.  A Friday when I could come home and find his mother here. My  grandson needing to go to dance hip hop and me needing to get him ready for tomorrow. But no, tonight, tonight is a special night.

A night when his mother is here and ready to take on the responsibility of keeping her son occupied so that I can have a corherent and  thught productive day on a Friday evening.

Glory to God.

Now I think Frazier International wants me, Moy is persistent. I will be there next week, I want them to know that it is my decision not theirs solo.  I do still want to go overseas. I need my own place. Frazier will talk about travel and overnight conferences. I have to get out of this house. I am pissed at you because I am still t home and you have never really made any kind of acknowledgement of me.

Now that the spirit has taken hold of me, I want to satisfy my spirit and mind and physical body.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Exposing our Needs

Galatians 3:15-29

Galatians 3:15-29

New International Version (NIV)

The Law and the Promise

15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[a] meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

23 Before the coming of this faith,[b] we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female,for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.


 People have to admit they need help before they can receive it. Yet this is very difficult. Lord, what needs are pressing on me right now? Are my needs really my wants? I know one thing I want and I have not had it. Lord I ask you to help me put aside my pride and expose my needs. Lord help me to put aside my pride. Help me to cherish and acknowledge my needs. Help me to not be so hard on myself.Help me to  believe and trust more. Help me Lord,to give you control over every aspect of my life. I will continue to pray for the promises of God in my life. I love the Lord and will continue to have faith and love and the good Lord knows it.  I need love, I love you, but what's love got to do with it when we are not together?

Saturday, November 24, 2012


Ephesians 4:1-16

New International Version (NIV)

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it[a] says:
“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”[b]
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gavethe apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of Godand become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love,we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

UNIQUENESS AND TOGETHERNESS

EPHESIANS 4:1-16

WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF OUR LIFE?

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

My Heart is Yours

I love being close to you. I pray that you continue to be strong. Your faith in me helps me so much. All things are possible. God Bless You tonight. I love you. Good Night My Love

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Good Night My Love

Paise the Lord.

You have been on a roll.

What a blessing it is to have access to you.

You are a force to be reckoned with. You are albe to remind us that we are loved.

The most important of the two commandments speak of LOVE

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

If we truly love ourselves then loving someone else would be nothing new. Why do we have such difficulty with that? Loving ourselves is an ongoing battle, but with God on my side, how can I lose.

The devil is a liar and is out to kill, steal and to destroy. But God said that Jesus came so that we might have light and have it more abundantly.

I am so digusted with my laptop. It just would not let me post when I wanted to. I have taken the liberty to go to the family room and use that computer, even though I don't have the privacy that I would like, but when you have to get a message out, you have to get a message out.

Get some rest and I pray that when I see you on Sunday, we have another miracle.

God Bless you tonight and may your dreams become your reality. I love you. Good Night.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Good Morning My Love


Jude 1:22-25

New International Version (NIV)
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.[a]

Doxology

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.


Thank you God for your mercy. Thank you God for giving our church protection from false religion. We are united together in our faith and our experiences. We must be careful to remember God Words to us and to build ourselves up. Strengthen ourselves. Know that all those around us are not always out for our good, but God will deflect the arrows of our enemies. Glory to God. Thank You God for your Favor in my life. Today, something good is going to happen to me. Glory to God. I love you. Have a blessed day. Be blessed and be a blessing to someone who love you very much.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Faith

Talk to Me. What's on your mind? You went on a vacation that really didn't turn out to be a vacation. You have to trust. Just like me. You have to trust. You can't be everything for everybody. You are only human. You have to recharge yourself or you won't be any good to yourself or anybody else. Now your busy season is starting and you need to focus but you have a lot on your mind.

I'm so proud of you. You are a walking example of your faith walk. Miracles do happen. You walk the walk and talk the talk. I am excited about being a secretary.  I have never been a secretary before. I promise to devote my time, treasure and talents to the office.Whatever is needed, I am there.

Together, we can conquer  the world. We have to believe. Believe in the Spirit and in the Natural. God is working it out. Have Faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That's a word from the bible. Chew on that. Good Night My Love.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

I Love You So Much

I know that I cannot do it on my own. I'm very competitive. I surrender to you. I love the Lord. God has to do it. If I can do it then it is not God. We have two conflicting opinions. We  have love to guide us. My Love, my love for you is strong and deep. What's going on?  Why aren't you tanned? You didn't relax like you were suppose to. I pray that you were able to find some peace. I don't want to burden you. I really like the idea of a counselor at the church. I need to work through some issues. I missed you so much. So did  a lot of other people. Your line was so long. The physical is so important. The spiritual is so triune. Mind, Body and Soul. I don't want to disappoint you. I feel as if God has so much more for us. I want to be near you all the time. I have to pick and chose my events with you. I love you. Not that crazy stuff. Whatever that is, I don't want to know. But then I do want to know. You should not have to be stressed and carry that weight all by yourself. Share that with the community. You are strong. You are loyal. I fell so loved. I didn't walk out the front.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Don't Forget

The State of New Jersey is where the President should be.

Watching over it, not leaving that state until Tuesday.

 Come what may on the 6th, will you be remembered by the entire country as a man who went state to state saying what ever needed to be heard to a group of people or will it be a man who, when he saw people hurting, and I mean hurting really bad, he said, you know what, sometimes you can't do anything, but I can do something, and I can do a lot.

 I can get many, many, many, many people moving so that every household in the state of New Jersey and New York and any other place that lost power gets its power back on. Stay in that region. Camp down. Make it like home. Hunker down there in that region, go home. Don't just fly in and fly out. Make the people believe that you care. Make and keep that promise. We have all sent people or resources to that region. If you don't then its all for naught. How long will it take to get electricity? Promise them that.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Release

 We are not to not care what people people think. How to care, but still feel giddy about life.

When we make choices in our lives we have to live by that choice.

Do you sugar coat bad news. Do you just blurt it out? Just say it. That's all.

Well, I have some news. This is so impersonal. Probably the best place to do this.

As a young woman in my teens and early twenties, I had 4 terminations. Yes, I said 4. Now, one termination, people can forgive. Two, maybe you just didn't understand. Three, you are a messed up chick. Then 4, well, WTF, You are screwed up.

Now as you can imagine this is something that I don't tell everyone. Usually, only the doctor's office is privileged to that information. When I have to tell medical staff I get the sneers, puffs, looks and judgment all the way. I found it so difficult that I stop going to the gynecologist office because of the judgment issues every time. Now that I have been experiencing a problem and needed to see a gyne, there we are back in the situation again. But this time the shame was a surprise. I'm old enough to not care, but somehow it brought back old feelings when I heard the gasps and looks.

I used to think it was not a presidential issue and now I know that a woman must have the right to chose. Would I do it again, I don't know. I wasn't in church, I didn't know the Lord as I do now. Each one had its own circumstances associated with the decision. Nothing was done with prayer or consulting God.  I was making decisions and made them for my personal good.

This week God has allowed me to explore deep within myself and realize this is something I have to forgive myself for. Nothing is going to change what has already happened. Move on, repent and love the Lord.

God has helped me to find my purpose. Working for others. Loving a wonderful man who I want to know everything. Finding myself requires me to lose myself.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Follow My Heart

That's the advice my future son-in-law gave me.

I called you today to ask your advice but you were not there and I was told you would be gone until next week.

I felt it coming. You deserve it and more.

It reminded me of a sermon. One day no one will be there to give y
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.ou advice. You can call your pastor, your mother, your father, but the only one to help is Jesus.

So my old school wants me back. But, they don't have a full time position so the principal will pay for my salary out of money for  the new marquee and other things for the students. Do I want to go back to the same old thing at the same old place? He asked me what turned me off on education and I said it was the actual act of being in education. The children, the parents, the administrators, its all a challenge. There is challenge in every thing.  They can guarantee me until the end of the school year. I don't have any other offers. I can stay in the reassigned pool and see what that is like while I am looking until June also, when I can make a better decision.

I want to take the time to think and explore my options. I have until November 14. I wanted to follow a dream with you in Hawaii. I knew you were thinking about Hawaii, I could feel it. I did a pros and cons t-chart on why I should or shouldn't go. Then I realized the number of airports and the fact that I may be assuming something that I shouldn't. I don't know, but when I think of following my heart, I think of you. Where would it lead? I feel ready for so much more with our relationship.

Follow Your Heart

This is the advice for today.


Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Characteristics

File:Tr-bigstick-cartoon.JPGOK, just sit down now BOY and let a man handle the business. You can't reach across the table and negotiate like I can. You can't compromise fairly. It's your way or the highway, BOY. BOY.

America needs someone who can stand upt to world leaders and intimidators with their demeanor and win. WALK SOFTLY and CARRY A BIG STICK.

THERE is NOTHING new under the SUN, SON.

Presidents and World Leaders repeat history.

Builders are my favorite people. Their is the draftsman, which my father was for a time until the military took him for a few years. Then the post office got him and he never looked back.

The Industrial Revolution affected the country in a very disciplined way. DISCIPLINE is the word of the day. Who is the most disciplined and efficient?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Restore Confidence

Glory to God. God I ask for the encouragement that I need in my life. Remind me that I have this. I am a winner. I will succeed. I am the head and not the tail. I believe God has so much more for me. Believe not only that the Lord can answer my prayers, but that the Lord wants to answer my prayers. I am alive today, so I know I am here for God. Lord help me to channel your grace to others. Help me to be a beacon of your light. What was once kept in secret, in darkness, shall come to light. Jesus is The Way, The Truth and the Light. I love you so much and I am in love with you. Be Blessed today and be a Blessing to Someone.






Mark 9:21-31
 21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered.

   22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."  
23" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief !"

   25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit.

 "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.

The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.  

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"  

29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. "30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,

   31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."

Friday, October 12, 2012

Good Things

You being available for my call....that warmed my heart so much...

Hearing your voice...it calms me down, except when you are shouting...

Knowing that you have input in my choices....I trust your decisions...

Father God guide me to the right choice.....

I will do whatever you want me to do...

Friday, October 5, 2012

Patriotism

What if...
He is going to push with his bigger flag, reference to the constitution and tenth amendment. While all along the conservative will sit back and let him move more towards the middle, for the good of the election. Once he's in then he can shift right back to the conservative right. How interesting. Banking on the fact that most people will only want the sound bite, we are now pushing coal. Its physical and tangible. We can touch it and see it. Not like the fancy wind and alternative energies. If he has the number in the hills of west virginia and pennsylvania. He's going for his poor and disenfranchised. Commercials are all about service and mass production jobs. That's what his state is known for. Fish is sooo expensive. And it stinks if left out too long. Get tough, read, they count on people not reading.Push the facts.

With God...

Matthew 26 (The Message)

Page Options
Parallel viewing is sponsored by Common English Bible. To choose a different translation, use the dropdown menu below.
Add parallel

Matthew 26

The Message (MSG)

Anointed for Burial

26 1-2 When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, “You know that Passover comes in two days. That’s when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion.”
3-5 At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, conspiring to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. “We don’t want a riot on our hands,” they said.
6-9 When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. “That’s criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor.”
10-13 When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. “Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.”
14-16 That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.

The Traitor

17 On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?”
18-19 He said, “Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.’” The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal.
20-21 After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, “I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators.”
22 They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, “It isn’t me, is it, Master?”
23-24 Jesus answered, “The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!”
25 Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, “It isn’t me, is it, Rabbi?”
Jesus said, “Don’t play games with me, Judas.”

The Bread and the Cup

26-29 During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:
Take, eat.
This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
God’s new covenant poured out for many people
for the forgiveness of sins.
“I’ll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I’ll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father.”
30 They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.

Gethsemane

31-32 Then Jesus told them, “Before the night’s over, you’re going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says,
I’ll strike the shepherd;
helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee.”
33 Peter broke in, “Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won’t.”
34 “Don’t be so sure,” Jesus said. “This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times.”
35 Peter protested, “Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you.” All the others said the same thing.
36-38 Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, “This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me.”
39 Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?”
40-41 When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”
42 He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, “My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I’m ready. Do it your way.”
43-44 When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn’t keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
45-46 When he came back the next time, he said, “Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let’s get going! My betrayer is here.”

With Swords and Clubs

47-49 The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: “The one I kiss, that’s the one—seize him.” He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, “How are you, Rabbi?” and kissed him.
50-51 Jesus said, “Friend, why this charade?”
Then they came on him—grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest’s servant, cut off his ear.
52-54 Jesus said, “Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don’t you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies—more, if I want them—of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?”
55-56 Then Jesus addressed the mob: “What is this—coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You’ve done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings.”
Then all the disciples cut and ran.

False Charges

57-58 The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest’s courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out.
59-60 The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable.
60-61 Finally two men came forward with this: “He said, ‘I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.’”
62 The Chief Priest stood up and said, “What do you have to say to the accusation?”
63 Jesus kept silent.
Then the Chief Priest said, “I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus was curt: “You yourself said it. And that’s not all. Soon you’ll see it for yourself:
The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One,
Arriving on the clouds of heaven.”
65-66 At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, “He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?”
They all said, “Death! That seals his death sentence.”
67-68 Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: “Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?”

Denial in the Courtyard

69 All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 In front of everybody there, he denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
71 As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”
72 Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: “I swear, I never laid eyes on the man.”
73 Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. “You’ve got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away.”
74-75 Then he got really nervous and swore. “I don’t know the man!”
Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and cried and cried and cried.
The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Matthew 26 X
BackX

Followers

Blog Archive