Deus Misereatur

Leviticus Bible Study by Jay Sklar My rating: 5 of 5 stars "Are you willing to give Leviticus a chance?" That is the question that drives this in-depth and intensive study guide on Leviticus. Scott Behm, California Lawyer and Covenant Seminary graduate, teamed up with Jay Sklar, Covenant Seminary professor and Commentary-on-Leviticus writer, to give Bible students a roomy, 236 page softback workbook through Leviticus. The book is set up for individual use as well as group study, and ideal for older teens, young adults, empty-nesters, and the hoary-haired. It's friendly on the eyes and fuel for the soul! "Leviticus Bible Study" is a 29-week investigation that works through each chapter from two angles. The lion's share of the material is for individual preparation to be digested piecemeal through the week. There are reflection questions, a prayer, queries to be answered, applications and ways to respond. Did I mention that it's roomy, with loads of ...

Welcoming Justice: God's Movement Toward Beloved Community by Charles   Marsh My rating: 4 of 5 stars They always say chili tastes better the second time around, after it has sat in the refrigerator marinating in it's sauces and aged for a short spell. Maybe that's the case with the brand new, expanded edition of "Welcoming Justice: God's Movement Toward Beloved Community". This easy-to-read 144 page softback has soaked in it's juices for almost 10 years (first published in 2009). The authors, Charles Marsh, director of the Project on Lived Theology and professor of religious and theological studies at the University of Virginia, and John M. Perkins, a leader in the Civil Rights movement, and founder of Voice of Calvary Ministries in Mendenhall, Mississippi, Harambee Ministries in Pasadena, California, and the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), have freshened up the manuscript, and added a few seasoned insights. Also, it is quite fitti...

(Someone I know sent me an email today asking about the devil/Satan. Here is my reply. I thought some would find it useful) Hi JXXXXX, You're right about the popular notion (even among Christians) of a yin and yang view of Satan and God. In fact, the first sermon I preached on Job (Job 1-3) about 4 weeks ago I mention that. Here's the link to the audio file of that sermon. It might be good to listen when you have a little time: " Job: Woe, Whirlwind, and Wellbeing - Pt 1 " I've never run across anything worthwhile on the demonic and Satan. If we leave aside the fanciful conjectures and just look at Scripture, there's very, very little on Satan....not enough to really write a book on. We know Satan is a real entity that communicates and converses, thinks, is cunning, hates God's people, at times encourages nations to go after God's people and rebel against God, and is a tempter (I just listed everything the Scripture says on the subject fro...

O LORD, you are Father of the fatherless, protector of widows in your holy habitation, who also settles the solitary in a home (Psalm 68.5-6a). You promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that through them and their offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 28.14). And through the death, resurrection and exaltation of your Son the day is coming when all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you (Psalm 22.27). To you we present our prayers this evening, O Lord. O Lord, hear our prayer. O great husband of your people (Hosea 2, Ezekiel 16), whose marriage has never been ideal or painless, but one day it will be beautiful, blissful and brilliant: work in our families that they may be fertile soil where together we would grow up and fill out in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Bring hope where right now there is only hurt; bring un...

O Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior, your mercies and loving-kindnesses are new every morning. In your incarnation you united our humanity to divinity; you became the Son of Man that we might become sons of God; you brought us life and immortality to consume our death and mortality; and as our great High Priest you regard the humble prayers of all who call upon you, who call upon you in truth. Incline your ear and hear. Thank you for the many men and women who took oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic; thank you for their willingness to stand in the gap if called upon, and for weathering many essential (and sometimes idiotic) storms, exercises, conflicts, inspections, deployments and separations. Yes, thank you for our veterans. Remember your Holy Universal Church, which you have liberated and laundered with your precious blood, including this church and Unity Baptist Church, Valley View Baptist, Victory Baptist, ...

Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful (Psalm 111.1-4). For these reasons we make bold to adore you and to call on you. For your holy, apostolic church, with all of her elders, bishops, pastors, deacons, teachers and parishioners, including Surrey Hills Baptist Church, Trinity Baptist, True Love Baptist and Tulakes Baptist Church, we pray. May their faith be growing abundantly, and their love for one another increase. May their steadfastness and faith shine brightly, even in the face of persecutions and affliction (2 Thessalonians 1.3-4). We make bold to ask because the LORD is gracious and merciful . For the seminaries in our land, especially Birmingham, Pittsb...

(The Deluded) : O LORD, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry; who sets the prisoners free; who opens the eyes of the blind; who lifts up those who are bowed down; who loves the righteous; who watches over the sojourners; who upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked you bring to ruin (Psalm 146.6-9) : we pray for those who are deluded by others or self-deluded, and in their delusion are ravaging their families, breaking faith with their friends, vandalizing trust and love…open their blind eyes to see themselves for who they are and what they are doing that they may no longer fault others for their own failures, turn, confess their sins, and find you forgiving them and cleansing them of all unrighteousness. O Lord, hear our prayer.   (The Heartbroken): We pray for those, who like Job, find themselves with broken hearts, crying out “why?!” and surrounded by those who will not or cannot understand....