Book 1 Left Behind – The Kids, Chapter 6 Judd Returns Home
Judd was so keyed up, so excited, and yet so worried about what his parents were going to do when they discovered he had disappeared, he couldn’t imagine having fallen asleep. Yet he had. He figured out how to make the seatback recline, and he was soon staring at the dark ceiling, his eyes beginning to grow accustomed to the low light. He folded his arms across his chest and forced himself to breathe more and more slowly. He had to relax, needed to get some rest if he was going to succeed in finding a place to hide out in London.
Hattie, the flight attendant, blinded by every half hour or so, and just realized he was finally starting to unwind when he quit looking forward to watching her. Eventually, the slow blinking began, then he turned sideways and curled up. Now we had to close his eyes or he would appear to stare at the large man in the window seat next to him.
The man had said not one word the entire flight, but just noticed he had bowed his head before eating. That Judd would never do, not even in private, unless he was with his family. That was another reason he needed to be out on his own – so he wouldn’t be embarrassed by all the religious rituals. His mother hated it when Judd referred to her faith as a religion. She had told him so many times he had memorized it, “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship with God through Christ.”
Yeah, OK, Judd thought.
Judd had no idea how long he had been sleeping. In fact, he wasn’t sure he had slept at all. And if he had slept, was he really awake now? He was disoriented, in the same position he had curled into, how long ago? He felt as if he had been sleeping and had not moved. But his eyes were open. Something was different.
Conversations with God – What to do with your frustrations
I was really frustrated with my computer that would not work. Suddenly my secretary’s computer wouldn’t work either. So I finally wised up and talked with Scott about it. Here is what he told me…. -Ray
Conversations with God – What to do with your frustrations
Conversations with God – Do you get easily frustrated?
8 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life [a]in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.3 For what the Law could not do, [b]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of [c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Godd wells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is [d]alive because of righteousness.11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies [e]through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved [a]you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality [c]or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among [d]saints;4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.5 For this you know with certainty, that no [e]immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),10 [f]trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even [g]expose them;12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.13 But all things become visible when they are[h]exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.14 For this reason [i]it says,
“Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”
Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
“But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
“Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.
“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.
“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
“Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;
but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.
“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”
But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
“And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
“So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
“For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!
“And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?
“If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?
“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
“But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!
“And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.
“For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.
“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.
“Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life [a]in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.3 For what the Law could not do, [b]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of [c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was [a]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.35 Who will separate us from the love of [b]Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36 Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Footnotes:
Romans 8:34One early ms reads raised from the dead
5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved [a]you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality [c]or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among [d]saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no [e]immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 [f]trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even [g]expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are[h]exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason [i]it says,
“Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”
Left Behind – The Kids, Book 1 Chapter 5 The Vanishings – The Eve of Destruction
The evening before the event that would change the lives of Judd Thompson, Vicki Byrne, Lionel Washington, and Ryan Daley, they didn’t know each other. Oh, Judd Thompson had seen Vicki Byrne at New Hope Village Church on those few occasions when she was dragged there, all but kicking and screaming, by her parents. But he couldn’t of told you her name.
He knew she went to his school, Prospect High. But she was trailer trash. They would not have been seen together. He didn’t know, any better than Lionel Washington did, that Lionel’s Sister Clarice shared a seat on the school bus with Vicki. Judd and Clarice didn’t run in the same circles either.
It didn’t register with Judd, even when the pilot’s name was announced on the 747 flight to London, that the captain also occasionally attended New Hope Village Church. Judd had seen Raymie Steele at church. Raymie was part of the middle school youth group. But Judd didn’t know Raymie’s name. And he certainly had no knowledge of Raymie’s best friend, Ryan Daley.
In truth, the four kids were entwined in a web of connections they knew nothing about. Only in the events of that night, mainly the event late in the evening, Chicago time, would push them together, a strange mix of most different people and personalities.
Judd Thompson Junior took a bigger gulp of the champagne than he should have and had to cover his mouth to keep from spitting it out. Some of it came out through his nose, which burned as he coughed. He looked around sheepishly and was relieved to notice that no one had paid any attention.Ick! He would just pretend to sip from the glass until the beautiful flight attendant took it away.
It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. ‘Give us each day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."” Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him"; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. “If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. “But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters. “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. “For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. “The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
“Your real name’s Rayford?” Ryan Daley squealed at his best friend. “We’ve known each other how long, and I never knew that!” Raymie Steele smiled and shook his head. “Don’t make such a big deal about it. Otherwise I’ll tell everybody about your middle name!”
The boys had grown up on the same street, one living on each end. They had begun kindergarten together, and now they were both twelve and in the sixth grade. They were as close as brothers. Ryan was an only child, and Raymie may as well have been. His only sister, Chloe, was eight years older and it been away at college two years already.
Ryan and Raymie had a lot in common. Each had a father who was too busy for him. These guys needed each other. Ryan was a little shorter and thicker than Raymie, who was slender and tall and dark like his father. Ryan was a blonde and the better athlete of the two.
Like any close friends, they squabbled a lot. Once in awhile they even said nasty things to each other and vowed never to talk to each other again. The next day one would call the other or just go to his house and they would start in where they had left off, best friends. No apologies, no mention of the argument. Just friends again.
25 Take Time With God: Disqualified for Heaven? Is there a sin so evil that it would disqualify you from ever entering Heaven? Is that sin immorality or impurity or greed or swearing or smoking or taking drugs or murder or ? Let’s take a look at the beginning of Ephesians 5 and see what God says about that. –Ray
Ephesians 5:1-5
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved [a]you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality [c]or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among [d]saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no [e]immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 5:2 One early ms reads us
Ephesians 5:2 Lit for an odor of fragrance
Ephesians 5:3 Lit and all
Ephesians 5:3 Or holy ones
Ephesians 5:5 I.e. one who commits sexual immorality
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.
And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
“Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
“Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’
“If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
“Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.
“Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you;
and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
“But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,
‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’
“I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
“But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.
“And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades!
“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see,
for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?”
And he answered, “YOU SHALL 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 YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.”
But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.
“And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
THE MYSTERY OF SEVEN CRASHES. What happens if we search for the greatest long-term crashes (as opposed to day crashes) or collapses in stock market history? These will generally be connected to economic crisis and recession. What happens if we take the Bible’s ancient mystery of economic cessation and financial nullification and hold it up against these great collapses?
The following represent the majority of the greatest long-term stock market crashes in history, arranged in order of increasing magnitude:
THE CRASH OF 2000-2001 The Dot–Com Crash and 9/11
This stock market collapse began with the “Dot-Com Crash” of 2000-2001. Then came 9/11, which would first paralyze Wall Street and then cause further deterioration. The collapse would continue into 2002. By the time it ended, more than 37% of the stock market had been wiped out.
\Could there be any connection between the crash of 2000 and 2001 and the ancient mystery? The Shemitah comes once every seven years. It just so happens that the first Shemitah of the new millennium fell in the period of 2000-2001, the years of the Dot-Com Crash, a deepening recession, the attack of 9/11, and one of the greatest stock market day crashes in history. The Shemitah year took place entirely within the overall financial and economic collapse. It’s overlap with the crash of 2000-2001 is thus 100%.
10 The Mystery of the Shemitah: Chapter 10: THE MYSTERY OF SEVEN CRASHES
Left Behind – The Kids, Book 1 Chapter 3: Lionel Washington’s parents had moved him out of the inner city of Chicago when he was six years old. His mother, Lucinda, had been a reporter for the Chicago office of Global Weekly magazine. When she was promoted to bureau chief, the family could afford to move to the suburbs. They were among the first blacks to live in their Mount Prospect neighborhood.
Now, seven years later, thirteen-year-old Lionel was having trouble deciding where he fit. When he visited his relatives in Chicago, or when his other relatives visited him from the South, his cousins criticized him for “losing your blackness. It’s like you’re white now.”
Book 1: The Vanishings – Lionel, the liar
It was nice to live in a neighborhood where he didn’t have to be afraid to ride his bike anywhere or run with his friends, even after dark. And Lionel enjoyed having more things than he was used to having when he was smaller. His cousins, probably to cover their jealousy of his nicer clothes and shoes and the fact that his parents had two cars, called him “rich boy” and “whitey” and said he might as well not even be black.
Lucinda Washington was a no nonsense woman. She had become a well-paid executive with a leading news magazine in the country, despite her being black and a woman. She laughed when her nieces and nephews teased Lionel. “He’s as black as you and always will be,” she said. “Now you just go on and leave him alone.”
Still, Lionel didn’t like it. No way did he want to give up what he thought was a better and safer life than he had known. But neither did he want to be different from his relatives. There were a few other black kids in his junior high, and none of them went to his church. His older sister, Clarice, went to Prospect High School, and his younger brother and sister, Ronnie and Talia, were still in elementary school. That made him feel all the more alone at his school.
Acts 20:13-27 Goodbye my friends 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land.14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.15 Sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came toMiletus.16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.18 And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.22 And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.24 But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
25 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.26 Therefore, I [g]testify to you this day that I am [h]innocent of the blood of all men.27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
In the Bible dark often represents the evil in our world. Have we humans gone too far in the dark to ever get out of it? No. But the answer would be yes if Christ hadn’t come and died for us and then rose again to live for us. Why do so many people stay ignorant of the real answers to life? Here’s why: – Ray
And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a [a]bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have [b]two tunics apiece.4 Whatever house you enter, stay there[c]until you leave that city.5 And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”6 Departing, they began going [d]throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again.9 Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.
10 When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida.11 But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.
Five Thousand Fed
12 Now the day [e]was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get [f]something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.”13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.”14 (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them [g]sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.”15 They did so, and had them all [h]sit down.16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the[i]people.17 And they all ate and were satisfied; and [j]the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.
18 And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the [k]people say that I am?”19 They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The [l]Christ of God.”21 But He [m]warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone,22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.24 For whoever wishes to save his [n]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [o]life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.27 But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and[p]gleaming.30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah,31 who, appearing in [q]glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.32 Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.33 And as [r]these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three [s]tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying.34 While he was saying this, a cloud[t]formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, MyChosen One; listen to Him!”36 And when the voice [u]had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
37 On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.38 And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my [v]only boy,39 and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves.40 I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.”41 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”42 While he was still approaching, the demon [w]slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.43 And they were all amazed at the [x]greatness of God.
But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples,44 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be [y]delivered into the hands of men.”45 But they [z]did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
The Test of Greatness
46 An argument [aa]started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.47 But Jesus, knowing [ab]what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
49 John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.”50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is [ac]for you.”
51 When the days were approaching for His [ad]ascension, He [ae]was determinedto go to Jerusalem;52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to [af]make arrangements for Him.53 But they did not receive Him, because [ag]He was traveling toward Jerusalem.54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”55 But He turned and rebuked them, [[ah]and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.
Exacting Discipleship
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the [ai]air have[aj]nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
My Cheesy Brown Rice from 50 Years Ago – Georgia Mossholder
I invited some new friends over for dinner about 50 years ago then was dismayed to learn that they were vegetarians. Oh my! That was way out of my expertise! I dashed to the library, found a vegetarian cookbook, and copied down a casserole recipe. I chose it because I figured it had to be good since it had lots of cheese which I thought at the time would satisfy any protein requirements. I never get tired of this dish and personally could eat it every day of the week. Nowadays I usually tweak the recipe to suit my own taste. It often depends on how much cooked rice I have on hand and what’s in my cupboard at the time. I like the flavor best with black eyed peas and sometimes make do with the smaller can of chilies but I prefer the 7 oz. size. Left overs? I heat them up in a skillet with some melted butter. Yum!
CHEESY BROWN RICE
INGREDIENTS:
3 or 4 Cups cooked brown rice 1 large onion chopped
15 – ½ oz. can black eyed peas, or black beans or kidney beans, rinsed
One 7 oz. or smaller can green chilies, chopped (your choice)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced (your choice as to how many)
Black olives- about a third of a 303 size can, sliced into crescents
8 oz. ricotta cheese thinned with yogurt or milk so it’s spreadable
¾ pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup to 3/4 cup or more of shredded sharp cheddar.
Garnish (optional) 1 or 2 Green onions, chopped
Preheat oven to 350˚
Mix together the rice, beans, garlic, onion and chilies in a bowl.
Grease or butter a 9 x 13” casserole dish and prepare the four layers:
rice/bean/chili/garlic mix
ricotta cheese
the sliced black olives followed by the jack cheese
Final layer of rice/beans mix.
Bake 20 minutes, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, then bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and a bit browned.
