Comments on: Friday July 17th

By: Robert Burford

Robert Burford — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 14:50:46 +0000

My wife is much prettier. I will post a picture at a later date.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 16:22:41 +0000

Some thoughts to share:
Today will be the last reading from the Book of Isaiah. King Hezekiah, was the opposite of his father Ahaz. He was obedient and had a close relationship with God, and did “what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 31:20). He found such favor in the Lord’s eyes that God answered his prayer, gave him miraculous victory over his enemies and added 15 years to his life. Hezekiah came to power at the age of 25 and ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah for 29 years. He was zealous for the Lord destroyed the pagan altars, idols, and temples built during the reign of his predecessors. But the Assyrians under King Sennacherib, who had already conquered the Northern Kingdom and always on the look-out to conquer more territory invaded Judah and marched against Jerusalem in 701 BC. The Lord, through Isaiah assured Hezekiah that Jerusalem would be spared. God, who always keeps His word, “That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!” (2 Kings 19:35), thus saving King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem.
Later, Hezekiah became very sick and Isaiah instructed him to set his house in order and prepare to die. But Hezekiah prayed, beseeching God to be merciful and to remember all the good he had done. God told Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that his prayer had been heard and that his life would be extended by fifteen years.
In today’s Gospel reading, the Pharisees accuse the disciples (who were hungry) of not observing the Sabbath since they plucked ears of grain from a field and ate the grains after removing the husks by rubbing the grains between their palms. Jesus defends his disciples by telling them that basic human needs take precedence over divine worship and observance of Sabbath rules. Jesus even gives them examples from scripture. Jesus also told them that no law can stand against divine worship, so priests preparing the animals for sacrifice were not considered violating the law. And most importantly, God desires mercy not sacrifice. Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) Jesus wants the Sabbath to be a day of Rest, Refreshment and Recharging of our spiritual batteries.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 15:57:44 +0000

God bless you and ALL that you do. Our prayers are with your wife in her recovery. Thank you.

By: Georgia Frey

Georgia Frey — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 14:26:15 +0000

Wonderful reflection. Thank you for your ministry!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 13:22:14 +0000

Bob – Praying for a speedy recovery for your wife.

By: Skip

Skip — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:52:31 +0000

Tha I you Bob for your reflection.
God bless and I pray for a quick recovery for your wife.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:46:56 +0000

You always do an amazing job of tying Gospel messages to everyday life experiences that we can all relate to, which makes the messages easier to understand and, most importantly, more memorable. Thank you. (‘And great idea to do an ‘accounting’ at day’s end and commit to being a better person tomorrow.)

By: pk

pk — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 11:10:19 +0000

So true. It sounds like your wife is in good hands! Prayers for both of you, and thank you for what you wrote. Thanks also for the thoughtful comments!