Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Good Morning   

 

In honor of Brad and Ron's trip to China this coming Friday, I thought we would keep up with the weather in Beijing each day.

 

Current  Temp:  (at 7P local time)  72 degrees and sunny.  

Tonight:   Mainly clear . Low around 63F  .  Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.   

The 10-day forecast at: http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/tenday/CHXX0008?from=_topnav_business

Today's Reading:    Revelation 12:5  -- Barclay 88-89 

 

-- one verse today, a short reading in Barclay.

 

-- two thing I noticed today.  One addresses one of the questions that I had earlier in the week after reading this chapter.  John says, when discussing the woman and the dragon, that these were great signs in the sky -- he doesn't say that this is some literal event that is observing. It is almost like John is watching some massive symbolic pagent in the sky; some reenactment of the story of man and God.  That's just me talking, but I'm interested to see if that thought holds up as we read more.

 

-- the second thing I noticed is something that Barclay points out.  On first reading, the idea of the dragon of waiting for the child to be born so that he could devour it made me think about Herod, and his order to kill all the male children in an effort to have the baby Jesus killed.  That may be part of that idea, but I didn't notice the part that says that the child was snatched up to heaven to God's throne.  At first, in sounds like that child being snatched up was about protecting the child from the dragon, but if you read carefully, it doesn't really say that or imply that.

 

-- the other thing, that we need to remember for the next section, I believe, is that all of this is taking place in heaven as John is viewing it.

 

Today's Scripture   

 

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:8-9

Today's prayer requests:      Christie Peebles

 

Still pregnant, still working to hold on to her due date.  Just needs our prayers during her last few weeks of pregnancy.

 

Today's class member prayer:

Jay Waters    

Jay