Neddy's Palaver

In the Bible a story is told, About a traveler at the end of life’s road …
I Love This, a gospel ballad written by Iris DeMent, telling Bible stories about the Good Samaritan and more. She is singing her song in her incredible voice while playing the piano. Read the words that I have posted below the video. You can watch the video in full screen as it is quite good quality.

“He Reached Down” by Iris Dement

(Verse 1)
A certain man one day did go, down to Jericho,
Falling among thieves along the way.
Well they stripped him then they fled,
Leaving him for dead,
Lying on the side of the road.

And then the priest came passing by,
He crossed over to the other side,
Then the Levite came and he did just the same.

When the Samaritan heard his cry,
He just could not pass on by;
He dressed his wounds and he carried him to the nearest inn.

(Chorus)
He reached down, he reached down;
He got right there on the ground;
He reached down, he reached down,
And he touched the pain.

He paid the keeper the amount that was due.
“If you need more he said I’m good for that too.”
He reached down, he reached down,
And he touched the pain.

(Verse 2)
Then the Scribes and the Phrases,
Brought the adulteress in for Jesus to see.
“Lord, she’s sinned, now the law says she must be stoned.”
“If there’s a one of you that’s without sin,”
Said “you can cast the first stone in.”
One by one they left, leaving Jesus and that woman alone.

(Sing Chorus)

“No accusers are left that I see,
Woman, neither do I condemn thee.”
He reached down, He reached down,
And He touched the pain.

(Verse 3)
In the Book a little story got told,
About the traveler at the end of life’s road.
He’s at the gates of the Kingdom and the Master says “Come on in,
For I was hungry and you gave Me meat;
I was cold you put shoes on My feet;
When I was in prison there was you who come to see about Me.”

(Chorus – Modified)
Well you reached down, you reached down.
You got right there on the ground.
You reached down, you reached down,
And you touched my pain.

“When you did it to the least of these,
He said you were doin’ it unto Me.
You reached down, you reached down,
And ye touched my pain.”

He reached down, He reached down,
And He touched the pain.
He said “reach down, all reach down,
And touch the pain.”

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

What is “The Golden Rule” ? The phrase “do under others as you would have them do unto you“, is the most common expression of “The Golden Rule” .

“The Golden Rule” is the clearest expression of God’s moral law for his children to follow. It is the underlying rule for knowing what is good to do, and what is bad. “The Golden Rule” can be applied even by those who profess no belief in a supreme being, as it guarantees more happiness in one’s life. In bygone days of yore, every pupil in American public schools would be taught the Golden Rule. In these more modern times, it is probably against Supreme Court rulings for it to be taught. It has to do with something known as “separation of church and state“, recently discovered in the U.S. Constitution. Of course, the country has been governed by the same Constitution since its founding, but in these more erudite eras, the ACLU has brought to the attention of the justices of the Supreme Court, various penumbras, visible only to those anointed at exclusive schools of higher learning.

“The Golden Rule” establishes no particular religion. It leads to harmony amongst people. It is the foundation of Democracy.

Where did “The Golden Rule” come from? Who taught it first? It is from the spoken words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew and Luke in the Holy Bible.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. ” (Matthew 7:12 KJV)

“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” (Luke 6:31 KJV)

(Updated from 12 September 2005)

Some people are being followed by Shirley and Marcy Goodnest. Are you one of them?

A mother was concerned about her young son’s safety while walking to school, however he did not want the embarrassment of his mother accompanying him. She, wanting to give him some independence, yet know that he was protected, came upon a plan. A neighbor who daily walked with her toddler, offered to follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so as not to be conspicuous. She did this for an entire week.

As the young boy, Timmy, walked and chatted with a school mate, kicking stones and twigs, his friend did notice that the same lady was following them every day. Finally he said to Timmy, “Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?”

Timmy nonchalantly replied, “Yeah, I know. That’s just Shirley Goodnest, and her little girl Marcy.”

“Shirley Goodnest? Who is she and why is she following us?” asked Timmy’s friend.

“Well,” Timmy explained, “every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, ‘cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life’, so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!”

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy follow you all the days of your life, and in case you don’t remember the 23rd Psalm, here it is:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

(Received from the Internet without attribution. Thanks Martha.)

We shall all be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where thy sting? O grave, where thy victory? The sting of death sin; and the strength of sin the law. But thanks to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 15:51-58 KJV)

Short Clip of El-Shaddai (God-Almighty in Hebrew)t
written by: Michael Card and John Thompson.

O, Mary Don’t You Weep
Your Bible Lesson for the Day.

“O Mary Don’t You Weep” is an old gospel song from the era of slavery in the southern United States. The slaves could empathize with the Old Testament stories about becoming free. Although this song’s lyrics allude to the Passover and Moses leading his people out of Egypt, it was sung by the Americans in bondage with hopes that they too would some day be free. Singing of their own yearnings for liberation, they had learned to encrypt the language of their song’s lyrics so as not to offend their white masters. After all, the black folk were just singing about the Bible stories they had learned at church.

O MARY DON’T YOU WEEP
“We Shall Overcome” by Bruce Springsteen version

Well if I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

(O Mary don’t you weep, don’t you mourn)
(O Mary don’t you weep, don’t you mourn)
(Pharaoh’s army got drownded)
(O Mary don’t you weep)

Well Mary wore three links and chains
On every link was Jesus’ name
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

Go! Go! ~~

Well one of these nights bout 12 o’clock
This old world is gonna rock
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

Well Moses stood on the Red Sea shore
Smote’ the water with a two by four
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

Alright! ~~

Well old Mr. Satan he got mad
Missed that soul that he thought he had
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

Brothers and sisters don’t you cry
There’ll be good times by and by
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

Well O Mary don’t you weep, don’t you mourn
O Mary don’t you weep, don’t you mourn
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

Hey! Drums! ~~

God gave Noah the rainbow sign
“No more water but fire next time”
Pharaoh’s army got drownded
O Mary don’t you weep

Everybody! ~~
Oooooooh, Mary don’t yoooooou

Bruce Springsteen recorded this traditional song with a group of non-E Street Band musicians during what is known as “The Seeger Sessions”. The song is included on Bruce’s 2006 cover album, “We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions”. Video from the album is available HERE.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Who are the Four Evangelists? They are - the winged man, the lion, the ox and the eagle and they come from the vision of Ezekiel in the Old Testament where he described four strange creatures with wings. The Book of Revelation, Chapter 4, in the New Testament of the Holy Bible elaborates upon the creatures separating them into individuals, and down through the centuries the mystical beasts have come to symbolize the four Evangelists; Saint Matthew being the man, Saint Mark the lion, Saint Luke the ox and Saint John the eagle. Each of these animals is the supreme being of its kind. The eagle is the king of all birds, the lion reigns supreme amongst wild animals, the ox is the superior of all domestic animals and man has dominion over things of the earth. All four of these creatures bow down and worship Christ who is the king of all things. In another interpretation the man represents Christ’s humility, the ox His sacrifice, the lion His Resurrection and the eagle Christ’s divinity.

Revelation, Chapter 4:
6: … round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7: And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8: And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9: And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10: The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

January 3, Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
~~Philippians 2: 10, 11

The 10th Day of Christmas

The Protestant Reformation began on October 31st, 1517, when a German monk named Martin Luther nailed ninety-five theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Thus began the first attempt to restore true Christianity to the world in preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Martin Luther was born on November 10th, 1483 and he died on February 18th, 1546. This year, 2005, marks the 488th anniversary of that momentous event. Martin Luther had a great affect upon the Christian world and all of mankind. His protest was the impedus for the freedom that was to become necessary to end the Dark Ages of mankind. When summoned to appear before the rulers at the Diet of Worms to answer for his brazen writings Luther gave this timeless reply:
“I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope or to the Councils, because it is clear as day they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture . . . I cannot and will not retract . . . Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God, Amen.”

The four pillars of the Reformation were:

• Christ Alone!
• The Bible Alone!
• Faith Alone!
• Grace Alone!

“.. as a NAIL in a SURE place” (Isaiah 22:23)

Reformation Online.

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

On February 3, 1994, Mother Teresa of Calcutta spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. Many were made to feel uncomfortable when she spoke, as the main thrust of her speech, entitled “WHATEVER YOU DID UNTO ONE OF THE LEAST, YOU DID UNTO ME”, was about the sanctity of life as applies to abortion. Even the president and his wife treated her dismissively because of her strong expressions on the subject. The words of the Angel of Calcutta are lovely and touching, and were delivered forthrightly by an almost saint on earth. Today she is most assuredly a beautiful saint in heaven.

I can never forget the experience I had in visiting a home where they kept all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them into an institution and forgotten them - maybe. I saw that in that home these old people had everything - good food, comfortable place, television, everything, but everyone was looking toward the door. And I did not see a single one with a smile on the face. I turned to Sister and I asked: “Why do these people who have every comfort here, why are they all looking toward the door? Why are they not smiling?”

I am so used to seeing the smiles on our people, even the dying ones smile. And Sister said: “This is the way it is nearly everyday. They are expecting, they are hoping that a son or daughter will come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten.”

Please find the time to read the words from eleven years ago of Mother Teresa when she visited the United States. (Her Speech Here)