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March 12, 2010
Hosea 14: 2 - 10
   Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the Lord; say to him, "Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; we shall say no more, 'Our god,' to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion."
I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; they shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. "I am like a verdant cypress tree" - because of me you bear fruit!
   Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.

Psalms 81: 5 - 11, 14, 17
For it is a statute in Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob, who made it a decree for Joseph when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
An unfamiliar speech I hear; "I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. In distress you called, and I rescued you; unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me? There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. I, the Lord, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt; open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.
If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways.
While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them."

Mark 12: 28 - 34
   One of the scribes came up, and when he heard them arguing he realized how skillfully Jesus answered them. He decided to ask him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied: "This is the first: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."
This is the second: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
   There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe said to him: "Excellent, Teacher! You are right in saying, 'He is the One, there is no other than he." Yes, 'to love him with all our heart, with all our thoughts and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves' is worth more than any burnt offering or sacrifice." Jesus approved the insight of this answer and told him, "You are not far from the reign of God." And no one had the courage to ask him anymore questions.

<blockquote data-quote="Martin Jr." data-source="post: 450893" data-attributes="member: 611">March 12, 2010&nbsp; Hosea 14: 2 - 10&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt.&nbsp; Take with you words, and return to the Lord; say to him, &quot;Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.&nbsp; Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; we shall say no more, &#039;Our god,&#039; to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.&quot;&nbsp; I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them.&nbsp; I will be like the dew for Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots.&nbsp; His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.&nbsp; Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; they shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.&nbsp; Ephraim!&nbsp; What more has he to do with idols?&nbsp; I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.&nbsp; &quot;I am like a verdant cypress tree&quot; - because of me you bear fruit!&nbsp;&nbsp; Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.Psalms 81: 5 - 11, 14, 17&nbsp; &nbsp; For it is a statute in Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob, who made it a decree for Joseph when he came forth from the land of Egypt.&nbsp; An unfamiliar speech I hear; &quot;I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.&nbsp; In distress you called, and I rescued you; unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.&nbsp; Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me?&nbsp; There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. I, the Lord, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt; open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.&nbsp; If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways.&nbsp; While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them.&quot;Mark 12: 28 - 34&nbsp;&nbsp; One of the scribes came up, and when he heard them arguing he realized how skillfully Jesus answered them.&nbsp; He decided to ask him, &quot;Which is the first of all the commandments?&quot;&nbsp; Jesus replied:&nbsp; &quot;This is the first:&nbsp; Hear, O Israel!&nbsp; The Lord our God is Lord alone!&nbsp; Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.&quot;&nbsp; This is the second:&nbsp; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.&nbsp;&nbsp; There is no other commandment greater than these.&quot;&nbsp; The scribe said to him: &quot;Excellent, Teacher!&nbsp; You are right in saying, &#039;He is the One, there is no other than he.&quot;&nbsp; Yes, &#039;to love him with all our heart, with all our thoughts and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves&#039; is worth more than any burnt offering or sacrifice.&quot;&nbsp; Jesus approved the insight of this answer and told him, &quot;You are not far from the reign of God.&quot;&nbsp; And no one had the courage to ask him anymore questions.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Martin Jr., post: 450893, member: 611"] March 12, 2010 Hosea 14: 2 - 10 Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the Lord; say to him, "Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; we shall say no more, 'Our god,' to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion." I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; they shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. "I am like a verdant cypress tree" - because of me you bear fruit! Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them. Psalms 81: 5 - 11, 14, 17 For it is a statute in Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob, who made it a decree for Joseph when he came forth from the land of Egypt. An unfamiliar speech I hear; "I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. In distress you called, and I rescued you; unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me? There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. I, the Lord, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt; open wide your mouth, and I will fill it. If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways. While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them." Mark 12: 28 - 34 One of the scribes came up, and when he heard them arguing he realized how skillfully Jesus answered them. He decided to ask him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied: "This is the first: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." This is the second: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe said to him: "Excellent, Teacher! You are right in saying, 'He is the One, there is no other than he." Yes, 'to love him with all our heart, with all our thoughts and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves' is worth more than any burnt offering or sacrifice." Jesus approved the insight of this answer and told him, "You are not far from the reign of God." And no one had the courage to ask him anymore questions. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What city in Missouri has a big arch?