Today is HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day Jews around the world stop and remember those who were murdered by the Nazis and their allies. 6 million+ Jews murdered, 3 million Soviet POWs murdered, 2 million Poles murdered, 1.5 million Romani (Gypsies) murdered, 250,000 Disabled persons murdered, 15,000 Homosexuals murdered. A great blood shed. An orgy of death. Over 12,765,000 men, women and children murdered by men and women who called themselves Christians.
Felicia Fuksman Holocaust Survivor
Felicia Fuksman was born in Lodz, Poland. She lived with her parents, two brothers, and two sisters. Felicia’s father was a tailor. The family was very poor. Felicia was studying to be a nurse when the Germans attacked Poland. Her father and brother Simon were seized on the street and taken for labor. For more – click here.
One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”
Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”
Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.
“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.
“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business — eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building — until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.”
“Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked.
Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus – prepare my heart, my life, for your return. May I hold all things lightly. And come quickly. Amen.
Spiritual Song:“Never Saw You Coming” – Bebo Norman
One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (Caravaggio, 1601-1602)
But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Prayer/Video:“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord” – by Michael W Smith
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Ten Lepers James Christensen
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”
The Idle Servant 1655, Nicolaes Maes
The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!
“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”
Prayer: Lord Jesus – humility is not my strong suit… I do not respond naturally or easily to the duties of a servant. It’s not so much that I want someone to wait on me (although that’s sometime the case)… it’s more that I don’t respond well to being bossed around… told what to do, and when to do it. Please forgive me, and change my attitude. Replace my prideful, self-serving spirit with a willingness to be ready and waiting for the call of duty. May you be honored in all things, for I am nothing without you. Amen.
Spiritual Song:“Nothing Without You” – Bebo Norman
Take these hands and lift them up / For I have not the strength to praise You nearly enough / For I have nothing, I have nothing without You / Take my voice and pour it out / Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found / For I have nothing, I have nothing without You / All my soul needs / Is all Your love to cover me / So all the world will see / That I have nothing without You
Take my body and build it up / May it be broken as an offering of love / For I have nothing, I have nothing without You / All my soul needs / Is all Your love to cover me / So all the world will see / That I am nothing / But I love You / With all my heart / With all my soul / With all my mind / And all the strength I can find
Take my time here on earth / And let it glorify all that You are worth / For I am nothing, I am nothing, I am nothing without You
