The Gospel of IDD

The 1 st Passover                The  Lord  said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.    Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household.    If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.                You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight.   They shall take some of the blood and put it on ...

Daniel and the Lions’ Den                Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!”    A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.    Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.                   Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions.    When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?”    Danie...

The Fiery Furnace                Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter.    If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us.   But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”                   Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary,   and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their ...

Lamentations                He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the  Lord .”             The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:             The steadfast love of the  Lord  never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;   they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The  Lord  is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3: 16-24                      ...

Elijah and the Flaming Chariot                Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the  Lord  has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the  Lord  lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.    The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the  Lord  will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”             Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the  Lord  has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the  Lord  lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.    Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.    Then Elijah took hi...

Unless a Grain of Wheat Falls                Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”    Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.    Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.    Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.    Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.    Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.   Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason t...