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NARMA Bulletin
_____________________________________ Vol. 3, No. 7 April, 2014
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As the season of Lent transpires, it is well to reflect on the following words:

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the Lord, your God? (Joel 2:12-14)

Lent 2014

It is furthermore fitting and proper that in our observance of the commencement of the season of Lent, we share the words that the Psalter discloses for us to relay to our fellow observers of the sacrifices which the Lord offered for our salvation. Thus:
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51: 3-17)

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The Good News Retold

(A Lenten Reflection) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah? For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah? All of them said, Let him be crucified! Then he asked, Why, what evil has he done? But they shouted all the more, Let him be crucified! Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am innocent of this mans blood; see to it yourselves. Then the people as a whole answered, His blood be on us and on our children! So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. The Soldiers Mock Jesus Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governors headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him
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Pilate Questions Jesus Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus said, You say so. But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you? But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Barabbas or Jesus? Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called

on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. The Crucifixion of Jesus As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, I am Gods Son. The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. The Death of Jesus From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three oclock Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,
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This man is calling for Elijah. At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him. Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, Truly this man was Gods Son! (Matthew 27:11-54, NRSV)

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NARMA Bulletin is an electronic periodical distributed online by Narma Books imbued with a mission of information dissemination through selective relay of significant matters of concern to the appropriate recipients, both in entertainment and informative categories. Based in the Philippines.

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Books
(Online Reads) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To avail, click on: www.createspace.com/3621484 www.smashwords.com www.amazon.com/dp/B0051UAARM To avail, click on www.smashwords.com

To avail, click on www.smashwords.com

To avail, click on www.smashwords.com www.createspace.com/4734005 www.amazon.com/dp/B00J94FXPK

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About the Novels

(Mideast Settings) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Last Traces of Hope is a novel about the Mideast turmoil and how it affected the lives of those who were trapped in the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. A ship manned by Filipino crew members was docked in the international port of Kuwait on August 2, 1990 when the incursion transpired. This book tells what happened when the vessel was about to sail and after it did. The Middle East is likewise the focus of the incidents in the novel The Fall of Damascus. The drama unfolding as the episodes progress highlights the events in Syria, although the author has emphasized that this is not a war story; rather, it is some kind of a love story taking the reader into an extended tour of various places, particularly Europe. The main characters though are of Asian descent. This book is a work of fiction and represents the dilemma that Mideast transients have to contend with in living life in that land. The characters created herein are purely fictional and any similarity or resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental. The places described, however, are real and the events that transpire forming as backdrop of the story may have actually happened. Inclusion of aspects thereof is imperative to give flavor to the story. The author is motivated solely by a desire to provide entertainment to the readers, and no offence, if any, is intended to an individual or group, be it as to their beliefs or well-being. The author acknowledges the invaluable help and assistance he obtained from various sectors in the preparation of this book and his other works previously published as well as those still being prepared for publication. His appreciation goes to those who shared with him their full support and positive stance as well as their kind indulgence as the author gropes along the pathways to self-publication. Such regard likewise extends to the members of his family, peers and friends who in one way or another have taken part in making this venture a success. The author is furthermore indebted to his readers for their patronage of his works and staying with him in the journey through pages of the printed word. 5

Narma Books
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Images

(Asian Views) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~