Sin’s Penalty – Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” Hebrews 9:27
God calls EVERY Believer to the Ministry – Ephesians 4:11-12 says: “And He Himself (Jesus) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” Jesus commands the Church’s leadership to educate (equip) His Followers (Believers) to do the work of the Ministry. Folks, if you a Believer, the Ministry is our job, not our Pastors, etc.
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A history of these Daily Devotions can be found at: lylebrennan.com.
This email contains, sequentially: Memory Verse (above), Daily Devotion from “Thoughts From The Diary of A Desperate Man” by Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”), Scripture Reading (read the entire Bible in 1 year), and Prayer Requests.
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The Sins of the Father
Day One Hundred Four
“…for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.” Exodus 20:5
During the reign of King David, God brought a three-year famine to Israel. When David inquired of the Lord as to its cause, God said that King Saul had committed a transgression against the Amorites that needed expiation. To satisfy God’s justice, David executed seven grandsons of Saul. “And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together.”174
At first blush you may consider it unfair that grandchildren had to pay for the iniquities of their parents’ parents. In reality, it is one of the cardinal principles of life, easily demonstrated wherever you look. The mother who drinks and smokes during pregnancy runs a good chance of damaging her child. Children suffer when their parents divorce, or when the father lives a profligate life, squandering the family income on his vices. Succeeding generations suffer.
God declares that this is how He designed life. You can sulk at your Creator and charge Him with injustice, or you can acknowledge His Sovereign will and take whatever necessary steps you can to see that your children do not suffer for your sins. For good or for bad, whether you want to or not, your life impacts the lives of those closest to you. Realize the heavy responsibility that is yours and live a righteous life, for if God “visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation,” you can imagine what He will say to the father in the Day of Judgment.
174 II Samuel 21:9
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1 Samuel 25-26 Luke 12:32-59 (New King James Version)
1 Samuel 25-26
Death of Samuel
25 Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of [a]Paran.
David and the Wife of Nabal
2 Now there wasa man in Maon whose business wasin Carmel, and the man wasvery rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The name of the man wasNabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she wasa woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man washarsh and evil in hisdoings. He was of the house ofCaleb.
4 When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 5 David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. 6 And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity:‘Peace beto you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! 7 Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore [b]let myyoung men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”
9 So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.
10 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who isDavid, and who isthe son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. 11 Shall I then take my bread and my water and my [c]meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give itto men when I do not know where they arefrom?”
12 So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. 13 Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.
14 Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he [d]reviled them. 15 But the men werevery good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. 16 They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is sucha scoundrel[e] that onecannot speak to him.”
18 Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loavesof bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain,one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded themon donkeys. 19 And she said to her servants, “Go on before me; see, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 So it was, asshe rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them. 21 Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellowhas in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongsto him. And he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belongto him by morning light.”
23 Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. 24 So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, onme letthis iniquity be!And please let your maidservant [f]speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. 25 Please, let not my lord [g]regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is,so ishe: [h]Nabal ishis name, and folly iswith him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. 26 Now therefore, my lord, asthe Lord lives and asyour soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging[i] yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. 27 And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. 29 Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as fromthe pocket of a sling. 30 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, 31 that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”
32 Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed isthe Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed isyour advice and blessed areyou, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. 34 For indeed, asthe Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” 35 So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person.”
36 Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart wasmerry within him, for he wasvery drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light. 37 So it was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became likea stone. 38 Then it happened, afterabout ten days, that the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
39 So when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed bethe Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.”
And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40 When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, “David sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife.”
41 Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42 So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, [j]attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and so both of them were his wives.
44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to [k]Palti the son of Laish, who wasfrom Gallim.
David Spares Saul a Second Time
26 Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” 2 Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which isopposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.
5 So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. 6 Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?”
And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him [l]at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strikehim a second time!”
9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” 10 David said furthermore, “Asthe Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. 11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that areby his head, and let us go.” 12 So David took the spear and the jug of water bySaul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew itor awoke. For they wereall asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.
13 Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance beingbetween them. 14 And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?”
Then Abner answered and said, “Who areyou, calling out to the king?”
15 So David said to Abner, “Areyou not a man? And who islike you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. 16 This thing that you have done isnot good. Asthe Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is,and the jug of water that wasby his head.”
17 Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Isthat your voice, my son David?”
David said, “It ismy voice, my lord, O king.” 18 And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil isin my hand? 19 Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it isthe children of men, maythey becursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20 So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.”
22 And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. 23 May the Lord repay every man forhis righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into myhand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24 And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”
25 Then Saul said to David, “Mayyou beblessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still prevail.”
So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
Footnotes:
- 1 Samuel 25:1 So with MT, Syr., Tg., Vg.; LXX Maon
- 1 Samuel 25:8 be gracious to the young men
- 1 Samuel 25:11 Lit. slaughter
- 1 Samuel 25:14 scoldedor scorned at
- 1 Samuel 25:17 Lit. son of Belial
- 1 Samuel 25:24 speak to you
- 1 Samuel 25:25 pay attention to
- 1 Samuel 25:25 Lit. Fool
- 1 Samuel 25:26 Lit. saving yourself
- 1 Samuel 25:42 Lit. with five of her maidens at her feet
- 1 Samuel 25:44 Paltiel,2 Sam. 3:15
- 1 Samuel 26:8 Or one time
Luke 12:32-59
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
35 “Let your waist be girded and yourlamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed arethose servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat,and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find themso, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would [a]have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable onlyto us, or to all people?”
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom hismaster will make ruler over his household, to give them theirportion of food [b]in due season? 43 Blessed isthat servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him,and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint himhis portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himselfor do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Christ Brings Division
49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do yousuppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Discern the Time
54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you seethe south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is ityou do not discern this time?
Make Peace with Your Adversary
57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”
Footnotes:
- Luke 12:39 NU not have allowed
- Luke 12:42 at the right time
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“You cannot know until after you believe and speak; that is the order: believe, speak, know.” Walt
PRAYER REQUESTS
Brother Stephen Brock requests Prayer for his friend, Erik Adamek, and Erik’s cousin. His cousin is in intensive care from Kidney stones giving her Sepsis. It appears that it’s a hereditary condition and she needs God’s Healing Touch.
Please Pray for Brother David Frear‘s family as David’s father-in-law, Juan, seems near to the end of his life here. Pray for Juan to live-out his remaining life with the Blessed Hope all Believers share: and that his life would draw people to our Lord and Savior.
Please Pray for Brother John LaPorte and Ryan Brennan for travel mercies to Orient. Pray for Discipleship opportunities for John.
Praise report: Sister Kay’s leg is doing much better and she is able to walk on it.
Please report: Sister Diana’s biopsy report revealed best possible outcome.
Please Pray for Sister Kay and Sister Diana health concerns and safe travels for Alyssa.
Please Pray for Sister Anna’s mom who is in near end stages of life; and, Pray for Anna who is returning home to El Salvador to live.
Please Pray for Brother John’s roommate, Brother Freddy. Over the past few years his wife separated from him over his conviction to Jesus and now she seems more open to Jesus. Please Pray for Arlene to receive Jesus and that Freddy and her be reconciled. They have children… Please Pray for the entire family.
Please Pray for Brother Walt in His Friday Bible Study.
Pray for the Women’s Resources ministry in Las Vegas that thy would lead women to the Lord and save babies.
Please Pray for Sister Lynn who is experiencing excruciating lower back pain.
Please Pray for Bill E. who has been recently diagnosed with colon cancer. Pray for God’s healing hand in this matter and that Bill’s prescribed treatments and procedures go well. Above all, Pray that God reveals Himself to Bill and his family and that God would comfort them during this difficult time.
Please Pray for Jenny Nadeau who has multiple surgeries scheduled and is currently in a weakened state from a recent blockage removal surgery. Pray that she and those around her will witness first hand our Masters Love and Holy Touch.
Pray for Simon, Sister Sonia’s friend, needs heart and kidney transplant; and, above all needs to receive Jesus.
Please Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by Isis – Pray for their protection and their ministry. For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt
Please Pray for Jim Nelson and family ministering in China.
Pease continue to Pray for Brother Bob Summers that he have complete healing after his surgery for a blood clot in his brain.
Please continue to Pray for Sister Diana who is witnessing to young persons with confused doctrine. Pray God would speak through her and provide His Holy Clarity directly this young person to Him.
Please continue to Pray for Jamie to accept the Lord into her life and the Peace only He can give her. Jamie recently lost her man that she had been with for over the 30 years to suicide.
Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few. Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us. II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!
Please continue to Pray for the healing of baby Caden (Kevin Odor’s grandson) – born with Agenesis of the corpus callosum (rare neurological birth defect).
Please continue to Pray for Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico. And, please continue to Pray for her church caught up in the tragedies surrounding the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children.
Please continue to Pray for the Salvation of Hagen who is HIV positive and is deathly ill.
We continue to ask for Prayers and Gods Grace and Mercy for Baby Grace and her parents, Lisa and Darren.
Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr., and his aunt Josefina.
Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS.
Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith. 10 WAYS TO PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN FAMILY.. Pray our brothers and sisters will:
1. Sense God’s presence (Heb. 13:5)
2. Know we are praying for them (2 Tim. 1:3)
3. Experience God’s comfort (2 Thess. 2:16–17)
4. See God open doors to evangelism (Col. 4:3)
5. Boldly share the gospel (Acts 4:29)
6. Mature in their faith (Col. 1:28–29)
7. Be granted wisdom in covert ministry work (Acts 9:23–25)
8. Remain joyful amid suffering (Acts 5:41)
9. Forgive and love their persecutors (Matt. 5:44)
10. Be rooted in God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16–17)
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Stand with your Brothers and Sisters in Prayer and Support. (See: The Voice of the Martyrs: https://www.persecution.com)
Please continue Pray for our President & government leaders that they will would seek God and Walk in His Ways.
Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.
Please continue to Pray for all our children.
Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”
Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD. Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)
Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India. Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas. After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials. Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas. Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet. Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples). Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)
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