By Whose Authority?

Daily Devotional

Condemn

Day 8/21 – Unity and Union

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Who are you? …really?  – Proverbs 23:7 NKJV  “For as he thinks in his heart, so ishe…”  Proverbs 23:7

“You can no longer view people “after the flesh.”  All are of equal worth and significance in the economy of God, and you must view them through that lens. This does not come naturally.  You must discipline yourself to treat people with the dignity and respect that is theirs by virtue of God’s imputation, the same way that God views you.”    Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”)

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A history of these Daily Devotions along with other valuable Resources can be found at: lylebrennan.com. 

This daily devotion contains, sequentially: Memory Verse (#1 above),  Daily Quote (#2 above): and, below: 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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Unity and Union

Day Two Hundred Thirty-three

“I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissension among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

Unity and union are not the same.  You can unite in marriage, and thus be in union with one another, and not have unity.  Union is the enemy of unity, as easily seen in marriage.  A man and woman meet, fall in love with one another, and talk of the possibility of marriage.  During their courtship each seeks to please the other, delighting in each other’s idiosyncrasies.   Once the marriage is consummated, things change.  They now have a vested interest in how their spouse behaves.  So in subtle ways they seek to change one another in hopes of making their spouse better, all at the expense of unity.

In His High Priestly prayer, our Lord prayed for unity, ”that they may be one, even as we are one.”307   There may be logical, compelling reasons to form a union, but Christ wants unity.  People are attracted to union for the purpose of control and so that they have something to join. God demands unity for the purpose of harmony and as a witness to a watching world.  Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians, in this section of his epistles, sought to dispel any impression that he was building his own organization or recruiting people to himself.

You are free to create an organization, for the Bible does not prohibit them.  But remember: You are part of the Body of Jesus Christ and He cannot be divided. To not be in unity with your fellow believers is to do violence to His Person and thus provoke His anger.

307 John 17:11

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Psalm 107-109 1 Corinthians 4 (New King James Version)

Psalms 107–150

Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance

107 

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He isgood!

For His [a]mercy enduresforever.

2 

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

3 

And gathered out of the lands,

From the east and from the west,

From the north and from the south.

4 

They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;

They found no city to dwell in.

5 

Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them.

6 

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

AndHe delivered them out of their distresses.

7 

And He led them forth by the right way,

That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

8 

Oh, that menwould give thanks to the Lord forHis goodness,

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

9 

For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

10 

Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

Bound[b] in affliction and irons—

11 

Because they rebelled against the words of God,

And [c]despised the counsel of the Most High,

12 

Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;

They fell down, and there wasnone to help.

13 

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

AndHe saved them out of their distresses.

14 

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,

And broke their chains in pieces.

15 

Oh, that menwould give thanks to the Lord forHis goodness,

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

16 

For He has broken the gates of bronze,

And cut the bars of iron in two.

17 

Fools, because of their transgression,

And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

18 

Their soul abhorred all manner of food,

And they drew near to the gates of death.

19 

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

AndHe saved them out of their distresses.

20 

He sent His word and healed them,

And delivered themfrom their destructions.

21 

Oh, that menwould give thanks to the Lord forHis goodness,

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

22 

Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,

And declare His works with [d]rejoicing.

23 

Those who go down to the sea in ships,

Who do business on great waters,

24 

They see the works of the Lord,

And His wonders in the deep.

25 

For He commands and raises the stormy wind,

Which lifts up the waves of the sea.

26 

They mount up to the heavens,

They go down again to the depths;

Their soul melts because of trouble.

27 

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,

And [e]are at their wits’ end.

28 

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He brings them out of their distresses.

29 

He calms the storm,

So that its waves are still.

30 

Then they are glad because they are quiet;

So He guides them to their desired haven.

31 

Oh, that menwould give thanks to the Lord forHis goodness,

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

32 

Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,

And praise Him in the company of the elders.

33 

He turns rivers into a wilderness,

And the watersprings into dry ground;

34 

A fruitful land into [f]barrenness,

For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

35 

He turns a wilderness into pools of water,

And dry land into watersprings.

36 

There He makes the hungry dwell,

That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,

37 

And sow fields and plant vineyards,

That they may yield a fruitful harvest.

38 

He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;

And He does not let their cattle decrease.

39 

When they are diminished and brought low

Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,

40 

He pours contempt on princes,

And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there isno way;

41 

Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,

And makes theirfamilies like a flock.

42 

The righteous see itand rejoice,

And all iniquity stops its mouth.

43 

Whoever iswise will observe these things,

And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Assurance of God’s Victory over Enemies

A Song. A Psalm of David.

108 

O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

2 

Awake, lute and harp!

I will awaken the dawn.

3 

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,

And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

4 

For Your mercy isgreat above the [g]heavens,

And Your truth reachesto the clouds.

5 

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

And Your glory above all the earth;

6 

That Your beloved may be delivered,

Save withYour right hand, and [h]hear me.

7 

God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will rejoice;

I will divide Shechem

And measure out the Valley of Succoth.

8 

Gilead isMine; Manasseh isMine;

Ephraim also isthe [i]helmet for My head;

Judah isMy lawgiver.

9 

Moab isMy washpot;

Over Edom I will cast My shoe;

Over Philistia I will triumph.”

10 

Who will bring me intothe strong city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

11 

Is itnot You,O God, whocast us off?

And You,O God, whodid not go out with our armies?

12 

Give us help from trouble,

For the help of man is useless.

13 

Through God we will do valiantly,

For it isHe whoshall tread down our enemies.

Plea for Judgment of False Accusers

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

109 

Do not keep silent,

O God of my praise!

2 

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful

Have opened against me;

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me without a cause.

4 

In return for my love they are my accusers,

But I give myself toprayer.

5 

Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,

And hatred for my love.

6 

Set a wicked man over him,

And let an [j]accuser stand at his right hand.

7 

When he is judged, let him be found guilty,

And let his prayer become sin.

8 

Let his days be few,

Andlet another take his office.

9 

Let his children be fatherless,

And his wife a widow.

10 

Let his children [k]continually be vagabonds, and beg;

Let them [l]seek their breadalso from their desolate places.

11 

Let the creditor seize all that he has,

And let strangers plunder his labor.

12 

Let there be none to extend mercy to him,

Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

13 

Let his [m]posterity be cut off,

Andin the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,

And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 

Let them be continually before the Lord,

That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

16 

Because he did not remember to show mercy,

But persecuted the poor and needy man,

That he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 

As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;

As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 

As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

So let it enter his body like water,

And like oil into his bones.

19 

Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,

And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.

20 

Letthis bethe Lord’s reward to my accusers,

And to those who speak evil against my person.

21 

But You, O God the Lord,

Deal with me for Your name’s sake;

Because Your mercy isgood, deliver me.

22 

For I ampoor and needy,

And my heart is wounded within me.

23 

I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off like a locust.

24 

My knees are weak through fasting,

And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.

25 

I also have become a reproach to them;

Whenthey look at me, they shake their heads.

26 

Help me, O Lord my God!

Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

27 

That they may know that this isYour hand—

ThatYou, Lord, have done it!

28 

Let them curse, but You bless;

When they arise, let them be ashamed,

But let Your servant rejoice.

29 

Let my accusers be clothed with shame,

And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

30 

I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;

Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.

31 

For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,

To save himfrom those [n]who condemn him.

Footnotes:

  • Psalm 107:1 Heb. same as goodness,vv. 8, 15, 21, 31, and lovingkindness,v. 43
  • Psalm 107:10 Prisoners
  • Psalm 107:11 scorned
  • Psalm 107:22 joyful singing
  • Psalm 107:27 Lit. all their wisdom is swallowed up
  • Psalm 107:34 Lit. a salty waste
  • Psalm 108:4 skies
  • Psalm 108:6 Lit. answer
  • Psalm 108:8 Lit. protection
  • Psalm 109:6 Heb. satan
  • Psalm 109:10 wander continuously
  • Psalm 109:10 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. be cast out
  • Psalm 109:13 descendants be destroyed
  • Psalm 109:31 Lit. judging his soul

1 Corinthians 4

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

4 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human [a]court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the [b]counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Fools for Christ’s Sake

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be [c]puffed up on behalf of one against the other. 7 For who [d]makes you differ from another?And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it,why do you boast as if you had not received it?

8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! 9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle [e]to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We arefools for Christ’s sake, but you arewise in Christ! We areweak, but you arestrong! You aredistinguished, but we aredishonored! 11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we [f]entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Paul’s Paternal Care

14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you.15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you donot havemany fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

18 Now some are [g]puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. 20 For the kingdom of God isnot in word but in power. 21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

Footnotes:

  • 1 Corinthians 4:3 Lit. day
  • 1 Corinthians 4:5 motives
  • 1 Corinthians 4:6 arrogant
  • 1 Corinthians 4:7 distinguishes you
  • 1 Corinthians 4:9 Lit. theater
  • 1 Corinthians 4:13 exhort, encourage
  • 1 Corinthians 4:18 arrogant

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for Brother Robert. Robert says He has a Calling to establish a Church. His Prayer request is “… that God puts together a really amazing ministry team. I see it in the Scriptures. There were ministers, elders, deacons. Those seem to be three different categories of the people serving the body. It seems like that was the simple order they had set up. But it was a spiritual thing that would function through the power of the Holy Spirit. My prayer request would be that the Lord puts together the ministry team in what I feel Him asking me to be a part of.”

Please Pray for Mark H. He has a blood clot in his leg and is suffering terrible pain.  Pray for God’s Healing and undeniable Touch on Mark’s life.  

Please continue to keep Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico in our Prayers. This Sister and her family, in a short time period, have been hit with a more tragedies (persecutions) than most of us have in our entire life time…  the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children. And, recently, her modest home (a shack by any American standard) was burnt to the ground. …Her neighbor’s house caught fire and due to the closeness of her home, it caught fire, too.  Brothers & Sisters, please Pray for God’s Holy touch on Fabiola and her family. 

Please continue to Pray for Geo, a banker, who was deployed by the military to the Mideast. Pray God would keep him safe and that God would bring Geo closer to Him; and, that Geo would share God with all his company and those who come in contact with him. 

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I’ve been told by one Geo’s co-workers, Lorraine Flores, who says she considers Geo a son, that the day Geo was deployed to the Mideast, his girlfriend delivered his new baby. Please Pray Geo would Walk in God’s Light and be a Godly husband and father. And, please Pray for Geo’s family. (Also, please Pray for both Lorraine Flores and her biological son that was deployed the same day as Geo, but to Africa.)

Please continue to Pray for Brother David Porter’s friend’s son, Giovanni (18yrs old). Pray for God’s Salvation, Strength, Healing, and Peace in Giovanni.

Please continue to Pray for Brother Mark Pedder, a missionary in the Philippines. Please Pray for Mark, Mark’s wife for strength in their trials, tribulations and persecution. 

Please continue to Pray for Gemma that she be delivered from evil and receive Jesus as her Savior. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Walt to be reconciled with his son and his son’s family. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother John LaPorte’s roommate, Brother Freddy, whose commitment to Christ caused his wife to separate from him for 6 years. The couple have 2 daughters. Both parents has stayed single all this time of separation… Within the recent past, it appears his wife, Arlene, has been Saved and the couple are beginning their reconciliation process. They are planning to reunite the family again under one roof in the next few months.  Please Pray for their total reconciliation with God at their helm. 

Please continue to Pray for a group of well-known Southern Nevada commercial real estate brokers and associates recently in a one-car accident. The occupants had all been drinking alcohol.  One passenger died leaving 3 young daughters, one suffered serious head trauma, two had mild trauma, and the driver has been charged.  Please Pray for the driver and all those effected by this tragedy …that God would direct their eyes to Him, The King of Mercy, Grace and Salvation. 

Please continue Pray for our President and ALL our government leaders of both parties. Pray they would submit their authority to His Authority and ask for His Wisdom in directing the affairs of our nation.  Please Pray that God would open their eyes and they would be obedient to His Will. 

Please  continue to Pray for Brother Frank Sun, a Taiwanese, that owns several businesses in China and Taiwan.  Please Pray Frank will be bold in his sharing Christ in his companies and that he will be faithful to disciple the new Believers.  

AND, let each of us use Frank’s example and share the Love and Salvation of Jesus to our coworkers, employees, family, friends and acquaintances  … Invest in the Eternal!

Please continue to Pray for Brother Walt and His Friday Bible Study.

Please continue to Pray for the Women’s Resources ministry in Las Vegas that they would lead women to the Lord and continue to assist in saving babies’ lives. 

Please continue to Pray for Jim Nelson and family ministering in China. 

Please continue to 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 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 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. 

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Please stand with your Brothers and Sisters in Prayer and Support. (See: The Voice of the Martyrs: https://www.persecution.com)

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 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 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.)

Day 7/30 – Manipulation

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Give Generously  – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  2 Corinthians 9:6-7

“It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe – the creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor – loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.”  Francis Chan

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A history of these Daily Devotions along with other valuable Resources can be found at: lylebrennan.com. 

This daily devotion contains, sequentially: Memory Verse (#1 above),  Daily Quote (#2 above): and, below: 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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Manipulation

Day Two Hundred Eleven

“Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.” Genesis 27:15

Rebekah and her son Jacob came from a family of manipulators.  Rebekah’s brother Laban manipulated his nephew Jacob by making him work 14 years for Rachel rather than the agreed upon seven years.  Jacob said Laban changed his wages ten times.  In each of their lives they manipulated by deception.  Rebekah had Jacob deceive his father, causing him to think that he was blessing Essau instead of Jacob, and Laban deceived Jacob, causing him to think he was marrying Rachel, when in reality he married her sister Leah.

God gave to Rebekah a promise to the effect that Essau would forfeit his birthright to Jacob.  Knowing of her husband’s affection for Essau, she thought it necessary to manipulate the situation so that Jacob received the blessing.  The blessing that mattered could only come from God, and He gave it to Jacob. When you compare the blessing Isaac gave to Jacob (thinking he was Essau) with that given to Essau, you find they are not all that different, other than serving his brother, and even that Isaac promised Essau would one day be reversed.279  You can participate in God’s plan or you can try to manipulate it; Rebekah chose manipulation.

God wanted Jacob to have the blessing and He gave it to him.  Rebekah should have believed instead of manipulating the situation.  As a result, the family was ruptured.  The brothers were estranged, forcing Jacob to flee for his life.  Rebekah never saw Jacob again.  Isaac, who was blind, had to live the rest of his days with a woman he could not trust.  Manipulation is never a good idea.  You yield to the temptation only when you refuse to believe that God is in control and will work all things according to His will.

279  cf. Genesis 27:40

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Psalm 51-53 Romans 2 (New King James Version)

Psalm 51-53

A Prayer of Repentance

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 

Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

2 

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

3 

For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin isalways before me.

4 

Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done thisevil in Your sight—

That You may be found just [a]when You speak,

Andblameless when You judge.

5 

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

6 

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,

And in the hidden partYou will make me to know wisdom.

7 

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 

Make me hear joy and gladness,

Thatthe bones You have broken may rejoice.

9 

Hide Your face from my sins,

And blot out all my iniquities.

10 

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Yourgenerous Spirit.

13 

ThenI will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

The God of my salvation,

Andmy tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

15 

O Lord, open my lips,

And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

16 

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

17 

The sacrifices of God area broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise.

18 

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 

Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,

With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly

To the Chief Musician. A [b]Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 

Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

The goodness of God endurescontinually.

2 

Your tongue devises destruction,

Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 

You love evil more than good,

Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah

4 

You love all devouring words,

Youdeceitful tongue.

5 

God shall likewise destroy you forever;

He shall take you away, and pluck you out of yourdwelling place,

And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

6 

The righteous also shall see and fear,

And shall laugh at him, saying,

7 

“Here is the man whodid not make God his strength,

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

Andstrengthened himself in his [c]wickedness.”

8 

But I amlike a green olive tree in the house of God;

I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

9 

I will praise You forever,

Because You have done it;

And in the presence of Your saints

I will wait on Your name, for it[d]isgood.

Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A [e]Contemplation of David.

53 

The fool has said in his heart,

“There isno God.”

They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;

There isnone who does good.

2 

God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there are anywho understand, who seek God.

3 

Every one of them has turned aside;

They have together become corrupt;

There isnone who does good,

No, not one.

4 

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,

Who eat up my people asthey eat bread,

And do not call upon God?

5 

There they are in great fear

Whereno fear was,

For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;

You have put themto shame,

Because God has despised them.

6 

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

When God brings back [f]the captivity of His people,

Let Jacob rejoice andIsrael be glad.

Footnotes:

  • Psalm 51:4 LXX, Tg., Vg. in Your words
  • Psalm 52:1 Heb. Maschil
  • Psalm 52:7 Lit. desire,in evil sense
  • Psalm 52:9 Or has a good reputation
  • Psalm 53:1 Heb. Maschil
  • Psalm 53:6 Or His captive people

Romans 2

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your [a]impenitent heart you are [b]treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the [c]Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law arejust in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves theirthoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

The Jews Guilty as the Gentiles

17 [d]Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest[e] on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know Hiswill, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

Circumcision of No Avail

25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, evenwith your[f]written codeand circumcision, area transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is oneoutwardly, nor iscircumcision that which isoutward in the flesh; 29 but he isa Jew who is oneinwardly; and circumcision is thatof the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose [g]praise isnot from men but from God.

Footnotes:

  • Romans 2:5 unrepentant
  • Romans 2:5 storing
  • Romans 2:9 Gentile
  • Romans 2:17 NU But if
  • Romans 2:17 rely
  • Romans 2:27 Lit. letter
  • Romans 2:29 A play on words—Jewis literally praise.

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for Geo, a banker, who was deployed by the military to the mid-east. Pray God would keep him safe and that God would bring Geo closer to Him; and, that Geo would share God with all his company and those who come in contact with him. 

Please Pray for Brother David Porter’s sponsoring “Refuge for Women” an upcoming “Refuge Uniting In Prayer” meeting scheduled for August 14th. Pray for the for those involved in assisting women, the women who are victims and those warring with the sex trafficking industry in Las Vegas. 

Please continue Pray for my daughter, Jonna, and 6 of our grandchildren … We are spending the week with them in SD, CA and doing a mini vacation Bible school and sharing Jesus with them. Please Pray The Holy Spirit would guide each one of them to His Loving Salvation.  

Praise Report: Sister Diane’s grandson, Logan, had eye surgery and is full of giggles and smiles. As they will not know the results from the surgery for some time, please continue to Pray for Logan. 

Please continue to Pray for Lidia’s husband, Carlos, who needs heart surgery, but has been in the hospital for over a week now with pneumonia. 

Please Pray for Brother Walt’s son, Elijah, Emilia, Elijah’s girl friend, and their new baby. Pray that Walt be reunited with his son and family. 

Please Pray for Brother John LaPorte’s friend and Sister in the Lord, Rachael, who has received her counceling degree  and is looking for a job. Pray she uses the Bible as her only counceling Guide to lead her clients to the Lord. 

Please Pray for Gemma that she be delivered from evil and receive Jesus as her Savior. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Mark P, a missionary in the Philippines. He said they have an issue with a senior leader who was living another life unknown to them, in deep sin. This leader was second under Mark over the entire ministry.  Mark asks for Prayer, specifically, in 2 areas:

  1 – That Marks keeps his own heart and hands Holy; and 

  2 – … that this individual needs to Repent. 

I would like to add to Mark’s Prayer Request… we need to Pray

for Mark, Mark’s wife, this individual and for all that are touched by him. … And Note: We can only look to One Perfect Example in our lives… Jesus. (People will let us down, but He will never let us down.) And, from God’s Word, we read and need to mediate on:

  Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

  Romans 3:10 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

  James 4:11-12 – Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.   …

  Ephesians 4:32 – And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

  Colossians 3:12-14 – Put on therefore, as the elect of God, Holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;   …

  James 1:19-20 – Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:   …

  Luke 6:31 – And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

  Romans 2:1-4 – Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.   …

  Ephesians 4:26 – Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

  Romans 2:6-8 – Who will render to every man according to his deeds: …

  Mark 11:25 – And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Please continue to Pray for Brother John LaPorte’s roommate, Brother Freddy, whose commitment to Christ caused his wife to separate from him for 6 years. The couple have 2 daughters and stayed single all this time. Within the recent past, it appears his wife, Arlene, has been Saved and the couple are beginning the reconciliation process. They are planning to reunite the family again under one roof in the next few months.  Please Pray for their total reconciliation with God at their helm. 

Please continue Pray for our President and ALL our government leaders of both parties. Pray they would submit their authority to His Authority and ask for His Wisdom in directing the affairs of our nation.  Please Pray that God would open their eyes and they would be obedient to His Will. 

Please continue to Pray for a group of well-known Southern Nevada commercial real estate brokers and associates recently in a one-car accident. The occupants had all been drinking alcohol.  One passenger died leaving 3 young daughters, one suffered serious head trauma, two had mild trauma, and the driver has been charged.  Please Pray for the driver and all those effected by this tragedy …that God would direct their eyes to Him, The King of Mercy, Grace and Salvation. 

Please  continue to Pray for Brother Frank Sun, a Taiwanese, that owns several businesses in China and Taiwan.  He recently preached the Gospel in his Taiwan company inviting his employees to accept salvation. He says that half of his Taiwan staff are now Christians. Please Pray Frank will continue to be bold in his sharing Christ in all his companies and that he will be faithful to disciple the new Believers. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Walt and His Friday Bible Study.

Please continue to Pray for the Women’s Resources ministry in Las Vegas that they would lead women to the Lord and save babies. 

Please continue to 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 continue to Pray for Jim Nelson and family ministering in China. 

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 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 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 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 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 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.)

Day 1/18 – Justice, Mercy, and Consequences

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Prayer  – John 15:7 (ESV)  “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  John 15:7

“You may feel that because your heart does not condemn you that God is well pleased with your life; your heart may not condemn you, but that does not mean you are acquitted.” … “The standard of evaluation is not your feelings, but Scripture.”   … “In the day of judgment, God will call you to account, not on the basis of how you feel, but on the basis of your walking in obedience to His commandments.”    Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”)

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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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Justice, Mercy, and Consequences

Day Eighteen

“For he will render to every man according to his works.” Romans 2:6

Mercy is the setting aside of justice, it is not the setting aside of consequences. The mercy of God does not eliminate the consequences  of the sin. If you stand on the tallest building in a large city, and in a moment of despair jump, and on the way down realize your mistake and ask God’s forgiveness, He doesn’t stop the fall.

Your thirteen-year-old son, in violation of your will, takes the family auto for a drive, and in the process has a wreck.  You confront him with the repair bill, and he begs your forgiveness.  After freely forgiving him he says, ‘Wonderful, now I do not have to pay for the repairs.”  You gently correct him on this point of misunderstanding, and he counters, “Then what good did it do me in being forgiven?”  Your biblical response is, “It restored the relationship.” Consequences are very different from punishment.

The follower of Christ can easily be deceived on this point, thinking that God’s forgiveness eliminates the consequences  of his sin.  Paul reminds the Corinthians, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”24   This is not judgment for sin, for Christ handled that on the cross.  Rather it is the time of reaping the consequences  of the life you have lived.

The “law of the harvest”25  is the assurance that such reaping will take place.  The promise of no sorrow or tears in heaven will not ameliorate facing a time of accounting.  You will carry into eternity the product of your investment in this life. Life is too short and the stakes too high to live mediocre lives.24  II Corinthians 5:10

25  Galatians 6:8

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Genesis 43-45 Matthew 12:24-50 (New King James Version)

Genesis 43-45

Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin

43 Now the famine wassevere in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”

3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother iswith you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him,we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother iswith you.’ ”

6 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so[a]wrongfully with me asto tell the man whether you had still anotherbrother?”

7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Isyour father still alive? Have you anotherbrother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you andalso our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him backto you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”

11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must beso, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take thesemen to my home, and slaughter [b]an animal and make ready; for thesemen will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

18 Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It isbecause of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may [c]make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”

19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, eachman’s money wasin the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 But he said, “Peace bewith you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave themwater, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.

26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which wasin their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about theirwell-being, and said, “Isyour father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Ishe still alive?”

28 And they answered, “Your servant our father isin good health; he isstill alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Isthis your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhereto weep. And he went into hischamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”

32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that isan abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

Joseph’s Cup

44 And he commanded [d]the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 2 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, andwere not yetfar off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isnot this the onefrom which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”

6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

10 And he said, “Now also letit beaccording to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” 11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and [e]left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he wasstill there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed isthis you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”

16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and healso with whom the cup was found.”

17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Judah Intercedes for Benjamin

18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you areeven like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of hisold age, who isyoung; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for ifhe should leave his father, his fatherwould die.’ 23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, ‘Go back andbuy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother iswith us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. 29 But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad isnot with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31 it will happen, when he sees that the lad isnot with us,that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him backto you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad isnot with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would [f]come upon my father?”

Joseph Revealed to His Brothers

45 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I amJoseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I amJoseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has beenin the land, and there arestill five years in which there will beneither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a [g]posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it wasnot you whosent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not [h]tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there arestill five years of famine.” ’

12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it ismy mouth that speaks to you. 13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the [i]fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt isyours.’ ”

21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts,[j] according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred piecesof silver and five changes of garments. 23 And he sent to his father these things:ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph isstill alive, and he isgovernor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It isenough. Joseph my son isstill alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Footnotes:

  • Genesis 43:6 Lit. wickedly
  • Genesis 43:16 Lit. a slaughter
  • Genesis 43:18 Lit. roll himself upon us
  • Genesis 44:1 Lit. the one over
  • Genesis 44:12 finished with
  • Genesis 44:34 Lit. find
  • Genesis 45:7 remnant
  • Genesis 45:9 delay
  • Genesis 45:18 The choicest produce
  • Genesis 45:21 wagons

Matthew 12:24-50

24 Now when the Pharisees heard itthey said, “This fellowdoes not cast out demons except by [a]Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast themout? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The Unpardonable Sin

31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy againstthe Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the ageto come.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by itsfruit. 34 Brood[b] of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure [c]of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah ishere. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon ishere.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds itempty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last stateof that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes:

  • Matthew 12:24 NU, M Beelzebul,a Philistine deity
  • Matthew 12:34 Offspring
  • Matthew 12:35 NU, M omit of his heart

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“You cannot know until after you believe and speak; that is the order: believe, speak, know.” Walt

PRAYER REQUESTS 

UPDATE: PRAISE REPORT & PRAYER REQUEST: Sister Marisa went Home to the Lord.  Please Pray for her husband and children.  

Please Pray for Albert Chong, Lee Yih’s son in law. Albert had a massive heart attack and is currently in an induced coma. Latest update from Lee’s daughter, Christie Chong:

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you so much for the many emails, texts, and phone calls that we received today expressing your deep love and concern for Albert and our family.  It has helped to comfort, encourage, and support me through this incredibly harrowing experience.

Some of the details got a little fuzzy in my quick texts, so here is my more detailed account:

What Happened to Albert?

On Monday, Jan 14th, at 2:00am, Albert was awoken by chest pain that didn’t feel right.  He tried to go back to sleep and took some aspirin but didn’t feel better.  By 2:30am, he decided to wake me up to drive him to the hospital rather than risking driving himself.  He recognized the symptoms of a heart attack but remained calm.  We were out the door by 2:40amand left the girls sleeping in their rooms.  (We had WiFi monitors on them so we could check on them and by God’s grace, they slept through it all and my mother-in-law got to the house before they even woke up.)  I knew this was a serious emergency when Albert told me to leave the girls by themselves at home, speed-drive, and even run red lights (which is so against his nature).  We got to the ER in record time (13min), while Albert called ahead to let them know to expect him.  He got checked in while I parked and waited for a bit in the lobby.

At around 3:10am, I had enough of waiting and went inside to look for him in the ER bay.  He had gotten a first EKG and it looked normal.  What a relief.  He was getting pain meds for what felt like severe pain in his chest, causing him to sweat.  He said the pain was getting worse.  At around 3:30amthe ER doc called for a 2nd EKG and at first, the nurse had a hard time finding a reading because Albert was “fidgeting” and not holding still.  This was because his body was building up to a sudden violent convulsion.  He was going into cardiac arrest (V-TACH)!  It was the most terrifying thing I have ever seen and I will spare you the details.  Suddenly, everyone was rushing around him, pushing buttons that made lights flash, yelling for the docs, etc.  

One of the docs ushered me out of the room, saying, “You don’t want to see this as it’s quite traumatic.”  Stuck in the waiting room down the hall was so nerve-wracking as I kept hearing the “cardiac alert” announcement on the PA and knowing it was Albert.  I snuck back a few times to peek through the window only to see his toes sticking out at the end of the bed, people crowding around the bed, shocking him, giving him CPR, doing chest compressions, passing different medicines back and forth…  I couldn’t bear to keep watching.  I could only pray and beg God for mercy on Albert.  Later, I was grateful that we got there in time with about 30min to spare before he went into cardiac arrest.  It was close and I was sobered at the thought that he could have died had he been anywhere else but inside the hospital during that critical time.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they stabilized him and the cardiology team arrived.  Later I found out that the ER team were having trouble resuscitating him each time.  They ended up shocking him a total of 12 times.  It was a very bad heart attack.  They were able to take him upstairs to the cath lab to find out where the blockages were.  The procedure started at 4:15amand lasted about an hour.  

Afterwards, they noticed abnormal shaking, which is a sign of a potential neurological problem.  So to be proactive in protecting his brain functions, they put him in a hypothermic coma to shutdown his body and give his brain a chance to rest and recover without being overtaxed.  This was troubling to me because Albert never came to and they didn’t get to evaluate him to see if he was OK after the cardiac arrest.  We would have to wait a grueling 48-72 hours to find out if there was any damage to his brain during such a long time of being in cardiac arrest.  But this is giving him his best chance at recovery at this point.  The cardiologist explained to me that this was not a “run-of-the-mill” heart attack, but quite a complicated one given the events.

How is Albert now?

For the hypothermic coma, they took a long time to cool his body down to 33oC (~92oF) and they have to keep it at that constant temp for 24 hours, taking his blood every half an hour, monitoring his breathing and heart rate, etc.  He had what seemed like a dozen IV bags of medicines and fluids, plus machines that were hooked up to him, and his skin felt cold to the touch.  Once the 24 hours are up (Tues morning), they will start to warm his body up 0.25 degrees per hour (or 2) until he reaches 36 degrees Celsius.  This could take 12 hours, or, if they go doubly slow, it could take 24 more hours.  The docs are leaning toward taking it slow since a brand-new study just got released about the positive effects of that slow rate.  So, we may be looking at another 24-48 hours before they try to wake him up.  That means we are looking at maybe Wed or Thurs possibly getting a chance to learn how Albert was affected.  Tomorrow, they will monitor brain waves to protect against seizures.  Later on, he will get a CAT scan or MRI to evaluate brain function.  So, for now, it is just a waiting game at this point.  Nothing we can do except Pray!

Brother Walt requests Prayer for Kathy his dear friend’s wife. Kathy was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition known as dermatomyositischaracterized by skin rash and muscle weakness, and which had a rapid onset about six weeks ago. There is no cure. Treatment is chemotherapy to kill the immune system, which is attacking her skin and muscle cells, and prednisone to reduce the inflammatory response.  They are headed to Stanford to engage medical treatment experts for this rare disease at the end of January. They have three beautiful and talented children. One goes to Brown, the other Stanford and the youngest is a sophomore in high school. Though Kathy is a kind, loving person, she has been a bit resistant to the Gospel; she has a new age concept of Elohim and not sure she knows Yeshua or whether He knows her.  Gerard is a faithful Catholic and believes in the power of Prayer. We Pray that in the midst of this trial, Kathy would accept Yeshua into her heart, and develop an insatiable appetite to execute Elohom’s will in all areas of her life.  That his mercy would abound in her life, including re-establishing a perfectly healed immune system; that he would repair every damaged cell, DNA strands or base pairs; destroy and clear any viruses or abnormal cells, and miraculously perfect all cells, molecules, nutrients, vitamins and neurotransmitters in her body. We Pray He would heal her mind so that she has an insatiable thirst for the Word and to be assured of her place in the Body of Christ. We Pray He would turn her test into a powerful testimony that transforms the lives of others He will assign to her, especially Sean, Daniella and Grant – her incredible children.  That they too would transformed into Disciples by her healing miracle.  Above all, Father, let your will be done! Amen. 

Please Pray for Brother John LaPorte’s sister, Cathy, who had her gall bladder removed. Please Pray there are no other associated problems. 

Brother Nate, wife Jellah and their daughter Jael arrived in Las Vegas from the Philippines on Christmas Eve.  Unfortunately, they arrived sick.  They are still sick almost 2 weeks later.  Please Pray that God would heal them and also keep Dave and his wife Sally from catching it.

Please continue to Pray for Brother Wayde Yeley’s mother‘s heart condition.  

Please continue to Pray for: 

1) Healing for baby Caden (Kevin Odor’s grandson) – born with Agenesis of the corpus callosum (rare neurological birth defect); and

2) Peace and healing for Marlene Webb – 84-year-old who recently received Christ as her Savior; Pray for her to truly embrace God’s Peace and Plan for her remaining time on earth. (She is very sick with congenital heart failure. )

Please continue to Pray for Brother Juan, David Frear’s father in law. He is recovering from a liver AND kidney transplant. 

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.

Michelle continues to request Prayer for her husband and herself (Michelle and Jesus Arredondo) as they are wanting to start a family.

Please continue to Pray for Micheal Bolognini and his father, Louis Bolognini.  Louis was released from hospital and taken off cancer medication and went into hospice care. Pray they will experience God’s Presence and Hope in Jesus. 

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.)