Confrontation

Day 1/3/2020 – Investing In People

January 3, 2020 By Lyle Brennan Leave a Comment

“Confrontation is one of the highest expressions of love. When done in love and compassion, confrontation is one the kindest things you can do for another person. A refusal to confront when needed, is one of the most selfish things you can do. …Confrontation is not criticizing another; it is helping that person so that he will not be further hurt by his behavior.” Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt H”)

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man

by Walter Henrichsen

Investing In People

Day Three

”Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16

Everyone invests his life in something by virtue of his living. No moment can be saved for another day. Time once spent can never be recaptured. If this life is the seedtime of eternity, how do you best spend your life preparing for your time with God? Scripture answers this question by telling you to invest in the “fruit that remains.”

What is the fruit that remains? The Bible teaches that this imperishable fruit is human beings. Jesus invested His life in people. When He died, He died for people. He urged His followers, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for

the food which endures to eternallife.”5 People are important; people last forever.

Things, on the other hand, have no intrinsic value. A beautiful cup may have utilitarian value in that it helps in getting drink to your mouth, but it is temporal and will not endure the consummation of the age.6 This does not mean that you should misuse temporal resources. Quite the contrary. God will hold you accountable, in part, for how you steward these resources.

As Christ’s obedient servant, use things to invest in people. An axiom of Scripture is: Steward the temporal; give your life in exchange for the eternal. Keep the value of your possessions in proper perspective; they are resources given by God to assist you in investing in “the fruit that remains.” This best prepares you for an eternity with Him. What does your investment portfolio reveal about your belief?

5 John 6:27

6 cf.ll Peter3:10

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Genesis 7-9 Matthew 3 (New King James Version)

Genesis 7-9

The Great Flood

7 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. 2 You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; 3 also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep [a]the species alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will [b]destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” 5 And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him. 6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.

7 So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, of animals that areunclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark— 14 they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 21 And all flesh died that moved on [c]the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath [d]of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.

Noah’s Deliverance

8 Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. 3 And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. 4 Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. 10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.

13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month,the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.

15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark.

God’s Covenant with Creation

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination[e] of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

“While the earth remains,

Seedtime and harvest,

Cold and heat,

Winter and summer,

And day and night

Shall not cease.”

God’s Promise to Noah

9 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move onthe earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning;from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.

“Whoever sheds man’s blood,

By man his blood shall be shed;

For in the image of God

He made man.

And as for you, be fruitful and multiply;

Bring forth abundantly in the earth

And multiply in it.”

8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your [f]descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Noah and His Sons

18 Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

20 And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. 21 Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were [g]turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

24 So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. 25 Then he said:

“Cursed be Canaan;

A servant of servants

He shall be to his brethren.”

26 And he said:

“Blessed be the Lord,

The God of Shem,

And may Canaan be his servant.

May God enlarge Japheth,

And may he dwell in the tents of Shem;

And may Canaan be his servant.”

28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

Footnotes:

Genesis 7:3 Lit. seed
Genesis 7:4 Lit. blot out
Genesis 7:21 the land
Genesis 7:22 LXX, Vg. omit of the spirit
Genesis 8:21 intent or thought
Genesis 9:9 Lit. seed
Genesis 9:23 Lit. backwards

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [a]and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [b]He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Footnotes:

Matthew 3:11 M omits and fire
Matthew 3:16 Or he

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PRAYER REQUESTS

Please Pray for:

Sister Sandra’s family. Our deal Sister Sandra went Home, Monday night, 12/30/2019. Those of us who knew her were Blessed by the Christ-like way she put others above herself. I look forward to seeing her again…until then, I thank God for letting us know and love her while we had her here.

Conor, a college student, who is experiencing deep depression. Pray Conor would trust God and know He is in control. When we worry, the Bible calls it sin; and this sin, snowballs into depression. We have to give all of our concerns over to Him and trust that He wants what’s best for us. (Do you really believe what you say you believe is real?)

God to reveal any lukewarmness that may exist within us that we might repent and “be all-in with Him”.

Revelation‬ ‭3:14-16 “…These things says the‬ ‭ Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.””

Tyler Martin, Rod Martin’s son, who had a terrible freak accident … he went through a plate glass window and suffered multiple severe injuries.

Brother Walt’s granddaughter, Kale’a, and his prodigal son, Elijah.

Sister Kristen and her 2 young daughters.

God to wakeup Rodel who says he is a Christian, but has left his wife and 2 children to move in with another woman.

Miguel’s salvation, a confessed murderer and drug dealer, who lives in Mexico.

A Las Vegas woman that currently is working in an abortion clinic who is very discouraged with what she is doing and seeking counseling as to what to do. Pray God opens her eyes and saves her. Also, regarding the same abortion clinic, Pray God sends Godly women to that clinic daily to be available to minister to the women going in and out of that clinic daily.

The salvation of Brother David Frear’s parents.

Brad and Regena Mitton and their family. Regina has been diagnosed with cancer and Brad has put his landscape business on hold to be with his wife. Pray God will move in the Mittons lives and that He will be glorified.

Jeff from Oregon that has cirrhosis of the liver and has been given only five months to live. He is unsure of his faith and trying to fill in his remaining days traveling. Please Pray God awakens Jeff’s spirit to His Salvation. (Like Jeff, we are all terminal…“So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalms‬ ‭90:12‬)

Larry who has leukemia. Pray God would bring Larry and his love ones closer to Him and His Blessed Hope of Glory.

Lisa Long and her family. Lisa has had for eye surgeries that have failed and she remains blind. Pray for God to direct her path for His glory.

Darrell Blalock who has Parkinson’s disease. Pray for Darrell to have a meaningful and closer walk with the Lord.

John LaPorte and other Brothers and Sisters who are doing ministry at UNLV. (Although they are off for the holidays, pray that they would stay in touch with the UNLV students that they have kindled relationships with. )

A UNLV student named Tyler who is propaganda machine for the enemy. Pray God will radically save Tyler and that our God will use Tyler to bring many to Christ.

Remington, another UNLV student, says he is a new catholic… not a Believer, yet, but says he is a seeker. Pray God reveals His Truth, His Salvation to Remington.

That our families and Brothers and Sisters in Christ will gather together to Pray… Jesus says in Matthew 18:20 (NKJV) “… For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Our unSaved family members and those around us that we have relationships with. Or, is that you? … Have questions &/or need Prayer?… If yes, please reply or call (702) 592-4098.

Family members and those relationships around you who say they are Saved, but their lives don’t show it. And, if that’s happens to be you, the Holy Spirit can change you into a New Creation, Christ in you… but, you must totally surrender everything to Him. (As long as you think you can do it on your own, He’ll let you; and, you will fail.) … Have questions &/or need Prayer?… If yes, please reply or call (702) 592-4098.

Our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sins that are drowning us. Lukewarmness, abortion, sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, rebellion, covetousness, etc. 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.”

… AND YET, God is Sovereign and has called us to live in such a time as this and to be His Light in the darkness… to give Hope to some. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

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.

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.)

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

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

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.

Scott’s salvation and healing. Scott is a commercial real estate broker.

Our President and ALL our government leaders of both parties. Pray they would submit their authority to God’s 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.

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!

Women’s Pro-Life ministries in Las Vegas and throughout the world …that they would lead women to the Lord and continue to assist in saving babies’ lives.

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

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!

Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr.

Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS.

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)

Biblical “headship” in families.

All the children.

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.”

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 and heads up Touch Baja.)

Touch Baja ministry. Touch Baja is a Christian ministry based in Mexico touching the saved and unsaved lives of the Mexican people focused on real discipleship; truly changing lives through Christ. From church planting discipleship ministries to half-way houses for the Mexican youth, Touch Baja needs our Prayers, support and physical involvement. One person can make a difference… whether an individual or a group, if you are interested in seeking an international missionary opportunity that’s not that far from home, here it is… you are needed and welcome. Please check out Touch Baja and consider becoming a real partner and getting involved: http://www.touchbaja.com. (I am personally available to share with you about the ministry… I have 20+ years of stories and history.)

Makers Way ministry feeds poor families in NLV. Check it out and if you are lead to help or give, contact Mike at (702) 596-9103 or give online at:

http://ccmeadowmesa.com

As it’s that time again when candidates for Congress and other government offices are making their rounds drumming up support to make a run to get elected. Please Pray for God to position Real Deal Christian men and women in those races that would honor Him above anyone or anything else. If those elected honor Him, they will honor us. (If you or someone you know is running for an office, please let us know so we can Pray for you or them. As the upcoming elections come closer, please Pray for the CANDIDATES:

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Please Pray for Dan Rodimer who is running for the US Congress in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District. Dan is a conservative. He is married with 5 children. Dan says he is a catholic. Please Pray for his salvation and that God would would be made known in Dan’s life in such a way that those that encounter Dan would see Jesus in his life. (https://danrodimer.com)

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Please Pray for FL Congressman Ross Spano. Brother Ed Taney’s daughter Cameron is going to be interning for him starting in January. Pray for wisdom and clear direction from God for him and his staff, and for him to pursue and honor God.

Day 8/11 – Confrontation

August 11, 2019 By Lyle Brennan Leave a Comment

Faith – Romans 4:20-21 (ESV) “No unbelief made Him waver concerning the promise of God, but He grew strong in his faith as He gave glory to God,fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.” Romans 4:20-21

“What is fruit? Galatians 5:22 defines it as love — love which is joy, love which is peace, love which is longsuffering, love which is gentle, good, faithful, meek, and temperate. If we truly love people, we will have authority to give direction to them because they will see the fruitfulness of the Lord’s love blossoming in us.” Jon Courson

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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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Confrontation

Day Two Hundred Twenty-three

“I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them.” 2 Corinthians 13:2

For the most part men love competition and hate confrontation. A man may love a hard game of tennis, but send a subordinate to fire a problem employee. Confrontation plays an important role in the Christian life. Biblical confrontation seeks what is best for the one being confronted. You do not confront others out of anger or a vindictive spirit, as though you seek revenge. “Vengeance is mine,

I will repay, says the Lord.”291 You confront because you seek to help the one being confronted. You confront others for the same reason the Lord confronts

you.

Confrontation is one of the highest expressions of love. When done in love and compassion, confrontation is one the kindest things you can do for another person. A refusal to confront when needed, is one of the most selfish things you can do. The parent who says, “I love my child too much to discipline him,” says in reality, “I love myself too much to discipline, confrontation is too distasteful for me.”

When Jesus said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged,”292 He did not have this type of confrontation in mind. Rather, He warned against the censorious spirit. Confrontation is not criticizing another; it is helping that person so that he will not be further hurt by his behavior.

291 Romans 12:19

292 Matthew 7:1

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Psalm 81-83 Romans 11:19-36 (New King James Version)

Psalm 81-83

An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance

To the Chief Musician. On[a] an instrument of Gath. A Psalmof Asaph.

Sing aloud to God our strength;

Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.

Raise a song and strike the timbrel,

The pleasant harp with the lute.

Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,

At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

For this isa statute for Israel,

A law of the God of Jacob.

This He established in Joseph asa testimony,

When He went throughout the land of Egypt,

WhereI heard a language I did not understand.

“I removed his shoulder from the burden;

His hands were freed from the baskets.

You called in trouble, and I delivered you;

I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I tested you at the waters of [b]Meribah. Selah

“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!

O Israel, if you will listen to Me!

There shall be no foreign god among you;

Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

I amthe Lord your God,

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

“But My people would not heed My voice,

And Israel would havenone of Me.

So I gave them over to [c]their own stubborn heart,

To walk in their own counsels.

“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,

That Israel would walk in My ways!

I would soon subdue their enemies,

And turn My hand against their adversaries.

The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,

But their [d]fate would endure forever.

He would have fed them also with [e]the finest of wheat;

And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

A Plea for Justice

A Psalm of Asaph.

God stands in the congregation of [f]the mighty;

He judges among the [g]gods.

How long will you judge unjustly,

And show partiality to the wicked? Selah

[h]Defend the poor and fatherless;

Do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Deliver the poor and needy;

Free themfrom the hand of the wicked.

They do not know, nor do they understand;

They walk about in darkness;

All the foundations of the earth are [i]unstable.

I said, “You are[j]gods,

And all of you arechildren of the Most High.

But you shall die like men,

And fall like one of the princes.”

Arise, O God, judge the earth;

For You shall inherit all nations.

Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

Do not keep silent, O God!

Do not hold Your peace,

And do not be still, O God!

For behold, Your enemies make a [k]tumult;

And those who hate You have [l]lifted up their head.

They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,

And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from beinga nation,

That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

For they have consulted together with one [m]consent;

They [n]form a confederacy against You:

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;

Moab and the Hagrites;

Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;

Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Assyria also has joined with them;

They have helped the children of Lot. Selah

Deal with them as withMidian,

As withSisera,

As withJabin at the Brook Kishon,

Who perished at En Dor,

Whobecame asrefuse on the earth.

Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,

Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

Who said, “Let us take for ourselves

The pastures of God for a possession.”

O my God, make them like the whirling dust,

Like the chaff before the wind!

As the fire burns the woods,

And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,

So pursue them with Your tempest,

And frighten them with Your storm.

Fill their faces with shame,

That they may seek Your name, O Lord.

Let them be [o]confounded and dismayed forever;

Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,

That they may know that You, whose name alone isthe Lord,

Arethe Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes:

Psalm 81:1 Heb. Al Gittith
Psalm 81:7 Lit. Strifeor Contention
Psalm 81:12 the dictates of their heart
Psalm 81:15 Lit. time
Psalm 81:16 Lit. fat of wheat
Psalm 82:1 Heb. El,lit. God
Psalm 82:1 Judges; Heb. elohim,lit. mighty onesor gods
Psalm 82:3 Vindicate
Psalm 82:5 moved
Psalm 82:6 Judges; Heb. elohim,lit. mighty onesor gods
Psalm 83:2 uproar
Psalm 83:2 Exalted themselves
Psalm 83:5 Lit. heart
Psalm 83:5 Lit. cut a covenant
Psalm 83:17 ashamed

Romans 11:19-36

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said.Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [a]goodness, if you continue in Hisgoodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who arenatural branches,be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own [b]opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be [c]saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

For this isMy covenant with them,

When I take away their sins.”

28 Concerning the gospel they areenemies for your sake, but concerning the election they arebeloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God areirrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has [d]committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable areHis judgments and His ways past finding out!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has become His counselor?”

“Or who has first given to Him

And it shall be repaid to him?”

36 For of Him and through Him and to Him areall things, to whom beglory forever. Amen.

Footnotes:

Romans 11:22 NU adds of God
Romans 11:25 estimation
Romans 11:26 Or delivered
Romans 11:32 shut them all up in

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PRAYER REQUESTS

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.

UPDATE: You can’t make this stuff up… Sounds like a script for a movie…

As you may know, we have kept Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico on our Prayer Request list for quite a while now. This Sister and her family, in a short time period, has been hit with a more tragedies(persecution) than most of us in an entire life time… the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children. 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. Although we, His Children, are closely monitoring what assistance the Family of God might be able to provide the family through our Brother Ron Brink, in Mexico… our Prayers are essential. Please don’t relent!

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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UPDATE: 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.)

Praise Report: Please continue to Pray for Brother David Porter’s friend’s son, Giovanni (18yrs old). He has checked out of inpatient behavioral health facility and is doing better. You will remember, he was sent to the facility and was on suicide watch. Please continue to 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 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 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. 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.

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. Brothers and Sisters, let’s take advantage of our God given opportunities, 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 save babies.

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

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 7/2 – Contrasting Ministries

July 2, 2019 By Lyle Brennan Leave a Comment

Salvation Not by Works – Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Biblical “Commandments are by their nature clear and concise; you find them in the imperative voice. There is no ambiguity in “do not steal,” and “husbands, love your wives.” You may disagree on what loving your wife looks like, but the command is not ambiguous. Doctrine may be ambiguous, but commands are not. Most men love competition and hate confrontation. For this reason they are willing to surrender to the argument of their wives that commandments like head covering in 1 Corinthians 11 are cultural. Christians are far more influenced by their culture than they are by Scripture.” Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”)

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A history of these Daily Devotions can be found at: lylebrennan.com.

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Contrasting Ministries

Day One Hundred Eighty-three

”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

A lawyer came to Jesus with an important question: How does one get to heaven? It is the test of orthodoxy for all religions, and the lawyer wanted to test Jesus. He didn’t want the correct answer; he wanted to see how Jesus would answer. Jesus referred him to the Law, and the Lawyer correctly responded with the summary of the Law. When Jesus agreed with him, he asked, ‘Who is my neighbor?” That question prompted the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Levite and Priest are vocational religious workers. They were professional ministers and they didn’t love their neighbor. The Samaritan, a layman not in the ministry, loved his neighbor. He who was in the ministry wasn’t ministering, and he who wasn’t in the ministry was ministering. The vocational religious workers saw ministry in terms of programs, the layman in terms of people. The Levite and Priest said, “My meeting is more important than that man’s needs, and if he wants my help, let him come to where I minister and I will meet him on my terms.”

The Samaritan met the stranger on the stranger’s terms. In all probability: 1 – The Samaritan had a schedule he was willing to interrupt for the sake of this need. 2- He probably never saw the stranger before or since. 3 – Getting involved was messy resulting in blood all over his clothes. 4 -The stranger was never able to repay the favor.

How do you view ministry? Are you a Levite or a Samaritan?

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Job 22-24 Acts 11 (New King James Version)

Job 22-24

Eliphaz Accuses Job of Wickedness

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

“Can a man be profitable to God,

Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

Is itany pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?

Or is itgain to Himthat you make your ways blameless?

“Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,

And enters into judgment with you?

Isnot your wickedness great,

And your iniquity without end?

For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason,

And stripped the naked of their clothing.

You have not given the weary water to drink,

And you have withheld bread from the hungry.

But the [a]mighty man possessed the land,

And the honorable man dwelt in it.

You have sent widows away empty,

And the [b]strength of the fatherless was crushed.

Therefore snares areall around you,

And sudden fear troubles you,

Or darkness so thatyou cannot see;

And an abundance of water covers you.

“Is not God in the height of heaven?

And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!

And you say, ‘What does God know?

Can He judge through the deep darkness?

Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,

And He walks above the circle of heaven.’

Will you keep to the old way

Which wicked men have trod,

Who were cut down before their time,

Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?

They said to God, ‘Depart from us!

What can the Almighty do to [c]them?’

Yet He filled their houses with good things;

But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

“The righteous see itand are glad,

And the innocent laugh at them:

‘Surely our [d]adversaries are cut down,

And the fire consumes their remnant.’

“Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace;

Thereby good will come to you.

Receive, please, instruction from His mouth,

And lay up His words in your heart.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;

You will remove iniquity far from your tents.

Then you will lay your gold in the dust,

And the goldof Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

Yes, the Almighty will be your [e]gold

And your precious silver;

For then you will have your delight in the Almighty,

And lift up your face to God.

You will make your prayer to Him,

He will hear you,

And you will pay your vows.

You will also declare a thing,

And it will be established for you;

So light will shine on your ways.

When they cast youdown, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’

Then He will save the humble person.

He will evendeliver one who is not innocent;

Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments

23 Then Job answered and said:

“Even today my complaint is bitter;

[f]My hand is listless because of my groaning.

Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,

ThatI might come to His seat!

I would present mycase before Him,

And fill my mouth with arguments.

I would know the words whichHe would answer me,

And understand what He would say to me.

Would He contend with me in His great power?

No! But He would take noteof me.

There the upright could reason with Him,

And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

“Look, I go forward, but He is not there,

And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;

When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.

But He knows the way that I take;

WhenHe has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot has held fast to His steps;

I have kept His way and not turned aside.

I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;

I have treasured the words of His mouth

More than my [g]necessary food.

“But He isunique, and who can make Him change?

And whateverHis soul desires, thatHe does.

For He performs what isappointed for me,

And many such things arewith Him.

Therefore I am terrified at His presence;

When I consider this,I am afraid of Him.

For God made my heart weak,

And the Almighty terrifies me;

Because I was not cut off [h]from the presence of darkness,

And He did nothide deep darkness from my face.

Job Complains of Violence on the Earth

“Sincetimes are not hidden from the Almighty,

Why do those who know Him see not His days?

“Someremove landmarks;

They seize flocks violently and feed on them;

They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;

They take the widow’s ox as a pledge.

They push the needy off the road;

All the poor of the land are forced to hide.

Indeed, likewild donkeys in the desert,

They go out to their work, searching for food.

The wilderness yieldsfood for them andfor theirchildren.

They gather their fodder in the field

And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.

They spend the night naked, without clothing,

And have no covering in the cold.

They are wet with the showers of the mountains,

And huddle around the rock for want of shelter.

“Somesnatch the fatherless from the breast,

And take a pledge from the poor.

They cause the poorto go naked, without clothing;

And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

They press out oil within their walls,

And tread winepresses, yet suffer thirst.

The dying groan in the city,

And the souls of the wounded cry out;

Yet God does not charge themwith wrong.

“There are those who rebel against the light;

They do not know its ways

Nor abide in its paths.

The murderer rises with the light;

He kills the poor and needy;

And in the night he is like a thief.

The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight,

Saying, ‘No eye will see me’;

And he [i]disguises hisface.

In the dark they break into houses

Which they marked for themselves in the daytime;

They do not know the light.

For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death;

If someonerecognizes them,

They are inthe terrors of the shadow of death.

“They should beswift on the face of the waters,

Their portion should becursed in the earth,

So thatno one wouldturn into the way of their vineyards.

As drought and heat [j]consume the snow waters,

So[k]the grave consumes those whohave sinned.

The womb shouldforget him,

The worm shouldfeed sweetly on him;

He shouldbe remembered no more,

And wickedness shouldbe broken like a tree.

For he [l]preys on the barren whodo not bear,

And does no good for the widow.

“But Goddraws the mighty away with His power;

He rises up, but no manis sure of life.

He gives them security, and they rely on it;

Yet His eyes areon their ways.

They are exalted for a little while,

Then they are gone.

They are brought low;

They are [m]taken out of the way like all others;

They dry out like the heads of grain.

“Now if it isnot so,who will prove me a liar,

And make my speech worth nothing?”

Footnotes:

Job 22:8 Lit. man of arm
Job 22:9 Lit. arms
Job 22:17 LXX, Syr. us
Job 22:20 LXX substance is
Job 22:25 Ancient vss. suggest defense;MT gold,as in v. 24
Job 23:2 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. His
Job 23:12 Lit. appointed portion
Job 23:17 Or byor before
Job 24:15 Lit. puts a covering on his face
Job 24:19 Lit. seize
Job 24:19 Or Sheol
Job 24:21 Lit. feeds on
Job 24:24 Lit. gathered up

Acts 11

Peter Defends God’s Grace

11 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

4 But Peter explained itto them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gaveus when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Barnabas and Saul at Antioch

19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Relief to Judea

27 And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

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PRAYER REQUESTS

Please Pray for Brother David Frear’s family. David’s father-law, Juan, whom we have been Praying for for months, passed away on 6/27/2019 .

Please Pray for Brother Tom Rolfstad who is having a surgical aortic heart valve replacement on July 8th. Pray that Tom and those who surround him would be drawn closer to the Lord.

Please Pray for Brother Mark P, a missionary in the Philippines.

He said they have an unfolding issue with a senior leader, who has had a significant, long term sin revealed. This person was second under Mark over the entire ministry. Once the sin was revealed, it seems the sin runs deeper and farther than anyone could imagine. Mark says, for him personally, this is big one. “This is the last person I would ever have expected, a true friend, someone both myself and my wife genuinely love, our longest standing national in leadership.” Currently, “they have resigned from ministry and have start the blame and slander game to keep the focus off themselves.” A lot of pain going around right now. Mark asks for Prayer, specifically, in 2 areas:

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

2 – … Repentance needs to come from this individual.

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

for Mark, Mark’s wife and this individual caught in the web sin. … 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 to Pray for Sister Sonia’s x-husband, Raymond, he has prostrate cancer. His prognosis seems positive, but please Pray for him.

Sister Diane’s grandson, Logan, is scheduled for eye surgery 7/15/2019. Please continue to Pray for Logan and his surgeon.

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.

Brother Rick Pavlat wife, Ollie, recently had a stroke. She is doing better but her left side has been affected. She is going to need rehabilitation and we would greatly appreciate Prayer. Additionally, as Rick and Ollie are semi-retired missionaries, they have no insurance and request your Prayers for cover the cost of care resulting from the stroke.

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 Jim Nelson and family ministering in China.

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 these young people.

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.

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 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.”

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Day 1/10 – The Price of Peace

January 10, 2019 By Lyle Brennan Leave a Comment

He supplies your every need – Philippians‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians‬ ‭4:19

God “…promises us that if we will devote ourselves to His cause, He will greatly reward us in heaven. I frequently hear believers say that they could never be motivated by so base a thing as eternal profit; such motivation smacks of selfishness. This kind of piety may be a cloak covering a fear of God holding them accountable for how they invested their lives, an accounting that appreciably influences their standard of living in eternity. Not wanting such accountability, they hide behind piety.” 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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The Price of Peace

Day Ten

“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans

12:18

The family unit affords a vivid illustration of this truth. The better we know someone the more difficult it seems to maintain peace. There are probably two reasons for this. First, because we know them well their weaknesses and idiosyncrasies become glaringly apparent. Second, familiarity tends to invite presumption; we are prone to impose on those close to us. Thus the family becomes an environment inviting confrontation.

It is in the nature of the case that people believe that they give to a relationship more than they receive. There may be notable exceptions, but generally the perception of the wife is that she gives more to the marriage than her husband, and if they have a happy marriage, it is because she is willing to do so. Ironically, the perception of her husband is the exact opposite. This phenomenon has to be factored into all relationships in order for peace to exist. Selfishness must yield to giving more than you receive.

The world, on the other hand, encourages individualism, which leads to isolation. Children are encouraged to draw away from their families, indulging their own appetites. The heroes of entertainment portray lives of hedonism and selfishness. Incompatibility is adequate ground for divorce. The family fractures and each goes his own way. Then on special days the media portrays the gathered family living in beautiful harmony. The autonomous individual feels lonely, alienated, and angry. Frustrated that he has never had such an experience, he concludes that he is a victim; somebody has wronged him.

In reality, the fault is his. He refuses to freely give of himself without demanding reciprocity. He is not willing to overlook the faults in others that seem to him to be so obnoxious. In short, he is unwilling to pay the price of peace, not defined by the absence of tribulation, but the presence of things like forgiveness, biblical love, and gentleness.

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Genesis 25-26 Matthew 8:1-17 (New King James Version)

Genesis 25-26

Abraham and Keturah

25 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

Abraham’s Death and Burial

7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

The Families of Ishmael and Isaac

12 Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13 And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 [a]Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their [b]settlements, twelve princes according to their nations. 17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He [c]died in the presence of all his brethren.

19 This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. 21 Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

23 And the Lord said to her:

“Two nations are in your womb,

Two peoples shall be separated from your body;

One people shall be stronger than the other,

And the older shall serve the younger.”

24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name [d]Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called [e]Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a [f]mild man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called [g]Edom.

31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

33 Then Jacob said, [h]“Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Isaac and Abimelech

26 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, [i]showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”

10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

17 Then Isaac departed from there and [j]pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.

19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well [k]Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name [l]Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name [m]Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a [n]covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.’ ”

30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it [o]Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is [p]Beersheba to this day.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

Footnotes:

Genesis 25:15 MT Hadad

Genesis 25:16 camps

Genesis 25:18 fell

Genesis 25:25 Lit. Hairy

Genesis 25:26 Supplanter or Deceitful, lit. One Who Takes the Heel

Genesis 25:27 Lit. complete

Genesis 25:30 Lit. Red

Genesis 25:33 Take an oath

Genesis 26:8 caressing

Genesis 26:17 camped

Genesis 26:20 Lit. Quarrel

Genesis 26:21 Lit. Enmity

Genesis 26:22 Lit. Spaciousness

Genesis 26:28 treaty

Genesis 26:33 Lit. Oath or Seven

Genesis 26:33 Lit. Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven

Matthew 8:1-17

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed

14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served [a]them.

Many Healed in the Evening

16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“He Himself took our infirmities

And bore our sicknesses.”

Footnotes:

Matthew 8:15 NU, M Him

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

PRAYER REQUESTS

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 Prayed a few days ago to receive 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. Thanks )

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

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 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.

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.”