prActice

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.)