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Day 12/11 – Sacrifice and Service

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Prayer  – Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)  “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

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“You do not give to people because they gave to you.  Rather you give because you are the obedient servant of Jesus and He asks you to give, and because God meets your needs.  You must relate to others the same way that Jesus related to people.  He did not come into the world go get, but to give; not to be served, but to serve.  Emulate the way He lived, and look to your Father for the meeting of your needs.”     Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt H”)

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

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man 

by Walter Henrichsen

Sacrifice and Service

Day Three Hundred Forty-five

“When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you?'” John 13:12

When Peter sought to stop Jesus from washing his feet, the Savior said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.”441    Peter, eager to be “part” of Jesus, suggested that the Lord wash all of him.  Jesus responded by saying that the feet were enough.  In His explanation of what He had done, Jesus said, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.442   How does Jesus statement that they are being cleansed relate to His observation regarding your need to emulate His servanthood?

Just as Jesus sacrificed His dignity in washing their feet, so too He was about to sacrifice His life.  In this ceremony, Jesus calls upon the disciples to sacrifice themselves in service to others.  You cannot separate service from sacrifice; servanthood is sacrifice.  Whenever you serve others without cost, you cannot call it biblical servanthood as seen in the illustration of my offering you a ride to the same destination that I would be going without you. Nor is the desire for reciprocity biblical servanthood.  For example, I promise to care for your children this weekend because I can foresee the time when I am going to want you to care for my children.  So too, whenever you tell someone you don’t want them to serve you if they don’t want to, or if it costs them too much, you are not allowing them to practice biblical servanthood.

The King became a servant.  The disciples were cleansed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, as illustrated by His washing their feet.  The King wishes those He cleanses to be servants, and servanthood requires sacrifice.  You follow His example, not by trying to cleanse others, but by sacrificially giving of yourself for others. 

441  John 13:8

442  John 13:14

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Hosea 5-8 Revelation 2 (New King James Version)

Hosea 5-8

Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah

5 

“Hear this, O priests!

Take heed, O house of Israel!

Give ear, O house of the king!

For [a]yours is the judgment,

Because you have been a snare to Mizpah

And a net spread on Tabor.

2 

The revolters are deeply involved in slaughter,

Though I rebuke them all.

3 

I know Ephraim,

And Israel is not hidden from Me;

For now, O Ephraim, you commit harlotry;

Israel is defiled.

4 

“They[b] do not direct their deeds

Toward turning to their God,

For the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,

And they do not know the Lord.

5 

The pride of Israel testifies to his face;

Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;

Judah also stumbles with them.

6 

“With their flocks and herds

They shall go to seek the Lord,

But they will not find Him;

He has withdrawn Himself from them.

7 

They have dealt treacherously with the Lord,

For they have begotten [c]pagan children.

Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.

8 

“Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah,

The trumpet in Ramah!

Cry aloud at Beth Aven,

‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!’

9 

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke;

Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.

10 

“The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark;

I will pour out My wrath on them like water.

11 

Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment,

Because he willingly walked by human precept.

12 

Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth,

And to the house of Judah like rottenness.

13 

“When Ephraim saw his sickness,

And Judah saw his wound,

Then Ephraim went to Assyria

And sent to King Jareb;

Yet he cannot cure you,

Nor heal you of your wound.

14 

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

And like a young lion to the house of Judah.

I, even I, will tear them and go away;

I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.

15 

I will return again to My place

Till they [d]acknowledge their offense.

Then they will seek My face;

In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

A Call to Repentance

6 

Come, and let us return to the Lord;

For He has torn, but He will heal us;

He has stricken, but He will [e]bind us up.

2 

After two days He will revive us;

On the third day He will raise us up,

That we may live in His sight.

3 

Let us know,

Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.

His going forth is established as the morning;

He will come to us like the rain,

Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

4 

“O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?

O Judah, what shall I do to you?

For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,

And like the early dew it goes away.

5 

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,

I have slain them by the words of My mouth;

And [f]your judgments are like light that goes forth.

6 

For I desire mercy[g] and not sacrifice,

And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 

“But like [h]men they transgressed the covenant;

There they dealt treacherously with Me.

8 

Gilead is a city of evildoers

And [i]defiled with blood.

9 

As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man,

So the company of priests murder on the way to Shechem;

Surely they commit lewdness.

10 

I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:

There is the [j]harlotry of Ephraim;

Israel is defiled.

11 

Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,

When I return the captives of My people.

Israel Has Rebelled Against God

7 

“When I would have healed Israel,

Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered,

And the wickedness of Samaria.

For they have committed fraud;

A thief comes in;

A band of robbers [k]takes spoil outside.

2 

They [l]do not consider in their hearts

That I remember all their wickedness;

Now their own deeds have surrounded them;

They are before My face.

3 

They make a king glad with their wickedness,

And princes with their lies.

4 

“They are all adulterers.

Like an oven heated by a baker—

He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough,

Until it is leavened.

5 

In the day of our king

Princes have made him sick, [m]inflamed with wine;

He stretched out his hand with scoffers.

6 

They prepare their heart like an oven,

While they lie in wait;

[n]Their baker sleeps all night;

In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.

7 

They are all hot, like an oven,

And have devoured their judges;

All their kings have fallen.

None among them calls upon Me.

8 

“Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples;

Ephraim is a cake unturned.

9 

Aliens have devoured his strength,

But he does not know it;

Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him,

Yet he does not know it.

10 

And the pride of Israel testifies to his face,

But they do not return to the Lord their God,

Nor seek Him for all this.

Futile Reliance on the Nations

11 

“Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without [o]sense—

They call to Egypt,

They go to Assyria.

12 

Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them;

I will bring them down like birds of the air;

I will chastise them

According to what their congregation has heard.

13 

“Woe to them, for they have fled from Me!

Destruction to them,

Because they have transgressed against Me!

Though I redeemed them,

Yet they have spoken lies against Me.

14 

They did not cry out to Me with their heart

When they wailed upon their beds.

“They [p]assemble together for grain and new wine,

[q]They rebel against Me;

15 

Though I disciplined and strengthened their arms,

Yet they devise evil against Me;

16 

They return, but not [r]to the Most High;

They are like a treacherous bow.

Their princes shall fall by the sword

For the cursings of their tongue.

This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

The Apostasy of Israel

8 

“Set the [s]trumpet to your mouth!

He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord,

Because they have transgressed My covenant

And rebelled against My law.

2 

Israel will cry to Me,

‘My God, we know You!’

3 

Israel has rejected the good;

The enemy will pursue him.

4 

“They set up kings, but not by Me;

They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.

From their silver and gold

They made idols for themselves—

That they might be cut off.

5 

Your [t]calf [u]is rejected, O Samaria!

My anger is aroused against them—

How long until they attain to innocence?

6 

For from Israel is even this:

A workman made it, and it is not God;

But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

7 

“They sow the wind,

And reap the whirlwind.

The stalk has no bud;

It shall never produce meal.

If it should produce,

Aliens would swallow it up.

8 

Israel is swallowed up;

Now they are among the Gentiles

Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.

9 

For they have gone up to Assyria,

Like a wild donkey alone by itself;

Ephraim has hired lovers.

10 

Yes, though they have hired among the nations,

Now I will gather them;

And they shall [v]sorrow a little,

Because of the [w]burden of the king of princes.

11 

“Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin,

They have become for him altars for sinning.

12 

I have written for him the great things of My law,

But they were considered a strange thing.

13 

For the sacrifices of My offerings they sacrifice flesh and eat it,

But the Lord does not accept them.

Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.

They shall return to Egypt.

14 

“For Israel has forgotten his Maker,

And has built [x]temples;

Judah also has multiplied fortified cities;

But I will send fire upon his cities,

And it shall devour his [y]palaces.”

Footnotes:

  • Hosea 5:1 Or to you
  • Hosea 5:4 Or Their deeds will not allow them to turn
  • Hosea 5:7 Lit. strange
  • Hosea 5:15 Lit. become guilty or bear punishment
  • Hosea 6:1 Bandage
  • Hosea 6:5 Or the judgments on you
  • Hosea 6:6 Or faithfulness or loyalty
  • Hosea 6:7 Or Adam
  • Hosea 6:8 Lit. foot-tracked
  • Hosea 6:10 Spiritual adultery
  • Hosea 7:1 plunders
  • Hosea 7:2 Lit. do not say to
  • Hosea 7:5 Lit. with the heat of
  • Hosea 7:6 So with MT, Vg.; Syr., Tg. Their anger; LXX Ephraim
  • Hosea 7:11 Lit. heart
  • Hosea 7:14 So with MT, Tg.; Vg. thought upon; LXX slashed themselves for (cf. 1 Kin. 18:28)
  • Hosea 7:14 So with MT, Syr., Tg.; LXX omits They rebel against Me;Vg. They departed from Me
  • Hosea 7:16 Or upward
  • Hosea 8:1 ram’s horn, Heb. shophar
  • Hosea 8:5 Golden calf image
  • Hosea 8:5 Or has rejected you
  • Hosea 8:10 Or begin to diminish
  • Hosea 8:10 Or oracle or proclamation
  • Hosea 8:14 Or palaces
  • Hosea 8:14 Or citadels

Revelation 2

The Loveless Church

2 “To the [a]angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your [b]patience, and that you cannot [c]bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

The Persecuted Church

8 “And to the [d]angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a [e]synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’

The Compromising Church

12 “And to the [f]angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, [g]which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

The Corrupt Church

18 “And to the [h]angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 “I know your works, love, [i]service, faith, and your [j]patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have [k]a few things against you, because you allow [l]that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, [m]to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to [n]repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of [o]their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches[p] the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

24 “Now to you I say, [q]and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I [r]will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

27 

‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;

They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—

as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.

29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

Footnotes:

  • Revelation 2:1 Or messenger
  • Revelation 2:2 perseverance
  • Revelation 2:2 endure
  • Revelation 2:8 Or messenger
  • Revelation 2:9 congregation
  • Revelation 2:12 Or messenger
  • Revelation 2:15 NU, M likewise.
  • Revelation 2:18 Or messenger
  • Revelation 2:19 NU, M faith, service
  • Revelation 2:19 perseverance
  • Revelation 2:20 NU, M against you that you tolerate
  • Revelation 2:20 M your wife Jezebel
  • Revelation 2:20 NU, M and teaches and seduces
  • Revelation 2:21 NU, M repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.
  • Revelation 2:22 NU, M her
  • Revelation 2:23 examines
  • Revelation 2:24 NU, M omit and
  • Revelation 2:24 NU, M omit will

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for:

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, I plan to put together a list of candidates to Pray — see the end of this Prayer Request list.)

Brother Mike Welte, Pastor of Calvary Chapel Meadow Mesa (“CCMM”) located in North Las Vegas requested Prayer for both his church and their mission, Makers Way, that feeds some 200 individuals and families each week. As you may know,  national statistics show church attendance is down and consequently so are donations.  This has directly affected Mike’s church and Makers Way. At the bottom of this email is an open letter from Mike to Believers and his church members. 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

Sister Kristen and husband for God to intervene and heal their marriage. Additionally, please Pray for their 2 young daughters. 

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.  

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.)

CANDIDATES:

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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CCMM Open Letter:

November 22, 2019

Greetings to you, fellow believers and church members Calvary Chapel Meadow Mesa (CCMM).

I wanted to send you this letter to inform you of “possible changes” being considered for the weekly ministry activities of CCMM and the church as a whole.

As pastor of CCMM I endeavor to conduct daily ministry and business activity in a manner that is biblically and economically sound and have done so for 16 years. I was mentored and trained in the ministry method that was used by Pastor Chuck Smith and the original Calvary Chapel established in Costa Mesa, California. As every Calvary Chapel Pastor knows, we trust in the LORD and simply ask the LORD to guide us and help us to adhere to the faith based principle, where GOD guides, GOD provides.

We have been blessed at how the LORD has helped us through these 16 years and as a church we have never taken out one single loan and we will intend to continue this pattern as long as this church continues to exist. It is a beautiful feeling to know that we as a church do not have to experience the pressure or stress of having financial debt of any kind.

At this time, the pastors and the advisory council of CCMM realize that our fellowship doesn’t have the number of people attending that it once did. We are not sure why this is the case but we know that attendance is significantly less. We all are doing a massive amount of prayerful reflection and consideration of why this may be the case. The decline in attendance and resulting decline in financial gifts reduced the funds we have available to maintain ministry activities at their present levels. In view of this fact, we need to consider all areas of ministry and whether adjustments need to be made to reduce expenses. GOD calls us to be faithful and ready to respond or adjust to life’s challenges whether we are in abundance or in want.

At this time we are considering a number of changes that we hope will ride through this decline as we pray and hope for a return to better attendance and financial support.

In order to endure these present challenges, we are considering the following steps:

1- reducing the number of Sunday services to two, one at 9:00 service and another at 11:00.  If we truly believe we can save on utilities or any other expenses by taking this action, we hope that our church family will be willing to make the adjustment with us.

2- reducing the number of paid staff members. This area appears to be one area that will have to be addressed.

The estimated pay period which repeats twice a month is $7,000 and that is covering 9 workers –

Pastor Mike, (I-myself) am the only one of the 9 workers who receives a full salary. All other workers receive what could only be considered a “part time” worker salary.

3- reducing the number of days we conduct the Maker’s Way food distribution to one day or entirely. To take an action of this kind would be heartbreaking, over 200 individuals and families are assisted every week through this ministry and, truly, it is one of the most important works of service that flows from CCMM  but in order to address our challenges, we must be willing to have all things on the table.

It is possible that keeping the doors closed would reduce the amount of electricity that the church uses on a monthly basis.

While considering all possible cost savings areas, we are also looking at revenue producing possibilities such as seeking financial grants to assist in our food distribution ministry as well as a number of other creative means to not only support but grow the work and ministry of CCMM.

In summary:

I and the ministry team of CCMM wanted to send this letter as a means to inform you of possible changes. We don’t want to “spring any surprises” upon any of you. I believe the best way to inform you all of possible changes is to list them one by one.

Our request of you at this time is this:

1)  pray for the strength of CCMM that we can overcome the challenges before us.

2) pray that individuals and organizations will learn of the work and ministry CCMM and believe that our work and ministry is worthy of support.

3) pray for your pastors as well as the ministry team and volunteers that, through the blessing of the LORD, have helped maintain the ministry of CCMM for 16 years.

4) pray for your friends, co-workers and family members and invite them to visit CCMM.

5) pray for inspired ideas that GOD may give you as to how you or we can contribute to the CCMM.

Sincerely,

Michael Welte

Day 11/28 – Two Kinds of Law

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Psalm 100 – Thanksgiving 

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

“Your reactions reveal more about your holiness than your actions, for the latter can be motivated by a variety of things other than true holiness.  You may want to conform out of fear of what other people may say or think.  Thus purity, in the final analysis, is first and foremost an issue of the heart.  God lives in you to help you become holy, but the process requires your cooperation.”     Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt H”)

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

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man 

by Walter Henrichsen

Two Kinds of Law

Day Three Hundred Thirty-two

“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.” 1 Corinthians 11:23

As you read Scripture you discover that God instituted two kinds of law: that which reflects His immutable character, and that which does not.  The latter He institutes for reasons that are not always clear, for a particular period of time.  For example, God prohibits idolatry, taking His name in vain, and theft. Commandments  such as these remain inviolable, irrespective of what God does throughout history.  On the other hand, we find commandments in the Old Testament that do not appear in the New, such as, “Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with minp,led seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.”  15  Again, you discover commands in the New Testament that do not appear in the Old, such as the ordinances regarding the care of widows,416  and the length and covering of hair.417

Generally, although not always, those laws reflecting God’s nature are affirmed by conscience.  It is easier to violate God’s commandments when your conscience does not support the command.  For example, when you don’t forgive our conscience doesn’t naturally condemn you; God doesn’t forgive some,415  and in the Old Testament Law they were not commanded to forgive. You must exercise care that you do not conclude that such commandments, because they aren’t part of God’s nature and thus not affirmed by conscience, are therefore non-essential or negotiable.  Such logic can quickly alienate you from God.

415  Leviticus 19:19

416  cf. Titus 5:9

417  cf. I Corinthians 11:1-16

418  cf. Jeremiah 7:16

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Ezekiel 33-34 1 Peter 5 (New King James Version)

Ezekiel 33-34

The Watchman and His Message

33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will [a]save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have [b]delivered your soul.

10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine[c] away in them, how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

The Fairness of God’s Judgment

12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does [d]what is lawful and [e]right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not [f]fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not [g]fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”

The Fall of Jerusalem

21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been [h]captured!”

22 Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

The Cause of Judah’s Ruin

23 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 24 “Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’

25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You eat meat with blood, you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? 26 You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?” ’

27 “Say thus to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and caves shall die of the pestilence. 28 For I will make the land most desolate, [i]her arrogant strength shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through. 29 Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.” ’

Hearing and Not Doing

30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. 33 And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Irresponsible Shepherds

34 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and [j]cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there wasno shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”

7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

God, the True Shepherd

11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, [k]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. 16 “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”

17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the [l]residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a garden[m] of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God.’

31 “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I amyour God,” says the Lord God.

Footnotes:

  • Ezekiel 33:5 Or deliver his soul
  • Ezekiel 33:9 Or saved your life
  • Ezekiel 33:10 Or waste away
  • Ezekiel 33:14 justice
  • Ezekiel 33:14 righteousness
  • Ezekiel 33:17 Or equitable
  • Ezekiel 33:20 Or equitable
  • Ezekiel 33:21 Lit. struck down
  • Ezekiel 33:28 Lit. pride of her strength
  • Ezekiel 34:4 harshness or rigor
  • Ezekiel 34:13 Or by the streams
  • Ezekiel 34:18 remainder
  • Ezekiel 34:29 Lit. planting place

1 Peter 5

Shepherd the Flock

5 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but [a]willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being [b]lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be [c]sober, be [d]vigilant; [e]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But [f]may the God of all grace, who called [g]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, [h]perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Farewell and Peace

12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so doesMark my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Footnotes:

  • 1 Peter 5:2 NU adds according to God
  • 1 Peter 5:3 masters
  • 1 Peter 5:8 self-controlled
  • 1 Peter 5:8 watchful
  • 1 Peter 5:8 NU, M omit because
  • 1 Peter 5:10 NU the God of all grace,
  • 1 Peter 5:10 NU, M you
  • 1 Peter 5:10 NU will perfect

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for:

Sister Kristen and husband for God to intervene and heal their marriage. Additionally, please Pray for their 2 young daughters. 

Bryce, a student at UNLV who recently gave his life to our Savior. Pastor Rich is baptizing him this Saturday at his apartment complex near UNLV.

Brother John Laporte’s cousin, Jeff, who is recovering from having parts of his foot amputated due to diabetes and who does not know the Lord.  Pray Jeff will hear and receive the gospel that John is sharing with him. 

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.  

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.)

The Root of the Season: Giving Thanks for Blessings

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It’s easy to forget in the midst of all the conflict and hatred that surrounds us now to give thanks for the many blessings we have. As November is the month of thanksgiving I’d like to remind you all to take a moment and be thankful.

President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation is below. It’s as appropriate for today as it was when he first delivered it on October 3, 1863. At the time, the country was in the middle of the Civil War and divided in many ways, much as our country is now.

Proclamation of Thanksgiving

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God: to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed who’s God is the Lord.

We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthen us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

Abraham Lincoln

As you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you take a moment to remember to whom we owe thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

2 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.”

Originally Published

https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2019/11/the-root-of-the-season/

Day 9/29 – Anxiety, Fear, and Anger

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Assurance of Salvation  – 1 John 5:13 (ESV)  “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”  1 John 5:13

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.”  Corey Ten Boom

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ATTENTION MEN: Check out Zion Bootcampcoming up the first weekend in December… this is for sure a NOmiss Event …for more information and to register, click: 

11th Annual Zion Boot Camp 2019

(Please register now)

——://///

Anxiety, Fear, and Anger

Day Two Hundred Seventy-two

“Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6

Anxiety is the absence of gratitude in presence of fear and sometimes in the presence of anger.  Fear is directed toward future events or consequences, as illustrated by the person that hates flying because he fears the plane will crash. Anger is directed toward past events or consequences  as illustrated by the person who was cheated in business and can do nothing about it.  There are times when fear and anger become blurred.  For example, you may be angry that the government put you through a thorough audit, and fear that they may do it again.

You experience both fear and anger because you sense you are out of control and do not like it.  For example, my daughter and I go on a wild roller-coaster ride; both of us sense we are out of control; she loves it and I hate it.  I fear what can happen to me and am angry with myself for taking the ride with her.  She loves being out of control while I hate it; she was grateful and I was not.  Two physicians practice medicine.  One loves it and the other hates it; one can hardly wait for the next opportunity to practice medicine, the other can hardly wait for retirement; one is angry and the other is not.  It is an issue of perspective and attitude.

The attitude of your mind reflects your concept of God.  If you feel that you are in the center of God’s will and best served by being where you are, you may feel pressure or pain and be eager for relief, while experiencing the peace of knowing that you are where God wants you.  Like for so many other things, gratitude is the antidote for fear and anger.  The person who seeks to save his life is doomed to a life filled with anxiety.  The one who loses his life with a grateful heart for the sake of Christ and His gospel, will not only find his life, he will be free from anxiety, fear, and anger.

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

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Isaiah 7-8 Ephesians 2 (New King James Version)

Isaiah 7-8

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

7 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, thatRezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to makewar against it, but could not [a]prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are [b]deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.

3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and [c]Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4 and say to him: [d]‘Take heed, and [e]be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and [f]trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— 7 thus says the Lord God:

“It shall not stand,

Nor shall it come to pass.

8 

For the head of Syria isDamascus,

And the head of Damascus isRezin.

Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be [g]broken,

So that it willnot bea people.

9 

The head of Ephraim isSamaria,

And the head of Samaria isRemaliah’s son.

If you will not believe,

Surely you shall not be established.” ’ ”

The Immanuel Prophecy

10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; [h]ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”

13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is ita small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”

18 

And it shall come to pass in that day

Thatthe Lord will whistle for the fly

That isin the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt,

And for the bee that isin the land of Assyria.

19 

They will come, and all of them will rest

In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks,

And on all thorns and in all pastures.

20 

In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor,

With those from beyond [j]the River, with the king of Assyria,

The head and the hair of the legs,

And will also remove the beard.

21 

It shall be in that day

Thata man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep;

22 

So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give,

That he will eat curds;

For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.

23 

It shall happen in that day,

Thatwherever there could be a thousand vines

Wortha thousand shekelsof silver,

It will be for briers and thorns.

24 

With arrows and bows menwill come there,

Because all the land will become briers and thorns.

25 

And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe,

You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns;

But it will become a range for oxen

And a place for sheep to roam.

Assyria Will Invade the Land

8 Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man’s pen concerning [k]Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”

3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; 4 for before the child [l]shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the [m]spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.”

5 The Lord also spoke to me again, saying:

6 

“Inasmuch as these people refused

The waters of Shiloah that flow softly,

And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son;

7 

Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them

The waters of [n]the River, strong and mighty—

The king of Assyria and all his glory;

He will [o]go up over all his channels

And go over all his banks.

8 

He will pass through Judah,

He will overflow and pass over,

He will reach up to the neck;

And the stretching out of his wings

Will [p]fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.[q]

9 

“Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces!

Give ear, all you from far countries.

Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces;

Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.

10 

Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;

Speak the word, but it will not stand,

For [r]God iswith us.”

Fear God, Heed His Word

11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with [s]a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:

12 

“Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’

Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,

Nor be afraid of their [t]threats, nor be [u]troubled.

13 

The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;

LetHim beyour fear,

And letHim beyour dread.

14 

He will be as a [v]sanctuary,

But a stone of stumbling and a rock of [w]offense

To both the houses of Israel,

As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 

And many among them shall stumble;

They shall fall and be broken,

Be snared and [x]taken.”

16 

Bind up the testimony,

Seal the law among my disciples.

17 

And I will wait on the Lord,

Who hides His face from the house of Jacob;

And I will hope in Him.

18 

Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!

Weare for signs and wonders in Israel

From the Lord of hosts,

Who dwells in Mount Zion.

19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should theyseekthe dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it isbecause there[y] isno light in them.

21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse [z]their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will bedriven into darkness.

Footnotes:

  • Isaiah 7:1 conquer it
  • Isaiah 7:2 Lit. settled upon
  • Isaiah 7:3 Lit. A Remnant Shall Return
  • Isaiah 7:4 Be careful
  • Isaiah 7:4 be calm
  • Isaiah 7:6 cause a sickening dread
  • Isaiah 7:8 Lit. shattered
  • Isaiah 7:11 Lit. make the request deep or make it high above
  • Isaiah 7:14 Lit. God-With-Us
  • Isaiah 7:20 The Euphrates
  • Isaiah 8:1 Lit. Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty
  • Isaiah 8:4 knows how
  • Isaiah 8:4 plunder
  • Isaiah 8:7 The Euphrates
  • Isaiah 8:7 Overflow
  • Isaiah 8:8 Lit. be the fullness of
  • Isaiah 8:8 Lit. God-With-Us
  • Isaiah 8:10 Heb. Immanuel
  • Isaiah 8:11 Mighty power
  • Isaiah 8:12 Lit. fearor terror
  • Isaiah 8:12 Lit. in dread
  • Isaiah 8:14 holy abode
  • Isaiah 8:14 stumbling over
  • Isaiah 8:15 captured
  • Isaiah 8:20 Or they have no dawn
  • Isaiah 8:21 Or by their king and by their God

Ephesians 2

By Grace Through Faith

2 And you He made alive,who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised usup together, and made ussit together in the heavenly placesin Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in Hiskindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it isthe gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Brought Near by His Blood

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is,the law of commandments containedin ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man fromthe two, thusmaking peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Footnotes:

  • Ephesians 2:2 Gr. aion,aeon

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for Jeff from Oregon that has cirrhosis of the liver and has been given only six 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)

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

Please Pray for Sister Kay’s great grandchildren and Sister Diana’s grandchildren: Logan, the two-year-old is really sick with some kind of a bug he keeps throwing up and running a fever and coughing; and, the two month old has colic. Sister Kiara, the mother, is working in Joplin, MO and has over an hour drive each way which makes for a long day away from her children.  (Kay and Dianna are helping Kiara’s husband take care of the children.)

Please continue to Pray for Lisa Long and her family …  UPDATE: as you know, Lisa was scheduled to have surgery Wednesday, September 18, on her eyes… awaiting an update as to the results of that surgery, we found out she did not have the surgery. Prior to the scheduled surgery, she fell out of bed resulting in dislocating her shoulder, and because of the bleeding and swelling, the doctor postponed the surgery. We continue to Pray for His Miraculous Holy Touch on Lisa and those surrounding her. 

Please continue to Pray for Darrell Blalock who has Parkinson’s disease.  Pray for Darrell to become closer to the Lord. 

Please continue to Pray for John LaPorte whose doing ministry at UNLV … a student named Tyler is propaganda machine for the enemy… he continuously interrupts their ministry.  Pray God will intervene and radically save Tyler and that our God will use Tyler to bring many to Christ.  (Please continue to Pray for God’s supernatural strength of the witnessing group members as several are weakening.)

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Brother JohnLaPorte reports… Bryce, a UNLV student who recently received the Lord and came from occult background is engaging Tyler and defending the Faith. Please Pray for God to Grow Bryce and use him in a Holy Mighty Way.    

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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. 

Please Pray 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.”

Please pray for Lisa Greene who is having both her hips replaced… Pray for her surgeon and her quickly for coverage and that God will be seen in her.  

Please continue to  Pray for Brother Lance going through perilous times. Pray he would let God’s strength and peace show through his weakness and his testimony be a Blessing to many. 

Please continue to  Pray for 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. 

Please continue to  Pray for 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. 

Please continue to Pray for 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

Please Pray for Brother Robert traveling to preach in several churches in several states. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please continue to Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by ISIS – Pray for their protection and their ministry.  For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr.

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 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 9/16 – The Weaker Brother

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Fellowship  – Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV). “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:24-25

“You will never exaggerate when you speak good things of God. It is not possible to do so. Try, dear brethren, and boast in the Lord.”  Charles Spurgeon

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ATTENTION MEN: Check out Zion Bootcampcoming up the first weekend in December… this is for sure a NOmiss Event …for more information and to register, click: 

https://e2vegas.org/event/11th-annual-zion-boot-camp-2019/

(Please register now)

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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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The Weaker Brother

Day Two Hundred Fifty-nine

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1

In his closing chapters of Romans, Paul discusses how the weak and strong should relate to each other.  The “weaker brother” makes a moral issue out of non-essentials, calling wrong what the Bible permits.  Paul uses, by way of illustration, eating and drinking, and observing certain days.  Paul says that since God establishes no prohibition in these areas, you are free to make your own determination.

The strong, according to Paul, fall into three groups: First, those who understand their liberty in Christ regarding the non-essentials, and hold in contempt those that don’t.  Second, those who exercise their liberty in Christ with restraint in consideration of the weak.  One of Paul’s objectives is to move those in the first group into this second group.  Third, those who exercise their liberty in Christ with restrain because of personal convictions.  Such a person, for example, may abstain from eating pork for health reasons.

Paul does not affirm the scruples of the weak. Quite the opposite; he has as one of his objectives to make strong Christians out of weak ones.  If you believe, by way of example, that God does not want you to use alcohol or gamble, you fit into the third group of the strong.  But if you believe God does not want any believer to do these things, the great apostle says you are weak, and that God wants to destroy your scruples.  You cannot call wrong what God allows, and you cannot try to force your convictions on others.

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Proverbs 25-26 2 Corinthians 9 (New King James Version)

Proverbs 25-26

Further Wise Sayings of Solomon

25 These also areproverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

2 

It isthe glory of God to conceal a matter,

But the glory of kings isto search out a matter.

3 

Asthe heavens for height and the earth for depth,

So the heart of kings isunsearchable.

4 

Take away the dross from silver,

And it will go to the silversmith forjewelry.

5 

Take away the wicked from before the king,

And his throne will be established in righteousness.

6 

Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

And do not stand in the place of the great;

7 

For it isbetter that he say to you,

“Come up here,”

Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,

Whom your eyes have seen.

8 

Do not go hastily to [a]court;

For what will you do in the end,

When your neighbor has put you to shame?

9 

Debate your case with your neighbor,

And do not disclose the secret to another;

10 

Lest he who hears itexpose your shame,

And [b]your reputation be ruined.

11 

A word fitly spoken is likeapples of gold

In settings of silver.

12 

Likean earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold

Isa wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

13 

Like the cold of snow in time of harvest

Isa faithful messenger to those who send him,

For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

14 

Whoever falsely boasts of giving

Is likeclouds and wind without rain.

15 

By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded,

And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

16 

Have you found honey?

Eat only as much as you need,

Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

17 

Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,

Lest he become weary of you and hate you.

18 

A man who bears false witness against his neighbor

Is likea club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

19 

Confidence in an unfaithful manin time of trouble

Is likea bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

20 

Likeone who takes away a garment in cold weather,

And likevinegar on soda,

Isone who sings songs to a heavy heart.

21 

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

22 

For soyou will heap coals of fire on his head,

And the Lord will reward you.

23 

The north wind brings forth rain,

And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

24 

It isbetter to dwell in a corner of a housetop,

Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

25 

Ascold water to a weary soul,

So isgood news from a far country.

26 

A righteous manwho falters before the wicked

Is likea murky spring and a [c]polluted well.

27 

It isnot good to eat much honey;

So to seek one’s own glory is notglory.

28 

Whoever hasno rule over his own spirit

Is likea city broken down, without walls.

Honor Is Not Fitting for a Fool

26 

As snow in summer and rain in harvest,

So honor is not fitting for a fool.

2 

Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,

So a curse without cause shall not alight.

3 

A whip for the horse,

A bridle for the donkey,

And a rod for the fool’s back.

4 

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

Lest you also be like him.

5 

Answer a fool according to his folly,

Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

6 

He who sends a message by the hand of a fool

Cuts off his ownfeet anddrinks violence.

7 

Likethe legs of the lame that hang limp

Isa proverb in the mouth of fools.

8 

Like one who binds a stone in a sling

Ishe who gives honor to a fool.

9 

Likea thorn thatgoes into the hand of a drunkard

Isa proverb in the mouth of fools.

10 

[d]The great Godwho formed everything

Gives the fool hishire and the transgressor hiswages.

11 

As a dog returns to his own vomit,

Soa fool repeats his folly.

12 

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There ismore hope for a fool than for him.

13 

The lazy mansays, “There isa lion in the road!

A fierce lion isin the [e]streets!”

14 

Asa door turns on its hinges,

So doesthe lazy manon his bed.

15 

The lazy manburies his hand in the [f]bowl;

It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

16 

The lazy man iswiser in his own eyes

Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

17 

He who passes by andmeddles in a quarrel not his own

Is likeone who takes a dog by the ears.

18 

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,

19 

Isthe man whodeceives his neighbor,

And says, “I was only joking!”

20 

Where there isno wood, the fire goes out;

And where there isno [g]talebearer, strife ceases.

21 

Ascharcoal isto burning coals, and wood to fire,

So isa contentious man to kindle strife.

22 

The words of a [h]talebearer arelike [i]tasty trifles,

And they go down into the [j]inmost body.

23 

Fervent lips with a wicked heart

Are likeearthenware covered with silver dross.

24 

He who hates, disguises itwith his lips,

And lays up deceit within himself;

25 

When [k]he speaks kindly, do not believe him,

For there areseven abominations in his heart;

26 

Though hishatred is covered by deceit,

His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

27 

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

28 

A lying tongue hates those who arecrushed by it,

And a flattering mouth works ruin.

Footnotes:

  • Proverbs 25:8 Lit. contendor bring a lawsuit
  • Proverbs 25:10 the evil report concerning you not pass away
  • Proverbs 25:26 ruined
  • Proverbs 26:10 Heb. difficult in v. 10; ancient and modern translators differ greatly
  • Proverbs 26:13 Or plazas, squares
  • Proverbs 26:15 LXX, Syr. bosom;Tg., Vg. armpit
  • Proverbs 26:20 gossipor slanderer,lit. whisperer
  • Proverbs 26:22 gossipor slanderer
  • Proverbs 26:22 A Jewish tradition wounds
  • Proverbs 26:22 Lit. rooms of the belly
  • Proverbs 26:25 Lit. his voice is gracious

2 Corinthians 9

Administering the Gift

9 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if someMacedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this [a]confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to [b]exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you hadpreviously promised, that it may be ready as a matter ofgenerosity and not as a [c]grudging obligation.

The Cheerful Giver

6 But this I say:He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [d]bountifully will also reap [e]bountifully. 7 So leteach one giveas he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of [f]necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God isable to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things,may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:

“He has dispersed abroad,

He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever.”

10 Now [g]may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, [h]supply and multiply the seed you have sownand increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you areenriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for yourliberal sharing with them and all men,14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks beto God for His indescribable gift!

Footnotes:

  • 2 Corinthians 9:4 NU confidence.
  • 2 Corinthians 9:5 encourage
  • 2 Corinthians 9:5 Lit. covetousness
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 compulsion
  • 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU omits may
  • 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU will supply

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please continue to Pray for John LaPorte cousin who is very ill and says he is close to giving his heart to Lord. 

Please continue to Pray for Darrell Blalock who has Parkinson’s disease.  Pray for Darrell to become closer to the Lord. 

Please continue to Pray for John LaPorte whose doing ministry at UNLV … a student named Tyler is propaganda machine for the enemy… he continuously interrupts their ministry.  Pray God will intervene and radically save Tyler and that our God will use Tyler to bring many to Christ.  (Please continue to Pray for God’s supernatural strength of the witnessing group members as several are weakening.)

Please continue to Pray for Lisa Long and her family …  Her brother Randy said this morning that she is totally blind now and has another “hail mary” corneal transplant on the 18th. 

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul understood that God can work when we acknowledge our weakness and hardship and need for His help. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  

Please pray for Lisa Greene who is having both her hips replaced… Pray for her surgeon and her quickly for coverage and that God will be seen in her.  

Please continue to  Pray for Brother Lance going through perilous times. Pray he would let God’s strength and peace show through his weakness and his testimony be a Blessing to many. 

Please continue to  Pray for 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. 

Please continue to  Pray for 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. 

Please continue to Pray for 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

Please Pray for Brother Robert traveling to CA to preach in several churches.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please continue to Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by ISIS – Pray for their protection and their ministry.  For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr.

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. 

+++

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 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 9/14 – The Value of Self-discipline

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Prayer  – Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)  “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

“If you want that splendid power in Prayer, you must remain in loving, living, lasting, conscious, practical, abiding union with the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Charles Spurgeon

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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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The Value of Self-discipline

Day Two Hundred Fifty-seven

“But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:31

Paul rebuked the Corinthians for the way they conducted themselves at the Lord’s Table.  “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” 341  The Holy Spirit judged them, not in the sense of condemning  them, but by chastising them that they “may not be condemned along with the world.”  God had to discipline them because they refused to discipline themselves.

You can either discipline yourself, or you can let Christ do it for you.   If you do it, He does not need to do it.  You discipline yourself by keeping your heart tender and teachable before the Lord, and by keeping His commandments.  To the degree that you walk in obedience to His Spirit, you diminish His need to chastise you.

Paul told the Corinthians that their sickness and death were the judgment of Christ for their behavior at the Lord’s Table.  They could make the connection between their sin and Christ’s discipline, because Paul made it for them.  When you fail to discipline yourself, you not only invite the discipline of Christ, but you bring confusion into your life.  For when he chastises you, you cannot distinguish between His discipline and the general flow of tribulation and troubles that come into your life. You are better off disciplining yourself rather than forcing someone else to do it for you.

341  I Corinthians 11:30

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 Proverbs 19-21 2 Corinthians 7 (New King James Version)

Proverbs 19-21

The Fear of the Lord Leads to Life

19 

Better isthe poor who walks in his integrity

Than one who isperverse in his lips, and is a fool.

2 

Also it is not good fora soul to bewithout knowledge,

And he sins who hastens with hisfeet.

3 

The foolishness of a man twists his way,

And his heart frets against the Lord.

4 

Wealth makes many friends,

But the poor is separated from his friend.

5 

A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he whospeaks lies will not escape.

6 

Many entreat the favor of the nobility,

And every man isa friend to one who gives gifts.

7 

All the brothers of the poor hate him;

How much more do his friends go far from him!

He may pursue them withwords, yetthey [a]abandon him.

8 

He who gets [b]wisdom loves his own soul;

He who keeps understanding will find good.

9 

A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he whospeaks lies shall perish.

10 

Luxury is not fitting for a fool,

Much less for a servant to rule over princes.

11 

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,

And his glory isto overlook a transgression.

12 

The king’s wrath islike the roaring of a lion,

But his favor islike dew on the grass.

13 

A foolish son isthe ruin of his father,

And the contentions of a wife area continual [c]dripping.

14 

Houses and riches arean inheritance from fathers,

But a prudent wife isfrom the Lord.

15 

Laziness casts oneinto a deep sleep,

And an idle person will suffer hunger.

16 

He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,

Buthe who [d]is careless of his ways will die.

17 

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,

And He will pay back what he has given.

18 

Chasten your son while there is hope,

And do not set your heart [e]on his destruction.

19 

A man ofgreat wrath will suffer punishment;

For if you rescue him,you will have to do it again.

20 

Listen to counsel and receive instruction,

That you may be wise in your latter days.

21 

There are many plans in a man’s heart,

Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

22 

What is desired in a man is [f]kindness,

And a poor man is better than a liar.

23 

The fear of the Lord leadsto life,

And he who has itwill abide in satisfaction;

He will not be visited with evil.

24 

A lazy manburies his hand in the [g]bowl,

And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

25 

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary;

Rebuke one who has understanding, andhe will discern knowledge.

26 

He who mistreats hisfather andchases away hismother

Isa son who causes shame and brings reproach.

27 

Cease listening to instruction, my son,

And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 

A [h]disreputable witness scorns justice,

And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

29 

Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

And beatings for the backs of fools.

Wine Is a Mocker

20 

Wine isa mocker,

Strong drink isa brawler,

And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

2 

The [i]wrath of a king islike the roaring of a lion;

Whoeverprovokes him to anger sins againsthis own life.

3 

It ishonorable for a man to stop striving,

Since any fool can start a quarrel.

4 

The lazy manwill not plow because of winter;

He will beg during harvest and havenothing.

5 

Counsel in the heart of man is likedeep water,

But a man of understanding will draw it out.

6 

Most men will proclaim each his own [j]goodness,

But who can find a faithful man?

7 

The righteous manwalks in his integrity;

His children areblessed after him.

8 

A king who sits on the throne of judgment

Scatters all evil with his eyes.

9 

Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,

I am pure from my sin”?

10 

Diverse weights anddiverse measures,

They areboth alike, an abomination to the Lord.

11 

Even a child is known by his deeds,

Whether what he does ispure and right.

12 

The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

The Lord has made them both.

13 

Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;

Open your eyes, andyou will be satisfied with bread.

14 

“It is[k]good for nothing,” cries the buyer;

But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

15 

There is gold and a multitude of rubies,

But the lips of knowledge area precious jewel.

16 

Take the garment of one who is surety fora stranger,

And hold it as a pledge when itis for a seductress.

17 

Bread gained by deceit issweet to a man,

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18 

Plans are established by counsel;

By wise counsel wage war.

19 

He who goes about asa talebearer reveals secrets;

Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.

20 

Whoever curses his father or his mother,

His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

21 

An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning

Will not be blessed at the end.

22 

Do not say, “I will [l]recompense evil”;

Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.

23 

Diverse weights arean abomination to the Lord,

And dishonest scales arenot good.

24 

A man’s steps areof the Lord;

How then can a man understand his own way?

25 

It isa snare for a man to devote rashly something asholy,

And afterward to reconsider hisvows.

26 

A wise king sifts out the wicked,

And brings the threshing wheel over them.

27 

The spirit of a man isthe lamp of the Lord,

Searching all the [m]inner depths of his heart.

28 

Mercy and truth preserve the king,

And by [n]lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

29 

The glory of young men istheir strength,

And the splendor of old men istheir gray head.

30 

Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,

As dostripes the [o]inner depths of the heart.

The Lord Considers the Heart

21 

The king’s heart isin the hand of the Lord,

Likethe [p]rivers of water;

He turns it wherever He wishes.

2 

Every way of a man isright in his own eyes,

But the Lord weighs the hearts.

3 

To do righteousness and justice

Ismore acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 

A haughty look, a proud heart,

Andthe [q]plowing of the wicked aresin.

5 

The plans of the diligent leadsurely to plenty,

But those ofeveryone who ishasty, surely to poverty.

6 

Getting treasures by a lying tongue

[r]Isthe fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.

7 

The violence of the wicked will [s]destroy them,

Because they refuse to do justice.

8 

The way of [t]a guilty man isperverse;

But as forthe pure, his work isright.

9 

Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,

Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

10 

The soul of the wicked desires evil;

His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

11 

When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;

But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

12 

The righteous Godwisely considers the house of the wicked,

Overthrowing the wicked for theirwickedness.

13 

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor

Will also cry himself and not be heard.

14 

A gift in secret pacifies anger,

And a bribe [u]behind the back, strong wrath.

15 

It isa joy for the just to do justice,

But destruction will cometo the workers of iniquity.

16 

A man who wanders from the way of understanding

Will rest in the assembly of the dead.

17 

He who loves pleasure will bea poor man;

He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

18 

The wicked shall bea ransom for the righteous,

And the unfaithful for the upright.

19 

Better to dwell [v]in the wilderness,

Than with a contentious and angry woman.

20 

There isdesirable treasure,

And oil in the dwelling of the wise,

But a foolish man squanders it.

21 

He who follows righteousness and mercy

Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

22 

A wise man[w]scales the city of the mighty,

And brings down the trusted stronghold.

23 

Whoever guards his mouth and tongue

Keeps his soul from troubles.

24 

A proud andhaughty man—“Scoffer” ishis name;

He acts with arrogant pride.

25 

The desire of the lazy mankills him,

For his hands refuse to labor.

26 

He covets greedily all day long,

But the righteous gives and does not spare.

27 

The sacrifice of the wicked isan abomination;

How much more whenhe brings it with wicked intent!

28 

A false witness shall perish,

But the man who hears himwill speak endlessly.

29 

A wicked man hardens his face,

But as forthe upright, he [x]establishes his way.

30 

There isno wisdom or understanding

Or counsel against the Lord.

31 

The horse isprepared for the day of battle,

But deliverance isof the Lord.

Footnotes:

  • Proverbs 19:7 Lit. are not
  • Proverbs 19:8 Lit. heart
  • Proverbs 19:13 Irritation
  • Proverbs 19:16 Is reckless, lit. despises
  • Proverbs 19:18 Lit. to put him to death;a Jewish tradition on his crying
  • Proverbs 19:22 Lit. lovingkindness
  • Proverbs 19:24 LXX, Syr. bosom;Tg., Vg. armpit
  • Proverbs 19:28 Lit. witness of Belial, worthless witness
  • Proverbs 20:2 Lit. fearor terror,produced by the king’s wrath
  • Proverbs 20:6 Lit. mercy
  • Proverbs 20:14 Lit. evil, evil
  • Proverbs 20:22 repay
  • Proverbs 20:27 Lit. rooms of the belly
  • Proverbs 20:28 mercy
  • Proverbs 20:30 Lit. rooms of the belly
  • Proverbs 21:1 channels
  • Proverbs 21:4 Or lamp
  • Proverbs 21:6 LXX Pursue vanity on the snares of death;Vg. Is vain and foolish, and shall stumble on the snares of death;Tg. They shall be destroyed, and they shall fall who seek death
  • Proverbs 21:7 Lit. drag them away
  • Proverbs 21:8 Or The way of a man is perverse and strange;
  • Proverbs 21:14 Under cover, lit. in the bosom
  • Proverbs 21:19 Lit. in the land of the desert
  • Proverbs 21:22 Climbs over the walls of
  • Proverbs 21:29 Qr., LXX understands

2 Corinthians 7

The Corinthians’ Repentance

7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Corinthians’ Repentance

2 Open your heartsto us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. 3 I do not say thisto condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 Great ismy boldness of speech toward you, great ismy boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside wereconflicts, inside werefears. 6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the [a]consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leadingto salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, whatclearing of yourselves, whatindignation, whatfear, whatvehement desire, whatzeal, whatvindication! In all thingsyou proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I didnot do itfor the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus

13 Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. 15 And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. 16 Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.

Footnotes:

  • 2 Corinthians 7:7 comfort

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please continue to Pray for John LaPorte cousin who is very ill and says he is close to giving his heart to Lord. 

Please continue to Pray for Darrell Blalock who has Parkinson’s disease.  Pray for Darrell to become closer to the Lord. 

Please continue to Pray for John LaPorte whose doing ministry at UNLV … a student named Tyler is propaganda machine for the enemy… he continuously interrupts their ministry.  Pray God will intervene and radically save Tyler and that our God will use Tyler to bring many to Christ.  (Please continue to Pray for God’s supernatural strength of the witnessing group members as several are weakening.)

Please continue to Pray for Lisa Long and her family …  Her brother Randy said this morning that she is totally blind now and has another “hail mary” corneal transplant on the 18th. 

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul understood that God can work when we acknowledge our weakness and hardship and need for His help. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  

Please pray for Lisa Greene who is having both her hips replaced… Pray for her surgeon and her quickly for coverage and that God will be seen in her.  

Please continue to  Pray for Brother Lance going through perilous times. Pray he would let God’s strength and peace show through his weakness and his testimony be a Blessing to many. 

Please continue to  Pray for 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. 

Please continue to  Pray for 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. 

Please continue to Pray for 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

Please Pray for Brother Robert traveling to CA to preach in several churches.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please continue to Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by ISIS – Pray for their protection and their ministry.  For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr.

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 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 8/21 – Unity and Union

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

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

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

This daily devotion contains, sequentially: Memory Verse (#1 above),  Daily Quote (#2 above): and, below: Daily Devotion from “Thoughts From The Diary of A Desperate Man” by Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”), Scripture Reading  (read the entire Bible in 1 year), and Prayer Requests. 

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Unity and Union

Day Two Hundred Thirty-three

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

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

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

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

307 John 17:11

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

Psalms 107–150

Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance

107 

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

For His [a]mercy enduresforever.

2 

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

3 

And gathered out of the lands,

From the east and from the west,

From the north and from the south.

4 

They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;

They found no city to dwell in.

5 

Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them.

6 

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

AndHe delivered them out of their distresses.

7 

And He led them forth by the right way,

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

8 

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

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

9 

For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

10 

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

Bound[b] in affliction and irons—

11 

Because they rebelled against the words of God,

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

12 

Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;

They fell down, and there wasnone to help.

13 

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

AndHe saved them out of their distresses.

14 

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

And broke their chains in pieces.

15 

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

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

16 

For He has broken the gates of bronze,

And cut the bars of iron in two.

17 

Fools, because of their transgression,

And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

18 

Their soul abhorred all manner of food,

And they drew near to the gates of death.

19 

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

AndHe saved them out of their distresses.

20 

He sent His word and healed them,

And delivered themfrom their destructions.

21 

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

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

22 

Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,

And declare His works with [d]rejoicing.

23 

Those who go down to the sea in ships,

Who do business on great waters,

24 

They see the works of the Lord,

And His wonders in the deep.

25 

For He commands and raises the stormy wind,

Which lifts up the waves of the sea.

26 

They mount up to the heavens,

They go down again to the depths;

Their soul melts because of trouble.

27 

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

And [e]are at their wits’ end.

28 

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He brings them out of their distresses.

29 

He calms the storm,

So that its waves are still.

30 

Then they are glad because they are quiet;

So He guides them to their desired haven.

31 

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

And forHis wonderful works to the children of men!

32 

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

And praise Him in the company of the elders.

33 

He turns rivers into a wilderness,

And the watersprings into dry ground;

34 

A fruitful land into [f]barrenness,

For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

35 

He turns a wilderness into pools of water,

And dry land into watersprings.

36 

There He makes the hungry dwell,

That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,

37 

And sow fields and plant vineyards,

That they may yield a fruitful harvest.

38 

He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;

And He does not let their cattle decrease.

39 

When they are diminished and brought low

Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,

40 

He pours contempt on princes,

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

41 

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

And makes theirfamilies like a flock.

42 

The righteous see itand rejoice,

And all iniquity stops its mouth.

43 

Whoever iswise will observe these things,

And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Assurance of God’s Victory over Enemies

A Song. A Psalm of David.

108 

O God, my heart is steadfast;

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

2 

Awake, lute and harp!

I will awaken the dawn.

3 

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

And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

4 

For Your mercy isgreat above the [g]heavens,

And Your truth reachesto the clouds.

5 

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

And Your glory above all the earth;

6 

That Your beloved may be delivered,

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

7 

God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will rejoice;

I will divide Shechem

And measure out the Valley of Succoth.

8 

Gilead isMine; Manasseh isMine;

Ephraim also isthe [i]helmet for My head;

Judah isMy lawgiver.

9 

Moab isMy washpot;

Over Edom I will cast My shoe;

Over Philistia I will triumph.”

10 

Who will bring me intothe strong city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

11 

Is itnot You,O God, whocast us off?

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

12 

Give us help from trouble,

For the help of man is useless.

13 

Through God we will do valiantly,

For it isHe whoshall tread down our enemies.

Plea for Judgment of False Accusers

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

109 

Do not keep silent,

O God of my praise!

2 

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

Have opened against me;

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me without a cause.

4 

In return for my love they are my accusers,

But I give myself toprayer.

5 

Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,

And hatred for my love.

6 

Set a wicked man over him,

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

7 

When he is judged, let him be found guilty,

And let his prayer become sin.

8 

Let his days be few,

Andlet another take his office.

9 

Let his children be fatherless,

And his wife a widow.

10 

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

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

11 

Let the creditor seize all that he has,

And let strangers plunder his labor.

12 

Let there be none to extend mercy to him,

Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

13 

Let his [m]posterity be cut off,

Andin the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 

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

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

15 

Let them be continually before the Lord,

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

16 

Because he did not remember to show mercy,

But persecuted the poor and needy man,

That he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 

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

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

18 

As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

So let it enter his body like water,

And like oil into his bones.

19 

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

And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.

20 

Letthis bethe Lord’s reward to my accusers,

And to those who speak evil against my person.

21 

But You, O God the Lord,

Deal with me for Your name’s sake;

Because Your mercy isgood, deliver me.

22 

For I ampoor and needy,

And my heart is wounded within me.

23 

I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off like a locust.

24 

My knees are weak through fasting,

And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.

25 

I also have become a reproach to them;

Whenthey look at me, they shake their heads.

26 

Help me, O Lord my God!

Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

27 

That they may know that this isYour hand—

ThatYou, Lord, have done it!

28 

Let them curse, but You bless;

When they arise, let them be ashamed,

But let Your servant rejoice.

29 

Let my accusers be clothed with shame,

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

30 

I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;

Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.

31 

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

To save himfrom those [n]who condemn him.

Footnotes:

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

1 Corinthians 4

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

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

Fools for Christ’s Sake

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

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

Paul’s Paternal Care

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

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

Footnotes:

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

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

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

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

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

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

+++

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please continue to Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by ISIS – Pray for their protection and their ministry.  For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr., and his aunt Josefina. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS. 

Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith. 

+++

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

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 8/18 – The Foundation of Grace

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Purity  – Philippians 4:8  “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

 “And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. Acts 28:24   Some believed and some didn’t. That’s still the way it is — even among Christians. … Some Christians believe what God says and some “so-called Christians” don’t. Those who don’t, find themselves engulfed in despair, defeat, discouragement. You see, it’s not enough just to know the Scriptures, gang. It’s not enough just to hear the Word. It’s not enough just to come to Bible study. You and I must believe. And ‘believe’ is not a noun — it’s a verb.”    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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The Foundation of Grace

Day Two Hundred Thirty

“Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

We will define grace as the favor of God bestowed upon the undeserving without reference to reciprocity.  Nothing in the object of God’s grace warrants His favor. Those who are the recipients of grace are chosen wholly from within the counsel of His own will.  People have a natural antipathy toward grace, for it violates their sense of fairness.  We tend to be less concerned when we are the object of God’s grace, but what about all of those people that are not?

Election and grace are the head and tail of the same coin; you cannot have grace without election.  Thus Paul says, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.  But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”304   If you believe that you obtain heaven by what you do that others are unwilling to do, you rob grace of its essence.  If you believe that you are saved by grace, then you have to conclude that God gave you what He has not given others.

If your relationship with God is based on what you did, but others are unwilling to do, then your salvation is in perpetual jeopardy; you cannot have assurance of salvation.  For what you did to establish this relationship with God you can undo. Your security is then based on your performance, not God’s.   If you conclude that people are responsible for their alienation from God, you are correct.  But never allow this fact to dull your appreciation of His grace.

304  Romans 11:5-6

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Psalm 100-102 1 Corinthians 1 (New King James Version)

Psalm 100-102

A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

100 

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, [a]all you lands!

2 

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 

Know that the Lord, He isGod;

It isHe whohas made us, and [b]not we ourselves;

We areHis people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

Andinto His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, andbless His name.

5 

For the Lord isgood;

His mercy iseverlasting,

And His truth enduresto all generations.

Promised Faithfulness to the Lord

A Psalm of David.

101 

I will sing of mercy and justice;

To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.

2 

I will behave wisely in a [c]perfect way.

Oh, when will You come to me?

I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

3 

I will set nothing [d]wicked before my eyes;

I hate the work of those who fall away;

It shall not cling to me.

4 

A perverse heart shall depart from me;

I will not know wickedness.

5 

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,

Him I will destroy;

The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,

Him I will not endure.

6 

My eyes shall beon the faithful of the land,

That they may dwell with me;

He who walks in a [e]perfect way,

He shall serve me.

7 

He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;

He who tells lies shall not [f]continue in my presence.

8 

Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,

That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.

The Lord’s Eternal Love

A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 

Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And let my cry come to You.

2 

Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;

Incline Your ear to me;

In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

3 

For my days [g]are consumed like smoke,

And my bones are burned like a hearth.

4 

My heart is stricken and withered like grass,

So that I forget to eat my bread.

5 

Because of the sound of my groaning

My bones cling to my [h]skin.

6 

I am like a pelican of the wilderness;

I am like an owl of the desert.

7 

I lie awake,

And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

8 

My enemies reproach me all day long;

Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

9 

For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mingled my drink with weeping,

10 

Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;

For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

11 

My days arelike a shadow that lengthens,

And I wither away like grass.

12 

But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,

And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

13 

You will arise andhave mercy on Zion;

For the time to favor her,

Yes, the set time, has come.

14 

For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,

And show favor to her dust.

15 

So the [i]nations shall fear the name of the Lord,

And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

16 

For the Lord shall build up Zion;

He shall appear in His glory.

17 

He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,

And shall not despise their prayer.

18 

This will be written for the generation to come,

That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.

19 

For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;

From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,

20 

To hear the groaning of the prisoner,

To release those appointed to death,

21 

To declare the name of the Lord in Zion,

And His praise in Jerusalem,

22 

When the peoples are gathered together,

And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

23 

He weakened my strength in the way;

He shortened my days.

24 

I said, “O my God,

Do not take me away in the midst of my days;

Your years arethroughout all generations.

25 

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens arethe work of Your hands.

26 

They will perish, but You will [j]endure;

Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;

Like a cloak You will change them,

And they will be changed.

27 

But You arethe same,

And Your years will have no end.

28 

The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You.”

Footnotes:

  • Psalm 100:1 Lit. all the earth
  • Psalm 100:3 So with Kt., LXX, Vg.; Qr., many Heb. mss., Tg. we are His
  • Psalm 101:2 blameless
  • Psalm 101:3 worthless
  • Psalm 101:6 blameless
  • Psalm 101:7 Lit. be established
  • Psalm 102:3 Lit. end in
  • Psalm 102:5 flesh
  • Psalm 102:15 Gentiles
  • Psalm 102:26 continue

1 Corinthians 1

Greeting

1 Paul, called to bean apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes ourbrother,

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are [a]sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to besaints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Gifts at Corinth

4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all [b]utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed [c]in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may beblameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God isfaithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sectarianism Is Sin

10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all [d]speak the same thing, and thatthere be no [e]divisions among you, but thatyou be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household,that there are [f]contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

18 For the [g]message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

20 Where isthe wise? Where isthe scribe? Where isthe [h]disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a [i]stumbling block and to the [j]Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Glory Only in the Lord

26 For [k]you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many [l]noble, are called.27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the [m]base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

Footnotes:

  • 1 Corinthians 1:2 set apart
  • 1 Corinthians 1:5 speech
  • 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or among
  • 1 Corinthians 1:10 Have a uniform testimony
  • 1 Corinthians 1:10 schismsor dissensions
  • 1 Corinthians 1:11 quarrels
  • 1 Corinthians 1:18 Lit. word
  • 1 Corinthians 1:20 debater
  • 1 Corinthians 1:23 Gr. skandalon, offense
  • 1 Corinthians 1:23 NU Gentiles
  • 1 Corinthians 1:26 consider
  • 1 Corinthians 1:26 well-born
  • 1 Corinthians 1:28 insignificantor lowly

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

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

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

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 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. 

+++

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

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 8/17 – An Ill-defined Bible

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Trusting God  – Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”   Philippians‬ ‭4:6

“God rewards on the basis of faithfulness to opportunity; labor, not results.”  Walt Heinrich 

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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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An Ill-defined Bible

Day Two Hundred Twenty-nine

“And who is my neighbor?”  Luke 10:29

A lawyer asked Jesus this question, prompting Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan.  As powerful as the point was that Jesus made, you still have a difficult time deciding “who is my neighbor?”  For example, what obligation do you have regarding hurting people half way around the world?  Where does your responsibility begin and end?

People tend to be product oriented; God is process oriented.  We like to look at what we have done; God looks at what we are becoming.  God is not as interested in how holy you are as in the degree to which you are engaged in the process of application.  If you are new in Christ with a great deal of the carnal self still present in your life, but you eagerly seek to do His will, you are pleasing to God.  If you have known Christ for years, but have ceased seeking to grow in Christ through the process of application, you are not pleasing God.

Your challenge in maturing in Christ will be tested by your application of the ill­ defined or positive commandments.   For example, Jesus said the Law is summarized  by, “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.”303   What does this look like as you go to work each day?  How do you demonstrate a love for God and others in the heat of a contract negotiation in which you perceive the other party to be unreasonable?   The Bible gives you no clear-cut answer.  God designed the ambiguity in which you are forced to live in order to keep you trusting in Him.  To the degree that you know what God’s expectations of you looks like, you do not need Him.  Seeking to apply positive commandments forces you into a posture of dependence upon God, which is right where He wants you.

303  Luke 10:27

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Psalm 97-99 Romans 16 (New King James Version)

Psalm 97-99

A Song of Praise to the Sovereign Lord

97 

The Lord reigns;

Let the earth rejoice;

Let the multitude of [a]isles be glad!

2 

Clouds and darkness surround Him;

Righteousness and justice arethe foundation of His throne.

3 

A fire goes before Him,

And burns up His enemies round about.

4 

His lightnings light the world;

The earth sees and trembles.

5 

The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,

At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 

The heavens declare His righteousness,

And all the peoples see His glory.

7 

Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,

Who boast of idols.

Worship Him, all yougods.

8 

Zion hears and is glad,

And the daughters of Judah rejoice

Because of Your judgments, O Lord.

9 

For You, Lord, aremost high above all the earth;

You are exalted far above all gods.

10 

You who love the Lord, hate evil!

He preserves the souls of His saints;

He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

11 

Light is sown for the righteous,

And gladness for the upright in heart.

12 

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,

And give thanks [b]at the remembrance of [c]His holy name.

A Song of Praise to the Lord for His Salvation and Judgment

A Psalm.

98 

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

For He has done marvelous things;

His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

2 

The Lord has made known His salvation;

His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the [d]nations.

3 

He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;

Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

5 

Sing to the Lord with the harp,

With the harp and the sound of a psalm,

6 

With trumpets and the sound of a horn;

Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.

7 

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell in it;

8 

Let the rivers clap theirhands;

Let the hills be joyful together

9 

    before the Lord,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

With righteousness He shall judge the world,

And the peoples with [e]equity.

Praise to the Lord for His Holiness

99 

The Lord reigns;

Let the peoples tremble!

He dwells betweenthe cherubim;

Let the earth be [f]moved!

2 

The Lord isgreat in Zion,

And He ishigh above all the peoples.

3 

Let them praise Your great and awesome name—

[g]He isholy.

4 

The King’s strength also loves justice;

You have established equity;

You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

5 

Exalt the Lord our God,

And worship at His footstool—

He isholy.

6 

Moses and Aaron were among His priests,

And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;

They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.

7 

He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;

They kept His testimonies and the [h]ordinance He gave them.

8 

You answered them, O Lord our God;

You were to them God-Who-Forgives,

Though You took vengeance on their deeds.

9 

Exalt the Lord our God,

And worship at His holy hill;

For the Lord our God isholy.

Footnotes:

  • Psalm 97:1 Or coastlands
  • Psalm 97:12 Or for the memory
  • Psalm 97:12 Or His holiness
  • Psalm 98:2 Gentiles
  • Psalm 98:9 uprightness
  • Psalm 99:1 shaken
  • Psalm 99:3 Or It
  • Psalm 99:7 statute

Romans 16

Sister Phoebe Commended

16 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Greeting Roman Saints

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greetthe church that is in their house.

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of [a]Achaia to Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the householdof Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my [b]countryman. Greet those who are of the householdof Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. [c]The churches of Christ greet you.

Avoid Divisive Persons

17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord [d]Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and [e]simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ bewith you. Amen.

Greetings from Paul’s Friends

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

22 I, Tertius, who wrote thisepistle, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, my host and the hostof the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 The[f] grace of our Lord Jesus Christ bewith you all. Amen.

Benediction

25 [g]Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, beglory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Footnotes:

  • Romans 16:5 NU Asia
  • Romans 16:11 Or relative
  • Romans 16:16 NU All the churches
  • Romans 16:18 NU, M omit Jesus
  • Romans 16:19 innocent
  • Romans 16:24 NU omits v. 24.
  • Romans 16:25 M puts Rom. 16:25–27after Rom. 14:23.

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

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

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

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. 

+++

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 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. 

+++

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

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 8/16 – An Inconsistent Bible

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Trials & Testing  – James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬  “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”  James‬ ‭1:2-4

“I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know I couldn’t be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through. That if He doesn’t come through, I am screwed.”  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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An Inconsistent Bible

Day Two Hundred Twenty-eight

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25  “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

From the Garden of Eden we see that the path from God is independence;  the path to God is dependence.  All that God does from the Fall on, He does to teach us our need to be dependent upon Him.  Biblical application is designed with this in mind.

You feel your dependence  upon God in the process of application, in part because much of what He says has the appearance of being inconsistent.  Jesus commands that we hate our wives while Paul commands that we love them as Christ loved the church.  Our Lord tells us to hate our father and mother.  Paul commands that we honor them.299   In one place Paul says that we are predestined before the foundation of the world,300  and in another he says that everyone that calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,301  and that God is not willing that any should be lost.302    Then you must wrestle with the seeming inconsistency between God being One in Three, and Jesus Christ being both completely God and completely man.

If you allow reason to be your final court of appeal, you will end in disobedience and heresy.  The Bible does not call you to resolution, but to application.  For example, you must live in the tension of both hating and honoring your parents, and walk by faith as you seek to apply both.

299  Ephesians 6:2

300  Ephesians 1:4

301  Romans 10:13

302  II Peter 3:9

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Psalm 94-96 Romans 15:14-33 (New King James Version)

Psalm 94-96

God the Refuge of the Righteous

94 

O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—

O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!

2 

Rise up, O Judge of the earth;

[a]Render punishment to the proud.

3 

Lord, how long will the wicked,

How long will the wicked triumph?

4 

They utter speech, andspeak insolent things;

All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.

5 

They break in pieces Your people, O Lord,

And afflict Your heritage.

6 

They slay the widow and the stranger,

And murder the fatherless.

7 

Yet they say, “The Lord does not see,

Nor does the God of Jacob [b]understand.”

8 

Understand, you senseless among the people;

And youfools, when will you be wise?

9 

He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?

He who formed the eye, shall He not see?

10 

He who [c]instructs the [d]nations, shall He not correct,

He who teaches man knowledge?

11 

The Lord knows the thoughts of man,

That they arefutile.

12 

Blessed isthe man whom You instruct, O Lord,

And teach out of Your law,

13 

That You may give him [e]rest from the days of adversity,

Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

14 

For the Lord will not [f]cast off His people,

Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

15 

But judgment will return to righteousness,

And all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?

Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

17 

Unless the Lord had beenmy help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

18 

If I say, “My foot slips,”

Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.

19 

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.

20 

Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,

Have fellowship with You?

21 

They gather together against the life of the righteous,

And condemn innocent blood.

22 

But the Lord has been my defense,

And my God the rock of my refuge.

23 

He has brought on them their own iniquity,

And shall [g]cut them off in their own wickedness;

The Lord our God shall cut them off.

A Call to Worship and Obedience

95 

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

2 

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

3 

For the Lord isthe great God,

And the great King above all gods.

4 

[h]In His hand arethe deep places of the earth;

The heights of the hills areHis also.

5 

The sea isHis, for He made it;

And His hands formed the dry land.

6 

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7 

For He isour God,

And we arethe people of His pasture,

And the sheep [i]of His hand.

Today, if you will hear His voice:

8 

“Do not harden your hearts, as in the [j]rebellion,

As inthe day of [k]trial in the wilderness,

9 

When your fathers tested Me;

They tried Me, though they saw My work.

10 

For forty years I was [l]grieved with thatgeneration,

And said, ‘It isa people who go astray in their hearts,

And they do not know My ways.’

11 

So I swore in My wrath,

‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment

96 

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

3 

Declare His glory among the [m]nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

4 

For the Lord isgreat and greatly to be praised;

He isto be feared above all gods.

5 

For all the gods of the peoples areidols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

6 

Honor and majesty arebefore Him;

Strength and beauty arein His sanctuary.

7 

Give[n] to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Give to the Lord glory and strength.

8 

[o]Give to the Lord the glory dueHis name;

Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

9 

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10 

Say among the [p]nations, “The Lord reigns;

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be [q]moved;

He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

11 

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

Let the sea roar, and [r]all its fullness;

12 

Let the field be joyful, and all that isin it.

Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice

13 

    before the Lord.

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with His truth.

Footnotes:

  • Psalm 94:2 Repay with
  • Psalm 94:7 pay attention
  • Psalm 94:10 disciplines
  • Psalm 94:10 Gentiles
  • Psalm 94:13 relief
  • Psalm 94:14 abandon
  • Psalm 94:23 destroy them
  • Psalm 95:4 In His possession
  • Psalm 95:7 Under His care
  • Psalm 95:8 Or Meribah,lit. Strife, Contention
  • Psalm 95:8 Or Massah,lit. Trial, Testing
  • Psalm 95:10 disgusted
  • Psalm 96:3 Gentiles
  • Psalm 96:7 Ascribe
  • Psalm 96:8 Ascribe
  • Psalm 96:10 Gentiles
  • Psalm 96:10 shaken
  • Psalm 96:11 all that is in it

Romans 15:14-33

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish [a]one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on somepoints, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering [b]of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertainto God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written:

“To whom He was not announced, they shall see;

And those who have not heard shall understand.”

Plan to Visit Rome

22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, [c]I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your companyfor a while. 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to [d]minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing [e]of the gospel of Christ.

30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who [f]do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. 33 Now the God of peace bewith you all. Amen.

Footnotes:

  • Romans 15:14 M others
  • Romans 15:16 Consisting of
  • Romans 15:24 NU omits I shall come to youand joins Spainwith the next sentence.
  • Romans 15:25 serve
  • Romans 15:29 NU omits of the gospel
  • Romans 15:31 are disobedient

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

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

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

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. 

+++

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 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. 

+++

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

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 8/8 – Parable of the Vineyard

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Honesty  – Leviticus 19:11 (ESV)  “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.”  Leviticus 19:11

“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” John 13:15 “God calls you to invest in the lives of others.  If you are a follower of Christ you are in the people business giving your life helping others to grow closer to the Savior.  The only question facing you is how you go about influencing them for Christ.”     Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”)

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

This daily devotion contains, sequentially: Memory Verse (#1 above),  Daily Quote (#2 above): and, below: Daily Devotion from “Thoughts From The Diary of A Desperate Man” by Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”), Scripture Reading  (read the entire Bible in 1 year), and Prayer Requests. 

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Parable of the Vineyard

Day Two Hundred Twenty

“‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’  But he replied to one of them, ·Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you.'”  Matthew 20:12-14

Three factors determine what pay an employee” receives: The amount of time invested (if paid by the hour), the ability of the employee, and the profit he brings to the company.  Reward in the Kingdom of Heaven is determined by faithfulness to opportunity rather than by any of these three.  In the parable the owner selected people to work in the vineyard at various times of the day.  The owner decided when the laborer entered.  God decides how long each person spends in His vineyard.  At the end of the day each was paid the same amount.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were two of Christ’s disciples.  James was the first to die at the hand of Herod, and his brother John, in all probability was one of the last of the disciples to die. John spent about 60 years longer in God’s vineyard than his brother James.  If the length of time each spent in the vineyard determined their wage, then James was punished for being a martyr.

God distributes in unequal amounts certain gifts, abilities, and opportunities. The sickly person with few gifts who dies early is not handicapped in the economy of God.  Your reward in heaven will not be determined by what God gave you, but by what you do with what God gave you and why you do it.

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Psalm 74-76 Romans 9:16-33 (New King James Version)

Psalm 74-76

A Plea for Relief from Oppressors

A [a]Contemplation of Asaph.

74 

O God, why have You cast usoff forever?

Whydoes Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?

2 

Remember Your congregation, whichYou have purchased of old,

The tribe of Your inheritance, whichYou have redeemed—

This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.

3 

Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.

The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.

4 

Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;

They set up their banners forsigns.

5 

They seem like men who lift up

Axes among the thick trees.

6 

And now they break down its carved work, all at once,

With axes and hammers.

7 

They have set fire to Your sanctuary;

They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.

8 

They said in their hearts,

“Let us [b]destroy them altogether.”

They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.

9 

We do not see our signs;

There isno longer any prophet;

Nor is thereany among us who knows how long.

10 

O God, how long will the adversary [c]reproach?

Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?

11 

Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?

Take itout of Your bosom and destroy them.

12 

For God ismy King from of old,

Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13 

You divided the sea by Your strength;

You broke the heads of the [d]sea serpents in the waters.

14 

You broke the heads of [e]Leviathan in pieces,

Andgave him asfood to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

15 

You broke open the fountain and the flood;

You dried up mighty rivers.

16 

The day isYours, the night also isYours;

You have prepared the light and the sun.

17 

You have set all the borders of the earth;

You have made summer and winter.

18 

Remember this, thatthe enemy has reproached, O Lord,

And thata foolish people has blasphemed Your name.

19 

Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast!

Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.

20 

Have respect to the covenant;

For the [f]dark places of the earth are full of the [g]haunts of [h]cruelty.

21 

Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!

Let the poor and needy praise Your name.

22 

Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;

Remember how the foolish man [i]reproaches You daily.

23 

Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;

The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.

Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do[j] Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75 

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

For Your wondrous works declare thatYour name is near.

2 

“When I choose the [k]proper time,

I will judge uprightly.

3 

The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;

I set up its pillars firmly. Selah

4 

“I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’

And to the wicked, ‘Do not [l]lift up the horn.

5 

Do not lift up your horn on high;

Do notspeak with [m]a stiff neck.’ ”

6 

For exaltation comesneither from the east

Nor from the west nor from the south.

7 

But God isthe Judge:

He puts down one,

And exalts another.

8 

For in the hand of the Lord there isa cup,

And the wine is red;

It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;

Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth

Drain anddrink down.

9 

But I will declare forever,

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

10 

“All the [n]horns of the wicked I will also cut off,

Butthe horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

The Majesty of God in Judgment

To the Chief Musician. On [o]stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

76 

In Judah God isknown;

His name isgreat in Israel.

2 

In [p]Salem also is His tabernacle,

And His dwelling place in Zion.

3 

There He broke the arrows of the bow,

The shield and sword of battle. Selah

4 

You aremore glorious and excellent

Thanthe mountains of prey.

5 

The stouthearted were plundered;

They [q]have sunk into their sleep;

And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.

6 

At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,

Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

7 

You, Yourself, areto be feared;

And who may stand in Your presence

When once You are angry?

8 

You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;

The earth feared and was still,

9 

When God arose to judgment,

To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah

10 

Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;

With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.

11 

Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them;

Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.

12 

He shall cut off the spirit of princes;

He isawesome to the kings of the earth.

Footnotes:

  • Psalm 74:1 Heb. Maschil
  • Psalm 74:8 oppress
  • Psalm 74:10 revile
  • Psalm 74:13 sea monsters
  • Psalm 74:14 A large sea creature of unknown identity
  • Psalm 74:20 hiding places
  • Psalm 74:20 homes
  • Psalm 74:20 violence
  • Psalm 74:22 revilesor taunts
  • Psalm 75:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
  • Psalm 75:2 appointed
  • Psalm 75:4 Raise the head proudly like a horned animal
  • Psalm 75:5 Insolent pride
  • Psalm 75:10 Strength
  • Psalm 76:1 Heb. neginoth
  • Psalm 76:2 Jerusalem
  • Psalm 76:5 Lit. have slumbered their sleep

Romans 9:16-33

16 So then it isnot of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

22 Whatif God, wanting to show Hiswrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As He says also in Hosea:

“I will call them My people, who were not My people,

And her beloved, who was not beloved.”

26 

“And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,

‘You arenot My people,’

There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,

The remnant will be saved.

28 

For [a]He will finish the work and cut itshort in righteousness,

Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

29 And as Isaiah said before:

“Unless the Lord of [b]Sabaoth had left us a seed,

We would have become like Sodom,

And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

Present Condition of Israel

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law [c]of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they didnot seek itby faith, but as it were, [d]by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,

And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Footnotes:

  • Romans 9:28 NU the Lord will finish the work and cut it short upon the earth
  • Romans 9:29 Lit., in Heb., Hosts
  • Romans 9:31 NU omits of righteousness
  • Romans 9:32 NU by works,omitting of the law

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for the Second Saturdays Event coming up this Saturday, August 10, at 7pm (PST).  Pray God’s Spirit would move mightily in the men’s hearts and there would be both an inward and outward change in each man attending.  

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.)

Please continue to Pray for Brother David Porter’s friend’s son, Giovanni (18yrs old). He was checked into an inpatient behavioral health facility last night. He is on suicide watch. Pray against the demon and lie of Suicide and Satan’s attacks on his life. Please Pray for God’s Strength, Healing, and Peace.

Please continue to Prayer for Sister Kay’s Granddaughter, and Sister Diana’s daughter, Alyssa, who is on medical mission in Spain. 

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 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.  

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 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 Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr., and his aunt Josefina. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS. 

Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith. 

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

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 7/20 – A Time of Testing

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His Help in Temptation  – Psalm 119:9-11 (ESV). “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word. With my whole heart I seek You; let me not wander from Your commandments! I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”   Psalm 119:9-11

“Whenever you start talking to people about some quality of the Lord, by the time you’ve finished the conversation, you find that very quality in your own heart. It’s incredible how that works. Start telling someone how awesome Jesus is, and by the time you conclude, you’ll be totally in awe of Jesus. Start sharing about the God of grace and you’ll find yourself receiving the grace of God. That is why I encourage you to share your faith — not because it is a job to do — but because it is a joy to experience.”     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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A Time of Testing

Day Two Hundred One

“And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her.” Genesis 39:10

Joseph was not perfect, but he could not have anticipated the response of his brothers when he visited them in the field wearing his colored coat.  They threw him into a pit and sold him to a caravan passing by.  His own family had sold him into slavery with no hope of deliverance.  In Egypt he was sold to the household of Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh.  When Potiphar was out on business, his wife daily coaxed Joseph to sin with her. And why not?  God had forsaken him, allowing him to fall into this terrible situation.  He was away from home and the moral restraint of his family.  Why not take the woman and with her plot the death of her husband in hopes of taking his place?

Deep in the sinew of Joseph’s moral fiber he refused to yield.  Sometime before his testing he must have purposed in his heart to follow the Lord irrespective of the circumstances.  These kinds of decisions you must make before the hour of temptation.  When you are in the midst of the test you probably won’t have the perspective or resolve to make the decision.  You will almost always end up doing what you mentally accept as possible.  Lot ended in Sodom because Sodom was in Lot.  Where is your line across which you refuse to go?  You do well to draw it before your time of testing.

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Psalm 26-28 Acts 22 (New King James Version)

Psalm 26-28

A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption

A Psalmof David.

26 

Vindicate me, O Lord,

For I have walked in my integrity.

I have also trusted in the Lord;

I shall not slip.

2 

Examine me, O Lord, and [a]prove me;

Try my mind and my heart.

3 

For Your lovingkindness isbefore my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.

4 

I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,

Nor will I go in with hypocrites.

5 

I have hated the assembly of evildoers,

And will not sit with the wicked.

6 

I will wash my hands in innocence;

So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,

7 

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,

And tell of all Your wondrous works.

8 

Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house,

And the place [b]where Your glory dwells.

9 

Do[c] not gather my soul with sinners,

Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10 

In whose hands isa sinister scheme,

And whose right hand is full of bribes.

11 

But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;

Redeem me and be merciful to me.

12 

My foot stands in an even place;

In the congregations I will bless the Lord.

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith

A Psalmof David.

27 

The Lord ismy light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord isthe strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 

When the wicked came against me

To eat[d] up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3 

Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will beconfident.

4 

One thingI have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the [e]beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple.

5 

For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock.

6 

And now my head shall be [f]lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of [g]joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 

Hear, O Lord, whenI cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 

When You said,“Seek My face,”

My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

9 

Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

10 

When my father and my mother forsake me,

Then the Lord will take care of me.

11 

Teach me Your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 

Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

For false witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

13 

I would have lost heart,unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

14 

Wait[h] on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Rejoicing in Answered Prayer

A Psalmof David.

28 

To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:

Do not be silent to me,

Lest, if You aresilent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit.

2 

Hear the voice of my supplications

When I cry to You,

When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

3 

Do not [i]take me away with the wicked

And with the workers of iniquity,

Who speak peace to their neighbors,

But evil isin their hearts.

4 

Give them according to their deeds,

And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;

Give them according to the work of their hands;

Render to them what they deserve.

5 

Because they do not regard the works of the Lord,

Nor the operation of His hands,

He shall destroy them

And not build them up.

6 

Blessed bethe Lord,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!

7 

The Lord ismy strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

8 

The Lord is[j]their strength,

And He isthe saving refuge of His [k]anointed.

9 

Save Your people,

And bless Your inheritance;

Shepherd them also,

And bear them up forever.

Footnotes:

  • Psalm 26:2 test me
  • Psalm 26:8 Lit. of the tabernacle of Your glory
  • Psalm 26:9 Do not take away
  • Psalm 27:2 devour
  • Psalm 27:4 delightfulness
  • Psalm 27:6 Lifted up in honor
  • Psalm 27:6 joyous shouts
  • Psalm 27:14 Wait in faith
  • Psalm 28:3 drag
  • Psalm 28:8 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. the strength of His people
  • Psalm 28:8 Commissioned one, Heb. messiah

Acts 22

Paul’s Defense at Jerusalem

22 “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” 2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.

Then he said: 3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light [a]and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting [b]to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

Paul’s Roman Citizenship

22 And they listened to him until this word, and thenthey raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellowfrom the earth, for he is not fit to live!” 23 Then, as they cried out and [c]tore off theirclothes and threw dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

26 When the centurion heard that,he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?”

He said, “Yes.”

28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.”

And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

The Sanhedrin Divided

30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from hisbonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

Footnotes:

  • Acts 22:9 NU omits and were afraid
  • Acts 22:20 NU omits to his death
  • Acts 22:23 Lit. threw

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

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 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. 

Praise Report: Brother Tom Rolfstad who had a surgical aortic heart valve replacement last week is recovering and doing amazingly well. Tom wants all to know he is thankful for your Prayers. 

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

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

  2 – … that this individual needs to Repent. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please continue to Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by  Isis – Pray for their protection and their ministry.  For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

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

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico. And, please continue to Pray for her church caught up in the tragedies surrounding the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children.

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr., and his aunt Josefina. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS. 

Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith.  10 WAYS TO PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN FAMILY.. Pray our brothers and sisters will:

1. Sense God’s presence (Heb. 13:5) 

2. Know we are praying for them (2 Tim. 1:3) 

3. Experience God’s comfort (2 Thess. 2:16–17) 

4. See God open doors to evangelism (Col. 4:3) 

5. Boldly share the gospel (Acts 4:29) 

6. Mature in their faith (Col. 1:28–29) 

7. Be granted wisdom in covert ministry work (Acts 9:23–25) 

8. Remain joyful amid suffering (Acts 5:41) 

9. Forgive and love their persecutors (Matt. 5:44) 

10. Be rooted in God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16–17)

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

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 6/21 – Testing One Another

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Prayer  – Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)  “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

Godly shame: …”we have lost our capacity for shame, even telling ourselves that shame itself is a sin. But this is not so. Godly shame brings a man to a place of brokenness, repentance, and dependence on God, and this state is the fertile soil in which Christ thrives.”   Jerry Bangert 

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

This email contains, sequentially: Memory Verse (above), Daily Devotion from “Thoughts From The Diary of A Desperate Man” by Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”), Scripture Reading  (read the entire Bible in 1 year), and Prayer Requests. 

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Testing One Another

Day One Hundred Seventy-two

“For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.” 2 Corinthians 2:9

We all test one another.  For example, the teacher tests her pupil to see if he mastered the material.  You test for various reasons, but principally for the sake of the one tested and for the sake of the one testing.  The one tested uses it as a benchmark, indicating that he can now take the next step.  The one testing does it to determine the amount of responsibility that can be delegated, as illustrated by the flight instructor testing the pilot before giving him a license.

In spiritual matters you must take care when testing another.  It must be according to Scripture and for a holy cause.  For example, Paul says, “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word; but as men of sincerity, as commissioned  by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”247  False apostles followed Paul’s ministry, forcing Paul to test the Corinthians whether they remained true to the Faith, or strayed after error.  Without testing the Corinthians, Paul would not know what his next step ought to be.  Paul’s desire to test them was not borne out of any personal consideration; he sought the spiritual good of God’s people.  Never shy from testing other people.  Simply make sure that you are seeking their best rather than your own.

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Esther 3-5 Acts 5:22-42 (New King James Version)

Esther 3-5

Haman’s Conspiracy Against the Jews

3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who werewith him. 2 And all the king’s servants who werewithin the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who werewithin the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told itto Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecaihad told them that he wasa Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who werethroughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is,the lot), before Haman [a]to determine the day and the [b]month, [c]until it fell on thetwelfth month,which isthe month of Adar.

8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws aredifferent from all otherpeople’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it isnot fitting for the king to let them remain. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decreebe written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring itinto the king’s treasuries.”

10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people aregiven to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”

12 Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decreewas written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who wereover each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth dayof the twelfth month, which isthe month of Adar, and to plunder their [d]possessions. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in [e]Shushan the [f]citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was [g]perplexed.

Esther Agrees to Help the Jews

4 When Mordecai learned all that had happened, [h]he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one mightenter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there wasgreat mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them.5 Then Esther called Hathach, oneof the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was.6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that wasin front of the king’s gate. 7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at [i]Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. 9 So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he hasbut one law: put allto death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” 12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.

13 And Mordecai told themto answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for sucha time as this?”

15 Then Esther told themto reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in [j]Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which isagainst the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded [k]him.

Esther’s Banquet

5 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on herroyal robesand stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the [l]house. 2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, thatshe found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that wasin his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.

3 And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What isyour request? It shall be given to you—up to half the kingdom!”

4 So Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, that he may do as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

6 At the banquet of wine the king said to Esther, “What isyour petition? It shall be granted you. What isyour request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”

7 Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and request is this:8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and [m]fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

Haman’s Plot Against Mordecai

9 So Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.

12 Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. 13 Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows[n] be made, [o]fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.”

And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.

Footnotes:

  • Esther 3:7 Lit. from day to day and month to month
  • Esther 3:7 LXX adds to destroy the people of Mordecai in one day;Vg. adds the nation of the Jews should be destroyed
  • Esther 3:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX and the lot fell on the fourteenth of the month
  • Esther 3:13 LXX adds the text of the letter here
  • Esther 3:15 Or Susa
  • Esther 3:15 palace
  • Esther 3:15 in confusion
  • Esther 4:1 Lit. Mordecai
  • Esther 4:8 Or Susa
  • Esther 4:16 Or Susa
  • Esther 4:17 LXX adds a prayer of Mordecai here
  • Esther 5:1 LXX adds many extra details in vv. 1, 2
  • Esther 5:8 Lit. to do
  • Esther 5:14 Lit. treeor wood
  • Esther 5:14 About 75 feet

Acts 5:22-42

Apostles on Trial Again

22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing [a]outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 Now when [b]the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, [c]saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set thembefore the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”

29 But Peter and the otherapostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to bePrince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and soalso isthe Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Advice

33 When they heard this,they were furious[d] and plotted to kill them. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, [e]take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, [f]joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”

40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them,they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for [g]His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus asthe Christ.

Footnotes:

  • Acts 5:23 NU, M omit outside
  • Acts 5:24 NU omits the high priest
  • Acts 5:25 NU, M omit saying
  • Acts 5:33 cut to the quick
  • Acts 5:35 be careful
  • Acts 5:36 followed
  • Acts 5:41 NU the name;M the name of Jesus

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

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, needs eye surgery. Please continue to Pray for Logan and his surgeon. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother David Frear’s father-law, Juan. His recovery from 2 transplants and added health issues since the transplants have him very sick. 

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. 

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 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 Sister Anna who is now home in El Salvador taking care of her mother.  

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 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 our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for the healing of baby Caden (Kevin Odor’s grandson) – born with Agenesis of the corpus callosum (rare neurological birth defect). 

Please continue to Pray for Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico. And, please continue to Pray for her church caught up in the tragedies surrounding the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children.

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.”

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 5/31 – Awakening Appetites

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Trusting God  – Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”   Philippians‬ ‭4:6

“Lukewarm deeds result from attempting to harmonize the wisdom and morality of the world (cold) with the wisdom and morality of God (hot).” from “The Discipline of Delusion: How Secular Ideas Became the New Idolatry” by Jerry Bangert

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

This email contains, sequentially: Memory Verse (above), Daily Devotion from “Thoughts From The Diary of A Desperate Man” by Walter A. Henrichsen (“Walt”), Scripture Reading  (read the entire Bible in 1 year), and Prayer Requests. 

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Awakening Appetites

Day One Hundred Fifty-one

“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the hinds of the field, that you stir not up nor awaken love until it please.” Song of Solomon 2:7

Solomon warns that the appetite for love must not be awakened before its time. Many individuals have neglected his warning, only to live the rest of their lives in regret.  One of the most precious gifts an individual can bring to the marriage bed is purity.  Prior experience causes the mind to remember the past in the midst of the presence, making the act of love less beautiful than God meant it to be.

Many appetites are natural, such as food, thirst, and sex.  Many appetites are acquired, such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, smoking, exercise, and chocolate. Although not all appetites are wrong, you must be careful which ones you cultivate, for once awakened, you have difficulty making them dormant again.

In many respects life is cruel and unforgiving.  If in a moment of despair you jump from a tall building, in all probability you won’t get a second chance.  You are forced to live with the consequences  of the decisions you make.  For some appetites, it is a matter of timing.  For others, you don’t ever want to awaken them.  Therefore make your decisions carefully.  As you awaken your appetites ask, “Do I want to cultivate this appetite for the rest of my life?”  If not, you should probably let it sleep.

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2 Chronicles 13-14 John 12:1-26 (New King James Version)

2 Chronicles 13-14

Abijah Reigns in Judah

13 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was[a]Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah set the battle in order with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand choice men. Jeroboam also drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.

4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which isin the mountains of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. 7 Then worthless rogues gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand them. 8 And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you area great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of otherlands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that arenot gods? 10 But as for us, the Lord isour God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the Lord arethe sons of Aaron, and the Levites attendto theirduties. 11 And they burn to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; theyalso setthe showbread in order onthe pure goldtable, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12 Now look, God Himself is with us as ourhead, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!”

13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush wasbehind them. 14 And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line wasat both front and rear; and they cried out to the Lord, and the priests sounded the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. 17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain. 18 Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers.

19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephrain[b] with its villages. 20 So Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the Lord struck him, and he died.

21 But Abijah grew mighty, married fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings arewritten in the [c]annals of the prophet Iddo.

Asa Reigns over Judah

14 So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.

Asa Reigns in Judah

2 Asa did what wasgood and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, 3 for he removed the altars of the foreign godsand the [d]high places, and broke down the sacredpillars and cut down the wooden images. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the [e]high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. 6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest. 7 Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them,and towers, gates, and bars, whilethe land isyet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him,and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried [f]shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these weremighty men of valor.

9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10 So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it isnothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You areour God; do not let man prevail against You!”

12 So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 And Asa and the people who werewith him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much [g]spoil. 14 Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much [h]spoil in them. 15 They also [i]attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes:

  • 2 Chronicles 13:2 Maachah,1 Kin. 15:2; 2 Chr. 11:20, 21
  • 2 Chronicles 13:19 Or Ephron
  • 2 Chronicles 13:22 Or commentary,Heb. midrash
  • 2 Chronicles 14:3 Places for pagan worship
  • 2 Chronicles 14:5 Places for pagan worship
  • 2 Chronicles 14:8 large shields
  • 2 Chronicles 14:13 plunder
  • 2 Chronicles 14:14 plunder
  • 2 Chronicles 14:15 Lit. struck

John 12:1-26

The Anointing at Bethany

12 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was [a]who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son,who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for [b]three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; [c]she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!

‘Blessed isHe who comes in the name of the Lord!’

The King of Israel!”

14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

15 

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;

Behold, your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and thatthey had done these things to Him.

17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

The Fruitful Grain of Wheat

20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much [d]grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him MyFather will honor.

Footnotes:

  • John 12:1 NU omits who had been dead
  • John 12:5 About one year’s wages for a worker
  • John 12:7 NU that she may keep
  • John 12:24 Lit. fruit

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

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 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 Christian. 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 Pray for Joy, Leif and Espen.  Joy lost her unborn baby Sunday morning, 5/26/2019.  Please lift her family up to the Lord.  

Please continue to Pray for Brother Kevin Parkinson’s daughter, Amber Lee, who had been a meth addict for many years…She recently had a massive stroke and has came out of a comma.   Please Pray for Kevin and his family; and that Amber receives Jesus. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother K and his family. The enemy is working overtime on this Brother and his family.  He and his wife have children from two different marriages including their own. The children are manipulating each other and the parents; and, trying to put a wedge between the Brother and his wife. 

Please Pray for Sister Anna who is now home in El Salvador taking care of her mother.  

Please 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 Simon, Sister Sonia’s friend, he needs heart and kidney transplant; and, above all needs to receive Jesus.  

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 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 our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   

II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for the healing of baby Caden (Kevin Odor’s grandson) – born with Agenesis of the corpus callosum (rare neurological birth defect). 

Please continue to Pray for Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico. And, please continue to Pray for her church caught up in the tragedies surrounding the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children.

Please continue to Pray for the Salvation of Hagen who is HIV positive and is deathly ill. 

We continue to ask for Prayers and Gods Grace and Mercy for Baby Grace and her parents, Lisa and Darren. 

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr., and his aunt Josefina. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS. 

Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith.  10 WAYS TO PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN FAMILY.. Pray our brothers and sisters will:

1. Sense God’s presence (Heb. 13:5) 

2. Know we are praying for them (2 Tim. 1:3) 

3. Experience God’s comfort (2 Thess. 2:16–17) 

4. See God open doors to evangelism (Col. 4:3) 

5. Boldly share the gospel (Acts 4:29) 

6. Mature in their faith (Col. 1:28–29) 

7. Be granted wisdom in covert ministry work (Acts 9:23–25) 

8. Remain joyful amid suffering (Acts 5:41) 

9. Forgive and love their persecutors (Matt. 5:44) 

10. Be rooted in God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16–17)

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

Please continue Pray for our President & government leaders that they will would seek God and Walk in His Ways.    

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 3/16 – A Time of Testing

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Trusting God

Philippians 4:6 NKJV

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”   Philippians 4:6

“Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so that you will discover He is the Rock at the bottom.” Tony Evans

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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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A Time of Testing

Day Seventy-five

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even

from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”  Hebrews 11:17-19

God commanded Abraham to do something that defied his conscience, logic, and God’s own command. ‘Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”129   God had Isaac offered as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah.  The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard called it “the teleological suspension of the ethical,” i.e., no rationally ethical answer can be given for what God demanded of Abraham, and therefore judgment must be suspended until the end time.

To whom could Abraham go for support?  Can you imagine a man’s wife affirming him at such a time?  We institutionalize people for behavior like this. Still, Abraham obeyed.   Hebrews tells us that Abraham’s confidence rested in God’s promise, “in Isaac shall thy seed by called;” not Ishmael or one of the sons of Keturah, but Isaac.  On the basis of this promise Abraham concluded that after he killed Isaac, God would raise him from the dead.  No wonder God “is not ashamed to be called his God.”130

You do well to remember at least two things from Abraham’s time of testing. First, there will be times in your life when God will test you.  You cannot predict what that testing looks like, but you can prepare for it, by trusting God in the little things; the little risks prepare you for the severe times of testing.

Second, when all seems dark and you have no where to tum, trust the promises of God.  “God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall

he not make it good?”131 

129 Genesis 9:6

130  Hebrews 11:16

131  Numbers 23:19

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Deuteronomy 28-29 Mark 14:54-72 (New King James Version)

Deuteronomy 28-29

Blessings on Obedience

28 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

4 “Blessed shall be the [a]fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

8 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

9 “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord [b]swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you His good [c]treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you [d]heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Curses on Disobedience

15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

16 “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

17 “Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

18 “Cursed shall be the [e]fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

19 “Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

20 “The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me. 21 The Lord will make the [f]plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. 22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching,[g] and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. 23 And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. 24 The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.

25 “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become [h]troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away. 27 The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. 28 The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart. 29 And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.

30 “You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes. 31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. 32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be [i]no strength in your hand. 33 A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. 34 So you shall be driven mad because of the sight which your eyes see. 35 The Lord will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.

36 “The Lord will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods—wood and stone. 37 And you shall become an[j] astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the Lord will drive you.

38 “You shall carry much seed out to the field but gather little in, for the locust shall [k]consume it. 39 You shall plant vineyards and tend them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. 40 You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off. 41 You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity. 42 Locusts shall [l]consume all your trees and the produce of your land.

43 “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.

45 “Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you [m]did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever.

47 “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you.

52 “They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the Lord your God has given you. 53 You shall eat the [n]fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you. 54 The [o]sensitive and very refined man among you will[p] be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest of his children whom he leaves behind, 55 so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates. 56 The [q]tender and [r]delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and sensitivity, [s]will refuse to the husband of her bosom, and to her son and her daughter, 57 her [t]placenta which comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of everything in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates.

58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. 62 You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 63 And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked[u] from off the land which you go to possess.

64 “Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known—wood and stone. 65 And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the Lord will give you a [v]trembling heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul. 66 Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life. 67 In the morning you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall say, ‘Oh, that it were morning!’ because of the fear which terrifies your heart, and because of the sight which your eyes see.

68 “And the Lord will take you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘You shall never see it again.’ And there you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”

The Covenant Renewed in Moab

29 These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.

2 Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land— 3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to [w]perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day. 5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. 6 You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 7 And when you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we conquered them. 8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

10 “All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water— 12 that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today, 13 that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

14 “I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, 15 but with him who stands here with us today before the Lord our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today 16 (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, 17 and you saw their [x]abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); 18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I [y]follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.

20 “The Lord would not spare him; for then the anger of the Lord and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the Lord would blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And the Lord would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law, 22 so that the coming generation of your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, would say, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the Lord has laid on it:

23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’ 24 All nations would say, ‘Why has the Lord done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’

29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Footnotes:

  • Deuteronomy 28:4 offspring
  • Deuteronomy 28:11 promised
  • Deuteronomy 28:12 storehouse
  • Deuteronomy 28:13 listen to
  • Deuteronomy 28:18 offspring
  • Deuteronomy 28:21 pestilence
  • Deuteronomy 28:22 blight
  • Deuteronomy 28:25 a terror
  • Deuteronomy 28:32 nothing you can do
  • Deuteronomy 28:37 a thing of horror
  • Deuteronomy 28:38 devour
  • Deuteronomy 28:42 possess
  • Deuteronomy 28:45 did not listen to
  • Deuteronomy 28:53 offspring
  • Deuteronomy 28:54 Lit. tender
  • Deuteronomy 28:54 Lit. his eye shall be evil toward
  • Deuteronomy 28:56 sensitive
  • Deuteronomy 28:56 refined
  • Deuteronomy 28:56 Lit. her eye shall be evil toward
  • Deuteronomy 28:57 afterbirth
  • Deuteronomy 28:63 torn
  • Deuteronomy 28:65 anxious
  • Deuteronomy 29:4 understand or know
  • Deuteronomy 29:17 detestable things
  • Deuteronomy 29:19 walk in the stubbornness or imagination

Mark 14:54-72

54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies [a]did not agree.

57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” 59 But not even then did their testimony agree.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”

And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

65 Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers [b]struck Him with the palms of their hands.

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps

66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, [c]and your [d]speech shows it.”

71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

Footnotes:

  • Mark 14:56 were not consistent
  • Mark 14:65 NU received Him with slaps
  • Mark 14:70 NU omits the rest of v. 70.
  • Mark 14:70 accent

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

PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for Sister Lynn who is experiencing excruciating lower back pain. 

Please Pray for Bill E.  who has been recently diagnosed with colon cancer. Pray for God’s healing hand in this matter and that Bill’s prescribed treatments and procedures go well. Above all, Pray that God reveals Himself to Bill and his family and that God would comfort them during this difficult time.

Please Pray for Jenny Nadeau who has multiple surgeries scheduled and is currently in a weakened state from a recent blockage removal surgery. Pray that she and those around her will witness first hand our Masters Love and Holy Touch. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Tom recently diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Pray God will heal Tom; and, God would use this healing to draw Tom and those witnessing this Miracle to Him. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother David Frear family going through testing times. 

Pray for Simon, Sister Sonia’s friend, needs heart and kidney transplant; and, above all needs to receive Jesus.  

Please Pray for Dave Ubank and his family. They are ministering and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by  Isis – Pray for their protection and their ministry.  For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

Please Pray for Jim Nelson and family ministering in China. 

Pease continue to Pray for Brother Bob Summers that he have complete healing after his surgery for a blood clot in his brain.

Please continue to Pray for Sister Diana who is witnessing to young persons with confused doctrine.  Pray God would speak through her and provide His Holy Clarity directly this young person to Him. 

Please continue to Pray for Jamie to accept the Lord into her life and the Peace only He can give her. Jamie recently lost her man that she had been with for over the 30 years to suicide. 

Please continue to Pray for our nation that God would open all our eyes to the sin that is drowning us. Abortion, sex outside of marriage, hatred & divisiveness, greed, pride, only to name a few and only scratches the surface.  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us.   II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for the healing of baby Caden (Kevin Odor’s grandson) – born with Agenesis of the corpus callosum (rare neurological birth defect). 

Please continue to Pray for Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico. And, please continue to Pray for her church caught up in the tragedies surrounding the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children.

Please continue to Pray for the Salvation of Hagen who is HIV positive and is deathly ill. 

We continue to ask for Prayers and Gods Grace and Mercy for Baby Grace and her parents, Lisa and Darren. 

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr., and his aunt Josefina. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS. 

Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith.  10 WAYS TO PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN FAMILY.. Pray our brothers and sisters will:

1. Sense God’s presence (Heb. 13:5) 

2. Know we are praying for them (2 Tim. 1:3) 

3. Experience God’s comfort (2 Thess. 2:16–17) 

4. See God open doors to evangelism (Col. 4:3) 

5. Boldly share the gospel (Acts 4:29) 

6. Mature in their faith (Col. 1:28–29) 

7. Be granted wisdom in covert ministry work (Acts 9:23–25) 

8. Remain joyful amid suffering (Acts 5:41) 

9. Forgive and love their persecutors (Matt. 5:44) 

10. Be rooted in God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16–17)

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

Please continue Pray for our President & government leaders that they will would seek God and Walk in His Ways.    

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)

Day 2/11 – The Sacrifice of Praise

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His Peace  – Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)  “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  Isaiah 26:3

“Your eternal gain will be proportional to your temporal commitment.” 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 Sacrifice of Praise

Day Forty-two

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15

What do you give to someone who has everything?  What do you offer to God who has no need?  The Psalmist addresses this question: God says that He owns all.  “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine and the fulness thereof.”68   Although He has no needs, He does say that there exits one thing He desires. “Offer unto God thanksgiving.” He delights in the “sacrifice of praise.”

Thanksgiving becomes a sacrifice when, in the midst of your hurts and disappointments, you affirm His goodness.  You delight the heart of God when you don’t feel grateful and yet thank Him.  People and circumstances cause pain when they impact you in ways contrary to your expectations.  Life is full of such hurts.  It is easy, even natural, to thank God for that which you perceive to benefit

you.  To believe that pain comes from a benevolent God showing love, and to give Him thanks for that pain, this reflects the kind of faith that pleases Him.

Thus He calls it “the sacrifice of praise.”  A sacrifice costs, else it is not sacrificial. When you give the Lord thanks in the midst of your pain you affirm His goodness. During such times you do not want to thank Him; you want to question His goodness, for why does a loving, caring God inflict pain?  Content that you can never answer the question “why?”, you rest in the character of God.  He is good. All of His designs toward you are good.  For this reason, you “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of your lips giving thanks to His

name.”

68  Psalm 50:12

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Leviticus 11-12 Matthew 26:1-25 (New King James Version)

Leviticus 11-12

Foods Permitted and Forbidden

11 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These arethe animals which you may eat among all the animals that areon the earth: 3 Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves andchewing the cud—that you may eat. 4 Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is [a]unclean to you; 5 the [b]rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is[c]unclean to you; 6 the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, isunclean to you; 7 and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, isunclean to you. 8 Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They areunclean to you.

9 ‘These you may eat of all that arein the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat. 10 But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which isin the water, they are[d]an abomination to you. 11 They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall bean abomination to you.

13 ‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they arean abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 14 the kite, and the falcon after its kind; 15 every raven after its kind, 16 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind; 17 the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl; 18 the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; 19 the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 ‘All flying insects that creep on allfours shall bean abomination to you. 21 Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on allfours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth. 22 These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all otherflying insects which have four feet shall bean abomination to you.

Unclean Animals

24 ‘By these you shall become [e]unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening; 25 whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening: 26 The carcassof any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, isunclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean. 27 And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on allfours, those areunclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening. 28 Whoever carries any suchcarcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It isunclean to you.

29 ‘These also shall beunclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind; 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These areunclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. 32 Anything on which anyof them falls, when they are dead shall be [f]unclean, whether it isany item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which anywork is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean. 33 Any earthen vessel into which anyof them falls you shall break; and whatever isin it shall be unclean: 34 in such a vessel, any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean, and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean. 35 And everything on which a partof any suchcarcass falls shall be unclean; whether it isan oven or cooking stove, it shall be broken down; forthey areunclean, and shall be unclean to you. 36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there isplenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean. 37 And if a part of any suchcarcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remainsclean. 38 But if water is put on the seed, and if a partof any suchcarcass falls on it, it becomes[g]unclean to you.

39 ‘And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening. 40 He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41 ‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be[h]an abomination. It shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on allfours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they arean abomination. 43 You shall not make [i]yourselves [j]abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them. 44 For I amthe Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I amholy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 45 For I amthe Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I amholy.

46 ‘This isthe law [k]of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, 47 to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.’ ”

The Ritual After Childbirth

12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be [l]unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 She shall then continue in the blood of herpurification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any [m]hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.

5 ‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of herpurification sixty-six days.

6 ‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb [n]of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7 Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make [o]atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This isthe law for her who has borne a male or a female.

8 ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be [p]clean.’ ”

Footnotes:

  • Leviticus 11:4 impure
  • Leviticus 11:5 rock badger
  • Leviticus 11:5 impure
  • Leviticus 11:10 detestable
  • Leviticus 11:24 impure
  • Leviticus 11:32 impure
  • Leviticus 11:38 impure
  • Leviticus 11:41 detestable
  • Leviticus 11:43 Lit. your souls
  • Leviticus 11:43 impure
  • Leviticus 11:46 concerning
  • Leviticus 12:2 impure
  • Leviticus 12:4 consecrated
  • Leviticus 12:6 Lit. a son of his year
  • Leviticus 12:7 Lit. covering
  • Leviticus 12:8 pure

Matthew 26:1-25

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, thatHe said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

3 Then the chief priests, [a]the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by [b]trickery and kill Him.5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured iton His head as He sat at the table.8 But when His disciples saw it,they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to thepoor.”

10 But when Jesus was aware of it,He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did itfor My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples

17 Now on the first day of the Feastof the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”

19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

23 He answered and said, “He who dipped hishand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”

He said to him, “You have said it.”

Footnotes:

  • Matthew 26:3 NU omits the scribes
  • Matthew 26:4 deception

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

PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for Dave Ubank and his family ministeringthat are in  and rescuing children and families in Syria directly affected by  Isis – Pray for their protection and their ministry.  For a short 2 minute video about Ubanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_htIgIvgDM[/embedyt

Please Pray for Jim Nelson and family ministering in China. 

Please Pray for Pastor Vathadajohn, in India, he was admitted in Pulse Hospital due to a right side paralysis stroke on face, minor blood clot in brain nerves. Please Pray for his quick recovery… May God touch and heal him completely.

Please Pray for Sister Kathryn to be able to teach first grade next year and that through her teaching skills with God in her instill in these first graders the Love of Christ.  

Please continue to Pray for Albert Chong, Lee Yih’s son in law; please Pray for Albert‘s wife Christy and their children. Albert is home now recovering from his massive heart attack and medical induced comma.  Please Pray:

– For Albert, protection from stress and worry, as he faces the many tasks and to-do’s that are waiting for him at home.  He needs to avoid strenuous and stressful activities for at least 2 weeks. 

– For Christie, to provide a stress-free home

environment for Albert so he can recuperate.  To joyfully serve Albert out of a heart of gratitude.

– For us to establish our “new normal” and discern God’s calling for our family during this time off together.

Pease Pray for Brother Bob Summers that he have complete healing after his surgery for a blood clot in his brain.

Please continue to Pray for Sister Diana who is witnessing to a young person with confused doctrine.  Pray God would speak through her and provide His Holy Clarity directly this young person to Him. 

Please continue to Pray for Jamie to accept the Lord into her life and the Peace only He can give her. Jamie recently lost her man that she had been with for over the 30 years to suicide. 

Please continue to Pray for Sister Courtney who is pregnant and is scheduled this evening to have her labor induced.  Please Pray for her and the baby. And, please continue to Pray for Courtney that has a basil cell carcinoma very close to one of her eyes and is scheduled for surgery later this month to remove it.

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 and only scratches the surface. One recent and heinous example on how this evil tide is moving is in the state of New York, where law makers declare a new law wherein every individual who becomes pregnant has the fundamental right to choose to carry the pregnancy to term, to give birth to a child, or to have an abortion up to term.  “Convicted criminals aren’t subjected to the death penalty in New York state, but now children up until the ninth month of pregnancy can be given lethal injections and poisoned to death,” said Live Action founder and president Lila Rose. “This is no different than infanticide.”  Please Pray and Fast for our nation to turn from this evil that is enveloping us all.  

‭‭II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please continue to Pray for our Brothers’ and Sisters’ struggling with various addictions. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them that all things are possible through Him… He can Cure any addiction … He is our Great Creator, He is our Savior, He is our Healer …He is our All and All!  

Please continue to Pray for Kathy, Brother Walt’s dear friend’s wife. Kathy was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition known as dermatomyositischaracterized by skin rash and muscle weakness, and which had a rapid onset about six weeks ago. There is no known cure. Treatment is chemotherapy to kill the immune system, which is attacking her skin and muscle cells, and prednisone to reduce the inflammatory response.  Please Pray for her husband and their three children; that the entire family, and all looking on, will see the Mighty Hand of our Loving God and Savor on each of their lives.  

Please continue to Pray for the healing of baby Caden (Kevin Odor’s grandson) – born with Agenesis of the corpus callosum (rare neurological birth defect). 

Please continue to Pray for Sister Fabiola and her children in Mexico. And, please continue to Pray for her church caught up in the tragedies surrounding the murder of her husband, x-husband and one of her children.

Please continue to Pray for the Salvation of Hagen who is HIV positive and is deathly ill. 

We continue to ask for Prayers and Gods Grace and Mercy for Baby Grace and her parents, Lisa and Darren. 

Please continue to Pray for Alejandro Corral, his son Alejandro Jr., and his aunt Josefina. 

Please continue to Pray for Brother Steve Venable dealing with ALS. 

Please continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters and their families that are suffering and giving their lives for our Faith.  10 WAYS TO PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN FAMILY.. Pray our brothers and sisters will:

1. Sense God’s presence (Heb. 13:5) 

2. Know we are praying for them (2 Tim. 1:3) 

3. Experience God’s comfort (2 Thess. 2:16–17) 

4. See God open doors to evangelism (Col. 4:3) 

5. Boldly share the gospel (Acts 4:29) 

6. Mature in their faith (Col. 1:28–29) 

7. Be granted wisdom in covert ministry work (Acts 9:23–25) 

8. Remain joyful amid suffering (Acts 5:41) 

9. Forgive and love their persecutors (Matt. 5:44) 

10. Be rooted in God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16–17)

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

Please continue Pray for our President & government leaders that they will would seek God and Walk in His Ways.    

Please continue to pray for Biblical “headship” in families.

Please continue to Pray for all our children. 

Please continue to Pray that there would be a resurgence of Biblical “Fear of the Lord” in the church and in each of us… “to fear the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”

Please continue to Pray for Brother Ron Brink’s son who had 3+ military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now suffering brain damage and PTSD.  Pray for God’s Healing Power to fall upon Johnathon. (Ron is a 20 plus year missionary in Mexico with Touch Baja… for info on Touch Baja and how to touch the Mexican people for Christ, see http://www.touchbaja.com.)

Please continue to Pray for the Sharon India Foundation (“SIF”) to assisting the poor of India.  Through SIF: Widows have received medical treatment and been given quality sewing machines and training on how to use them to make a living. Orphans have been given free education in their neighborhood slum areas.  After natural disasters relief has been provided in the nature of medical, food items, blankets, clothing and building materials.  Bore wells have been successfully dug to provide fresh water to affected areas.  Water purification systems have also been given out on a limited basis. Special shoes have been purchased for lepers with ulcerated feet.  Thousands of books have been translated to assist in the ever growing discipleship outreach of E-Squared (Evangelism and Edification/Disciples).  Sharon India Foundation has no administrative costs and 100% of all donations go directly to the Indian pastors and their ministries. (Let’s reach India and beyond for Christ…see how you can help: https://sharonindia.org.)