Your Power

Faith  – Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6

“When you make Jesus the standard, the more you grow in Christ the more aware you are of your depravity.”    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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The Discipline of the Father

Day Two Hundred Twenty-two

“For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  Hebrews 12:6

Quoting from Proverbs,289 the writer of Hebrews exhorts his readers to respond properly to God’s discipline.  Love and discipline go together; the only people God does not discipline are those He does not love.  Rather than discouraging you, His discipline ought to be of great encouragement.

But how do you know if His discipline is for wrong committed, or to push you towards excellence?  If the Holy Spirit convicts you of some specific sin in the midst of the chastisement, then you should probably assume a connection and obey the prompting of the Spirit.  Otherwise, you don’t need to know; it doesn’t make that much difference.   In either case, God’s objective when correcting you remains the same: to conform you to the image of His Son.290

For example, in athletics, the coach is hardest on those with the greatest potential.  Let’s say you and I are on a basketball team, and after scrimmage as we head for the showers, you say, “The coach was too hard on me.   I can’t seem to please him; he is constantly in my face.”  I answer, “I wish he were hard on me.  You are the star player and I sit out the game on the bench.”  Whether the Coach pushes you because of your doing something wrong, or to make you better makes no difference apart from the response He wants from you; in either case you benefit.

289  cf. Proverbs 3:11-12

290 Romans 8:29

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Psalm 79-80 Romans 11:1-18 (New King James Version)

Psalm 79-80

A Dirge and a Prayer for Israel, Destroyed by Enemies

A Psalm of Asaph.

79 

O God, the [a]nations have come into Your inheritance;

Your holy temple they have defiled;

They have laid Jerusalem [b]in heaps.

2 

The dead bodies of Your servants

They have given asfood for the birds of the heavens,

The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.

3 

Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem,

And there wasno one to bury them.

4 

We have become a reproach to our neighbors,

A scorn and derision to those who are around us.

5 

How long, Lord?

Will You be angry forever?

Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

6 

Pour out Your wrath on the [c]nations that do not know You,

And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.

7 

For they have devoured Jacob,

And laid waste his dwelling place.

8 

Oh, do not remember [d]former iniquities against us!

Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,

For we have been brought very low.

9 

Help us, O God of our salvation,

For the glory of Your name;

And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,

For Your name’s sake!

10 

Why should the [e]nations say,

“Where istheir God?”

Let there be known among the nations in our sight

The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has beenshed.

11 

Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;

According to the greatness of Your [f]power

Preserve those who are appointed to die;

12 

And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom

Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.

13 

So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,

Will give You thanks forever;

We will show forth Your praise to all generations.

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the Chief Musician. Set to [g]“The Lilies.” A [h]Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.

80 

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

You who lead Joseph like a flock;

You who dwell betweenthe cherubim, shine forth!

2 

Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,

Stir up Your strength,

And come andsave us!

3 

Restore us, O God;

Cause Your face to shine,

And we shall be saved!

4 

O Lord God of hosts,

How long will You be angry

Against the prayer of Your people?

5 

You have fed them with the bread of tears,

And given them tears to drink in great measure.

6 

You have made us a strife to our neighbors,

And our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 

Restore us, O God of hosts;

Cause Your face to shine,

And we shall be saved!

8 

You have brought a vine out of Egypt;

You have cast out the [i]nations, and planted it.

9 

You prepared roomfor it,

And caused it to take deep root,

And it filled the land.

10 

The hills were covered with its shadow,

And the [j]mighty cedars with its boughs.

11 

She sent out her boughs to [k]the Sea,

And her branches to [l]the River.

12 

Why have You broken down her [m]hedges,

So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?

13 

The boar out of the woods uproots it,

And the wild beast of the field devours it.

14 

Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;

Look down from heaven and see,

And visit this vine

15 

And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,

And the branch thatYou made strong for Yourself.

16 

It isburned with fire, it iscut down;

They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

17 

Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,

Upon the son of man whomYou made strong for Yourself.

18 

Then we will not turn back from You;

Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

19 

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;

Cause Your face to shine,

And we shall be saved!

Footnotes:

• Psalm 79:1 Gentiles
• Psalm 79:1 in ruins
• Psalm 79:6 Gentiles
• Psalm 79:8 Or against us the iniquities of those who were before us
• Psalm 79:10 Gentiles
• Psalm 79:11 Lit. arm
• Psalm 80:1 Heb. Shoshannim
• Psalm 80:1 Heb. Eduth
• Psalm 80:8 Gentiles
• Psalm 80:10 Lit. cedars of God
• Psalm 80:11 The Mediterranean
• Psalm 80:11 The Euphrates
• Psalm 80:12 wallsor fences

Romans 11:1-18

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, ofthe tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it isno longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. [a]But if it isof works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:

“God has given them a spirit of stupor,

Eyes that they should not see

And ears that they should not hear,

To this very day.”

9 And David says:

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,

A stumbling block and a recompense to them.

10 

Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,

And bow down their back always.”

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their [b]fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has cometo the Gentiles. 12 Now if their [c]fall isriches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who aremy flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away isthe reconciling of the world, what willtheir acceptance bebut life from the dead?

16 For if the firstfruit isholy, the lump isalso holy;and if the root isholy, so arethe branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [d]fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember thatyou do not support the root, but the root supportsyou.

Footnotes:

• Romans 11:6 NU omits the rest of v. 6.
• Romans 11:11 trespass
• Romans 11:12 trespass
• Romans 11:17 richness

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PRAYER REQUESTS 

Please Pray for the Second Saturdays Event scheduled for tonight, 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.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please continue 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.)