Day 335 of the 2nd Bible Study Journey 5rd Day of Advent - 1 December 2022 reflections
Day 335, 1 December 2022
1) Acts 21:37-40,22 ,23
Acts 21:37-40
Paul Defends Himself
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,
he said to the commander, "May I speak to you?"
He replied, "Do you know how to speak Greek?
38 (Mt 24:26A) Are you not the Egyptian who in past days caused an uproar
and led the four thousand men of the Sicarii (Or men of the Assassins.)
out into the wilderness?"
39 (Ac 9:11; 22:3) Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus of Cilicia, a
citizen of no common city. I beg of you, permit me to speak to the people."
40 (Ac 12:17; Jn 5:2) When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the
stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was great
silence, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying,
[37] And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief
captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
[38] Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar,
and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
[39] But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia,
a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the
people.
[40] And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and
beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great
silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
Acts 22
1 (Ac 7:2) "Brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now make to you."
2 (Ac 21:40) When they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew
language, they became even more quiet.
Then he said,
3 (Ac 9:11; 5:34; 21:20) "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but
brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was trained in the
strict tradition of the law of the fathers, being zealous toward God as
you all are today.
4 (Ac 22:19-20; 26:9-11) I persecuted this Way to the death,
arresting and imprisoning both men and women,
5 (Lk 22:66; Ac 9:1-2) as even the high priest and the council of elders
bear witness of me. From them I received letters to the brothers in
Damascus, where I went to take even those who were there and lead them in
chains to Jerusalem to be punished.
[1] Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto
you.
[2] (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they
kept the more silence: and he saith,)
[3] I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet
brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the
perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye
all are this day.
[4] And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into
prisons both men and women.
[5] As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the
elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to
Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be
punished.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
Ac 9:1-19; 26:12-18
6 "As I journeyed and came near Damascus, about noon suddenly a great
light from heaven shone around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?'
8 "I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?'
"He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
9 (Ac 9:7; Da 10:7) Those who were with me saw the light and were afraid,
but they did not hear the voice of Him who was speaking to me.
10 (Ac 16:30) "I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?'
"The Lord said to me, 'Rise and go into Damascus. There you will be told
what you have been appointed to do.'
11 Since I was blinded by the glory of that light, those who were with me
led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 (Ac 10:22; 6:3) "Ananias, a devout man according to the law,
who was well spoken of by all the Jews living there,
13 came and stood by me, and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.'
And at that moment I looked up at him.
14 (Ac 26:16; 1Co 9:1; 15:8) "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has
appointed you to know His will and to see the Just One and to hear His
voice,
15 (Ac 23:11; 4:20) for you will be His witness to all men of what you
have seen and heard.
16 (Ac 2:38; Heb 10:22; 1Co 6:11) And now why do you wait? Rise, be
baptized and wash away your sins, and call on the name of the Lord.'
[6] And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto
Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round
about me.
[7] And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me?
[8] And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of
Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
[9] And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but
they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
[10] And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise,
and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which
are appointed for thee to do.
[11] And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the
hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
[12] And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good
report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
[13] Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy
sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
[14] And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou
shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice
of his mouth.
[15] For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and
heard.
[16] And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Paul Sent to the Gentiles
17 (2Co 12:1-4) "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying
in the temple, I fell into a trance
18 and saw Him saying to me, 'Hurry! Get out of Jerusalem immediately,
for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.'
19 (Mt 10:17; Ac 22:4) "I said, 'Lord, they know that I imprisoned
and beat those who believed in You in every synagogue.
20 (Ac 7:58; 8:1) And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed,
I was standing by consenting to his death, guarding the clothes
of those who killed him.'
21 (Ac 9:15) "Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far away
to the Gentiles.' "
[17] And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even
while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
[18] And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of
Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
[19] And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every
synagogue them that believed on thee:
[20] And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing
by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew
him.
[21] And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the
Gentiles.
Paul and the Roman Commander
22 (Ac 25:24; 21:36) They listened to him up to this word, and then
they lifted up their voices and said, "Away with such a man from
the earth, for he is not fit to live!"
23 As they shouted and threw off their garments and threw dust into the air,
24 (Ac 21:34; 23:10) the commander ordered him to be brought
into the barracks and examined with scourging, so that he might learn
what crime they were alleging against him.
25 (Ac 16:37) As they stretched him forward with straps, Paul said
to the centurion standing by, "Is it legal for you to flog
an uncondemned Roman citizen?"
26 On hearing this, the centurion reported to the commander, saying,
"What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen."
27 The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?"
He said, "Yes."
28 The commander answered, "I bought my citizenship for a large sum."
So Paul said, "But I was born a citizen."
29 Therefore those who were about to examine Paul immediately backed away
from him. And the commander feared, knowing that he was a Roman citizen
and because he had bound him.
[22] And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their
voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit
that he should live.
[23] And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into
the air,
[24] The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade
that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they
cried so against him.
[25] And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that
stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and
uncondemned?
[26] When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain,
saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
[27] Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a
Roman? He said, Yea.
[28] And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this
freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
[29] Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him:
and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman,
and because he had bound him.
Paul Before the Sanhedrin
30 (Ac 23:28; 21:33) On the next day, desiring to know exactly
why he was accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief
priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble,
and he brought Paul down to stand before them.
[330] On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he
was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the
chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and
set him before them.
Acts 23
1 (Ac 24:16; 2Co 1:12) Paul looked at the Sanhedrin and said,
"Brothers, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."
2 (Ac 24:1; Jn 18:22) The high priest Ananias ordered those who stood
by him to strike him on the mouth.
3 (Jn 7:51; Dt 25:1-2) Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you,
you whitewashed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the law,
yet order me to be struck contrary to the law?"
4 Those who stood by said, "Do you criticize God's high priest?"
5 (Ex 22:28) Paul said, "Brothers, I did not know that he was
the high priest. For it is written,
'You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.'(Ex 22:28.)"
6 (Ac 24:15; 24:21) Then Paul, knowing that one sect were Sadducees
and the other Pharisees, cried out among the Sanhedrin,
"Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee. I am being judged
for my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
7 When he had said this, dissension arose between the Pharisees
and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 (Mt 22:23; Lk 20:27) For the Sadducees say that there is
no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. But the Pharisees acknowledge
them all.
9 (Ac 22:7; 22:17-18) There was a great outcry. The scribes that were
from the sect of Pharisees stood up and argued,
"We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or an angel has spoken
to him, let us not fight against God."
10 (Ac 22:24) When much dissension arose, fearing that Paul would be torn
to pieces by them, the commander ordered the soldiers to go down and take
him from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 (Ac 18:9; 19:21) The following night the Lord stood by him and said,
"Take courage, Paul. For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem,
so you must also testify at Rome."
1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have
lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him
on the mouth.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for
sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest:
for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other
Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee,
the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called
in question.
7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees
and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor
spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees'
part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a
spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest
Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go
down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the
castle.
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer,
Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear
witness also at Rome.
The Plot Against Paul's Life
12 (Ac 23:21; 23:30) At daybreak some of the Jews conspired under oath,
saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty who had conspired.
14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said,
"We have bound ourselves under oath not to eat until we have killed Paul.
15 So now, with the Sanhedrin, tell the commander to bring him down to you
tomorrow, pretending to inquire further concerning him. We are ready to
kill him before he arrives."
16 (Ac 23:10) But when the son of Paul's sister heard of the treachery,
he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions over and said,
"Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him."
18 (Eph 3:1) So he took him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner
sent for me and asked me to bring you this young man who has something
to tell you."
19 Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside privately,
and asked him, "What is it you have to tell me?"
20 (Ac 23:14-15)The boy said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you
to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Sanhedrin, pretending to inquire
further concerning him.
21 (Ac 23:12-14) Do not trust them. More than forty men, who have bound
themselves with an oath to neither eat nor drink until they have killed
him, are waiting for him. And now they are ready, waiting for your
promise."
22 The commander dismissed the young man and ordered him,
"Tell no one that you have reported these things to me."
12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound
themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink
till they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have
bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we
have slain Paul.
15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he
bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something
more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near,
are ready to kill him.
16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went a
nd entered into the castle, and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this
young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the
prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee,
who hath something to say unto thee.
19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside
privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring
down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat
of him more perfectly.
21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them
more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will
neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready,
looking for a promise from thee.
22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him,
See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.
Paul Sent to Felix the Governor
23 Then he summoned two centurions and said,
"Prepare two hundred infantrymen, seventy mounted soldiers,
and two hundred light infantrymen with spears to go to Caesarea
at the third hour of the night.
24 (Ac 23:26; 24:10) And provide mounts so Paul may ride
and take him safely to Felix the governor."
25 He wrote a letter that went like this:
26 (Ac 15:23; Lk 1:3) Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency Governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 (Ac 22:25-29) This man was seized by the Jews
and was about to be killed by them. When I learned that he was
a Roman citizen, I came with soldiers and rescued him.
28 (Ac 22:30) Being minded to learn what crime they alleged,
I took him to their Sanhedrin.
29 (Ac 18:15; 26:31) I found him being accused of controversial matters
about their law, but charged with nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.
30 (Ac 23:20; 23:35) When it was revealed to me that there was a plot
against the man, at once I sent him to you and ordered the accusers
to state before you their charges against him.
Farewell.
23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred
soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two
hundred, at the third hour of the night;
24 and provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe
unto Felix the governor.
25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:
26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then
came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.
28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought
him forth into their council:
29 whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have
nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
30 And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent
straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say
before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
31 So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul by night
to Antipatris.
32 The next day they let the cavalry depart with him
and they returned to the barracks.
33 When they arrived in Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor,
they presented Paul also to him.
34 (Ac 21:39; 25:1) Upon reading the letter, the governor asked what
province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 (Ac 23:30; 25:16) he said, "I will hear you when your accusers
also arrive." And he ordered that he be guarded in Herod's Praetorium.
31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him
by night to Antipatris.
32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him,
and returned to the castle:
33 who, when they came to Cæsarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor,
presented Paul also before him.
34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he
was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come.
And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.
2) Our Daily Bread for 1 December 2022
Entitled "Mutual Encouragement"
Hebrews 3:7-19
A Rest for God's People
7 (Heb 3:15; 4:7) Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear His voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion,
on the day of temptation in the wilderness,
9 (Ac 7:36) where your fathers tested Me and tried Me
and saw My works for forty years.
10 (Ps 95:10) Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and said, 'They always go astray in their heart,
and they have not known My ways.'
11 (Heb 4:3; 4:5) So I swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest.' "
12 (Heb 12:25) Be attentive, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil,
unbelieving heart, and you depart from the living God.
13 (Eph 4:22; Heb 10:24-25) But exhort one another daily, while it is called
"Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 (Heb 3:6) For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning
of our confidence firmly to the end,
15 (Heb 3:7-8) while it is said:
"Today, if you will hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion."(Ps 95:7-8.)
16 (Nu 14:2; 14:30) For who were they who heard and rebelled? Was it not
all of those who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?
17 (Nu 14:29; Jude 1:5) And with whom was He grieved for forty years?
Was it not with those who had sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
18 (Dt 1:34-35) And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest,
but to those who disobeyed?
19 (Jn 3:36; 3:18) So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.
[7] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
[8] Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation
in the wilderness:
[9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
[10] Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway
err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
[11] So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
[12] Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief, in departing from the living God.
[13] But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
[14] For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence stedfast unto the end;
[15] While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation.
[16] For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came
out of Egypt by Moses.
[17] But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
[18] And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to
them that believed not?
[19] So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Ever had a close encounter with a rattlesnake? If so, you might have noticed
that the sound of the rattle seemed to get more intense as you moved nearer to
the viper. Research in the scientific journal Current Biology reveals that the
snakes do increase their rattling rate when a threat is approaching. This "high-frequency mode" can cause us to think they're closer than they are.
As one researcher put it, "The misinterpretation of distance by the
listener . . . creates a distance safety margin."
After another week of being beaten down by more medical setbacks, I slumped
onto the sofa. I didn't want to think about anything. I didn't want to talk
to anybody. I couldn’t even pray. Discouragement and doubt weighed me down as
I turned on the television. I began watching a commercial showing a little
girl talking to her younger brother. "You're a champion," she said.
As she continued affirming him, his grin grew. So did mine.
God's people have always struggled with discouragement and doubt. Quoting
Psalm 95, which affirms that God’s voice can be heard through the Holy Spirit,
the writer of Hebrews warned believers in Jesus to avoid the mistakes made by
the Israelites while wandering in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:7-11). "See to it,
brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that
turns away from the living God," he wrote. "But encourage one another
daily" (vv. 12-13).
With our lifeline of hope secured in Christ, we can experience the power
packed fuel we need to persevere: mutual encouragement within the fellowship
of believers (v. 13). When one believer doubts, other believers can offer
affirmation and accountability. As God strengthens us, His people, we can
offer the power of mutual encouragement to one another.
By: Xochitl Dixon
Reflect & Pray
How has God used the affirming words of someone in your life to comfort
and encourage you during a difficult time? How can you encourage others
with your words today?
Loving God, help me live for You
and lift others up in love with my words and actions.
For further study, read That Skill: How Words Invite Others into Freedom.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 7 Promises of Grace - Day 5 The Way Out
1 Cor 10:13
13 (1Co 1:9; 2Pe 2:9) No temptation has taken
you except what is common to man. God is faithful,
and He will not permit you to be tempted above
what you can endure, but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common
to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Becky had experienced some hard knocks in the past few weeks; the stress
was beginning to show, and she wasn't sure she should handle anything else.
"Why me?" Becky wept, covering her face. "I just can't stand it any more!
I can't pay my bills; I just lost my job, and now my car broke down
on the highway. How much more of this can I take?"
Some people seem to have more than their share of trouble and temptation.
Within six months, one family faced financial trouble, cancer, quadruple
bypass surgery, and leukemia; their trials brought them face to face with
anger, bitterness, and despair as well. Other people seem to go through
life with relatively minor stresses and few real temptations to sin.
But whether our problems are great or small, they are part of the common
thread that ties humanity together. All of us face temptation; it is ,
Paul says, "Common to man." But Paul assures us that
"God ... will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear."
Often what we can bear is more that what we think we can bear. God will use
the troubled times in our lives for our maturity in him, but he promises
as well that he will not let temptation break us. He will provide "a way out,"
"a way of escape".
Sometimes the "way out" is true escape, being removed from what caused the
trouble. At other times, rather than being removed from it, we must
withstand the stress, face the temptation, enure the pain. Whether we escape
or endure, God is faithful to provide what we need; we can trust him
not to give us more than we can bear.
Application
a) Have I ever faced more stress or temptation than I thought I could bear?
b) Under what circumstances has God provided an "escape" for me?
When have I had to walk "through" my difficulties?
c) How can today's verse encourage me when times are tough?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Is 55:11
11 (Isa 45:23; 46:10) so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
11 so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are ill or injured
James 5:13-16
13 (Ps 50:15; Eph 5:19) Is anyone among you suffering?
Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.
14 (Mk 6:13; 16:18; Ac 14:23) Is anyone sick among you?
Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord.
15 (Isa 33:24; Jas 1:6) And the prayer of faith will save
the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.
And if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
16 (Ge 20:17; 18:23-32) Confess your faults to one another
and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.
Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church;
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise
him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2023 edition?)
The Northern Territories of Canada
Yukon
Yukon Total population (2015) 36500 Muslim (est) 69
In Whitehorse the Muslim population grew from 2 families
in 2001 to more than 60 people in 2014. Originally meeting in a church,
they now meet for prayer service in a former office space.
Pray for Muslims and believers in Whitehorse to come together,
and for MUslims to find faith in Jesus Christ.
Northwest Territories (NWT)
NWT population (2015) 43600 Muslim (est) 473
The Muslim community of Yellowknife has grown from 275 to 330 un the past year.
To replace their inadequate facity, they are planning a C$2 to C$2.5 million
Islamic Centre.
Pray that the Muslims in Yellowknife and all of the NWT will awaken to
spiritual hunger and be open to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Nunavut (NU)
NU total population (2015) 36600 Muslim (est) 86
The Islamic Centre of Iqaluit now claim about 100 Muslims and have surpassed
80 % of their funding goal to building the first mosque in this territory.
Their stated goal is "To spread the message of Islam
in the far notherern reaches of Canada."
Pray that believers in Iqaluit take up Jesus' command to love and reach
their Muslim neighbours with the Gospel.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 12 They were all amazed and perplexed, saying to each other,
"What does this mean?"
13 (1Co 14:23) Others mocking said, "These men are full of new wine."
Peter's Speech at Pentecost
14 (Ac 1:26) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice
and said to them, "Men of Judea and all you who dwell in Jerusalem,
let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose,
since it is the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 (Isa 44:3; Ac 10:45) 'In the last days it shall be,' says God,
'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.'
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...)
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
1st Day of the month
1) Pray for an outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on Canada
(
Joel 2:28 And it will be that, afterwards,
I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream
dreams, and your young men will see visions.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon
all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men
shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Acts 2:17 "In the last days it shall be," says God, "
that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams.
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,
I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams:
)
2) Pray that the heart of our Prime Minister
would be directed to do that which pleases God
(Prov 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord,
as the rivers of water; He turns it to any place He will.
1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD,
As the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
)
Advent Day 5
From C.S. Lewis A Grand Miracle by Joel Heck
24 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls
into the ground and dies, it remains alone.
But if it dies, it bears much fruit
John 12:24
"In this descent and reascent everyone will recognize
a familiar pattern: a thing written all over the world.
It is the pattern of all vegetable life. It must belittle
itself into some thing hard, small and deathlike,
it must fall into the ground: thence the new life reascends.
It is the pattern of all animal generation too." - C. S. Lewis
(Read this and more in Miracles, p. 148.)
Dying and Rising
The Gospel writers remind us that the arc of Jesus'
life on earth began at the Incarnation and ended with his death.
The first humbling was his birth in a manger,
but the final humbling was death on a cross.
The pattern that God set into the universe is one of death
and resurrection. The same is true, John writes in today's
Scripture, in the world of plants. It is no surprise that
we see the death of plants every fall and their resurrection
in the spring. Again, we see the "death" of a seed
when it is planted and the "resurrection" of that seed
when it springs forth and produces many other seeds. Why?
Because this is a divine pattern, say Jesus and Lewis,
set into the fabric of the universe, reflecting the nature of God.
Sometimes a person dies, and an organ transplant saves a life.
Lewis calls it "a familiar pattern." The point is that dying and rising,
including Jesus' descent in the Incarnation and his reascent
in the Ascension, are common, so common that we shouldn't
wonder that God redeemed us with dying and rising.
Jesus, you came down to us for our salvation.
Thank you for dying and rising for us. Amen.
From Follow the Story by Marva J. Dawn
THURSDAY, FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
John's Character
Read Luke 1:8-20
8 Now while he served as priest before God, when his division was on duty,
9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side
of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, "Do not fear, Zechariah, for your prayer
has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John.
14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
even from his mother's womb.
16 He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready
a people prepared for the Lord."
18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this?
For I am an old man and my wife well advanced in years."
19 The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.
And I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20 And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day
that these things happen, because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled in their season."
Luke 1:15b ...and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
even from his mother's womb.
I purposely had us read the same verses from Luke 1:8-17
for three days in a row (including part of today's reading), so that
the angel's message to Zechariah could impact us more deeply with
the good news of God's answer to prayer, the strength of John's
character, and the magnitude of his calling. John was not
a minor person (nor are we!) in God's plan for the salvation
of the world. Indeed, he would "make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Zechariah doubted God's miracle because of his and his wife's ages,
but Gabriel assured him that it was the Lord's determination.
He would experience muteness, not so much as punishment,
but as a sign until the prophecy had been fulfilled.
Has God ever allowed us to endure such a symptom
to be reminded constantly of our call to participate in God's designs?
Perhaps we suffer an aggravating handicap to cue us that
we are commissioned to encourage others to become prepared for,
and know, the Lord.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, thank you for including us in your intentions
for the growth of faith. Amen.
From The AH-HAs of Advent by Rich Bimler
FIRST THURSDAY
AH-HA! Ambassadors of Health, Hope and AMOUR!
Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore.
love is the fulfilling of the law.
Read Romans 13:8-10.
8 (Ro 7:5) and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 (Gal 4:6; 1Co 6:19; 3:16) You, however, are not in the flesh
but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.
Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ,
he does not belong to Him.
10 (Eph 3:17; Col 1:27) And if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin,
the Spirit is alive because of righteousness.
ROMANS 13:10 And if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin,
the Spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Love. or amour (the French word for love). is what Advent
and Christ himself, are all about Love is one four-letter
word that needs to be used and shared over and over again
for all the world to see. to sense and to savour.
One problem with the word love is that it is misused by society
to mean anything we like or are attracted to-from beer
to baseball to brats. As a result it has lost much
of the amorous quality about it.
But not so in the Scriptures! Love is always seen
as a gift from God himself. in Jesus Christ. In today's reading, St. Paul
boldly states. "Owe no one anything. except to love one another"
Wow, now that's amour!
Seek ways today to share health, hope and amour with those around you .
All three go together as God's gifts to you and to others.
As you work at loving your neighbour as yourself, do not forget that
God in Christ is first loving and forgiving you in order that
you have the energies and Easter-power, to he able to love others.
Advent's message's a big AH-HA of amour! Don't you think someone
should write a hymn entitled Amour Makes the World Go Round?
Lord thanks for being Amour to us and for us Help us to love one
another by first knowing that you love us always. Then enable us
to love ourselves for who we are 1n order to love others
for who they are Thar happens because we know who you are!
In Jesus' name. Amen ,.. and AH-HA!
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray to be a bold witness for The Lord.
Pray to the Lord: "Loving God, help me live for You
and lift others up in love with my words and actions."
Pray to the Lord and pray to ask The Lord to help you with your burdens.
Pray to the Lord and pray to remember how His Wrod is accomplished.
Pray to the Lord and pray for healing help that comes from Jesus!
Pray for Muslims and believers in Whitehorse and the Yukon to come together,
and for Muslims to find faith in Jesus Christ.
Pray for Muslims and believers in Yellowknife to come together,
and for Muslims to find faith in Jesus Christ.
Pray that believers in Iqaluit take up Jesus' command to love and reach
their Muslim neighbours with the Gospel.
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
Pray for an outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on Canada
Pray that the heart of our Prime Minister
would be directed to do that which pleases God
Pray: Jesus, you came down to us for our salvation.
Thank you for dying and rising for us. Amen.
Pray: Gracious Lord, thank you for including us in your intentions
for the growth of faith. Amen.
Pray: Lord thanks for being Amour to us and for us Help us to love one
another by first knowing that you love us always. Then enable us
to love ourselves for who we are in order to love others
for who they are Thar happens because we know who you are!
In Jesus' name. Amen
Pray for the freedom of Somali churches in Africa.
Pray to the Lord that to know the Holy Spirit.
and Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
Remember eternity starts now -
Pray for the direction you take to the Ever lasting loving God.
1) Acts 21:37-40,22 ,23
Acts 21:37-40
Paul Defends Himself
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,
he said to the commander, "May I speak to you?"
He replied, "Do you know how to speak Greek?
38 (Mt 24:26A) Are you not the Egyptian who in past days caused an uproar
and led the four thousand men of the Sicarii (Or men of the Assassins.)
out into the wilderness?"
39 (Ac 9:11; 22:3) Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus of Cilicia, a
citizen of no common city. I beg of you, permit me to speak to the people."
40 (Ac 12:17; Jn 5:2) When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the
stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was great
silence, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying,
[37] And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief
captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
[38] Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar,
and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
[39] But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia,
a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the
people.
[40] And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and
beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great
silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
Acts 22
1 (Ac 7:2) "Brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now make to you."
2 (Ac 21:40) When they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew
language, they became even more quiet.
Then he said,
3 (Ac 9:11; 5:34; 21:20) "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but
brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was trained in the
strict tradition of the law of the fathers, being zealous toward God as
you all are today.
4 (Ac 22:19-20; 26:9-11) I persecuted this Way to the death,
arresting and imprisoning both men and women,
5 (Lk 22:66; Ac 9:1-2) as even the high priest and the council of elders
bear witness of me. From them I received letters to the brothers in
Damascus, where I went to take even those who were there and lead them in
chains to Jerusalem to be punished.
[1] Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto
you.
[2] (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they
kept the more silence: and he saith,)
[3] I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet
brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the
perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye
all are this day.
[4] And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into
prisons both men and women.
[5] As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the
elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to
Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be
punished.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
Ac 9:1-19; 26:12-18
6 "As I journeyed and came near Damascus, about noon suddenly a great
light from heaven shone around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?'
8 "I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?'
"He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
9 (Ac 9:7; Da 10:7) Those who were with me saw the light and were afraid,
but they did not hear the voice of Him who was speaking to me.
10 (Ac 16:30) "I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?'
"The Lord said to me, 'Rise and go into Damascus. There you will be told
what you have been appointed to do.'
11 Since I was blinded by the glory of that light, those who were with me
led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 (Ac 10:22; 6:3) "Ananias, a devout man according to the law,
who was well spoken of by all the Jews living there,
13 came and stood by me, and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.'
And at that moment I looked up at him.
14 (Ac 26:16; 1Co 9:1; 15:8) "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has
appointed you to know His will and to see the Just One and to hear His
voice,
15 (Ac 23:11; 4:20) for you will be His witness to all men of what you
have seen and heard.
16 (Ac 2:38; Heb 10:22; 1Co 6:11) And now why do you wait? Rise, be
baptized and wash away your sins, and call on the name of the Lord.'
[6] And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto
Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round
about me.
[7] And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me?
[8] And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of
Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
[9] And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but
they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
[10] And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise,
and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which
are appointed for thee to do.
[11] And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the
hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
[12] And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good
report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
[13] Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy
sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
[14] And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou
shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice
of his mouth.
[15] For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and
heard.
[16] And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Paul Sent to the Gentiles
17 (2Co 12:1-4) "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying
in the temple, I fell into a trance
18 and saw Him saying to me, 'Hurry! Get out of Jerusalem immediately,
for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.'
19 (Mt 10:17; Ac 22:4) "I said, 'Lord, they know that I imprisoned
and beat those who believed in You in every synagogue.
20 (Ac 7:58; 8:1) And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed,
I was standing by consenting to his death, guarding the clothes
of those who killed him.'
21 (Ac 9:15) "Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far away
to the Gentiles.' "
[17] And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even
while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
[18] And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of
Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
[19] And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every
synagogue them that believed on thee:
[20] And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing
by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew
him.
[21] And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the
Gentiles.
Paul and the Roman Commander
22 (Ac 25:24; 21:36) They listened to him up to this word, and then
they lifted up their voices and said, "Away with such a man from
the earth, for he is not fit to live!"
23 As they shouted and threw off their garments and threw dust into the air,
24 (Ac 21:34; 23:10) the commander ordered him to be brought
into the barracks and examined with scourging, so that he might learn
what crime they were alleging against him.
25 (Ac 16:37) As they stretched him forward with straps, Paul said
to the centurion standing by, "Is it legal for you to flog
an uncondemned Roman citizen?"
26 On hearing this, the centurion reported to the commander, saying,
"What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen."
27 The commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?"
He said, "Yes."
28 The commander answered, "I bought my citizenship for a large sum."
So Paul said, "But I was born a citizen."
29 Therefore those who were about to examine Paul immediately backed away
from him. And the commander feared, knowing that he was a Roman citizen
and because he had bound him.
[22] And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their
voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit
that he should live.
[23] And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into
the air,
[24] The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade
that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they
cried so against him.
[25] And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that
stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and
uncondemned?
[26] When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain,
saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
[27] Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a
Roman? He said, Yea.
[28] And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this
freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
[29] Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him:
and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman,
and because he had bound him.
Paul Before the Sanhedrin
30 (Ac 23:28; 21:33) On the next day, desiring to know exactly
why he was accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief
priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble,
and he brought Paul down to stand before them.
[330] On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he
was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the
chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and
set him before them.
Acts 23
1 (Ac 24:16; 2Co 1:12) Paul looked at the Sanhedrin and said,
"Brothers, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."
2 (Ac 24:1; Jn 18:22) The high priest Ananias ordered those who stood
by him to strike him on the mouth.
3 (Jn 7:51; Dt 25:1-2) Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you,
you whitewashed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the law,
yet order me to be struck contrary to the law?"
4 Those who stood by said, "Do you criticize God's high priest?"
5 (Ex 22:28) Paul said, "Brothers, I did not know that he was
the high priest. For it is written,
'You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.'(Ex 22:28.)"
6 (Ac 24:15; 24:21) Then Paul, knowing that one sect were Sadducees
and the other Pharisees, cried out among the Sanhedrin,
"Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee. I am being judged
for my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
7 When he had said this, dissension arose between the Pharisees
and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 (Mt 22:23; Lk 20:27) For the Sadducees say that there is
no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. But the Pharisees acknowledge
them all.
9 (Ac 22:7; 22:17-18) There was a great outcry. The scribes that were
from the sect of Pharisees stood up and argued,
"We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or an angel has spoken
to him, let us not fight against God."
10 (Ac 22:24) When much dissension arose, fearing that Paul would be torn
to pieces by them, the commander ordered the soldiers to go down and take
him from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 (Ac 18:9; 19:21) The following night the Lord stood by him and said,
"Take courage, Paul. For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem,
so you must also testify at Rome."
1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have
lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him
on the mouth.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for
sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest:
for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other
Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee,
the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called
in question.
7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees
and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor
spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees'
part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a
spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest
Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go
down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the
castle.
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer,
Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear
witness also at Rome.
The Plot Against Paul's Life
12 (Ac 23:21; 23:30) At daybreak some of the Jews conspired under oath,
saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty who had conspired.
14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said,
"We have bound ourselves under oath not to eat until we have killed Paul.
15 So now, with the Sanhedrin, tell the commander to bring him down to you
tomorrow, pretending to inquire further concerning him. We are ready to
kill him before he arrives."
16 (Ac 23:10) But when the son of Paul's sister heard of the treachery,
he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions over and said,
"Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him."
18 (Eph 3:1) So he took him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner
sent for me and asked me to bring you this young man who has something
to tell you."
19 Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside privately,
and asked him, "What is it you have to tell me?"
20 (Ac 23:14-15)The boy said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you
to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Sanhedrin, pretending to inquire
further concerning him.
21 (Ac 23:12-14) Do not trust them. More than forty men, who have bound
themselves with an oath to neither eat nor drink until they have killed
him, are waiting for him. And now they are ready, waiting for your
promise."
22 The commander dismissed the young man and ordered him,
"Tell no one that you have reported these things to me."
12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound
themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink
till they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have
bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we
have slain Paul.
15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he
bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something
more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near,
are ready to kill him.
16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went a
nd entered into the castle, and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this
young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the
prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee,
who hath something to say unto thee.
19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside
privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring
down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat
of him more perfectly.
21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them
more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will
neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready,
looking for a promise from thee.
22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him,
See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.
Paul Sent to Felix the Governor
23 Then he summoned two centurions and said,
"Prepare two hundred infantrymen, seventy mounted soldiers,
and two hundred light infantrymen with spears to go to Caesarea
at the third hour of the night.
24 (Ac 23:26; 24:10) And provide mounts so Paul may ride
and take him safely to Felix the governor."
25 He wrote a letter that went like this:
26 (Ac 15:23; Lk 1:3) Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency Governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 (Ac 22:25-29) This man was seized by the Jews
and was about to be killed by them. When I learned that he was
a Roman citizen, I came with soldiers and rescued him.
28 (Ac 22:30) Being minded to learn what crime they alleged,
I took him to their Sanhedrin.
29 (Ac 18:15; 26:31) I found him being accused of controversial matters
about their law, but charged with nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.
30 (Ac 23:20; 23:35) When it was revealed to me that there was a plot
against the man, at once I sent him to you and ordered the accusers
to state before you their charges against him.
Farewell.
23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred
soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two
hundred, at the third hour of the night;
24 and provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe
unto Felix the governor.
25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:
26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then
came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.
28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought
him forth into their council:
29 whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have
nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
30 And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent
straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say
before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
31 So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul by night
to Antipatris.
32 The next day they let the cavalry depart with him
and they returned to the barracks.
33 When they arrived in Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor,
they presented Paul also to him.
34 (Ac 21:39; 25:1) Upon reading the letter, the governor asked what
province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 (Ac 23:30; 25:16) he said, "I will hear you when your accusers
also arrive." And he ordered that he be guarded in Herod's Praetorium.
31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him
by night to Antipatris.
32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him,
and returned to the castle:
33 who, when they came to Cæsarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor,
presented Paul also before him.
34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he
was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come.
And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.
2) Our Daily Bread for 1 December 2022
Entitled "Mutual Encouragement"
Hebrews 3:7-19
A Rest for God's People
7 (Heb 3:15; 4:7) Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear His voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion,
on the day of temptation in the wilderness,
9 (Ac 7:36) where your fathers tested Me and tried Me
and saw My works for forty years.
10 (Ps 95:10) Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and said, 'They always go astray in their heart,
and they have not known My ways.'
11 (Heb 4:3; 4:5) So I swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest.' "
12 (Heb 12:25) Be attentive, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil,
unbelieving heart, and you depart from the living God.
13 (Eph 4:22; Heb 10:24-25) But exhort one another daily, while it is called
"Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 (Heb 3:6) For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning
of our confidence firmly to the end,
15 (Heb 3:7-8) while it is said:
"Today, if you will hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion."(Ps 95:7-8.)
16 (Nu 14:2; 14:30) For who were they who heard and rebelled? Was it not
all of those who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?
17 (Nu 14:29; Jude 1:5) And with whom was He grieved for forty years?
Was it not with those who had sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
18 (Dt 1:34-35) And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest,
but to those who disobeyed?
19 (Jn 3:36; 3:18) So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.
[7] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
[8] Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation
in the wilderness:
[9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
[10] Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway
err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
[11] So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
[12] Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief, in departing from the living God.
[13] But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
[14] For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence stedfast unto the end;
[15] While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation.
[16] For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came
out of Egypt by Moses.
[17] But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
[18] And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to
them that believed not?
[19] So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Ever had a close encounter with a rattlesnake? If so, you might have noticed
that the sound of the rattle seemed to get more intense as you moved nearer to
the viper. Research in the scientific journal Current Biology reveals that the
snakes do increase their rattling rate when a threat is approaching. This "high-frequency mode" can cause us to think they're closer than they are.
As one researcher put it, "The misinterpretation of distance by the
listener . . . creates a distance safety margin."
After another week of being beaten down by more medical setbacks, I slumped
onto the sofa. I didn't want to think about anything. I didn't want to talk
to anybody. I couldn’t even pray. Discouragement and doubt weighed me down as
I turned on the television. I began watching a commercial showing a little
girl talking to her younger brother. "You're a champion," she said.
As she continued affirming him, his grin grew. So did mine.
God's people have always struggled with discouragement and doubt. Quoting
Psalm 95, which affirms that God’s voice can be heard through the Holy Spirit,
the writer of Hebrews warned believers in Jesus to avoid the mistakes made by
the Israelites while wandering in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:7-11). "See to it,
brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that
turns away from the living God," he wrote. "But encourage one another
daily" (vv. 12-13).
With our lifeline of hope secured in Christ, we can experience the power
packed fuel we need to persevere: mutual encouragement within the fellowship
of believers (v. 13). When one believer doubts, other believers can offer
affirmation and accountability. As God strengthens us, His people, we can
offer the power of mutual encouragement to one another.
By: Xochitl Dixon
Reflect & Pray
How has God used the affirming words of someone in your life to comfort
and encourage you during a difficult time? How can you encourage others
with your words today?
Loving God, help me live for You
and lift others up in love with my words and actions.
For further study, read That Skill: How Words Invite Others into Freedom.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 7 Promises of Grace - Day 5 The Way Out
1 Cor 10:13
13 (1Co 1:9; 2Pe 2:9) No temptation has taken
you except what is common to man. God is faithful,
and He will not permit you to be tempted above
what you can endure, but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common
to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Becky had experienced some hard knocks in the past few weeks; the stress
was beginning to show, and she wasn't sure she should handle anything else.
"Why me?" Becky wept, covering her face. "I just can't stand it any more!
I can't pay my bills; I just lost my job, and now my car broke down
on the highway. How much more of this can I take?"
Some people seem to have more than their share of trouble and temptation.
Within six months, one family faced financial trouble, cancer, quadruple
bypass surgery, and leukemia; their trials brought them face to face with
anger, bitterness, and despair as well. Other people seem to go through
life with relatively minor stresses and few real temptations to sin.
But whether our problems are great or small, they are part of the common
thread that ties humanity together. All of us face temptation; it is ,
Paul says, "Common to man." But Paul assures us that
"God ... will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear."
Often what we can bear is more that what we think we can bear. God will use
the troubled times in our lives for our maturity in him, but he promises
as well that he will not let temptation break us. He will provide "a way out,"
"a way of escape".
Sometimes the "way out" is true escape, being removed from what caused the
trouble. At other times, rather than being removed from it, we must
withstand the stress, face the temptation, enure the pain. Whether we escape
or endure, God is faithful to provide what we need; we can trust him
not to give us more than we can bear.
Application
a) Have I ever faced more stress or temptation than I thought I could bear?
b) Under what circumstances has God provided an "escape" for me?
When have I had to walk "through" my difficulties?
c) How can today's verse encourage me when times are tough?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Is 55:11
11 (Isa 45:23; 46:10) so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
11 so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are ill or injured
James 5:13-16
13 (Ps 50:15; Eph 5:19) Is anyone among you suffering?
Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.
14 (Mk 6:13; 16:18; Ac 14:23) Is anyone sick among you?
Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord.
15 (Isa 33:24; Jas 1:6) And the prayer of faith will save
the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.
And if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
16 (Ge 20:17; 18:23-32) Confess your faults to one another
and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.
Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church;
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise
him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2023 edition?)
The Northern Territories of Canada
Yukon
Yukon Total population (2015) 36500 Muslim (est) 69
In Whitehorse the Muslim population grew from 2 families
in 2001 to more than 60 people in 2014. Originally meeting in a church,
they now meet for prayer service in a former office space.
Pray for Muslims and believers in Whitehorse to come together,
and for MUslims to find faith in Jesus Christ.
Northwest Territories (NWT)
NWT population (2015) 43600 Muslim (est) 473
The Muslim community of Yellowknife has grown from 275 to 330 un the past year.
To replace their inadequate facity, they are planning a C$2 to C$2.5 million
Islamic Centre.
Pray that the Muslims in Yellowknife and all of the NWT will awaken to
spiritual hunger and be open to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Nunavut (NU)
NU total population (2015) 36600 Muslim (est) 86
The Islamic Centre of Iqaluit now claim about 100 Muslims and have surpassed
80 % of their funding goal to building the first mosque in this territory.
Their stated goal is "To spread the message of Islam
in the far notherern reaches of Canada."
Pray that believers in Iqaluit take up Jesus' command to love and reach
their Muslim neighbours with the Gospel.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 12 They were all amazed and perplexed, saying to each other,
"What does this mean?"
13 (1Co 14:23) Others mocking said, "These men are full of new wine."
Peter's Speech at Pentecost
14 (Ac 1:26) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice
and said to them, "Men of Judea and all you who dwell in Jerusalem,
let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose,
since it is the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 (Isa 44:3; Ac 10:45) 'In the last days it shall be,' says God,
'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.'
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...)
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
1st Day of the month
1) Pray for an outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on Canada
(
Joel 2:28 And it will be that, afterwards,
I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream
dreams, and your young men will see visions.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon
all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men
shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Acts 2:17 "In the last days it shall be," says God, "
that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams.
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,
I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams:
)
2) Pray that the heart of our Prime Minister
would be directed to do that which pleases God
(Prov 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord,
as the rivers of water; He turns it to any place He will.
1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD,
As the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
)
Advent Day 5
From C.S. Lewis A Grand Miracle by Joel Heck
24 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls
into the ground and dies, it remains alone.
But if it dies, it bears much fruit
John 12:24
"In this descent and reascent everyone will recognize
a familiar pattern: a thing written all over the world.
It is the pattern of all vegetable life. It must belittle
itself into some thing hard, small and deathlike,
it must fall into the ground: thence the new life reascends.
It is the pattern of all animal generation too." - C. S. Lewis
(Read this and more in Miracles, p. 148.)
Dying and Rising
The Gospel writers remind us that the arc of Jesus'
life on earth began at the Incarnation and ended with his death.
The first humbling was his birth in a manger,
but the final humbling was death on a cross.
The pattern that God set into the universe is one of death
and resurrection. The same is true, John writes in today's
Scripture, in the world of plants. It is no surprise that
we see the death of plants every fall and their resurrection
in the spring. Again, we see the "death" of a seed
when it is planted and the "resurrection" of that seed
when it springs forth and produces many other seeds. Why?
Because this is a divine pattern, say Jesus and Lewis,
set into the fabric of the universe, reflecting the nature of God.
Sometimes a person dies, and an organ transplant saves a life.
Lewis calls it "a familiar pattern." The point is that dying and rising,
including Jesus' descent in the Incarnation and his reascent
in the Ascension, are common, so common that we shouldn't
wonder that God redeemed us with dying and rising.
Jesus, you came down to us for our salvation.
Thank you for dying and rising for us. Amen.
From Follow the Story by Marva J. Dawn
THURSDAY, FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
John's Character
Read Luke 1:8-20
8 Now while he served as priest before God, when his division was on duty,
9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side
of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, "Do not fear, Zechariah, for your prayer
has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John.
14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
even from his mother's womb.
16 He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready
a people prepared for the Lord."
18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this?
For I am an old man and my wife well advanced in years."
19 The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.
And I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20 And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day
that these things happen, because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled in their season."
Luke 1:15b ...and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
even from his mother's womb.
I purposely had us read the same verses from Luke 1:8-17
for three days in a row (including part of today's reading), so that
the angel's message to Zechariah could impact us more deeply with
the good news of God's answer to prayer, the strength of John's
character, and the magnitude of his calling. John was not
a minor person (nor are we!) in God's plan for the salvation
of the world. Indeed, he would "make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Zechariah doubted God's miracle because of his and his wife's ages,
but Gabriel assured him that it was the Lord's determination.
He would experience muteness, not so much as punishment,
but as a sign until the prophecy had been fulfilled.
Has God ever allowed us to endure such a symptom
to be reminded constantly of our call to participate in God's designs?
Perhaps we suffer an aggravating handicap to cue us that
we are commissioned to encourage others to become prepared for,
and know, the Lord.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, thank you for including us in your intentions
for the growth of faith. Amen.
From The AH-HAs of Advent by Rich Bimler
FIRST THURSDAY
AH-HA! Ambassadors of Health, Hope and AMOUR!
Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore.
love is the fulfilling of the law.
Read Romans 13:8-10.
8 (Ro 7:5) and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 (Gal 4:6; 1Co 6:19; 3:16) You, however, are not in the flesh
but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.
Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ,
he does not belong to Him.
10 (Eph 3:17; Col 1:27) And if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin,
the Spirit is alive because of righteousness.
ROMANS 13:10 And if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin,
the Spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Love. or amour (the French word for love). is what Advent
and Christ himself, are all about Love is one four-letter
word that needs to be used and shared over and over again
for all the world to see. to sense and to savour.
One problem with the word love is that it is misused by society
to mean anything we like or are attracted to-from beer
to baseball to brats. As a result it has lost much
of the amorous quality about it.
But not so in the Scriptures! Love is always seen
as a gift from God himself. in Jesus Christ. In today's reading, St. Paul
boldly states. "Owe no one anything. except to love one another"
Wow, now that's amour!
Seek ways today to share health, hope and amour with those around you .
All three go together as God's gifts to you and to others.
As you work at loving your neighbour as yourself, do not forget that
God in Christ is first loving and forgiving you in order that
you have the energies and Easter-power, to he able to love others.
Advent's message's a big AH-HA of amour! Don't you think someone
should write a hymn entitled Amour Makes the World Go Round?
Lord thanks for being Amour to us and for us Help us to love one
another by first knowing that you love us always. Then enable us
to love ourselves for who we are 1n order to love others
for who they are Thar happens because we know who you are!
In Jesus' name. Amen ,.. and AH-HA!
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray to be a bold witness for The Lord.
Pray to the Lord: "Loving God, help me live for You
and lift others up in love with my words and actions."
Pray to the Lord and pray to ask The Lord to help you with your burdens.
Pray to the Lord and pray to remember how His Wrod is accomplished.
Pray to the Lord and pray for healing help that comes from Jesus!
Pray for Muslims and believers in Whitehorse and the Yukon to come together,
and for Muslims to find faith in Jesus Christ.
Pray for Muslims and believers in Yellowknife to come together,
and for Muslims to find faith in Jesus Christ.
Pray that believers in Iqaluit take up Jesus' command to love and reach
their Muslim neighbours with the Gospel.
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
Pray for an outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on Canada
Pray that the heart of our Prime Minister
would be directed to do that which pleases God
Pray: Jesus, you came down to us for our salvation.
Thank you for dying and rising for us. Amen.
Pray: Gracious Lord, thank you for including us in your intentions
for the growth of faith. Amen.
Pray: Lord thanks for being Amour to us and for us Help us to love one
another by first knowing that you love us always. Then enable us
to love ourselves for who we are in order to love others
for who they are Thar happens because we know who you are!
In Jesus' name. Amen
Pray for the freedom of Somali churches in Africa.
Pray to the Lord that to know the Holy Spirit.
and Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
Remember eternity starts now -
Pray for the direction you take to the Ever lasting loving God.
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