Day 333 of My 3rd Bible Study Journey - 29 November 2023 reflections - 4th Day of Advent
Day 333, 29 November 2023 - 4th Day of Advent
1) Romans 4, Romans 5, Romans 6, Romans 7
Romans 4
The Example of Abraham
1 (Ro 4:16) What then shall we say that Abraham,
our father according to the flesh, has found?
2 (1Co 1:31) If Abraham was justified by works,
he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 (Ge 15:6; Ro 4:9) What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness."(Ge 15:6.)
4 (Ro 11:6) Now to him who works, wages are not given as a gift,
but as a debt.
5 (Ro 3:22) But to him who does not work, but believes in Him
who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 Even David describes the blessedness of the man
to whom God credits righteousness without works:
7 (Ps 32:1-2) "Blessed are those
whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man
to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."
9 (Ro 4:3) Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only,
or upon the uncircumcised also? We are saying that faith was credited
to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it credited? When he was in circumcision?
Or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 (Ro 3:22; Lk 19:9) And he received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had while being
uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all those who believe,
though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be credited
to them also,
12 and the father of circumcision to those who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith
of our father Abraham, which he had while still being uncircumcised.
[1] What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the
flesh, hath found?
[2] For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but
not before God.
[3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted
unto him for righteousness.
[4] Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of
debt.
[5] But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
[6] Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth righteousness without works,
[7] Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins
are covered.
[8] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
[9] Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the
uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for
righteousness.
[10] How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in
uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
[11] And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness
of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the
father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that
righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
[12] And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision
only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham,
which he had being yet uncircumcised.
The Promise Received Through Faith
13 (Gal 3:29; Ge 17:4-6) It was not through the law that Abraham
and his descendants received the promise that he would be the heir
of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if those who are of the law become heirs, faith would be made void
and the promise nullified,
15 (Gal 3:10; Ro 5:13) because the law produces wrath, for where there is
no law, there is no sin.
16 (Ro 9:8; 15:8) Therefore the promise comes through faith, so that
it might be by grace, that the promise would be certain to all
the descendants, not only to those who are of the law,
but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us
all
17 (Jn 5:21; 1Co 1:28) (as it is written, "I have made you a father
of many nations" Ge 17:5.) before God whom he believed, and who raises
the dead, and calls those things that do not exist as though they did.
18 Against all hope, he believed in hope, that he might become
the father of many nations according to what was spoken,
"So shall your descendants be."(Ge 15:5.)
19 (Ge 17:17) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider
his own body to be dead (when he was about a hundred years old),
nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief,
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God,
21 (Ge 18:14; Heb 11:19) and being fully persuaded that what God
had promised, He was able to perform.
22 (Ro 4:3) Therefore "it was credited to him as righteousness."(Ge 15:6.)
23 (Ro 15:4; 1Co 10:11) Now the words, "it was credited to him," were not
written for his sake only,
24 (Ac 2:24; 1Pe 1:21) but also for us, to whom it shall be credited
if we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 (Isa 53:5-6; Mt 20:28) who was delivered for our transgressions,
and was raised for our justification.
[13] For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of
faith.
[14] For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the
promise made of none effect:
[15] Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no
transgression.
[16] Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the
promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law,
but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us
all,
[17] (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before
him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those
things which be not as though they were.
[18] Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of
many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
[19] And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead,
when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's
womb:
[20] He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong
in faith, giving glory to God;
[21] And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also
to perform.
[22] And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
[23] Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
[24] But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
[25] Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification.
Romans 5
Results of Justification
1 (Jn 14:27; Ro 4:5) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 (1Co 15:1; Eph 2:18) through whom we also have access by faith
into this grace in which we stand, and so we rejoice in hope of the glory
of God.
3 (Jas 1:2-3; 1:12) Not only so, but we also boast in tribulation,
knowing that tribulation produces patience,
4 (Jas 1:12) patience produces character, and character produces hope.
5 (Gal 4:6; Php 1:20) And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 (Ro 4:25; 5:8_ While we were yet weak, in due time Christ died
for the ungodly.
7 Rarely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man
some would even dare to die.
8 (Jn 15:13; 1Pe 3:18) But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 (Ro 1:18; 1Th 1:10) How much more then, being now justified by His blood,
shall we be saved from wrath through Him.
10 (2Co 5:18-19; Col 1:20-21) For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be
saved by His life.
11 (Ro 5:10; 2Co 5:18-19) Furthermore, we also rejoice in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5
[1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ:
[2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
[3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience;
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
[6] For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly.
[7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a
good man some would even dare to die.
[8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
[9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him.
[10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
[11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement.
Adam and Christ
12 (Ge 2:17; Ro 6:23; 1Co 15:21-22) Therefore as sin came into the world
through one man and death through sin, so death has spread to all men,
because all have sinned.
13 (Ro 4:15) For until the law, sin was in the world. But sin is not
counted when there is no law.
14 (1Co 15:45) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's sin,
who was a type of Him who was to come.
15 (Ro 5:12; Isa 53:11) But the free gift is not like the trespass.
For if through the trespass of one man many died, then how much more has
the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of the one Man,
Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
16 The gift is not like the result that came through the one who sinned.
For the judgment from one sin led to condemnation, but the free gift,
which came after many trespasses, leads to justification.
17 (Ro 5:12; Rev 22:5) For if by one man's trespass death reigned
through him, then how much more will those who receive abundance
of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One,
Jesus Christ.
18 (Ro 5:12; Jn 12:32) Therefore just as through the trespass of one man
came condemnation for all men, so through the righteous act of One came
justification of life for all men.
19 (Php 2:8) For just as through one man's disobedience the many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of One the many will be made righteous.
20 (Ro 6:1) But the law entered, so that sin might increase,
but where sin increased, grace abounded much more,
21 (Ro 5:14; 5:12) so that just as sin reigned in death, grace might
reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
[12] Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
[13] (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when
there is no law.
[14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had
not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure
of him that was to come.
[15] But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the
offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
[16] And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment
was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto
justification.
[17] For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in
life by one, Jesus Christ.)
[18] Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life.
[19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
[20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound:
[21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin but Alive in Christ
1 (Ro 6:15) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin
that grace may increase?
2 (Col 3:3; 1Pe 2:24) God forbid! How shall we who died to sin live
any longer in it?
3 (Mt 28:19; Gal 3:27; 1Co 12:13) Do you not know that we who were
baptised into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?
4 (Ro 7:6; 2Co 5:17) Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,
that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 (Php 3:10-11; 2Co 4:10) For if we have been united with Him
in the likeness of His death, so shall we also be united with Him
in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 (Gal 2:20; Eph 4:22) knowing this, that our old man has been crucified
with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we should
no longer be slaves to sin.
7 (1Pe 4:1) For the one who has died is freed from sin.
8 (2Co 13:4) Now if we died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 (Rev 1:18; Ro 5:14) knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead,
will never die again; death has no further dominion over Him.
10 For the death He died, He died to sin once for all,
but the life He lives, He lives to God.
11 (Ro 6:2; 6:13) Likewise, you also consider yourselves to be dead to sin,
but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 (Ro 6:16; Ps 19:13) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body,
that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 (Ro 7:5; 12:1) Do not yield your members to sin as instruments
of unrighteousness, but yield yourselves to God, as those who are alive
from the dead, and your bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
14 (Ro 6:12; 8:2) For sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6
[1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life.
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
[8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him:
[9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath
no more dominion over him.
[10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he
liveth unto God.
[11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it
in the lusts thereof.
[13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto
sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
[14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace.
Slaves of Righteousness
15 (Ro 6:1-2) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law
but under grace? God forbid!
16 (Jn 8:34; 2Pe 2:19) Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves
as slaves to obey, you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
17 (Ro 1:8; 2Ti 1:13) But thanks be to God, for you were slaves of sin,
but you have obeyed from the heart that form of teaching
to which you were entrusted,
18 (Ro 6:22; Jn 8:32; Ro 8:2) and having been freed from sin, you became
the slaves of righteousness.
19 (Ro 3:5; 6:13) I speak in human terms because of the weakness
of your flesh, for just as you have yielded your members as slaves
to impurity and iniquity leading to more iniquity, even so now yield
your members as slaves to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
21 (Ro 1:32; 6:23) What fruit did you have then from the things of which
you are now ashamed? The result of those things is death.
22 (Ro 6:18; 1Pe 2:16) But now, having been freed from sin
and having become slaves of God, you have fruit unto holiness,
and the end is eternal life.
23 (Ro 5:12; Ge 2:17; Ro 2:7) For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid.
[16] Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience
unto righteousness?
[17] But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
[18] Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
[19] I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh:
for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity
unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto
holiness.
[20] For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
[21] What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for
the end of those things is death.
[22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have
your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
[23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7
An Analogy From Marriage
1 Do you not know, brothers (for I speak to those who know the law),
that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?
2 (1Co 7:39) For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her
husband so long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released
from the law regarding her husband.
3 (Mt 5:32) So then, she will be called an adulteress if she marries
another man while her husband lives. But if her husband dies,
she is free from that law, so that she would not be an adulteress
if she marries another man.
4 (Ro 8:2; 7:6) So, my brothers, you also have died to the law through
the body of Christ, so that you may be married to another,
to Him who has been raised from the dead, so that we may bear fruit for God.
5 (Ro 6:13; 6:21) When we were in the flesh, the passions of sin,
through the law, worked in our members to bear fruit leading to death.
6 (Ro 6:4; 7:4) But now we are delivered from the law, having died
to things in which we were bound, so that we may serve in newness
of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter of the law.
[1] Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that
the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
[2] For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband
so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law
of her husband.
[3] So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she
shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from
that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another
man.
[4] Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body
of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised
from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
[5] For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the
law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
[6] But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were
held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of
the letter.
The Problem of Indwelling Sin
7 (Ro 3:20; Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21) What shall we say then? Is the law sin?
God forbid! But I did not know sin, except through the law.
I would not have known coveting if the law had not said,
"You shall not covet." (Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21. )
8 (Ro 7:11; 4:15; 1Co 15:56) But sin, taking opportunity through
the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting.
For apart from the law sin is dead.
9 I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died.
10 (Ro 10:5; Lev 18:5) And the commandment, which was intended for life,
proved to be death in me.
11 (Ro 7:8; Ge 3:13) For sin, taking opportunity through the commandment,
deceived me and killed me through it.
12 (1Ti 1:8; Ps 119:137) So then, the law is holy and the commandment
is holy and just and good.
13 Therefore has that which is good become death unto me? God forbid!
Rather, sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was working death in me
through that which is good, so that sin through the commandment
might become exceedingly sinful.
14 (1Ki 21:20; 21:25) We know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal,
sold under sin.
15 (Gal 5:17) For what I am doing, I do not understand, for I do not practice
what I will to do, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 (Ro 7:12) But if I practice what I do not will to do,
I agree with the law that it is good.
17 (Ro 7:20) So now it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 (Ro 7:25; Ge 6:5; 8:21) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh)
dwells no good thing, for the will to do what is right is present with me,
but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 (Ro 7:15) For the good I desire to do, I do not do, but the evil
I do not want is what I do.
20 (Ro 7:17) Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who does it,
but sin that lives in me.
21 (Ro 7:23; 8:2) I find then a law that when I desire to do good,
evil is present with me.
22 (Eph 3:16; Ps 1:2) For I delight in the law of God according to the inner
man,
23 (Gal 5:17; Jas 4:1) but I see another law in my members, warring against
the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which
is in my members.
24 (Ro 6:6; Col 2:11) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me
from the body of this death?
25 (1Co 15:57) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then, with my mind, I serve the law of God, but with my flesh,
the law of sin.
[7] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known
sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou
shalt not covet.
[8] But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of
concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
[9] For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin
revived, and I died.
[10] And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death.
[11] For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it
slew me.
[12] Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and
good.
[13] Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin,
that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that
sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
[14] For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
[15] For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but
what I hate, that do I.
[16] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is
good.
[17] Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[18] For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:
for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not.
[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not,
that I do.
[20] Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me.
[21] I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
[22] For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
[23] But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members.
[24] O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?
[25] I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
2) Our Daily Bread for 29 November 2023 Titled
Just a Whisper
Job 26:7-14
7 (Job 9:8; Ge 1:1-2) He stretches out the north over empty space,
He hangs the earth upon nothing.
8 (Pr 30:4) He binds up the waters in His thick clouds,
and the cloud is not broken under them.
9 (Ps 97:2) He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads His cloud over it.
10 (Job 38:8-11; Pr 8:29) He has circled the waters with boundaries,
until the day and night come to an end.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astonished at His reproof.
12 (Isa 51:15; Jer 31:35) He divides the sea with His power,
and by His understanding He strikes through the proud.
13 (Isa 27:1; Ge 1:2) By His breath He has made fair the heavens;
His hand has formed the fleeing serpent.
14 Indeed, these are but a part of His ways,
and how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?"
7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place,
And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;
And the cloud is not rent under them.
9 He holdeth back the face of his throne,
And spreadeth his cloud upon it.
10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds,
Until the day and night come to an end.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are astonished at his reproof.
12 He divideth the sea with his power,
And by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.
13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens;
His hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
14 Lo, these are parts of his ways:
But how little a portion is heard of him?
But the thunder of his power who can understand?
The whispering wall in New York City's Grand Central Station is an acoustic
oasis from the clamour of the area. This unique spot allows people to
communicate quiet messages from a distance of thirty feet. When one person
stands at the base of a granite archway and speaks softly into the wall,
soundwaves travel up and over the curved stone to the listener on the
other side.
Job heard the whisper of a message when his life was filled with noise and the
tragedy of losing nearly everything (Job 1:13-19; 2:7). His friends blabbered
their opinions, his own thoughts tumbled endlessly, and trouble had invaded
every aspect of his existence. Still, the majesty of nature spoke softly to
him about God's divine power.
The splendor of the skies, the mystery of the earth suspended in space, and
the stability of the horizon reminded Job that the world was in the palm of
God's hand (26:7-11). Even a churning sea and a rumbling atmosphere led him
to say, "these are but the outer fringe of [God's] works; how faint the
whisper we hear of him!" (v. 14).
If the world's wonders represent just a fragment of God's capabilities, it's
clear that His power exceeds our ability to understand it. In times of
brokenness, this gives us hope. God can do anything, including what He
did for Job as He sustained him during suffering.
By: Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Reflect & Pray
How does God's great power comfort you?
Which parts of nature inspire you to stand in awe of Him?
Dear God, when my problems seem big,
help me to remember that You're bigger, and nothing is impossible for You.
3) From The Billy Graham Evangelical Ministry Association
Words in Season - Scripture Memory Tools
Week 3 - Saved Now and Forever - Day 4 - Daddy!
Romans 8:15
'For you have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear. But you have
received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, "Abba, Father." '
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
"I've always been a Daddy's girl," Sandi said proudly, and her relationship
with her father proved it. She was never spoiled, but even as a grown woman,
Sandi maintained a closeness with her father, sharing intimately with him the
important issues of her life. And just her use of the name "Daddy" indicated
that he was, indeed a warm, approachable, affectionate man.
Many people are not so fortunate. Some fathers are stern and harsh;
others absent or uncaring, some even abusive. Few have the king of father
who presents a picture of the loving fatherhood of God.
But whatever our concept of fatherhood, God makes clear that he is everything
we always wanted our fathers to be - loving, forgiving, approachable,
totally accepting of us as we are, encouraging us to become all he has
created us to be.
In Romans 8, Paul calls God our "Abba Father". The Aramaic word for Father,
Abba, is an intimate term that might well be translated, Daddy.
God is our "Daddy," our "Abba" - not a distant, stern patriarch ready
to strike us down at the first sign of transgression, but a gentle,
loving Father who longs for us to climb into his lap and let him comfort us.
When we commit ourselves to Christ, Paul indicates, we do not receive a
"spirit of bondage to fear" but a "spirit of adoption." We are not called
to respond to God out of fear, but out of love and reverence.
We can relax and enjoy his presence, for we are his children,
and he is our loving Daddy.
Application
a) What concept of fatherhood do I have from my own experience with my father?
How does that correspond to Paul's description of God as "Daddy"?
b) How can this verse help change my perception of what it means to have
God as my Father?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Mark 4:23-29
23 (Mk 4:9; Mt 11:15) "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 (Mt 7:2) He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.
The measure you give will be measured for you,
and to you who hear will more be given.
25 (Mt 13:12; Lk 8:18) For to him who has will more be given.
And from him who has not will be taken, even what he has."
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 (Mt 13:24) He said, "The kingdom of God is like a man
who scatters seed on the ground.
27 (Ecc 11:5) He sleeps and rises night and day,
and the seed sprouts and grows; he does not know how.
28 For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade,
then the head, then the full seed in the head.
29 (Joel 3:13) But when the grain is ripe,
immediately he applies the sickle because the harvest has come."
23 "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. "
24 And he said unto them, "Take heed what ye hear:
with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you:
and unto you that hear shall more be given.
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not,
from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should
cast seed into the ground;
27 and should sleep, and rise night and day,
and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade,
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth,
immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Gift of Salvation
Ps 51:1-13
PSALMS 51
For the Music Director. A Psalm of David,
when Nathan the Prophet came to him,
after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your lovingkindness;
according to the abundance of Your compassion,
blot out my transgressions.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2 ) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) For I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) Against You, You only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in Your sight,
so that You are justified when You speak,
and You are blameless when You judge.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) You desire truth in the inward parts,
and in the hidden part You make me to know wisdom.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3 ) Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Make me to hear joy and gladness,
that the bones that You have broken may rejoice.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Hide Your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) Do not cast me away from Your presence,
and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and uphold me with Your willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will return to You.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet
came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions:
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
And in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness;
That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins,
And blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God;
And renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence;
And take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
And sinners shall be converted unto thee.
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 2021 edition?)
Newfoundland & Labrador
Total population 527000
Muslim population (est.) 2065
As of Autumn 2014, St. John's does not have a local CNMM network. Pray with us
for God's people to come together in prayer
and cooperative efforts to reach Muslims with the Good News.
St. John's has one mosque and 2 more musallas , or prayer locations, which
may grow into mosques of their own. The mosque is called Masjid an Noor,
The Mosque of the Light, and mosque historical documents record a trip in 1986
to Saudi Arabia to raise funds for the land purchase and construction costs.
A small number of Muslim families had come prior to 1964, but moved on to
other places after a short time. After this date, a small community began
to remain and grow , reaching about 25 families in the 1980s. A number
of international students also join the community annually
ranging from 25 to 60.
In 2014 the mosque website reports the community is made up of some 200
families and many university students attending Memorial University. A
small number of native Newfoundlanders have also converted to the Islamic
faith, one saying of this religion in Newfoundland, "Islam is a growing face".
With the growth of the community, the current challenge is lack of space
in the mosque, which they are now looking at expanding.
Pray for
- The true Light of life, Jesus Christ, to be revealed to Muslims
in Newfoundland through the word, dreams, visions and answers to prayer.
- Christians to be as "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" regarding
Islam and reaching out in loving witness to Muslims in St. John's.
- for a dedicated, intentional witness to the growing number of Muslim
students on the university, college and trade school campuses.
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
Day 29 of the Month
a) Pray that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion (
Ps 139:13-16
13 You brought my inner parts into being;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise you, for You made me with fear and wonder;
marvelous are Your works,
and You know me completely.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
and intricately put together in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me unformed,
yet in Your book
all my days were written,
before any of them came into being.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee,
When I was made in secret, and curiously wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
And in thy book all my members were written,
Which in continuance were fashioned,
When as yet there was none of them.
)
b) Pray that the Church in Canada will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight (
Gal 2:10
10 (Ac 24:17) Only they requested that we should remember the poor,
which I also was eager to do.
10 Only they would that we should remember the poor;
the same which I also was forward to do.
)
Advent Day 4
From C. S. Lewis A grand Miracle by Joel Heck
John 2:11
11 (Jn 1:14; 3:2) This, the first of His signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee,
and He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
All Miracles Are Connected to the Incarnation
In his book Miracles, Lewis writes that the miracle of turning water
into wine (which John 2:11 calls the first of the signs of Jesus)
is doing instantaneously what happens in Nature on a regular basis
over a period of time. It happens in Nature much more slowly,
but God is still doing a miracle.
Lewis suggests not only that natural events are related to Nature
(that's what "natural" means!), but that all miracles are connected
to the Grand Miracle, the birth of the Christ. How is this so?
In every miracle God breaks into Nature with a new sequence of events.
In the Incarnation, God also broke into Nature, but there
he did it most impressively of all. That's why it's a Grand Miracle.
The normal manner of conception and birth was set aside in the Virgin
Conception and Birth. That's the new sequence of events.
Every miracle shows the power of God, and every miracle is a "sign."
Jesus' purpose in doing miracles was to point to his true nature.
While he cared about the lack of wine at the wedding in Cana,
he cares much more that we see him as the one with power over nature.
And he cared about us enough to become one of us, and in that becoming,
participated in another part of nature, human nature.
Remind us, Lord, that your Coming shows us both our need
and your solution. Amen.
From Follow the Story by Marva J. Dawn
WEDNESDAY. FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Awe-Full Angels
Read Luke 1:8-17.
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."
-Luke 1:12
When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Our culture has made angels cute and cuddly. In contrast,
the Bible portrays them as shocking, filling recipients with
trepidation. Indeed, these messengers from the LORD always have to say,
"Do not be afraid."
In truth, our culture has made God too cute and cuddly also.
We know God is supremely sovereign, reigning over the entire cosmos,
but perhaps we jump too fast to news that the Trinity loves us through
Jesus Christ, and we do not first recognize the depths of our sinfulness.
To be genuinely grateful for God's immense grace,
we must know that we are totally unworthy.
Martin Luther, the early Reformer, brilliantly began all his explanations
for the Ten Commandments with the phrase,
"We should so fear and love God ... " This isn't a fear that lasts,
for it is soon overwhelmed by love, but it necessarily deepens
our gratitude, so that we never take God's forgiving love for granted.
prayer
God, enable me properly to fear you, so that I always cherish
your forgiving grace. Amen.
From The AH-HA of Advent by Rich Bimler
FIRST WEDNESDAY
AH-HA! Ambassadors of Health, Hope and ALERTS
Romans 13:11-14
11 (Eph 5:14; 1Co 15:34) Furthermore, knowing the time,
now is the moment to awake from sleep. For now our salvation
is nearer than when we believed.
12 (Eph 5:11; 2Co 6:7) The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
Therefore let us take off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light.
13 (Gal 5:21; Lk 21:34; Eph 5:18) Let us behave properly, as in the day,
not in carousing and drunkenness, not in immorality and wickedness,
not in strife and envy.
14 (Gal 3:27; Eph 4:24) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.
11 (Eph 5:14; 1Co 15:34) Furthermore, knowing the time,
now is the moment to awake from sleep.
For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.
ROMANS 13:11
his AH-HA of Advent reminds me of an old saying: "Be alert. The world
needs more lerts!
St. Paul reminds us today that God's AH-HA people are empowered
to "wake from sleep . . lay aside the works of darkness and put on
the armour of light." This is exactly what the Lord is doing in and through
us during Advent . .. right now Through the power of his Word and
sacraments, the Lord shakes us up--he focuses us on sharing our life
and gifts with others.
It's not easy being alert. is it? Especially during Advent, there are so many
things that distract us from the Manger scene--buying gifts. sending
cards, making lists (and checking them twice, or maybe even three timesl)
party-going, meal-making. house-trimming, and perhaps even a little {oo
much egg-nogging . .. not to mention an unhealthy fruitcake obsession!
Look around you with different eyes this day. Be alert to the opportunities
the Lord will give you today to share your gifts. Watch fof the little child
who needs a hug, for the older person who feels alone and for the skinny
Santa Claus who doesn't look so jolly today. Be alert to the people around
you who have needs you can satisfy. and who have gifts to share with you
as well.
Romans 13:14 clinches it for us: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.' Watch out
world, here come the lerts!
Lord. keep us alert this day to your presence in our lives and the
sadnesses of others so that we might share our gladnesses with them.
In Jesus' name. Amen ... and AH-HA!
From On Eagle's wings
Day 4 Titled A Place of Refuge by Christina Trummer (Baptist) of Calgary, AB
Psalm 46:1
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a well-proven help in trouble.
[1] God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Storm surges from the Arctic Ocean are a part of life in Tuktoyaktuk. Many
homes have been moved away from the eroding coastline. One morning before
Bible Camp, I observed a groups of tourists emerging from their tents.
Knowing they had just spent a chilly night where those houses once stood,
I found myself thinking about refuge.
Later, I hear an incredible story of Tuk resident, lost in a winter blizzard,
who was later rescued. Many "Storms of life" stories were shared. One of our
aims became to create a place of refuge - not just for the children but for
local teen and adult volunteers, and other residents of the town. We aimed to
point people of all generations toward Jesus, Emmanuel, "God with us" through
the storms.
The church in Tuktoyaktuk remains steadfast in pointing to Jesus, our refuge,
long after Bible Camp has finished.
This Advent, along with the seasonal cards, the voices of kids singing the
words to our camp theme song remain with me:" I've got the love of Jesus,
love of Jesus,down in my heart, down in my heart to stay."
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray to give all your temptations to him
who can free you from temptation.
Pray to the Lord: "Dear God, when my problems seem big,
help me to remember that You're bigger, and nothing is impossible for You."
Pray to the Lord and pray to know Him as Abba Father.
Pray to the Lord and pray to reap a good harvest.
Pray to the Lord and pray that the Lord will wash you
and purge you of all sin!
Pray for in Newfoundland and Labrador
- The true Light of life, Jesus Christ, to be revealed to Muslims
in Newfoundland through the word, dreams, visions and answers to prayer.
- Christians to be as "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" regarding
Islam and reaching out in loving witness to Muslims in St. John's.
- for a dedicated, intentional witness to the growing number of Muslim
students on the university, college and trade school campuses.
Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- 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 that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion
Pray that the Church in Canada will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight
Remind us, Lord, that your Coming shows us both our need
and your solution. Amen.
God, enable me properly to fear you, so that I always cherish
your forgiving grace. Amen.
Lord. keep us alert this day to your presence in our lives and the
sadnesses of others so that we might share our gladnesses with them.
In Jesus' name. Amen
Jesus , may we learn to take refuge in you and rejoice. May we ever sing for
joy. Spread your protection over us all . Amen
Praise God that for more Bibles have been safely distributed in Iraq than
those destroyed by extremists.
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) Romans 4, Romans 5, Romans 6, Romans 7
Romans 4
The Example of Abraham
1 (Ro 4:16) What then shall we say that Abraham,
our father according to the flesh, has found?
2 (1Co 1:31) If Abraham was justified by works,
he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 (Ge 15:6; Ro 4:9) What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness."(Ge 15:6.)
4 (Ro 11:6) Now to him who works, wages are not given as a gift,
but as a debt.
5 (Ro 3:22) But to him who does not work, but believes in Him
who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 Even David describes the blessedness of the man
to whom God credits righteousness without works:
7 (Ps 32:1-2) "Blessed are those
whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man
to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."
9 (Ro 4:3) Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only,
or upon the uncircumcised also? We are saying that faith was credited
to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it credited? When he was in circumcision?
Or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 (Ro 3:22; Lk 19:9) And he received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had while being
uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all those who believe,
though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be credited
to them also,
12 and the father of circumcision to those who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith
of our father Abraham, which he had while still being uncircumcised.
[1] What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the
flesh, hath found?
[2] For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but
not before God.
[3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted
unto him for righteousness.
[4] Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of
debt.
[5] But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
[6] Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth righteousness without works,
[7] Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins
are covered.
[8] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
[9] Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the
uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for
righteousness.
[10] How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in
uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
[11] And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness
of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the
father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that
righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
[12] And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision
only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham,
which he had being yet uncircumcised.
The Promise Received Through Faith
13 (Gal 3:29; Ge 17:4-6) It was not through the law that Abraham
and his descendants received the promise that he would be the heir
of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if those who are of the law become heirs, faith would be made void
and the promise nullified,
15 (Gal 3:10; Ro 5:13) because the law produces wrath, for where there is
no law, there is no sin.
16 (Ro 9:8; 15:8) Therefore the promise comes through faith, so that
it might be by grace, that the promise would be certain to all
the descendants, not only to those who are of the law,
but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us
all
17 (Jn 5:21; 1Co 1:28) (as it is written, "I have made you a father
of many nations" Ge 17:5.) before God whom he believed, and who raises
the dead, and calls those things that do not exist as though they did.
18 Against all hope, he believed in hope, that he might become
the father of many nations according to what was spoken,
"So shall your descendants be."(Ge 15:5.)
19 (Ge 17:17) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider
his own body to be dead (when he was about a hundred years old),
nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief,
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God,
21 (Ge 18:14; Heb 11:19) and being fully persuaded that what God
had promised, He was able to perform.
22 (Ro 4:3) Therefore "it was credited to him as righteousness."(Ge 15:6.)
23 (Ro 15:4; 1Co 10:11) Now the words, "it was credited to him," were not
written for his sake only,
24 (Ac 2:24; 1Pe 1:21) but also for us, to whom it shall be credited
if we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 (Isa 53:5-6; Mt 20:28) who was delivered for our transgressions,
and was raised for our justification.
[13] For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of
faith.
[14] For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the
promise made of none effect:
[15] Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no
transgression.
[16] Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the
promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law,
but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us
all,
[17] (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before
him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those
things which be not as though they were.
[18] Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of
many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
[19] And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead,
when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's
womb:
[20] He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong
in faith, giving glory to God;
[21] And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also
to perform.
[22] And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
[23] Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
[24] But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
[25] Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification.
Romans 5
Results of Justification
1 (Jn 14:27; Ro 4:5) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 (1Co 15:1; Eph 2:18) through whom we also have access by faith
into this grace in which we stand, and so we rejoice in hope of the glory
of God.
3 (Jas 1:2-3; 1:12) Not only so, but we also boast in tribulation,
knowing that tribulation produces patience,
4 (Jas 1:12) patience produces character, and character produces hope.
5 (Gal 4:6; Php 1:20) And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 (Ro 4:25; 5:8_ While we were yet weak, in due time Christ died
for the ungodly.
7 Rarely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man
some would even dare to die.
8 (Jn 15:13; 1Pe 3:18) But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 (Ro 1:18; 1Th 1:10) How much more then, being now justified by His blood,
shall we be saved from wrath through Him.
10 (2Co 5:18-19; Col 1:20-21) For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be
saved by His life.
11 (Ro 5:10; 2Co 5:18-19) Furthermore, we also rejoice in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5
[1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ:
[2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
[3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience;
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
[6] For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly.
[7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a
good man some would even dare to die.
[8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
[9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him.
[10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
[11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement.
Adam and Christ
12 (Ge 2:17; Ro 6:23; 1Co 15:21-22) Therefore as sin came into the world
through one man and death through sin, so death has spread to all men,
because all have sinned.
13 (Ro 4:15) For until the law, sin was in the world. But sin is not
counted when there is no law.
14 (1Co 15:45) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's sin,
who was a type of Him who was to come.
15 (Ro 5:12; Isa 53:11) But the free gift is not like the trespass.
For if through the trespass of one man many died, then how much more has
the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of the one Man,
Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
16 The gift is not like the result that came through the one who sinned.
For the judgment from one sin led to condemnation, but the free gift,
which came after many trespasses, leads to justification.
17 (Ro 5:12; Rev 22:5) For if by one man's trespass death reigned
through him, then how much more will those who receive abundance
of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One,
Jesus Christ.
18 (Ro 5:12; Jn 12:32) Therefore just as through the trespass of one man
came condemnation for all men, so through the righteous act of One came
justification of life for all men.
19 (Php 2:8) For just as through one man's disobedience the many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of One the many will be made righteous.
20 (Ro 6:1) But the law entered, so that sin might increase,
but where sin increased, grace abounded much more,
21 (Ro 5:14; 5:12) so that just as sin reigned in death, grace might
reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
[12] Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
[13] (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when
there is no law.
[14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had
not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure
of him that was to come.
[15] But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the
offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
[16] And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment
was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto
justification.
[17] For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in
life by one, Jesus Christ.)
[18] Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life.
[19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
[20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound:
[21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin but Alive in Christ
1 (Ro 6:15) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin
that grace may increase?
2 (Col 3:3; 1Pe 2:24) God forbid! How shall we who died to sin live
any longer in it?
3 (Mt 28:19; Gal 3:27; 1Co 12:13) Do you not know that we who were
baptised into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?
4 (Ro 7:6; 2Co 5:17) Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,
that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 (Php 3:10-11; 2Co 4:10) For if we have been united with Him
in the likeness of His death, so shall we also be united with Him
in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 (Gal 2:20; Eph 4:22) knowing this, that our old man has been crucified
with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we should
no longer be slaves to sin.
7 (1Pe 4:1) For the one who has died is freed from sin.
8 (2Co 13:4) Now if we died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 (Rev 1:18; Ro 5:14) knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead,
will never die again; death has no further dominion over Him.
10 For the death He died, He died to sin once for all,
but the life He lives, He lives to God.
11 (Ro 6:2; 6:13) Likewise, you also consider yourselves to be dead to sin,
but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 (Ro 6:16; Ps 19:13) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body,
that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 (Ro 7:5; 12:1) Do not yield your members to sin as instruments
of unrighteousness, but yield yourselves to God, as those who are alive
from the dead, and your bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
14 (Ro 6:12; 8:2) For sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6
[1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life.
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
[8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him:
[9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath
no more dominion over him.
[10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he
liveth unto God.
[11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it
in the lusts thereof.
[13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto
sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
[14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace.
Slaves of Righteousness
15 (Ro 6:1-2) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law
but under grace? God forbid!
16 (Jn 8:34; 2Pe 2:19) Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves
as slaves to obey, you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
17 (Ro 1:8; 2Ti 1:13) But thanks be to God, for you were slaves of sin,
but you have obeyed from the heart that form of teaching
to which you were entrusted,
18 (Ro 6:22; Jn 8:32; Ro 8:2) and having been freed from sin, you became
the slaves of righteousness.
19 (Ro 3:5; 6:13) I speak in human terms because of the weakness
of your flesh, for just as you have yielded your members as slaves
to impurity and iniquity leading to more iniquity, even so now yield
your members as slaves to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
21 (Ro 1:32; 6:23) What fruit did you have then from the things of which
you are now ashamed? The result of those things is death.
22 (Ro 6:18; 1Pe 2:16) But now, having been freed from sin
and having become slaves of God, you have fruit unto holiness,
and the end is eternal life.
23 (Ro 5:12; Ge 2:17; Ro 2:7) For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid.
[16] Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience
unto righteousness?
[17] But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
[18] Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
[19] I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh:
for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity
unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto
holiness.
[20] For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
[21] What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for
the end of those things is death.
[22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have
your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
[23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7
An Analogy From Marriage
1 Do you not know, brothers (for I speak to those who know the law),
that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?
2 (1Co 7:39) For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her
husband so long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released
from the law regarding her husband.
3 (Mt 5:32) So then, she will be called an adulteress if she marries
another man while her husband lives. But if her husband dies,
she is free from that law, so that she would not be an adulteress
if she marries another man.
4 (Ro 8:2; 7:6) So, my brothers, you also have died to the law through
the body of Christ, so that you may be married to another,
to Him who has been raised from the dead, so that we may bear fruit for God.
5 (Ro 6:13; 6:21) When we were in the flesh, the passions of sin,
through the law, worked in our members to bear fruit leading to death.
6 (Ro 6:4; 7:4) But now we are delivered from the law, having died
to things in which we were bound, so that we may serve in newness
of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter of the law.
[1] Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that
the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
[2] For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband
so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law
of her husband.
[3] So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she
shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from
that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another
man.
[4] Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body
of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised
from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
[5] For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the
law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
[6] But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were
held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of
the letter.
The Problem of Indwelling Sin
7 (Ro 3:20; Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21) What shall we say then? Is the law sin?
God forbid! But I did not know sin, except through the law.
I would not have known coveting if the law had not said,
"You shall not covet." (Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21. )
8 (Ro 7:11; 4:15; 1Co 15:56) But sin, taking opportunity through
the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting.
For apart from the law sin is dead.
9 I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died.
10 (Ro 10:5; Lev 18:5) And the commandment, which was intended for life,
proved to be death in me.
11 (Ro 7:8; Ge 3:13) For sin, taking opportunity through the commandment,
deceived me and killed me through it.
12 (1Ti 1:8; Ps 119:137) So then, the law is holy and the commandment
is holy and just and good.
13 Therefore has that which is good become death unto me? God forbid!
Rather, sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was working death in me
through that which is good, so that sin through the commandment
might become exceedingly sinful.
14 (1Ki 21:20; 21:25) We know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal,
sold under sin.
15 (Gal 5:17) For what I am doing, I do not understand, for I do not practice
what I will to do, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 (Ro 7:12) But if I practice what I do not will to do,
I agree with the law that it is good.
17 (Ro 7:20) So now it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 (Ro 7:25; Ge 6:5; 8:21) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh)
dwells no good thing, for the will to do what is right is present with me,
but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 (Ro 7:15) For the good I desire to do, I do not do, but the evil
I do not want is what I do.
20 (Ro 7:17) Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who does it,
but sin that lives in me.
21 (Ro 7:23; 8:2) I find then a law that when I desire to do good,
evil is present with me.
22 (Eph 3:16; Ps 1:2) For I delight in the law of God according to the inner
man,
23 (Gal 5:17; Jas 4:1) but I see another law in my members, warring against
the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which
is in my members.
24 (Ro 6:6; Col 2:11) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me
from the body of this death?
25 (1Co 15:57) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then, with my mind, I serve the law of God, but with my flesh,
the law of sin.
[7] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known
sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou
shalt not covet.
[8] But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of
concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
[9] For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin
revived, and I died.
[10] And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death.
[11] For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it
slew me.
[12] Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and
good.
[13] Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin,
that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that
sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
[14] For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
[15] For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but
what I hate, that do I.
[16] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is
good.
[17] Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[18] For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:
for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not.
[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not,
that I do.
[20] Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me.
[21] I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
[22] For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
[23] But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members.
[24] O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?
[25] I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
2) Our Daily Bread for 29 November 2023 Titled
Just a Whisper
Job 26:7-14
7 (Job 9:8; Ge 1:1-2) He stretches out the north over empty space,
He hangs the earth upon nothing.
8 (Pr 30:4) He binds up the waters in His thick clouds,
and the cloud is not broken under them.
9 (Ps 97:2) He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads His cloud over it.
10 (Job 38:8-11; Pr 8:29) He has circled the waters with boundaries,
until the day and night come to an end.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astonished at His reproof.
12 (Isa 51:15; Jer 31:35) He divides the sea with His power,
and by His understanding He strikes through the proud.
13 (Isa 27:1; Ge 1:2) By His breath He has made fair the heavens;
His hand has formed the fleeing serpent.
14 Indeed, these are but a part of His ways,
and how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?"
7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place,
And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;
And the cloud is not rent under them.
9 He holdeth back the face of his throne,
And spreadeth his cloud upon it.
10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds,
Until the day and night come to an end.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are astonished at his reproof.
12 He divideth the sea with his power,
And by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.
13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens;
His hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
14 Lo, these are parts of his ways:
But how little a portion is heard of him?
But the thunder of his power who can understand?
The whispering wall in New York City's Grand Central Station is an acoustic
oasis from the clamour of the area. This unique spot allows people to
communicate quiet messages from a distance of thirty feet. When one person
stands at the base of a granite archway and speaks softly into the wall,
soundwaves travel up and over the curved stone to the listener on the
other side.
Job heard the whisper of a message when his life was filled with noise and the
tragedy of losing nearly everything (Job 1:13-19; 2:7). His friends blabbered
their opinions, his own thoughts tumbled endlessly, and trouble had invaded
every aspect of his existence. Still, the majesty of nature spoke softly to
him about God's divine power.
The splendor of the skies, the mystery of the earth suspended in space, and
the stability of the horizon reminded Job that the world was in the palm of
God's hand (26:7-11). Even a churning sea and a rumbling atmosphere led him
to say, "these are but the outer fringe of [God's] works; how faint the
whisper we hear of him!" (v. 14).
If the world's wonders represent just a fragment of God's capabilities, it's
clear that His power exceeds our ability to understand it. In times of
brokenness, this gives us hope. God can do anything, including what He
did for Job as He sustained him during suffering.
By: Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Reflect & Pray
How does God's great power comfort you?
Which parts of nature inspire you to stand in awe of Him?
Dear God, when my problems seem big,
help me to remember that You're bigger, and nothing is impossible for You.
3) From The Billy Graham Evangelical Ministry Association
Words in Season - Scripture Memory Tools
Week 3 - Saved Now and Forever - Day 4 - Daddy!
Romans 8:15
'For you have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear. But you have
received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, "Abba, Father." '
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
"I've always been a Daddy's girl," Sandi said proudly, and her relationship
with her father proved it. She was never spoiled, but even as a grown woman,
Sandi maintained a closeness with her father, sharing intimately with him the
important issues of her life. And just her use of the name "Daddy" indicated
that he was, indeed a warm, approachable, affectionate man.
Many people are not so fortunate. Some fathers are stern and harsh;
others absent or uncaring, some even abusive. Few have the king of father
who presents a picture of the loving fatherhood of God.
But whatever our concept of fatherhood, God makes clear that he is everything
we always wanted our fathers to be - loving, forgiving, approachable,
totally accepting of us as we are, encouraging us to become all he has
created us to be.
In Romans 8, Paul calls God our "Abba Father". The Aramaic word for Father,
Abba, is an intimate term that might well be translated, Daddy.
God is our "Daddy," our "Abba" - not a distant, stern patriarch ready
to strike us down at the first sign of transgression, but a gentle,
loving Father who longs for us to climb into his lap and let him comfort us.
When we commit ourselves to Christ, Paul indicates, we do not receive a
"spirit of bondage to fear" but a "spirit of adoption." We are not called
to respond to God out of fear, but out of love and reverence.
We can relax and enjoy his presence, for we are his children,
and he is our loving Daddy.
Application
a) What concept of fatherhood do I have from my own experience with my father?
How does that correspond to Paul's description of God as "Daddy"?
b) How can this verse help change my perception of what it means to have
God as my Father?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Mark 4:23-29
23 (Mk 4:9; Mt 11:15) "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 (Mt 7:2) He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.
The measure you give will be measured for you,
and to you who hear will more be given.
25 (Mt 13:12; Lk 8:18) For to him who has will more be given.
And from him who has not will be taken, even what he has."
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 (Mt 13:24) He said, "The kingdom of God is like a man
who scatters seed on the ground.
27 (Ecc 11:5) He sleeps and rises night and day,
and the seed sprouts and grows; he does not know how.
28 For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade,
then the head, then the full seed in the head.
29 (Joel 3:13) But when the grain is ripe,
immediately he applies the sickle because the harvest has come."
23 "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. "
24 And he said unto them, "Take heed what ye hear:
with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you:
and unto you that hear shall more be given.
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not,
from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should
cast seed into the ground;
27 and should sleep, and rise night and day,
and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade,
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth,
immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Gift of Salvation
Ps 51:1-13
PSALMS 51
For the Music Director. A Psalm of David,
when Nathan the Prophet came to him,
after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your lovingkindness;
according to the abundance of Your compassion,
blot out my transgressions.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2 ) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) For I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) Against You, You only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in Your sight,
so that You are justified when You speak,
and You are blameless when You judge.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) You desire truth in the inward parts,
and in the hidden part You make me to know wisdom.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3 ) Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Make me to hear joy and gladness,
that the bones that You have broken may rejoice.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Hide Your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) Do not cast me away from Your presence,
and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and uphold me with Your willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will return to You.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet
came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions:
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
And in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness;
That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins,
And blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God;
And renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence;
And take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
And sinners shall be converted unto thee.
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 2021 edition?)
Newfoundland & Labrador
Total population 527000
Muslim population (est.) 2065
As of Autumn 2014, St. John's does not have a local CNMM network. Pray with us
for God's people to come together in prayer
and cooperative efforts to reach Muslims with the Good News.
St. John's has one mosque and 2 more musallas , or prayer locations, which
may grow into mosques of their own. The mosque is called Masjid an Noor,
The Mosque of the Light, and mosque historical documents record a trip in 1986
to Saudi Arabia to raise funds for the land purchase and construction costs.
A small number of Muslim families had come prior to 1964, but moved on to
other places after a short time. After this date, a small community began
to remain and grow , reaching about 25 families in the 1980s. A number
of international students also join the community annually
ranging from 25 to 60.
In 2014 the mosque website reports the community is made up of some 200
families and many university students attending Memorial University. A
small number of native Newfoundlanders have also converted to the Islamic
faith, one saying of this religion in Newfoundland, "Islam is a growing face".
With the growth of the community, the current challenge is lack of space
in the mosque, which they are now looking at expanding.
Pray for
- The true Light of life, Jesus Christ, to be revealed to Muslims
in Newfoundland through the word, dreams, visions and answers to prayer.
- Christians to be as "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" regarding
Islam and reaching out in loving witness to Muslims in St. John's.
- for a dedicated, intentional witness to the growing number of Muslim
students on the university, college and trade school campuses.
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
Day 29 of the Month
a) Pray that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion (
Ps 139:13-16
13 You brought my inner parts into being;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise you, for You made me with fear and wonder;
marvelous are Your works,
and You know me completely.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
and intricately put together in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me unformed,
yet in Your book
all my days were written,
before any of them came into being.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee,
When I was made in secret, and curiously wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
And in thy book all my members were written,
Which in continuance were fashioned,
When as yet there was none of them.
)
b) Pray that the Church in Canada will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight (
Gal 2:10
10 (Ac 24:17) Only they requested that we should remember the poor,
which I also was eager to do.
10 Only they would that we should remember the poor;
the same which I also was forward to do.
)
Advent Day 4
From C. S. Lewis A grand Miracle by Joel Heck
John 2:11
11 (Jn 1:14; 3:2) This, the first of His signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee,
and He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
All Miracles Are Connected to the Incarnation
In his book Miracles, Lewis writes that the miracle of turning water
into wine (which John 2:11 calls the first of the signs of Jesus)
is doing instantaneously what happens in Nature on a regular basis
over a period of time. It happens in Nature much more slowly,
but God is still doing a miracle.
Lewis suggests not only that natural events are related to Nature
(that's what "natural" means!), but that all miracles are connected
to the Grand Miracle, the birth of the Christ. How is this so?
In every miracle God breaks into Nature with a new sequence of events.
In the Incarnation, God also broke into Nature, but there
he did it most impressively of all. That's why it's a Grand Miracle.
The normal manner of conception and birth was set aside in the Virgin
Conception and Birth. That's the new sequence of events.
Every miracle shows the power of God, and every miracle is a "sign."
Jesus' purpose in doing miracles was to point to his true nature.
While he cared about the lack of wine at the wedding in Cana,
he cares much more that we see him as the one with power over nature.
And he cared about us enough to become one of us, and in that becoming,
participated in another part of nature, human nature.
Remind us, Lord, that your Coming shows us both our need
and your solution. Amen.
From Follow the Story by Marva J. Dawn
WEDNESDAY. FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Awe-Full Angels
Read Luke 1:8-17.
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."
-Luke 1:12
When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Our culture has made angels cute and cuddly. In contrast,
the Bible portrays them as shocking, filling recipients with
trepidation. Indeed, these messengers from the LORD always have to say,
"Do not be afraid."
In truth, our culture has made God too cute and cuddly also.
We know God is supremely sovereign, reigning over the entire cosmos,
but perhaps we jump too fast to news that the Trinity loves us through
Jesus Christ, and we do not first recognize the depths of our sinfulness.
To be genuinely grateful for God's immense grace,
we must know that we are totally unworthy.
Martin Luther, the early Reformer, brilliantly began all his explanations
for the Ten Commandments with the phrase,
"We should so fear and love God ... " This isn't a fear that lasts,
for it is soon overwhelmed by love, but it necessarily deepens
our gratitude, so that we never take God's forgiving love for granted.
prayer
God, enable me properly to fear you, so that I always cherish
your forgiving grace. Amen.
From The AH-HA of Advent by Rich Bimler
FIRST WEDNESDAY
AH-HA! Ambassadors of Health, Hope and ALERTS
Romans 13:11-14
11 (Eph 5:14; 1Co 15:34) Furthermore, knowing the time,
now is the moment to awake from sleep. For now our salvation
is nearer than when we believed.
12 (Eph 5:11; 2Co 6:7) The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
Therefore let us take off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light.
13 (Gal 5:21; Lk 21:34; Eph 5:18) Let us behave properly, as in the day,
not in carousing and drunkenness, not in immorality and wickedness,
not in strife and envy.
14 (Gal 3:27; Eph 4:24) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.
11 (Eph 5:14; 1Co 15:34) Furthermore, knowing the time,
now is the moment to awake from sleep.
For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.
ROMANS 13:11
his AH-HA of Advent reminds me of an old saying: "Be alert. The world
needs more lerts!
St. Paul reminds us today that God's AH-HA people are empowered
to "wake from sleep . . lay aside the works of darkness and put on
the armour of light." This is exactly what the Lord is doing in and through
us during Advent . .. right now Through the power of his Word and
sacraments, the Lord shakes us up--he focuses us on sharing our life
and gifts with others.
It's not easy being alert. is it? Especially during Advent, there are so many
things that distract us from the Manger scene--buying gifts. sending
cards, making lists (and checking them twice, or maybe even three timesl)
party-going, meal-making. house-trimming, and perhaps even a little {oo
much egg-nogging . .. not to mention an unhealthy fruitcake obsession!
Look around you with different eyes this day. Be alert to the opportunities
the Lord will give you today to share your gifts. Watch fof the little child
who needs a hug, for the older person who feels alone and for the skinny
Santa Claus who doesn't look so jolly today. Be alert to the people around
you who have needs you can satisfy. and who have gifts to share with you
as well.
Romans 13:14 clinches it for us: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.' Watch out
world, here come the lerts!
Lord. keep us alert this day to your presence in our lives and the
sadnesses of others so that we might share our gladnesses with them.
In Jesus' name. Amen ... and AH-HA!
From On Eagle's wings
Day 4 Titled A Place of Refuge by Christina Trummer (Baptist) of Calgary, AB
Psalm 46:1
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a well-proven help in trouble.
[1] God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Storm surges from the Arctic Ocean are a part of life in Tuktoyaktuk. Many
homes have been moved away from the eroding coastline. One morning before
Bible Camp, I observed a groups of tourists emerging from their tents.
Knowing they had just spent a chilly night where those houses once stood,
I found myself thinking about refuge.
Later, I hear an incredible story of Tuk resident, lost in a winter blizzard,
who was later rescued. Many "Storms of life" stories were shared. One of our
aims became to create a place of refuge - not just for the children but for
local teen and adult volunteers, and other residents of the town. We aimed to
point people of all generations toward Jesus, Emmanuel, "God with us" through
the storms.
The church in Tuktoyaktuk remains steadfast in pointing to Jesus, our refuge,
long after Bible Camp has finished.
This Advent, along with the seasonal cards, the voices of kids singing the
words to our camp theme song remain with me:" I've got the love of Jesus,
love of Jesus,down in my heart, down in my heart to stay."
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray to give all your temptations to him
who can free you from temptation.
Pray to the Lord: "Dear God, when my problems seem big,
help me to remember that You're bigger, and nothing is impossible for You."
Pray to the Lord and pray to know Him as Abba Father.
Pray to the Lord and pray to reap a good harvest.
Pray to the Lord and pray that the Lord will wash you
and purge you of all sin!
Pray for in Newfoundland and Labrador
- The true Light of life, Jesus Christ, to be revealed to Muslims
in Newfoundland through the word, dreams, visions and answers to prayer.
- Christians to be as "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" regarding
Islam and reaching out in loving witness to Muslims in St. John's.
- for a dedicated, intentional witness to the growing number of Muslim
students on the university, college and trade school campuses.
Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- 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 that God will enlighten those in medicine and health care
to acknowledge the sanctity of life and server with true
integrity and compassion
Pray that the Church in Canada will remember the poor
and compassionately respond to their plight
Remind us, Lord, that your Coming shows us both our need
and your solution. Amen.
God, enable me properly to fear you, so that I always cherish
your forgiving grace. Amen.
Lord. keep us alert this day to your presence in our lives and the
sadnesses of others so that we might share our gladnesses with them.
In Jesus' name. Amen
Jesus , may we learn to take refuge in you and rejoice. May we ever sing for
joy. Spread your protection over us all . Amen
Praise God that for more Bibles have been safely distributed in Iraq than
those destroyed by extremists.
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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