Day 115 - 25 Apr 2021 reflections
Day 115, 25 Apr 2021
Today at https://www.calvarycommunity.ca/ We addressed Thriving is chaos
Hab 3:16-19
16 (Hab 3:2; Jer 23:9) I heard, and my body trembled;
my lips quivered at the sound;
rottenness entered my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will wait quietly for the day
when calamity comes on the people invading us.
A Hymn of Faith
17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the yield of the olive fails,
and the fields produce no food;
though the flocks are cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls-
18 (Php 4:4; Job 13:15) yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 (Dt 33:29; 32:13) The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like hinds" feet,
and He will make me walk on my high places.
To the Music Director: with my stringed instruments.
Depsite the chaos and the exile in Babylon, look to the Lord for your
redemption,
Luke 21:28
28 (Ro 8:23; Eph 4:30) "When these things begin to happen, look up
and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.â€
Psalms 73,77,78
PSALMS 73
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73–89
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to the pure in heart.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) But as for me, my feet almost stumbled;
my steps had almost slipped.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) For I was envious at the boastful;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) For there are no pains in their death;
their bodies are fat.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) They are not in trouble as other people;
nor are they plagued like others.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) Their eyes bulge with fatness;
they have more than a heart could wish.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) They mock and speak with evil oppression;
they speak loftily.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) They set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Therefore people turn to them,
and abundant waters are drunk by them.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) They say, "How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?"
12 Observe, these are the wicked, always at ease;
they increase in riches.
13 Surely I have kept my heart pure for nothing,
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I am plagued,
and chastened every morning.
15 If I said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought to understand this,
it was troublesome in my eyes,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their end.
18 Surely You have set them in slippery places;
You have brought them down to ruin.
19 How they come to desolation, as in a moment!
They have come to an end, utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so, O Lord, when You awake,
You will despise their form.
21 Thus my heart was embittered,
and I was pierced in my feelings.
22 I was a brute and did not understand;
I was as a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have held me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fails,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 For those who are far from You will perish;
You destroy everyone who is unfaithful to You.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have taken my refuge in the Lord God,
that I may declare all Your works.
PSALMS 77
For the Music Director. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 I cried out to God with my voice,
even to God with my voice; and He listened to me.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out and does not weary,
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) I remember God, and I groan;
I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) I have considered the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) May I remember my song in the night;
may I meditate in my heart;
my spirit made a diligent search:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) "Will the Lord cast off forever,
and will He be favorable no more?
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Has His mercy ceased forever,
and have His promises failed for all time?
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Has God forgotten to be gracious,
and has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" Selah
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Then I said, "This is my grief;
yet I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) I will remember the works of the Lord;
surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also on all Your work
and ponder on Your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holiness;
what god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who can do wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the nations.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God.
The waters saw You; they were afraid;
the depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered.
Your arrows flashed about.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind,
and Your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way is through the sea,
and Your path in the great waters,
and your footsteps are not seen.
20 You led Your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALMS 78
A Contemplative Maskil of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter insightful sayings of old,
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) which we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8 )We will not hide them from their children,
but will tell the coming generation
the praises of the Lord,
and His strength, and the wonderful works that He has done.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) For He established a rule in Jacob,
and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers
that they should make them known to their children,
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) that the generation to come might know them,
even the children who are not yet born,
who will arise and declare them to their children:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) that they might set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep His commandments,
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) and they might not be as their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that did not set their heart steadfast,
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) The people of Ephraim, being armed with bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) They did not keep the covenant of God
and refused to walk in His law;
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) and they forgot His works
and the wonders that He had shown them.
12 In the sight of their ancestors He did marvelous wonders
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
and He made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the daytime He led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them abundance to drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams out of the rock
and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 They sinned yet more against Him
by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.
18 They tested God in their heart
by demanding the food that they craved.
19 They spoke against God by saying,
"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out
and the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread
or provide meat for His people?"
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against Israel,
22 because they did not believe in God
nor trust in His deliverance.
23 Yet He had commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
24 and He rained down manna upon them to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate the food of mighty angels;
He sent them bread in abundance.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by His power He brought out a south wind.
27 He rained meat on them as dust,
and winged birds as the sand of the sea;
28 and He let them fall in the midst of their camp
all around their habitations.
29 So they ate and were satisfied,
for He gave them their own desire;
30 while they were not yet filled up,
and while the meat was still in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God came upon them,
and He killed the strongest of them
and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still,
and did not believe despite His wondrous works.
33 Therefore He made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in trouble.
34 When He killed them, then they sought Him;
they turned back and longed for God.
35 They remembered that God was their rock,
and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
and they lied to Him with their tongues;
37 for their heart was not devoted to Him,
neither were they committed to His covenant.
38 But He being full of compassion
forgave their iniquity
and did not destroy them.
He constantly restrained His anger,
and did not stir up all His wrath;
39 for He remembered that they were but flesh,
like a wind that passes away and does not return.
40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness
and grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, they tested God over and over,
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power,
nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,
43 how He had performed His signs in Egypt
and His wonders in the fields of Zoan:
44 and He turned their rivers into blood,
so that they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their crops to the grasshopper
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger,
wrath, indignation, and trouble,
by sending angels bringing disaster.
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague,
51 And struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Then He led out His own people like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of His holy land,
to the mountain that His right hand had acquired.
55 He cast out the nations also before them,
and divided for them their tribal allotments,
and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
and did not keep His commands,
57 but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
they turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places
and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this, He was full of wrath
and greatly rejected Israel
60 so that He left the tabernacle at Shiloh,
the tent where He lived among people,
61 and delivered His strength to captivity
and His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 He gave His people over also to the sword;
He was enraged with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
and their maidens were not given to marriage in song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep,
and like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 He routed His enemies back,
and He made them a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph,
and He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loves.
69 He built His sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth that He has established perpetually.
70 He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from following the nursing ewes He brought him
to shepherd Jacob His people,
and Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart
and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
2) Our Daily Bread for 25Apr 2021
https://odb.org/CA/2021/04/25/of-wrecks-and-trees
entitled A Tree to Heal
Genesis 3:1-11
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman,
"Has God said, "You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?"
2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit from the trees
of the garden;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, God has said, 'You will not eat of it, nor will you touch it, or else
you will die.'?"
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to
the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit
and ate; and she gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.
So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool
of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence
of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the
man and said to him, "Where are you?"
10 He said, "I heard Your voice in the garden and was afraid because I
was naked, so I hid myself."
11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from
the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"
For $300,000, you can buy a new McLaren 720S sports car. The vehicle
comes with a V8 engine pumping 710 horsepower-considerably
more than you'll need for your morning commute.
Of course, you might be tempted to use all that power.
One Virginia driver learned his McLaren was so "fast" it could go from
an upscale showroom to the scrap heap in just 24 hours!
One day after buying the car, he slammed it into a tree.
(Thankfully, he survived.)
Just three chapters into the story of the Bible, we learn how a different
bad choice and a tree marred God's good creation. Adam and Eve ate
from the one tree they were to leave alone (Genesis 3:11).
The story had barely begun, and paradise was cursed (vv. 14-19).
Another tree would play a role in undoing this curse-the cross Jesus
endured on our behalf. His death purchased our future with Him
(Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13).
The story comes full circle in the Bible's last chapter. There we read
of "the tree of life" growing beside
the “river of the water of life†(Revelation 22:1-2). As John describes it,
this tree will be "for the healing of the nations" (v. 2).
And he assures us, "No longer will there be any curse" (v. 3).
God's story comes with the happily-ever-after we all long for.
By: Tim Gustafson
Reflect & Pray
How do we already experience the reality of Jesus' victory over sin
and death today? What do you think is an appropriate response
to His sacrifice for us?
Father, don't let me forget the price it cost Your Son to undo the curse
we set in motion way back in the garden of Eden.
All I can say is thank You. All I can give You is my life.
Week 4 - The Blessings of Grace Day 1 - The Joy of Confessing Christ
Romans 10:9-10
9 (Lk 12:8; Php 2:11)that if you confess with your mouth
Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from
the dead, you will be saved,
10 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Teena, a college freshman, has just committed her life to Christ,
but she was apprehensive about telling anyone - until Bill appeared
on the scene. He plunked his coffee cup down on the table and smiled.
"I heard something exciting happened to you yesterday, Teena"
"Yeah", Teena paused and looked around, as if seeking an escape route.
"I , uh, well, I did it"
"Did what?"
"Well, I, ah, gave my life to God."
"That's wonderful!" Bill exclaimed.
He was still talking with Teena and encouraging he in her decision
when Maria walked by.
"Maria!" Bill called. "Teena wants to tell you something!"
Teena gasped , open-mouthed, then stammered,
" I - I committed my life to Christ."
Maria , similarly enthuasiatic, encouraged Teena in her commitment,
and within half an hour Teena was stopping her friends to tell them,
"Guess what? I've become a Christian! I belng to Jesus now!"
Teena had already surrendered her heart to Christ.
But when she confessed her decision aloud to others,
the truth of that transformation was confirmed by her.
Many of us have been raised to believe that 'faith is a private matter',
not to be discussed in polite company. Yet Paul makes clear the connection
between heart commitment and verbal confession. Just as my love for family
and friends deepens as I tell them I love them, so a person's love
for Christ is confirmed and stabilised by speaking of that commitment to others.
Application
a) Have I been reluctant to tell others of my faith in Christ? Why?
b) What happens within me when I do tell others of my love for the Lord?
4) Prosperity verses from Kenneth Copeland
Deut 8:18
18 But you must remember the Lord your God,
for it is He who gives you the ability to get wealth,
so that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers,
as it is today.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are lonely
PSALMS 25:15-21
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for He will lead my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me,
for I am isolated and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look on my pain and misery,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies, for they are many,
and they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Watch over my life, and deliver me!
Let me not suffer shame,
for I seek refuge in You.
21 Truth and integrity will preserve me
while I wait for You.
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."
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2021 edition?)
Manitoba
Quick facts on Muslims in Manitoba
Saskatchewan 2015 population 1 282 000
est Muslim Population 21 349
CNMM Networks: Winnipeg
The Muslim population of Manitoba, understandably centred in Winnipeg, is very
diverse and represents some 48 different cultural and ethinic backgrounds.
Conservative estimates put their number at 21000 , with some suggesting
it might be twice that size.
Some outreach among Muslims has started, yet in comparison to the size
of this community, there is the need and opportunity for far more engagement.
Continued influx of new immigrants and refugees continues to see the growth
of this Muslim centre in Manitoba.
We rejoice in the Arabic fellowship meeting there and the energetic workers
among Muslims in Winnipeg.
Let us intercede in unity for:
- new Christian workers among Manitoba's growing Muslim population
- new church ministries focused on prayer, equipping and reaching Muslim
communities around them, as well as training new workers
- the Arabic fellowship and their ministries of discipiling new Muslim
background believers and for effectiveness in outreach
- for the recent Somali woman who found faith in Jesus and stood her ground
in the face of opposition to her new faith.
- for current workers among Muslims to be blessed, refreshed and encouraged
with great support
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 13 April to 12 May 2021
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
https://www.30daysprayer.com/pages/bosnians-in-new-jerusalem/
BOSNIANS IN "NEW JERUSALEM"
GRAND RAPIDS MAKES WAY FOR MUSLIMS
With its Christian publishers, colleges and seminaries, Grand Rapids is seen
by many Reformed believers as a New Jerusalem.
But since the 1990s, Michigans second largest city has also become home
to the second largest Bosnian Muslim population in the United States.
(The largest is in St. Louis.)
There are now more than 120 000 Bosnians in the U.S.,
as well as half of a million people of Bosnian descent.
But they aren't always easy for Westerners to identify as Muslim,
as they are Caucasian and often dress in Western clothing.
But underneath the surface, their family histories are fractured by memories
of a vicious civil war fraught with ethnic cleansing and unchecked violence.
Ajlina lives in Grand Rapids, where two recent family losses have tapped
into the pain of her past traumas and tried her faith in Allah.
"God, I once had faith and prayed to you every day.
Please show me what I’m missing!"
The next day, the doorbell rang. A woman who said she had a burden
for the neighborhood offered to pray for Ajlina. Suspicious at first,
Ajlina begrudgingly accepted her offer.
After prayer, the woman offered to share with her the message
of the New Testament. Having lived among Christians for many years,
Ajlina always wondered what they believed.
The woman pulled a 3" x 5" notecard out of her purse and proceeded
to share with her the gospel. She described a gulf that separates us
from God and talked about a bridge that could cross that gulf.
"Jesus is the bridge!" the woman said. "His perfect life, death,
and resurrection bridge the gulf that separates us from God."
"God answered my prayer!" said an amazed Ajlina.
"Now I know that Jesus is what I’ve been missing!"
Pray that Bosnians may find the Gospel through
the plentiful resources available in the Grand Rapids area.
There has never been a concerted effort to engage
and reach the Bosnians of Grand Rapids.
Pray the Lord will send laborers into the harvest!
"The harvest is plentiful" (Luke 10:2).
2 (2Th 3:1) He said to them, "The harvest truly is plentiful,
but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Pray that laborers find the ones in whom God is working.
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
Day 25 of the Month
a) Pray that there will be a growing number of people in your city or
community trusting in Christ as Saviour and Lord.
(Acts 2: 41,47b
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized,
and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
47 ... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
)
b) Pray that those who serve in the justice system will be agents of true
justice for all.
( Prov 11:1
1 A false balance is abomination to the Lord,
but a just weight is His delight.
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord when all is in chaos, that you look to The Lord
for redemption and salvation
Pray to the Lord to know him as your refuge and strength.
Pray to the Lord to not let us forget the price it cost Jesus to undo the curse
we set in motion way back in the garden of Eden.
All we can say is thank You. All I can give You is our lives.
Pray to the Lord to seek Him to make yourself a public
follower of Christ.
Pray to the Lord to remember His Covenant.
Pray to the Lord when you feel isolated and afflicted.
Pray for Muslims in Manitoba to receive Christ as Saviour .'
Pray that Bosnians may find the Gospel through
the plentiful resources available in the Grand Rapids area.
There has never been a concerted effort to engage
and reach the Bosnians of Grand Rapids.
Pray the Lord will send laborers into the harvest!
"The harvest is plentiful" .
Pray that laborers find the ones in whom God is working.
Pray that there will be a growing number of people in your city or
community trusting in Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Pray that those who serve in the justice system will be agents of true
justice for all.
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.
Today at https://www.calvarycommunity.ca/ We addressed Thriving is chaos
Hab 3:16-19
16 (Hab 3:2; Jer 23:9) I heard, and my body trembled;
my lips quivered at the sound;
rottenness entered my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will wait quietly for the day
when calamity comes on the people invading us.
A Hymn of Faith
17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the yield of the olive fails,
and the fields produce no food;
though the flocks are cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls-
18 (Php 4:4; Job 13:15) yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 (Dt 33:29; 32:13) The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like hinds" feet,
and He will make me walk on my high places.
To the Music Director: with my stringed instruments.
Depsite the chaos and the exile in Babylon, look to the Lord for your
redemption,
Luke 21:28
28 (Ro 8:23; Eph 4:30) "When these things begin to happen, look up
and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.â€
Psalms 73,77,78
PSALMS 73
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73–89
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to the pure in heart.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) But as for me, my feet almost stumbled;
my steps had almost slipped.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) For I was envious at the boastful;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) For there are no pains in their death;
their bodies are fat.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) They are not in trouble as other people;
nor are they plagued like others.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) Their eyes bulge with fatness;
they have more than a heart could wish.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) They mock and speak with evil oppression;
they speak loftily.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) They set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Therefore people turn to them,
and abundant waters are drunk by them.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) They say, "How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?"
12 Observe, these are the wicked, always at ease;
they increase in riches.
13 Surely I have kept my heart pure for nothing,
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I am plagued,
and chastened every morning.
15 If I said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought to understand this,
it was troublesome in my eyes,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their end.
18 Surely You have set them in slippery places;
You have brought them down to ruin.
19 How they come to desolation, as in a moment!
They have come to an end, utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so, O Lord, when You awake,
You will despise their form.
21 Thus my heart was embittered,
and I was pierced in my feelings.
22 I was a brute and did not understand;
I was as a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have held me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fails,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 For those who are far from You will perish;
You destroy everyone who is unfaithful to You.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have taken my refuge in the Lord God,
that I may declare all Your works.
PSALMS 77
For the Music Director. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 I cried out to God with my voice,
even to God with my voice; and He listened to me.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out and does not weary,
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) I remember God, and I groan;
I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) I have considered the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) May I remember my song in the night;
may I meditate in my heart;
my spirit made a diligent search:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) "Will the Lord cast off forever,
and will He be favorable no more?
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Has His mercy ceased forever,
and have His promises failed for all time?
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Has God forgotten to be gracious,
and has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" Selah
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Then I said, "This is my grief;
yet I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) I will remember the works of the Lord;
surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also on all Your work
and ponder on Your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holiness;
what god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who can do wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the nations.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God.
The waters saw You; they were afraid;
the depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered.
Your arrows flashed about.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind,
and Your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way is through the sea,
and Your path in the great waters,
and your footsteps are not seen.
20 You led Your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALMS 78
A Contemplative Maskil of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter insightful sayings of old,
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) which we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8 )We will not hide them from their children,
but will tell the coming generation
the praises of the Lord,
and His strength, and the wonderful works that He has done.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) For He established a rule in Jacob,
and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers
that they should make them known to their children,
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) that the generation to come might know them,
even the children who are not yet born,
who will arise and declare them to their children:
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) that they might set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep His commandments,
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) and they might not be as their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that did not set their heart steadfast,
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) The people of Ephraim, being armed with bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) They did not keep the covenant of God
and refused to walk in His law;
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) and they forgot His works
and the wonders that He had shown them.
12 In the sight of their ancestors He did marvelous wonders
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
and He made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the daytime He led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them abundance to drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams out of the rock
and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17 They sinned yet more against Him
by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.
18 They tested God in their heart
by demanding the food that they craved.
19 They spoke against God by saying,
"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out
and the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread
or provide meat for His people?"
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also came up against Israel,
22 because they did not believe in God
nor trust in His deliverance.
23 Yet He had commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
24 and He rained down manna upon them to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate the food of mighty angels;
He sent them bread in abundance.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by His power He brought out a south wind.
27 He rained meat on them as dust,
and winged birds as the sand of the sea;
28 and He let them fall in the midst of their camp
all around their habitations.
29 So they ate and were satisfied,
for He gave them their own desire;
30 while they were not yet filled up,
and while the meat was still in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God came upon them,
and He killed the strongest of them
and struck down the young men of Israel.
32 For all this they sinned still,
and did not believe despite His wondrous works.
33 Therefore He made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in trouble.
34 When He killed them, then they sought Him;
they turned back and longed for God.
35 They remembered that God was their rock,
and the Most High God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
and they lied to Him with their tongues;
37 for their heart was not devoted to Him,
neither were they committed to His covenant.
38 But He being full of compassion
forgave their iniquity
and did not destroy them.
He constantly restrained His anger,
and did not stir up all His wrath;
39 for He remembered that they were but flesh,
like a wind that passes away and does not return.
40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness
and grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, they tested God over and over,
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power,
nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,
43 how He had performed His signs in Egypt
and His wonders in the fields of Zoan:
44 and He turned their rivers into blood,
so that they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their crops to the grasshopper
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger,
wrath, indignation, and trouble,
by sending angels bringing disaster.
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague,
51 And struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Then He led out His own people like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of His holy land,
to the mountain that His right hand had acquired.
55 He cast out the nations also before them,
and divided for them their tribal allotments,
and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
and did not keep His commands,
57 but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
they turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places
and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.
59 When God heard this, He was full of wrath
and greatly rejected Israel
60 so that He left the tabernacle at Shiloh,
the tent where He lived among people,
61 and delivered His strength to captivity
and His glory into the enemy’s hand.
62 He gave His people over also to the sword;
He was enraged with His inheritance.
63 The fire consumed their young men,
and their maidens were not given to marriage in song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep,
and like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 He routed His enemies back,
and He made them a perpetual reproach.
67 Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph,
and He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loves.
69 He built His sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth that He has established perpetually.
70 He chose David His servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from following the nursing ewes He brought him
to shepherd Jacob His people,
and Israel His inheritance.
72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart
and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
2) Our Daily Bread for 25Apr 2021
https://odb.org/CA/2021/04/25/of-wrecks-and-trees
entitled A Tree to Heal
Genesis 3:1-11
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman,
"Has God said, "You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?"
2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit from the trees
of the garden;
3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, God has said, 'You will not eat of it, nor will you touch it, or else
you will die.'?"
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
5 For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to
the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit
and ate; and she gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.
So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool
of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence
of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the
man and said to him, "Where are you?"
10 He said, "I heard Your voice in the garden and was afraid because I
was naked, so I hid myself."
11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from
the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"
For $300,000, you can buy a new McLaren 720S sports car. The vehicle
comes with a V8 engine pumping 710 horsepower-considerably
more than you'll need for your morning commute.
Of course, you might be tempted to use all that power.
One Virginia driver learned his McLaren was so "fast" it could go from
an upscale showroom to the scrap heap in just 24 hours!
One day after buying the car, he slammed it into a tree.
(Thankfully, he survived.)
Just three chapters into the story of the Bible, we learn how a different
bad choice and a tree marred God's good creation. Adam and Eve ate
from the one tree they were to leave alone (Genesis 3:11).
The story had barely begun, and paradise was cursed (vv. 14-19).
Another tree would play a role in undoing this curse-the cross Jesus
endured on our behalf. His death purchased our future with Him
(Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13).
The story comes full circle in the Bible's last chapter. There we read
of "the tree of life" growing beside
the “river of the water of life†(Revelation 22:1-2). As John describes it,
this tree will be "for the healing of the nations" (v. 2).
And he assures us, "No longer will there be any curse" (v. 3).
God's story comes with the happily-ever-after we all long for.
By: Tim Gustafson
Reflect & Pray
How do we already experience the reality of Jesus' victory over sin
and death today? What do you think is an appropriate response
to His sacrifice for us?
Father, don't let me forget the price it cost Your Son to undo the curse
we set in motion way back in the garden of Eden.
All I can say is thank You. All I can give You is my life.
Week 4 - The Blessings of Grace Day 1 - The Joy of Confessing Christ
Romans 10:9-10
9 (Lk 12:8; Php 2:11)that if you confess with your mouth
Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from
the dead, you will be saved,
10 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Teena, a college freshman, has just committed her life to Christ,
but she was apprehensive about telling anyone - until Bill appeared
on the scene. He plunked his coffee cup down on the table and smiled.
"I heard something exciting happened to you yesterday, Teena"
"Yeah", Teena paused and looked around, as if seeking an escape route.
"I , uh, well, I did it"
"Did what?"
"Well, I, ah, gave my life to God."
"That's wonderful!" Bill exclaimed.
He was still talking with Teena and encouraging he in her decision
when Maria walked by.
"Maria!" Bill called. "Teena wants to tell you something!"
Teena gasped , open-mouthed, then stammered,
" I - I committed my life to Christ."
Maria , similarly enthuasiatic, encouraged Teena in her commitment,
and within half an hour Teena was stopping her friends to tell them,
"Guess what? I've become a Christian! I belng to Jesus now!"
Teena had already surrendered her heart to Christ.
But when she confessed her decision aloud to others,
the truth of that transformation was confirmed by her.
Many of us have been raised to believe that 'faith is a private matter',
not to be discussed in polite company. Yet Paul makes clear the connection
between heart commitment and verbal confession. Just as my love for family
and friends deepens as I tell them I love them, so a person's love
for Christ is confirmed and stabilised by speaking of that commitment to others.
Application
a) Have I been reluctant to tell others of my faith in Christ? Why?
b) What happens within me when I do tell others of my love for the Lord?
4) Prosperity verses from Kenneth Copeland
Deut 8:18
18 But you must remember the Lord your God,
for it is He who gives you the ability to get wealth,
so that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers,
as it is today.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are lonely
PSALMS 25:15-21
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for He will lead my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me,
for I am isolated and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Look on my pain and misery,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies, for they are many,
and they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Watch over my life, and deliver me!
Let me not suffer shame,
for I seek refuge in You.
21 Truth and integrity will preserve me
while I wait for You.
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."
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2021 edition?)
Manitoba
Quick facts on Muslims in Manitoba
Saskatchewan 2015 population 1 282 000
est Muslim Population 21 349
CNMM Networks: Winnipeg
The Muslim population of Manitoba, understandably centred in Winnipeg, is very
diverse and represents some 48 different cultural and ethinic backgrounds.
Conservative estimates put their number at 21000 , with some suggesting
it might be twice that size.
Some outreach among Muslims has started, yet in comparison to the size
of this community, there is the need and opportunity for far more engagement.
Continued influx of new immigrants and refugees continues to see the growth
of this Muslim centre in Manitoba.
We rejoice in the Arabic fellowship meeting there and the energetic workers
among Muslims in Winnipeg.
Let us intercede in unity for:
- new Christian workers among Manitoba's growing Muslim population
- new church ministries focused on prayer, equipping and reaching Muslim
communities around them, as well as training new workers
- the Arabic fellowship and their ministries of discipiling new Muslim
background believers and for effectiveness in outreach
- for the recent Somali woman who found faith in Jesus and stood her ground
in the face of opposition to her new faith.
- for current workers among Muslims to be blessed, refreshed and encouraged
with great support
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 13 April to 12 May 2021
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
https://www.30daysprayer.com/pages/bosnians-in-new-jerusalem/
BOSNIANS IN "NEW JERUSALEM"
GRAND RAPIDS MAKES WAY FOR MUSLIMS
With its Christian publishers, colleges and seminaries, Grand Rapids is seen
by many Reformed believers as a New Jerusalem.
But since the 1990s, Michigans second largest city has also become home
to the second largest Bosnian Muslim population in the United States.
(The largest is in St. Louis.)
There are now more than 120 000 Bosnians in the U.S.,
as well as half of a million people of Bosnian descent.
But they aren't always easy for Westerners to identify as Muslim,
as they are Caucasian and often dress in Western clothing.
But underneath the surface, their family histories are fractured by memories
of a vicious civil war fraught with ethnic cleansing and unchecked violence.
Ajlina lives in Grand Rapids, where two recent family losses have tapped
into the pain of her past traumas and tried her faith in Allah.
"God, I once had faith and prayed to you every day.
Please show me what I’m missing!"
The next day, the doorbell rang. A woman who said she had a burden
for the neighborhood offered to pray for Ajlina. Suspicious at first,
Ajlina begrudgingly accepted her offer.
After prayer, the woman offered to share with her the message
of the New Testament. Having lived among Christians for many years,
Ajlina always wondered what they believed.
The woman pulled a 3" x 5" notecard out of her purse and proceeded
to share with her the gospel. She described a gulf that separates us
from God and talked about a bridge that could cross that gulf.
"Jesus is the bridge!" the woman said. "His perfect life, death,
and resurrection bridge the gulf that separates us from God."
"God answered my prayer!" said an amazed Ajlina.
"Now I know that Jesus is what I’ve been missing!"
Pray that Bosnians may find the Gospel through
the plentiful resources available in the Grand Rapids area.
There has never been a concerted effort to engage
and reach the Bosnians of Grand Rapids.
Pray the Lord will send laborers into the harvest!
"The harvest is plentiful" (Luke 10:2).
2 (2Th 3:1) He said to them, "The harvest truly is plentiful,
but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Pray that laborers find the ones in whom God is working.
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
Day 25 of the Month
a) Pray that there will be a growing number of people in your city or
community trusting in Christ as Saviour and Lord.
(Acts 2: 41,47b
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized,
and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
47 ... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
)
b) Pray that those who serve in the justice system will be agents of true
justice for all.
( Prov 11:1
1 A false balance is abomination to the Lord,
but a just weight is His delight.
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord when all is in chaos, that you look to The Lord
for redemption and salvation
Pray to the Lord to know him as your refuge and strength.
Pray to the Lord to not let us forget the price it cost Jesus to undo the curse
we set in motion way back in the garden of Eden.
All we can say is thank You. All I can give You is our lives.
Pray to the Lord to seek Him to make yourself a public
follower of Christ.
Pray to the Lord to remember His Covenant.
Pray to the Lord when you feel isolated and afflicted.
Pray for Muslims in Manitoba to receive Christ as Saviour .'
Pray that Bosnians may find the Gospel through
the plentiful resources available in the Grand Rapids area.
There has never been a concerted effort to engage
and reach the Bosnians of Grand Rapids.
Pray the Lord will send laborers into the harvest!
"The harvest is plentiful" .
Pray that laborers find the ones in whom God is working.
Pray that there will be a growing number of people in your city or
community trusting in Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Pray that those who serve in the justice system will be agents of true
justice for all.
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.