When we try to apply the Word outwardly to our behaviour,
we end up in a tangle of legalism, a log "do list" by which
we hope to please God. But when we set our hearts toward god first,
then changes in our behaviour grow out of love for God and a deep
desire to serve him. Then we are truly loving and obeying God with
our whole hearts.
Application
a) In what ways have I tried to apply God's word to my behaviour
without having the truth firmly in my heart? What was the result?
b) How can I set my heart toward God and give myself more fully
to his Word?
c) What areas of my life need "purifying"? How can these verses
help me to "make my way pure"?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Deut 30:19-20
19 (Dt 4:26; 30:1) I call heaven and earth to witnesses against you this day,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.
Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 (Dt 10:20; Ps 27:1) that you may love the Lord your God,
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him,
for He is your life and the length of your days;
and that you may dwell in the land that the Lord
swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Freeing Forgiveness
Ps 103:1-14
PSALMS 103
A Psalm of David.
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits,
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) who forgives all your iniquities,
who heals all your diseases,
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) who satisfies your mouth with good things,
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8–9) The Lord does righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the people of Israel.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) He will not always accuse,
neither will He keep his anger forever.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) He does not treat us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord gives compassion to those who fear Him.
14 For He knows how we are formed;
He remembers that we are dust.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
34 (Nu 9:15-23; Rev 15:8) Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting,
and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
35 (1Ki 8:11) Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting
because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord
filled the tabernacle.
36 (Ne 9:19; Nu 9:17) When the cloud was lifted up from over the tabernacle,
the children of Israel would set out in all their journeys.
37 (Nu 9:19-22) But if the cloud was not lifted up, then they did not set out
until the day that it was lifted.
38 (Ex 13:21; Nu 9:15) For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day,
and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel,
throughout all their journeys.
On January 28, 1986, the US Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds
after takeoff. In a speech of comfort to the nation, President Reagan
quoted from the poem "High Flight" in which John Gillespie Magee,
a World War II pilot, had written of “the high untrespassed sanctity of space"
and the sense of putting out his hand to touch "the face of God."
Although we can't literally touch God's face, we sometimes experience
a stunning sunset or a place of meditation in nature that gives us
an overwhelming sense that He's near. Some people call these moments
"thin places." The barrier separating heaven and earth seems to grow
a little thinner. God feels a little closer.
The Israelites may have experienced a "thin place" as they sensed
the nearness of God in the desert wilderness. God provided a pillar
of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to lead them
through the desert (Exodus 40:34-38). When they were staying in the camp,
"the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (v. 35).
Throughout all their travels, they knew God was with them.
As we enjoy the incredible beauty of God's creation,
we grow conscious that He's present everywhere.
As we talk with Him in prayer, listen to Him, and read the Scriptures,
we can enjoy fellowship with Him anytime and anywhere.
By: Cindy Hess Kasper
Reflect & Pray
What places in nature make you feel especially close to God?
How can you seek Him anytime and anywhere?
Father, help me to seek and find You even
when I’m lost in a desert wilderness.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 1 Knowing God's Word Day 4 - Arming for Battle
Joshua 1:8
8 (Ps 19:14; 119:15) This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth.
Meditate on it day and night so that you may act carefully according
to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way successful,
and you will be wise.
When God spoke these words to Joshua, the young leader's prospects for
"prosperity" and "success" were far from promising. Upon Moses' death,
Joshua was appointed to lead Israel into the Promised Land, to claim
the territory and establish a nation unde God's rule.
Joshua was afraid, and for good reason. The people were rebellious
and intractable. And "claiming the land" meant battling many strong enemies.
Yet God told Joshua that his strengh would come not in prepaing for battle,
but in preparing for battle, but in preparing himself by meditating
on and applying God's word to his life.
We, too, face difficult battles as we seek to enter the "Promised Land"
of God's peace and presence. But his promise is the same as it was to Joshua:
through obedience to the Word, we can find prosperity and success.
God's promise does not necessarily mean financial prosperity
or material success. These victories may come as well, but God's primary
purpose for his people is spiritual success - the victory and joy of living
in fellowship with him. We can be enriched in the knowledge of God and
find power to overcome the enemies of sin and self. The way may not be easy
- after all, there is no victory without conflict - but God promises
that we will succeed as we look to him.
Application
a) What image do I have a personal "Promised Land" that I long
to enter and claim as my own?
b) What enemies will I need to battle in order to enter that land?
c) How can meditation on the Word of God and obedience to him bring me
prosperity and success?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Is 48:15,17
15I, even I, have spoken,
and I have called him;
I have brought him,
and his way will prosper.
17 (Ps 32:8; Isa 43:14) Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you to profit,
who leads you in the way you should go.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Protection in Times of Trouble
Ps 91
PSALMS 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust."
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) He shall cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you shall find protection;
His faithfulness shall be your shield and wall.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8–9) nor of the pestilence that pursues in darkness,
nor of the destruction that strikes at noonday.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) A thousand may fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand,
but it shall not come near you.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) Only with your eyes shall you behold
and see the reward of the wicked.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
even the Most High, your dwelling,
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) there shall be no evil befall you,
neither shall any plague come near your tent;
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) for He shall give His angels charge over you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you up in their hands,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder;
the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
and I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him My salvation.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
3 (Ro 1:8-9; 2Ti 1:3) I thank my God for every reminder of you.
4 (Ro 1:9) In every prayer of mine for you all,
I have always made requests with joy,
5 (Ac 16:12-40; Php 1:7) due to your fellowship in the gospel
from the first day until now.
6 (1Co 1:8; Jn 6:29) I am confident of this very thing, that He who
began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.
7 (2Co 7:3; Ac 20:23) It is right for me to think this of you all because
I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonments and in the defense
and confirmation of the gospel, you all are fellow partakers of my grace.
8 (Ro 1:9; 9:1) For God is my witness, how I long after you all
with the affection of Jesus Christ.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is a decades-long project that's
resulted in a greater understanding
of the importance of healthy relationships. The research began with a group
of 268 sophomores at Harvard University in the 1930s and later expanded
to, among others, 456 Boston inner--ity residents. Researchers have conducted
interviews with the participants and pored over their medical records every
few years. They discovered that close relationships are the biggest factor
in predicting happiness and health. It turns out that if we surround ourselves
with the right people, we’ll likely experience a deeper sense of joy.
This appears to reflect what the apostle Paul is describing in Philippians 1.
Writing from prison, Paul can't help but tell his friends that he thanks
God for them every time he remembers them, praying "with joy" (v. 4).
But these aren't just any friends; these are brothers and sisters in Jesus
who "share in God's grace," partners in the gospel with Paul (v. 7).
Their relationship was one of sharing and mutuality-a true fellowship
shaped by God's love and the gospel itself.
Yes, friends are important, but fellow companions in Christ are catalysts of
a true and deep joy. The grace of God can bind us together like nothing else.
And even through the darkest seasons of life, the joy that comes from
that bond will last.
By: Glenn Packiam
Reflect & Pray
Who are the friends that surround you? What's the substance
of your relationships? How has the grace of God shaped
your choice of companions?
Dear God, thank You for the gift of friendship.
Help me to express my gratitude to those who have been faithful companions
to me. Give me the grace to strengthen and encourage them.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 1 Knowing God's Word Day 3 - Let the Word Dwell in You
Col 3:16
16 (Eph 5:19; Col 1:28; Ro 10:17) Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Every day, whether we are aware of it or not, our minds are
bombarded by 20th Century values: "Dress for success!" "Get ahead!"
"You deserve a break today ...." Television, radio, and the incessant
voices that surround us distract our attention and keep us from
focusing on what is really important in our lives.
Paul's instruction to the Colossian Church brings us back to God's
value system: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."
When we give attention to the Word of God, we put ourselves in a position
to hear a higher truth the clamour of immediate demands
and the expectations of the world around us. We can experience peace
in the midst of struggle and rest in a restless environment.
God's Word is a powerful force for good in our lives - not merely
an attractive philosophy, but true power to overcome the pressures
of daily life.
Dweliing on the Word of God, and letting it indwell us, takes many forms.
Scripture memory, music, meditation, talking with others about the
goodness of God all help us keep our attention focused on Christ rather
than on the values of the world around us.
We can choose to listen to Christian radio or tapes. We can take time
daily for quiet meditation on his Word. We can commit the Word to memory
and draw on its power during the day. And as we listen to the voice
of the Spirit rather than the noise around us, we can enter into
his peace and live in communion with him.
Application
a) What pressures do I face that tend to distract me from the reality
of Chirst's presence?
b) How can I "let the word of Christ dwell richly" in me, so that I
an regain my focus on him?
c) What practical changes can I make in my life to help me focus
my attention on Jesus and his word?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
2 Kings 18:7
7 (1Sa 18:14; 2Ki 16:7; Ge 39:2–3 )The Lord was with him.
Wherever he went, he prospered. He (Ahaz) rebelled against
the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Protection in Times of Trouble
Ps 121
PSALMS 121
A Song of Ascents.
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills,
from where does my help come?
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) He will not let your foot slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) Behold, He who guards Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) The Lord is your guardian;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8–9) The sun shall not harm you during the day,
nor the moon during the night.
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) The Lord shall protect you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) The Lord shall preserve your going out
and your coming in from now and for evermore.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
1 (Jos 15:47) Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute
and spent the night with her.
2 (1Sa 23:26; Ps 118:10-12) The people of Gaza were told,
"Samson has come here!" So they surrounded him and laid in wait
for him all night at the city gate. They kept quiet all night, thinking,
"In the morning light we will kill him."
3 Samson lay until midnight, then at midnight he got up.
He grabbed the doors of the city gate and the two gateposts
and pulled them out along with the bar. He put them on his shoulder
and brought them to the top of the mountain near Hebron.
4 After this Samson loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek,
whose name was Delilah.
5 (Jos 13:3; Jdg 14:15) The Philistine rulers came up to her and said,
"“Trick him! Find out about how his strength is so great
and how we can overcome him, bind him, and humiliate him.
Each one of us will give you eleven hundred silver coins."
[About 28 pounds, or 13 kilograms.]
6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me how your strength is so great
and how you could be bound in order to be subdued."
7 Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that
have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like an ordinary man."
8 So the Philistine rulers brought her seven fresh bowstrings
that had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 They lay in wait in her inner room. She said to him,
"The Philistines are upon you, Samson." Then he split apart the bowstrings
like a single thread is split apart at the touch of fire.
So the source of his strength did not become known.
10 (Jdg 16:13) Delilah said to Samson, "You have deceived me.
You have told me lies. Now, please tell me how you can be bound."
11 He said to her, "If they bind me with new ropes that have never
been used, then I will become weak and be like an ordinary man."
12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them.
Then she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson."
For men were lying in wait, remaining in the room.
But he split apart the ropes on his arms like a thread.
13 Delilah said to Samson, "Up to now you have deceived me.
You have told me lies. Tell how you can be bound."
He said to her, “If you weave seven locks of my hair into the fabric
on the loom and fasten it with the pin, then I will become weak
and be like an ordinary man."
14 So Delilah lulled him to sleep and wove seven locks of his hair
into the fabric on the loom. She fastened it with the pin and said to him,
"The Philistines are upon you, Samson." He awakened from his sleep
and tore away from the loom pin and the fabric.
15 (Jdg 14:16) She said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,'
when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these
three times and have not told me how your strength is so great."
16 Every day she nagged him with her words and pleaded with him
until he was tired to death.
17 (Jdg 13:5; Nu 6:5) So he told her all his secrets and said to her,
"No razor has touched my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God
from my mother's womb. If I were shaven, my strength would leave me,
and I would become weak and be like all other men."
18 (Jdg 16:5) Delilah saw that he had told her all his secrets,
so she sent for the Philistine rulers, saying, "Come up this time,
for he has told me all his secrets." So the Philistine rulers came up to her
and brought the money in their hands.
19 (Pr 7:26-27) Delilah lulled Samson to sleep on her knees
and called for a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair.
Then she began to humiliate him, and his strength left him.
20 (Jos 7:12; 1Sa 16:14) She said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson."
Then he awakened from his sleep and thought,
"I will go out as before and shake myself free of them."
He did not know that the Lord had left him.
21 (Ex 11:5; Isa 47:2) The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes.
They took him down to Gaza, bound him with bronze chains,
and he ground grain in prison.
22 Yet after it had been shaven, the hair on his head began to grow back.
The Death of Samson
23 (1Sa 5:2-5) The Philistine rulers gathered to offer a great sacrifice
to Dagon their god and to celebrate.
They said, "Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands."
24 (Da 5:4) The people saw him and praised their god, for they said,
"Our god has given into our hands
our enemy,
the one who ruined our land
and killed many of us."
25 (Jdg 9:27; 19:6) When their hearts were merry, they said,
"Call for Samson, so he can entertain us." So they called for Samson
from the prison, and he entertained them.
They placed him between the pillars.
26 Samson said to the young man who held his hand,
"Let me rest and touch the pillars on which the temple is set, then I can lean against them."
27 (Dt 22:8; Jos 2:8) The temple was full of men and women,
and all the Philistine rulers were there. There were about 3000 men and women
on the roof watching Samson entertain.
28 (Jer 15:15) Samson called out to the Lord, "Lord God, remember me, I pray!
Please strengthen me just this once, God, so that I may get full revenge
on the Philistines for my two eyes!â€
29 Then Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the temple was set
and leaned against them, one with his right hand and one with his left.
30 Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" He pushed with all
his strength, and the temple fell upon the rulers
and all the people who were in it.
At his death he killed more than he had killed in his life.
31 (Jdg 15:20; 13:2) Then his brothers and all his family came down,
carried him, brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol
in the grave of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel for twenty years.
JUDGES 17
Micah's Idols
1There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.
2 (Ne 13:25; Ru 3:10) He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver
[About 28 pounds, or 13 kilograms.] that were taken from you, on which you
put a curse, even speaking the curse in my ears—here is the silver with me. I took it."
Then his mother said, "May the Lord bless my son!"
3(Ex 20:4; 20:23) Then he returned the 1100 silver coins to his mother.
His mother said, "I certainly consecrated the silver to the Lord,
for my son to make a carved idol and a metal idol, so now I return it to you."
4 When he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels
of silver [About 5 pounds, or 2.3 kilograms.] and gave them to a silversmith
to make a carved idol and a metal idol.
And they were put in the house of Micah.
5 (Ge 31:19; Jdg 8:27) This man Micah owned a shrine. He made an ephod
and household idols, and he hired one of his sons to be a priest for him.
6 (Dt 12:8; Jdg 18:1I) n those days there was no king in Israel.
Everyone did what was right in his eyes.
7 (Ru 1:1-2; Mic 5:2) There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah.
He was a Levite from Judah, and he stayed as a resident foreigner there.
8 The man went from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever
he could find a place. He came to the hill country of Ephraim,
to the house of Micah, to do his work.
9 Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?"
He said to him, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,
and I am going to stay wherever I can find a place."
10 Micah said to him, “Live with me, and be a father and a priest for me.
I will give you ten silver coins [About 4 ounces, or 115 grams.] a year,
a set of clothes, and food." So the Levite went in.
11T he Levite decided to live with the man, and the young man became
like one of his sons.
12 (Jdg 18:30) Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man
became his priest and lived in the house of Micah.
13 Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will do good for me,
for I have a Levite to be my priest."
JUDGES 18
The Danites Settle in Laish
1 (Jdg 17:6; 19:1) In those days there was no king in Israel.
And in those days the tribe of the Danites was looking for an inheritance
in which to live, for no territory had come into their possession
among the tribes of Israel up to that time.
2 (Jdg 13:25; Jos 2:1) So the children of Dan sent out from their families
five valorous men from Zorah and Eshtaol in order to spy out
and explore the land. They said to them, "Go, explore the land."
They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah,
and they spent the night there.
3 When they were at the house of Micah, they noticed the speech
of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him,
"Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place?
What is your business here?"
4 (Jdg 17:10) He told them what Micah had done for him, saying,
"He hired me, and I became his priest."
5 (1Ki 22:5) They said to him, "Please ask God if we may know whether
our mission will be a success as we go to do it."
6 (1Ki 22:6) The priest said to them, "Go in peace.
The Lord is watching the way you are going."
7 (Jos 19:47; Jdg 18:27-28) The five men went away and came to Laish.
They saw the people who were there, living securely according
to the culture of the Sidonians. There were no rulers in the land
who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from
the Sidonians and had no ties with anyone.
8 (Jdg 18:2; 18:11) When they came back to their brothers
in Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, "What do you have to say?"
9 (Nu 13:30; Jos 2:23-24) They said, "Get up! Let us go up against them,
for we have seen the land. It is very good. You are silent,
but do not hesitate to go to take the land.
10 (Jdg 18:7; 18:27) When you go, you will come to a secure people
and to an expansive land. For God has given it into your hands:
a place where there is no lack of anything on the earth."
11 So six hundred fully armed men set out from the family of the Danites,
from Zorah and Eshtaol.
12 (Jdg 13:25; Jos 15:60) They went up and set up camp in Kiriath Jearim
in Judah. Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day.
It is west of Kiriath Jearim.
13 From there they passed the hill country of Ephraim
and came to the house of Micah.
14 (Jdg 17:5) The five men who went to spy out the land of Laish
said to their brothers, "Did you know that in these houses are an ephod,
household idols, a carved image, and a metal idol? Now think about
what to do."
15 (Ge 43:27) So they turned aside there and came to the house of the young
Levite, to the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war,
who were the children of Dan, stood at the entrance to the gate.
17 (Jdg 18:14; 17:4-5) The five men who went to spy out the land went in
and took the carved idol, ephod, household idols, and the metal idol.
The priest was standing at the entrance
to the gate with the 600 fully armed men.
18 When these men went into the house of Micah and took the carved idol,
ephod, household idols, and the metal idol,
the priest said to them, "What are you doing?"
19 (Jdg 17:10; Job 21:5) They said to him, "Quiet! Put your hand
over your mouth and go with us. Be a father and priest for us. Is it better
to be a priest for one man's house or for a tribe and a family in Israel?"
20 So the priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household
idols, and the carved image and went among the people.
21 So they turned and left, putting the children, livestock,
and valuables in front of them.
22 They had gone far from the house of Micah, but the neighbors
of Micah assembled and caught up to the children of Dan.
23 They called out to the children of Dan. So they turned and said to Micah,
"What is wrong that have you assembled together?"
24 He said, "You took the gods that I made, and the priest, and then you left.
What do I have left? So what is this that you say to me, 'What is wrong?' "
25 The children of Dan said to him, "Do not let us hear your voice again.
Otherwise bitter men might meet you and you will forfeit your life
and the lives of your family."
26 So the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw
that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27 (Jos 19:47; Jdg 18:7) They took what Micah had made and his priest,
and came to Laish to a quiet and secure people.
They struck them down with the edge of the sword
and burned the city with fire.
28 (2Sa 10:6; Nu 13:21) There was no one to save them because the city was far
from Sidon and had no contact with anyone. It was in the valley by Beth Rehob.
They rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 (Ge 14:14; Jos 19:47) They called the city Dan, after their father Dan,
who was born to Israel (Laish was the former name of the city).
30 (Ex 2:22; Jdg 13:1) The children of Dan set up the carved idol
for themselves. Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh,
and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan
until the time of exile from the land.
31 (Jos 18:1; Jdg 19:18) So they displayed Micah's graven image
that he had made, for the whole time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
2) Our Daily Bread for 5 Apr 2021
https://www.odb.org/CA/2021/04/05/
entitled Anchored In Truth
Is 22:15-20,22-25
15 (2Ki 18:18; Isa 36:3) Thus says the Lord God of Hosts:
Come, go to this treasurer,
even to Shebna, who is over the royal household, and say:
16 (Mt 27:60; 2Ch 16:14) What right do you have here? And whom do you have here
that you have dug out for yourself a tomb here,
as he who hews out for himself a tomb on high,
and who cuts a habitation for himself in a rock?
17 Indeed, the Lord is about to hurl you headlong, O man;
He is about to seize you firmly.
18 (Isa 17:13) He will surely violently turn
and toss you like a ball into a large country;
there you shall die,
and there the chariots of your glory shall be
the shame of your lord’s house.
19 (Job 40:11-12; Eze 17:24) I will drive you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
20 (2Ki 18:18; Isa 36:3) In that day I will call My servant Eliakim
the son of Hilkiah.
22 (Job 12:14; Rev 3:7) The key of the house of David I will lay
on his shoulder. Then he shall open, and no one shall shut.
And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
23 (1Sa 2:8; Ezr 9:8) I will fasten him as a nail in a firm place,
and he shall become a glorious throne to his father's house.
24 They shall hang on him all the glory of his father's house,
the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity,
from the bowls to all the jars.
25 (Isa 46:11; Mic 4:4) In that day, says the Lord of Hosts,
the nail that is fastened in the firm place shall be removed,
and be cut down and fall. And the load that was on it shall
be cut off, for the Lord has spoken it.
My family lives in a nearly century-old home with a lot of character,
includind wonderfully textured plaster walls. A builder cautioned me that
with these walls, to hang a picture I'd have to either drill the nail into
a wood support or use a plaster anchor for support. Otherwise I'd risk
the picture crashing to the ground, leaving an ugly hole behind.
The prophet Isaiah used the imagery of a nail driven firmly into a wall
to describe a minor biblical character called Eliakim. Unlike the corrupt
official Shebna (Is 22:15-19), as well as the people of Israel - who looked
to themselves for strength (vv. 8-11) - Eliakim trusted in God. Prophesying
Eliakim's promotion to a palace administrator fot King Hezekiah, Isaiah
wrote that Eliakim would be driven like a "peg into a firm place". (v. 23)
Being securely anchored in God's truth and grace would also allow Eliakim
to be a support for his family and his people (vv 22-24).
Yet ISaiag concluded this prophecy with a sobering reminder that no person
can be the ultimate security for friend or family - we all fail (v.25).
The only completely trustworthy anchor for our lives is Jesus (Ps 62:5-6;
Matthew 7:24). As we care for others and share their burdens, may we also
point them to Him, the anchor who will never fail -- Lisa M. Samra
Reflect & Pray
How can you stay firmly anchored in God's truth and grace?
In what ways can you support those feeling weighed down by life's burdens?
Dear Jesus, thank You for being my anchor. As Your child, I know that I'm
firmly panted in You.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 1 Knowing God's Word Day 2 - Growing Up
2 Tim 3:16-17
16 (Ro 15:4) All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable
for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction
in righteousness,
17 (1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 2:21) that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
"I can't wait till I get big!" Marc, age 5, declared. "Then I do
what I want!" Most of us, as children, shared Marc's statement.
We looked forward to that "magic age" - 16, 18, 21 - when we
would be adults: mature, able to make our own decisions.
We find, of course, that adulthood has its own share of
difficulties and conflicts. But even in our spiritual lives
we often long for a "magic moment" of maturity. As one woman
confessed, "Ever since I became a Christian, I've hoped I'd wake up
one morning to find myself mature."
But growth in the spiritual life comes gradually, like growth in
the physical world. In 2 Tim 2:16-17, Paul gives the young pastor
Timothy an important key to spiritual growing up - the Word of God.
The Word is "profitable" or "useful," Paul says, for "teaching" - that is,
for developing a right concept of God. Scripture offers "rebuke" when
we go wrong, "correction" to set us on the right path, and "training
in righteousness" so that we can grow in the image of Christ.
The purpose of Scripture's work in our lives, Paul emphasises,
is that we may be "perfect" - mature, equipped for the good things
God has for us to do. Such maturity does not come easily
or instantaneously, but it does come - sometimes imperceptibly -
as we submit our lives to the transforming power of God's Word.
Application
a) In what areas of my life do I need to grow? How can I benefit
from the Bible's
i) teaching?
ii) rebuke?
iii) correction?
iv) training in righteousness?
b) How can memorising God's Word help me grow in those areas?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
2 Chr 31:21
21 And in every deed that he undertook in the service of the house
of God and with the law and commandment to seek out his God,
he did this with all his heart, and he found success.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Protection in Times of Trouble
Ps 27:1-6
PSALMS 27
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom will I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom will I be afraid?
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) When the wicked came against me
to eat my flesh—
my enemies and my foes—
they stumbled and fell.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) Though an army should encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.
4 (Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8) One thing I have asked from the Lord,
that will I seek after—
for me to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to see the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in His temple.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) For in the time of trouble
He will hide me in His pavilion;
in the shelter of His tabernacle He will hide me;
He will set me up on a rock.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8–9) Now my head will be lifted up
above my enemies encircling me;
therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
The answer to the dilemma of negativism is not positive
thinking, but right thinking - biblical thinking, according
to what the Bible reveals of God's perspective. God says,
"You are worthwhile. You are valued. You are loved. I created you
just as you are, and whatever I call you to do,
I will give you the strength to do it.:
The context of Phillipians 4:13 shows that Paul had learned
this important secret of spiritual strength. Paul had known
poverty and plenty, trouble and victory. But he also knew
he did not have to let circumstances dtermine his response to God's will.
We need not be controlled by the negative messages life throws in our paths
- even those self-defeating pronouncements we make to ourselves.
Rather, we can respond according to God's perspective, with the
conviction that God has given us strength we need to meet the
challenges we face.
Application
a) What challenges do I face that make me realise my own insufficiencies?
IS memorising Scripture one of those challenges for me?
b) How does today's memory verse help me face those challenges?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
2 Chr 26:5
5 (2 Ch 24:2; Da 1:17) And he sought after God in the days of Zechariah,
the one who instructed him in the fear of the Lord. And in the days
that he sought after the Lord, God caused him to succeed.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Gift of Salvation
Ps 40:1-3,9-11
PSALMS 40
1 I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He turned to me, and heard my cry.
2 (Ps 63:1; 84:2) He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
out of the miry clay,
and set my feet on a rock,
and established my steps.
3 (Ps 79:10; 80:5) He has put a new song in my mouth,
even praise to our God;
many will see it, and fear,
and will trust in the Lord.
...
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) I have proclaimed righteousness
in the great congregation;
I have not held back my lips,
O Lord, You know.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) I have not hidden Your righteousness
within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
from the great congregation.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) Do not withhold Your compassion from me, O Lord;
may Your lovingkindness and Your truth always guard me.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
5 (Ps 42:11; 43:5) Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 (2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8-9) For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
Who among the heavenly sons is like the Lord?
7 (Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3) God is greatly to be feared i
n the assembly of the holy ones
and awesome to all those who surround Him.
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) O Lord God of Hosts, who is a mighty Lord like You,
with Your faithfulness all around You?
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) You rule the raging of the sea;
when the waves arise, You still them.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) You crushed Rahab like a corpse;
You scattered Your enemies with Your strong arm.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours;
the world and all that is in it, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm,
and strong is Your hand, and victorious is Your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
mercy and truth shall go before Your presence.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout.
They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your presence.
16 In Your name they rejoice all the day,
and in Your righteousness they shall be exalted.
17 For You are the beauty of their strength;
by Your favor our horn is exalted.
As my husband strolled down the rocky beach taking photos of the
Hawaiian horizon, I sat on a large rock fretting over another medical setback.
Though my problems would be waiting for me when I returned home, I needed
peace in that moment. I stared at the incoming waves crashing against
the black, jagged rocks. A dark shadow in the curve of the wave caught my eye.
Using the zoom option on my camera, I identified the shape as a sea turtle
riding the waves peacefully. Its flippers spread wide and still.
Turning my face into the salty breeze, I smiled.
The "Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O Lord;" (Psalm 89:5).
Our incomparable God rules “the raging of the sea;
when the waves arise, You still them.†(v. 9).“ the earth also is Yours;
the world and all that is in it, You have founded them.†(v. 11).
He made it all, owns it all, manages it all, and purposes it all
for His glory and our enjoyment.
Standing on the foundation of our faith-the love of our unchanging Father-
we can "walk, O Lord, in the light of Your presence†(v. 15).
God remains mighty in power and merciful in His dealings with us.
We can rejoice in His name all day long (v. 16).
No matter what obstacles we face or how many setbacks we have to endure,
God holds us as the waves rise and fall.
By: Xochitl Dixon
Reflect & Pray
When facing rough waves in life, how can reflecting on God's wonders
fill you with peace, courage, and confidence in His ongoing presence
and sufficient care? What situations do you need to release to God
as you ride the waves of life?
Father, thank You for empowering me to ride the waves of life
with courageous faith, anchored in Your proven faithfulness.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 8 Guided by Grace Day 7 - Upheld by His Hand
Is 41:10
10 (Jos 1:9; Isa 41:13–14) Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Beth had the same recurring nightmare: she was running along a cliff,
then she slipped, and fell headlong, into a bottomless ravine.
Falling, without control,without end, falling, falling, falling...
Beth's dream may be one many of us identify with. The sense
of losing control can be nightmarish, and we may fear falling
without end, without remedy. Financial failure may be the chasm
that we face, or professional disgrace. Personal relationships
may go out of control, and we look into a never-ending
ravine of pain and misunderstanding
But God says, "Don't be afraid; I am holding you up."
Like the father who helps his child learn to swim,
God holds us above the water. We may not feel his hands;
indeed, we may suspect that he lets us go just so we can
do it on our own. But he promises that he doesn't let go.
"I am with you." he declares. "I give you strength
and hold you up."
God's promise never to let go takes on new meaning
in a world where relationships are temporary and life is
uncertain. We do not need to fear, for he is with us.
We can relax and stop striving, for he is our God.
His strength becomes ours; amid all our sin and rebellion,
he undergrids us with his righteousness. We cannot fall,
for he holds us fiirm.
Application
a) Under what circumstances have I felt myself "falling"?
b) How does God's promise in Is 41:10 help me to have faith
in the midst of my fears?
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."
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 fromme.
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.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
1 (2Sa 19:41) Then the men of Ephraim said to him,
"What have you done to us by not calling us to go
and wage war against Midian?" They argued heatedly with him.
2 He said to them, "What have I done now compared to you?
Are not the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim better
than the harvest of Abiezer?
3 (Pr 15:1; Jdg 7:24-25) It was into your hands that God gave t
he Midianite commanders, Oreb and Zeeb. What was I able to do compared
to you?" When Gideon said this, their anger against him cooled down.
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over,
he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted but still pursuing.
5 (Ge 33:17; Ps 60:6) He said to the men of Sukkoth, "Please give some
loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are exhausted,
and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."
6 (1Ki 20:11) The officials of Sukkoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah
and Zalmunna already in your hands that we should give bread to your army?â€
7 So Gideon said, "Because of this, when the Lord gives Zebah and Zalmunna
into my hands, I will tear your bodies with desert thorns and briers."
8 (Ge 32:30-31; 1Ki 12:25) He went up from there to Peniel
and spoke to them in the same way. The men of Peniel answered him
just as the men of Sukkoth had.
9 (Jdg 8:17; 1Ki 22:27-28) So he also said to the men of Peniel,
"When I return safely, I will tear down this tower."
10 (Jdg 7:12; 20:2) Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies,
about 15000 survivors; they were all who were left of all the army
of the Kedemites, for 120000 arms-bearing men had fallen.
11 (Nu 32:35; 32:42) Gideon went up on the route of the tent dwellers
east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the camp while the army
was off guard.
12 (Ps 83:11) Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and Gideon chased after them.
He captured Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian,
and the entire army was terrified.
13 Gideon son of Joash returned from battle by the Pass of Heres.
14 He captured a young man from among the men of Sukkoth
and asked him to write the names of the leaders and elders of Sukkoth, 77 men.
15 Then he came to the men of Sukkoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna,
about whom you taunted me. You said, 'Have you subjugated
Zebah and Zalmunna that we should give bread to your weary army?' "
16 (Jdg 8:7) He took the city elders and disciplined the men of Sukkoth
with thorns and briers of the wilderness.
17 (Jdg 8:9; 1Ki 12:25) He tore down the tower of Peniel
and killed the men of the city.
18 (Jdg 4:6) Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna,
"What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?â€"
They said, "They were like you. Each one looked like the son of a king."
19 He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother.
As the Lord lives, if you had allowed them to live, I would not kill you."
20 Gideon said to his firstborn Jether, "Rise and kill them!"
Yet the young man did not draw his sword because he was afraid,
for he was still a young man.
21 (Jdg 8:26; Ps 83:11) Then Zebah and Zalmunna said,
"You get up and attack us, for a man is judged by his strength."
So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna
and took the crescent-shaped ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Gideon's Ephod
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you, and your son,
and your grandson, for you have saved us from the hands of Midian."
23 (1Sa 10:19; 12:12) Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you,
and my son will not rule over you. The Lord will rule over you."
24 (Ge 25:13; 37:25) Gideon continued, "I have a request to make of you,
that each man would give me an earring from his spoils."
(Their enemy had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 They said, "We will certainly give them."
So they spread out a cloak, and each man threw a ring of his spoils there.
26 The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1700 gold shekels.
[About 43 pounds, or 20 kilograms.]
This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry,
and purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, as well as the chains
hanging on the necks of their camels.
27 (Jdg 17:5; 18:14) Gideon used these things to make an ephod.
He put it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves
to it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
28 (Jdg 5:31; 3:11) The Midianites were humbled before the children of Israel
and did not lift their heads high again. The land had peace
for 40 years in the days of Gideon.
The Death of Gideon
29 (Jdg 6:32; 7:1) Jerub-Baal son of Joash went to his house and lived there.
30 (Jdg 9:2; 9:5) Gideon had seventy sons, for he had many wives.
31 His concubine who lived in Shechem also bore him a son,
and he named him Abimelek.
32 (Ge 25:8; 15:15) Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age,
and he was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 (Jdg 9:4; 9:46) After Gideon died, the children of Israel turned again
to prostitute themselves with the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god.
34 (Ps 78:11; 78:42) The children of Israel did not remember the Lord
their God, who had delivered them from the hands of their enemies around them,
35 and they did not keep faith with the family of Jerub-Baal
(that is, Gideon), for all the good he had done for Israel.
JUDGES 9
Abimelek
1 (Jdg 8:31) Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem,
to his mother's brothers. He spoke to them and to the house
of his mother's father saying,
2 (Ge 29:14; Jdg 8:30) "Please say in the hearing of all of the leaders of Shechem,
'Which is better for you, to have all seventy sons of Jerub-Baal rule
over you, or for one man to rule over you?
Remember that I am your own flesh and bone.' "
3 (Ge 29:15) So his mother's brothers spoke all these things about him
in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined
toward Abimelek, for they said, "He is our brother."
4 (Jdg 8:33; 11:3) They gave him seventy silver coins
[About 1 3/4 pounds, or 800 grams.]
from the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelek hired unprincipled
and undisciplined men, and they followed him.
5 (2Ki 11:1-2; Jdg 6:24) He went to his father’s house at Ophrah
and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal, on a single stone.
Yet Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, survived because he hid himself.
6 (2Sa 5:9) All the leaders of Shechem and everyone from Beth Millo
gathered together by the oak near the pillar in Shechem to make Abimelek king.
7 (Dt 11:29; 27:12) When Jotham heard this, he went
and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim.
He raised his voice and called out, saying to them,
"Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
8 (Jdg 8:22-23; 2Ki 14:9) The trees once went out to anoint a king over them.
They said to the olive tree, 'Rule over us!'
9 "Yet the olive tree said to them, 'Should I stop making oil,
by which God and men are honored, to go and sway over the trees?'
10 "So the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and rule over us.'
11 "Yet the fig tree said to them, 'Should I stop making my sweet aroma
and my fruit, to go and sway over the trees?'
12 "So the trees said to the grapevine, 'You come and rule over us.'
13 (Ps 104:15) "Yet the grapevine said to them, 'Should I stop making
my fresh wine, which cheers God and men, to go and sway over the trees?'
14 "So the trees said to the thorn bush, 'You come and rule over us.'
15 (Jdg 9:20; Isa 2:13) "The thorn bush said to the trees,
'If you really want to anoint me king over you,
then come and take refuge in my shade. If not, let fire come out
from the thorn bush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'
16 (Jdg 8:35) "Now then, did you show good faith and integrity
when you made Abimelek king? Did you deal well with Jerub-Baal
and his family? Did you do to him as his actions deserved,
17 considering that my father waged war for you, risked his life for you,
and delivered you from the hands of Midian?
18 (Jdg 9:5-6) Yet you have taken a stand against my father's family today.
You killed his seventy sons, each on a single stone.
You made Abimelek, son of his slave woman, king over the leaders of Shechem
because he is your brother.
19 (Isa 8:6) So if you did show good faith and integrity in what you did with
Jerub-Baal and his family today, then rejoice in Abimelek,
and may he also rejoice in you.
20 (Jdg 9:15; 9:56-57) If not, let fire come out from Abimelek
and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo,
and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem
and from Beth Millo and consume Abimelek!"
21 (Nu 21:16) Then Jotham ran away and fled. He went to Beer
and lived there because of Abimelek his brother.
The Downfall of Abimelek
22 After Abimelek ruled over Israel for three years,
23 (Isa 33:1; 19:14) God sent an evil spirit between Abimelek
and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem
dealt treacherously with Abimelek,
24 (1Ki 2:32; Est 9:25) so that the violence done to the seventy
sons of Jerub-Baal and their blood might come back upon
Abimelek their brother, who killed them, and upon the leaders of Shechem,
who empowered him to kill his brothers.
25 The leaders of Shechem set ambushes against him on the hilltops
and robbed all who passed by them on the road. This was told to Abimelek.
26 Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers came to Shechem,
and the leaders of Shechem trusted him.
27 (Jdg 9:4) They went out to the field, gathered
and trod their grapes, and had a celebration.
They went to the temple of their god and ate, drank,
and cursed Abimelek.
28 (Ge 34:2; 34:6) Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelek,
and who is Shechem, that we should serve him?
Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul his officer?
Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
Why should we serve Abimelek?
29 (2Sa 15:4) If only this people were under my command,
I would get rid of AbimÂelek." So he said to Abimelek, "Muster your army
and come out!"
30 Then Zebul the city ruler heard the words of Gaal
son of Ebed and he burned with anger.
31 He secretly sent messengers to AbimÂelek, saying, "Gaal, the son of Ebed,
and his brothers have come to Shechem and are fortifying the city against you.
32 So now, get up at night, you and the people with you,
and lie in wait in the field.
33 (1Sa 10:7; Ecc 9:10) In the morning at sunrise, get up early and attack
the city. He and the people with him will come out to you,
then you can do to them as you find opportunity."
34 So Abimelek and all the people who were with him got up at night
and lay in wait by Shechem in four companies.
35 When Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate
then Abimelek and the people who were with him
got up from their hiding places.
36 Gaal saw these people and said to Zebul,
"Look, people are coming down from the hilltops."
Zebul said to him, "The shadows of the hills look like men to you."
37 Gaal spoke again and said, "Look, people are coming down the middle
of the land, and a company is coming by way of the Diviner's Oak."
38 (Jdg 9:28-29) Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your mouth now,
which said, 'Who is Abimelek, that we should serve him?'
Are not these the people you dismissed out of hand?
Go now, I pray, and fight against them."
39 So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought Abimelek.
40 Abimelek chased him, and Gaal fled from him. Many fell wounded
at the entrance of the gate.
41 Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal
and his brothers from living in Shechem.
42 The next day the people went out into
the field, and this was told to Abimelek.
43 So he took the people and divided them into three companies,
and they laid in wait in the field. When the people came out from the city,
he rose up against them and struck them down.
44 Abimelek and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood
at the entrance of the city gate. The two other combat units attacked everyone
in the field and struck them down.
45 (2Ki 3:25; Dt 29:23) Abimelek fought against the city all that day.
He captured the city and killed the people inside it;
he tore down the city and spread salt over it.
46 (Jdg 8:33; 9:4) When the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard this,
they entered the fortified temple of El-Berith.
47 Abimelek was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem
had gathered together.
48 (Ps 68:14) So Abimelek and all the people who were with him went
up Mount Zalmon. He took an axe in his hand and cut off a tree branch,
lifted it, and carried it on his shoulder. Then he said to the men
who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do the same."
49 So everyone likewise cut off a branch and followed Abimelek.
They placed them on the fortification and set the fortification
on fire over them. So all the people of the Tower of Shechem died,
about 1000 men and women.
50 Then Abimelek went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it.
51 But there was a fortified tower within the city, so all of the men and women
and the leaders of the city fled there.
They shut themselves in and went up to the top of the tower.
52 Abimelek came to the tower and fought against it. But as he drew near
to the tower entrance to burn it with fire,
53 (2Sa 11:21) a certain woman dropped an upper millstone
on the head of Abimelek, and it crushed his skull.
54 Urgently he called to the young man who carried his gear and said to him,
"Draw your sword and kill me, so that people may not say about me,
'A woman killed him.' "
So the young man pierced him through, and he died.
55 Then the men of Israel saw that Abimelek was dead, so everyone went home.
56 (Ps 94:23; Jdg 9:24) Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelek,
which he committed against his father by killing his seventy brothers.
57 (Jdg 9:20) God also repaid the evil deeds of the men of Shechem,
and the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came upon them.
2) Our Daily Bread for 2 Apr 2021 Good Friday
https://www.odb.org/CA/2021/04/02/the-cost-2
entitled The Cost
John 19:25-20
25 (Lk 23:49; Mt 27:55-56; Mk 15:40-41) But standing by the cross of Jesus
were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
26 (Jn 13:23; 2:4; 20:2) When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple
whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother,
"Woman, here is your son."
27 (Jn 16:32; 1:11) Then He said to the disciple, "Here is your mother."
From that time, this disciple took her to his own home.
The Death of Jesus
Mt 27:45-56; Mk 15:33-41; Lk 23:44=49
28 (Ps 69:21; Jn 13:1) After this, Jesus, knowing that everything was
now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst."
29 (Mt 27:48; Mk 15:36) A bowl full of sour wine was placed there.
So they put a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it to His mouth.
30 (Lk 23:46; Jn 17:4) When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,
"“It is finished." And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Michelangelo's works explored many facets of the life of Jesus,
yet one of the most poignant was also one of the most simple.
In the 1540s he sketched a pieta (a picture of Jesus' mother
holding the body of the dead Christ) for his friend Vittoria Colonna.
Done in chalk, the drawing depicts Mary looking to the heavens
as she cradles her Son's still form. Rising behind Mary,
the upright beam of the cross carries these words from Dante's Paradise,
"There they don't think of how much blood it costs." Michelangelo's
point was profound: when we contemplate the death of Jesus,
we must consider the price He paid.
The price paid by Christ is captured in His dying declaration,
"It is finished" (John 19:30). The term for "it is finished" (tetelestai)
was used in several ways-to show a bill had been paid, a task finished,
a sacrifice offered, a masterpiece completed. Each of them applies to what
Jesus did on our behalf on the cross! Perhaps that's why the apostle
Paul wrote, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world"
(Galatians 6:14).
Jesus' willingness to take our place is the eternal evidence of how much
God loves us. As we contemplate the price He paid, may we also celebrate
His love-and give thanks for the cross.
By: Bill Crowder
Reflect & Pray
How could each meaning of tetelestai be applied to the cross of Jesus
and what He accomplished there? Why does each one have meaning to you?
Father, when I consider the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf, I am humbled
and deeply grateful. Thank You for Jesus, and thank You for the cross.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 8 Guided by Grace Day 6 - Through The Fire
Is 43:2
2 (Ps 66:12; Da 3:25–27) When you pass through waters,
I will be with you.And through the rivers,they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
nor shall the flame kindle on you.
In the Book of Daniel, 3 young men provide one of the world's best-known
Bible stories. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three of the finest young
men of Israel, were taken into capitivity to Babylon. There King
Nebuchadnezzar, filled with his own importance, commanded that
everyone bow down and worship his image.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship anyone
except the One True god, they were cast into Nebuchadnezzar's
furnace of fire.
Is 43:2 brings their experience into focus for us. There the Lord says,
"When you pass throught the fire ... when you walk through the water ..."
Not if, but when. If we are committed to serving and honouring the Lord,
at some point we will be faced with "passing through the fire" for hm.
We may not face a physical frunace, but we may face the fires of
persecution, anger, hostility or suffering. And God says:
"I will be with you."
When the three young Israelites stepped into the king's furnace, all
the people looked and saw, not three, but four men in the fire, their
bonds burned away, walking freely among the flames. They did not
escape the fate decreed for them. But the Lord was with them in
the fire, as surely as he has promised to be with us in the flood
and the fire, as surely as he has promised to be with us in the
flood and fire tht life brings to us. The promise of god remains:
"I will be with you; the waters will not overflow, nor will the
flames burn you."
Application
a) What kinds of "fires" and "Floods" have I experienced?
b) How was I aware of the Lord's presence with me?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Mark 10:29-30
29 (Mk 8:35) Jesus answered, "Truly I say to you,
there is no one who has left a house or brothers
or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields,
for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,
30 (Mt 12:32) who shall not receive a hundred times as
much now in this age, houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and fields,
with persecution, and in the age to come, eternal life.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's GIft of Salvation
Eph 2:1-10
EPHESIANS 2
From Death to Life
1 (Col 2:13; Lk 15:24) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 (Jn 12:31; Eph 6:12; 2:3) in which you formerly walked according
to the age of this world and according to
the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 (Gal 2:15–16; Ps 51:5) among them we all also once
lived in the lusts of our flesh,
doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4 (Ro 2:4; Eph 1:7) But God, being rich in mercy,
because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 (Eph 2:1; Ac 15:11; Eph 2:8) even when we were dead in sins,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 (Eph 1:3) and He raised us up and seated us together
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 (Titus 3:4; Eph 2:4) so that in the coming ages He might show
the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 (Eph 2:5; Mk 16:16) For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God,
9 (2Ti 1:9; Ro 3:20) not of works, so that no one should boast.
10 (Eph 4:24; 2Co 5:17; Eph 1:4) For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,
so that we should walk in them.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.
1 The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord,
so the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian for seven years.
2 The hands of Midian dominated Israel, and because of Midian
the children of Israel made hiding places for themselves in the mountains,
caves, and strongholds. 3 Whenever Israel would plant crops, the Midianites,
Amalekites, and the people from the east would come up against them.
4 Then they would make camp by them and ruin crops of the land all the way
to Gaza. They did not leave any provisions behind in Israel-neither sheep,
nor cattle, nor donkeys.
5 For they came with their livestock and tents like a swarm of locusts.
They and their camels were too numerous to count, and they came into
the land to destroy it.
6 Israel was made weak before Midian and cried out to the Lord.
7 When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of Midian,
8 the Lord sent them a prophet who said, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
I brought you up from Egypt and out of that place of slavery.
9 I delivered you from the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors.
I drove them out from before you and gave you their land.
10 I said to you, 'I am the Lord your God. Do not worship the gods of
the Amorites in whose land you are living.' But you have disobeyed Me."
11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah
belonging to Joash the Abiezrite. Gideon his son was threshing wheat
in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 The angel of the Lord appeared and said to him,
"The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor."
13 Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us,
then why has all this happened to us? Where are all His miracles
that our fathers told us about? They said, 'Did not the Lord bring
us out of Egypt?' Yet now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered
us into the hands of the Midianites."
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this strength of yours.
Save Israel from the control of Midian. Have I not sent you?"
15 And he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel?
Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest
in my father's house."
16 Then the Lord said to him, "But I will be with you, and you will strike
the Midianites as one man."
17 And he said to Him, "If I have found favor in Your sight,
give me a sign that it is You who are speaking with me.
18 Please do not depart from here until I come to You
and bring out my gift and set it before You."
And He said, "I will stay until you return."
19 So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread
from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket, and he put
the broth in a pot, and brought them out and offered them to Him
under the oak.
20 And the angel of God said to him,"Take the meat and the unleavened bread,
lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And so he did.
21 The angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was
in His hand and touched the meat and unleavened flatbread.
Fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread.
Then the angel of the Lord departed from his sight.
22 Then Gideon perceived that it was indeed the angel of the Lord.
So Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord God! I have seen
the angel of the Lord face to face."
23 Then the Lord said to him, "Peace be with you. Do not be afraid.
You will not die."
24 Then Gideon built an altar for the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace.
Even to this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 That night the Lord said to him, "Take a bull from your father's herd
and a second bull seven years old. Tear down your father's Baal altar
and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
26 Then build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold
in an orderly way. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering
with the wood of the Asherah pole that you will cut down."
27 So Gideon took ten men from among his slaves
and did as the Lord had told him, but because he was too afraid of the rest
of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day,
he did it at night.
28 When the men of the city got up early in the morning,
the altar of Baal was torn down, the Asherah pole beside it was cut down,
and the second bull had been offered on the new altar that had been built.
29 They said to each other, "Who has done this?"
When they had inquired and asked, they responded,
"Gideon son of Joash has done this."
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash,
"Bring out your son so that he may die, for he tore down the altar of Baal
and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."
31 Joash then said to all who stood against him, "Would you plead for Baal?
Would you save him? Whoever fights for him will be killed by morning.
If Baal is a god, let him fight for himself,
for someone has torn down his altar."
32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerub-Baal, saying,
"Let Baal fight him, for he tore down the altar of Baal."
33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east gathered
together, and they crossed over, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 The Spirit of the Lord enveloped Gideon. He blew a ram's horn trumpet,
and the Abiezrites assembled behind him.
35 He sent messengers throughout all of Manasseh and they assembled
behind him as well. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali,
so these tribes came up to meet them.
36 Gideon said to God, "If You will use my hands to save Israel,
as You have said-
37 I am placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor.
If there is dew on the fleece only and all of the ground remains dry,
then I will know that You will save Israel with my hands, as You have said."
38 So it happened. He got up early the next morning and squeezed the fleece.
Enough dew poured out of the fleece to fill a bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let Your anger burn against me
as I speak only one more time. Please let me perform a test with the fleece
one more time. Please, let the fleece be the only thing dry,
and let there be dew on all of the ground."
40 So God did this during that night. Only the fleece was dry,
and the dew was on all the ground.
Judges 7
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
1 Then Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with
him got up early and set up camp at Harod Spring.
There was a camp of Midianites to the north of them in the valley
near the hill of Moreh.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many people with you for Me
to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves
over Me, saying, 'Our own power saved us.'
3 So now, call out so the people can hear, 'Whoever is afraid or anxious
may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' "
So 20000 from among the people turned back, and 10000 were left.
4 But the Lord said to Gideon, "There are still too many people.
Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there.
When I say to you, "This one will go with you,' he will go with you.
Everyone about whom I will say,' 'This one will not go with you,'
will not go."
5 So he brought the people down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon,
"You shall set apart by himself everyone who laps the water with his tongue
like dogs; likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink."
6 The number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths,
was three hundred. The rest of the people had knelt to drink water.
7 The Lord said to Gideon, "With three hundred men who lapped to drink,
I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.
All the rest of the people should go home."
8 So the three hundred men took provisions and ram's horn trumpets
in their hands. Gideon sent all the other Israelite men to their tents,
but he kept the three hundred men.
Now the Midianite camp was below him in the valley.
9 That night the Lord said to him, "Get up and go down into the camp,
for I have given it into your hands.
10 Yet if you are afraid to go down, then go down to the camp with Purah
your servant.
11 Listen to what they say, and afterward you will be emboldened to go down
to the camp.." So he and Purah his servant went down near the edge
of the camp.
12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the Kedemites covered the valley
like locusts; and their camels could not be counted, for they were
as numerous as grains of sand on the seashore.
13 Gideon came and overheard one man who was telling his dream to another.
The man said, "Listen to a dream I had. I saw a dry cake of barley bread
rolling into the Midianite camp. It rolled up to a tent and struck it.
It fell, turned upside down, and collapsed."
14 The other man responded, "This is none other than the sword of Gideon
son of Joash the Israelite. God has given Midian and the whole camp into
his hands."
15 When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation,
he worshipped, returned to the camp of Israel, and said, "Get up, for the Lord
has given the Midianite camp into your hands."
16 He divided the three hundred men into three combat units.
He gave all of them ram's horn trumpets, empty jars,
and torches within the jars.
17 He said to them, "Look at me and do likewise. Watch, and when I come
to the perimeter of the camp, do as I do.
18 When I and all who are with me blow the horn, then you will blow the horns
all around the camp and shout, 'For the Lord and for Gideon!' "
19 So Gideon and a hundred men with him went to the edge of the camp
at the start of the middle night watch, just as they were setting the watch.
Then they blew the horns and smashed the jars in their hands.
20 The three combat units blew the horns and broke the jars.
They held the torches in their left hands and the horns for
blowing in their right hands. They called out,
"A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!"
21 Every man stood in his place all around the camp,
but the men in the camp ran, shouted, and fled.
22 When they blew the three hundred horns, the Lord turned every man's
sword against his fellow man throughout the camp. The Midianite camp
fled to Beth Shittah in the direction of Zererah, up to the border
of Abel Meholah, near Tabbath.
23 The men of Israel from Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh
were summoned, and they chased after the Midianites.
24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying,
"Come down to engage Midian in battle.
Take control of the water ways as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan."
All the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they took control of the water
ways as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.
25 They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders.
They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb.
They chased after the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb
and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
2) Our Daily Bread for 1 Apr 2021
https://www.odb.org/CA/2021/04/01/so-helpful
entitled So Helpful
1 Peter 4:7–11 , Romans 12:13
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be solemn
and sober so you can pray.
8 Above all things, have unfailing love for one another,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
9 Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
10 As everyone has received a gift, even so serve one another with it,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone serves,
let him serve with the strength that God supplies, so that God in all things
may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.
Romans 12:13
13 contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.
The caller to the Christian radio station said that his wife was coming home
from the hospital following surgery. Then he shared something that spoke
deeply to my heart: "Everyone in our church family has been
so helpful in taking care of us during this time."
When I heard this simple statement, it reminded me of the value
and necessity of Christian hospitality and care.
I began to think that the love and support of fellow believers
for one another is one of the greatest ways to demonstrate the life-changing
power of the gospel.
In First Peter, the apostle was writing a letter to be circulated
among the first-century churches in what's now the country of Turkey.
In that letter, he compelled his readers to do something that his friend
Paul wrote about in Romans 12:13: "Practice hospitality." Peter said,
"Love each other deeply . . . offer hospitality," and he told them to use
the gifts God gave them to "serve others" (1 Peter 4:8-10).
These are clear directions to all believers in Jesus for how we're to treat
fellow believers.
All of us know people like that caller's wife-those who need someone
to come alongside and show concern and Christlike love. In God's strength,
may we be among the ones who are noted for being "so helpful."
By: Dave Branon
Reflect & Pray
What has God equipped you to do for those in need?
How has God revealed His own hospitable nature?
Loving God, help me to look around for people who need an encouraging
word or action from me. Then help me offer hospitality to them.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 8 Guided by Grace Day 5 - Waiting for the Wind
Is 40:31
31 (2Co 4:16; Ps 103:5; Ex 19:4)
but those who wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
and they shall walk and not faint.
High above civilisation, alone on his craggy peak, the eagle waits.
He watches, senses, and then, with effortless grace, he spreads
his wings and soars. He does not flap frantically to gain altitude,
he merely turns his wings into the wind and rises.
Is 40:31 promises that we, too, can be like the eagle,
mounting up on wings, soaring effortlessly,
without weariness. But this is not often our experience.
We usually flap around like invalid pigeons, scratching
for mere existence, flying only when our place in the park is disturbed.
We need to learn to wait on the Lord. Like the wind that raises the eagle
to the heights, the wind of the Spirit will lift us up as well - beyond
the weariness of daily life, beyond the struggle for existence, beyond
the plodding pace of normal interaction.
But the eagle does not rise without plunging for the cliff into the wind.
His ability to stay aloft is based on his understand of wind currents;
when the wind is against him,he rises. He waits on the cliff
until the right moment, then allows the contrary breezes to lift him up.
Most of us are grounded by the winds that are against us. We give up
and never take the first flight. We fear the plunge from the cliff into the
buoyant breath of God, and so we stand fixed, afraid to launch out.
But when we do take the risk, when we wait upon the Lord, and then
give ourselves in obedience to a free-fall from the cliffs of his will,
we discover that there is rest in soaring with him. We do not have to
struggle; we have only to fly, and in flying, to find new strength.
Application
a) Why is "waiting upon the Lord" essential
to "Mounting up with wings as the eagle"?
b) How can this verse help me be more willing to take risks in God's will?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Philip 4:19
19 (Ro 2:4) But my God shall supply your every need according
to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Reconciling Peace
Ps 85:8-13
8 (Job 35:10; Ps 63:6) I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints,
but let them not turn again to folly.
9 (Ps 38:6; 18:2) Surely His salvation is near to them who fear Him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
10 (Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17) Mercy and truth have met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 (Ps 42:5; 43:5) Truth springs from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the Lord gives that which is good,
and our land shall yield its increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before Him
and prepare a way for His footsteps.
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."
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 24 April to 23 May 2020
From https://www.30daysprayer.com/
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, is an international movement that began in 1993. It calls the church to make a deliberate but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to our world’s Muslim neighbors. It coincides annually with the important Islamic month of religious observation — Ramadan, a time of the year when Muslims are much more deeply aware of spiritual matters.
While Media sound bites about Islamic extremism can too easily incite anger, fear and even hatred towards Muslims, we seek to resist this temptation to generalize, and instead, resolve to respond and pray with the mind and heart of Christ.
Join the millions of Christians around the world, and churches and ministries from many denominations, who regularly participate in this largest ongoing prayer focus on the Muslim world. A new full-color prayer guide booklet — available each year in both adult and kids versions — is a proven tool to help Christians to understand and to persistently pray for Muslim neighbors and nations.