Day 216 - 4 August 2021 reflections
Day 216, 4 August 2021
2 Kings 22-23 ; 2 Chronicles 34-35
2 Kings 22
Josiah, King of Judah
2Ch 34:1-28
1 (Jos 15:39) Josiah was eight years old when he became king,
and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name
was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath.
2 (Dt 5:32; Jos 1:7) He did what was right in the sight of the Lord
and walked in all the ways of David his father.
He did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
The Book of the Law Found
3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah the king sent Shaphan
son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,
4 (2Ki 12:4) "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and have him prepare the money
that has been brought to the house of the Lord, which the keepers
of the threshold have gathered from the people.
5 (2Ki 12:11-14; 12:5) Let them deliver it to the hand of the appointed
workers of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workers
who are in the house of the Lord to repair the damages to the house,
6 that is, to the carpenters, the builders, and the masons to buy timber
and cut stone to repair the house.
7 (2Ki 12:15; 1Co 4:2) But there need be no settling of accounts with them
concerning the money that was given to their hand,
because they are behaving honestly."
8 (Dt 31:24-26) Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe,
"I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord."
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
9 Then Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought the king a report.
He said, "Your servants have emptied the money that was found
in the house and have given it into the hand of the appointed workers
of the house of the Lord."
10 (Jer 36:21) Shaphan the scribe informed the king, saying,
"Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." So Shaphan read it before the king.
11 When the king had heard the words of the Book of the Law,
he tore his clothes.
12 (Jer 26:24; 2Ki 25:22) Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest,
Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe,
and Asaiah, a servant of the king, saying,
13 (Dt 29:23-28; 31:17-18) "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people,
and for all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found,
for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us,
because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book
by doing according to all that is written concerning us."
14 (2Ch 34:22) So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah
went to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum, son of Tikvah, son of Harhas,
keeper of the wardrobe (she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter),
and they spoke with her.
15 She said to them, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
Tell the man that sent you to Me,
16 (Jos 23:15; Da 9:11-14) Thus says the Lord: See, I will bring evil
on this place and on its inhabitants-all the words of the book
that the king of Judah has read.
17 Because they have forsaken Me and have made offerings to other gods,
so that they have provoked Me to anger with all the works of their hands,
therefore My wrath will be kindled against this place,
and it will not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord,
thus shall you say to him, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel
with regard to the words you have heard:
19 (1Ki 21:29; Ps 51:17) Because your heart was timid,
and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard
what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants,
that they should become a desolation and a curse,
and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me,
I also have heard you, declares the Lord.
20 (Ps 37:37; Isa 57:1-2) Therefore, I will gather you to your fathers,
and you will be gathered to your grave in peace.
Your eyes will not see all the evil which I am about to bring upon this place."
Then they brought the king a report.
2 Chronicles 34
Josiah, King of Judah
2Ki 22:1-7; 23:4-20
1 (Jer 1:2; Zep 1:1) And Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign,
and he was king for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
2 (2Ch 29:2) And he did what was correct in the eyes of the Lord,
and he walked in the ways of David his father
and did not turn either to the right or left.
3 (2Ch 15:2; 33:22) And in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still
a young boy, he began to seek out the God of David his father;
and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem
from high places, Asherah poles, idols, and carved and cast images.
4 (Ex 32:20; Lev 26:30) So they tore down the altars for the Baals,
and he cut down the incense altars that were above them
and smashed the Asherah poles and carved and cast images.
And he crushed them to dust and scattered them before the graves
of those who sacrificed to them.
5 (1Ki 13:2) Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars
and so cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali,
in their ruins all around,
7 (2Ch 31:1; Dt 9:21) he broke down the altars, beat Asherah poles
and the images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars
throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
8 (2Sa 8:16) In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged
the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah,
Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz,
the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
9 (2Ch 30:10; 30:18) When they came to Hilkiah the high priest,
they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God,
which the Levites, the keepers of the door, had collected
from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel,
and from all Judah and Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 And they gave it to those appointed to do the work
in the house of the Lord. And those who were doing the work on the house
gave it to repair and restore the house.
11 (2Ch 33:4-7) And they gave it to the craftsmen and builders to acquire
quarried stones and timber for joists and beams for the buildings
that the kings of Judah had ruined.
12 (2Ki 12:15; 1Ch 23:5) So the men did the work faithfully.
Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the LeÂvites,
of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam,
of the sons of the Kohathites, as supervisors.
And other Levites, all skillful with musical instruments,
13 (Ne 4:10; 2Ch 2:18) were over those laborers and supervised
all those doing the work in every type of service,
and other LeÂvites were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
The Book of the Law Found
2Ki 22:8-20; 23:1-3
14 When they brought out the money that had been given to the house
of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord
from Moses.
15 Then Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law
in the house of the Lord." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
16 Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported,
"Everything that has been designated to your servants, they are doing.
17 They have given out the money that was in the house of the Lord
and have allocated to those who are supervisors and those
who are doing the work."
18 Then Shaphan the scribe also declared to the king,
"Hilkiah the priest has given me a book."
And Shaphan read from it to the king.
19 (Jos 7:6) And it happened that when the king heard the words
of the Law, he tore his garments.
20 (2Ki 22:12) Then the king ordered Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan,
Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe,
and Asaiah the attendant of the king:
21 "Go and seek the Lord on my behalf and on the behalf of the remnant
in Israel and Judah concerning what is written in the book that was found,
for the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us is great
because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord,
to do everything that is written in this book."
22 (Ex 15:20) So Hilkiah and those with the king went
to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath,
son of Hasrah, who kept the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem i
n the Second Quarter, and they spoke to her about this.
23 And she said to them, "So says the Lord God of Israel:
Speak to the man who sent you all to Me,
24 (2Ch 36:14-20) Thus says the Lord: I am bringing disaster
on this place and all who dwell in it, even all the curses
that are written in the book that they read before the king of Judah.
25 (Jer 7:20) Because they have abandoned Me
and offered sacrifices to other gods in order to provoke Me
with everything they have made with their hands,
so My rage will be poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.
26 And the king of Judah who sent you all to seek out the Lord,
so you will speak to him: So says the Lord God of Israel:
The words that you have heard,
27 (2Ch 32:26) because your heart was tender and you humbled
yourself before God when you heard His words against this place
and those who dwell here, and you have brought yourself low
before Me and torn your clothes and wept before Me,
I have heard you, declares the Lord.
28 (2Ch 35:24) I am bringing you to be with your fathers,
and you will be brought to your grave in peace,
and your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing
on this place and on those who dwell here."
So they returned this word to the king.
Josiah Restores True Worship
29 (2Ki 23:1-3) Then the king sent for all the elders of Judah
and Jerusalem.
30 (2Ki 23:2) Then the king went up to the house of the Lord
with men from Judah and those living in Jerusalem,
even the priests and Levites and all the people
from the greatest to the least, and he read within their hearing
all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found
in the house of the Lord.
31 (2Ch 23:16; 29:10) Then the king stood in his place
and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord,
and to keep His commandments and His testimonies
and His statutes with all his soul, to perform the words
of the covenant written in this book.
32 Then he appointed all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin
to carry this out, and those living in Jerusalem did according
to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 (2Ch 34:3-7) So Josiah took away all the detestable things
from the lands that belonged to the people of Israel
and caused all who were found in Israel to serve their Lord God.
And all his days they did not turn away from the Lord God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 35
Josiah Celebrates the Passover
2Ki 23:21-23
1 (Ex 12:6; Nu 9:3) Josiah kept a Passover for the Lord in Jerusalem;
they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2 (2Ch 31:2) He appointed priests for their duties and encouraged them
in their service to the house of the Lord.
3 (Dt 33:10; 1Ch 23:26) And he said to the Levites who gave insight to
all Israel and were consecrated to the Lord, "Set the holy ark in the house
that Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel, built. You should not carry
it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel.
4 (2Ch 8:14; 1Ch 23:1-26) Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses
by your divisions, as instructed in the writing of David, king of Israel,
and the document of Solomon his son.
5 (Ps 134:1) "And stand in the Holy Place according to the divisions
of the fathers' households of your brothers, the laypeople,
and according to the Levites, by division of a father's household.
6 (2Ch 29:5; 29:15) Then slaughter the Passover lamb and consecrate yourselves
and prepare for your brothers to do according to the word of the Lord
by the hand of Moses."
7 (1Ki 8:63; 2Ch 30:24) Josiah contributed to the laypeople, as Passover
offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock
to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls;
these were from the king's possession.
8 (2Ch 29:31-33) His officials contributed willingly to the people,
to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel,
the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover
offerings two thousand six hundred lambs and three hundred bulls.
9 Konaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah,
Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, gave to the Levites
for the Passover offerings five thousand lambs and five hundred bulls.
10 (2Ch 30:16; Ezr 6:18) When the service was prepared, the priests
stood in their places and the Levites in their divisions,
according to the king's command.
11 (2Ch 29:34) And they slaughtered the Passover offerings,
and the priests sprinkled the blood given to them
while the Levites skinned animals.
12 And they set aside the burnt offering to distribute according
to each house of the fathers for the people to bring near to the Lord,
as written in the Book of Moses. And they did the same with the bulls.
13 (Ex 12:8-9; 1Sa 2:13-15) And they cooked the Passover lamb with fire
according to the rule, and they cooked the holy offerings in pots, jars,
bowls, and quickly brought them to all the people.
14 Afterward they prepared the offerings for them and the priests
because the priests, the sons of Aaron, offered the burnt offering
and fat portions until night. So the Levites prepared for themselves
and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
15 (1Ch 9:17-19; 25:1-7) The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places
according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun
the king's seer. The gatekeepers were at each of the gates;
they did not need to leave their service, for their brothers the Levites
made preparations for them.
16 So all the service of the Lord was carried out that day to have
the Passover, and to offer the burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord
according to the command of King Josiah.
17 (Ex 12:15–20) And the sons of Israel who were presÂent had the Passover
at that time and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
18 (2Ki 23:21-23; 2Ch 30:5) And no Passover had been made like this in Israel
since the days of Samuel the prophet. And none of the kings of Israel
had performed a Passover like Josiah had done. And the priests and Levites
and all Judah and Israel were present along with those living in Jerusalem.
19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was performed.
The Death of Josiah
2Ki 23:28-30
20 (2Ki 23:29-30; Isa 10:9) After all this when Josiah had prepared
the temple, Necho king of Egypt went up to war in Carchemish
on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him.
21 (2Ki 18:25; 2Ch 25:19) And Necho sent messengers to him saying,
"What is there between you and me, king of Judah?
I am not against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war.
And God has commanded that I hurry. Refrain from being against God
who is with me so that He does not destroy you."
22 (Jdg 5:19; 2Ch 18:29) But Josiah did not turn away from him for he went
to battle against him disguised. He did not listen to the words of Necho
that came from the mouth of God,
but he came to battle in the plain of Megiddo.
23 (1Ki 22:34) So the archers shot King Josiah, and the king said
to his servants, "Take me away for I am severely wounded."
24 (Zec 12:11) Then his servants took him from the chariot,
and they set him in a second chariot, and they brought him to Jerusalem.
He died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers.
And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25 (Jer 22:10; La 4:20) And Jeremiah composed a dirge for Josiah,
and all the male and female singers speak of Josiah in their laments
to this day. They set them as a statute over Israel.
They are written in the Laments.
26 And the remainder of the acts of Josiah, his deeds and covenant
faithfulness, according to what is written in the Law of the Lord,
27 and his acts from beginning to end are written
in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
2 Kings 23
Josiah Renews the Covenant
2Ch 34:3-33; 35:1-36:1
1 Then the king sent them away and they gathered all the elders
of Judah and Jerusalem to him.
2 (2Ki 22:8; Dt 31:10-13) The king went up to the house of the Lord,
and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him,
the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great.
He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant
that was found in the house of the Lord.
3 (2Ki 11:14; 11:17) The king stood by a pillar and made a covenant
before the Lord to follow the Lord, to keep His commandments,
His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul,
to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book.
All the people agreed with the covenant.
4 (2Ki 21:3; 21:7) The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest,
the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold
to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the implements that were
made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven.
Then he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron
and carried their ashes to Bethel.
5 Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah
had ordained to burn incense on the high places at the cities of Judah
and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun,
to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.
6 (2Ch 34:4; 2Ki 23:15) He brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord
to the outside of Jerusalem, to the Kidron Valley. Then he burned it
at the Kidron Valley, crushed it to dust, and threw its dust upon
the graves of the people.
7 (1Ki 14:24; 15:12) He tore down the houses of the male cult prostitutes
that were in the house of the Lord, where the women were weaving hangings
for the Asherah.
8 (1Ki 15:22; Jos 21:17) He brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah
and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba
to Beersheba. He broke down the high places of the gates at the entry
of the gates of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on the left
at the gate of the city.
9 (Eze 44:10-14) However the priests of the high places did not go up
to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem. Instead they ate unleavened bread
among their fellow priests.
10 (Isa 30:33; Lev 18:21; Jer 7:31-32) He defiled Topheth, which is
in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so that no man would make his son
or his daughter pass through the fire to Molek.
11 (Eze 8:16) He removed the horses that the kings of Judah
had given to the sun, at the entry of the house of the Lord,
by the hall of Nathan-Melek the eunuch, which was in the vestibule.
The chariots of the sun he burned with fire.
12 (2Ki 21:5; Jer 19:13) The altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber
of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh
had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord the king tore down
and banished from there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.
13 (1Ki 11:5; 11:7) The high places east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount
of Corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth
the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites,
and for Molek the abomination of the Ammonites, the king defiled.
14 (Ex 23:24; Dt 7:5) He broke the standing stones, cut down the Asherah
poles, and filled their sites with human bones.
15 (1Ki 14:16) Moreover, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place
which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made,
both that altar and the high place he tore down. Then he burned the high place
and crushed it to powder, and he burned the Asherah.
16 As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mount.
He took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it,
according to the word of the Lord that the man of God proclaimed,
the one who announced these things.
17 (1Ki 13:1; 13:30-31) Then he said, "What is this monument that I see?"
The men of the city said to him, "It is the tomb of the man of God
who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done
against the altar of Bethel."
18 (1Ki 13:31) He said, "Let him rest. No one shall disturb his bones."
So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet
who came out of Samaria.
19 (2Ch 34:6-7) Moreover, all the houses of the high places that were
in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke
the Lord to anger, Josiah removed. He did to them just
as he had done in Bethel.
20 (2Ki 11:18; Ex 22:20) He slaughtered on the altars all the priests
of the high places who were there, and burned human bones on them.
Then he returned to Jerusalem.
21 (Dt 16:1-8) The king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover
to the Lord your God as it is written in this Book of the Covenant."
22 For such a Passover had not been kept from the days of the judges
who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel
and the kings of Judah.
23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was kept
to the Lord in Jerusalem.
24 (Lev 19:31; Ge 31:19; 2Ki 21:6) Moreover, Josiah disposed of the mediums,
the soothsayers, the teraphim, the idols, and all the abominations
that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so that he established
the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah
the priest found in the house of the Lord.
25 (2Ki 18:5) Now there had been no king like him before or after,
who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul,
and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses.
26 (2Ki 21:11-13; 24:4) However, the Lord did not turn from the fierceness
of His great wrath, by which His anger was kindled against Judah,
because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.
27 (2Ki 18:11; 21:13) The Lord said, "I will also remove Judah from before Me,
as I have removed Israel. I will reject this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem,
and the house of which I said, My name shall be there."
Josiah Dies in Battle
28 Now the rest of the deeds of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
29 (Jer 46:2; Jdg 5:19; 2Ch 35:20-24) In his days Pharaoh Necho,
king of Egypt, went up against the king of Assyria to the River Euphrates.
King Josiah went to meet him, but he killed him at Megiddo when he had seen him.
30 (2Ki 9:28; 2Ch 36:1-4) His servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo,
brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb.
The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah,
anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.
Jehoahaz, King of Judah
2Ch 36:2-4
31 (2Ki 24:18; 1Ch 3:15) Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king,
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal
daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
32 (2Ki 21:2-7) He did evil in the sight of the Lord,
according to all that his fathers had done.
33 (1Ki 8:65; 2Ki 25:6) Pharaoh Necho imprisoned him at Riblah
in the land of Hamath, so that he might not reign in Jerusalem,
and imposed tribute on the land of a hundred talents
[About 3 3/4 tons, or 3.4 metric tons.] of silver and a talent
[About 75 pounds, or 34 kilograms.] of gold.
34 (Eze 19:3-4; 2Ki 24:17) Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king
in place of Josiah his father and changed his name to Jehoiakim.
He took Jehoahaz away and went to Egypt, and he died there.
35 (2Ki 23:33) Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh,
but he taxed the land to give the money according to Pharaoh's demand.
According to an assessed amount, he exacted the silver
and gold from the people of the land to give to Pharaoh Necho.
Jehoiakim, King of Judah
2 Ch 36:5-8
36 (2Ch 36:5) Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king.
He reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah
daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
37 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
2) Our Daily Bread for 4 August 2021
https://odb.org/CA/2021/08/04/not-forgotten-2
entitled Not Forgotten
Isaiah 49:14-18
14 (Isa 40:27) But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me,
and the Lord has forgotten me."
15 (Isa 44:21) Can a woman forget her nursing child,
and have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget.
16 (SS 8:6; Hag 2:23) See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
your walls are continually before Me;
17 your builders hurry;
your destroyers and those who devastated you shall depart from you.
18 (Isa 49:12; 54:9) Lift up your eyes and look all around;
all these gather themselves together and come to you.
As I live, says the Lord,
you shall surely put on all of them as ornaments
and bind them on you as a bride does.
"Uncle Arthur, do you remember the day you took me to the barbershop
and the supermarket? I was wearing tan khakis, a blue-plaid oxford shirt,
a navy-blue cardigan, brown socks, and brown Rockport shoes.
The date was Thursday, October 20, 2016" My nephew Jared's autism-related
challenges are offset by his phenomenal memory that can recall details
like days and dates and the clothes he was wearing years
after an event took place.
Because of the way he's wired, Jared possesses the kind of memory
that reminds me of the all-knowing, loving God-the Keeper of time
and eternity. He knows the facts and won't forget His promises or His people.
Have you had moments when you’ve questioned whether or not you've
been forgotten by God? When others appear to be healthier or happier
or more successful or otherwise better off?
Ancient Israel's less-than-ideal situation caused her to say,
"The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14).
But that wasn't the case. God's compassion and care exceeded
the natural bonds of affection that mothers have for their children (v. 15).
Before embracing labels like "forsaken" or "forgotten," think again
of what God has done in and through His Son, Jesus.
In the gospel that brings forgiveness, God has clearly said,
"I will not forget you!" (v. 15).
By: Arthur Jackson
Reflect & Pray
When have you felt alone, forsaken, and forgotten by God?
How does processing the love of God expressed by sending Jesus
to die for your sins help to counter feelings of being forgotten by Him?
Father, when I’m tempted to feel neglected,
forgotten, and abandoned, help me to ponder again the love You
demonstrated by sending Jesus to die for me.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 2 - Saved by Grace - Day 4 - Entire Forgiveness
Acts 13:38
38 (Lk 24:47; Ac 2:38) "Therefore, brothers, let it be known
to you that through this Man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,"
At age 17 Mary, a cross-country runner, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
She went on to college, faced with the prospect of gradual physical decline
and, ultimately, life in a wheelchair. "The worst part," Mary admitted "is
not the pain or the inability to do what I once did. The worst part is
the hopelessness, the emotional struggle. There is no cure, no real
treatment - only insurance."
In our fallen world, there are many incurable circumstances we have to endure.
But the guilt of our sin is not one of them. Yet despite the declaration
of the Scripture that Jesus' sacrificial death paid the price for our sins,
many of us cary a load of guilt - as if we ourselves had tp pay the price.
Paul, a man who know the grace of God and the depth of his own sin,
emphasises the source and the completeness of our forgiveness.
Through Jesus - not through my good behaviour, not through my determination to
change, not through my reputation, my family's faith, or my religious duties.
Forgiveness of sins come through Christ alone, a gift we do not deserve,
a gift which places all of us on equal ground at the foot of the cross.
To acknowledge our sin without knowing the source of forgiveness only
results in hopelessness and despair - we see ourselves, yet we are powerless
to change the sin we see. But when we realise that Christ has provided
complete forgiveness of sin, we can face our sin honestly, knowing
the freedom of confession and the restoration of forgiveness.
Application
a) In what ways have I changed myself, to "torn over a new leaf",
to "make myself worthy" of God's love?
b) How can Acts 13:18 help me remember the source of forgiveness?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Ps 35:27
27 May those who favour my righteous cause
shout for joy and be glad;
may they say continually, "The Lord be magnified,
who delights in the peace of His servant."
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
God's Generous Provision
Matthew 6:24-34
God and Money
24 (Lk 16:13; 16:11; 16:9) "No one can serve two masters.
For either he will hate the one and love the other,
or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money."
Care and Anxiety
Lk 12:22–34
25 (Mt 6:31; 6:34; Php 4:6) "Therefore, I say to you,
take no thought about your life, what you will eat,
or what you will drink, nor about your body,
what you will put on. Is not life more than
and the body than clothing?
26 (Job 38:41; Ps 147:9) Look at the birds of the air,
for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns.
Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?
27 Who among you by taking thought can add a cubit
(A cubit is about half a meter.) to his stature?
28 (Mt 6:25; 6:31) "Why take thought about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:
They neither work, nor do they spin.
29 (1Ki 10:4–7; 2Ch 9:4–6) Yet I say to you that even Solomon
in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.
30 (Mt 8:26; 14:31) Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which today is here and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 (1Pe 5:7) Therefore, take no thought, saying, 'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 (Mt 6:8; Lk 12:30) (For the Gentiles seek after all these things.)
For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
33 (1Ti 4:8; 1Ki 3:11-13) But seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.
34 (Mt 6:25) Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself.
Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof.
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?)
New Brunswick
Total population 753900
Muslim population (est.) 4543
Moncton, followed by Fredericton and Saint John, each have a growing Muslim
population in New Brunswick, In 2007, the buliding that was formerly a Baptist
chruch was converted into Moncton's 1st mosque. The University of Moncton
also has a Muslim studentt association hosting prayer services, fellowship
getherings, and outreaches on campus.
Fredericton also has one mosque and a Muslim student assoication serving the
campusus of the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.
Fredericton's MUslim population consists in 2014 of about 50 families,
and between 300 to 400 university students.
Saint John is home to the 1st Muslim Association for the province,
which also helped foster the Islamic asociations of Fredericton and Moncton.
a 'musalla', or prayer location that is not officially structured as a mosque,
has been established in the Uptown area with the intention of seeing it grow
into a 2nd official place of Muslim worship. Demand for this new location has
been primarily for university students moving into the area.
Pray for Muslims and New Brunswick
- that the eyes of pastors, believers and entire congregations will be opened
to see this growing body of Muslims, and their hearts will be opened
to sharing God's love in JEsus Christ with them
- that intentional ministries to Muslims will grow and flourish in these
areas of concentration
- that cooperative CNNMM Networks will form to really, encourage,
and equip believers to lovingly reach Muslims in this province.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 12 They were all amazed and perplexed, saying to each other,
"What does this mean?"
13 (1Co 14:23) Others mocking said, "These men are full of new wine."
Peter's Speech at Pentecost
14 (Ac 1:26) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice
and said to them, "Men of Judea and all you who dwell in Jerusalem,
let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose,
since it is the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 (Isa 44:3; Ac 10:45) 'In the last days it shall be,' says God,
'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.'
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
4nd Day of the Month
a) Pray for the preservation of godly values in Canada
(Prov 14:34 -
Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
)
b) Pray that political leaders will be awakened by God to the right use
of power and the right stewardship of their positions.
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord to be righteous like king Josaih and obedient.
Pray to the Lord "Father, when I’m tempted to feel neglected,
forgotten, and abandoned, help me to ponder again the love You
demonstrated by sending Jesus to die for me."
Pray to the Lord and thank Him for being the only source of Forgiveness.
Pray to the Lord to be a good witness
Pray to the Lord and seek Him first and His righteouness.
Pray for Muslims in New Brunswick to know Jesus as Saviour.
Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have God's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Pray for the preservation of godly values in Canada
Pray that political leaders will be awakened by God to the right use
of power and the right stewardship of their positions.
Pray to the Lord that to know the Holy Spirit.
and Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness
Remember eternity starts now -
Pray for the direction you take to the Ever lasting loving God.