Day 95 - 5 April 2021 reflections
Day 95, 5 Apr 2021
Judges 16-18
JUDGES 16
Samson and Delilah
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.
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
5th Day of the Month
a) Pray for Canada's First Nation peoples, that the Lord will draw them to Himself
(PS 145:13-18
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 The Lord upholds all who fall,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon You,
and You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and loving in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all those who call upon Him,
to all who call upon Him in truth.
)
b) Pray for the Lord to search your life , reveal anything offensive
and cleanse you from unrighteousness
( ps 139:24 and see if there is any rebellious way in me,
and lead me in the ancient way.
1: John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
)
Conclusion:
Pray ot the Lord to know his Will and help you stay away from idolatry.
Pray to the Lord to give Thanks the He is your anchor in life.
Pray to the Lord to grow in the Word every day
Pray to the Lord to serve Him worthily.
Pray to the Lord to seek Him in times of trouble.
Pray for Muslims in Manitoba to receive Christ as Saviour .
Pray for your country's First Nation peoples,
that the Lord will draw them to Himself.
Pray for the Lord to search your life , reveal anything offensive
and cleanse you from unrighteousness
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.
Judges 16-18
JUDGES 16
Samson and Delilah
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.
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
5th Day of the Month
a) Pray for Canada's First Nation peoples, that the Lord will draw them to Himself
(PS 145:13-18
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
14 The Lord upholds all who fall,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon You,
and You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways
and loving in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all those who call upon Him,
to all who call upon Him in truth.
)
b) Pray for the Lord to search your life , reveal anything offensive
and cleanse you from unrighteousness
( ps 139:24 and see if there is any rebellious way in me,
and lead me in the ancient way.
1: John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
)
Conclusion:
Pray ot the Lord to know his Will and help you stay away from idolatry.
Pray to the Lord to give Thanks the He is your anchor in life.
Pray to the Lord to grow in the Word every day
Pray to the Lord to serve Him worthily.
Pray to the Lord to seek Him in times of trouble.
Pray for Muslims in Manitoba to receive Christ as Saviour .
Pray for your country's First Nation peoples,
that the Lord will draw them to Himself.
Pray for the Lord to search your life , reveal anything offensive
and cleanse you from unrighteousness
Pray to the Lord that to know the Holy Spirit.
and Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness
Remember eternity starts now -
Pray for the direction you take to the Ever lasting loving God.
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