My Daily devotions log
by Tony Copple Started 12 Feb 2010 A place to record verses or phrases that "hit" me, or "speak to me," from an Old Testament and a New Testament book. Note that dates given for the writing of the books are scholarly estimates and should not be quoted as accurate. Beginning with Jeremiah and Mark... BEGINNING OF JEREMIAH, BC 629 J1: I have put my words in your mouth I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me .They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you. BEGINNING OF MARK, AD 72 M1: I will send a messenger ahead of you He also drove out many demons, but he would not let them speak, because they knew who he was. Prayer: Now I have publicly confessed you, I ask that you will help me never let you down or bring dishonor on you I have so much to get though this day, I beg your divine help to clear my may. ------------ J2: Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem. M2: No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Prayer: Thank you that you opened the door for the Sierra Leone tax deductions through AGO. Please help me Holy Spirit (as you did yesterday) work though the long list of things that must be done today. ------------ J3: Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. M3: Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin. Prayer: Thank you Father for standing with me in Eternal Hope and giving me joy in speaking. ------------ J4: Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you. M4: But since they have no root, they last only a short time. Prayer: Show us Lord, in Sierra Leone, to sew seed that will take root. ------------ J5: They are well-fed lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife "Yet, even in those days," declares the Lord, "I will not destroy you completely." "The priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way, but what will you do in the end?" M5: At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him Prayer: Remind us dear Lord that our supplications to you are not answered without power being drawn from you, which you feel. ------------ J6: I appointed watchmen over you and said 'Listen to the sound of the Trumpet!' But you said. 'We will not listen.' M6: "Isn't this the carpenter?" Prayer: Lord, please strengthen this feeling in me that I am directly led by your angels in some things. ------------ M7: You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. Prayer: Have mercy Lord on this generation of men who are deaf to your commands, including me. ------------ J8: The dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. M8: "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." Prayer: Help me Lord not to forget things I must do for GAT preparation. ------------ J9: Oh that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people. M9: They kept the matter to themselves, discussion what "rising from the dead" meant. Prayer: Help us understand that there are things we may not understand yet. ------------ J10: I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. M10: "Noone who has left home, or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - and with them, persecutions), and in the age to come, eternal life. Prayer: Thank you Lord that your gifts are for this world as well as the next. ------------ J11: 'Obey me, and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God' but they did not listen.' M11: "Therefore I tell you , whatever you have asked for in prayer, believe that you will have received it, and it will be yours.' Prayer: Help me Lord to understand the enormity of your words about prayer, and help me take great care with what I ask. ------------ J12: Why does the way of the wicked prosper; why do all the faithless live at ease? "They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing. So bear the shame of your harvest because of the Lord's fierce anger." M12: He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved David himself calls him Lord; how then can he be his son? Prayer: Lord, assist me in these last few days (of the RRSP season) not to miss instructions from my clients. ------------ J13: So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless. M13: 'And the gospel must first be preached to all nations' 'What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch.' Prayer: Lord, may I have a role, however small in having the gospel preached to all nations. ------------ M14: "Are you the Christ?" "I am, said Jesus." Prayer: Thank you God that your wrath showed to Jeremiah was turned to your love showed to those who tormented you. ------------ J15: 'You keep on backsliding, so I will lay hands on you and destroy you.' 'If you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.' M15: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani" Prayer: Lord, may my words in Sierra Leone be worthy. ------------ J16: 'It is because your fathers forsook me, ' declares the Lord, 'and followed other gods and served and worshipped them.' M16: 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.' END OF MARK Prayer: Lord, so be it. ------------ J17: The man who trusts in the Lord has no worries in the year of drought. 'but if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.' BEGINNING OF JOHN, AD 96 Jo 1: He was with God in the beginning. "I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." Prayer: Continue to open my eyes Lord to your blessed word. ------------ J18: 'Go down to the potters house Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? ... yet my people have forgotten me' Jo2: He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. Prayer: I would like to 100% believe without miracles, but with the abundant testimony. + this collect for lent: Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ------------ J19: They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal - something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind" Jo3: 'No-one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven - the Son of Man' whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.' Prayer: Please turn on the switch in people's lives that they know your Word is true. ------------ J20: I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Jo4: I who speak to you am he Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony. Prayer: Help me lord shrug off the mocking of unbelievers. Thank you for the words to use. ------------ J21: 'I will punish you as your deeds deserve,' declares the Lord. Jo5: "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." Prayer: We are saved by grace, but we condemn ourselves by sin. This is a lesson for all of us Lord. ------------ J22: Do what is just and right or you will have the burial of a donkey, dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem. Jo6: Andrew, Simon Peter's bother spoke up: "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish " "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Prayer: Help us remember that there is only one pre-requisite for heaven. ------------ J23: 'Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams." declares the Lord. If a prophet .. claims 'This is the oracle of the Lord,' I will punish that man and his household. Jo7: But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no-one will know where he is from." (error in thinking by the people) Prayer: Lord, let me never disparage anyone because I know his/her background and assign no honour. ------------ J24: 'I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.' Jo8: 'Go now, and leave your life of sin.' Prayer: Lord, you have said that you will help us know you, and that we should leave our life of sin, to the extent we are humanly capable. We praise your mercy! ------------ J25: 'I will summon all the peoples of the North and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the Lord but when the 70 years are fulfilled they themselves will be enslaved by many nations and by great kings." Jo9: "Night is coming, when no-one can work." ------------ J26: Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death. Jo10: 'I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.' Prayer. Lord, I am one of the other sheep from another sheep pen and I am so infinitely grateful for your sacrifice for me. May I have courage like Ahikam son of Shaphan. ------------ J27: Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Jo11: "Yes Lord," she (Mary) told him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." "I knew that you always hear me." Prayer: Let us obey the Lord, regardless of what our earthly minds may say to us. ------------ J28: 'But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized at one truly sent by the Lord only if the prediction comes true." Jo12: 'For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.' Prayer: Lord, may I become influential by working on my own character, that others may be drawn to Jesus. ------------ J29: 'For I know the plans I have for you.' declares the Lord, 'plans to give you hope and a future.' Jo13: 'Whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. Prayer: Lord, may we be accepted in Freetown, and may they then accept you. ------------ J30: Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. Jo14: 'You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.' Prayer: Lord, strengthen me as I prepare to lead this group in your name. ------------ J31: "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will build a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." Jo15: "I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful." Prayer: Lord prune me and help me remember it is so that I will be more fruitful. ------------ J32: They built high places to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing. Jo16: "Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you." Prayer: Lord, twice have you spoken to me about child sacrifice, Is this a reference to today's version, abortion? ------------ J33: Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever. Jo17: "And now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. Prayer: Thank you Lord for this timely answer to our discussion from Beta last night. You are indeed right beside me in my journey of joy. ------------ Jo18: Surely you are not another of this man's disciples?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not." Prayer: Your infinite goodness alone was strong enough to bear the sins and guilt of us all. How can our thanks ever be sufficient. ------------ J35: they obey their forefather's command. But I (God trough the prophets) have spoke to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. Jo19: "It is finished." Prayer; Write these things in my heart Lord, especially as we plan for Freetown, that my belief shines through my words and actions. ------------ J36: Take a scroll. and write on it all the words I have spoken to you whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot Take another scroll and write upon it all the words that were on the first scroll. Jo20: But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Prayer: Thank you for Jeremiah's patience (but a back up copy would have been a good idea!) ------------ J37: Please pray to the Lord our God for us. Jo21: Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Prayer: Lord, please heal Laurie-Ann of this dreadful condition (written in the Carleton Place Hospital emergency waiting room). ------------ J38: "Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes." Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. BEGINNING OF ACTS, written ~ 62 AD. Ac1: Then they drew lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. Prayer : Lord, teach me to act for you in all things, even though I could be thrown into a cistern. ------------ J39: "But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord, you will not be handed over to those you fear because you trust in me." Ac2: "Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?" Prayer: Lord, I put my trust in you at this time that as I devote energy to the GAT, that I will not fall prey to failing to watch over my business. ------------ J40: The Lord your God decreed and bow he has brought it about because your people sinned but today I am freeing you go back to Gediliah whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah. Ac3: Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. Prayer: "But you act as if Jesus never came; you will be completely cut off from among his people. ------------ J41: While they were eating together there, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gediliah son of Ahikam with the sword, killing the one whom the king if Babylon had appointed as governor. Ac4: Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned, and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. Prayer: May you give me more Barnabas - the spirit of encouragement. ------------ J42: Ten days later the word of God came to Jeremiah O remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, "Do not go to Egypt." Ac5: As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Prayer: I look for ward to proclaiming this good news in Freetown; Holy Spirit, sustain me and give me the words. ------------ J43: So Johanan and all the people disobeyed the Lord's command to stay in the land of Judah ..the Lord Almighty says, "I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here." Ac6: This proposal [to select seven men to oversee distribution of alms) pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit .. Prayer: We should remember that both disobeying the Lord, and obeying Him may bring death. ------------ J44: 'This will the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,' declares the Lord, 'I am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies, just as I handed Zedekiah over to Nebuchadnezzar.' Ac7: Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man names Saul. Prayer: Your purposes will not be obscured by men, though in the short term they will appear to thwart them. ------------ Ac8: Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth. Prayer: I pray for Jews to realize what they read in their own Bible. ------------ J46: Go up to Giliad and get balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt. But you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. Ac9: For three day he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. .. Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus names Saul, for he is praying. Prayer: The Lord heals and the Lord prevents healing, as he wishes and in accordance with His purposes. ------------ Ac10: Do not call anything impure that God has made clean but God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. Prayer: Lord, I ask that you would warm my heart toward Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, for you made them all. ------------ J48: Moab will be destroyed and her town invaded Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab. Ac11: Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. The disciples were first called Christians at Antoch. Prayer: What a priceless legacy we have from those early disciples - much stemming from Peter's vision of the sheet let down from Heaven. ------------ J49: "Yet afterwards, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites," declares the Lord. "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the Lord. Ac12: He had James, the brother of John, put to death When he saw this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches, and everything the Jewish people were anticipating." Prayer: The presence of angels is to be remembered at all times. Thank you Lord. ------------ J50: "Israel is a scattered flock, that lions have chased away. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria, but the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. " "I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. But I will bring Israel back to his own pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Basham search will be made for Israel's guilt, but there will be none." Ac13: Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days, that you would never believe, even if someone told you. Prayer: Lord, I see that the punishment for unbelief of those who have been told has been devastating throughout the ages. Help me to bring belief to people. ------------ J51: Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives. Do not be destroyed because of her sins. The words of Jeremiah end here. Ac14: Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there (Iconium), speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. Prayer: May I be forgiven for not continuing this study while we were recently in Sierra Leone. ------------ J52: In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. Ac15: Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. Prayer: You have supported your servants even when they through differing conscience have disagreed. Our God is a Great Big God. ------------ BEGINNING OF LAMENTATIONS, 586 BC La1: How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! Ac16: He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple names Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bythinia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. Prayer: Help us understand that there will be times that the Holy Spirit may prevent, as He may encourage. ------------ La2: Look, O Lord, and consider: whom have you ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring? Ac17: When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered A few men became followers of Paul and believed Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus (listeners to new ideas). Prayer: (Jason just called) Lord, give Jason strength at this time as Bailey goes through mental illness, and soothe the way to her getting on medication for manic depression. / Even this would seem small compared with the woes of the Jews after the fall of Jerusalem. ------------ La3: He has broken my teeth with gravel because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed. Ac18: Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. Prayer: Lord, you supported your servant Paul even in his willfulness because his heart was right with you. But those whose hearts were lost were allowed to suffer unspeakably. ------------ La4: With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed. Ac19: On hearing this they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Prayer: I give thanks to the many scholars responsible for the New International version of the Bible, and for the words Emma Dupigny wrote in my copy so long ago, and our recent reunion in Freetown. ------------ La5: We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment the young men have stopped their music Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us for so long? Restore us to yourself O Lord, unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure. Ac20: Seated in a window was a young man names Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on "And new, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. Prayer: In this generation we risk losing all as disaster after disaster hits. Lord, where is the man to lead us from our abyss? ------------ BEGINNING OF EZEKIEL Ez1: On the fifth of the month - it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin - the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. The re the hand of the Lord was upon him. Ac21: Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place. Prayer: As you did with Paul, Lord, give me the courage to stand for truth as given to me by your Holy Spirit. ------------ Ez2: He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you...You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, fore they are rebellious." Ac22: Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the Earth of him! He's not fit to live!" Prayer: Thank you Lord for reminding me that the effectiveness of my witness is not my concern. ------------ Ez3: But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are... But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his evil ways, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. Ac23: The following night, the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." Prayer: Lord, you reward those who speak for you, and you punish those who remain silent. ------------ Ez4: Bake it in the sight of the people using human excrement for fuel. Then I said, "Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. "Very well," he said, "I will let you bake your bread over cow manure instead of human excrement." Ac24: I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Prayer: Ezekiel reveals here that it is legitimate to argue with God, and you may even prevail in rare cases. God grant me even a small measure of such wisdom as Ezekiel was given by you. ------------ Ez5: Take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor ... Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair ... But take a few strands of your hair and tuck them away in the folds of your garment. Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again ... Therefore in your midst fathers will eat their children and children will eat their fathers... Then again my anger will cease and my wrath against you will subside. Ac25: "I appeal to Ceasar!" ... "I have brought him before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him." Prayer: Your wrath knows no bounds. Help us avoid it in our world today. ------------ Ez6: But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. Ac26: "And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today ... I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen - that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles." Prayer: For the Jewish people, that more of them would read and understand their own scriptures. ------------ Ez7: Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the Lord's wrath ... for it has made them stumble into sin. Ac27: The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. Prayer: Thank you Lord for human kindness, and that your wrath has not yet descended on our country. Do we have time to prevent it? ------------ Ez8: You will see things that are even more detestable than this..and there at the entrance to the temple were about 25 men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. Ac28: But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect. Prayer: As you arranged for Paul to reach Rome, we know that even today you are arranging for prophets to have access to the secular forces - faith and politics continues to interact. ------------ Ez9: Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. BEGINNING OF ROMANS, written 56 AD in Corinth Ro1: Men committed indecent acts withj other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Prayer: Lord, show you people that Paul's words are clear and cannot be construed in other ways, lest in the end times they will not recive the mark. ------------ Ez10: The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. Their entire bodies, including their backs their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. Ro2: To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. Prayer: Lord, I do indeed seek eternal life by your grace. I want to rest in you and not be caught up in busyness. ------------ Ez11: The Lord said to me,"Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice to this city." Ro3: For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law... rather, we uphold the law." Prayer: You give us insite, through Paul, which includes living a true life and receiving redemption through faith. Thank you Lord. ------------ Ez12: They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Ro4: So then, Abraham is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. Prayer: Only God can change peoples hearts, and even he can have a very hard time. So let us just live out The way. ------------ Ez13: "My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and offer lying divinations ... beacause they lead my people astray saying "Peace", when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash." Ro5: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... Since we have now been justified through his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him ... For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one man the many will be made righteous. Prayer: Lord, how you hate evil and love righteousness! Thank you for the confidence you give us in eternal salvation. ------------ Ez14: "When any ... separates himself from me and sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then goes to a prophet to enqire of me, ... I will set my face against that man ... I will cut him off from my people. Ro6: Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? If we have been united with him in his death, we will certainly also be unied with him in his resurrestion. Prayer: Lord, give me yet more joy from the life of faith and obedience. ------------ Ez15: "How is the wood of a vine better than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? Ro7: For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. Prayer: Take away my memories of wrongdoing that I may concentrate on the mission for you. Forgive me, and hurl my sins into the sea. ------------ Ez16: [Extraordinary chapter. You won't hear this read in church! An allegory of unfaithful Jerusalem.] "I put a ring on your nose, ear-rings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head ... and you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols ... you adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband. Every prostitute receives a fee, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favours." Ro8: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus ... If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness ... Now if we are children, then we are heirs .. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose ... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Prayer: How truly awesome is your word, yet you know our depravity and suffer for it. ------------ Ez17: A great eagle came to Lebanon ... Taking hold of the top of a cedar, he broke off its topmost shoot, and carried it away to a loand of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders ... but there was another great eagle... Ro9: In other words, it is not the natural children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. ... The older will serve the younger. Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. Prayer: I pray for your mercy, O Lord. ------------ Ez18: Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood, though his father has done none of them ... Will such a man live? He will not! For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! Ro10: [This chapter contains 12 oT references from scholar Paul.] If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ... Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved ... How can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? ... How beautiful are the feet of them that briong good news. ------------ Ez19: .. and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his [the young lion's] roar was heard no longer, on the mountains of Israel. R011: What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain ... as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so they could not hear, to this very day ... Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ... The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins. Prayer: I pray Lord for every Jew on earth that this time may come soon, ------------ Ez20: When you offer your gifts - the sacrifice of your sons in the fire - you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols. Then I said: "Ah, sovereighn Lord! They are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling parables?'" R012: Do not be overcome with evil; but overcome evil with good. Prayer: My prayer today is that you see us today less evil in our ways than in the days of Ezekiel. But I fear we may still bring you such grief, you who love us so much. ------------ Ez21: O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: the lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low." Ro13: The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. Prayer: As I hope for the day, let me give love to all particularly my dearest Laurie-Ann, in this life. ------------ Ez22: I will disperse you among nations and scatter you through the countries ... because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem ... and you will be melted inside her. Ro14: One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables ... the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him ... For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Prayer: Help me Lord always to understand the real message from your Word, and not just a part out of context, and show me how best to use it. ------------ Ez23: There she [Jerusalem] lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. Ro15: It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Prayer: Lord, you have used sexual sin as an allegory for the works of the unsaved. Clearly you have given us the joy of sex for within marriage only. ------------ Ez24: Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided. ... So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?" Ro16: I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Prayer: Lord have mercy on those who have brought impurity into our modern Church. ------------ Ez25: I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered among the nations, and I will inflict punishment on Moab. BEGINNING OF First Corinthians, written by Paul around 58 AD in Ephesus. 1Co1: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God ... For God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. Prayer: May this encourage me not to abandon those around me in favour of those ready to listen far away. ------------ Ez26: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. 1Co2: We do not, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. Prayer: In your widom, O God, you used Nebuchadnezzar for your purposes. Open our eyes to see your secret wisdom that we may discover your kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. ------------ Ez27: [A Lament for Tyre] Your domain was on the high seas; your builders brought your beauty to perfection ... But the east wind will break you to pieces. 1Co3: For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ ... The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile. Prayer: Help me seek God's purposes not mine, and know that his wisdom not mine is a pre-requisite. ------------ Ez28: You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till wickedness was found in you through your widespread trade you were filled with violence and you sinned... By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. 1Co4: I care very little if I am judges by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. Prayer: My my trade always be contected honestly, and may I cease judging others. ------------ Ez29: Then they will know that I am the Lord. 1Co5: You must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy. Prayer: Lord, yesterday I read not to judge others; today I read not to associate with some others. Help be understand the subtlety here. ------------ Ez30: I have broken the arm of Pharoah king of Egypt. It has not been bound up for healing or put in a splint so as to become strong enough to hold a sword... I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. 1Co6: If you have disputes, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church ... The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already ... Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. [This chapter contains the substance of the current chaos in the Anglican Church. ------------ Ez31: I made it beautiful, with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God. 1Co7: For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean... An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs - how he can please the Lord. ------------ 1Co8: For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? Prayer: Help me understand this Lord, which suggests we should not in love chastise those who follow other faiths. ------------ Ez33: .. and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people ... Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me ... When all this comes true-and it surely will-then they will know that a prophet has been mong them. 1Co9: God has commanded that those who preach the gospel should received their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights. Prayer: Lord, maybe you are making me a watchman; I am not yet capable. Make me capable, I pray. ------------ Ez34: Then the word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel ... who only take care of themselves ... My sheep wandered all over the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no-one searched or looked for them ... I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them. 1Co10: Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered over the desert ... We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did - and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died ... And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. Prayer: On this Canada Day, I sense that you may be drawing some of those scattered over the earth to one land. Lord, raise up strong Christian leaders to tend the new flocks. Maybe Cardinal Ouellet is one such; strengthen his resolve. ------------ Ez35: Then you will know that I am the Lord [I see parallels between the repeated teachings in Ezekiel and Muslims killing Muslims in Pakistan.] 1Co11: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you, do this in remembrance of me." Prayer: Help me understand the series of terribe happenings in the world. Are you behind them Lord? ------------ Ez36: And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws ... I will save you from all your uncleanness 1Co12: On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensible. [sermon fodder?] Prayer: I certainly am weaker Lord, but to be indispensible is in itself surely the meaning of life. ------------ Ez37: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel ... I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them ... I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land 1Co13: Love .. keeps no record of wrongs. Prayer: You know that my forgiveness of Debbie is total - why then has she cut herself off so totally? ------------ Ez38: "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog ... prophesy against him a and say, "This is what the sovereign Lord says: I am against you, O Gog." 1Cor14: If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? ... He will be convinced by all that he is a sinner, and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God." Prayer: Help me discern the trumpet calling me to the heavenly battle! ------------ Ez39: I am against you, O Gog ... I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. 1Cor15: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins ... But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For, as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firtfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him ... The last enemy to be destroyed is death ... in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Prayer: For revealing these mysteries through your servant Paul, may you be praised on earth forever. ------------ Ez40: In the twenty-fifth year of our exile ... on the tenth of the month ... in visions he took me to the land of Israel ... and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze ... with a measuring rod ... who said to me ... tell the house of Israel everything you see. [Design for the new temple area. NB: I am readig Relativity by Einstein, which is peppered with measuring rods.] 1Cor16: On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income. Prayer: Thank you for this Biblical version of "pay yourself first." ------------ Ez41: The man said to me, "This is the table that is before the Lord." 2Cor1: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. Prayer: I pray that I too may be able to comfort others, for you have surely given me the temperament to handle troubles. ------------ Ez42: There the [the priests] will put the most holy offerings-the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings -for the place is holy. 2Cor2: If anyone has caused you grief, ... you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Prayer: Why do I have Debbie so heavily on my mind? Have I not forgiven her in my heart long ago? What is tormenting her that she wants nothing to do with me? Should I try and investigate, or let things lie? ------------ Ez43: These are the measurements of the altar ... these will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings and sprinkling blood upon the altar when it is built ... at the end of these days, from the eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, delares the Sovereign Lord. 2Co3: Even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Prayer: Lord, I understand that the slaughter of innocent animals is a small thing compared with the slaughter of the Son of God, yet I ask that in some miraculous way the animals did not suffer. I pray for the Jews who still see only through veils. ------------ Ez44: I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple, and I fell face down. The Levites who went far from me ... may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. 2Co4: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Prayer; every day in every way Lord help me feel your all-surpassing power. Help me witness tomorrow as I teach. ------------ Ez45: The shekel is to consist of twenty gerahs ... You are to do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who sins unintentionally or through ignorance; so you are to make atonement for the temple. 2Cor5: Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Prayer: Help me genuinely welcome the time when I will dwell in that building from you Lord, though not leaving too much sorrow here. ------------ Ez46: He [the Prince of the tribe] is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people will be separated from his property ... these are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple will cook the sacrifices of the people. 2Cor6: ... having nothing, yet possessing everything ... we are the temple of the living God. Prayer: The temple transition from the old testament to the new is yet another relelation you have (just) given me. Thank you Lord. ------------ Ez47: When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows... You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 2Cor7: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. Prayer: Your plans are all encompassing Lord, may they include that Godly sorrow for me that leaves no regret. ------------ Ez48: These are the tribes, listed by name: at the Northern frontier, Dan will have one portion ... the special portion you are to offer to the Lord will be 25,000 cubits long, and 10,000 cubits wide ... the remaining area will be for the common use of the city ... the city will be in the centre of it and have these measurements ... and the name of the city from that time on will be THE LORD IS THERE. 2Cor8: Last year, you were the first not only to give, but also to have the desire to do so. Prayer: Dear Lord thank you go giving your servant this desire also. ------------ BEGINNING OF DANIEL thought to have been written in 164 BC some time after these events. Da1: Please test your servants for ten days. Give us nothing but vegatables to eat and water to drink ... At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 2Cor9: You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Prayer: A sirit of generosity clearly gladens your heart Lord, and you continually seek ways to enrich us. ------------ Da2: The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future ... Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him ... Daniel remained at the royal court. 2Cor10: For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." Prayer: Let me not be affected by opinions but stong and boastful in the power given by you. ------------ Da3: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. 2Co11: For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough... For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. Prayer: O God, give me the gift of discernment of such people. ------------ Da4: Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle... At the end of that time , I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes towards heaven, and my sanity was retored. 2Cor12: To keep me from becoming coinceited, there was given me a thorn in my flesh to torment me ... But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Prayer: Help me understand this wisdom for my own situation. And guide me to deal with the personal deficiencies and inefficiencies I have allowed to creep into my business life, O Lord. ------------ Da5: Peres: You kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persions ... Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple ... that very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. 2Co13: This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority -the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. Prayer: Clearly the Lord's strong hand is on all things. Help me always to have faith in his abiding love and protection of those who follow him. ------------ Da6: Three times a day he prayed, giving thanks to his God ...Then they said to the king, "Daniel, pays no attention to you, or to the decree you put in writing ... And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found, because he had trusted in his God. BEGINNING OF GALATIANS, AD 57. July 2010 Ga1: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. Prayer: Lord, open the eyes of those around me that they will see that it continues to this day and in this city. ------------ Da7: Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed ... there before me was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightening ... the Ancient of Days took his seat ... the court was seated and the books were opened ... there was before me was one like a son of man ... his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed ... I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast ... the fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth .. the saints will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Ga2: For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me ... If righteousness could be obtained through the law, Christ died for nothing. Prayer: If Paul was so opposed, why should we fear for a second if we are opposed? ------------ Da8: The visions [a ram and a goat] of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future. Ga3: What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the seed to whom the promise referred had come ... So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. Prayer: Lord God, thank you that you saw fit to reveal such astounding truth to Paul, and that he preserved it for us. ------------ Da9: I, Daniel, understood from the scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years ... I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed ... look with favour on your desolate sanctuary ... While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight ... Seventy seven are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin ... until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens, and sixty two sevens. After the sixty two sevens, the Anointed one will be cut off. Ga4: I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. What has happened to all your joy? One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves. Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son. Prayer: I ask Lord that through visions and dreams you continue to free the descendents of Hagar the slave woman. ------------ Da10: In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel ... I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food, no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over ... He said, "Daniel, you are highly esteeemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you ... first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. Ga5: You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? The acts of the sinful nature are sexual immorality - drunkenness, orgies and the like ... The fruit of the spirit is love - self control. Prayer: Lord, your and your angels have striven mightily to show us the way to joy through honouring and loving you. Help me to such eternal joy! ------------ Da11: The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. Ga6: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Prayer: I try to do good; may I never become weary. ------------ Da12: At that time, Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered. BEGINNING OF EPHESIANS, ~AD 90. Probably not actually written by Paul. Ep1: That power, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from tyhe dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. Prayer: Lord, as we look towards the age to come, thank you for your promise of Jesus' continuing authority forever. ------------ BEGINNING OF HOSEA, 8th century BC. August 2010 Ho1: The Lord said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord." Ep2: But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. Prayer: Open my eyes further Lord, the better to understand your mind working through Hosea and Paul (or whoever wrote Ephesians). ------------ Ho2: The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow? Ep3: For this reason I kneel before the father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being. Prayer: Paul's prayer just said is finer than anything I can say, so I repeat it, but directed to me. ------------ Ho3: The Lord said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin-cakes." Ep4: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold ... Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. Prayer: Help me not to open the 'fridge door, giving the devil a foothold in my life. ------------ Ho4: The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glory for something disgraceful. They feed on the sins of my people, and relish their wickedness. And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways. Ep5: But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people ... Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you ... Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled withe the spirit. Prayer: Your word is clear, Lord, in showing your hatred of impurity, and your love of purity. Help me in my life to practise purity. ------------ Ho5: And they will seek my face. In their misery they will earnestly seek me. Ep6: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Prayer: Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words will be given to me that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. ------------ Ho6: For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. BEGINNING OF PHILIPPIANS, AD 62 Ph1: Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Prayer: Faith is the lynchpin. Lord, grant me this gift in full. Richard Rohr calls it the "freedom not to have to know" which I like, though this is a dangerous man. ------------ Ho7: Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is like a flat cake not turned over. Foreigners sap his strength, but he does not realize it. His hair is sprinkled with grey, but he does not notice. Ph2: But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you send to take care of my needs. [Epaphroditus took back to Philippi this precious epistle.] Prayer: O Lord, we give thanks for those, most whose names are unknown, who risked lives to bring us, the unborn, the Word of God. ------------ Ho8: Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law. Ph3: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Prayer: I wish to blow thr trumpet in my life; the sound that will carry me to your realm in eternity. ------------ Ho9: Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac. Ph4: I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you have sent. Prayer: That I and mine enjoy that same contentment that comes from the Lord; and hanker not after the appreciation of men. ------------ Ho10: Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unploughed ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. BEGINNING OF COLOSSIANS Co1: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created ... For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Prayer: Jesus my king, creator of the universe! ------------ Ho11: When Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me ... It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they did not realize it was I who healed them. Co2: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, Gad made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Prayer: Lord, it is a comfort to know that you take some of us by the arms even when we do not realize it. ------------ Ho12: The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet hew cared for him. But Ephraim has bitterly provoked him to anger; his Lord will leave upon him the guilt of his shedding blood and will repay him for his contempt. Co3: Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Prayer: Who am I to criticise others, now or ever. Let me examine my own life. ------------ Ho13: Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver, cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of these people, "They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calf idols." Co4: I Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Prayer: Lord, if you see in me today's equivalent of a silver calf, speak to me to abandon it. ------------ Ho14: Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips ..." I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. BEGINNING OF 1 THESSALONIANS AD 52 (earliest NT writing) 1Th1: Brothers loved by God, we know that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. Prayer: Lord, unveil for me also the power of the Holy Spirit that I would know intimately, rather than intellectually, what Paul speaks of. ------------ BEGINNING OF JOEL. Written between 1000 BC and 400 BC Jo1: What the locust swarm has left, the great locusts have eaten ... What a dreadful day! For the day of the Lord is near. It will come like a destruction from the Almighty. 1Th2: And we thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. Prayer: I repeat George and Nahia's prayer last night, that you give me more of that capability to deliver that same word to those who do not know it. ------------ Jo2: Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. ... "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart." ... Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people ... for he has given you a teacher for righteousness ... "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten ... And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy ... even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days ... and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 1Th3: For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. Prayer: Thank you Lord that your promises through Joel were kept and that I, a tiny soul, am benefitting centuries later from your mercy. ------------ Jo3: Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! ... Beat your ploughshares into swords ... Let the nations be roused, let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations from every side. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near. The Lord dwells in Zion! 1Th4: Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like tht rest of men, who have no hope ... For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will ne caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Prayer: I look forward to such joy when I will fall asleep, and even though I fear the meeting in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, or wherever it will be, I have hope of ascending. ------------ BEGINNING OF AMOS, 750 BC Am1: For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle. 1Th5: The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night ... destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape ... Do not put out the Spirit's fire, do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. Prayer: The sheer pain of evil grieves my heart. Lord I am so grateful that Jesus turned men away from the worst attrocities. ------------ Am2: I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led your for forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. I also raised up prophets from among your sons and Nazirites from among your young men ... But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy. BEGINNING OF 2 THESSALONIANS AD 53 2Th1: God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you, and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. Prayer: Thank you for these comfortable words written so long ago yet still perfect. ------------ Am3: Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? ... When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it? ... As a shepherd saves from the lion's mouth ony two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites be saved. 2Th2: [The day of the Lord] will not come untill the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed ... proclaiming himself to be God ... And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming. Prayer: That you have revealed these prophesies to us, and then further explained them we thank you Lord. ------------ Am4: Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!" ... I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord. 2Th3: We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ, to settle down and earn the bread they eat. As for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. Prayer: Lord, you are even a God of humour, both in very old times and in old. May I always keep my humour under all circumstances. ------------ Am5: Seek the Lord and live ... he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the Land - the Lord is his name - he flashes destruction on the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin. BEGINNING OF 1 TIMOTHY, 65 AD 1Ti1: Timothy my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophesies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight. Prayer: Lord, are you teaching us that the disasters befalling earth almost weekly are indeed signs your wrath against the ungodly? ------------ Am6: You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments [jazz in the Bible!]. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions [Nu Skin in the Bible!] but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. 1Ti2: This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Prayer: Thank you God for our faith, which is not a religion but knowledge of the truth about the universe and our place in it. ------------ Am7: Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. Amos is saying: "Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land." Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Get out , you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 1Ti3: Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain ... In the same way their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers, but temperate and trustworthy in eveything. Prayer: Lord, I continue to thank you for bringing Laurie-Ann to be my beloved wife and for keeping strong love for her in my heart. ------------ Am8: "The days are coming,"declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea, and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. 1Ti4: Do not neglect your gift, which was given to you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Prayer: Thank you Lord that you have at last given me a small measure of that famine, a need for your Word daily. ------------ Am9: I will plant Israel intheir own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God. 1Ti5: If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever ... so I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander ... Do not entertain an accusation against an elder, unless it is brought by two or three witnesses ... The sins of some men are obvious ... in the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. Prayer: Lord, you are a comfort in so many ways. ------------ BEGINNING OF OBADIAH Date unknown. Shortest book in the Bible. Ob1: " ..There will be no survivors fom the house of Esau." The Lord has spoken 1Ti6: All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered ... If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. ------------ BEGINNING OF JONAH ~500 BC Jo1: The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish" ... "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this storm has come upon you" ... They took Jonah, and threw him overboard, and the raging sea became calm ... But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. BEGINNING OF 2 TIMOTHY, 65 AD 2Ti1: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline ... Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. ------------ Jo2: From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said "...Those who cling to worthless idols fortfit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord. 2Ti2: Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness ... And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Prayer. Thank you Lord for what you have already given me, and I thirst for more. ------------ Jo3: Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time ... When the news reached the King of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself in sackcloth and sat down in the dust ... When God saw what they did and and how they had turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. 2Ti3: But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days ... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God ... You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose ... All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work Prayer: Lord I pray for those who have not heard. Let me be one who will bring the good news. Give me the talent. ------------ Jo4: Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city ... and waited to see what would happen to the city. The Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm which chewed the vine ... Jonah wanted to die. ... The Lord said: "You have been concerned about the vine. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people ... should I not be concerned about that great city?" 2Ti4: For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear ... I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness ... and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Prayer: Lord, you have given us these great truths becuase you are concerned about us, the multitudes. ------------ BEGINNING OF MICAH, 700 BC Mi1: The word of the Lord given to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Heezekiah, Kings of Judah - the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. BEGINNING OF TITUS, 66 AD Ti1: They are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach - and that for the sake of dishonest gain. Prayer: In any teaching, give me truthful words Lord. ------------ Mi2: If a liar and a deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophest for this people! Ti2: Similarly, encourage the young ment to be self controlled. In everything, set them an example by doing what is good. Prayer: Help me to be an example Lord. ------------ Mi3: Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us." T13: But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. War a devisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. Prayer: Once again Lord you have confirmed that we cannot walk in darkness and expect your favour.
Matters of Faith
