EVANGELISM

Today’s Reading: Acts 8-9

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

The Port of Joppa was a busy place during Bible times and still is today.

Key Verse: Acts 9:5

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…”

What a team of the Lord’s servants in today’s reading! Stephen’s broken body is buried. Philip heads out to evangelize. Peter and John join him in Samaria. The Ethiopian treasurer heads home to witness for Christ. Saul of Tarsus is converted and boldly witnesses for Christ. At Joppa (present day Jaffa), Dorcas is raised from the dead as a witness for Christ. Aeneas of Lydda (present day Lod where the International Airport is located) is healed. What is the result of all this? Exponential growth of the churches. “Multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip” (8:6). “The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria…were multiplied” (9:31). “All at Lydda, and Sharon…turned to the Lord” (9:35). In Joppa, “Many turned to the Lord” (9:42). God’s purposes have not changed. God’s power has not changed. Let us move out in bold faith to see the same happen today. Amen!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, we have a word today that I don’t find in the Bible. It’s “retirement.” You are filling us with new energy as we do this blog daily. Show me, and all who read this, how we can be a part of the dynamic growth of Your Churches. Amen! and Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I believe in and seek to put into practise outreach ministry beyond the church walls. In villages where I was a Pastor, I sought to take the lead in mobilizing some members of the congregation to visit every home. We would ask if there was a need for which we could pray. We would enquire about children for Sunday School or teens for the youth activities. In the large cities this was more challenging, but we would stake out areas to visit. I trust that I will have the health, strength, determination and the blessing of the Pastor to keep doing this. By gently asking about needs for prayer, I’ve never been turned down. People know when they are cared for, not like the door-to-door cults that try to indoctrinate people by visiting them to add points to their religious record.

Yours for consistent growth, early church style, in Jesus’ Church today,

David

QUARRY

Today’s Reading: Acts 7

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The bus terminal at the foot of the hill many believe to be Golgotha, The Place of the Skull, where Jesus was crucified. The Romans always crucified people beside the roadway for maximum impact, not on the top of a hill.

Key Verse: Acts 7:59-60

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

The bus terminal pictured above is in an ancient quarry which is part of Mt. Moriah. On this mountain, Isaac was spared from death and God provided a ram to be sacrificed. On this mountain, God also provided the Sacrifice of His Son, our Saviour, Jesus. This may also be the place of the stoning of Stephen.

At least 10 times, Stephen, in his message, quoted from his Bible. How well do we know our Bible? Could we quote the Scriptures by memory? Have we read, marked, learned and inwardly digested the Scriptures as Stephen had done? Are we filled with the Holy Spirit as Stephen was? Are we acting, speaking, and loving as Stephen was? Here was a man who had come to be like Jesus. Saul of Tarsus was there. Later, as the Apostle Paul, Saul would write that we are, “To be conformed to the image of His Son.” Stephen had modeled this for the future Apostle.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

My fervent desire, Lord Jesus, is to be like You. By Your Spirit working in me, may I grow into all You desire me to be. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As a student in school years ago, I was always so very glad when I passed an examination. I believe that throughout my life God has given me examinations. One day I was sitting in a room at the Hamilton YMCA, praying with a young man named Gord. His face was buried in a paper bag which had airplane glue spread on the bottom. I had seen Gord a couple of weeks before sniffing glue in a park. I brought him home to Norma-Jean, who responded with love. This time, at the “Y,” God gave me an exam. Gord lifted his head from the bag long enough to spit in my face. The old David, who had a bad temper, was no longer there. I felt nothing but the love and compassion of Jesus. I had prayed in those early years, “Lord Jesus, when I grow up, I want to be like You.” I knew He was answering my prayers. Gord gave his life to Christ soon after this. Stephen, the first Church deacon, was truly like Jesus. He’s one of my examples of someone who passed his examination with a mark of 100%.

Yours for becoming more like Jesus,

David

ON BECOMING MULTIPLIERS

Today’s Reading: Acts 5-6

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Saint Stephen's Gate on the northeast side of the Old City walls of Jerusalem. We walked through this gate just last Tuesday. The first Christian to have his earthly life taken from him for Jesus' sake was the Deacon, Stephen. What an amazing example of faith and courage! Just before he died he exclaimed that he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56b - tomorrows reading).

Key Verse: Acts 5:41, 6:7

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name…Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

“Believers were increasingly added” (5:14). “You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine” (5:28). “The number of disciples was multiplying” (6:1). “The disciples multiplied greatly” (6:7). Here is a theme repeated over and over. This is the way God intends His Church to grow. We should ask ourselves the question, “Are we seeing growth in our Churches?” Here we find the growth came because new believers were added. There are many local churches, but only one Church. Transferring believers from one congregation to another does not constitute growth for the whole Church. The gate pictured above is the traditional site where Stephen was stoned to death. We can expect strong opposition when large numbers are being converted to Christ. We may want to take our spiritual temperature. If we are content to remain as a handful of believers who just bless each other in a local church, we may be almost dead and not know it.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, please grant me the great privilege of bringing new people to You today. May I never be content with just maintaining the numbers of believers as it is presently. Show me in a heart-wrenching way that people are lost eternally without You. Give me a passion to win souls to Yourself and to eternal life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As a teen, I read “Passion for Souls,” a book by Oswald J. Smith. I was never content after that to lavish the blessings of Christ on myself, forgetting about lost people. I felt that I was a most selfish person if I would keep the Good News of Jesus and eternal life to myself. Sharing Christ became an absolute essential. If that was not happening in my personal contacts and eventually in the churches I pastored, I became desperate in my prayers, arising earlier and earlier in the mornings to pray. I knew that I could not do this on my own, and that the power of God came upon me directly in proportion to the way I prayed in my private times with God. If you should ever read the biographical sketch of David Mainse on the internet, please read between the lines and know that everything of eternal value that may be there has been born and has thrived out of a “passion for souls.”

Yours to help us become believers like those in today’s reading,

David

CORNERSTONE

Today’s Reading: Acts 3-4

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A panorama of Jerusalem at sunset. Our El Al passenger jet will be heading in the same direction as the sun, that is in a westerly direction, at approximately 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (I've prepared this blog Wednesday, just before our flight). My son Ron is set to post this to you at 6 a.m. Thursday. Norma-Jean and I, along with our friends and fellow travellers, arrive at the Toronto International Airport just before 7 a.m. I expect to greet the sunrise as we arrive.

Key Verse: Acts 4:12

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Believe it or not, the choice is ours! Our salvation is ONLY in Jesus Christ! Do other names come to mind? They pale into insignificance in the blazing glory of “the Light of the world.” We should note how these early believers quoted from their Bible, and we should do the same with both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures. What we call “the New Testament” would not be written for several years. The Apostles had not yet heard of a “new” set of Bible books. They were all Jews. The councils of the Rabbis had heard from God as to what writings qualified to be in the Bible, as did the early Church leaders for the new writings of divinely inspired Scripture. We may want to look up Deuteronomy 18:15-22 to see how Peter quoted his Bible from memory (Acts 3:22-23). God willing, the next book we’ll read together will be Deuteronomy. Amen!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, there is so much in today’s reading that’s filling my mind and heart. Please cause that which You desire me to learn to be absorbed and assimilated into my life today, and may it also spill out through me to others. In Jesus’ Name, the only Name given among mankind by which we must be saved, I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I pray the above prayer with great fervency. I’ve preached several messages from today’s readings over the years. I ask most sincerely for the prayers of you who read this, that I’ll receive guidance from the Holy Spirit for “100words.ca.” There are volumes that could be written. For an entire year during 2004, five days each week, Dr. Paul Maier, Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, Rev. Dale Lang, Anglican Minister from Tabor, Alberta (whose son was murdered in the corridor of his high school), and I led our 100 Huntley Street TV viewers through the book of Acts, verse by verse (260 segments on the book of Acts!). We called it “HIStory” (emphasis on “HIS”). Paul gave the historical perspective, Dale gave the application to our daily lives, and I was the moderator. Here is a link to one of these segments from 2004 which ties into today’s reading (click HERE).

Yours for an overview of the entire Bible in 730 days. Are you still with me?

David

P.S. HAPPY THANKSGIVING to our U.S. readers!  Have a wonderful holiday with family and friends as you celebrate God’s blessings.

WITNESSES

Today’s Reading: Acts 1-2

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David's City is part of Jerusalem and is on the south side of the Old City walls.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

We may consider Acts 1:8 the key verse, not only for this chapter, but for the entire book of Acts. Here we have Christ’s plan, His command to carry out the plan, and the power to carry out His goal to reach the whole world with the Good News of His salvation. We, as believers in Jesus, can easily be diverted from this first and foremost of Jesus’ instructions. We may be comfortable in our own salvation and cease to be concerned for the salvation of others. We may hide behind excuses such as, “I don’t know enough,” or “I need to understand the Bible better,” and by such means escape our Jesus-given assignment to be witnesses. Jesus told us clearly that all we need to enable us to share the Gospel is the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask Jesus now for the Holy Spirit to come upon all of us who read this blog. Begin to praise Jesus out loud as long as the volume does not offend others, and start witnessing to someone you meet. Remember, just seven weeks earlier, Peter could not witness to a waitress who gave him every opportunity to share his faith in Jesus. The power of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to acknowledge Jesus is all we need.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, John the Baptist said of You, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” That’s me Lord. I’m one of Your believers. I’ll open my mouth, make a sound, and You, Holy Spirit, as Acts 1:4 says, will give me utterance. I trust You to give me words that will communicate with You, Lord God (see 1 Cor. 14:1-6), and communicate Jesus to people. In Jesus’ Name I pray, and keep on praying until I experience Your Holy Spirit’s fullness, Amen! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

My son, David Reynold, chose the picture for today of the City of David, a part of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit came upon 120 people who were in an upper room just at the top left of the picture. When they could no longer contain this powerful experience, they spilled out onto the streets, no doubt some of them into the City of David. I knew that the Holy Spirit came to live in me when I gave my life to Christ in December of 1951, but it was in June, 1952, that the Holy Spirit came upon me with power to witness. That July, I led a man in a prayer to receive Jesus. That August, I know without a doubt that God called me into “the ministry.” Not long ago, I visited a dying man and witnessed about Jesus. He had proclaimed himself an atheist. Soon after, my friend Jerry told me he visited him in the Kingston, Ontario, hospital just before he died. Jerry asked him about salvation. He said to Jerry, “Tell David not to worry, that’s all taken care of.”

Yours for being available to the Holy Spirit to win someone to Jesus today,

David

P.S. Yesterday we celebrated Jesus’ death and resurrection in the Garden Tomb! Among other places in Jerusalem, we visited St. Ann’s Church, built in the 11th century; it has the most amazing acoustics (click here for a video from yesterday). Thanks to group members Donald and Sheila Persaud for taking the video and for their photos below of the empty tomb (Norma-Jean is with them in the first photo). Thanks to Ron Mainse for adding these to the blog from home back in Canada.

REFUGE

Today’s Reading: Numbers 35-36 (Tomorrow we start the book of Acts)

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

The Convent of Pater Noster is on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. It is located at the site of the ruins of the "Eleona" Basilica, built in the 4th century by Constantine over a cave where, according to tradition, Jesus met with His disciples and taught the "Our Father" ("Pater Noster" in Latin). The walls of this convent are decorated with 140 large ceramic tiles, each one inscribed with the Lord's Prayer in a different language.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verses Numbers 35:11 & 35:34

…then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there…Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.

Moses provided for a fair trial for the crime of manslaughter, or accidentally killing a person. Capital punishment by execution for murder was within the powers assigned to the state. All of us need a place of refuge. Jesus and His disciples are thought to have used the cave under the convent pictured above as their place of refuge from the misguided religious authorities. We also have a place of refuge! (Hebrews 6:17-20) Thank you, Reynold, for great photos!

After we complete the Book of Acts, we will read in the next Hebrew books that the people again and again defiled the land. Before we judge them too harshly, we need to look at our own lives. Are we defiling the place where God lives? We should live in a state of repentance, a godly sorrow for sin, so that we are constantly cleansed from sin. First John 1:7b tells us, “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I run daily into You for refuge. Keep me dwelling in You constantly, because in You is protection and Salvation. Dear Jesus, You promised that, as I have invited You into my heart, that You would live in me. I need constant cleaning so that Your dwelling place will not be defiled. Today I’m praying Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus (click Ephesians 3:14-21). Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

My thoughts today go back to Monday when we visited Yad Vashem, the memorial to the most tragic betrayal of humanity in human history, the Holocaust, where at least 6,000,000 of God’s ancient people, the Jews, were murdered. As is my custom, I stopped to meditate at the tree planted in honour of the heroine of the Netherlands, Corrie Ten Boom, who provided jews with a place of refuge during WWII. Jason Patterson, my grandson-in-law, took the pictures below. Corrie’s original tree died the year she went to be with the Lord, and they planted a new tree as you can see. The book and movie “The Hiding Place” is her story. Norma-Jean and I, on a visit to Holland, crept into that hiding place and sat there for a time. We imagined what it would be like for Corrie to hurry Jews into that place to hide them from the Nazis. Corrie, her father and sister were arrested and taken to a death camp. She managed to survive but not her family members. It was a great honour to introduce Corrie to our Canadian television viewers several times in the sixties and seventies. She had never been on TV before, and her childlike approach to explaining the Gospel amazed me. I learned great lessons from her. One time she put on a clear plastic glove and said, “Jesus is like my hand, and the glove is all I want to be seen of me.” I wept openly.

Yours with the prayer to be more like Jesus and Corrie,

David

P.S. Think about it as you meditate on the pictures below and listen to a short message from Corrie about forgiveness (click here).

Honoured to walk through the pages of Scripture with Dad and you,

Ron

THE PROMISED LAND

Today’s Reading: Numbers 33-34

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The Dead Sea road follows the contour of the rugged terrain.

Key Verse: Numbers 33:53b

…for I have given you the land to possess.

Yesterday, Reynold’s photograph was of “The Great Sea,” the Mediterranean. Today it’s of “The Salt Sea,” or the Dead Sea. Both Seas are mentioned twice in our reading. “The Sea of Chinneret,” known now as the Sea of Galilee, is referred to once. Geography is obviously important to God. The 1948 miracle of the establishment of Israel as a sovereign nation for the first time in over 2,000 years, and the introduction of Hebrew as a language of daily life for the first time in over 2,500 years, has never happened to any people group before in human history. Israel is now on the land promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 4,000 years ago.  Israel is surrounded by 22 countries which are hostile to its very existence. These countries have 640 times Israel’s land mass and 60 times her population, and they have all the oil that we know about in the Middle East. Was Israel pushed into the sea as Egypt’s Nasser said? Will it be wiped off the map as Iran’s Ahmadinejad said? Keep reading the Bible. Watch and pray. We’ll soon discover the answer to that question.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray for insight in my understanding of ancient and modern Israel. Help me in as few words as possible to communicate Your heart to others. May I think Your thoughts after You. As Samuel said to You, Lord, I say also: “Speak, for Your servant hears.” Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

You may want to join me in reading the story of God speaking to Samuel (1 Samuel chapter 3). I’m typing this in Jerusalem, Israel. Here’s a speech from a while back by our Canadian Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper. It is, in my judgment, a message which the whole world needs to hear (click here to watch the speech). Yesterday’s “100 PERSONAL WORDS” was very much over my 100 word goal, so I’ll stop here.

Yours with the prayer that I’ll be a help and not a hindrance,

David

BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION

Today’s Reading: Numbers 32

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The beach and distant ruins of Caesarea Maritima.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Numbers 32:23

But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sins will find you out.

Two messages grip my mind as I read this chapter. The first has to do with a statement my mother drummed into me when I was a boy. She died when I was 12, and her warnings were reinforced as I would think about her. Many times she said, “David, be sure your sins will find you out.” She never gave a Bible reference, but I was afraid to sin, and I never could cover it up when I did sin (click here for the stolen apple story from an earlier blog). Our key verse is her Scripture source (Numbers 32:23b). The other message is from Genesis 4:9b, where Cain asks God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The tribes who wanted to settle on the east side of the Jordan promised Moses that they would be their brothers’ keepers. Our elder Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, has promised to be our Keeper (Psalm 121:4 & Jude 1:24).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear Lord God, please keep using Your Word to keep me living right. Thank You for parents who implant Scripture so deeply into their children that Your Word will never be extracted from their innermost being. Help me in my commitment to help keep my brothers and sisters from harm, from sin, and from Satan’s lies. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I witnessed the truth of Mother’s words about sin finding me out after my Father returned from overseas, where he spent six years during the Second World War. He had a “razor strap.” For the younger generation, that was not a razor, it was the leather belt on which he would run his straight razor back and forth until it was sharp. He would lather up his face with soap, and then proceed to move the sharpened blade back and forth across his face and neck. It was an awesome sight for an 8 year old who had been raised for 6 years by 3 women…mother and two older sisters (Willa, 8 years older, and Elaine, 6 years older). Believe me, it wasn’t the razor which made it scary when my sin found me out; it was the leather strap. I only remember getting the strap on each of my two hands once. That was enough. I told myself, “Never again!” It was not only legal to discipline in this way, but in the government, the Department of Education supplied every teacher with a strap for this very purpose. I’m a witness to the fact that miracles in changed behaviour resulted immediately!

Yours for behaviour improvement in us all,

David

P.S. I came down with the flu on Friday and spent most of the day yesterday in my Jerusalem hotel bed. As you can see I identified with King David of whom it was said in the old English, “He gat no heat.” My hoodie was just what I needed (see first photo below). I feel much better today and we plan to walk around old Jerusalem. The second photo below is our group on the Mount of Olives, and I’m pointing toward the beautiful view of Jerusalem.

MAN OF WAR

Today’s Reading: Numbers 30-31

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Located just inside the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, this is the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East. Christ Church was completed in 1849 and soon after became known as "The Jewish Protestant Church." This is where the prayer meeting I mention below took place.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, Click HERE.

Key Verse: Numbers 31:6a

Then, Moses sent them to war, one thousand from each tribe.

No wonder this book is called “Numbers.” Our reading is once again filled with numbers. The census taken by our government, attendance at Sunday School and Church services, as well as the amount of the tithes and offerings given each Sunday, are important to us and to God. Numbers allow us to plan, enabling us to move forward, or to know when we’re not moving forward.

We are appalled at the violence, no doubt, in our reading today. If we are watching the news from the Middle East, we will probably conclude that not much has changed in 3,500 years. But there is change for those who follow Jesus with a fervent heart. He teaches us to love our enemies. We can debate “The Just War,” but that can be a frustrating exercise. We who live in lands of peace and safety cannot fully understand the lives of the people of this area, let alone understand the circumstances of Midian and ancient Israel. We may want to read, for consolation, the following Scriptures: John 14:27 & 16:33, Ephesians 2:14, Colossians 3:15, 2 Peter 1:2.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I ask for grace to keep my mind centred on You. You promised that as my mind is “stayed on You,” You will keep me in “perfect peace” (Isaiah 26:3). Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Allow me to expand on a story I referred to in a recent blog posting. It was in March, 1978, that people from various Christian churches gathered at the church pictured above to pray for the “peace of Jerusalem.” The next morning, President Jimmy Carter spoke in the Israeli Parliament. He looked directly at Prime Minister Begin of Israel and said, “The people want peace,” indicating that Begin did not. He ordered Air Force One readied for departure for the U.S.A. Buses pulled up for reporters to travel to the airport to cover his departure. I was credentialed as one of those reporters, making daily reports to the viewers of 100 Huntley Street. I decided to remain behind. Shortly thereafter, I was approached by Hebrew and Arabic radio station reporters for an interview. They had to fill in live-on-air until their reporters got to the airport. They asked the question, “Do you think there’s a chance for peace?” I felt as if I was in the clasp of God. Contrary to all the prevailing wisdom, I said, “Yes, there will be a breakthrough. Last night, the churches of Jerusalem prayed, and God is answering our prayers. For the first time in history, three leaders representing three different religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, prayed together in Washington, D.C. Carter, Begin, and Sadat joined in prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for the success of the Camp David Accords. God is answering their prayers. There will be a breakthrough.” I believe that this was a prophetic word that helped destroy the plans of Satan. It was carried on live radio all over the middle east. The so-called “prince and power of the air” was shot down and God’s plans prevailed. Air Force One did not leave that day and the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel was signed. I had the undeserved honour to share that story with President Carter at a “Habitat for Humanity” home building project. I started to weep as I talked about the night of prayer while he and the other leaders were at Camp David (see my personal words in the September 13 blog). I’ll never forget how he put his arm around me and said, “There, there.” I’m not sure exactly what he meant by that, but I know God used me for His purpose that fateful day in Israel. The reason for prophecy in the Bible is not to make work for preachers; it is to fight against “principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Sorry, I could not get this story into 100 words.

Yours, for God to use each one of us at His time and place, for His purpose,

David

HARVEST

Today’s Reading: Numbers 29

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

The sun sets through the Roman Aqueduct of Caesarea. The aqueduct, originally built by Herod in the first century BC, was repaired and expanded by the Romans in the second century AD. It conveyed water to the city from springs at the foot of Mt. Carmel, over 10 kilometres away. Yesterday, our tour group visited here and marvelled at this engineering marvel.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, Click HERE.

Key Verse: Numbers 29:39

These you shall present to the Lord at your appointed feasts (besides your vowed offerings and your freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings.

Moses knew that he would not lead the people into the Promised Land. Therefore, he reviews for the new generation the details of the three sacrifices that were to be made. These would ensure that Israel would not overlook their divinely assigned obligations.

As Christians, we are not bound by the ceremonial laws of Moses. Nevertheless, we too have obligations. We can think of several, I’m sure. For the purpose of this blog, I’ll highlight one: READING GOD’S WORD DAILY…2 Timothy 3:14-17 (click here or look it up in your Bible). Verse 15 informs us that the Scriptures will “Make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” The result will be that we will be, “Complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (verse 17).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I thank You for keeping me faithful to follow this daily blog. You promised wisdom if I would ask. I ask You now for wisdom, and I plan to continue to do so every morning. I’m not doubting Your promise. In James 1:5 You said You would give wisdom liberally. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Today is another full day for this trip in Israel. Our group is travelling the length and breadth of this land of the Bible for two weeks. We are reading the Scriptures that pertain to each Bible-related place, and we pray together for God’s Teacher, the Holy Spirit, to instruct us as to what we need to learn. We try to visit with everyone, either on the buses or at meals. We’ve made some lifetime friends these past days. God willing, Crossroads will sponsor another trip again next year. As the Jews say, “Next year in Jerusalem.” Anyone interested in joining up? My son Ron and his wife Ann are leading a tour this Spring. Such a trip would make a great Christmas present for a loved one. Click here for information.

Yours for a thorough knowledge of God’s Word,

David

P.S. Today we travel up to Jerusalem! God willing! Below are two photos from a previous visit to the Garden Tomb. We will be there soon, and we will have communion together and anoint with oil any sick among us who need healing. We also pray with each individual who may need an intervention of God in their lives, in their families, or in their circumstances.