HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY

Today’s Reading: Psalms 143-144

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

Here is the ancient marketplace of Ephesus. These pillars once stood proudly as a testimony to the success of the commercial centre of the city. Man’s accomplishments eventually crumble into ruin, but God’s great building, His living stones, His people, are built to last forever and ever.

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

Key Verses: Psalm 144:15

Happy are the people who are in such a state;

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalm 143 is the kind of prayer we all need to pray when we are in distress. David prays, “Hear my prayer, O Lord!” “Answer me speedily!” “Do not hide Your face from me!” “Cause me to hear Your loving kindness in the morning!” (could this blog be an answer to that prayer?) “Cause me to know the way in which I should walk!” “Deliver me, O Lord!” “Revive me, O Lord!”

Psalm 144 is delightful! King David asks the question, “What is man?” David’s answer is “a breath,” and “a shadow,” but man also has the potential to be “Happy” during our brief time here on earth. This question, “What is man?” is quoted in Hebrews chapter 2 in the New Testament. We may want to take time to meditate on these words given by the writer to the Hebrew people. We’ll find that Jesus is the greatest joy of all!!! (click here). David prayed, “Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down!” (144:2a). God did come down! We can sing with great happiness, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, there is a one-word prayer I pray daily, “HELP!” I am confident You heard my prayer in advance of my time on earth, and You have come down to me in the Person of Jesus Christ, in whose Name I pray. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

My daughter, Elaine Stacey, gave me a gift of a book called, “Happy, Happy, Happy.” It’s the story of the Robertson family. Perhaps you’ve seen the reality TV series, Duck Dynasty. Phil Robertson, at one time, was an alcoholic who met Jesus, and Jesus made him a new man. In Phil’s book I read the facts, whereas in the TV show the producers water down the testimony of Jesus that this family want to share with the whole world. The producers even put in “bleeps” to make it appear that they were swearing. The Robertsons were quite upset at this and made it clear that they don’t swear! Phil has lived to see his children blessed as David prayed, “Sons as plants, and daughters as pillars!” (Psalm 144:12).

Yours for being able to say with Phil, “Happy, Happy, Happy!”

David

P.S. Norma-Jean bought me the shirt I’m wearing in the picture below, and my grandson, Nathaniel Shaheen, put on a beard for the photo! My hat is a gift from Chief Sunrise, a great First Nations leader from the Northwest Territories. The Chief, with the name, “Sunrise,” shows the “Reality” of Psalm 143:8, God’s “Loving kindness in the morning.”

THE SNARE/TRAP

Today’s Reading: Psalms 140-142

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

This is the Parliament House in Athens, Greece. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at the bottom of a high wall surrounding the Parliament Building. On this wall is a relief that depicts a fallen soldier which is surrounded by quotations from Pericles’ funeral oration. Two sentry boxes on either side of the tomb have small canopies to protect the guards against the sun. Psalm 141:3 is a prayer for God to “Set a guard over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.” This prayer should be prayed by all politicians and in our case at Crossroads, all who seek to communicate God’s thoughts expressed in His Word by the use of all forms of media.

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

Key Verses: Psalm 141:3, 9

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

…Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,

And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

Common to all three Psalms in today’s reading is David’s recognition that snares have been laid to trap him with wickedness, iniquity, and isolation. In each of his compositions we learn that David turned to God for protection and deliverance! When we pray and ask God for His intervention in our lives, God says, “Yes!” A New Testament reading which confirms God’s answer to the prayers of our key verses is 1 Corinthians 10:11-13. God promised us (and He cannot lie) a way of escape from every trap or snare that has the potential to destroy us. God, Paul declares, will “MAKE THE WAY OF ESCAPE!” God has shown us the escape plan, but it’s up to us to run for it! Our escape from the snares of the world, the flesh, and the devil is the CROSS OF CHRIST! For believers in Jesus, His Name stands for all He is and does. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The Name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” Amen!!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray the words of the key verses: “Set a guard…over my mouth;… over the door of my lips…keep me from the snares…and from the traps.” As Psalm 142:5 says, “I cried out to you, O Lord…” I do that now! I confess, “You are my Refuge!” I pray this in the Name of my Strong Tower, the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As I’ve done my reading and meditation today, I’m praying for our new Canadian Prime Minister and also for the candidates who are seeking their party’s nominations for President of the United States. Tomorrow evening there is a TV debate in which the Republican candidates expect to participate. As we’ve read today in Scripture,”The snares…the traps” are there to destroy people. Several of these have boldly confessed Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Please join me in prayer that God will “set a guard” over their mouths. On November 11th, we’re remembering those who gave their lives for our freedom. Because of this freedom, Brit Hume, a former White House correspondent for ABC News, on live worldwide TV, looked into the camera and spoke directly to golfer Tiger Woods, who had messed up his life badly, and said, approximately, “Tiger, you need Jesus!” God surely caused Brit to speak boldly and wisely. For decades on the 100 Huntley Street daily telecast I never went on air without praying, “God, please put a watch (or guard) over my mouth!”

Yours to be on guard, protecting each of us from all the snares and traps that sin, self, the devil, and other people may set for us!!!

David

P.S. Here is an interview with Brit Hume from the Christianity Today magazine.

SEARCH ME

Today’s Reading: Psalms 137-139

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

A beautiful view of the Old City of Jerusalem at night. It was here in Jerusalem that David prayed with great fervency the prayer suggested for today!

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

Key Verses: Psalm 138:2b, 139:23-24

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name.

…Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 137 is the lament of some of the Jerusalem Temple musicians who were taken as slaves to Babylon. These words are very sad at the beginning, but suddenly their tone changes to anger and thoughts of future revenge. They did not have God’s love and forgiveness in their hearts.

Psalm 138 is David’s composition. Our first key verse teaches us that God’s Word is of highest value! This should be motivation enough to be consistent in our daily readings!

Psalm 139 is a profound theological statement. God is OMNISCIENT! (all knowing). God gave new and revolutionary understanding to David, his generation, and all future generations! God is OMNIPRESENT! (present everywhere). He is here so that we can, if we are willing, experience His presence 24/7!!!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, the man after Your own heart, David, wrote a prayer which I intend to pray now and often: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” I pray this in the Name of the One in Whom there is no wicked way, and Who, through my faith in Him, leads me in the way of everlasting life! That’s Jesus only! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

While I don’t know the tune to which David’s chief musician sung the words of Psalm 139, I do know by heart a magnificent modern hymn which I’m going to look for on Google right now….I’ve just been worshipping God with “Carmen,” one of my favourite singers. Not only does he sing the prayer from Psalm 139, but his medley includes the hymn “I Surrender All,” and he has led me into a new commitment to God for this new day (click here for Carmen). I encourage taking time now to pray and worship!

Yours for God’s work in our lives and for our worship of God!!!

David

P.S. This past Thursday I spent much time in prayer (sometimes weeping) on behalf of my great-granddaughter River June Neilson. Blood tests revealed that her platelet count went down to 6 and she was admitted to the McMaster University Children’s Hospital. The condition is called Idiopathic thrombocytopenic nic purpura. If she fell and cut herself badly she could’ve bled to death. Bruises appeared in many places on her little body. SO!!! I want to report that the last platelet count is up to 76. She’s home today and tomorrow her parents, Todd & Sheryl (our oldest granddaughter), will take her back to the hospital for a check-up. I understand that the normal count for platelets is at least double where she is now. I believe with all my heart for her complete recovery. Here is a picture of this most precious child. She is #10 amongst our 11 greats.

MERCY FOREVER

Today’s Reading: Psalms 135-136

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

The Parthenon is a temple on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron deity. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece. Unique to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and King David was that, unlike pagan gods. It could not be said of them that their “Mercy endures forever.”

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

Key Verses: Psalms 135:13, 136:4

Your name, O Lord, endures forever,

Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.

…To Him who alone does great wonders,

For His mercy endures forever!

Both Psalms in today’s reading refer to the final and decisive plague on the Egyptians which resulted in freedom for their slaves, the Israelite people (Exodus 12:29-36). This is a high price to pay for the freedom of the slaves in Egypt, but I’ve just finished reading a book on the American Civil War, fought for the cause of freeing the slaves. The Americans paid a much higher price in the death of their sons for a similar cause.

(1) We learn here that God’s gifts and miracles arise from His love!

(2) God protects and cares for His loved ones!

(3) We eat and drink today because God loves us!

It’s no wonder that the psalmist repeats 26 times, “His mercy endures forever!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I’ve just read many reasons as to why I should be thankful! Your Word tells me that Your “Goodness leads …. to repentance!” I pray that this will always be so in my life! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Often over the years I’ve often said that the most often repeated verse in the Bible is, “His mercy endures forever.” Another very important verse from God’s Word is, “Whosoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved!” (Romans 10:13). We should never forget 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I have found that many more people struggle with having assurance of salvation than there are those who take God at His Word and rest in the assurance of “His mercy.” This is the result of a lack of emphasis on God’s grace and His unconditional love! I’ve just read Psalm 136 out loud. I dare anyone to join me in this exercise and still doubt God’s mercy and forgiveness!

Yours for the full assurance of the Presence in our lives of our Saviour and Lord!

David

JESUS’ PRAYER REQUEST!

Today’s Reading: Psalms 130-134

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

This is a model of the Temple from the time of Jesus. The Temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. Today, a Muslim mosque, known as the Dome of the Rock (seen in the background), is located on that same Temple Mount. In the time of King David, people from all 12 tribes would sing his songs as they walked from all over Israel up to this mountain top to which David moved the Tabernacle of Moses and then David’s son, Solomon, built the temple here.

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

Key Verses: Psalm 133:1

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity!

Psalm 130 provides us a meditation through a prayer of repentance in which the person experiencing the depths of a dark night of the soul rises to the heights of hope.

Psalm 131 takes us to the point where the writer no longer has to depend upon the things of this world, but his hope in God brings calm and quiet in all circumstances!

Psalm 132 may have been sung as the visitors to Jerusalem travelled along the same route taken by King David when he brought the Ark of the Covenant back to its place in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12-15).

Psalm 133 may have been composed as King David watched people from all 12 tribes of Israel streaming into Jerusalem for one of the feasts. 2 Samuel 3:1 tells us of the long civil war that had divided the people. Now, under David’s leadership, God brought unity.

Psalm 134 may have been the benediction song as those who had travelled to Jerusalem prepared to leave for their homes. This exhortation comes to us also to make sure that in our generation, we, as servants of the Lord, continue to bless the Lord wherever we are, carrying out our sacred duties to which God has called each of us!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray for a heart of repentance, for a total dependence upon You, and for a song of rejoicing in You! I pray the prayer of Jesus, “That they may be one…” (John 17:20-26). Lord Jesus, I ask You for the grace of consistency in my worship of You and in my service for You. In Your Name I pray, Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

In one of the congregations I served as pastor, one of our deacons who came to Canada from Scotland, complete with his unique accent, would rise during a service every few months and quote Psalm 133! I knew it was coming and I stopped my words and waited for him. What an important message! Unity! In fact, that church had a wonderful unity. I felt it from the very first Sunday I stood in that pulpit. Because of that unity God was able, within His self-imposed restriction of not violating human free will, to do an amazing work of grace in many lives. As Psalm 133:3b says, “There the Lord commanded the blessing!”

Yours for the unity of all believers, “that the world may know…”,

David

SOWING AND REAPING

Today’s Reading: Psalms 125-129

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

Mount Tabor is located in Lower Galilee, about 11 miles (18 km) west of the Sea of Galilee. It is believed by many Christians to be the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. As we look west from Mount Tabor across the farmers’ fields below you can see Nazareth on the right. The beautiful patchwork of the fields tells us that people have sown seed and will reap the harvest.

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

Key Verses: Psalm 126:5-6

Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy.

He who continually goes forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,

Bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 125 states the fact that “The Lord surrounds His people!” On the basis of that fact the psalm’s composer can pray, “Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts!”

Psalm 126 gives an answer to the “Do good, O Lord” prayer, which is received with laughter and singing! These songs were sung by the people as they ascended Mount Zion. They may have been the former slaves in Babylon who had wept many tears; now, with Jerusalem in sight, they are rejoicing. Most of us who read our key verses are Christians. Our first tears are shed in repentance for sin. This brings joy! The next wave of tears are shed in our intercessory prayers for others who need to know Jesus. The Scripture teaches us that the seed we sow is the Word of God (Mark 4:1-20).

Psalm 127 confirms to us the futility of human effort apart from God. Those who rely on God can expect to be rewarded with restful sleep which results in peace of mind. Our families are blessed and our families bless us!

Psalm 128 reveals that the basis of a truly happy and successful home is “the fear of the Lord!” This “fear” is that awesome respect we owe God, our Creator, and that “fear” is manifested by the attention we pay to His Holy Word!

Psalm 129 is also a song! We can remember the words to songs well when we remember the tune. The songwriter remembers the history of Israel from the time it was a young nation up to the present. Those memories produce confidence in God’s overall plan!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray for a harvest of joy that will come as a result of my tears of repentance and tears of strong intercessory prayer for the salvation of precious people all over the world. Save my loved ones, Lord, and may I love others with the love of the One who dwells in me. In His Name, the Name of Jesus, I pray! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

There’s a saying I remember from childhood: “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” There are great poets who wrote in the English language about God and His reality. Those words were written by Lord Tennyson in the 19th century. He imagines the death of King Arthur and writes the above famous line. He goes on to write,

“Wherefore, let thy voice rise like a fountain for me night and day. For what are men better than sheep or goats that nourish a blind life within the brain, if, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer both for themselves and for those who call them friends? For so the whole round earth is bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”

Over and over again through the years I’ve come to God in prayer, claiming God’s promise found in our key verses. I’ve found joy and rejoicing in God’s blessing. Also I’m old enough to have worked for several summers as a teenager behind a “binder”… a machine that produces sheaves of wheat which must be placed in an upright stack so that the water will run off them when it rains while awaiting the community threshing machine. Then the grain could be put into the barn awaiting hungry cattle and horses, or the flour mill. This was an exciting time as all the farmers in the area would work together for the success of the harvest! It reminds me of the precious souls harvested because many of us have done our part in God’s harvest through our support of “The Crossroads Family of Ministries!” (click here for more on the sowing and harvesting work of Crossroads).

Yours for successful sowing and reaping!

David

GOD WITH US!

Today’s Reading: Psalms 120-124

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

This is the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu (Gallicantu = “cock crow”). It’s a Roman Catholic Church located on the eastern slope of Mount Zion commemorating Peter’s triple rejection of Jesus on the night He was arrested. According to Christian tradition, the location of this church is also the original place of the House of High Priest Caiaphas. In the distance you can see the security fence that divides Israel from Palestinian territory. And even further you can see in the haze across the Jordan valley to the mountains of Moab in Jordan. We are reminded in today’s reading to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

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

Key Verses: Psalm 121:5-8

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Here are five little Psalms with big content!

Psalm 120 is written by a person of peace who did not take vengeance against those who slandered him. We can learn from these words that we should take false accusations to the Lord in prayer!

Psalm 121 teaches us that God continually watches over us. This is one of several “Songs of Ascent” to be sung as pilgrims are climbing up the mountainside to its highest point on which Jerusalem is located. As they look up they are filled with faith and expectancy as they are facing the City of God!

Psalm 122 was sung after entering the gates of Jerusalem. They realize that worship in Jerusalem would continue to be possible only if the city continued to be secure, prosperous and peaceful!

Psalm 123 was sung as they approached the Temple. Now they are lifting up their eyes to behold the Lord Himself!

Psalm 124 is sung to describe God’s interventions over the years in miraculously protecting the people of God as long as they welcomed His help, knowing that He would not intervene on their behalf if they didn’t want Him to do so. We are created in the image of the One “who made Heaven and earth.” Human free will, given to people who are made in God’s image, means that we must call for His help so that He can respond without violating our free will!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I lift up my eyes to You. I know that You hear me! Therefore, I pray that You will preserve me from all evil! I “pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” Have “mercy on us!” Thank You that I have escaped like a bird. You have broken the trap (snare), and I am free! I pray in the name of the One who is truly on my side, Jesus Himself! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I may have shared this before but here goes the story. My father, Roy Mainse, suffered 3 heart attacks after 21 years as a missionary in Egypt. His Doctor told him that he must return to Canada for any chance of recovering. A 300-mile car ride was necessary, from Assiut to Cairo, in the blazing June sun with no air conditioning. Dad was lying across the back seat (his nephew, Lorne Kenny was driving. Lorne for many years was the head of the Middle Eastern Studies Department at the University of Toronto). Dad told me that he felt he would faint in the intense heat. Somewhere on that trip Dad quoted out loud Psalm 121. Lorne confirmed this story to me several times. As Dad said the words of the old King James version (6a), “The sun shall not smite thee by day,” a small cloud came between the sun and the car. That cloud remained between the sun and the car for the remainder of the trip! My Dad and my cousin Lorne both assured me that Egypt, with the desert on both sides of the Nile River, does not have clouds in the sky in June! God was surely on Dad’s side that day! He lived and ministered here in Canada for another 20 years. At 76 years of age, while shovelling snow, he sat down on the steps of his Toronto home and his heart stopped. He was immediately with the One Who was truly on his side!!! Amen

Yours in recognition of the fact that when we decide to side with God, He will side with us!!!

David

P.S. I have an ostrich egg on which I had Psalm 121:5-6 inscribed in gold paint. It sits on the top shelf above me as I type. I love to show the egg to my great-grandchildren while telling them the story of their great-great-Grandfather and the Egyptian sun! Below is a photo of the egg.

I purchased this egg, emptied of its contents, in Jordan. Our guide offered to print the words of Psalm 121:5-6 in gold lettering after I had told him my Dad’s story. I look quite skinny in this picture. I’ve put on 20 pounds since this was taken! Praise the Lord!!! Thanks to all blog readers who pray for me!!!

DELIGHTFUL!

Today’s Reading: Psalms 119:129-176

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

THE BIBLE! Here’s Reynold’s Bible on a Roman road in Tarsus. Saul of Tarsus became known as the Apostle Paul. Paul was a true scholar educated in the Roman/Greek university city of Tarsus and then sent to Jerusalem, where he studied the Hebrew Scriptures under Gamaliel, the most renowned Bible teacher of his time. Paul probably knew Psalm 119 by heart. He wrote to a young man named Timothy these words, “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:15,16).

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

Key Verses: Psalm 119:130, 174

The entrance of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple.

…I long for Your salvation O Lord,

And Your law is my delight.

We have every reason to be full of delight! (of “the light”). Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Psalm 119 shines “understanding” into us! We understand that the “Words” which we read in the Bible express the thoughts of God. Paul writes, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b). Peter, a follower of Jesus, needed the light of the understanding of God’s thoughts (God’s Words express His thoughts) when he actually contradicted Jesus because Jesus began to speak of His own death and resurrection. Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan, you are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:21-23). In other words, Satan was darkening Peter’s mind so that Peter’s thoughts, which he expressed, were not God’s thoughts, but thoughts from Peter’s own mind. The way to get God’s thoughts to be our thoughts is to read constantly God’s Words. In this way we make God’s thoughts the essential DNA of our very being. According to Psalm 119, God’s thoughts are “GOOD,” “RIGHT,” “PERFECTION,” “SWEET,” “WONDERFUL,” “RIGHTEOUS,” “UPRIGHT,” “FAITHFUL,” “TRUTH,” “EVERLASTING,” and our experience proves that God’s Words are a “DELIGHT!!!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I thank You that “The entrance of Your Words gives light” to me. I pray that the “Light of the world,” Jesus, the Messiah, will be my 24/7 Light, so that I will never stumble around in the dark. When I meet others, may I be conscious that there’s a light on the inside of me, and may the light shine brightly through me on my path and on the path of others. I ask this blessing in the Name of Jesus, the “Living Word,” the One who is the full expression of Your thoughts to the human family. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

During my first year of intensive study of God’s Word in Bible College, someone (I don’t remember who) said something about the reading of the Bible that I have never forgotten. Here it is, “Read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Scriptures.” The year after that I applied that knowledge in pioneering a new congregation in the Chalk River/Deep River area of Ontario. Yes, I went back to school for more years of study after that year off, but during that year of preaching and teaching God’s Word, I learned so much, perhaps more than I learned sitting in the lecture hall. That year, I filled in as the Principal of the local public school. The regular Principal was off for health reasons. The government of Ontario Department of Education, required us, as teachers, to teach the Bible to our students. The Department published a Bible study guide for us to follow. Just imagine trying to do this in a public school today! A while ago I drove around what was called a “Middle School.” I couldn’t believe my eyes! There was a high iron fence around the entire school with steel bars to protect the students from a possible violent assault. I was filled with such sadness. Our public schools in Canada and the U.S.A. have put the Bible and prayer out and the iron bars are in. There’s a security guard and a metal detector inside the one small entrance through the bars through which the students, teachers, and parents must pass.

Yours with delight in God’s Word, and with tears because of the foolishness of courts, governments and school boards in turning out the Light of God’s Word, thus inviting the darkness into the public schools. May God have mercy on us and on our children,

David

P.S. Which will it be in the local schools near us over the next few years, BIBLES or BARS!! Here’s that school building I mentioned above.

The iron fence at the Middle School (junior high).

PRECEPTS

Today’s Reading: Psalms 119:73-128

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

One of the Hebrew language Bibles on the communion table in Christ Church in Jerusalem. The church is located 200 metres inside the Old City’s Jaffa Gate. More than any other Bible passage, Psalm 119 gives emphasis to the importance of God’s Word!

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

Key Verses: Psalms 119:73b, 104 and 105

Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments…Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

The word “precept” is repeated 20 times in Psalm 119! The New Oxford Dictionary gives a meaning of this word: “A general rule intended to regulate behaviour or thought.” This may fall short of the true meaning of the word. The word “principle” comes from the same Latin word as “precept.” When we say that a man or woman is “a person of PRINCIPLE,” we are getting the right idea. Our key verses ask God for “UNDERSTANDING” and then answers that prayer as to how to get “UNDERSTANDING!” We feed our hearts and minds in God’s precepts every day and a person of PRINCIPLE is growing. It’s like the gestation period of the elephant…two years. Our through-God’s-Word readings and blogs over these two years should produce a new person of “PRINCIPLE.” Amen?

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, may Your precepts flow into the very core of my being, bringing healthy spiritual growth. I pray that I will emerge from this two-year period of absorbing Your Word daily as a “PERSON OF PRINCIPLE.” In other words, Father God, I hope to resemble Jesus more and more. In His Name I ask for Your precepts to be the DNA of my life now and in the future. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

In my first years as one who sought to follow Jesus, I decided to read the biographies of people who were, in my judgment, good people. Millions of such biographies should be written. There are too few! I found a common denominator in adherence to basic principles by which they ordered their lives. One such person is Abraham Lincoln, a former President of the United States. In 1957 a devotional book made up of select Biblical passages was discovered. It was owned and used by Lincoln. It’s called, The Believer’s Daily Treasure. A subtitle is, Texts of Scripture Arranged for Every Day of the Year. Here is a paragraph from a book called, Abraham Lincoln – Lessons in Spiritual Leadership, by Elton Trueblood:

“Frequently, Lincoln employed a verse from the Bible to clinch a point. He had been importuned saying that he would not interfere with slaves or slavery in states where they were acceptable. ‘I have,’ he wrote to William Speer of Tennessee, ‘done this many many times, and it is in print, and open to all who will read. Those who will not read or heed what I’ve already said would not read or heed a repetition of it. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.'”

That Bible quote is found in Luke 16:31. In my reading of Lincoln’s words, I have found that they are generously sprinkled with Scriptures. Lincoln knew the precepts of God’s Word thoroughly. I believe that his daily reading of God’s Word helped immensely to produce this great man!

Yours for two years of gestation in the womb of Holy Scripture and for the birth of men and women of PRINCIPLE!

David

P.S. Click here for a look at one of the Bibles of Abraham Lincoln. His Bible was brought from the Smithsonian for the inauguration ceremony of President Obama.

Inside Christ Church in Jerusalem, which is the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East. It was completed in 1849 and soon after became known as the “Jewish Protestant Church.” On the communion table are two Hebrew language Bibles (one of which is pictured above).

WHO’S WHO IN GOD’S BOOKS!

Today’s Reading: Psalms 119:1-72

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

A woman takes time to meditate on the cityscape of Athens from the Acropolis. In Athens, the Apostle Paul quoted, “certain of your own poets.” He was a well-educated man with a brilliant mind. Paul’s next stop was Corinth, where history tells us there were at least 5,000 prostitutes who served thousands of sailors who spent about a week each in Corinth. To the people of Corinth Paul wrote, “I determined to know nothing among you except Christ Jesus, and Him crucified!” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul spent three years there and eventually Corinth was transformed. It’s this message that has transformed the native communities of Northern Quebec (I’ll tell that story below). The Cree people own the airline, “Air Creebec,” and so they can police and destroy the source of much trouble…alcohol consumption…which has been reduced to almost zero. A statement I’ve made often here on this blog is, “Jesus changes everything!”

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

Key Verses: Psalm 119:9, 50

How can a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed according to Your word.

…This is my comfort in my affliction,

For Your word has given me life.

Here we go into the Bible’s longest chapter, 176 verses, three days for the blog!

It is a perfect acrostic, having 22 stanzas of 8 verses each,1 stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Amazing! Every verse with the exception of verses 90 and 122 mentions the Word of God or one of its ten synonyms. e.g. precepts, statutes, etc. The message here for us is unmistakeable! What we are doing in our two-year journey in this blog is of ultimate importance!!!

The question asked in our key verse about cleansing our ways is answered by the Scriptures. Psalm 119:11 assures us that if we hide God’s Word in our hearts (not just our heads) we will be kept from sinning against God! A New Testament statement in this regard is Ephesians 5:25-27 where we are told that we are cleansed by the “washing of water by the Word!” We are having our daily heart, soul and spirit bath right now as we read the “Word of God” here on 100words.ca. Amen!!!

Tomorrow, God willing, we will consider the way President Abraham Lincoln applied the Psalms to his life and presidency.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

O God, You have provided for washing in the pure water of the artesian spring of Your Word. I pray for the grace to be consistent in having a daily shower in the living water of Your testimonies, Your ordinances, Your judgments, Your law, Your precepts, Your statutes, YOUR WORD!!! I ask these blessings in the Name of the One who, in Himself, is “the Living Word,” Christ Jesus!!! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Ancient Athens is known as the intellectual, educational centre of the ancient world. I’ve discovered that during the first centuries, many Greek philosophers studied the Hebrew writers and discovered ultimate truth through God’s Word. I’ve often made the statement, “Never confuse education with intelligence.” Here is a story of Grand Chief Billy Diamond of the northern Quebec Cree Nation (photo below).

He did not have a long formal education (he attended one of the infamous residential schools), but the former Minister of Indian Affairs, Labour, and Health, the Hon. John C Munroe, told me that in governmental negotiations, Billy Diamond was the most intelligent man he had ever met! I took John with me to Northern Quebec after he had left politics, and here’s what happened. This former Indian Affairs Minister walked around the town of Waskagenish in astonishment. He said, “The last time I was here, this was a totally disfunctional community because of the abuse of alcohol. At 30 below zero there were blankets stuffed in where windows had once been, the children were outside without proper clothing.” He asked, “What has happened here? Now, every home is properly cared for and there are many new homes, beautifully painted. The children are dressed warmly (it was early March). There are shiny snowmobiles.” John’s jaw dropped open several times. I showed him the new factory where they were making the large fibre glass Hudson Bay Canoes which they sold to the Japanese fishermen for their ocean voyages, etc., etc. That night I took this former 1960’s, 70’s and early 80’s government Minister to Church. When Billy Diamond made the call to receive Jesus as Saviour and make Him Lord, the first one at the altar was the Hon. John Munroe. John was struggling with difficult issues in his own life at the time. All the members of the Band council gathered around him, laying their hands on him and welcoming him into the new life in Christ, which had transformed their lives and the entire community.

I was the preacher at John’s funeral several years ago now. “Who’s Who” of the Liberal Party filled the front pews. I told this story! Prime Minister Jean Chretien honoured John by naming the Hamilton, Ontario, airport “The John C. Monroe International Airport.” Grand Chief Diamond acknowledged boldly everywhere he went that “Jesus is my Chief!” Billy would call me regularly. He always had a quote for me from “the Word of God,” the source of his wisdom! I’m confident that John and Billy are there now in the immediate presence of the God they served and loved.

Yours for the glory of the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Billy and John! Some of those in God’s Who’s Who books!

David

P.S. Sorry… I couldn’t begin to tell that story in 100 words…

Billy Diamond was the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees in Quebec from 1974-1984. He also was Founder of Air Creebec. He went to be with his Lord on September 30, 2010.

The view of Athens from the Acropolis towards the southwest. The Saronic Gulf of the Mediterranean Sea can be seen in the distance. Under the shadow of the Acropolis where the ruins of the Parthenon sits, the Apostle Paul spoke on Mars Hill. There he declared to the Athenian parliamentarians the same Jesus that transformed a Northern Quebec community, its leaders, and also the heart of a former federal Minister of Indian Affairs. Read Acts 17:16-34.