GOD SPEAKS

Today’s Reading: Exodus 5-6

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 Temple of Edfu is located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BC. The statue in the foreground is known as “The Lord of Darkness.” Satan desired all to worship him. He is known in Scripture as “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). We recognize that this statue is just a chunk of stone. We worship the LORD GOD, THE GREAT I AM, THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!

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

Key Verse: Exodus 6:2

And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord.”

In yesterday’s reading, Exodus 3 & 4, God said His Name is “I Am.” Now He adds greater insight into His Eternal Being. He is “the Lord.” The original Hebrew, in its English form, is “Jehovah.” This means “self existent or eternal.” Translated as “Lord,” this word is found over 10,000 times in the Bible. I have in front of me Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, a book about three inches thick. In this computer savvy generation, you can click here and access an online concordance to find where every word that comes to mind appears in the Bible. The Bible is the “Word of God.” That does not indicate that God spoke every word. It does inform us that God supervised the writing of every word in the original languages over a 1,500-year period of time by various people so that what God wanted written was done as He wanted it done. God speaks and introduces Himself to us. Isn’t that great!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I worship You, and as Jesus said, I am to love You with “all my heart, my soul, and my mind” (Matthew 22:37-38). You would not have commanded me to do this without giving the grace to me so that I could obey You. I pray and believe for that grace now, Lord God. In the Name of the One who loved You completely, Father God, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I am at a loss to express adequately with my heart, soul and mind the infinite greatness of the Lord God. The magnificent anthem, “How Great Thou Art” is a wonderful expression of awe toward God. When this blog is posted, I plan to look up the words of that song and sing them. My son-in-law, Bruce Stacey, came close to expressing fully how I feel in his composition called, The Scroll. This work has been the centrepiece of “The Pavilion of Promise” at three World Expos, Vancouver ’86, Brisbane ’88 and Seville ’92.  I’m asking Ron to add to this a link to the great words and music to which I’ve referred and also the simplest way for you to support Crossroads. Together we can make that “Name” known in a greater way than ever.

Yours for the Glory of the Lord God Jehovah, the Great, “I am,”

David

P.S. I could go on at length about the ways God has used The Scroll. Here’s just one mighty occasion: When the city of Leningrad, Russia, changed its name from honouring the atheist Lenin back to its original Christian name, “St. Petersburg,” they wanted a modern musical work as part of their celebration to be performed in their most famous theatre. You guessed it, they chose a Russian translation of The Scroll for repeated performances. The “Great I Am” was glorified! O.K. Ron, how will you connect our readers to those anthems?…

From Ron: OK, Dad, I’m on it!… First, let me give you the simplest ways to respond with a donation to help the ongoing mission of Crossroads…you can call 1-800-265-3100 (during business hours) or you can give online by clicking here.

Dad referred to the hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” so here’s a link to the words for you (and Dad)…click here to read them. And let me also include a link to an old video from 1961 of George Beverly Shea singing “How Great Thou Art” at a Billy Graham Crusade…click here to watch it.

Also, below are the lyrics to one of the songs from The Scroll musical by Bruce W. Stacey, referring to “The Great I Am”…

Worthy Is The Son

NARRATION: “A great quiet fell upon all of heaven and earth as the Son returned and appeared at the right hand of the Father. Taking the scroll from the Great I Am, He held it out for all to see. Holding it high above the throne, He broke the seven seals, releasing the Great I Am’s final judgment on all evil and wickedness. All of heaven and earth fell upon their knees and worshipped the King and the Son…the Great I Am.”

SONG: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because You were slain

And with Your blood You purchased men for God

From every tribe and nation

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God

And they will reign on the earth

Worthy, worthy is the Son who was slain, who was slain

Worthy, worthy is the Son who was slain, who was slain

To receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength,

honor and glory and praise

Alleluia! We praise the King, the Great I Am

We worship You

Alleluia, we worship You, Most High

Bruce W. Stacey, The Scroll, 1981

PLEASE SEND SOMEONE ELSE

Today’s Reading: Exodus 3-4

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).

An image of Pharaoh and his story in Hieroglyphics. The lives of the people of Egypt and those of Israel were intertwined for 400 years.

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

Key Verse: Exodus 4:13

But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

Moses was 40 when he tried to protect his people with his own strength, killing the Egyptian who was cruel to the Hebrew workers. Now he’s 80. Instead of living as a son of the royal household of Egypt, he’s had 40 more years as a shepherd, working for his Father-in-law and raising a family. Is he ready to lead in the deliverance of the Children of Israel from slavery? According to God, “Yes.” According to Moses, “No.” Just think of all God has done to prepare Moses. There was the miraculous rescue by Pharaoh’s daughter; his Hebrew early childhood education in his parents’ home; his ongoing education in the palace in all the ways of the Egyptians; the supernatural revelation of the burning bush; the signs he asked for; the Name of God given to him, “I am that I am;” and now he still doesn’t think he’s up to the job. When God calls us, there is only one acceptable answer, “YES, LORD.” Today, let us go through the doors God opens. Failure to do so will displease God, as was recorded of Moses in Exodus 4:14.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, here I am by Your grace. May I never try to do Your work on my own. I need You desperately. I praise You for the ways in which You’ve prepared me for today’s challenges. Let’s go forward. I pray this in the Name of Jesus who obeyed You 100%. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Back in the early 1970’s at our family altar, my son Reynold, our blog photographer, prayed night after night for at least 2 weeks, “O God, please help Daddy to help those poor children in India.” Somehow his heart had been touched by their need. I would mumble under my breath something like this, “Lord, I’ve got enough to do, please send someone else.” I was awakened in the middle of the night by a very insistent telephone ringing over and over. Finally, I got up, went downstairs to the phone, and gave a half-awake grumpy “Hello.” The voice on the other end said, “David, it’s Mark Buntain in Calcutta. I’ve got 800 children to feed and school, and I’ve just received a cable message that we’ve been cut off from our funding. Can you help me?” Within a month, we had raised over the weekly Crossroads Telecast sponsors for over 1,000 children, raised the monthly amount Mark received per child, and turned the sponsors over to the organization with the lowest operational overhead costs at the time, World Vision of Canada. That experience introduced World Vision to the effectiveness of using TV to raise child sponsorships.

Yours for obedience to God’s call,

David

P.S. Over 40 years have passed since God answered Reynold’s prayers to help the children in India. He and his wife Kathy are in Africa where God has called them to teach and encourage biblical unity between followers of Jesus from various church denominations and tribes…to see people move from stranger to friend and friend to family, and also to see them bring transformation to their communities (click here for a video report on their World Embrace ministry website). Also, please encourage them by sending them a message through their contact page HERE.

GOD REMEMBERED

Today’s Reading: Exodus 1-2

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).

This large Egyptian temple overlooks the Nile River.

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

Key Verse: Exodus 2:24

So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Here we are in Exodus, the book of departure which starts with the word “Now.” On July 23rd we completed Genesis with the key verse being God’s promise (Genesis 49:10), which was consistent with His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Fast forward to “Now,” approximately 400 years later. Israel now numbers at perhaps 2,000,000 people. “God remembered” does not infer that God forgot. Of course, He forgets nothing. It does highlight the timing of God. In His dealings with Israel and with us, there are unique times when God moves to bring about His will. Moses makes his appearance in God’s time. The enemy of God’s purposes tried to kill Moses in a sweeping decision to kill all the boy babies. That enemy did the same through King Herod to try to kill Jesus. Let us remember that God will fulfill His plan in His time regardless of the opposition.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father God, Thank You for Your timing in bringing about Your plan for Israel. You’ve made hundreds of promises recorded in Scripture which I can claim for my people and for me personally. I stand today on Jeremiah 29:11-13. You promised, “a future and a hope.” You promised, “then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” You give me such great encouragement. Thank You! I receive Your blessings and Your timing. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

In Exodus 2:23, the Children of Israel “cried out” to God. This was a groaning for God’s intervention. Because of my parents’ years as missionaries in the Middle East, Egypt in particular, and my first cousin’s former position at the University of Toronto as Head of Middle East Studies, I took great interest in the “Camp David Accords.” This was an agreement that was negotiated in 1978 and signed in 1979 by President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Prime Minister Begin of Israel, and President Carter of the U.S.A. (see photo below). The first night that they were at Camp David, I could not sleep. Around midnight I began to cry out to God for His purposes to be fulfilled. I can only describe what happened to me as the most intense intercessory cry to God I had ever experienced. God answered my prayer and the prayers of many others. On the White House Lawn they announced that they (from three different religions) had prayed to the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” and the rest is history. Sadat was assasinated, but, by the grace of God, I had the opportunity of sharing my experience of that night with both Begin and Carter…Begin at his home in Jerusalem and Carter on a “Habitat for Humanity” building site in Kitchener, Ontario. Sorry! I’m well over 100 words. I’m finding the commitment to keep to 100 words in each section a big challenge, but I’ll keep trying.

Yours to help us all to take God’s promises most seriously, because He remembers,

David

President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Prime Minister Begin of Israel, and President Carter of the U.S.A…after signing the historic peace treaty of the Camp David Accords in 1979.

HE IS RISEN!

Today’s Reading: Mark 16

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).

Many believe that it was inside this “Garden Tomb” in Jerusalem that Jesus’ body was laid. This tomb was originally made for a shorter man, perhaps Joseph of Arimathea, but as you can see on the right, the end was dug out to fit a taller man’s body.

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

Key Verse: Mark 16:15

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

It’s a fact! Jesus is literally and physically risen from the dead and is alive forevermore. This is the cornerstone of the Church. According to Dr. Paul Maier, Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, this is the most reliable truth from the first century in terms of documentation and is the reason for the exceedingly rapid growth of the Church. Prior to Jesus’ death, except for the time He sent out His followers on a practice run (Luke 10), He carried the ministry of the Word and the Holy Spirit Himself. The miraculous confirmation of the Word with miracles following was a normal occurrence. Now, Jesus passes the mission on to you and me, His followers. He commissions us to “GO!” When an imperative in grammar is spoken or written, the “YOU” is said to be “UNDERSTOOD.” Do we really understand? I pray that the answer in “YES!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I hear You “Loud and Clear.” By Your grace and my obedience, I am obeying Your command to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” I’m going in my  intercessory prayers, in my sacrificial giving of money, and in time. I say with Isaiah, as I read in Isaiah 6:1-8, “Here am I, send me.” In Your all-powerful Name, Jesus Christ, I pray. AMEN!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

This coming weekend, Norma-Jean and I celebrate our Birthdays. She’ll be 77 on the 14th and I’ll be 80 on the 13th. Our new Crossroads President and CEO, Lorna Dueck, is planning a 100 Huntley Street birthday celebration on TV during our regular times on Friday, August 12th. Please join me in prayer that in spite of the nature of the event, Jesus will be front and centre. Culture and the communications media have dramatically changed since we started on TV. Norma-Jean was 22 and I was 25. Several Crossroads supporters have told me that they believe God has spoken to them that the television ministry is being given “NEW Wineskins” (click here for Jesus’ Words on wineskins). Our beloved Lorna is called by God to fill the new containers, pouring the wine of God’s Word, Presence and Power into millions of precious lives.

Yours for “ALL THE WORLD!”

David

P.S. Please keep Crossroads in prayer, and if God should lead you to help out financially, please call with your support at 1-800-265-3100 or give online by clicking HERE. God bless you!

“WELCOME” – GOD

Today’s Reading: Mark 15

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).

Here, I (Reynold) placed my Bible, open to Mark chapter 15, on the actual paving stones that Jesus would have walked on while carrying His cross. Through the centuries the city has been built up over the road, but the original stones can be seen in the lower area of the Sisters of Sion Convent.

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

Key Verse: Mark 15:38

Then the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

In our readings over the next few weeks, we will visit the books of Exodus and Leviticus. The origins of the “veil” are in these books. The “veil” was a symbol of the separation between a holy, all-powerful God and His sinful, weak people. Entrance to the Holy of Holies was restricted to once a year, when the High Priest would go beyond the veil to make atonement for the sins of the people. When Jesus died, the veil was torn open from top to bottom – from God to man – by an act of God. As a result, we can “COME BOLDLY BEFORE THE THRONE OF GRACE” (Hebrews 4:16). The Holy of Holies stood open, an invitation to all to approach the Throne of God through the blood of Jesus which He, as our High Priest, sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in Heaven. Please find the time today to read Hebrews chapters 9 & 10. Our minds will be illuminated and our hearts moved by a greater understanding of what happened in Heaven at the moment Jesus died here on earth.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear Heavenly Father, because of the torn veil, Jesus’ body, I come boldly into Your immediate Presence. Jesus’ death has made this possible. This is the greatest honour I could ever have. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! I’m not asking for anything. I’m filled with awe as I soak in Your Presence. Amen! and Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

The photograph for today of “Gabatha,” the paving stones which formed the floor of the Roman Governor’s courtyard, bring a special memory to me. Norma-Jean and I first walked on these stones in 1968. Our guide for the convent was a Nun who was quite cold and distant. The next time we came, the same Sister was radiant and began to sing while standing on those stones, “He is Lord. He is Lord. He is risen from the dead and He is Lord.” I said to her, “What has happened to you? The last time we were here you were very formal, but you’ve changed.” She replied, “Oh, I know Him now.” There was a charismatic prayer meeting weekly for those who lived on the Via Dolorosa, and she had been born again and baptized with the Holy Spirit, speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave her utterance (John 3:3-5 and Acts 2:4). An encounter with the Holy Spirit changes everything.

Yours for living in the immediate Presence of God,

David

INTENTIONS

Today’s Reading: Mark 14

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).

On the other side of this security fence is the region of the ancient town of Bethany. The fence was constructed in 2003 to protect Jerusalem from attacks from terrorists. This view is from Bethpage on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives.

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

Key Verse: Mark 14:29

Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

The INTENTIONS of JESUS were clearly revealed in His declaration that the Bread and the Cup were His Body and His Blood. His suffering and death in our place was about to take place. Nothing could turn Jesus away from this. On the other hand, there was Peter. His INTENTIONS were great, but his actions were so very human. In the courtyard of the High Priest, Peter could not stand up to the waitresses who identified him with Jesus (Mark 14:71-72). The Bible is totally honest. Peter was a man of God who became one of the leaders of the early Church. His example shows us that it is impossible to follow Jesus in our own strength. Oh, how we need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Fifty days later, after the Holy Spirit filled them on the Day of Pentecost, Peter was boldly proclaming Jesus on the streets of Jerusalem. That day, approximately 3,000 people became believers (Acts 2:41). The Holy Spirit enabled him to carry out his INTENTIONS!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, John the Baptist said of You, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11b). I need You, Lord Jesus, to baptize me now. I ask You for Your Power to come upon me (Acts 2:4). I wait in Your Presence, expecting the same outpouring of Your Spirit as on Peter and the others throughout the history of the Church.Thank You, Jesus! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I identify with Peter. Before Jesus baptized me with the Holy Spirit, I found it nearly impossible to stand before people to share Jesus. After, I was amazed at how bold I was. I preached on the street, on radio and on television. I saw open doors of opportunity everywhere. I was very aware that Peter had spent three years being taught by Jesus, Himself, and before that no doubt he had studied the Scriptures for years in the synagogue with the guidance of a rabbi. I surely needed Bible College studies. I started with a correspondence course and then enrolled in Eastern Pentecostal Bible College in Peterborough, Ontario (now Master’s College and Seminary). For me, a thorough knowledge of God’s Word and the Power of the Holy Spirit made all the difference. What a joy to serve the Lord Jesus Christ!

Yours for effectively sharing the Word of God in the Power of the Holy Spirit, the only way to effectively implement His INTENTIONS,

David

WATCH

Today’s Reading: Mark 13

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).

Nazareth Village is a unique place where visitors experience life in the first century. Pictured above is a synagogue as it may have looked at the time when Jesus read prophetic words about Himself from the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:16-20).

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

Key Verse: Mark 13:35-37

Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!

The destruction of the Temple happened in 70 A.D. We are still living in the times predicted by the Son of God who was also the greatest Prophet. The fig tree, the symbol of Israel as a nation, has been given new life. Never before in human history has an ancient nation been reborn with their own territory, and never before has a dead language been fully restored (Hebrew). What is the core message of today’s reading? JESUS IS COMING AGAIN SOON! Most people live their lives oblivious to this fact. Over 500 references to His coming in power and glory are in the Bible. If we lived in the continuous awareness of His coming, how different our lives would be!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I praise You for the truth of Your soon return. Please give me the alertness to be constantly watching for Your coming. May my life, my witness for You, my finances, and my deeds be pleasing in Your sight, so that I will not be ashamed at the moment of Your return. I pray this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I heard a preacher say, “Who will be taken up with Jesus when He comes? Answer: Those who are taken up with Him now!” My wife, Norma-Jean, tries to make sure that I don’t get distracted by the daily pressures of life, forgetting that Jesus could return at any second. I think she averages at least once a day saying, “David, Jesus is coming soon.” It’s her way of keeping me on the “straight and narrow,” I think. In turn, I remind her of the same. I’m looking out the window to the east as I type this. The stars that I saw earlier have disappeared, and our star, the sun, has cast a pre-dawn light across the sky. I’m deeply moved to think that Jesus could come today. One of my main intentions in doing this blog is to help keep all who join me from sleeping spiritually. It’s time to “rise and shine!”

Yours in keen anticipation of His soon return,

David

THE WORD AND THE POWER

Today’s Reading: Mark 12

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).

Through a passage off the north side of the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) of the platform on which the Temples of Solomon, Ezra and Herod were built, is a collection of Jewish holy books. This man is reading an ancient scroll protected by glass. A Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah or Pentateuch, the holiest book within Judaism. It must meet extremely strict standards of reproduction. Written entirely in Hebrew, a sefer Torah contains 304,805 letters, all of which must be duplicated precisely by a trained sofer or scribe. This is an effort which may take as long as 18 months.

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

Key Verse: Mark 12:24

Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?…”

Jesus taught that we learn about God by knowing both the Scriptures and the Power of God. There are those who concern themselves with one or the other, and who fail to have both the Word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit in a balanced Christian life. Failure to give attention to both will produce a lopsided and ineffective believer. Therefore, we should take quality time reading God’s Word in a systematic way (this blog will help), and after we’ve heard from God, take time to pray fervently for the infilling of the Holy Spirit for the new day of service. This chapter begins with the parable of those who were unwilling to recognize the servants that the owner of the vineyard had sent to them. With a diligent effort to balance the head and the heart with Scripture and the experience of God’s Spirit, we will not fall into error or fanaticism.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father God, Your Son and our Saviour showed us how a Christian should live in balance. May He live fully in me so that Your Word and Your Spirit will produce daily the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a balanced way (Gal. 5:22-25 and 1 Cor. 12:4-11). I pray this through the Person of Jesus Christ, in whom I live. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Before I write this blog, I know that in order to communicate as I should, I must spend time reading God’s Word, meditating on that Word, and an equal time in prayer. I try to spend the same amount of time on my personal devotions as I do writing these words. This discipline goes back to my earliest days in witnessing for Jesus. I really messed up a great opportunity to win a man for Christ by a lack of wisdom (“He that wins souls is wise” Proverbs 11:30), and a failure to keep filled with the Holy Spirit. I watched this man turn away from God. I cried out to God in my private time and was taught the reason for my failure…the lesson of today’s blog. One other lesson from today’s reading: When God counts the amount of our giving of offerings to Him, He counts the size of our gift by how much we have left over after we’ve given, not the actual cash value of our gift. Think about it the next time you give.

Yours for both the Scriptures and the Power of God,

David

FORGIVENESS

Today’s Reading: Mark 11

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).

These steps at the southern entrance of the Temple Mount once led into the Court of the Gentiles. You can still see the Triple Gate archways that were bricked over. These main gates to the Temple were called the Hulda Gates. An impressive staircase was added to enable the thousands of pilgrims to walk into the Temple.

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

Key Verse: Mark 11:26

…But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

In the first 10 verses, Jesus meticulously fulfills prophecy (Zechariah 9:9 & Psalm 118:26). He then follows up by communicating His authority over nature, the fig tree, and over the activities surrounding the worship of God in the Temple. Mark concludes this chapter by quoting the religious leaders saying, “We do not know” (verse 33). Their biggest concern seemed to be the politics of the day. The core message of this passage concerns FORGIVENESS. This has eternal importance for each of us. Unforgiveness blocks the forgiveness we all need from God. Jesus warns us in a most forceful way. This is one truth that we MUST RECEIVE and ACT UPON TODAY! (How about every day?)

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I ask for grace to forgive others and the grace to accept the forgiveness offered to me by others. Having done this, I am confident that as I ask for Your forgiveness for my sins against You, Lord God, You forgive me. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I can’t help but refer again to my minister Dad. He described some religious leaders of Jesus’ day, and often today also, with this couplet: “They wobble in and wobble out, and leave the people all in doubt.” The “we do not know” answer to a question about the great prophet John the Baptist is not acceptable. Immediately after our marriage (almost 58 years ago), Norma-Jean and I accepted the call to pastor a congregation in Brighton, Ontario. We had lots of sports for our youth, and it came to my ears that a neighbouring pastor had called our Church, “The Brighton Sports Centre.” I was hurt by this and to my shame I nursed a grudge until the Holy Spirit pushed me to go to this pastor and to ask his forgiveness for not forgiving him. He didn’t even know that I knew what he had said. I was forgiven, but, as far as I knew, he continued to believe that sports were not right for the activities of a pastor and church. I had to let it go. Nevertheless, several teenagers came to know Jesus as a direct result of the friendships developed through sports.

Yours because of “forgiveness,”

David

POSSIBILITIES

Today’s Reading: Mark 10

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 Jordan River is 251 kilometres (156 miles) long and flows from the Galilee (approximately 600 ft below Sea Level) south to the Dead Sea (approximately 1,300 feet below Sea Level). Currently, the river serves as the eastern border of Israel and the Palestinian Authority West Bank. On the east of Jordan’s waters is the Kingdom of Jordan.

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

Key Verse: Mark 10:27

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

God has established humanly impossible standards. Why? Because He desires that we will learn that “with God all things are possible.” We can’t reach those standards on our own. “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Jesus is the perfect manifestation of the Glory of God (please read John 1:14). In His response to the rich young ruler, Jesus establishes God’s standard. Our possessions must never become more important than our obedience. This young person found it impossible to surrender his wealth for the sake of Jesus. Notice two insights into this story: (1) Jesus loved this man. (2) The youth was truly sorry that he found it impossible to obey Jesus. Perhaps after Jesus’ death, resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower people, and the establishment of the Church, this man was among those who gave away their possessions for the sake of Christ (Acts 2:45). We don’t know, but remember, “with God all things are possible!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear Lord Jesus, I can’t follow You on my own. Therefore, I’m asking for special grace every day. With Your presence and power, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

When my great-grandson, Myles Neilson, was four years old, he announced to me that he would never kill an animal. I said, “What if a lion was about to eat you and you had a gun…would you shoot the lion?” He thought about it and said, “No. I would raise my hands and say, ‘Stop!’ and God would tell him to stop!” He paused again and then said, “Well, maybe lions don’t listen to God very well.” This gave me the opportunity to tell him the story of Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6). In verses 13 to 16 of today’s reading, Jesus gives a profound truth about children. I have learned much from children. Once, I’m sure I heard God’s still small voice speak to me saying, “David, you’ve become far too sophisticated. Be childlike as you once were, and you’ll see many more of My mighty works than you do now.”

Yours from a childlike heart,

David