Tuesday, March 21, 2017

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THE MANY AND THE FEW

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 14

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 an Akkadian cuneiform writing clay tablet piece and is the oldest document to mention Jerusalem. It was discovered in the south wall area of the Old City of Jerusalem and is dated at 14th century BC.

 

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

 

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 14:6b

For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.

As King Saul’s son, Jonathan had probably learned from observing the interaction between his father and the prophet Samuel. Our children often learn more from being in our presence, and in the presence of our visitors, than from our efforts at direct teaching. Obviously Jonathan had come to believe in God and in His power to equip a man for victory in battle. By just two brave men, the rout of the enemy of Israel began and confusion reigned in the ranks of the Philistines. Jonathan seemed to have more common sense than his father. Saul’s foolish edict to not eat robbed the men of the energy they needed, and resulted in the eating of blood forbidden by Moses’ Law. There are those in our day who burden God’s people in ways that rob us of spiritual vitality, rather than encouraging us to partake of the “honey” that God has provided. This has been particularly true when it comes to man-made prohibitions regarding the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who teach that the experience of the first believers, as recorded in the book of Acts, is not for today and prohibit the exercise of the Gifts of the Spirit have done serious damage to God’s plan for His Church. Go ahead, have some honey! Be refreshed today by the life-giving sweetness found in God’s Word and in the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Victory is ours!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, as I read these words and pause often to worship You, I’m conscious that I’m partaking of the sweetness of Your provision for me. Like Jonathan, my countenance has brightened. I pray that this energy level will continue in order that I may “fight the good fight of faith,” as I read in 1 Timothy 6:11-16. In Jesus’ conquering Name I pray, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

In selecting the key verse for today, I thought of God’s provision over the years for the financial well-being of the Crossroads ministry. Sometimes God has used the many and sometimes the few. Without the participation of thousands of precious partners, this ministry, that has brought many to a saving knowledge of Jesus, would have shut down years ago. But the Lord has also used the few. Our former bank manager at the TD bank in downtown Toronto (gone to be with the Lord in Heaven now) knew our need the day that our lighting package for the new TV production studios arrived. I needed cash in order to have the shipment released. A line of credit had not been authorized. One of the “few,” whose name I do not know, sent through $50,000 directly to the bank, telling the manager that he could arrange a charitable giving receipt, but that I was not to know who it was that gave this money. The only information I was given was that it was someone from Ottawa who did not know of the need to pay for the shipment that very day but felt led of God to transfer the money. There are few who could give such a gift. Perhaps you are one of the few. We should perhaps read on in 1Timothy 6:17-19. One thing I’ve learned is that God uses BOTH the MANY and the FEW to support His work. When we sold the farm in which Norma-Jean, my wife, was born, we got to be one of “the few” one time, but every month we are one of “the many” that keep the ministry winning spiritual battles every day. That monthly offering, and the offerings of many more, are absolutely essential to the great cause to which God has called Crossroads. More of “the few” and more of “the many” would also be a big help right now. God is leading the Ministry in new initiatives for the Gospel that need us all to take up the challenge of giving sacrificially. The funds are not just sitting there in the bank doing nothing for Jesus! Crossroads continues to be a faith ministry. Please pray asking God for His instructions (click here for giving instructions).

Yours to encourage us all to be “the many” and some of us to be “the few,”

David

P.S. My granddaughter Elena has a beautiful baby girl who just turned two years old (a photo of Chelsea is below). A few years back, 100 Huntley Street did a feature on the amazing story of how Bruce & Elaine Stacey adopted Elena and her brother Alex from an orphanage in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Click here for the video.

Our great-granddaughter, Chelsea Gilmour, and her birthday buddy!

18 thoughts on “Tuesday, March 21, 2017”

  1. Happy 2nd birthday, little Chelsea! What a wonderful photo of you and your friend! 🙂 Thanks for the video, David, and divine love from Elaine and Bruce! Yes, I will be giving in a new way to Crossroads as I have been praying to do so and encourage others to do the same. Blessings fellow saints in the Lord.

    Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
    Psalm 37:5 ESV

    Michael W Smith – Forever God is Faithful w/lyrics
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSM96OA39ic

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  2. Happy Birthday Chelsea! My mother turned 96 yesterday!! Thank you Pastor David for all you do for us. I so enjoy the links and photos of your family and past interviews with great guests through the years. You are family to us, you and all the wonderful hosts you have had through the years. I was very blessed to watch the clip of your adopted grandchildren from Russia. The prayer line has been a lifeline to me more than once! I so appreciate that the prayer line was there when I needed someone to pray with me. I am glad I could make a donation today. Beverlee – I just sang along with Michael W Smith, thank you! This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!

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  3. Yes, so enjoyed the blog today Pastor David. Happy Birthday Chelsea. Children are so precious and I have had the joy of discovering some in my family in ON that have not been in close contact since one of my brothers passed. In fact his birthday would be today. Please pray for a minister who is having heart surgery today in ON. Will keep 100 Huntley St. in my prayers and giving. God bless you Mary as you are undergoing some challenges in life with God’s help. God bless you saints!

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  4. Pastor David, the spirit of God is wonderfully revealed in your teaching again today! But please allow me to draw in Monday’s key phrase, A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART…because it pierced my heart so powerfully! And loved you sharing the great passage from Holy Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9!!!! It’s profoundly impactful – always eliciting a genuinely strong emotional reaction of love and gratitude to God revealed by my Redeemer, Jesus Christ the author of experiences that skips intellect and lands straight on my heart. (And that’s why I share it a hundredfold!) As happens (gratefully) many times…living in relationship with Jesus…my cup runneth over when I reached Irene’s offering of Psalm 119-105 which was my Grandmother’s favourite Psalm (her name was ‘Irene’!). Pastor, echoing the key phrase, I feel compelled to share with you and this special community, David Dayler’s book, ‘Being a Man After God’s Own Heart’ that portrays 15 men, O.T. and N.T. who accomplish just that! And Pastor David Mainse is surely the post-modern era’s embodiment of: A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART! Very very often the responses of the saints to your teaching convicts my heart. Today, imitating the steadfast devotion, wisdom and compassion of Beverlee Kay (I’ve learned so much from you, too, over the years…bless you Beverlee Kay!). Consequently, imitating you, I am, today, giving in the manner God enlisting you, others from this community and myself! Heartening and exciting to see in action the God’s blessing over the Crossroads Ministry drawing from the “many” and praying for action from the “few” group! God reveals so much to David providing the Pastor with great insight and the language with which to explain God’s Will! Going to listen again to Michael W Smith – Forever God is Faithful, click on Beverlee Kay’s link 🙂 Oh! we just received news of a family member who received news of receiving healing from cancer! (Truly a miracle because it was a major organ!) Praise God in song again!

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  5. Together with you Pastor David, I’ve taken of the sweetness of God’s provision this morning…thanks for presenting this Word to us this day. God Bless you and strengthen you this day.

    God bless you Chelsea on this your 2nd birthday:)

    Have a blessed day all you saints.

    today is also my birthday…so good to be blessed in The Joy of the Lord!!

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  8. CELEBRATE CELEBRATE CELEBRATE THE PRAISE AND THANKFULNESS OF GOD
    HE PROVIDED ME WITH A VEHICLE THANK YOU LORD GOD

    YESTERDAY GOD INTERVENED
    I RECEIVED A CARD THAT THERE WAS A REGISTERED LETTER FOR ME TO SIGN FOR AT THE POST OFFICE
    ON MY WAY TO BIBLE STUDY I STOPPED AT THE POST OFFICE BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE LETTER WOULD BE AVAILABLE AFTER 4 P.M.
    OFF I WENT TO BIBLE STUDY BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT BEGAN TO TALK TO ME AND TOLD ME TO PHONE A NEIGHBOUR WHO IS HANDLING A DISPUTE REGARDING THE OWNERS AND THE TENANTS.
    I PHONED ANOTHER NEIGHBOUR AND HER FIRST WORDS WERE
    “don’t sign for it, we have all received a card today, do not sign for it,” “thank you Donna”
    I BEGAN TO SHAKE, GOD INTERVENED BY DELAYING THIS LETTER!
    ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU LORD, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS FOR ME!
    amen amen and amen

    PLEASE PRAY FOR A FINANCIAL BREAKTHROUGH TO COME TO ME I DESIRE TO CLEAR DEBTS, HELP FAMILY/FRIENDS/PURCHASE A NEWER 2ND VEHICLE, SELL THIS CAR AND DONATE FUNDS TO YOUTH GROUP, INVEST REST OF MONEY FOR A BETTER INCOME AND FIGURE OUT WHAT I NEED TO DO NEXT WITH GOD’S HELP!
    amen amen and amen

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  9. URGENT URGENT URGENT

    please pray for safety for my friend ET, dad acts up and is abusive, pray the Holy Spirit enters his heart to apologize to his daughter, and treat her with respect and enjoy the time left getting to know each other, in Jesus Name I Pray amen

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    • Lord Jesus I pray for your protective arms around ET, and for your intervention, on behalf of ET. Thank you Jesus, Amen!!

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