Thursday, September 14, 2017

DESTROYED FOUNDATIONS

Today’s Reading: Psalms 11-14

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

 

Priene was an ancient Greek holy city located just to the north of Miletus in western Turkey. The picturesque ruins include several columns of the Temple of Athena, much of the city wall, and a well-preserved theatre and a council chamber. Priene is not mentioned in the Bible, but it is likely that the early Christians of Miletus (Acts 20:16) had contact with the city. Priene had a substantial Christian community during the Byzantine period.

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

 

Key Verse: Psalm 11:3-4a

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven…

 

Our key verse applies to our time! There are those who are taking jack hammers and bulldozers to the foundations of moral standards laid down over the centuries. The word “if” leaves room for the possibility of saving the values on which western civilization is built. What confidence we have in the fact that God is still on His throne! Let us never forget that God works through His people to change the world. Through the proclamation of the Person and work of Jesus Christ, and through our prayers, our witness, our giving, and our leadership, God is in the process of strengthening the foundations, so that He can continue to build His Church through us in a stronger way than ever! The Carpenter of Nazareth, the One with the calloused hands of a creative working Man, is doing as He promised, “I will build My Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”!!! (Matthew 16:18b).

There are four Psalms here – A B C – Satan’s strategy to destroy the foundations: (A) Attack! (Psalm 11); (B) Believers back off! (Psalm 12) – Satan will never be able to destroy God’s promise of success, Jesus’ Church! And (C) a Cry from believers will bring the happy ending of the closing verses of Psalms 13 & 14! Let us cry out to God now! “How long! How long! How long! How long!” Four times these words are the cry of the Shepherd King.

Well… what are we waiting for blog partners!!! Let’s just do it!!!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray the prayer written by David and presented to the chief musician, “Consider and hear me, O Lord my God!!!” You have promised to hear and answer “yes” to the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man or woman (James 5:16b). I come before You, as the hymn says, “Dressed in His (Jesus’) righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne!!!!” Amen!!!! For a New Testament reading today, we may want to (click here) read the entire chapter of James 5.

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As I type this I’m thinking about Pastors who have greatly blessed the Crossroads ministry. Rev. Albert Vaters is one of them.  Albert’s father, Rev. Eugene Vaters, has a high school named after him in St. John’s, Newfoundland. His Mom and Dad were among the very first supporters of Crossroads Christian Communications in Canada years ago. When his Dad passed on, Albert found cheques made out to Crossroads, dated for the months ahead. It brings tears to my eyes to think of the faithful people who have given and given to make this ministry possible! Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when Albert was Pastor of Stone Church in downtown Toronto, he also served as Chairman of our Board. Then God called him to Pastor a great church in California. When Albert’s Dad was called to higher service above, his Mom moved into a seniors complex at Clark’s Beach, Conception Bay, Newfoundland. For years, every time I was in Newfoundland, I never failed to visit her. What a mighty woman of prayer! She’s in that great prayer meeting before God’s Throne in Heaven now. I would kneel in front of her chair and she would lay hands on me and pray a fervent prayer.

From time to time I still visit God’s saints, kneel in God’s Presence, and I am the most blessed man ever! As the last verse of Psalm 13 says, “He has dealt bountifully with me.”

Yours on behalf of all of us who are expecting God’s bounty,

David

P.S. My son Reynold (whose birthday is today… Happy Birthday, my son!) shot a video of me talking about the genesis of this daily blog. We put it on the 100words.ca website in the “About 100words” section (click here). As you encourage others to follow along with us, please share this link with them!

P.P.S. Below is a photo of our chapel at the Crossroads Centre in Burlington, Ontario. The pews in the chapel came to us as a result of the renovation of The Stone Church in Toronto, where Albert Vaters was pastor during his years as our Crossroads Board Chairman.

20 thoughts on “Thursday, September 14, 2017

  1. Happy Birthday Reynold, thank you for the beautiful pictures that we enjoy every morning.
    Thank you Pastor David for putting the video on, I am praising The Lord that you are still doing the blog every morning I didn’t realize it is now five years. The Lord is good and His mercies endure forever. Eleanor M.

  2. Happy Birthday Reynold! We are so very blessed by your pictures that are a wonderful addition to this daily blog. Thank you, and blessings on your special day!

  3. Have not missed a day since the first blog. So appreciative of the photography, the prayer each day, & the “100 Words”!!? Also the blog responses & music. Happy BD Reynold (years went by so quickly)!! I am having some troubling heart issues just now & am asking the Lord to strengthen me – so much to do for Him & family & friends. Thanks all.

    • God bless you Doreen for your faithfulness to this blog!
      Lord bless this precious child of Yours; she is experiencing some heart issues; we pray dear Lord that You would “TOUCH” her heart and bring complete healing to this organ! We love you Lord; You have touched all our hearts; we thank you dear Lord for bringing complete healing to Doreen; complete healing from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet! We pray for healing of her liver, kidneys, gall bladder and all other organs that we have inside us; organs that You gave us; Thank you Lord, in Jesus Name we Pray amen

  4. Happy Birthday Reynold and yes thank you for the beautiful pictures.
    Thank you David for your faithfulness at getting up every morning at 4am to share God’s word. I like the thought of God’s vitamins for the day.

    • Amen, yes thank you Pastor David for this daily blog…this is my 2nd year with you and I thank you for the blessing I receive daily through it!

  5. Yes, Happy Birthday Reynold and thank you for the photos; such a wonderful addition to this blog. Your work will be rewarded; the effort to take these photos and your work in Uganda. I should say it is being rewarded. And thank you Pastor David for your faithfulness every day. Your work is also being rewarded. Amen!

  6. Happy Birthday to Reynold !Thanks for all your pics.

    and thank you David.(I shared your link on my FB as I often do.)The young Mountie killed Tuesday was a friend/acquaintance of mine.My closest friend and he were very close and neighbours.He was the kind of guy the papers say he was.You liked him instantly.He was a member of the Defenders motorcycle club in Amherst.We rode together a few times.Please pray for his wife and loved ones.
    FYI:I’m just beginning my 3rd trip through the bible via 100 Words.(I inadvertently unsubscribed myself a couple yr ago and could not resubscribe for about a year.I continued though with a link on my toolbar which I still do.)God bless

    • bless the Mountie and his family! Lord You have our lives laid out for Your Will to be done! We don’t understand it at all! All we can do is come to You; thank you for Your grace and mercy and we ask that You would bless this family that are grieving the loss of a husband;dad, co-worker, son, grandson, nephew;friend!
      help us Lord to continue to worship You as our Lord and Saviour! amen

  7. Happy Birthday, Reynold! We so appreciate your beautiful photos that correspond with our readings. Thanks for the link, David, discussing the origination of the blog and God’s call on you to rise at 4 am, daily. Indeed, His vitamins and nutrients in scripture are what we need to start each day and finish on our knees in prayer. God’s blessings fellow saints in the Lord.

    “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1 NIV

    Behold (Then Sings My Soul) – Hillsong Worship
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9UB5U7kSec

  8. Happy Birthday Reynold. I share this day with you and God has been good.
    I have so much to be thankful for.
    I miss you and Cathy on TV but know God is using you both in another way..
    God’s Blessing.

  9. PRAISE AND THANK THE LORD I was just given some tomatoes from my neighbour! He grows them! What a wonderful surprise and thanks be to God! I pray that God will bless Pat and Kathy!
    Thank you Lord! Thank You! IN Jesus Name we Pray amen

  10. Happy Birthday Reynold…

    I am glad that your Heavenly Abba saw it fitting to give you such a fine “earth daddy” too! Tell him I was very happy to receive his autographed copy of his last book “Journey Into Joy”. It will be a lasting keepsake…
    Eat some cake and sing some praises. I’m glad we have you with us!
    Love and Best blessings, joy

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