Sunday, May 22, 2016

WHY?

Today’s Reading: Revelation 15 

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

 

About 15 kilometres from ancient Laodicea is Pamukkale. Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year. The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of this white “castle” which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 metres (1,970 ft) wide and 160 metres (525 ft) high.

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

 

Key Verse: Revelation 15:4a

Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.

 

Jim and Kathy Cantelon write today’s 100 Words segment (originally published in Crossroads’ Day Unto Day devotional series)…

In chapters 15 and 16 we read about God’s wrath. This isn’t pleasant reading, and if we’ve thought of God only in terms of His love, these chapters can be disconcerting and even repellent. But we’ve got to understand something – Jesus didn’t come to earth merely to give us a good example, nor was His death at Calvary some sort of morality play. He didn’t come to make us better people. He came to make us new.

Why? Because God the Father is wholly pure, holy, and just. Sin offends Him – so much so that He has decreed that “the wages of sin is death.” All mankind have sinned, and all deserve death in His eyes – His justice demands it. But He is also love. He is not willing that any should perish; He loves the sinner and hates his sin. So what does He do?

God becomes one of us. His Son, Jesus, is born in Bethlehem, is raised in Nazareth, and for three years teaches all who will hear about the Kingdom of Heaven. He tells us what God is like, and He tells us to repent of sin. He takes the penalty of our sin upon Himself and dies on the Cross. Three days later He rises from the grave and issues in a whole new order of life that transcends death and enters the eternal. He becomes the “first fruits” of “them who shall also rise.”

He does all this to satisfy His justice so that man can have a second chance. But if we don’t accept His offer, we’ll suffer His anger. And “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). Revelation makes that very clear.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, Your creation of the natural world should be sufficient to cause me to fear You! May I give You at all times total respect! When I realize that You entered Your creation as a tiny life in the womb of the Virgin Mary, I am in complete awe of You. I am moved to pray the prayer of King David found in Psalm 51:1-13. Lord Jesus, You took upon Yourself my sin and the sins of the human family as the sacrificial Lamb. I confess my sin, and I ask for the assurance of forgiveness and cleansing from all sin. In Your Name I pray! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

The Apostle John served as the Overseer, or Bishop, of the Roman province of Asia Minor. Today this land is called Turkey. Norma-Jean and I travelled across Turkey with 150 friends, otherwise known as tourists. Actually we called ourselves Pilgrims, visiting cities such as Antioch, where people were first called Christians. I remember well the city of Tarsus, birthplace of the Apostle Paul and his home until he left to study in Jerusalem. At each stop, I would read the Scriptures about the place. Rev. Dale Lang, of Tabor Alberta, would make an application to our lives today, and Dr. Paul Maier, Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, would give the historical background. On one occasion we were at the ruins of the first century synagogue in Tarsus. Dr. Maier pointed to a rose bush growing out of the ruins and said with a straight face, “This is where Paul got his thorn.” As Jim mentioned above about today’s reading, “This isn’t pleasant reading.” I thought I’d share a time of hilarious laughter from our group there in Tarsus. Paul wrote of his “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Recently I met with a Pastor who is constantly in pain and yet he soldiers on. In my judgment he is one of the finest Bible teachers and preachers I’ve ever met. His name is Jay, and I want to ask you to pray for his healing. He said that he drew strength from the knowledge that Paul persevered. He quoted Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong!” I said that the Corinthian letters were some of Paul’s first letters to the churches he had planted, and that I like to believe that by the time Paul was executed by beheading in Rome, God had said, “Yes” to his prayers; and if the thorn was a physical problem, he was healed! By the grace of God I expect to ask many questions of the Lord, His Apostles, and others. The thorn question is on my list!

Yours for the attitude in our lives of Paul to the thorn and John toward his imprisonment on Patmos,

David

Pamukkale’s terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs. In this area, there are 17 hot water springs in which the temperature ranges from 35 °C (95 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F).

10 thoughts on “Sunday, May 22, 2016

  1. Dear Heavenly Father, I come before your throne of grace begging you to heal Pastor Jay. He is your servant and he continues to battle on amidst his pain. Lord God have mercy on this dear man. It says in Your Word that the prayers of a righteous man (woman ) availeth much. So I ask this request, in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.

  2. Almighty God, I come in agreement with Eleanor’s prayer to heal Pastor Jay from his constant pain. You are the almighty healer. Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

    I pray also for complete healing for my mother who is back in hospital . Help her to overcome her illness. In Jesus name I pray. Amen and Amen!
    Have a blessed Sunday brothers and sisters in Christ.

  3. Thank you David for all your daily blogs. Today’s blog was a fresh reminder of our first trip with you, Norma Jean, Dale and Paul in following in ‘The Footstps of Paul’. For Foster and myself it was the trip of a lifetime and helped us immensely in our travel with Jesus. We are praying for Jay and for your continued good health. Looking forward to starting my 3rd reading of the Bible with you in June.
    Jeannette

  4. I agree in prayer for the healing of Pastor Jay and for your mother Pam in the name of the Jesus who paid the full price for our salvation and healing. Amen!

  5. The photos today are magnificent! Saying the prayer of Psalm 51:1-13 out loud with you, David and fellow saints. I ask that same question about the thorn of pain in my side. Praying for Pastor Jay to be healed in the mighty Name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, Messiah Adonai!

    “Have mercy upon me, O God,
    According to Your lovingkindness;
    According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
    Blot out my transgressions.

    Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    And cleanse me from my sin.

    For I acknowledge my transgressions,
    And my sin is always before me.

    Against You, You only, have I sinned,
    And done this evil in Your sight—
    That You may be found just when You speak,[a]
    And blameless when You judge.

    Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    And in sin my mother conceived me.

    Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
    And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

    Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

    Make me hear joy and gladness,
    That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

    Hide Your face from my sins,
    And blot out all my iniquities.

    Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

    Do not cast me away from Your presence,
    And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

    Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
    And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

    Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
    And sinners shall be converted to You.”

  6. Wonderful word today from the book of Revelation; great prayers for Jay. We should never “beg” God to heal anyone (Eleanor M). Firstly, we are not BEGGARS, we are children of the most HIGH GOD, Secondly, – to beg GOD to heal, is to assume that you have more mercy than “HE” does. Your sentiment is accepted and appreciated; GOD sees your heart and will answer your prayers as you pray the scriptures; that is the only assurance and confidence you need. Bless you all.

    Rev. Terrence (Terry) Felvus – Grassie on

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