A NEW BEGINNING
Today’s Reading: Genesis 9-10
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Two friends, actors at the “Nazareth Village”, are having fun with an olive picked from a nearby tree in Nazareth. In today’s reading, the dove sent out by Noah returned to the ark. A “freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth” (Genesis 8:11). Ever since that time, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace and safety.
Key Verse: Genesis 9:1
So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”
So God is a God of second chances. Instead of giving up on humanity, the Lord saved Noah and his family. The great flood happened because people, who were given dominion over the earth by God, rejected Him, and thus cut Him off from exercising His creative maintenance of the earth. The people, with the exception of Noah and his family, rejected God, excluding Him from their lives. It’s not that God ran out of mercy and love. It’s that when God is not invited, not welcome, to be an integral part of human life, nature erupts into chaos. Society disintegrates, and the human race brings judgment on itself.
Today there is much that separates people from God, but I believe that there are at least one billion precious souls who love and serve God, not just eight people, as was the case in today’s reading. These people, by their prayers and right living, hold back the consequences of the great divide between a Holy God and an unrepentant world. Next time, before a worldwide catastrophe, Jesus, the Ark of Salvation, will lift His family of believers to safety in what has been called “The rapture of His Church!” (read 1 Thess. 4:13-18).
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord, thank You for giving me a second chance. I pray fervently for Salvation to come to at least another billion people. Grant me grace, boldness, wisdom and sacrificial giving of myself and the resources that You have put in my hands, so that the most glorious work of winning people to Jesus will accelerate. We, the human race, will once again bring disaster upon ourselves, but I thank You, Lord God, that You have another plan. At Christ’s return, You shall lift Your people as in an Ark of safety. In Jesus’ powerful saving Name I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I cannot begin to express my gratitude to God and to special people in my life for leading me to Salvation. I had prayed to be saved as a child, but my mother died of cancer when I was 12 years old and I turned my back on God, blaming Him for mother’s death. I now know that it was the separation of the human race from God that allows the twisting of human cells called cancer. It’s not God’s fault; it’s our fault. My Dad went back to his mission work in Egypt and I was put into a boarding school and was eventually kicked out. In a regular high school (grade 12) I encountered followers of Jesus who became my friends. My boss at work coaxed me to give my life to Jesus. He succeeded in convincing me to attend a Youth for Christ rally by asking me to drive his Chrysler New Yorker from Pembroke to Ottawa to pick up Evangelist Jack Wyrtzen. That night, when the invitation was given to accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord, a friend, Homer James, came beside me and offered to walk to the front of the high school auditorium with me. I did it! I’ve never turned back from Jesus since that time. I’m in Him (the Ark of Salvation) and I’m kept by His power! How about you? Unsure? Call 1-866-273-4444 and ask about your salvation. You too can have a “New Beginning!!!”
Yours very truly,
David
P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA! The founders declared Psalm 72:8 as Canada’s motto, “He shall have dominion from sea to sea.”
God extends His tremendous grace to Noah and his kin by creating a covenant between Himself and His people. In Jesus, God’s grace is was imparted to all humankind, that whosoever should believe upon Jesus would be saved. It is free grace to all, but not cheap grace…we were purchased at a price, Jesus died on a cross to pay our sin-debt, that we would no longer need to strive to earn our salvation. These chapters in Genesis are like a foreshadowing of Jesus and His loving grace towards us all … it’s nothing we can earn, there’s nothing we can do, but only to accept this grace as a gift would be accepted, appreciate it’s cost, and dwell in Christ’s perfect love, peace and salvation forevermore.
Happy Canada Day— with the recent approval in Parliament to change the words of the national anthem to be more inclusive to women, let us hope we never become so foolish as to remove the words “God keep our land glorious and free.” But I fear in this day of political correctness and tolerance gone wild that day might be closer than we think.
Heavenly Father I pray you forgive our nation and those who would lead it away from you. Thank you for the faithful remnant that will pray for us, our leaders and nation to under your constant care and watch. In Jesus Name we pray- amen
Amen, Donna M.
Amen, Happy Birthday Canada!
Lord Jesus may our nation be glorious and free. It always blesses me to read about your salvation David and may the Lord bless all those who helped to bring it about if not here on earth then in eternity. God bless your day saints!
Happy Canada Day! God bless each and every one of us today and always. Here is a beautiful prayer song for Canada that came across my facebook path yesterday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A83cfs0gWCo
Pastor David, I love your personal stories about things that happened in your life, the love and mercy of God and your response to it is really inspiring and really blesses me, thank you for being brave enough/humble enough to share it <3
Happy Canada Day
thank you Lord for this wonderful nation of Canada – please give wisdom to all who are leaders in this nation in these difficult times
Thank you David for all your wonderful insights and I too love your personal stories
May the Lord bless us all and KEEP US ON GUARD FOR CANADA
Happy Canada Day, dear David and fellow saints in the Lord! Thank You God, for being with us in every rainbow–such a beautiful gift of your creation, amen!
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Ps 95:1 ESV
We Will Not Be Shaken (song) // Brian Johnson // We Will Not Be Shaken Official Lyric Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KHPIZOdrjI
CANADA OH CANADA. Thank you Lord for my parents who brought us here in 1953 from N. Ireland. I love and adore this country, this is where I truly gave my heart to you even though I accepted your salvation when I was only 8 years old. You had plans for me Lord and have guided me every step of the way, praise your Holy Almighty Name, a name that is above all other names.
Thank you Pastor David once again for sharing your life with us, what a blessing and example you and your family are.
Happy Canada Day to all blog friends. Eleanor M.
Be Blessed on this Canada Day celebration!! GOD BLESS CANADA!!! and all that are in it I pray!!
Yes Psalm 72:8 HE WILL HAVE DOMINION FROM SEA TO SEA!!
Happy Birthday Canada! What a great country! I have traveled from Victoria on the West Coast ..to touching the waters at Cape Spear, the most easterly point of Canada. I love singing “O Canada”. As I sing it, I often feel it is like singing a prayer. “God keep our land” through all the struggles and changes happening all around us. (I hope this phrase is never deleted). “God keep our land glorious and free!” I am looking forward to Canada’s 150 Birthday next July 1st. In the National CBC Telecast today, someone suggested we start preparing now as we move towards this significant event a year from one. One thought I had for myself was, as an extra to Bible Reading and 100words, that I could read through the 150 psalms – one to mark each year since Confederation. Maybe it’s an idea for you to.
One a day would enable us to go through the psalms almost 2 1/2. “As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” Psalm 103:11.
Happy Birthday Canada! David, you are a great teacher and encourager. You inspire me to genuinely love people and invite them into the Ark of safety, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to God for raising you up to found Crossroads for such a time as this. It is a powerful light & voice for Him all around the globe. I watch 100 Huntley Street daily. I pray with you for salvation to come to at least another billion people. Amen!
love your name!
Like these songs May and Beverlee. Thanks!
You are inspiring as always,David,many thanks for obeying our Lord.Your words inspired this poem.(I am catching up from missing yesterday’s 100 Words.)Blessings
He Is The Lord
When a nation begins to crumble,
It is because it has become less humble,
For it’s leaders have begun to stumble
When they replace order with the jumble.
Through all the murmurs they now mumble,
For the unholy reigns supreme in their deeds
And this is the reason they now stumble:
Where the morals were,a great nation now bleeds.
Soon will be coming a great rumble,
For God uses other nations as His sword,
Then all the people will begin to grumble,
Until His return proves He is the Lord.
G.W.(Bill)Marshall/02July,2016