THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Today’s Reading: Acts 11-12

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).

Ruins of a Roman hippodrome in Caesarea. If you look carefully to the left and right, you can see the seats from which the spectators would watch the chariot races taking place in the oval space in the centre. Reynold’s shadow is seen on the bottom right.

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

Key Verse: Acts 11:16-17

Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, “John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?

Our Scripture records an amazing shift in the hearts and minds of these believers in Jesus who practiced the religion of Judaism. Peter had baptized Gentiles without them first becoming Jews. For this breach of Jewish practice, Peter was on the carpet back in Jerusalem defending his unprecedented action. The key point in Peter’s defense was John the Baptist’s prophecy and its fulfillment both in the 120 in the upper room and now with the same “they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God” experience.

Consider the two deaths in chapter 12…that of James, the brother of John, and that of Herod. What a stark contrast one with the other. James was put to death by Herod. The end result was the opposite to what Herod intended. The fisherman Apostle, James, now sits with the King of Kings forever. The kingdom Herod sought to hold, crumbled. The glory he sought was instantly lost. The result of his pride was undoubtedly eternal damnation.

Another James, the one known as the brother of Jesus, is rising to leadership. We first hear of him in Mark 6:3. He gave us the book of James. Stay with us daily and we’ll get to James’ book eventually.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I thank You that, as John the Baptist said of You, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” By Your grace, may many more be baptized by You in the same way You did for the believers as recorded in the book of Acts. I magnify You in my worship right now. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:18-21, I desire with all my heart that I will continue to “be filled with the Spirit.” Amen!!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

My Grandpa Mainse and his brother Ed would meet each morning at the fence between their farms for prayer. They were what was called “Shouting Methodists.” It is said that they could be heard over on the next concession. I’ve heard my Doctor of Theology father shout for Joy on one occasion. I’ve been so filled with the Spirit at times that it’s next to impossible to keep quiet or to express what’s going on inside of me in my ordinary English language. Of course, one can control one’s exuberance. The Scripture says, “The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet” (1 Corinthians 14:32). I find great strength for each day as my human spirit is filled with God’s Spirit. I experience an effective witness for Jesus and my cup of joy is filled to overflowing. Norma-Jean has recently given to our children and grandchildren a book entitled, “The Blessing.” The subtitle is, “Experiencing the Power of the Holy Spirit Today,” by Thomas Trask and Wayde Goodall, published by Zondervan. This is an excellent and thorough teaching resource. If you are hungry and thirsty for God’s Spirit in a greater way in your life, I recommend this excellent book (click here for information).

Yours for being “Filled with the Spirit.” By the way, I believe that this daily blog will help you and me to grow in God, so that our capacities for the Spirit of God will increase. I ask myself this: Am I continuing to be a small volume spirit or am I increasing in size? I think I’m growing, and thus I can experience a greater measure of God’s Spirit than ever before.

David

GENTILES

Today’s Reading: Acts 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 north public bath house ruins of ancient Caesarea. Herod, Pilate, and Cornelius may have visited these baths, but not Paul. He spent two years in prison here in Caesarea.

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

Key Verse: Acts 10:44

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

For a Roman of senior rank, it would’ve been customary to visit the bath house daily (pictured above). This daily blog bath “the washing of water by the Word” (Ephesians 5:26), will become a habit after a few days of disciplined reading.

This chapter should be, for we who are not born Jews, very, very important. This is where we get in on the blessings God promised to Abraham, and the blessings of the fulfillment of those promises in Jesus. Why would God choose this Roman Army Officer, Cornelius, to be the first non-Jew to receive Jesus? He was “devout,” a man of excellence in his behaviour. He and his household “feared God.” He “gave alms generously to the people,” and “he prayed to God always.” We don’t earn salvation by good works. Grace, and grace alone through faith, secures our eternal destiny. But our character and good works, as in this story, do serve to get special attention from God. Read more about non-Jews getting in on God’s provision of salvation in Ephesians chapter 2. Please check it out (click here).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I’m so very thankful that as a non-Jew, I’m welcomed into Your family. May I never take Your care for granted. May my character be refined each day, and may this daily blog be a part of the process. You checked out Cornelius’ “memorial” and good things happened. I pray You’ll check out my offerings too. May the smile of Your approval be on my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Here is a question I want to ask Cornelius some day…”Were you the centurion whose servant Jesus healed as recorded in Luke 7:1-10? If that wasn’t you, Cornelius, please introduce me to this officer of whom Jesus said, ‘I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.'” One of the highlights of my life was to suggest to the senior officer corps of Ukraine that they make Cornelius their Patron Saint. Most officers had Orthodox or Roman Catholic backgrounds, although to be an officer in a communist government they had to profess atheism. I mentioned this in my blog on November 3rd (click here for the story in my “100 Personal Words”). I wonder also about the baptism of Cornelius, his family, and friends. Could it have happened in the bath house pictured here? I wonder, as well, if Peter was shocked when God interrupted his preaching to pour out the Gift of the Holy Spirit on these Gentiles. I think so. Because, “They of the circumcision (Jews) were astonished, as many as came with Peter.” I was astonished to witness an interruption by God once in my years of preaching. Please God, do it again and again!

Yours to help each of us to receive all God desires that we should have for the purpose of serving Him effectively,

David

EVANGELISM

Today’s Reading: Acts 8-9

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The Port of Joppa was a busy place during Bible times and still is today.

Key Verse: Acts 9:5

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…”

What a team of the Lord’s servants in today’s reading! Stephen’s broken body is buried. Philip heads out to evangelize. Peter and John join him in Samaria. The Ethiopian treasurer heads home to witness for Christ. Saul of Tarsus is converted and boldly witnesses for Christ. At Joppa (present day Jaffa), Dorcas is raised from the dead as a witness for Christ. Aeneas of Lydda (present day Lod where the International Airport is located today) is healed. What is the result of all this? Exponential growth of the Church. “Multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip” (8:6). “The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria…were multiplied” (9:31). “All at Lydda, and Sharon…turned to the Lord” (9:35). In Joppa, “Many turned to the Lord” (9:42). God’s purposes have not changed. God’s power has not changed. Let us move out in bold faith to see the same happen today. Amen!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, we have a word today that I don’t find in the Bible. It’s “retirement.” You are filling us with new energy as we do this blog daily. Show me, and all who read this, how we can be a part of the dynamic growth of Your Churches. Amen! and Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I believe in and seek to put into practice outreach ministry beyond the church walls. In villages where I was a Pastor, I sought to take the lead in mobilizing some members of the congregation to visit every home. We would ask if there was a need for which we could pray. We would inquire about children for Sunday School or teens for the youth activities. In the large cities this was more challenging, but we would stake out areas to visit. I trust that I will have the health, strength, determination and the blessing of my Pastor to keep doing this. By gently asking about needs for prayer, I’ve never been turned down. People know when they are cared for, not like the door-to-door cults that try to indoctrinate people by visiting them to add points to their religious record.

Yours for consistent growth, early church style, in Jesus’ Church today,

David

QUARRY

Today’s Reading: Acts 7

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The bus terminal at the foot of the hill many believe to be Golgotha, The Place of the Skull, where Jesus was crucified. The Romans always crucified people beside the roadway for maximum impact, not on the top of a hill.

Key Verse: Acts 7:59-60

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

The bus terminal pictured above is in an ancient quarry which is part of Mt. Moriah. On this mountain, Isaac was spared from death and God provided a ram to be sacrificed. On this mountain, God also provided the Sacrifice of His Son, our Saviour, Jesus. This may also be the place of the stoning of Stephen.

At least 10 times, Stephen, in his message, quoted from his Bible. How well do we know our Bible? Could we quote the Scriptures by memory? Have we read, marked, learned and inwardly digested the Scriptures as Stephen had done? Are we filled with the Holy Spirit as Stephen was? Are we acting, speaking, and loving as Stephen did? Here was a man who had come to be like Jesus. Saul of Tarsus was there. Later, as the Apostle Paul, Saul would write that we are, “To be conformed to the image of His Son.” Stephen had modeled this for the future Apostle.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

My fervent desire, Lord Jesus, is to be like You. By Your Spirit working in me, may I grow into all You desire me to be. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As an 80 year old I’m required to have an examination in order to maintain my driver’s license. I passed! YEAH!!! I believe that throughout my life God has given me examinations. One day as a young pastor I was sitting in a room at the Hamilton YMCA, praying with a young man named Gord. His face was buried in a paper bag which had airplane glue spread on the bottom. I had seen Gord a couple of weeks before sniffing glue in a park. I brought him home to Norma-Jean, who responded with love. That time, at the “Y,” God gave me an exam. Gord lifted his head from the bag long enough to spit in my face. The “old” David, who had a bad temper, was no longer there. I felt nothing but the love and compassion of Jesus. I had prayed in those early years, “Lord Jesus, when I grow up, I want to be like You.” I knew He was answering my prayers. Gord gave his life to Christ soon after this. Stephen, the first Church deacon, was truly like Jesus. He’s one of my examples of someone who passed his examination with a mark of 100%.

Yours for becoming more like Jesus,

David

ON BECOMING MULTIPLIERS

Today’s Reading: Acts 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).

Saint Stephen’s Gate on the northeast side of the Old City walls of Jerusalem. The first Christian to have his earthly life taken from him for Jesus’ sake was the Deacon, Stephen. What an amazing example of faith and courage! Just before he died he exclaimed that he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56b – tomorrows reading).

Key Verse: Acts 5:41, 6:7

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name…Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

“Believers were increasingly added” (5:14). “You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine” (5:28). “The number of disciples was multiplying” (6:1). “The disciples multiplied greatly” (6:7). Here is a theme repeated over and over. This is the way God intends His Church to grow. We should ask ourselves the question, “Are we seeing growth in our Churches?” Here we find the growth came because new believers were added. There are many local churches, but only one Church. Transferring believers from one congregation to another does not constitute growth for the whole Church. The gate pictured above is the traditional site where Stephen was stoned to death. We can expect strong opposition when large numbers are being converted to Christ. We may want to take our spiritual temperature. If we are content to remain as a handful of believers who just bless each other in a local church, we may be almost dead and not know it.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, please grant me the great privilege of bringing new people to You today. May I never be content with just maintaining the numbers of believers as it is presently. Show me in a heart-wrenching way that people are lost eternally without You. Give me a passion to win souls to Yourself and to eternal life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As a teen, I read “Passion for Souls,” a book by Oswald J. Smith. I was never content after that to lavish the blessings of Christ on myself, forgetting about lost people. I felt that I was a most selfish person if I would keep the Good News of Jesus and eternal life to myself. Sharing Christ became an absolute essential. If that was not happening in my personal contacts and eventually in the churches I pastored, I became desperate in my prayers, arising earlier and earlier in the mornings to pray. I knew that I could not do this on my own, and that the power of God came upon me directly in proportion to the way I prayed in my private times with God. If you should ever read my biographical sketch on the internet, please read between the lines and know that everything of eternal value that may be there has been born and has thrived out of a “passion for souls.” [NOTE: After David’s passing on September 25, 2017, a memorial website was created, which includes a brief biography. You can visit it HERE].

Yours to help us become believers like those in today’s reading,

David

CORNERSTONE

Today’s Reading: Acts 3-4

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A panorama of Jerusalem at sunset.

Key Verse: Acts 4:12

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Believe it or not, the choice is ours! Our salvation is ONLY in Jesus Christ! Do other names come to mind? They pale into insignificance in the blazing glory of “the Light of the world.” We should note how these early believers quoted from their Bible, and we should do the same with both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures. What we call “the New Testament” would not be written for several years. The Apostles had not yet heard of a “new” set of Bible books. They were all Jews. The councils of the Rabbis had heard from God as to what writings qualified to be in the Bible, as did the early Church leaders for the new writings of divinely inspired Scripture. We may want to look up Deuteronomy 18:15-22 to see how Peter quoted his Bible from memory (Acts 3:22-23). God willing, the next book we’ll read together will be Deuteronomy. Amen!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, there is so much in today’s reading that’s filling my mind and heart. Please cause that which You desire me to learn to be absorbed and assimilated into my life today, and may it also spill out through me to others. In Jesus’ Name, the only Name given among mankind by which we must be saved, I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I pray the above prayer with great fervency. I’ve preached several messages from today’s readings over the years. I ask most sincerely for the prayers of you who read this, that I’ll receive guidance from the Holy Spirit for “100words.ca.” There are volumes that could be written. For an entire year during 2004, five days each week, Dr. Paul Maier, Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, Rev. Dale Lang, Anglican Minister from Tabor, Alberta (whose son was murdered in the corridor of his high school), and I led our 100 Huntley Street TV viewers through the book of Acts, verse by verse (260 segments on the book of Acts!). We called it “HIStory” (emphasis on “HIS”). Paul gave the historical perspective, Dale gave the application to our daily lives, and I was the moderator. Here is a link to one of these segments from 2004 which ties in to today’s reading (click HERE).

Yours for an overview of the entire Bible in 730 days. Are you still with me?

David

WITNESSES

Today’s Reading: Acts 1-2

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David’s City is part of Jerusalem and is on the south side of the Old City walls.

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

Key Verse: Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

We may consider Acts 1:8 the key verse, not only for this chapter, but for the entire book of Acts. Here we have Christ’s plan, His command to carry out the plan, and the power to carry out His goal to reach the whole world with the Good News of His salvation. We, as believers in Jesus, can easily be diverted from this first and foremost of Jesus’ instructions. We may be comfortable in our own salvation and cease to be concerned for the salvation of others. We may hide behind excuses such as, “I don’t know enough,” or “I need to understand the Bible better,” and by such means escape our Jesus-given assignment to be witnesses. Jesus told us clearly that all we need to enable us to share the Gospel is the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask Jesus now for the Holy Spirit to come upon all of us who read this blog. Begin to praise Jesus out loud as long as the volume does not offend others, and start witnessing to someone you meet. Remember, just seven weeks earlier, Peter could not witness to a waitress who gave him every opportunity to share his faith in Jesus. The power of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to acknowledge Jesus is all we need.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, John the Baptist said of You, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” That’s me, Lord. I’m one of Your believers. I’ll open my mouth, make a sound, and You, Holy Spirit, as Acts 1:4 says, will give me utterance. I trust You to give me words that will communicate with You, Lord God (see 1 Cor. 14:1-6), and communicate Jesus to people. In Jesus’ Name I pray, and keep on praying until I experience Your Holy Spirit’s fullness, Amen! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

My son, David Reynold, chose the picture for today of the City of David, a part of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit came upon 120 people who were in an upper room just at the top left of the picture. When they could no longer contain this powerful experience, they spilled out onto the streets, no doubt some of them into the City of David. I knew that the Holy Spirit came to live in me when I gave my life to Christ in December of 1951, but it was in June, 1952, that the Holy Spirit came upon me with power to witness. That July, I led a man in a prayer to receive Jesus. That August, I know without a doubt that God called me into “the ministry.” Not long ago, I visited a dying man and witnessed about Jesus. He had proclaimed himself an atheist. Soon after, my friend, Jerry, told me he visited him in the Kingston, Ontario, hospital just before he died. Jerry asked him about salvation. He said to Jerry, “Tell David not to worry, that’s all taken care of.”

Yours for being available to the Holy Spirit to win someone to Jesus today,

David

P.S. Whenever we’ve led a group to Israel, we’ve always celebrated Jesus’ death and resurrection in the Garden Tomb area (photos below)! Among other places in Jerusalem, we always visit St. Ann’s Church, built in the 11th century; it has the most amazing acoustics (click here for a video of our group singing, led by Norma-Jean).

REFUGE

Today’s Reading: Numbers 35-36

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 Convent of Pater Noster is on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. It is located at the site of the ruins of the “Eleona” Basilica, built in the 4th century by Constantine over a cave where, according to tradition, Jesus met with His disciples and taught the “Our Father” (“Pater Noster” in Latin). The walls of this convent are decorated with 140 large ceramic tiles, each one inscribed with the Lord’s Prayer in a different language.

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

Key Verses Numbers 35:11 & 35:34

…then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there…Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.

Moses provided for a fair trial for the crime of manslaughter, or accidentally killing a person. Capital punishment by execution for murder was within the powers assigned to the state. All of us need a place of refuge. Jesus and His disciples are thought to have used the cave under the convent pictured above as their place of refuge from the misguided religious authorities. We also have a place of refuge! (Hebrews 6:17-20) Thank you, Reynold, for great photos!

After we complete the Book of Acts, we will read in the next Hebrew books that the people again and again defiled the land. Before we judge them too harshly, we need to look at our own lives. Are we defiling the place where God lives? We should live in a state of repentance, a godly sorrow for sin, so that we are constantly cleansed from sin. First John 1:7b tells us, “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I run daily into You for refuge. Keep me dwelling in You constantly, because in You is protection and Salvation. Dear Jesus, You promised that, as I have invited You into my heart, that You would live in me. I need constant cleaning so that Your dwelling place will not be defiled. Today I’m praying Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus (click Ephesians 3:14-21). Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Yad Vashem, is a memorial to the most tragic betrayal of humanity in human history, the Holocaust, where at least 6,000,000 of God’s ancient people, the Jews, were murdered. As is my custom, I’ve often stopped to meditate at the tree planted in honour of the heroine of the Netherlands, Corrie Ten Boom, who provided jews with a place of refuge during WWII. Rev. Jason Patterson, my grandson-in-law, took the pictures below. Corrie’s original tree died the year she died, and they planted a new tree as you can see. The book and movie “The Hiding Place” is her story. Norma-Jean and I, on a visit to Holland, crept into that hiding place and sat there for a time. We imagined what it would be like for Corrie to hurry Jews into that place to hide them from the Nazis. Corrie, along with her father and sister, were arrested and taken to a death camp. She managed to survive but not her family members. It was a great honour to introduce Corrie to our Canadian television viewers several times in the sixties and seventies. She had never been on TV before, and her childlike approach to explaining the Gospel amazed me. I learned great lessons from her. One time she put on a clear plastic glove and said, “Jesus is like my hand, and the glove is all I want to be seen of me.” I wept openly.

Yours with the prayer to be more like Jesus and Corrie,

David

P.S. Think about it as you meditate on the pictures below and listen to a short message from Corrie about forgiveness (click here).

THE PROMISED LAND

Today’s Reading: Numbers 33-34

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 Dead Sea road follows the contour of the rugged terrain.

Key Verse: Numbers 33:53b

…for I have given you the land to possess.

Yesterday, Reynold’s photograph was of “The Great Sea,” the Mediterranean. Today it’s of “The Salt Sea,” or the Dead Sea. Both Seas are mentioned twice in today’s reading. “The Sea of Chinneret,” known now as the Sea of Galilee, is referred to once. Geography is obviously important to God. The 1948 miracle of the establishment of Israel as a sovereign nation for the first time in over 2,000 years, and the introduction of Hebrew as a language of daily life for the first time in over 2,500 years, has never happened to any people group before in human history. Israel is now on the land promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 4,000 years ago.  Israel is surrounded by 22 countries which are hostile to its very existence. These countries have 640 times Israel’s land mass and 60 times her population, and they have most of the oil that we know about in the Middle East. Was Israel pushed into the sea as Egypt’s Nasser said? Will it be wiped off the map as Iran’s Ahmadinejad said? Keep reading the Bible. Watch and pray. We’ll soon discover the answer to that question.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray for insight in my understanding of ancient and modern Israel. Help me in as few words as possible to communicate Your heart to others. May I think Your thoughts after You. As Samuel said to You, Lord, I say also: “Speak, for Your servant hears.” Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

[Written by David on November 24, 2016]

You may want to join me in reading the story of God speaking to Samuel (1 Samuel chapter 3). God sometimes speaks through dreams or visions, but 99% of the time it is through our reading and meditating on His Holy Word. Psalm 107 says,  “He sent His Word and healed them.” I’m now 2 1/2 years past the date of my appointment with death, according to the medical professionals. Twice now my wonderful oncologist was present when I thanked the medical team for all their help. He pointed up and said, “And you’ve had lots of prayer too.” True!…and I’ve also received the daily injection of God’s Word in reading the Scriptures and writing this blog. That’s powerful medicine!!!

Yours with the prayer that I’ll be a help in Christian growth and healing,

David

BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION

Today’s Reading: Numbers 32

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 beach and distant ruins of Caesarea Maritima.

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

Key Verse: Numbers 32:23

But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sins will find you out.

Two messages grip my mind as I read this chapter. The first has to do with a statement my Mother drummed into me when I was a boy. She died when I was 12, and her warnings were reinforced as I would think about her. Many times she said, “David, be sure your sins will find you out.” She never gave a Bible reference, but I was afraid to sin, and I never could cover it up when I did sin (click here for the stolen apple story from an earlier blog). Our key verse is her Scripture source (Numbers 32:23b). The other message is from Genesis 4:9b, where Cain asks God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The tribes who wanted to settle on the east side of the Jordan promised Moses that they would be their brothers’ keepers. Our elder Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, has promised to be our Keeper (Psalm 121:4 & Jude 1:24).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear Lord God, please keep using Your Word to keep me living right. Thank You for parents who implant Scripture so deeply into their children that Your Word will never be extracted from their innermost being. Help me in my commitment to help keep my brothers and sisters from harm, from sin, and from Satan’s lies. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I witnessed the truth of Mother’s words about sin finding me out after my Father returned from overseas, where he spent six years during the Second World War. He had a “razor strap.” For the younger generation, that was not a razor, it was the leather belt on which he would run his straight razor back and forth until it was sharp. He would lather up his face with soap, and then proceed to move the sharpened blade back and forth across his face and neck. It was an awesome sight for an 8 year old who had been raised for 6 years by 3 women…Mother and two older sisters (Willa, 8 years older, and Elaine, 6 years older). Believe me, it wasn’t the razor which made it scary when my sin found me out; it was the leather strap. I only remember getting the strap on each of my two hands once. That was enough. I told myself, “Never again!” It was not only legal to discipline in this way, but in the government, the Department of Education supplied every teacher with a strap for this very purpose. I’m a witness to the fact that miracles in changed behaviour resulted immediately!

Yours for behaviour improvement in us all,

David