How Unfair!

"And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, 'Are You not the Christ?  Save Yourself and us!' 

"But the other answered, and rebuking him said, 'Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.'

"And he was saying, 'Jesus remember me when You come in Your kingdom!'  And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.'" Luke 23:39-43

"Patience is the red carpet upon which God's grace approaches us."*

Imagine the life of these two criminals who shared these last moments and the intimacy of shared death with Christ.  Don't focus on the savagery of these last hours as the makers of commercial films and stories do; focus instead on the face of Jesus the moment he turned to this criminal. 

Can you see the flicker of a smile and a sigh, not of pain, but of relief from waiting so long for this man to come to his senses about the Truth of Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour! 

The reality is, we are all like that thief on the Cross.  When our eyes meet the beseeching eyes of our loving Saviour, it is our choice to choose Him or eternal death.

[Jesus teaching] '"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 

"'And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.  Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.'" Matthew 18:11-14

Take care with love, especially His!  Your servant and friend in Christ, who prays for you each morning, Darlene

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:  

·        Those being affected by the historic snow storms in the NE USA.

·        Adrian who was once a tri-athlete with a full life, has been in and out of hospital many times since Christmas.  After a full bone scan they discovered additional serious issues with deteriorating vertebrae in his neck and lumbar region from the cancer. 

On 2 February he will be hospitalised again to undergo a serious procedure to establish the ongoing effect on his spinal nerves and a prognosis.  In the meantime, his pain is so serious he is unable to care for himself adequately, but has no one to help him through this. 

Please pray for the constant care of the Lord to help him through this difficult time.  Do not grow weary in your prayers for him.  You do make a difference!

PRAISE & THANKSGIVING: 

·        Pray for Patty and Doris (who just had her 96th birthday.  She was like a second Mom to me)

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS  

·        Greta - niece of Hans is in hospital for hand surgery.  She was accidently bitten by the family pet dog.

·        Hans - needs wisdom and courage to guide him during this time, some emergency funds and a reasonable job.

·        Isaias & Judith are grass-roots missionaries within the Philippines.  They work tirelessly and also care for their own family.  His aged father has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is easy to presume the quality and the cost of health care is the same around the world, but it is not.  Right now these dear friends need extra prayers.  You may even feel led to make a donation to their ministry:  Ambassadors for Christ --look for Isaias Catorce.

ONGOING PRAYERS

·        Buddy and Susan Smith and Kevin and Sandy Currell - ministers of grace and salvation in Australia.

·        Fion as he supports his ageing parents and manages a heavy load of challenges. 

·        Bettina to give her strength and wisdom. 

WIDE PRAYER ISSUES

·        Pray for calm, true Christian revival and a return to founding values in the USA.

·        France - the aftermath of a world-stopping tragedy. 

·        For the tragedy unfolding in Niger and other nations where thousands are being killed regularly by Islamic radicalists.  For those in Nigeria as Boko Haram (which means Western education is forbidden) stomps into new areas.

PRAY FOR THOSE WITH HEALTH CONCERNS

·        Phil (the man who has let Adrian stay in his home) for understanding, empathy, compassion and gentleness.

·        My brother, Tim with COPD (cardio-pulmonary artery disease), that he has patience and wisdom to manage his health and the limitations to his breathing and to cope with the limitations. 

·        David R as he manages his macular degeneration and a host of other health challenges. 

·        Audley's and Beverly's (stroke) situation and his return to the ministry. 

·        Nancy  who continues to grow stronger after her life-threatening head injury and for Fred as he cares for her. 

·        BG that his blinding headaches will finally stop. 

·        Chester as he continues to struggle through a host of medical challenges and poor care with dwindling funds and few friends to help.  Give him energy, strength and resolve as he deals with a worldly system that has abused him. 

·        Those affected by the first outbreak of Bubonic and pneumonic plague since August 2010, on the island of Madagascar.  Last stats 40 dead, 119 confirmed cases. 

·        Those affected and those working to stem the devastation of Ebola in West Africa (Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Mali) and in other countries, as the disease continues to spread.  As of yesterday there were over 7,000 deaths from Ebola.  570 healthcare workers have been affected and of those, 324 have died.

·        Those in Europe gearing up to fight a new strain of Bird Flu.

PRAY FOR THOSE WITH ONGOING JOB RELATED CHALLENGES

·        Paul N-S - as he continues his search for work. 

·        Michael, a man who is humble and without a home or a job who needs a chance to get his life back to normal. 

·        Deepak - that his work efforts begin to bear fruit as he is on the road travelling, promoting his business.

·        Me - One of the proposals has now been put on hold.  Need a new project.  Had a meeting yesterday that went well.  Thanks for praying.

ONGOING PRAYER REQUESTS

·        That the Lord’s hand is dramatically apparent in the lives of all who receive and read this devotion...that His mighty works would be worked out in each life for His purposes in surprising and wonderful ways!

·        Jen, needs the watchful care of the Lord in her life. 

·        Louise who we have been praying for for awhile is growing stronger and thanks you all for praying.

·        Linda and Ian.  Rob and his daughter.  Reg.  Annette and Lyle and their wonderful family.  Thanksgiving for their practical support over the years.  

PRAY FOR THE WORLD:  

·        For revival in the USA to continue.   

·        Birgit who is in Germany. 

·        For the many individuals in Singapore, China, Russia and India who read the WeakDay Devotion.  (This year the WeakDay Devotion blog is being read by many people in these countries!  God is mysterious!) 

·        The Catholic Church and that the new Pope will always put Jesus first.  

SOMETHING NEW FOR PRAYER WARRIORS

·        Elaine and Jim started a new ministry in Hong Kong and have some great news for those with a gift and heart for prayer:  An online church with a Prayer Room.  New visitors need to register for a login and password and will receive an email confirmation.  The room is open 27/7.  Go here to learn more:  https://www.thelittlechurchworld.org/prayer-room

*A Love Worth Giving is copyright protected since 2002 by Max Lucado.  .  All rights are reserved, including translations.  The ISBN is 978-0-8499-4831-2 (repackage).  I encourage you to secure a copy and follow along.  I quote carefully and respectfully from his wonderful book.