Tuesday, November 17, 2020

THE BACK-UP PLAN

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Kari Jobe - The Garden (Acoustic)

 

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?’  And the woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden.  God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.’’ 

 

“And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

 

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” Genesis 3:1-7

 

Gale D. Webbe in The Night and Nothing wrote:  ‘The only ultimate way to conquer evil is to let it be smothered within a willing, living, human being.  When it is absorbed there, like blood in a sponge or a spear thrown into one’s heart, it loses its power and goes no further.’ 

 

Let it remind each of us of how immense and painful God’s plan was for Him.  Think about it, from Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve chose to do what they thought was right in THEIR own eyes, God activated His back-up plan. 

 

How sad and disappointed our loving Father must have been.  He knew that His mandate of justice for sin would require Him to let His beloved and only Son die to pay the price for the sins of the world.  Only then would those who admit their helplessness and reach out for God’s grace and trust in that alone be saved from God’s final plan.

 

Take care, your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene (who prays for you each morning).

 

PPS:  My statement of faith:  https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com  (also you will find a series of beginner Bible studies there.). Also, you can find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.  (Also, there is an android ‘Goggle Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.)

 

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS

·      Isaias and Judith (Ambassadors for Christ the Philippines) – the Philippines has been devastated by constant batterings from typhoons.  Their ministry faces so many challenges and now many of their leadership group and groups of believers have lost everything and their worship centres have been destroyed.  There is also a growing threat of China claiming their country.  Pray for those who lead, administer, work, teach and contribute to the ministry.  Pray our Father continues to keep these servants strong, in good health, safe and supported and that they keep a balance in their lives.  They need funds badly now.  Please pray for them and if you feel led, send an email of encouragement (and perhaps financial support) to Isaias Catorce at icatorce@gmail.com

·      USA – Pray the Lord will demonstrate His power in unexpected and uniting ways during these times of unrest and confusion.  Help hearts settle and rest in Him alone.  Let the truth of God’s Word and ways overcome the drive to destroy our founding, Bible-based values.  For Christ-centre, Bible-based revival in the USA and religious freedom for Christians wherever they may be.

·      Kevin and Sandy Currel – (in Melbourne) Kevin has a wonderful ministry in teaching through images and words and has created many Christian resources.  (To learn more:  https://www.kevincurrell.com/ ). His procedure went smoothly yesterday and he rejoices that you were praying for him.  They now await the results of the tests.  Please continue to keep him in your prayers especially that God will supply the funds needed for this extraordinary time.

·      Kim – whose Mom just died and whose father is quite frail and in his 90s.  Pray the Lord will speak to Kim (the responsible one) during this time of confusion and expectations that she will rest in Christ.

·      Bob –a friend of my brother and sister-in-law who has just had a tragedy in his life.  Pray the Lord uses these recent experiences to help him realise his need for the Lord Jesus Christ. 

·      Peyton - eldest granddaughter of Jeff and Rachael.  Pray for this lovely woman of God as she goes off to college, that she remains safe and strong in her beliefs and convictions and continues to encourage many with her loving faithfulness to the Lord.

·      Tracey – fell and broke three or four ribs and is now recovering.  Pray she will be patient and that the pain will be easily managed.

·      Hans – a dear friend in Germany, has stabilised.  His CT scan has shown no advancement of the cancer.  He thanks you for your prayers and reports that his left hand is also improving (it has been paralysed since this began).  Please continuing to pray for his healthcare providers, his patience and wisdom.  Pray he is surrounded by faithful and compassionate Christian friends who will support him through this journey.  Pray for his Mom (age 83) is unwell herself, that their time together will be filled with extraordinary good memories and lots of love.

·      USA President Donald Trump – As Christians it is our responsibility to pray for our leaders and trust that God has a plan for the USA through this man.  If you doubt the importance of his appointment, just look at the baseless antagonism against him. Surely Satan is NOT happy and means to thwart God’s plan.  Pray someone helps President Trump and Melania understand the true meaning of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Pray they will both have an insatiable hunger to read God’s Word for themselves.  Pray God sends a Bible-Believing Christian to regularly disciple them in the Truth.  Pray God shuts the mouths of the false prophets who regularly circle around them.

·      Me – I need God’s guidance and wisdom in a situation.

 

Pray for those in full-time service

During this time, when the entire world is struggling to understand this new ‘plague’, it is critical for us to uphold our Christian leaders.  They will be needed everywhere.  Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.

Pray for those with ongoing health concerns

Many of us have family, friends and loved ones who are fragile health wise.  It is important to protect them in practical ways and most important we must pray even more for them that the Lord will have mercy on them during this challenging time.

Pray for the World

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