A WeakDay Devotion: WeakEnd Assignment

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KINDLE BOOKS

Recently finished a new Kindle entitled “Genesis & Discrimination”. It is a very powerful collection to challenge your thinking. Also, consider: Secrets of a Deeper Life in Christ , A Missing Psalm, Forgiveness. I hope putting these together in this new format will be a blessing to many more & will help support this ministry.

By Email Too

The WeakDay Devotion originated as encouragement for a dear friend who was having difficulties with her job.

It is especially for my family, firends, business people, students, pastors, teachers and a myriad of pre-, new and long-serving Christians who want more Scripture with their devotion than many of the regular devotionals offer. it is also written to be short so you can get on with your day, but filled with a new idea from God's Word that is practical and applicable. You can also have it sent directly to your email box every day - just send me an email (DarleneRichard@gmail.com) and I will add you to the distribution.

Thursday, August 5, 2021

WeakEnd Assignment – More Mark (chapter 6)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzImWb6qPAE

or search YouTube for Jeff Cavins - Loaves and fishes story

from FOCUSequip

“Listen, O my people to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth and be willing to learn. I will open my mouth in a parable to instruct using examples; I will utter dark and puzzling sayings of old that contain important truth – which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children, but we will tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, and tell of His great might and power and the wonderful works that He has done.” Psalm 78:1-4

Mark, chapter 6 is the next longest chapter in Mark and is packed with neat stories and illustrations in just 56 verses. It contains six segments, and we will look at each one. This WeakEnd assignment:

1. Have a way of seeing this devotion as you work. You may wish to print it out and have it with you.

2. Set aside an hour and find a place where you will not be interrupted.

3. Bring your Bible, notebook, something to write with and a refreshment.

4. Settle in and pray that the Lord will give you eyes to see the lessons this chapter holds for you as you read.

5. Remember to date the page in your notebook and read through all of Mark 6.

6. As you read, take time to write key thoughts you are discovering into your notebook, then:

7. In each of the following sections, pick out one verse that you see as the key verse of the section. Either underline it in your Bible or write out the verse in your notebook.

Section 1 – Teaching at Nazareth (verses 1-6)

Section 2 – The Twelve Sent Out (verses 7-13)

Section 3 – John’s Fate Recalled (verses 14-29)

Section 4 – Five Thousand Fed (verses 30-44)

Section 5 – Jesus Walks on the Water (verses 45-52)

Section 6 – Healing at Gennesaret (verses 53-56)

8. Write what you see as the purpose of this chapter.

Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still prays for you each day)

PS: Find my statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’. (Also, there is an android ‘Google Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple.)

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS (any updates?)

· Barb – my brother’s faithful and kind wife. Thank you for praying for her. She needs prayers to sustain her and protect her health and energy during this time of additional stress and challenge.

· UPDATE - Sophie – three-year old daughter of a friend. She continues to have tests to diagnose her disease (some serious conclusions have been suggested). She remains frail and unwell. Please pray for her, her parents and health carers to find ways to manage the symptoms.

· Hans – a dear friend in Germany, continues his immunotherapy for lung cancer. Pray for his ongoing strength through the pain, patience and God’s mercy. Continue to pray for his healthcare providers and that he is surrounded by faithful and compassionate Christian friends who will support him through this journey. Pray for his Mom (age 84) who is also unwell -- that their time together is filled with extraordinary good memories and lots of love.

· Callilah - a lost child. Pray the Lord will capture her heart.

Pray for those in full-time service

Pray to uphold our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word, are bold and courageous in the face of evil. Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.

· Peter Frith – The sole Christian chaplain at an Anglicare special hospital. The work is lonely and challenging and the lockdown from Covid has deemed chaplaincy a non-essential service. This has meant, Peter is relying on the Lord for creative ways he can encourage others while he waits for things to return to ‘normal’. Continue to pray for his encouragement, hope and that our loving heavenly Father sends another Christian to work alongside him.

· St Marks Anglican Church – Pray God opens the hearts and minds of those who visit and for those who worship there regularly and during this time on-line, that their hunger for God’s Word grows. Pray for strength, wisdom and healing rest for those who serve there, including Simon, Pat, Kathy, Anne, Steph and their families.

· Pat and Isobel – as they serve tirelessly in challenging times. Pray the Lord refreshes and strengthens them.

· Elaine and Jim Pounder and their Little Church ministry have had a difficult 2020. Yet something new is beginning. They need your prayers for healing strength and time with family as their ministry continues to spread around the world in a model of home churches. They have begun a YouTube channel Please subscribe and watch their sound teaching episodes. Website: The Little Church World. And https://www.youtube.com/user/thelittlechurchworld .

· Isaias and Judith (Ambassadors for Christ the Philippines) – the entire Catorce family represent conservative, Bible-based ministry, teaching and discipling ministry in a remarkably difficult mission field for dozens of years. Both are dealing with serious health issues and need your fervent prayers. Judith is recovering from complicated back surgery. Please visit their new website: https://afcph.org/ to learn more. Pray our Father keep these servants strong and restores their health and consider sending a note of encouragement to Isaias Catorce, who teaches and leads the groups at icatorce@gmail.com

· Jenny S – Bible teacher at a local Bible school, that she would have curiosity under change, as the vision of her organisation changes with new leadership. Help her identify the balance and value of her unique contribution. Pray the Lord maintains her health in this time of stress.

· Audley M – Pray for his health and wisdom and for the effectiveness and growth of his radio ministry (Florida, Virginia, Alabama, Indianapolis) as America hunger for ‘true meat’!

· Kevin and Sandy Currel - (Melbourne) Kevin has a wonderful teaching ministry with images and words. He has created many excellent and accurate Christian resources. (To learn more: https://www.kevincurrell.com/ ). Please continue to pray for them, especially for God to supply needed funds for this extraordinary time.

· Andrew and Toyoko M – are back in Australia from Japan and in Covid quarantine. Pray for Deaf Ministries International they lead.

· Rozzy and Jono – have arrived on Vancouver Island Canada to work with youth in the mid-north coast (the neediest Gospel location in North America). Pray for warm and supportive new friends, travelling mercies, robust health and that God will grant them a child.

· Lachlan – Pray for him as he cares for his three children while he completes his studies to become a Wycliff Bible Translator.

· Scripture classes in Australian Schools – Although a secular country, God has continued to provide the freedom to hold Scripture classes in schools during regular class hours! Some resistance is growing. It is a great hope for Australia.

· Bible schools and seminaries – in Australia and around the world to remain true to the Truth of God’s Word in the Bible.

· Doug McIntosh - An invaluable contributor to my love of Bible study. He was diagnosed several years ago with multiple myelomas and has retired now from full-time ministry. Please pray for him, his family and the church he has worked so faithfully in (the old link where archive teachings are available: Cornerstone Bible Church in Lilburn Georgia. Today they have a new website and Doug still teaches: Cornerstone Bible Church.)

· Buddy and Susan – Pray for their health and their needs as they labour in far north Queensland. They were one of the first families to welcome me to Australia. Amazing Christian teachers!

· Jo and Steve – for their loving example of Christian life. May their love flourish under His guidance as they continue their work in New Zealand.

· Stu, Jo, Laura and Jason – pray for this devoted and loving family who continue to serve Jesus Christ in New Zealand. Pray for Laura’s husband Joji and for Jason who is studying in the USA. Keep them strong, healthy and resolute for the Lord.

· Catholic Church and Pope – pray the Pope will grow increasingly hungry and focused on the Word of God and that he always puts Jesus first in his life and decisions.

Pray for those with ongoing health concerns

Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile health. Pray God takes special care with them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on them during this challenging time.

Pray for the World

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Background of WeakDay Devotions

Over eleven years ago a dear friend couldn't find a job. She's brilliant, skilled & experienced -- but simply couldn't find a position to suit her. After about eight months of struggling & searching, she was hired to work with the Sydney Olympics but six months later the role turned feral. She was discouraged as she pulled herself into work each morning.

Then it became apparent they were trying to "move" her out. She struggled. At least once a week she would be on the phone to me or be sitting on my balcony talking/crying her heart out. I found myself being a sort of Christian coach/mentor for her.

One morning after my quiet time, something I learned seemed relevent for her, so I shared it with her in an email. She wrote back that it indeed helped. Next morning the same thing happened. Again the Lord used it to encourage & strengthen her. The next morning nothing seemed good to send, but I searched till I found something I hoped would strengthen her. The Lord used it. Each week day morning from then on I would get up early & write her a note of encouragement.

A month went by & another friend sent me an e-mail expressing their own frustration with a work situation. I sent them a copy of the e-mail I'd sent my friend that very morning. They were encouraged & asked me to include them each morning. After a couple of weeks both wrote to me to say they'd been sending the email to others & would I just add theses new names each morning. They also suggested I ask others if they'd like to be included. I did & many asked to receive it. One day, I was asked to do a radio interview with Gordon Moyse ("An Ordinary Christian"). He had heard about the morning "WeakDay Devotions" & wanted his listeners to know more about them.

Almost every week day morning since that first e-mail, I've written a fresh word of encouragement for (by now) an untold number of people around the world. It was originally mostly business oriented, but has grown to be more general in nature with Christian business people knowing it is the little personal details of their walk that need a boost anyway.

Within the distribution list now are Christians or pre-Christians (Catholic & Protestant), some are Jewish, some have not made a decision about what they believe, yet. There are several pastors; a Catholic priest, a Jewish teacher and a Christian Web page creator (and pastor) who distributes select ones to his readership. There’s even a pastor in the USA who uses them as part of his daily radio program.

Many who receive them forward them to others & they ricochet around the world. They're used as morning devotions between friends at work in the USA, Argentina, the Philippines, New Guinea, Hong Kong & places I don't even know about yet.

The Lord is using these meek & meagre "presents to Him" for His own purposes in the lives of others & I'm constantly surprised & humbled at the encouragement I've found in my own personal time with the Lord because of their ministry to me!

If you'd like to have them emailed directly to you each day, just send me an email. I'm open to comments, suggestions & criticisms.

Again, it's almost always only one screen long, so you don't have to take too much time with them, they always come marked "Urgent" so they can be found more quickly. Finally, the distribution list is "blinded" so everyone's privacy is assured (although I pray for everyone I send to & know them all much better now).

Every day is different, some days are very short -- sometimes only one verse or two, but there's always a Bible verse (I always use the New American Standard Bible translation, unless otherwise indicated). There are also times when there is a suggestion for something special as an assignment. I've also written a variety of series, such as: The Ten Commandments, Forgiveness, How to Know God's Will, Fasting, Unmet Needs, etc.

Stay close to His Word.
Your servant and friend in Christ.... Darlene

The First Devotion

"And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee." Psalm 9:10

From George Muller's Autobiography:

"I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished.

"The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God; searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word; not for the sake of reaching on what I had meditated upon; but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this...that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less into prayer."

Have a wonderful day resting in Him....love, your servant and friend in Christ...D

Another style: The Princess & the Pea

[Jesus teaching] "'And why do you look at the spec that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?'" Matthew 7:3

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:10

"So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!" James 3:5

"Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.'" Matthew 13:31-32

Ever notice how it's the little things that get under your skin and grow out of perspective? Think of the time you spend looking for a misplaced file or phone number. What about when you're late and get a red light or someone pulls out in front of you in traffic. Or how about when you get a paper cut or have a hang nail? How about forgetting someone's birthday or when you lose your glasses or keys? Any of these things can make us "lose our cool". As Christians we must be ever vigilant to how the little things can stumble our walk and witness with Christ.

It reminds me of the fairy tale of the Princess and the Pea (where a prince looked for a gentle and delicate princess to help rule his kingdom. He arranged a test of all the fair maidens. He had a stack of mattresses placed one on top the other and each "princess candidate" was invited to spend the night in the castle. The Prince became discouraged because no one seemed to respond to the test until one morning a lovely woman complained she could not sleep, as the mattress was too lumpy. Unbeknownst to her (and all the other candidates) the Prince had placed a single pea under the bottom mattress. No one else had been sensitive to the little things. Of course they lived happily ever after. In our Christian walk we need to be that sensitive to the little things that stumble us! Take care, your servant and friend in Christ – Darlene

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