Copy and paste the link into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbks-45i4kY
Or search YouTube for “What did Jesus mean when He said,
‘Take up your cross and follow Me?’ by Got Questions
Ministries
“’For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His
Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his
deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some
of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son
of Man coming in His kingdom.’” Matthew 16:26-28
“Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this; that power
belongs to God; and lovingkindness is Thine, O Lord. For Thou dost recompense a man according to
his work.” Psalm 62:12
I received an abundance of input about what the next WeakDay
Devotion series should be and thank everyone for their contribution. For now, we are working through the
cross-references Jesus quoted from the Old Testament and for the next topic (unless
something else pops up) cover the promises in the Bible and their conditions.
We all look for ‘the reward’ in almost everything we chose
between: steak or chicken for dinner,
red or green sweater, drive or walk to school, be on time or late, read my
Bible or read a report, etc. Each choice
brings us to the reward we place value on.
Jesus in Matthew quoted from Psalm when He spoke of His return and how
He will reward/ recompense His followers for their deeds.
This has supported the ‘stinking-thinking’ that Christians
must earn ‘brownie points’ to be good enough to get into heaven (go to church, always
be good, give to the church, help little old ladies across the street, etc.) and
to ensure we keep our salvation ‘perpetually earn brownie points’ to secure our
place in Heaven. This thought is evil
and perverted and has prevented many from coming to the foot of the Cross.
This is why it is critical to ALWAYS look carefully at every
promise in Scripture because there is ALWAYS a CONDITION that must be met. In the Matthew 16 promise, here is the
condition:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall
lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains
the whole world, and forfeits his soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’” Matthew 16:24-25
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.). For the
books, go Amazon
books.
NEW
PRAYER REQUESTS (any updates?)
· URGENT – Unprecedented
Floods in New South Wales, Australia – Heavy
rains continue to pelt the state and are expected to continue for at least
another 7-10 days. The accumulation of
water has grown to unprecedented, life-changing floods. Please pray for the families who have lost
loved ones, for all those who are losing their homes and all their possessions,
for those who are presently engaged in rescue, care and support of those
affected.
· URGENT - The horror
of war in Ukraine – Russia has
attacked and intends to capture the entire country of Ukraine and bring it to
its knees. Please pray for the people of
this country as they fight to save their freedoms and pray God sends help in
unexpected ways to thwart the bully of Russia from the potential devastation of
a third world war.
· Thanksgiving - Mark –
Returned home and will have a long recovery from the extensive surgery on his
shattered jaw. Please pray for him and
his family -- that they will be sustained financially through this challenging
time and pray for his patience and good sense as his family helps him through
this time of recovery.
·
Simon and Tamara and
their children – Simon (my pastor) has been chosen to support the
Lord’s work in a new, more far-reaching way.
Help them prepare throughout this year for the new challenges that await
them. And when Simon takes up the new
role, let him fill it with the same grace, devotion and love he has consistently
demonstrated while at St. Marks.
Strengthen the congregation to rejoice with them and their decision.
·
Ray Jr. –Pray the Lord holds Ray Jr. (and his brothers)
closely as they deal with the practical matters after the loss of their father
and comfort their hearts. Give Kathy (Ray’s wife) strength and wisdom as she
supports him during this time.
·
Christine – give her strength as she journeys to
heart-healing.
·
Family of Eric – Eric at 52 died suddenly leaving his
47-year-old wife and three girls (ages 16, 19 and 23). Pray the Lord comforts the family through
this time of mourning. Pray for their
wisdom and that Go-d will send trustworthy, honourable, Bible-based councilors
for the many decisions that now must be made.
·
Grant’s brother
- still has quite severe headaches. Had
a shunt put in his skull to drain fluid from around the brain, as the fluid was
putting pressure on the brain and affecting balance. Pray for his health carers
as they work to adjust the flow rate and help minimise the pressure.
· Peyton - eldest granddaughter of Jeff and
Rachael – now in her second year of college.
Please continue to pray for her that she does well, makes good decisions
and continues having a good relationship with the Lord.
·
Thanksgiving - Adam – he has found a job but continues to need
encouragement and clear guidance from the Lord about his future and to know
without doubt the depth of the Lord’s extravagant forgiveness. Continue to pray for the strength of his wife
that she will allow the Lord to love and support him as he continues to heal
and strengthen.
·
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 at work.
·
Sophie – three-year old daughter of a friend. She is chronically unwell and frail. Please pray for her, her parents and health
carers to find ways to manage the symptoms and heal her.
·
Hans –
a dear friend in Germany, the cancer seems to be stable for now. Pray for his financial situation to improve
and for his ongoing strength through the pain when it comes. Pray for his patience and God’s mercy. 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.
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.
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