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by Woodland Hills Church of Christ
[Jesus teaching] “’Again, you have heard that the
ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows
to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no
oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, His feet, or by
Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
“’Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot
make one hair white or black. But let
your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; and anything these is of evil.’”
Matthew 5:33-37
“Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons
of Israel, saying, ‘This is the word which the Lord has commanded. If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an
oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word;
he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.:” Numbers
30:1-2
“Do not be hasty in words or impulsive in thought to
bring up a matter in the presence of God.
For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore, let your words
be few. For the dream comes through much
effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.
“When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake.
"Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of
your hands? For in many dreams and in
many words there is emptiness. Rather,
fear God.” Ecclesiastes 5:4-7
There are over one-hundred verses in Scripture warning us to
be careful of what comes out of our mouths because we are to be responsible for
what we say and although others may be easily deceived, the Lord is no fool.
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?)
· Junko and Roberto – went on holiday after waiting two
years for COVID-19 to die down, and both have contracted it and are now in
quarantine in their hotel. Please pray
for patience, compassion, and healing.
· Thanksgiving - Audley Mclean, my dear friend, and Millicent Thomas said their
wedding vows on Sunday. Please pray for
them as they enter a new chapter of their lives.
· Eddy – has cancer in
his bladder and kidneys. Will be having
a procedure on Good Friday to remove one of his kidneys. Pray for him and those who care for and
support him during this time, especially his health-care providers.
· Annette’s Dad – had an accident and brain bleed while in
Florida and couldn’t fly. Annette and
Lyle drove down from Ohio to bring them home. He is now recovering and off oxygen and anti-seizure meds. He will have another CATSCAN in 2 weeks. Pray God prepares the hearts and strengthen those
who love this man for this challenging time -- and pray for his caregivers as
he heals and recovers.
· Marci – a special childhood friend and the
editor of the books I’ve published from this series. She fell and is healing. Pray she goes slower next time.
· Jasper, Bec and Nev – new youth pastors at our
church are still at Moore College and living on campus. Pray for balance between their academic and
family life.
· The horror of war in Ukraine
– Please pray for the people caught in the
cross-fires of this war, and especially strength for Christians of this country
and that God’s sends encouragement and help in unexpected ways to save Ukraine and
our world from the potential devastation of a third world war.
· Unprecedented Floods in New
South Wales, Australia - the rains have
begun once again and are very heavy.
There will be more flooding today.
Clean up from previous floodings starts and stops. So many are dealing with the resulting
devastation and loss. Continue to pray
for those who have lost loved ones, their homes and all their possessions and
especially for those providing care and support of those affected.
·
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.
·
Elina – has asked for prayer. Please hold her us as she struggles through
some personal issues and is feeling overwhelmed.
·
Ray Jr. –Pray the Lord holds Ray Jr. (and his brothers)
closely as they grieve and deal with the practical matters after the loss of
their father. 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
– seems to be stable now after doctors put a shunt in his skull to drain fluid
from around the brain to reduce pressure. Pray for his health carers as they continue
to help him.
· 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 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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