Tuesday, May 23, 2023

That Painful Memory

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJokkRQ1eBk

Or search YouTube for ‘Nehemiah in 6 Minutes’

By Pastor Landon (6 min 14 sec)

 

“Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.  Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God.  And all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’ while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

 

… “Then Nehemiah who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

 

“Then he said to them, ‘Go eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord.  Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ Nehemiah 8:5-6, 9-10

 

The people of God had been captured and taken to a place where they were no longer permitted to praise the Lord-God or hear His precious Word.  In the 58 years of their captivity, they ‘forgot’ the Law – some had no idea it existed! 

 

After they returned to their homeland, Ezra read the Law to them and it broke their hearts and they were distressed with grief, but Ezra told them to rejoice in what they heard and begin their life anew. 

 

God appeals to all of us through His precious Word and uses it to remind us of our casual, purposeful, mindless and/ or willful sin.  Then He raised our eyes to the reality of His sacrificial death for us so we can know He has paid for our sin and given us a new life.  We may weep at first, but we should celebrate the Truth for the rest of our lives. 

 

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

 

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 to Amazon books.  

 

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS (any updates?)

·      URGENT - Peter and Jill Peter’s surgery is tomorrow to place stents in his arteries.  Pray the Lord quiets his concerns and gives him a surprising trust and calmness during the procedure.  Pray also for his wife, Jill as she has been unwell and is Peter’s most effective supporter.

·      UPDATE - Barbara – the beloved wife of my brother (who recently passed) -- pray that she would be comforted and cared for by those around her as she manages so much all by herself now.  Pray for her safety and peace and protection at night.

·      UPDATE - Patti and John – pray God continues to inspire them with His love and compassion and that He will guard their health.  Pray also for travelling mercies as Patti is now the only one who drives.

·      UPDATE - Annette and Lyle – pray for travelling mercies as they are leaving for Vancouver Tuesday to visit Lyle’s parents (his Dad has dementia that is getting worse, as is his hearing).  Lyle’s Mom has just moved into a retirement home and is selling her house).  Pray also for their first grandchild that he will continue to grow strong and be healthy. 

·      THANKSGIVING - Grant – thank you for praying for his eye infection.  It has cleared up and he is as bright eyed as always.

·      UPDATE - Ian – continue to pray that his desire to grow his understanding and effectiveness with personal evangelism is fulfilled. 

·      THANKSGIVING - Yoshimi – has been selected for a role she will be trained in and is not yet a Christian.  She is new to the house and who knows what the Lord is working out in her life.  Let her be open to His Word.

·      UPDATE - Peyton and Carter - Grandchildren of Jeff and Rachael.  Payton is their eldest granddaughter and now a senior in university.  Carter is a freshman in college.  Both are exceptional students and love the Lord.  Pray they are not distracted by worldly things, that they continue to do well in their studies and that their love of the Lord increases daily.

·      UPDATE - Ray – please give him grace and comfort as he cares for his mother who has Alzheimer’s and whose memory is too quickly fading away and pray for Kathy, his wife who supports him through this.

·      THANKSGIVING - David – had double cataract surgery with good results, still being treated for macular degeneration.  He now awaits some new glasses but is feeling stronger each day.  Pray for wisdom for his health carers and for Heidi, his daughter, who cares for him daily, to be strong and healthy through this time.

·      UPDATE - Callilah- a lost child.  Pray in thanksgiving that the Lord is softening her heart and that the Lord has placed Patti just where she needs to be.  Pray for Patti’s safety and patience.

·      Sarah and Andrew – he left his job and she has gone to work in a new and exciting role.  Pray for this precious Christian couple that they focus on family balance to the glory of the Lord.

·      Joni – a long-time friend who is wandering through the challenges of cancer treatment.  Pray for her health carers and for her strength and all the adjustments she must now make during her recovery.

·      Jake - A friend of my brother, living with COPD (emphysema) and heart problems.  Please pray for his daughter, Tiffany and for other friends and health carers to help him through his health journey.

·      Wayne B – is slowly losing his beloved wife, Lyn, (diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia three and a half years ago).  She has been in care since May of 2020 but recently had a succession of falls and is now in a psycho-geriatric facility. She sometimes knows who he is but is no longer able to respond.  Pray for comfort for Wayne as he deals with this difficult situation. 

·      Jenlost her only sister and still needs your prayers to get through this difficult time and pray her health remains good.

·      Demi and John – one evening he went out his backdoor to run an errand and was attacked by someone with a knife who stabbed him several times (one pierced his heart).  He has recovered physically, but please pray for him and his wife as they pull their lives together – that they might find the Lord in all the chaos left behind.

·      Megan (for emotional healing) and Scott, her husband (for patience and wisdom) and wisdom for his sister, Clare, as she seeks to support them through troubled times.

·      Sue and Rob - need prayers for wisdom and resolute spirits as they deal with their adult nephew, Luke.  They invited him to stay with them during a difficult time in his life, but he refuses to leave now and is ungrateful and disruptive.  Pray for salvation for Luke and that he accepts their request.

·      Bettina – continue to pray for her as she grows into a new phase of her life in the Lord.  Pray each of her five married daughters, their spouses and 17 grandchildren grow to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

·      Robin – lost her beloved mother (was 93 years old), please pray for strength and healing for her as she navigates through this time of mourning and for her daughter who is comforting her.

·      Family of Eric – Eric died suddenly at 52 leaving his 47-year-old wife and three girls (ages 16, 19 and 23).  Pray the Lord brings strength to them as they regroup into a new life.  Pray for trustworthy, honourable, Bible-based friends to continue to support them.

·      Pray for true, Christ-centered revival in America.

 

Pray for those in full-time service

Pray the Lord uphold our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word and remain 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.

 

Pray for the World

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