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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdthRr-SEPs
(5 min 22 sec) or go to GotQuestions:
https://www.gotquestions.org/private-sin.html
“My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my
commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart
to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for
understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden
treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the
knowledge of God.
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes
knowledge and understanding. He stores
up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones.
“Then you will discern righteousness and justice and
equity and every good course. For wisdom
will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion
will guard you, understanding will watch over you, to deliver you from the way
of evil, and rejoice in the perversity of evil;” Proverbs 2:1-14
It is easy to live a life of hot and cold, on and off when
it comes to our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The deterioration can happen subtly:
·
The Law of God - within our hearts
(Romans 1:18-19) draws us to the Lord. We
give it our best efforts, but soon realise we can’t keep the law and need help.
·
Liberty - When Jesus comes into our
lives, He takes our sins from us and gives us liberty to choose to obey or not
to obey. It is our responsibility to
choose. We are not God’s puppets.
·
Licence - All too often we take God’s
liberty (and patience) for licence, thinking that God isn’t going to stop us,
so we must be able to get away with anything.
However, there are consequences to our choices (Romans 6:23),
as there are conditions to the promises in God’s Word.
Our choices matter:
·
To God and can grieve the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians
10:31-33, Ephesians 5:30-31)
·
To those we love and those around us (who don’t
have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, yet) (Matthew 5:13-16)
·
For our own lives (Romans 6:23, I Corinthians 3:10-15).
What will you choose this day? Perhaps, start with some ‘Spiritual Soap’ (I
John 1:8-10).
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 (Thank you for the
updates.)
·
Hans–
a dear friend in Germany. Today is his
birthday and he continues to battle lung cancer and financial
difficulties. Pray his new social worker
will be able to help him through this time and that he will have patience, for
his healthcare providers and that he is surrounded by faithful and
compassionate Christian friends who will support him. Pray for his Mom (age 84) -- that their time
together is filled with extraordinarily good memories and lots of love.
·
Barbara –
the beloved wife of my brother (who recently passed) – thank you for praying
for her (and for me as we are both struggling with the loss of Tim). Please pray God places people in our paths
who will help us with all the things He knows we need help with. Pray for Barb’s peace and protection at
night.
·
NEW –
Pray for Jeff and Rachael’s family in Louisville to desire and seek a relationship with the Lord.
·
Update – Julie’s
father is home now and feeling better. Pray
for his health carers and especially for those who love him during this time.
·
Thanksgiving! – Dana,
daughter of Annette and Lyle just gave birth to their first grandchild. All healthy.
Pray God watches over this precious, new child throughout her life and that
He captures her heart early in her life that she may inspire others by her
faith and love.
·
Thanksgiving! - Joni – a
long-time friend who has been wandering through the challenges of cancer
treatment. Last week she went for a
review of her last tests and the doctors are surprised to find that her cancer
seems to be completely gone. They will
do a PET scan to search to confirm this, but she seems all back to good health,
although a little weak.
·
New – John and Sheridan – a most delightful
couple. He is the pastor of a church
with a small and faithful congregation and she supports him in many ways. Pray that God encourages them to not grow
weary of their work and that the Lord brings abundant fruit.
·
Philip and Sue –
Philip has recently had surgery. Pray
for his health carers and for Sue as she supports him through his recovery.
·
UPDATE - Sarah and Andrew
– he left his job a year ago -- she went to work in a new role. Pray for this precious Christian couple that
they focus on family balance to the glory of the Lord.
·
UPDATE - Sue and Rob –
opened their home to support Luke who
is lost, angry and refuses to move out.
Please pray he wakes up and realises he must take responsibility for his
own life and most of all that he needs the Lord. Pray for the continued patience and
compassion of Sue and Rob.
·
UPDATE – Ray and Kathy – Ray’s mom is lost in the
growing fog of dementia and lives a couple of hours away. She recently had a serious fall and is now in
an aged care facility. Pray for her that
she might adjust and that she stays healthy.
Pray for travelling mercies for Ray as he drives back and forth to visit
her and for Kathy as she supports him through this difficult time and for each
of their ministries to grow through the witness of their love and compassion.
·
UPDATE - Peggy – a dear friend and colleague of my
sister-in-law who has been battling cancer in her neck for years. Her new oncologist has started a combination
of chemo and radiation that seems to be working, but she is miserable. Please pray for her as she waits for her body
to heal and strengthen.
·
UPDATE - 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 her 18 grandchildren grow to love and follow the
Lord Jesus Christ.
·
Paul –
please pray for him. He was unsuccessful
for the job he applied for (after more than ten years without work) and he is
very discouraged and now unwell. Please pray
the Lord provides needed work so he can begin to heal and strengthen.
·
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.
·
Jen – lost
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.
·
Jake – No news about Jake, a friend of my brother, also
living with COPD (emphysema) and heart problems. Please pray for his daughter, Tiffany and for his other friends and health
carers to help him through his health journey.
·
Ian – continue
to pray that his desire to grow his understanding and effectiveness with
personal evangelism is fulfilled.
·
Peyton and Carter
- Grandchildren of Jeff and Rachael. Payton, their granddaughter is now a senior
in university. Carter, their son is now
a freshman in college. Both are
exceptional students and love the Lord. Pray
they are not distracted by worldly things, that the Lord watches over and
protects them, that they continue to do well in their studies and that their
love of God’s Word increases daily.
·
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.
· NEW - Elina –
needs the courage of her convictions and determination to live a life that is
Christ-honouring for herself and her young son, Jimmy.
·
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.
·
Christine –
give her strength as she journeys to heart-healing and pray her husband gives
his heart to the Lord.
·
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.
·
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.
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