✝️ DAILY DEVOTIONAL, April 24, 202

.

.

Best friends.

.

Morning Ya’ll 🙂

Tee-hee…

Good morning Treepers

From the Man In Black. RIP John and June

“Everybody on the ground !!!”

Exodus 23:9 “Also you shall not oppress a stranger: for you know the heart of a stranger, seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Leviticus 19:34 “But the stranger that dwells with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”

Numbers 15:16 “One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourns with you.”

1 Corinthians 4:7 “For who makes you to differ from another? and what have you that you did not receive? Now if you did receive it, why do you glory (boast), as if you had not received it?”

Matthew 9:35-10:1 “And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the Glad Tidings of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every bodily weakness among the people. And having seen the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were wearied and cast away, like as sheep not having a shepherd. Then He says to His disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the workmen few; supplicate therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He may send out workmen into His harvest. And having called to His twelve disciples, He gave to them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every bodily weakness.”

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 “I wrote to you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must you needs go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”

In the law, the provision of a sacrifice for sin, to make atonement, that the worshiper may be forgiven of his sins; it was made expressly for those who sin through ignorance. For once the things was known, it was expected that there would be repentance and conversion; that now having knowledge, the person would cease sinning. And if however, one continued in his transgression after he had been instructed; it was counted as arrogance and presumption and rebellion; and there would be no offering for that sin, but only death.

Now we understand, that the LORD forbears to execute judgment speedily upon men, with the hope that through mercy and space to repent, the man should come to himself and take steps to reconciliation and amending his ways. This is very important for us to understand, who have a heart for souls to be saved. The LORD’s long-suffering is for salvation; because He truly is unwilling for any to perish. 

The difference which God makes between His saints and the unsaved, is not for winking at the sins of His people, and waiting to catch the ungodly to destroy them! But this seems to be the tenor of what most churches teach their congregants. They have changed the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ into something like a get out of jail free card; that if someone merely “accepts” Jesus as their personal Savior; all sins, past present and future are automatically and without exception forgiven. While those who are without, and have no knowledge of Jesus and His dying on the cross for us, if they should even accidentally die in that condition, automatically, and without exception go to hell! What is wrong with this view? And how does it line up with everything Jesus taught, by word and by example?

The truth according to the Scriptures, and according to the Spirit of Christ; to those whom the more has been given, OF THEM will the more be demanded! If someone without knowledge commits things worthy of stripes, and does not repent; he will be beaten with few stripes, says the Lord: but the one who knows his Master’s will, and yet commits things worthy of stripes; he shall be beaten with many stripes! So too is it, that the Lord wants us to love the stranger; because we know the heart of the stranger. But the one who is called a brother; when he is sinning, after having been counseled and warned by many witnesses; we are to have nothing to do with. 

In the Epistle of Jude, the Holy Spirit is addressing the issue of false brethren and deceivers, especially prominent in these last days. These are spots in your feasts of love . . . and Enoch prophesied of these saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.”

So we see from all the Scriptures we have here today, that it is not to the sinning and disobedient church people that the Lord has compassion, and wishes to send workmen; but to those great crowds of non-Christians in the world; who are cast away and wearied, and there is no one who is going to look for them for God. Jesus came into the world to save men’s lives, not to destroy them. And seeing that we all have knowledge; that an idol is nothing, and has no power to do anything at all. We are not defiled by being among sinners! Jesus said, that “They that are whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick: I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

So what can all of us do? We can pray for the Lord of the harvest to raise up workmen, that He might send them into His fields to do His work of saving souls. It does not make us holy to read books, or even to be in various groups and “ministries” at church. We are doing the Lord’s will, when we are attending to the things He says He cares about; which is having compassion on the multitudes of wearied and cast away who have no Shepherd! The example given us in Paul and Barnabas, in Acts 13, shows us how we can do our part toward helping the Lord in His work.

Acts 13:1-4 “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.”

Did everyone in the church at Antioch go to the mission? No; but all were instrumental, in their unity of heart and soul, to attend to the Lord with prayer and fasting; so that the Holy Ghost could speak to the whole assembly what He wanted them to do. Love in the Spirit, and unity of purpose, fasting and praying with one accord, “ministering unto the Lord;” praying for the Lord of the harvest to send out workmen into His harvest; when there’s real love and holiness, the Lord will speak and He will direct the work He wants done.

WHO TRUSTS IN GOD A STRONG ABODE

Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

— Hebrews 12: 1-2

This hymn was written by Joachim Magdeburg (1525 – ?), a German clergyman. The words are said to have undergone several revisions over the years. The tune was written by Claudin de Sermisy (1490 – 1562), a French composer of Renaissance-style part songs.  (Information from hymnary.org and Britannica online)

There are so many reasons I like this hymn. It emphasizes the Gospel’s simple message of salvation through trust in Jesus Christ and His work, even (and especially) to those who are already Christians. It asks and expects that we can depend on God to protect and guide us daily. It trusts that God will continue to renew us as we pass through life. And it looks prayerfully, but with confidence, to God’s comfort as we leave this life and enter the next. All of this in one hymn!

It is about what God does for us and has done for us. It is not about what we do, or feel, or even what we should do. The emphasis is on simple trust.

Finally, the tone is emotionally neutral. It is accessible to people in their sad moments, as well as their joyous ones.

As I get ready to play for the funeral of one of our parishioners, I am grateful that she was comforted by hymns like this all her life and that her family may find some comfort in them now.

Now for something a little different. Liked the tempo and the interplay of organ and electric guitars

Alabama Shakes – Always Alright (Live on SNL)

24 April
Eugene Stoner
(1922-1997)
American firearms designer and inventor of the M16, dies of cancer at 74

*sound on*

The ending = oh, boy! 🇺🇸

24 April 2020 Harold Reid, American country bass vocalist (Statler Brothers – “Bed Of Rose’s”), dies of kidney failure at 80

Flowers On The Wall

Have a Little Talk with Jesus

24 April 2016 Billy Paul [Paul Williams], American soul singer (“Me & Mrs Jones”), dies of pancreatic cancer at 81

24 April 2016 Jan Henrik Kayser, Norwegian concert pianist (Grieg Prize, 1978), dies at 83

PRAYING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD

Father God, I now follow your command to put on the full armor of God, because my battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the unseen world.

I first pray on the Belt of Truth that it may be buckled around my waist, may I be centered and encircled by your truth dear Lord. Hem me inside all that is true and right, and may I be protected and held up by the truth of your living word, in my Lord Jesus name.

I pray on the Breastplate of righteousness, please protect my vital organs and my inner man, cover my integrity, my spirit, and my soul. Guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life, please strengthen and guard the most vulnerable places in my life with that which is right, good, and noble that I might not receive a fatal blow from the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.

I pray on the Gospel Shoes of Peace. I choose to stand in the shoes of your good news, and on the firm foundation of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the solid eternal rock. All other ground is sinking sand, I pray that I will not slip or fall, but that my feet would be firmly fitted on your lordship, my Lord Jesus. I choose to stand on you, so that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, the eternal Rock of Ages. I receive your holy peace now my Lord, from the sole of my feet to the crown of my head, in my Lord Jesus name.

I pray the Shield of Faith into my hand now. As I take up the shield of faith, I ask that you might extinguish every dart and arrow, that is launched from the enemy to take me down spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and every attempt of the enemy to destroy my joy. I ask that my faith in you would make it flame out. Extinguish every flaming arrow that would come against me, my life, my family, my home, or my ministry. May my faith always be out in front of me like a shield. Give me the courage to “faith my fears” by choosing to walk by faith and not by sight, in my Lord Jesus name.

I pray on the Helmet of Salvation, that you might protect my mind from the thoughts that can lead me astray. I choose to take every thought captive, and arrest all intentioned ideas and motives that would harm others, or distract me from your holy will for me. I submit every captured thought to the Lordship of my Lord Jesus Christ, and ask that you would imprison those thoughts that are not of you my Lord. Transform my mind and renew my thinking that I may think God thoughts, and have a sober mind that is focused on your glory. Please protect me from being double minded that I may allow my mind, I reject to live an earthly life, because I choose to live a holy one, governed by you My Lord Jesus, the prince of peace, please have my mind to be saturated with the holy mind of Christ, in my Lord Jesus name.

Finally, I take up the Sword of the Spirit which is the holy word of God, I pray this powerful offensive weapon into my hand, and ask that your holy word would be fitting for every encounter I face. As the enemy gets close to me, please give me the insight, wisdom, and skill to wield the word of God to drive away the enemy, in my Lord Jesus name.

May the enemy and his team flee from me, upon hearing the word of God spoken by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Give me the sword of the spirit to cut through the wiles of the devil, so that I may discern the schemes of the enemy when he is near.

With all kinds of prayers, supplication, and intercession I pray to you my Lord God as the one who fights my battles. Now that I’m in your holy powerful armor, I walk away covered and ready to face my day as you go before me, and please protect me in the midst of the spiritual warfare in this unseen world, in my Lord Jesus name.

Thank you my Lord, for the spiritual weapons of armor and prayer that you have given me. It is written no weapon formed against me shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses me. 

Thank you Father God, my Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, that I am more than a conqueror in my Lord Jesus. I pray all of this in the mighty name of my Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

AMEN.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

BE MY VOICE

Verse of the Day for Monday, April 24, 2023

✟

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” 

Matthew 7:15 (KJV)

Thank You, Jesus, for blessings received and prayers answered!!!

THE WARNING AGAINST WANTONING
 
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you.” Luke x. 20
 
As Christian workers, worldliness is not our snare, sin is not our snare, but spiritual wantoning is, viz.: taking the pattern and print of the religious age we live in, making eyes at spiritual success. Never court anything other than the approval of God, go “without the camp, bearing His reproach.” Jesus told the disciples not to rejoice in successful service, and yet this seems to be the one thing in which most of us do rejoice. We have the commercial view – so many souls saved and sanctified, thank God, now it is all right. Our work begins where God’s grace has laid the foundation; we are not to save souls, but to disciple them. Salvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace; our work as His disciples is to disciple lives until they are wholly yielded to God. One life wholly devoted to God is of more value to God than one hundred lives simply awakened by His Spirit. As workers for God we must reproduce our own kind spiritually, and that will be God’s witness to us as workers. God brings us to a standard of life by His grace, and we are responsible for reproducing that standard in others.
 
Unless the worker lives a life hidden with Christ in God, he is apt to become an irritating dictator instead of an indwelling disciple. Many of us are dictators, we dictate to people and to meetings. Jesus never dictates to us in that way. Whenever Our Lord talked about discipleship, He always prefaced it with an “IF,” never with an emphatic assertion – “You must.” Discipleship carries an option with it.
 
Oswald Chambers
April 24th Devotional

Revelation 13:15-17 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

It is not something far off; but happening now! The whole world is moving very rapidly to roll this out over the next few years. WEF – “You’ll own nothing!”

The Lord has forewarned us of all things. Have you repented of your sins, and are you saved? The day of grace is closing. The transgressors are coming to the full. Get right with God today! Jesus loves you, and He died on the cross for your sins, to save you from your sins. If you do not repent and believe the Gospel, you will perish. That is God’s word to all humanity. And we are almost out of time. The Day of the LORD is near in the Valley of Decision

(Just a Sample; Lena Petrova has many very informative updates on this topic. Recommend looking into.)

BE PREPARED: CBDCs ARE COMING SOON| FED’S “SECRET” PLAN| CBDC ADOPTION UPDATE

1958 …. Rick Nelson “I Believe”

Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace.  – 2 Corinthians 13:11 

The church in Corinth had been in turmoil. The believers had begun questioning Paul’s authority and the message that he had given them. The rebellion had intensified to the extent that Paul refrained from visiting Corinth to avoid severely rebuking them (2 Corinthians 1:23-24). He subsequently wrote a letter to the church in Corinth calling for their repentance. 

The message of Second Corinthians is one of thanksgiving that many repented. It also appealed to those who still opposed Paul (12:19-21). Some believed that all that Paul suffered in carrying the Gospel was proof of God’s rejection of his message.

But Paul is quick to state that God is the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (1:3-5). Paul’s behavior and attitude under adversity displayed God’s presence and power in his life. 

Paul only wanted the members of the church to do what was right, and make amends with each other (13:7-9). They were to comfort one another in the trials and hardships. They were to “agree with one another, live in peace” (today’s verse). Paul urged them to stand firm in their faith. 

Relationships are difficult unless you have the unifying Word of God in your midst. There is no substitute for having the love of God in your heart and the hearts of fellow believers. Seek to cultivate this with others in your congregation. Pray as well for restoration in this country through hearts and minds unified in the message of the Gospel. 

https://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/daily-prayer-briefing/?utm_source=daily_briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing&utm_content=daily_briefing

Mosaic icon of Saint Archangel Michael 


ST. MICHAEL PRAYER
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

April 24

MORNING

The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. Gen. 21:1

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Psa. 62:8

David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. I Sam. 30:6

God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Gen. 50:24

I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. Acts 7:34, 36

There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. Josh. 21:45

He is faithful that promised. Heb. 10:23

Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Num. 23:19

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matt. 24:35

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isa. 40:8

EVENING

The eyes of all wait upon thee. Psa. 145:15

He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. Acts 17:25

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Psa. 145:9

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Matt. 6:26

The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. Rom. 10:12

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. Psa. 121:1

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God. Psa. 123:2

The LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. Isa. 30:18

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us:

this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. Isa. 25:9

If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Rom. 8:25

 J. Bagster
https://dailylightdevotional.org/04/0424.html

Well, look who showed up again! Guess it’s time to re-post this precious little spirit.
I have chills already.

💞

Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount – Brussels, Belgiu
Matthew 18:20

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors. R.
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds. R.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me. R.

Be Not Afraid

Good morning all!

Wyoming had the coldest winter on record and it took a toll on the wildlife. If the left has their way the death toll in the future will include humans.

RFK Jr., like the rest of the left, wants to do away with the 1st amendment.

Remember that Bed, Bath, and Beyond got woke and political and dropped Mike Lindell’s products from it’s stores?

MY PILLOW and Mike are still standing and BBB has filed for bankruptcy.

A letter published today (Monday, October 19, 2020) with the signatures of 50 “former intelligence” officials is a self-inflicted wound of comedy and absurdity wrapped in the specious claim of special expertise. Thank God none of these clowns still hold a position anywhere in the national security bureaucracy. Their inability to grasp basic facts and engage in simple reasoning perhaps explains why the Obama team abandoned American military and intelligence officials at Benghazi in September 2012 and why they considered ISIS as “a junior varsity” team.

Basically, this group of mediocrities are sure that the Hunter Biden emails are part of some nasty Rooskie plot:
Another Blast From the Past – Former CIA Director Mike Morrell Confirms I Was Right – A Son of the New American Revolution (sonar21.com)

As I was in my backyard I noticed a Mockingbird with a bug in its beak standing on top of some hollies I have along the driveway on the same side and below the Lorpetulum hedge where the Cardinals and the cousin of the Mockingbird, the Brown Thrashers are both nesting. Sure enough it eventually dove into the shrub. I just saw him again today grab a bug and go to the same holly which means they are indeed nesting there. I’ve never had a Mockingbirds nest on my property before, though they guard my suet feeder every year. Pretty cool.

HOLY CRAP !! Tucker Carlson and FOX parted ways. Friday was his last show.. Now I am TOTALLY done with FOX..

Hope Tucker lands over at NEWMAX or OAN