Sunday, September 16, 2018

Devot. Today is Your Best Day Because of God's Presence

HI Folks,
 
I hope  you had a good weekend!   I wrote this devot. last week, just hadn't posted it last week, but I hope it's a blessing.
 
 Our devot. for today is again from "Today is Your Best Day" and it focuses on God's presence.
Have you ever had days where you knew in you head that God was with you because you had  trusted Jesus as your Saviour, but you really needed to feel that He was right beside you?    I think we have all had days like that when we have cried out to God that He would put a special reminder in our day that He was present, near and had not abandoned us, that asked we would see His hand at work in the midst of our lives.
 
Psalm 139:7-10 states , "Whither (where)shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:...  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."
 
Today's devot. reminds us that every day is our best day because, indeed, God's presence is with those who have trusted Him as Savior.
 
This week, remember in prayer the 9/11 families as they remember those that they have lost.   It's easier to heal and move forward when  you can grieve privately and lay your pain to rest, but when a Day of Remembrance occurs each year(as it should) , it's harder as you are reminded
of your loss .    So please keep these precious folks lifted before the Lord as well as those who are dealing with Hurricane Florence.
 
I have also included a interesting article below on Rosh Hashanah, (the Jewish New Year that began 9/9-9/11) and it's significance.  I think you will find it interesting!   Lord bless you and yours!
 
Devot.
 
 
 Mat Staver, Chairman
Christians in Defense of Israel


On the eve of Rosh Hoshanah, the start of the Jewish New Year and Israel's High Holy Days, you may be wondering "What can I eat to help celebrate this wonderful Jewish event?"

According to the Independent, "The sweet foods that Jews eat during Rosh Hashanah are meant to symbolize the hope for a sweet and happy year ahead. One of the most recognizable food staples that adorns the dinner table during Rosh Hashanah is apple and honey, a traditional combination that has passed down the generations for centuries. In addition to dipping the apple in the honey, Jews also frequently eat honey cake, pomegranates and round raisin loaves of challah to see in the New Year."

Israel's High Holy days are a remarkable season of new beginnings, prayer, and repentance.
Together, let's pray for Israel and our Jewish brothers and sisters for "a good and sweet year" during this season.  See my earlier message below  – Mat.  
 
Rosh Hashanah (September 9-11) – is the beginning of the Yamim Nora'im (High Holy Days).
In Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of the universe – and the commemoration of the day that God created Adam and Eve. It is the start of the Jewish New Year, which is greeted by the sounding of the shofar, the lighting of candles, prayers, and feasts.
"Rosh Hashanah is followed by 10 days of repentance – or the '10 Days of Returning to God.'"  Then, the High Holy Days continue with Yom Kippur "when Jews gather in synagogue for 25 hours of fasting, prayer, and inspiration. It is regarded as the 'Sabbath of Sabbaths.' On this day forgiveness of sins is also asked of God," as described by Chabad.org.

Yom Kippur is followed by the holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection God provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. Simchat Torah is a time of reading the Torah scrolls. It's the only time of year the scrolls are taken out of the ark and read at night. This is a time of great rejoicing when Jews sing and dance around the Torah reading table in the synagogue.
+ + Christians in Defense of Israel is rallying friends like you to PRAY FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL during their High Holy Days! 

Here are just a few of our prayer points along with the prayer for "a good and sweet year."
• Pray for the Jewish people during this time of renewal and repentance.  (Colossians 2:6-7)
• Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6)
• Pray for Israeli leaders.  (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Click here to simply say "YES! I'll join you in prayer for the nation of Israel and our Jewish brothers and sisters during their High Holy Days!  Your name will be immediately added as a prayer partner.
 

+ + When you pray for and bless Israel, you are invoking God's blessing on your life and on America.

In Genesis 12:3, God told Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel… "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Israel is at the very center of God's plans for our world yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And yet this tiny nation faces hostile enemies who want nothing more than to utterly destroy the Jewish state.

Click here to commit to pray for the nation of Israel during these High Holy Days of renewal and repentance. Your name will be immediately added as a prayer partner with thousands of other pro-Israel friends.

God bless you. God bless Israel. And God bless America.
 
Mat Staver, President
Christians in Defense of Israel

 

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Devot. Today is Your Best Day Because of Salvation

HI Folks,
 
I hope you had a super long weekend! 
The devot. for today  is again our series on "Today is Your Best Day."
It focuses on how every day is a super day because we are Saved and going to Heaven because of
Jesus death and resurrection and our personal acceptance of Him as our only way of getting to Heaven.
 
The devot. is short, but I pray it gives you a boost to your week!  Just think you are on your way to Heaven because you have trusted Jesus!   That is huge!
 
I have also included a song link that celebrates the salvation of a soul who has trusted Christ as his Savior. It's an old video (90's:), but the song been a favorite in our house for years:)
 
Lord bless you and yours this week!
 
 
 

Devot. Christ Our Leader

Hi Folks,
 
I hope you had a good weekend! 
 
The devot. for today is on following the Lord Jesus as our Guide  as we walk along this journey of faith.  I pray it is a reminder that " this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death" (Ps. 48:14) and that the Lord has promised, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me (Hebrews 13:5-6)."
 
I pray this devot. reminds you who is leading you through your daily life (if you allow Him to be your leader and Guide:) 
 
Below is an update and reminder to also pray for Pastor Youcef  (Iranian pastor unjustly imprisoned in Iran for his faith) and his precious family as he is still in prison.     Hebrews 13:3, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."
 
Lord bless you and yours this week!
 
Devot. http://www.icr.org/article/20659 (Used by permission.  Taken from http://www.icr.org/homepage/)

Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been once again thrown in a brutal prison . . .
ACLJ
 

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Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been once again thrown in a brutal prison.
Iran has sentenced him to 10 years in prison for “promoting Christianity” and 2 years of “internal exile.”
In just days, we have a critical opportunity at the U.N. to do something about it.
Sign the Petition Now
Pastor Youcef is back in one of the world’s worst prisons – Evin Prison. He’s reportedly being kept in a windowless, medieval quarantine ward – notorious for unhygienic conditions and oppressive heat – normally used as an additional punishment.
Pastor Youcef was savagely beaten by Iranian police in front of his family. Authorities even assaulted his son with an electric baton.
This heinous injustice cannot be tolerated.
We’re ramping up our legal advocacy efforts to fight around the world for Pastor Youcef’s freedom. Next week, we’re filing a critical legal submission at the U.N., detailing how Iran is violating international law and even its own constitution.
But this innocent Christian pastor and his family urgently need your voice NOW.
Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel

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Devot. Today is Your Best Day/Petition to Free Chinese Pastor!

HI Folks,
I hope you had a blessed weekend and a good start to your week!
 
Our devot. for today continues our series "Today is Your Best Day" and focuses on our journey of faith, like I expounding on last week.  
 
I have included a song link that you have heard before, but it is a favorite of mine and always a profound blessing to listen to.  The song details parts of Hebrews 11 (The Hall of Faith) that gives us snippets of stories from the Old Testament of men and women  who stood for their faith in trying times and how God blessed them for it, either on this side of Heaven or the next.
 (If you care to read the chapter, here is a link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11&version=KJV)
 
Last weekend, I was reading two magazines from Voice of the Martyrs (I have sent you details on this ministry before).  The articles were true stories of faithful Christian men and women who had been imprisoned and tortured for their faith in Christ in  recent years in other countries and had lived to tell about it.   Their stories are amazing and I am so impressed by their faith in Christ in the midst of persecution that they and their families have endured.    2 Timothy 3:12, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
 
I am so grateful that, even though my faith has been tried through my journey here on earth, it is nothing compared to these godly folks.    Talk about a journey of faith and how God has sustained them in amazing and even miraculous ways!
 
Below the song link  is a petition from Voice of the Martyrs regarding a pastor in China..  Details are below, but please consider signing and passing on.
 
Lord bless you and yours this week!
 
Devot.