Saturday, April 5, 2014

Proverbs 22 (NIV)



Proverbs 22 (New International Version)

Proverbs 22

1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.

3 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

4 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.

5 In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

6 Train [a] a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

9 A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.

11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.

12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!" or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"

14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it.

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

Sayings of the Wise

17 Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.

19 So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you.

20 Have I not written thirty [b] sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge,

21 teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?

22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,

23 for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered,

25 or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.

26 Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts;

27 if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.

29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.
Posted by at No comments:

Romans 11 (NIV)


Romans 11 (New International Version, ©2010)

Romans 11

The Remnant of Israel

1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"[a]? 4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."[b] 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear,
to this very day."[c]

9 And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."[d]

Ingrafted Branches

11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[f] my covenant with them when I take away their sins."[g]

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[h] receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Doxology

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[i] knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"[j]
35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?"[k]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
 
Posted by at No comments:

AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for China, People’s Republic, The Church in China, The Less Evangelized and Supportive Ministries

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Home > Apr 05: China, People’s Republic, The Church in China, The Less Evangelized, Supportive Ministries

Apr 05: China, People’s Republic, The Church in China, The Less Evangelized, Supportive Ministries

China, People’s Republic, The Church in China, The Less Evangelized, Supportive Ministries

China

People's Republic of China

Asia

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 9,573,000 sq km
The third-largest state in the world, also containing the highest mountains and plateaus in the world. The climate and geography are extremely diverse, ranging from tropical in the south to sub-arctic in the north, from a highly industrialized and modern eastern seaboard to sparsely populated western deserts and mountain ranges. Hong Kong and Macau are integral parts of China, though their statistics are not included here; Taiwan’s status is debated. These three are handled separately.
Population: 1,330,584,783    Annual Growth: 0.63%
Capital: Beijing
Urbanites: 44.9%
HDI Rank: 92 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 516 (83% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese); local languages in the five Autonomous Regions. 15 regional mega-languages. There are an estimated 600 different spoken Han dialects, but one written language common to all    Languages: 296 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Non-religious
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians105,382,3157.922.7
Evangelicals75,399,2705.72.9
Non-religious590,247,41044.36 
Prayercast

Challenge for Prayer

Social and health needs in China overwhelm the available resources. Pray that Christians in the caring and social professions find many openings to serve the suffering and to show and speak to them about the love of Jesus. Pray also for Christian lawyers who attempt to stand for justice on behalf of those unable to do so themselves. Pray specifically for:
a) Those with disease and ill health. Millions suffer with tuberculosis, diabetes is on a rapid rise and hundreds of thousands are HIV positive. Since the government changed its attitude on reporting infection rates, Christians now have more opportunities than ever to care for HIV patients and others suffering from debilitating and terminal diseases. Drug-use rates are rapidly increasing – now over one million users, two-thirds of whom are under age 35. Smoking is a ticking time bomb – 350 million smokers consume over two trillion cigarettes a year.
b) The disabled. Around 83 million disabled, or one-fifth of the world’s total, live in China. Yearly, over 1.2 million are born with defects, and the number is rising. The medical profession is ill-equipped to offer sufficient help to the 40 million affected by mental illness. Praise God that China’s hosting of the Paralympics in 2008 brought improvements in public perception and in quality of life and treatment for the disabled.
c) The vulnerable and helpless. Those most open to abuse and oppression remain women, orphans (three million in orphanages), refugees (especially from North Korea) and the millions living in poverty. Pray that true justice be administered, that rescue be granted to those in imminent danger and that mercy and compassion be shown to these through Christ’s followers.
d) The depressed and hopeless. China now has the highest number of suicides in the world at nearly 300,000 per year, a majority of whom are women. Mental health issues are possibly the most urgent social need in China. Divorce rates are skyrocketing (1.5 million/year). Family and community life are deeply changed. Pray for family stability and well-being. Pray for many Christians to get involved in drug rehabilitation, marital counselling and suicide prevention.
e) The overlooked. Many suffer indignity and oppression unseen by most – the elderly without care, victims of natural disasters struggling to rebuild, migrants making their way in overcrowded enclaves of Chinese megacities, minority communities and those in the harsh penal system. Jesus sees and remembers them all; pray that the Church might also.
     For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of China.


The Church in China

China

See Prayer Information


Challenge for Prayer

Specific challenges facing the Chinese Church:
a) Questions of moral and ethical conduct present themselves daily to Chinese Christians, who often lack access to a Bible and adequate biblical guidance, teaching and counsel for answers to difficult issues. While there is a core of seasoned and faithful men and women – mature, wise Christian leaders and elders offering sound counsel and stability for the churches – their numbers are far too few. Pray for continued guidance from the Holy Spirit, particularly in relation to the following:
     i Problems within marriages and families. The generation of house church leaders absent from their families (either in and out of prison or gone for extended periods of itinerant ministry) yields, as a by-product, a number of their children leaving the ministry or even leaving the faith. In urban settings, the twin pressures of gainful employment and pastoring leave marriages and family relationships strained and in many cases broken. The increasing acceptance of extra-marital sexual relationships as a cultural norm further complicates matters. Pray that leaders find ways to model family relationships that honour God. Pray that wise counsel might be provided for struggling families and individuals, and pray that Chinese Christians might demonstrate the power of the gospel through transformed relationships with spouses, children and parents.
     ii Financial temptations. Economic progress creates a new set of pressures on Christians, ranging from the desire for personal or church wealth to decisions regarding the stewardship of that wealth. Growing materialism coupled with excessive corruption are cultural norms. Pray for Christians to seek guidance from Scripture as they develop principles and guidelines for living in the world while still faithful to God.
b) Relations between Church and government are improving incrementally, but nearing a crucial decision point. Religious policies might be passed that allow for equality in registration of all religious groups, without requiring governmental control. Pray for a resolution that will best empower the Church to flourish, grow and bless the peoples of China and beyond.
c) Persecution remains a present reality. This is a measure of the government’s fears of such a large movement they do not control and of the majority of the Church operating outside the government-sanctioned church bodies. Since 1996, persecution has increased against house churches unwilling to register with the TSPM/CCC. Arrests, heavy fines, forced closures and destruction of church buildings are increasing in some key areas; the state says this is because house churches are illegal and a potential political threat, not because they are Christian. But this does nothing to lessen the suffering endured by its victims.
d) Churches need godly leaders to teach and guide families and individuals in their community.
     i Some TSPM groups report one trained leader for every seven thousand believers and even up to forty thousand in some areas – a shocking scale of need for trained leadership. Pray for formal training structures for the Three Self churches and for God to enable all who must lead, no matter what their circumstances.
     ii Younger leaders increasingly face pressures from family and society to pursue financially lucrative career paths instead of a life of ministry. Balancing obedience to God’s calling with honouring family and elders becomes a soul-rending process.
     iii Women constitute nearly 75 percent of the Church. This leaves leadership, outreach and care for church members mostly in the hands of women. Pray for their strength and wisdom to manage many responsibilities. Pray also for more effective outreach among men and that both men and women might jointly serve the Church.
e) Bible-based training and discipleship remain crisis-level needs for all arms of the Church.
     i Seminaries remain too few in number and small in size to meet the needs of a growing Church, with only 18 official seminaries graduating fewer than 1,000 students per year. Pray for those evangelical professors providing biblical teaching despite the prevailing liberal theology and textbooks. Pray that practical holiness might be central in the lives of faculty and students alike.
     ii Bible training centres and other informal training programmes are rapidly springing up across China to equip the hundreds of thousands of lay leaders. Pray for an adequate supply of Bibles flowing to and through these programmes and for sound teaching and learning materials.
     iii A truly Chinese expression of biblical faith is essential to move the Church forward into future generations. Pray that as changes come, theology, worship and community will enhance the God-given uniqueness of Chinese culture, while at the same time avoiding an unhealthy nationalism or ethnocentrism.
f) The predations of aggressive cults spread false teachings, rob the Church of many members and lead to confusion and misperceptions of biblical Christianity for many. Some of these cults verge on Christian teaching; others peddle outright deception. They often target churches to recruit new members. Christians (and leaders in particular) must be equipped to know the Truth so as to discern the lies proliferating among these groups.
     For an additional 4 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of The Church in China.


The Less Evangelized

China

See Prayer Information


Challenge for Prayer

The 500 million-plus captives of hollow and deceptive philosophies found in ancient practices such as Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism and in the newer Falun Gong movement. These traditions are experiencing growth – with Confucian teachings especially being promoted and Buddhism rapidly growing. Young people are not so attracted, but many professionals and older generations seek such grounding and transcendent meaning. Pray that they might turn their hearts toward Truth and the freedom only the gospel can give.
     For an additional 7 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of The Less Evangelized.


Supportive Ministries

World

See Prayer Information


Challenge for Prayer

Christian print materials. There is a seemingly insatiable demand for Bibles and Christian literature for purposes of outreach and equipping the Church. These include hymn books, teaching materials, biographies, tracts, apologetic materials to explain the gospel to students and intellectuals, Christian-living magazines and more. Pray for:
a) Bible translation. Around half a million Bibles have been printed across eight minority languages in the last thirty years, including a Braille version. Still, most minority groups do not have their own written languages, let alone translated Scriptures. Pray for this vital work, necessary for the health and indigenous development of the Church among every people.
b) Scripture portions and adaptations. In addition to full Bibles, Scripture portions are available in some languages and are increasingly used for outreach. A downloadable version of the Bible is planned for youth, enabling rapid distribution and use on MP3 players.
c) Christian publishing. Remarkably, around 900 Christian titles are now legally published and available within China, most by commercial or university presses and some by Amity Printing Company. A widening range of literature is published in Hong Kong with millions of copies sent to the mainland. Many agencies are involved in this ministry, including Christian Communications Ltd. (CCL), OMF, Asia Harvest, Antioch Mission–Chinese Church Support Ministries, AOI, OD, denominational bodies and many others. Pray for all aspects of publication and distribution.
d) Bookstores. There may be upward of 400 small Christian bookshops now operating legally in China, double the number of just five years earlier! Praise God for the drastic change in Christian literature availability, and pray for excellent books that may be used by the Spirit to powerfully change hearts and minds to the likeness of Christ.
e) Scholarly literature. With many professionals and academicians interested in Christianity and beginning to follow Jesus, suitable books for intellectuals are a great need.
     i Apologetics material. OMF has an extensive ministry here, having printed quality apologetic literature, which is very popular among this group. Academically rigorous exploration of questions or topics raised by a Marxist or atheistic worldview is important.
     ii Magazines and periodicals. A Chinese-language magazine, Overseas Campus, has been effective in reaching many mainland Chinese studying in North America and Europe.
     iii Higher-education materials. Pray for continued and increased production of quality materials used to train those seeking knowledge of Scripture, at universities and seminaries in particular, and for those with questions not always answered by mainstream Christian literature.
     For an additional 4 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Supportive Ministries.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)