Friday, August 9, 2013

AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic - Laos - Asia

Aug 09: Laos

Jeremiah 3 (New International Version)





Jeremiah 3 (New International Version)

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Jeremiah 3

1 "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers— would you now return to me?" declares the LORD.

2 "Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad [a] in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.

3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame.

4 Have you not just called to me: 'My Father, my friend from my youth,

5 will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can."

Unfaithful Israel

6 During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. 8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD.
11 The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north: " 'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever.

13 Only acknowledge your guilt— you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,' " declares the LORD.

14 "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18 In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.

19 "I myself said, " 'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me.

20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD.

21 A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.

22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.

23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24 From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our fathers' labor— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.

25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the LORD our God."




 
 



Isaiah 53 (New International Version)





Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression [a] and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [b]

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes [c] his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life [d] and be satisfied [e] ; by his knowledge [f] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g] and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h] because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

    Proverbs 9 (New International Version)





    Proverbs 9

    Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly

    1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
    2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.

    3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.

    4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.

    5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.

    6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.

    7 "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.

    8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

    9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

    10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

    11 For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.

    12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

    13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

    14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,

    15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way.

    16 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.

    17 "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!"

    18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.

    Romans 3 (New International Version, ©2010)





    Romans 3

    God's Faithfulness

    1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
    3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge."[a]

    5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is just!

    No One Is Righteous

    9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:
    "There is no one righteous, not even one;
    11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
    12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
    there is no one who does good, not even one."[b]
    13 "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit."[c]
    "The poison of vipers is on their lips."[d]
    14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."[e]
    15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
    16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
    17 and the way of peace they do not know."[f]
    18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."[g]

    19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

    Righteousness Through Faith

    21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
    27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

    Thursday, August 8, 2013

    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyz Republic - Asia

    Aug 08: Kyrgyzstan

    Sins Against the Holy Spirit

    By  Greg Laurie

    I think it is really important for us to better understand the person of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes people think of the Holy Spirit as more of an “It” than a “Him.” But according to Scripture, the Holy Spirit is not only God, but He has a will, a personality, and can even be offended!

    There are six specific sins that can be committed against the Holy Spirit. Today, allow me to focus on one that can be committed by believers—grieving the Holy Spirit.

    One of the places in Scripture where we read about grieving the Holy Spirit is in Ephesians 4:29-32. The apostle Paul writes:

    “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not grieve God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live…. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

    To grieve means to make sad or sorrowful. It means to cause sorrow, pain, or distress.

     But what makes the Holy Spirit sad or sorrowful?

     
    1. Foul and abusive language makes the Holy Spirit sad.

    Verse 29 says, “Don’t use foul or abusive language.” The word used here speaks of something that has gone “rotten.” This includes obscene language, profanity, dirty stories, vulgarity, double entendres, etc.

    When did it become “cool” for preachers to speak this way from a pulpit? Some people would say this is being “real” or “authentic.”

     Guess what? You are not to speak this way—privately or publicly. How about being authentically godly instead?

     
     2. Bitterness makes the Holy Spirit sad and sorrowful.

     
    The definition of bitterness is “an embittered and resentful spirit that refuses to be reconciled.”

    Some people just like to be mad. They live for conflict, arguing, and fighting. This, as with all sin, only gets worse if left unchecked and unrepented of.
     

    The sad thing is that bitter people rarely want to keep it to themselves. Instead, they spread it around. The Bible speaks of “a root of bitterness defiling many” (see Hebrews 12:15).

     
    I have a better idea: forgive!
     

    3. Fits of rage and uncontrolled anger make the Holy Spirit sad and sorrowful.

    “Rage” speaks of the person who is easily angered and who raises his voice—shouting and screaming. “Slander” is speaking evil of others behind their backs. “Malicious behavior” speaks of ill will and plotting evil against someone.
     

    Look, all of us have been hurt in life, but we have a choice as to how we react. We can be like the moneylender Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, demanding our “pound of flesh.” We can say, “They did this to me; therefore I will have my vengeance!”

     

    Or we can believe God when He says “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.”

     

    It is said that Augustine had a sign on his wall that read, “He who speaks evil of an absent man or woman is not welcome at this table.”

     

    Try the acronym T.H.I.N.K. the next time you are not sure whether or not you should say something.

    • T – Is it Truthful?

    • H – Is it Helpful?

    • I – Is it Inspiring?

    • N – Is it Necessary?

    • K – Is it Kind?

     

    Instead of speaking evil of someone, we are to “be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.”

     

    “But they don’t deserve that!”

     

    True, but neither do you or I—yet God still forgave us.

     

    Paul concludes Ephesians 4:32 by saying, “…just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

     

    Forgiven people should be forgiving people. Otherwise, we are grieving the Spirit.

    Isaiah 52 (New International Version)





    Isaiah 52

    1 Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.

    2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

    3 For this is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed."

    4 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

    5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock, [a] " declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.

    6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I."

    7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

    8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.

    9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.

    10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

    11 Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

    12 But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

    The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

    13 See, my servant will act wisely [b] ; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
    14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him [c]— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—

    15 so will he sprinkle many nations, [d] and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

    Proverbs 8 (New International Version)





    Proverbs 8

    Wisdom's Call

    1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
    2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

    3 beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:

    4 "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.

    5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.

    6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.

    7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.

    8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.

    9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.

    10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,

    11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

    12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.

    13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

    14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.

    15 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;

    16 by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. [a]

    17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

    18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.

    19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.

    20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

    21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

    22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, [b] , [c] before his deeds of old;

    23 I was appointed [d] from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.

    24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water;

    25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,

    26 before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world.

    27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

    28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

    29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

    30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,

    31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

    32 "Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.

    33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.

    34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

    35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.

    36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

    Romans 2 (New International Version, ©2010)





    Romans 2

    God's Righteous Judgment

    1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
    5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will repay each person according to what they have done."[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

    12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

    The Jews and the Law

    17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."[b]
    25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

    28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.

    Wednesday, August 7, 2013

    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the State of Kuwait - Asia

    Aug 07: Kuwait

    Isaiah 52 (New International Version)





    Isaiah 52

    1 Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.

    2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

    3 For this is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed."

    4 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

    5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock, [a] " declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.

    6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I."

    7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

    8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.

    9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.

    10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

    11 Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

    12 But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

    The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

    13 See, my servant will act wisely [b] ; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
    14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him [c]— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—

    15 so will he sprinkle many nations, [d] and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

    Romans 1




    Romans 1

    1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from[c] faith for his name's sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

    7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Paul's Longing to Visit Rome

    8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
    11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[d] that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

    14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

    16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."[f]

    God's Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

    18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
    21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

    24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

    26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

    28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

    Tuesday, August 6, 2013

    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Republic of South Korea - Asia

    Aug 06: Korea, South

    Isaiah 51 Holy Bible (King James)


    Isaiah 51 (New International Version)





    Isaiah 51

    Everlasting Salvation for Zion

    1 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD : Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
    2 look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many.

    3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

    4 "Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.

    5 My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.

    6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

    7 "Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults.

    8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations."

    9 Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through?

    10 Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?

    11 The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

    12 "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass,

    13 that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor?

    14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread.

    15 For I am the LORD your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD Almighty is his name.

    16 I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand— I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'You are my people.' "

    The Cup of the LORD's Wrath

    17 Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger.
    18 Of all the sons she bore there was none to guide her; of all the sons she reared there was none to take her by the hand.

    19 These double calamities have come upon you— who can comfort you?— ruin and destruction, famine and sword— who can [a] console you?

    20 Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD and the rebuke of your God.

    21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk, but not with wine.

    22 This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: "See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again.

    23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, 'Fall prostrate that we may walk over you.' And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked over."

    Proverbs 6 (New International Version)




    Proverbs 6

    Warnings Against Folly

    1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another,
    2 if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

    3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!

    4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.

    5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

    6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

    7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,

    8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

    9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

    10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-

    11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. [a]

    12 A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,

    13 who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,

    14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up dissension.

    15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

    16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

    17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

    18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

    19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

    Warning Against Adultery

    20 My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
    21 Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.

    22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

    23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,

    24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.

    25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,

    26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

    27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

    28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?

    29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

    30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

    31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

    32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

    33 Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away;

    34 for jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

    35 He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

    Romans 16 (New International Version, ©2010)





    Romans 16

    Personal Greetings

    1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.
    3 Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

    5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

    6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

    7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

    8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

    9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

    10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

    11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

    12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

    13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

    14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

    15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord's people who are with them.

    16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

    17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

    20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

    21 Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.

    22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

    23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. [24] [e]

    25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from[f] faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

    Monday, August 5, 2013

    Isaiah 50 (New International Version)





    Isaiah 50

    Israel's Sin and the Servant's Obedience

    1 This is what the LORD says: "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
    2 When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.

    3 I clothe the sky with darkness and make sackcloth its covering."

    4 The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

    5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.

    6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

    7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

    8 He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!

    9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.

    10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

    11 But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.