Monday, January 27, 2014

Proverbs 27 (NIV)


Proverbs 27 (New International Version)

Proverbs 27

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.

3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.

4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

7 He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

10 Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

12 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.

14 If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.

15 A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;

16 restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

18 He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.

19 As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.

20 Death and Destruction [a] are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.

22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.

23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;

24 for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

26 the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.

27 You will have plenty of goats' milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls.
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    Psalm 105 (NIV)


    Psalm 105 (New International Version)

    Psalm 105

    1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

    2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

    3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

    4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

    5 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

    6 O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

    7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

    8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

    9 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

    10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

    11 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."

    12 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,

    13 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.

    14 He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:

    15 "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."

    16 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;

    17 and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave.

    18 They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,

    19 till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.

    20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.

    21 He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,

    22 to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

    23 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

    24 The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,

    25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.

    26 He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

    27 They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

    28 He sent darkness and made the land dark— for had they not rebelled against his words?

    29 He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.

    30 Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

    31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.

    32 He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;

    33 he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.

    34 He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;

    35 they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.

    36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.

    37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.

    38 Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

    39 He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.

    40 They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

    41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.

    42 For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.

    43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

    44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-

    45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
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    Sunday, January 26, 2014

    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Country of Asia's Hot Spots

    Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
    Home > Jan 26: Asia, Hot Spots of Asia

    Jan 26: Asia, Hot Spots of Asia

    Asia, Hot Spots of Asia

    Asia

    World

    See Prayer Information

    Geography

    Area: 31,829,200 sq km
    Approximately 23.5% of the world’s surface area. Russia east of the Ural Mountains is geographically part of Asia, but here all of the Russian Federation is included with Europe. Included here are the Trans-Caucasus states (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) as well as the West Asian/Middle Eastern countries. Includes amazing geographic and ecological diversity – tropical rain forest, desert, alluvial plains, hills and the world’s highest
    Population: 4,166,741,314    Annual Growth: 1.10%
    Urbanites: 43%

    Peoples

    Peoples: 4,860 (0% unreached)
        Languages: 2,322

    Religion

    Largest Religion: Muslim
    Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
    Christians368,075,9848.832.3
    Evangelicals146,854,0853.53.0
    Muslim1,100,825,42826.42 

    Answer to Prayer

    Increased stability in several areas that were previously volatile or at war. The lot of the Afghan people has seen notable improvement since 2001, as has that of the Kurds, especially in Iraq. Indonesia and Pakistan have stabilized somewhat, and China has managed its incredible growth without provoking further tension or conflict with its neighbours.
         For an additional 8 Answers to 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 Asia.

    Hot Spots of Asia

    Asia

    See Prayer Information

    Challenge for Prayer

    China’s re-emergence as a global superpower is possibly the major global political and economic factor in the first decades of the 21st Century. China is growing more assertive in international diplomacy and political engagement. The pragmatic marriage of centralized state control with an increasingly capitalist economy has achieved stupendous financial growth. But such growth, fuelled by massive consumption of resources, cannot be sustained indefinitely; what happens when the bubble bursts will have a global impact. The major demographic shift to an aged population (as a result of the one-child policy) will place great burdens on those of working age. The huge gender gap – in many areas, a shortfall of 20-30% from equal gender balance – has further serious implications for long-term societal stability. The quasi-colonization by ethnic Han of China’s hinterlands (Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan) and accelerating immigration to under-populated and under-developed Russian Siberia are all potentially calamitous to the indigenous populations.
         For an additional 8 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 Hot Spots of Asia.
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    Micah 4 Holy Bible (King James)


    Micah 4


    1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
    2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
    3 ¶And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
    4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
    5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
    6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
    7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
    8 ¶And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
    9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
    10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
    11 ¶Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
    12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
    13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

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    Proverbs 26 (NIV)


    Proverbs 26 (New International Version)

    Proverbs 26

    1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

    2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

    3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

    4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

    5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

    6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

    7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

    8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

    9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

    10 Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.

    11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

    12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

    13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

    14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

    15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

    16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

    17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

    18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows

    19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

    20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

    21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

    22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

    23 Like a coating of glaze [a] over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

    24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.

    25 Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

    26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

    27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.

    28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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    Psalm 104 (NIV)


    Psalm 104

    New International Version (NIV)

    Psalm 104

    1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
    Lord my God, you are very great;
        you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
    2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
        he stretches out the heavens like a tent
    3     and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
    He makes the clouds his chariot
        and rides on the wings of the wind.
    4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
        flames of fire his servants.
    5 He set the earth on its foundations;
        it can never be moved.
    6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
        the waters stood above the mountains.
    7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
        at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
    8 they flowed over the mountains,
        they went down into the valleys,
        to the place you assigned for them.
    9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
        never again will they cover the earth.
    10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
        it flows between the mountains.
    11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
        the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
    12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
        they sing among the branches.
    13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
        the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
    14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
        and plants for people to cultivate—
        bringing forth food from the earth:
    15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
        oil to make their faces shine,
        and bread that sustains their hearts.
    16 The trees of the Lord are well watered,
        the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
    17 There the birds make their nests;
        the stork has its home in the junipers.
    18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
        the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
    19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
        and the sun knows when to go down.
    20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
        and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
    21 The lions roar for their prey
        and seek their food from God.
    22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
        they return and lie down in their dens.
    23 Then people go out to their work,
        to their labor until evening.
    24 How many are your works, Lord!
        In wisdom you made them all;
        the earth is full of your creatures.
    25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
        teeming with creatures beyond number—
        living things both large and small.
    26 There the ships go to and fro,
        and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
    27 All creatures look to you
        to give them their food at the proper time.
    28 When you give it to them,
        they gather it up;
    when you open your hand,
        they are satisfied with good things.
    29 When you hide your face,
        they are terrified;
    when you take away their breath,
        they die and return to the dust.
    30 When you send your Spirit,
        they are created,
        and you renew the face of the ground.
    31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
        may the Lord rejoice in his works—
    32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
        who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
    33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
        I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
    34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
        as I rejoice in the Lord.
    35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
        and the wicked be no more.
    Praise the Lord, my soul.
    Praise the Lord.[b]

    Footnotes:

    1. Psalm 104:4 Or angels
    2. Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.
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    Saturday, January 25, 2014

    Love Never Gives Up...


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    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Country of Asia

    Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
    Home > Jan 25: Asia

    Jan 25: Asia

    Asia

    World

    See Prayer Information

    Geography

    Area: 31,829,200 sq km
    Approximately 23.5% of the world’s surface area. Russia east of the Ural Mountains is geographically part of Asia, but here all of the Russian Federation is included with Europe. Included here are the Trans-Caucasus states (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) as well as the West Asian/Middle Eastern countries. Includes amazing geographic and ecological diversity – tropical rain forest, desert, alluvial plains, hills and the world’s highest
    Population: 4,166,741,314    Annual Growth: 1.10%
    Urbanites: 43%

    Peoples

    Peoples: 4,860 (0% unreached)
        Languages: 2,322

    Religion

    Largest Religion: Muslim
    Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
    Christians368,075,9848.832.3
    Evangelicals146,854,0853.53.0
    Muslim1,100,825,42826.42 

    Answer to Prayer

    The emergence of a mature, international missionary involvement. The growth of commitment and involvement in cross-cultural outreach in India is praiseworthy. South Korea, the Philippines and the Chinese diaspora are major components of the world’s missionary outreach. The Back to Jerusalem vision in China and the vision to mobilize the Filipino emigrant workforce could be the two most significant dynamics for world mission in the 21st Century. Yet humility, cultural sensitivity and genuine willingness to work together across denominations, nationalities and ethnicities are all needed for Asian mission work as much as for anywhere else.
         For an additional 8 Answers to 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 Asia.
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    Micah 3 (NIV)


    Micah 3 (New International Version)

    Micah 3

    Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

    1 Then I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice,
    2 you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;

    3 who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?"

    4 Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.

    5 This is what the LORD says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him.

    6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.

    7 The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God."

    8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.

    9 Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;

    10 who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness.

    11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us."

    12 Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
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    Proverbs 25 (NIV)


    Proverbs 25 (New International Version)

    Proverbs 25

    More Proverbs of Solomon

    1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
    2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

    3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

    4 Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for [a] the silversmith;

    5 remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness.

    6 Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men;

    7 it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you have seen with your eyes

    8 do not bring [b] hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?

    9 If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence,

    10 or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation.

    11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

    12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear.

    13 Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

    14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

    15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

    16 If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit.

    17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house— too much of you, and he will hate you.

    18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.

    19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.

    20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

    21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

    22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

    23 As a north wind brings rain, so a sly tongue brings angry looks.

    24 Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

    25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

    26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

    27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

    28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.
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    Psalm 103 (NIV)


    Psalm 103 (New International Version)

    Psalm 103

    Of David.

    1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
    2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-

    3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

    4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

    5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

    6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

    7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

    8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

    9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

    10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

    11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

    12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

    13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

    14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

    15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;

    16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

    17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-

    18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

    19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

    20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

    21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

    22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
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    Friday, January 24, 2014

    Micah 2 (NIV)


    Micah 2 (New International Version)

    Micah 2

    Man's Plans and God's

    1 Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.
    2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.

    3 Therefore, the LORD says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.

    4 In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: 'We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.' "

    5 Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.

    False Prophets

    6 "Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us."
    7 Should it be said, O house of Jacob: "Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Does he do such things?" "Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?

    8 Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle.

    9 You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever.

    10 Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.

    11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people!

    Deliverance Promised

    12 "I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.
    13 One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head."
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    Proverbs 24 (NIV)


    Proverbs 24 (New International Version)

    Proverbs 24

    1 Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company;

    2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.

    3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;

    4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

    5 A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;

    6 for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.

    7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.

    8 He who plots evil will be known as a schemer.

    9 The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker.

    10 If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!

    11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

    12 If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?

    13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

    14 Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

    15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place;

    16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

    17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,

    18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.

    19 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked,

    20 for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

    21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious,

    22 for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise

    23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:

    24 Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"— peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.

    25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.

    26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

    27 Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

    28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive.

    29 Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."

    30 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;

    31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.

    32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:

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

    34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
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    Psalm 102 (NIV)


    Psalm 102 (New International Version)

    Psalm 102

    A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his lament before the LORD.

    1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you.
    2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.

    3 For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.

    4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.

    5 Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones.

    6 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.

    7 I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.

    8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse.

    9 For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears

    10 because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

    11 My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

    12 But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.

    13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.

    14 For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity.

    15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

    16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.

    17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.

    18 Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD :

    19 "The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth,

    20 to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death."

    21 So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem

    22 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.

    23 In the course of my life [a] he broke my strength; he cut short my days.

    24 So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.

    25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

    26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

    27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

    28 The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."
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    Thursday, January 23, 2014

    A.F.W.I.S.: Daily Prayer - A conversation with God - updated 1...

    A.F.W.I.S.: Daily Prayer - A conversation with God - updated 1...: Good Morning Father,   I thank you that you woke me up this morning and gave me another day to serve you. Thank y...
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    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for The Church in the Americas

    Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
    Home > Jan 23: The Americas, The Church in the Americas

    Jan 23: The Americas, The Church in the Americas

    The Americas, The Church in the Americas

    The Americas

    World

    See Prayer Information

    Answer to Prayer

    Pentecostals demonstrate the greatest vigour and are now the largest component of evangelicals in Latin America with over 66 million affiliates and 12.1% of the population. The Americas represent 50% of the world’s Pentecostals, despite having less than 14% of the world’s population. Their greatest success is among the poor. Growth is weakened by multiple splits, inadequate discipling of converts and often exaggerated claims of growth.
         For an additional 9 Answers to 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 Americas.

    The Church in the Americas

    The Americas

    See Prayer Information

    Challenge for Prayer

    Maturity in the churches is a great need. Growth is undeniable in terms of numbers, finances and influence, but sanctification and maturity are often lacking. Churches that grow spectacularly often decline in the same manner. Pentecostals and charismatics demonstrate admirable evangelistic zeal and impact the poorer classes, but they have at times been weak in discipleship, interchurch fellowship and statistical and financial integrity. Of special importance:
    a) Moral purity and sanctification that yield Christ-like character and holy lives and living for all to see. The prevalence of immorality and godlessness – in handling of personal finance, in sexuality, in family life, just to name a few – in countries with large evangelical populations and Christian majorities is an affront to God.
    b) Discipleship and spiritual development. There is often a lack of commitment to this painstaking process of intangible growth, as well as a lack of the methods and structures to do so. Those congregations offering a high-energy show can be weak in the long, slow effort of discipleship.
    c) Consumeristic attitudes toward church, where people attend based on what they can receive and therefore change churches frequently according to taste and mood. Such shallow attitudes undermine congregational health as well as personal Christian growth.
    d) Theological depth and biblical understanding of the Word of God are lacking. Few churches place solid grounding in God’s Word as a priority. Sermons can be Christian self-help messages rather than plumbing the depths of Scripture. As atheism and other religions assert their claims, believers must be equipped to retain confidence in the claims of Christ and to respond effectively to competing worldviews.
    e) Prayerfulness must be cultivated once more in evangelical circles. The greatest periods of revival and growth routinely come on the back of prayer movements. The prayer meeting is disappearing as a normative expression of church life. Thank God that new prayer movements are rising up; pray that they might be rooted in congregational life rather than being parachurch alternatives to it.
    f) Evangelism is an alien activity to most evangelicals. The passion for lost souls and the willingness to proclaim, to witness and to live out the good news must be reclaimed. Confidence in the universal truth and life-changing power of the gospel must be recaptured.
         For an additional 5 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 the Americas.
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    Micah 1 NIV


    Micah 1 (New International Version)

    Micah 1

    1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
    2 Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth and all who are in it, that the Sovereign LORD may witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

    Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

    3 Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth.
    4 The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.

    5 All this is because of Jacob's transgression, because of the sins of the house of Israel. What is Jacob's transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah's high place? Is it not Jerusalem?

    6 "Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations.

    7 All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used."

    Weeping and Mourning

    8 Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl.
    9 For her wound is incurable; it has come to Judah. It [a] has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.

    10 Tell it not in Gath [b] ; weep not at all. [c] In Beth Ophrah [d] roll in the dust.

    11 Pass on in nakedness and shame, you who live in Shaphir. [e] Those who live in Zaanan [f] will not come out. Beth Ezel is in mourning; its protection is taken from you.

    12 Those who live in Maroth [g] writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem.

    13 You who live in Lachish, [h] harness the team to the chariot. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

    14 Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Aczib [i] will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.

    15 I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. [j] He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

    16 Shave your heads in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourselves as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile.
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      Proverbs 23 (NIV)


      Proverbs 23 (New International Version)

      Proverbs 23

      1 When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what [a] is before you,

      2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

      3 Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

      4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

      5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

      6 Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies;

      7 for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. [b] "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

      8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.

      9 Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.

      10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

      11 for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.

      12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

      13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

      14 Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. [c]

      15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad;

      16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

      17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

      18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

      19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.

      20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat,

      21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

      22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

      23 Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.

      24 The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.

      25 May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!

      26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways,

      27 for a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

      28 Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

      29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

      30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

      31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!

      32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.

      33 Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.

      34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.

      35 "They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?"
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      Psalm 101 (NIV)


      Psalm 101 (New International Version)

      Psalm 101

      Of David. A psalm.

      1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.
      2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

      3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

      4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

      5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

      6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

      7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

      8 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.
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        Wednesday, January 22, 2014

        Jonah 3 (NIV)


        Jonah 3 (New International Version)

        Jonah 3

        Jonah Goes to Nineveh

        1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."
        3 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

        6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

        10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
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        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.
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        Psalm 100 NIV


        Psalm 100 (New International Version)

        Psalm 100

        A psalm. For giving thanks.

        1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
        2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

        3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

        4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

        5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
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