Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Proverbs 11 (New International Version)



Proverbs 11 (New International Version)

Proverbs 11

1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

7 When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing.

8 The righteous man is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead.

9 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

12 A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.

13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

14 For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.

15 He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.

16 A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.

17 A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

18 The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

19 The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death.

20 The LORD detests men of perverse heart but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.

22 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

26 People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

27 He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.

28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

29 He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

31 If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

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.

    Tuesday, September 10, 2013

    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Union of Myanmar - Asia

    Sep 10: Myanmar

    Jeremiah 18 (New International Version)







    Jeremiah 18

    At the Potter's House

    1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
    5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

    11 "Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, 'This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.' 12 But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.' "

    13 Therefore this is what the LORD says: "Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard anything like this? A most horrible thing has been done by Virgin Israel.

    14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Do its cool waters from distant sources ever cease to flow? [a]

    15 Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their ways and in the ancient paths. They made them walk in bypaths and on roads not built up.

    16 Their land will be laid waste, an object of lasting scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads.

    17 Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them my back and not my face in the day of their disaster."

    18 They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says."

    19 Listen to me, O LORD; hear what my accusers are saying!

    20 Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them.

    21 So give their children over to famine; hand them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives be made childless and widows; let their men be put to death, their young men slain by the sword in battle.

    22 Let a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.

    23 But you know, O LORD, all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.

    Proverbs 10 (New International Version)





    Proverbs 10

    Proverbs of Solomon

    1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
    2 Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.

    3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

    4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

    5 He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

    6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. [a]

    7 The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

    8 The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

    9 The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

    10 He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

    11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

    12 Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

    13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

    14 Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

    15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

    16 The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

    17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

    18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

    19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

    20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

    21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

    22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

    23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.

    24 What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

    25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

    26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.

    27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

    28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

    29 The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

    30 The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

    31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

    32 The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

    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.

    Monday, September 9, 2013

    Its Monday and time again to Pray for our Schools.


    Here's a declaration that some have been using:

     We pray the PEACE, PROTECTION, PROVISION, PURITY AND PRESENCE OF GOD for ______________ school -- over every administrator, teacher, student and the families associated with this school, in Jesus Name.

    AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Union of Myanmar -Asia

    Sep 09: Myanmar

    Jeremiah 17 (New International Version)



    Jeremiah 17 (New International Version)

    Jeremiah 17

    1 "Judah's sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.

    2 Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles [a] beside the spreading trees and on the high hills.

    3 My mountain in the land and your [b] wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of sin throughout your country.

    4 Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever."

    5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

    6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

    7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

    8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

    9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

    10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

    11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.

    12 A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.

    13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.

    14 Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

    15 They keep saying to me, "Where is the word of the LORD ? Let it now be fulfilled!"

    16 I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you.

    17 Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster.

    18 Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction.

    Keeping the Sabbath Holy

    19 This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and stand at the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Say to them, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem who come through these gates. 21 This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline. 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings, incense and thank offerings to the house of the LORD. 27 But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.' "

    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 1 NIV




    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.

      Sunday, September 8, 2013

      Jeremiah 16 (New International Version)



      Jeremiah 16 (New International Version)

      Jeremiah 16

      Day of Disaster

      1 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place." 3 For this is what the LORD says about the sons and daughters born in this land and about the women who are their mothers and the men who are their fathers: 4 "They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like refuse lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth."
      5 For this is what the LORD says: "Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people," declares the LORD. 6 "Both high and low will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, and no one will cut himself or shave his head for them. 7 No one will offer food to comfort those who mourn for the dead—not even for a father or a mother—nor will anyone give them a drink to console them.

      8 "And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink. 9 For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in this place.

      10 "When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?' 11 then say to them, 'It is because your fathers forsook me,' declares the LORD, 'and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. 12 But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying me. 13 So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.'

      14 "However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when men will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' 15 but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.

      16 "But now I will send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks. 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. 18 I will repay them double for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land with the lifeless forms of their vile images and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols."

      19 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.

      20 Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!"

      21 "Therefore I will teach them— this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD.

        AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Republic of Mozambique - Africa

        Sep 08: Mozambique

        Charles Spurgeon - All of Grace (4 of 13)




        Charles Spurgeon - All of Grace (4 of 13)

        Description:

        C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), "the prince of preachers", presents the message of salvation--man's need and God's unique provision--simply and sincerely, for honest seekers and zealous witnesses alike. A Moody Classic.

        From the Back Cover:

        In All of Grace, C.H. Spurgeon outlines the plan of salvation in such clear, simple language that everyone can understand and be drawn to the Father. Any attempt to please God based upon our own works brings self-righteousness and coldness of heart. It is the free grace and mercy of God that makes the heart glow with warmth and thankfulness for God's love.The heartfelt goal of this dynamic classic is summed up in Spurgeon's final cry to the reader, "Meet me in heaven!!""Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." -- Revelation 22:17
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          Standard YouTube License

        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 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.

        Saturday, September 7, 2013

        AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Republic of Mozambique - Africa

        Sep 07: Mozambique

        Proverbs 7 (New International Version)







        Proverbs 7

        Warning Against the Adulteress

        1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.
        2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

        3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

        4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your kinsman;

        5 they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

        6 At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice.

        7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment.

        8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house

        9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

        10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

        11 (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

        12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)

        13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:

        14 "I have fellowship offerings [a] at home; today I fulfilled my vows.

        15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!

        16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.

        17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

        18 Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love!

        19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

        20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon."

        21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

        22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer [b] stepping into a noose [c]

        23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

        24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.

        25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

        26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.

        27 Her house is a highway to the grave, [d] leading down to the chambers of death.

        Romans 15 (New International Version, ©2010)







        Romans 15

        1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

        5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

        7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God's truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name."[c]

        10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people."[d]

        11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him."[e]

        12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope."[f]

        13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

        Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

        14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
        17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand."[g]

        22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

        Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

        23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord's people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
        30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord's people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God's will, and in your company be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.