Sunday, December 31, 2017

TEARS

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 23-25

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Mike Martin, a missionary to Turkey, stands in the ruins of Laodicea. Earthquakes through the centuries have destroyed many historic regions of the world. The Lord said in Revelation 3:16 of the Laodicean church concerning their faith and works, “Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!”

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: Isaiah 25:8

He will swallow up death forever,

And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces;

The rebuke of His people

He will take away from all the earth;

For the Lord has spoken.

 

Isaiah 23 pronounces judgment. Tyre, the hometown of Jezebel, daughter of the King of Tyre and the Queen who introduced Baal worship to Israel, is to be destroyed. Today the site of Tyre is a barren wasteland on the coast of Lebanon. There are no houses and no harbour for the ships of Tarshish (Spain). Sidon is a flourishing city today.

Isaiah 24 gives us a description of some of the results of the separation of creation from its Creator because of the rebellion of men and women to whom God gave responsibility for the care of the Earth. Isaiah 24:19-20 describes a scene like the one in the photograph above. “The earth is violently broken…the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard.”

Isaiah 25 is filled with hope for mankind. God is never left without a plan for restoration. He is our Strength, our Refuge from the storm, and our Shade! “The Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces!” How gentle and caring He is to those who “have waited for Him” (25:8-9)!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, rebellious people and nations have brought disaster upon themselves, but as for me, I wait for You and You have promised Your help in time of trouble. I pray for the grace of waiting patiently for You! I ask this in and through the Name of Your Son and my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’ve walked over the barren rocks where proud Tyre once stood. I’ve walked through the streets of Sidon and laughed with the children playing out in front of high-rise apartment buildings. The tragedy was that the terrorists stored their bombs in the basements of these buildings, knowing that the Israelis would never deliberately bomb childen. It’s all so very sad. The tears God will wipe away are not from self pity, but from the tragedy of human cruelty. May God have mercy on us all!

In the photo below, my son David Reynold, an ordained Minister and our professional photographer, is showing a minor example of Isaiah 24:19, “The Earth split open!” Click here for one of Reynold’s reports after returning from Haiti following the big earthquake of January 2010.

Yours for shedding tears and giving sacrificially!

David

On January 12th, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude quake struck Haiti. Reynold, who had served the people of Haiti previously, was sent there by the Board of Directors of Crossroads to asses how best to assist. Through the 100 Huntley Street television program and its relief and development arm, viewers and supporters of Crossroads/100 Huntley Street poured over $1,000,000 into aid for Haiti.

10 thoughts on “Sunday, December 31, 2017

  1. Peace love and joy to the Mainse family, Crossroads, and all the blessed saints of the blog. May 2018 be the start of great works for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

    Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Jn 14:27 ESV

    New Year Prayer 2018 – Prayer for a New Beginning
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62ZNM99-XRw

  2. Thank you for today’s blog! It was so cold this morning in Eastern Ontario that our car wouldn’t start and we weren’t able to go to church. It’s a blessing to have fellowship with other believers and good teaching from the Word on this daily blog.
    May the Lord sustain and bless Norma Jean and her family as they no doubt continue to feel the loss of David here with them. -but he is in the wonderful presence of the Lord.
    Love, Maryke & Piebe

    • Funny…it looks so beautiful here in Alberta – sunny & bright & fresh deep snow – but it’s minus 30 and dangerously icy. Like Isaiah’s report, this world looks good, but it’s dangerously deceived that it doesn’t need God…

      • God bless you Rob! Your point is right on!
        I go swimming alot, thanks to God for this exercise and even last night in the hot tub the discussion was going on about people and their relationship to God!
        a person who knows where I am coming from said that people are so scared; they are grabbing anything to find some comfort in their life, and that their are lies all around and parents have lost control of their children and children both young and old are scared also!
        I asked him if he was scared and he sad yes! He asked me if I am scared and I said yes also…I said that I am scared because people are running away from God and they do not need to do this because God knows every step they take and He is always with us and all people have to do is STOP, CONFESS OUR SINS TO GOD, THERE IS NO SIN HE HASN’T HEARD OF AND HE DOES NOT JUDGE BUT WILL FORGIVE US AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST!
        I shared that Scripture tells us that God will give us all the time we need to come to Him, but not to disrespect Him or harm others, but to come with humility to God and be open and honest and ASK FOR HIS FORGIVENESS…

        as he left I indicated I always enjoy talking with him about our Christian faith in Jesus Christ and I also told him that I have him on my prayer list and he thanked me….

        he then came back and mentioned that I am always swimming and I said yes, firstly because God gave me swimming from a broken leg 22 years ago, secondly I swim for my mental health….he smiled and left……
        GOD BLESS THE MAINSE FAMILY FOR THEIR WONDERFUL MINISTRY ALL OVER THE WORLD!
        GOD BLESS ALL WHO BLOG….

        • And GOD bless you Sah! Oh rest in the LORD , wait patiently for HIM and HE shall give you your heart’s desire ! Wishing all bloggers a blessed 2018.

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