_*Thursday 13 February 2025*_ _*TODAY'S DEVOTION*_ _*CONTENTS*_ _• *Just A Little Laugh*_ _• *Quote Of The Day*_ _• *Today's Sermon*_ _• *New Believer's Prayer*_ _• *The Marriage After God*_ _• *‘Train A Child than Repair A Man'*_ _• *Christian News From Around The World*_ __________________________ _*JUST A LITTLE LAUGH*_ _*Dear John…*_ _Dear John,_ _I have been unable to sleep since I broke off our engagement._ _Won't you forgive and forget? Your absence is breaking my heart._ _I was a fool - nobody can take your place. I love you._ _All my love,_ _Belinda. xxxxoooxxxx_ _P.S. Congratulations on winning this week's lottery_ __________________________ _*QUOTE OF THE DAY*_ _"It's not that life is short, but we wait so long to begin. We are waiting for the challenge to be over, we are waiting to raise the kids, we are waiting for the promotion, we are waiting for retirement. My prayer again is, ‘God open our eyes to see the uncommon in everyday life. To appreciate the people you've given us. To value the simple things’ " ~ *Joel Osteen*_ __________________________ _*TODAY'S SERMON*_ _*Making Plans*_ _*Greg Laurie*_ _*“Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?”* —James 4:13–14_ _The Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” If you’ve ever tried to, say, stick to an itinerary on a family vacation, you likely know what he’s talking about._ _An old Yiddish expression brings this idea into the spiritual realm: “Man plans, and God laughs.” Or, to put it another way, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”_ _That’s not strictly true, of course. It’s not unspiritual to plan. In fact, it’s very spiritual. Proverbs 6:6–8 says, “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter” (NLT). Check out the ants before you step on them. They work hard. They’re always busy. Little ants moving big stuff around, getting ready for the future._ _Our nation was built by planners who worked hard, following the example of the ants, to make their plans a reality. We must continue that legacy of forward thinking and hard work. That’s what makes our country strong and prosperous. The apostle Paul warns in Romans 12:11, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically” (NLT)._ _And include Him in your plans._ _That’s the unspoken part of the old Yiddish saying. God doesn’t laugh at all plans—just the ones that don’t factor in Him and His will._ _In James 4, James is talking to Christians who had done quite well in business. He commends them for their success but reminds them to keep God at the forefront of their lives. He wants to make sure that they never lose sight of the truth that everything they accomplished was due to God._ _And that advice goes for us, too. When we make plans, we must make sure that God is at the center of them. We must figure His will into everything we do. We start by studying His Word. We familiarize ourselves with God’s will—and what it looked like in the lives of Bible characters. We look at how God figured into their daily lives. We examine how the heroes of the faith reacted when their plans suddenly changed. We include our spouse and family in the process and seek their input and wisdom._ _And then we make sure that our planning process begins, continues, and ends with prayer. We talk to God about our plans. We ask Him for wisdom and strength to carry them out. We pay attention to the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit inside us._ _And finally, we acknowledge the possibility that success—at least, as we picture it—may not be God’s plan at a given moment. He may very well allow us to experience a season of struggle. We need to prepare ourselves for challenges and setbacks. We need to stay close to Him so that our faith doesn’t waver. We need to remind ourselves that in the big picture of things, trials can be just as valuable to us as success. Remember, God’s ultimate plan for us is not that we become wealthy or successful. It’s that we become humble servants who bring glory to Him._ _*Questions for Reflection:* How does God’s will figure into your personal plans for the future?_ harvestdirect.org ____________________________ _*NEW BELIEVER'S PRAYER*_ _I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." ~ *Luke 15:7*_ _Giving your life to Christ is the best decision of your life. Scripture says, only one sinner who repents at any one time, is enough to cause a joyous celebration in heaven. You are that person today. There is massive joy in heaven on account of your decision to come to Christ. The actual process of receiving a new life is very simple. Romans 10:9-10 says, "...if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved." In that respect, kindly repeat this simple prayer audibly and you are saved._ _*Prayer:* Lord Jesus, thank you for dying in my place on the cross. I truly believe in my heart that you were raised from the dead and you sit at the right hand of the Father. I confess that you are Lord and Saviour. I confess and repent of all of my sins, that I committed knowingly and unknowingly. I receive the free gift of forgiveness, even as I forgive them that wronged me. I want to live righteously from today on. I commit my life to you, to lead me in paths of righteousness. Amen._ _If you prayed that prayer, congratulations you have been saved by Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Welcome to the new you, in Christ! What a wonder! The old has passed, and the new has come (2 Cor 5:17). Now kindly look for a Bible believing church near you, and hear more about your new found freedom in Christ._ ____________________________ _*THE MARRIAGE AFTER GOD*_ _*No Fear*_ _*Dr James & Shirley Dobson*_ _*“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God.”* John 14:1_ _When Focus on the Family was in its early stages and our children were young, Jim often traveled. One night when he was away, I awoke with a start at 2 A.M. I was afraid and didn’t know why. After a few minutes of worrying, I forced myself out of bed and sank to my knees on the floor._ _“Oh, Lord,” I prayed, “I don’t know why I’m so frightened. I ask You to watch over our home and protect our family. Send Your guardian angel to be with us.” I climbed back into bed and fell asleep about a half hour later._ _The next morning one of our teenage neighbors ran over from across the street. “Mrs. Dobson, did you hear what happened? A burglar robbed your next‐door neighbor’s house last night!” It was true. A thief had broken in and escaped with the family’s vacation money, about $500. Then my neighbor told me that the police had determined the time of the robbery—about 2 A.M., the same time I had awakened in fear!_ _My mind reeled at the thought. “If a burglar wanted to break into our house,” I said, “he would probably try to get in through the bathroom window near our children’s bedrooms. Let’s go look.” We walked to the window and saw that the screen was bent and the window sill splintered. Someone had indeed tried to break in. What had stopped him?_ _I am convinced that God protected us that night through my panicked prayer. In a frantic moment my trust was tested and God again proved faithful. I can’t explain why He sometimes allows us to experience fearful situations even though we are praying. But I know that even in those threatening circumstances, He is “an ever‐present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). That is why we can say, with the psalmist, “We will not fear…. The Lord Almighty is with us” (Psalm 46:2, 7)._ ___________________________ _*’TRAIN THE CHILD THAN REPAIR A MAN’*_ _*Keeping It Holy*_ _*Dr James & Shirley Dobson*_ _*“Be still, and know that I am God.”* Psalm 46:10_ _The Lord doesn’t mince words when discussing the Sabbath. He included it among His most important instruction to His people, the Ten Commandments: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:8–10)._ _The Sabbath is to be a holy time, devoid of work and dedicated to worship, prayer, and praise. When we honor God as a family, we begin to sense the depth of the love, peace, and power that are available to us._ _God commands us to keep the Sabbath holy. (They are the Ten Commandments, after all, not the ten suggestions!) But how, you ask, can you make Sunday—or whatever day you choose as your Sabbath rest—a holy day in the midst of life’s many distractions? You can start by unplugging the phone and computer, and turning off the television, washer, and dryer. Begin the day and each new activity with a prayer. Join fellow believers at church. Light a candle as a reminder of the One who is the light of the world. By respecting the Sabbath, you’ll discover a holy, healing calm that will revive you and your entire family._ _*Before you say good night…*_ _• How often do you truly honor God as a family on the Sabbath?_ _• Besides what’s listed above, what else can you do to keep the Sabbath holy?_ _• How might your family benefit from a weekly day of rest?_ _Father, we need the sweet calmness of a day focused completely on You. Our marriage needs it, and the kids need it, too. Show us Your desire and Your will in making this happen. The first step can be the most difficult! Guide us by Your strong hand. Amen.._ _____________________________ _*CHRISTIAN NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD*_ _*'Your Time Is Finished!' Facing Shocking Antisemitism, British Jews Prepare to Leave*_ _*Dale Hurd*_ 02-10-2025 _LONDON – In Britain today, one only needs to watch anti-Israel, pro-Hamas demonstrations to hear where the nation is headed. An angry man calls Zionists "filthy animals." A man with a bullhorn bellows at passersby, "Like obedient sheep, you obey Israel." Another protestor says on camera, "This whole condemning Hamas, I'm not going to condemn them. And Israel doesn't exist." And an angry woman in a burqa shrieks at Jewish protestors, "Your time is finished. You're finished!_ _Most British Jews now believe they no longer have a future here. Recent polling has also found that most hide their Jewishness in public and do not feel welcome in the United Kingdom._ _Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism says, "A lot of people have talked about whether they have a future in this country. Do I think the Jewish community in the UK is going to evaporate? No. But I do think there is a sizable conversation now happening within the community of people saying, 'Hey, is this the place that we've got a future?'"_ _There were nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents reported in the first half of 2024 – the highest number ever recorded for a six-month period. Nine out of ten British Jews say the government is not doing enough to stop the violence and discrimination._ _Jewish investigative journalist David Collier says, "I know some who left. I know some who are actively, seriously looking at leaving."_ _And Collier says he constantly feels the anti-Jewish hate. "I get death threats every single day. But I'm also being contacted by Jews either who are having trouble at work, at home, students..."_ _Campaign for Antisemitism interviewed Jewish Oxford students who said, "The amount of antisemitism we've had in Oxford last year has been really awful. We've had swastikas. We've had Jews being accused of 'weaponizing antisemitism.' We've been told we're not welcome at the university. We've had people chased down the street."_ _*Collier says the Jew hatred continues to worsen. "It's been escalating. And this is the big message. It's about the escalation, you know. It's getting gradually worse. October the 7th was a tipping point, and we saw a sudden rush," Collier said._ _This is all happening in a nation where the adopted national song is "Jerusalem."_ _In the song "Jerusalem" the British sing, "We will not cease until we have built Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land." But this Judeo-Christian connection, which goes back centuries, has begun to fray._ _Polling shows British Jews consider Islamists to be the most serious threat, and in a close second is the far-Left. Falter adds that the nation's young people are being indoctrinated against Jews._ _"We are seeing young people who believe that they are doing a righteous thing by discriminating," Falter said. "They are becoming radicalized on the internet. They are imbibing bigotries that their parents themselves don't have. And then they're teaching this from one kid to another kid. And so, we've got a generation which is extremely hateful and not just hateful. They're extremists."_ _Some non-Jews see the danger and are publicly supporting Britain's Jews. Mark Birbeck began the group Our Fight after he witnessed the lack of public support for Jews and Israel following October 7th._ _Birbeck said he felt "Complete shock at the lack of empathy that people had for the Israeli people, the Jewish people, after October the 7th. In that period, a few of us were going to these vigils that were being organized by the Jewish community and sort of thought, 'We have to do something.'"_ _Another group supporting Britain's Jews is Christian Action Against Antisemitism, led by Pastors Tim and Hayley Guttmann. Tim told us, "We passionately believe we owe a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people, and want them to know that we're with them, and as Christians, we love them, we stand with them, we pray for them and support them."_ _David Collier is afraid demographics have already decided the future course of Britain's Jews. The most popular name for baby boys in Britain today is Mohammed._ _Collier says, "The entire dynamic has changed. The entire atmosphere has changed both towards Israel and in extension, towards the Jewish community. It's completely different. It's a different country with a different demographic, a different outlook. Everything about it is different. You're talking to these Jewish people and you know that things are only going to get worse for them, not better. There's no, there's no way back for the United Kingdom from this point. As far as I see, no way back."_ _Falter has decided to stand for the future, with the hope that more non-Jews will join him._ _"I think a lot of people don't realize how antisemitism relates to them," Falter said. "They don't see it as something that's going to actually hit home, hit them. Whatever happens with antisemitism in this country, if extremism continues to surge in the way that it is now, this country's in for dark days... And so is the West."_ ________________________________ _*Nairobi to host Africa’s first International Religious Freedom Summit*_ _*Ken Kagicha*_ _*11 Feb, 2025*_ _Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, will host Africa’s first International Religious Freedom Summit on June 16. Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome announced that the inaugural meeting will gather judicial officers and organisations working to promote religious freedom from across the continent._ _“I take this wonderful opportunity to invite all of you and I hope you will support our efforts to ignite this movement in Africa,” said Justice Koome, while speaking via video connection at the IRF Summit in Washington, D.C on Feb. 4._ _The Africa summit hopes to mobilize the religious freedom movement throughout the continent to take action amidst a growing crisis of religious persecution in Africa. Justice Koome acknowledged the partnership of Pepperdine University, the Religious Freedom Institute and the International Religious Freedom Summit who together with Kenya’s judiciary will host the Africa summit._ _She invited the delegates to the summit as part of building “a coalition of faith who will bring transformation across the continent.” Justice Koome said that a coalition of Chief Justices, judges and judicial officers from across Africa have come together and committed to bring efficiency and effective access to justice across the continent._ _“So far 14 countries have joined this movement and we have many activities planned for 2025 to advance this continental movement,” said Justice Koome._ _The IRF Summit brings together over 90 partners that support religious freedom around the globe for an annual two-day in person event in Washington D.C. Former US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback said that while the situation in Africa is dire, “there is also cause for hope.”_ _“We have countless partners on the ground - in Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and elsewhere - who are ready and eager to achieve lasting change. I am delighted to see the reach of the IRF Summit expand in this way,” said Ambassador Brownback._ _The Washington D.C Summit’s Africa-specific session titled Spotlight Africa: A Global Justice and Religious Freedom Initiative, heard from panelists working to promote religious freedom in the continent._ _Cameron McCallum, who leads Pepperdine's Global Justice Institute, said efforts to reform justice systems in Africa - a crucial part in strengthening religious freedoms - started with a pilot programme in Uganda in 2010._ _“What happened is that they were so successful with their own reforms that their neighbours started calling and so we eventually opened our next office in Ghana, then Kigali, Rwanda, and now just a couple years later, it’s up to 14 countries. We have about 22 countries in the pipeline, which is close to half of the continent,” said McCallum._ _Christians in many parts of Africa have continued to be killed, displaced and imprisoned due to their faith. According to the 2024 Open Doors report, 3,100 Christians in Nigeria were killed in 2024 and many more lost their lives in countries like DRC, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Niger. 8 of the top 10 most dangerous places for Christians are in Sub-Saharan Africa._ ___________________________ _*"Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is ruth."* John 17:17_