“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat.
And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭11:1-3, 7-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/lev.11.1-3,7-8.esv
All,
This stands out because the Lord says, “And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you”. That wouldn’t go so well with me. Especially during football season. Football wouldn’t be the same without the smell of ribs on the grill. Thank goodness Peter was given a vision in the New Testament stating that a pig was clean among other animals. Please pray that we and our friends spend time in the Word and know the whole Bible. Please pray for Pete Jones. 

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/psa.100.1-5.esv
All,
This stands out because the psalmist says, “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” When we start our day with this fact firmly set in our mind, it’s easier to be about God’s purpose. We realize if we are not about His purpose, we will be tempted to serve ourselves or worse. God made us and wants the best for us. If we haven’t made this resolve, all other decisions will be less then our best. Please pray that we and our friends spend time with God this morning until we get this verse set in our minds. Please pray for Hollis Younger. 

“Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭9:22-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/lev.9.22-24.esv
All,
This stands out because Moses says, “And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” Does God show Himself in unexpected ways? The people were very respectful of the ceremony, but wouldn’t expect fire to come out and consume the offering. When we focus on God throughout the day, He will show us things that we normally would walk right by. Please pray that we and our friends pray continuously today and notice what God shows you. Please pray for Pete Jones today. Pat’s wife created a caring bridge page for Pete. https://www.caringbridge.org/public/peterjones1951.

“Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What shall we do?” Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.”‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭16:20-23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2sa.16.20-23.esv
All,
This stands out because the writer says, “Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines,””. Is it possible for esteemed leaders to steer people wrong? All leaders are human and can be caught up in selfish desires. Be weary when a leaders advice is not consistent with the Word of God. It’s very tempting to think the ends will justify the means, but God is all powerful and expects us to trust Him completely in our obedience to Him. Please pray that we and our friends seek advice and line it up with the Word of God. Please pray for Stacey Kessler. 

“After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭15:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2sa.15.1-6.esv
All,
This stands out because the writer says, “Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.”” David was still the King God anointed, but Absalom anointed himself. If someone outside of God’s will anoints themselves as the judge of justice, chaos will soon be at hand. Please pray that we and our friends “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Please pray for Pat Jones’ brother, Pete, as he is battling pancreatic cancer. 

“”When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.”‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭4:22-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/lev.4.22-26.esv
All,
This stands out because Moses says, “So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.” Everyone reading this email is a leader and everyone of us sins. Thankfully, we can go directly to Christ for forgiveness and He forgives us. Transformation occurs through this process. If we do not go to Christ and acknowledge our sins, repent and accept the forgiveness, transformation is difficult if not impossible. Please pray that we and our friends are grateful for this relationship we have with Christ because of the sacrifice He made for us. Please pray for Pat Jones who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 

“The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭93:1-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/psa.93.1-4.esv
All,
This stands out because the psalmist says, “Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” How small did you feel when thinking about the eclipse? Sun, moon and earth lined up in a special way and none of it was caused by man. Events will happen today that God has planned eternally and we get to be a part of them. Please pray that we and our friends live in the present today in His presence. Please pray for Hollis Younger. 

“And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.”‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12:1-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2sa.12.1-9.esv
All,
This stands out because David says, “the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold”. I can easily spot a bad characteristic in someone else if I have that same bad characteristic. It helps to ask God why a certain ill produces more anger than others. It’s usually because I’m doing something similar and God wants me to take the log out of my own eye before I criticize another. Please pray that we and our friends look first at ourselves when we are tempted to condemn another. Please pray for Hunter’s group. 

“Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?””‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭9:5-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2sa.9.5-8.esv
All,
This stands out because David says, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan”. Are we entitled to anything we have right now? We were born to our parents, in a prosperous country during a prosperous time. We have medicine to cure most ills, AC when we are hot. Hot showers in the morning. How many things about your life are due to the many people that came before you? How many blessings are due because God has given them to you? Please pray that we and our friends focus on the blessings today and be grateful. Please pray for Hollis Younger. 

“These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭8:11-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2sa.8.11-15.esv
All,
This stands out because the writer says, “And David administered justice and equity to all his people.” Has God given you a role of leadership in some area? Are you careful to “administer justice and equity to ALL”. Do you seek the Lords guidance when making decisions that affect other people? Sometimes we are blind to our own personal inclinations. Please pray that we and our friends see every person today as a child God loves dearly. Please pray for John Conahan.