Daily Treasure

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26a).

Man was God’s crowning glory in Creation. Being made in His image includes such traits as righteousness and holiness.  If both husband and wife are reflecting His image, it is highly likely they will stay together until “death they do part.” However, we know the Enemy has and will continue to deface that image.

There is no such a thing as a perfect marriage, but a marriage will survive if God is at the head of it. When God is not the Head, Satan will definitely ready his darts for some target practice.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that newcomers who attended Easter services in Home Missions churches would return and find greater spiritual help and healing.
Pray today also for Free Will Baptist pastors in Japan.  Pastor Hirabuki (Koinonia Church) has a heart condition, as well as trouble with his thyroid. His wife Mayumi was diagnosed with colon cancer last April. Praise the Lord, after surgery and six months of chemotherapy, the doctor has pronounced her cancer free. The pastor of the Aino Sato Church, Kawasaki Sensei, battles depression, making it difficult to preach on a regular basis. Pray for those who fill the pulpit for him from time to time. The Miharashidai Chapel’s pastor, Sasaki Sensei, juggles working and pastoring. Pastors Ishii, Kojima, Keiichi, and Matsuda each have their own challenges and needs. Ask God to encourage each pastor to not become “weary in well-doing,” but to overcome each challenge and obstacle knowing the “battle is the Lord’s” and He will fight it.

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”  (Genesis 2:24).

Last month we revealed the Enemy and familiarized ourselves with the battle we face against him. We also learned how the mind is our battlefield, and we explored “the weapons the Enemy uses to derail Christians.”

This month we will look at “Enemy Targets.”  Our study writer begins, “Satan focuses his warfare efforts on certain areas of our lives.  Marriages, families, physical bodies (health) and churches—all make prime targets for the Enemy in his quest to gain control of our souls.”  A little further in the study’s introduction we find these words: “Until the day he is bound and cast into outer darkness, this archenemy of God will afflict His people.

Yet, we can know victory, peace, and security.  His darts may be aimed dead-center, and we may appear in his sights; but we can rest in knowing his attacks come only by permission of a Heavenly Father who seeks our best.

With the above statements in mind, we look to the area of “marriage.” I like the statement found in the introduction of week one of our study: “If Satan wants to derail God’s Church, he begins with Christian marriages.”  I hope you read the entire introduction as we look at the God-ordained institution of marriage.

The NIV Study Bible makes these statements about today’s verse: “Instead of remaining under the protective custody of his parents, a man leaves them and, with his wife, establishes a new family unit. The divine intention for husband and wife was monogamy.  Together they were to form an inseparable union, of which “one flesh” is both a sign and a symbol.”   When I think of the word “cleave,” I think of the phrase “holding on and not letting go.”  This seems hard to imagine when one out of every two marriages ends in divorce. Most couples do not grasp God’s views on marriage. They make their relationships an easy target for the Enemy.

This week we will deal with the “five purposes for a godly marriage.” How does your marriage rate?

Is your marriage on target with God or an easy target for the Enemy?

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for two new church planting efforts in the state of  SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL. Walter and Gilka Almeida are working in the city of LIMEIRA. Osmir and Maria Cruz are working in VILA UNIÃO, a neighborhood in CAMPINAS. Pray they will have wisdom, perserverance and grace. Ask God to give them fruit for their labor and to help them battle discouragement.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence”  (Jeremiah 17:7 NLT)

Our blessing rests in the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

We have hope because Christ died on the cross for us.

We have a promised future because God, for a moment, turned his face away from His only Son.

We have assurance because ten thousand legions of angels were not called out to wipe out Jesus’ enemies.

We have freedom because of the blood shed, the tears wept and the prophecy fulfilled.

Today marks the anniversary of our blessedness–hold its memory close to your heart.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that many will receive Christ as Savior through the message of Easter proclaimed in churches throughout the world today

“How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  (1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT).

Can’t you just see Satan pacing the floors of hell wondering if Christ would rise like He said He would?  The earthquake.  The veil torn in two.  The darkness in the middle of the day.  What did it all mean in the big plan?

Can you imagine him wringing his hands in anxious dread?  Did what he set in motion fulfill just what he’d desired?  Did dead mean dead when it came to this man named Jesus?

Can you believe with me that he has placed on hold any celebrations until after the third day?  His minions are chomping at the bits to celebrate Jesus’ death on the cross, but the party is on hold until after Sunday morning.

Did he hesitate proclaiming victory?  Did he allow any ray of hope to glimmer in the pits of hell?

Would Easter Sunday be Indepedence Day for Satan—or for us?

Aren’t you glad you know the rest of this story. He Lives!

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that churches will be filled tomorrow and that many would come to know Christ through tomorrow’s Easter services and special events. Pray especially for Easter services at your church.

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Charles Spurgeon had this to say about today’s verses: “Observe at the outset the confidence with which Paul speaks. It is abundantly evident that he has no doubt whatever that the gospel which he proclaims is assuredly true. No, that it is so manifestly true that if those who have heard it do not accept it, it is be because the god of this world has blinded their minds!  The accent of conviction makes every word emphatic. He believes and is sure!  And he is convinced that those who do not believe must be under the thralldom of the devil.”

Anything the devil can do, he will do, to hinder the “glorious gospel of Christ.” He wants to keep it hidden.  We must do all we can do to promote the gospel, unveiling it to “blinded minds.” Satan loves the darkness. After all he is the prince of darkness.  We must counterattack by taking the Light to those who are stumbling around in the darkness.

Ponder this thought on our final day of WNAC’s PreEaster Week of Prayer:

“We will only advance in our evangelistic work as fast and as far as we advance on our knees. Prayer opens the channel between a soul and God; prayerlessness closes it. Prayer releases the grip of Satan’s power; prayerlessness increases it. That is why prayer is so exhausting and so vital. If we believed it, the prayer meeting would be as full as the church.” – Alan Redpath

(Ending thoughts [quotes] throughout this week came from www.kneelingwetriumph.com.)

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray today for these mission concerns.
Missionary Kids — Pray for missionary kids as they face many
challenges most people rarely consider. Over the course of several
years, they slowly become accustomed to another culture, then
must readapt to American culture for a few months to a year. During
their short visits to the States, they must make new friends and
readjust to hearing and speaking English. Then, just when they become
adapted and have developed friendships, they say good-bye
again. Ask God to provide good friends to missionary kids and to provide
people in their lives who will support them, no matter where
they may live.
Uruguay — Molly Barker is overseeing construction of the new
building for the Santa Teresa Church in Rivera, Uruguay. Ask God
to provide safety for the workers and to give Molly wisdom in making
decisions. Ms. Barker also works with family camps, providing
classes for adults, teens, juniors, and small children. Pray for the
teachers, preachers, and cooks at each camp session and for protection
for both campers and workers from snakes, spiders, and accidents.
Also, ask God to touch the heart of every camper through
His Word.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

The devil was tossed out of heaven because of pride. If he can lull you into a sense of false security, he will attack you with the weapon of pride. Because we are in a daily spiritual battle, we cannot let down our guard.  We can’t become so sure of ourselves that it leads us away from God.  If we do, we become easy prey for the devil to devour. Be careful you don’t develop “I” trouble. It will lead to your fall.

Spending time on bended knee will keep us humble and help us remember we must be totally dependent on God. Here’s a thought for Day 4 of our PreEaster Week of Prayer.

“The battle we face is a spiritual conflict. It must be fought and won by men and women of God who are willing to intercede for missionary families as they invade enemy territory held uncontested for centuries. Satan does not meekly give up his prey. He counterattacks fiercely in many unexpected ways. The missionary must have intercessors who stand alongside, praying on a regular and systematic basis.”
– David Wang

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray today for these global mission opportunities.
Japan — In April 2010, Judy and Ken Bailey helped start a Kids’ Club.
They started with five children, but the club has grown to ten. Every
Sunday afternoon the group meets for an hour. They have a lesson
in English and a Bible lesson in Japanese. Once a month, three members
of the Iriso FWB Church puppet ministry come and present a
Bible lesson. The Baileys also plan “outreach parties” for the entire
family. These events give non-believers an opportunity to become
acquainted with a Christian church. Ask God to make the Baileys’
witness effective and ask the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of the
individuals they encounter to make them receptive to the gospel.
E-TEAM — More than 80 students, accompanied by 18 adults, will
participate in this year’s student missions efforts. They will form
nine teams ministering in eight different countries. Praise God! National
pastors will lead the team activities in Brazil, Cuba, and Kazakhstan.
Pray for the teens who participate, that they will have a
positive impact in every place they visit, and that God will use this
experience to instill in them a passion for world missions. Ask God
for wisdom for their leaders and those with whom they will interact.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed”  (James 1:13-14).

Consider these statements from www.thedailybibleverse.org : “There used to be a comic saying, ‘The devil made me do it,’ but according to the Scripture, temptation begins with our own hidden agendas. Some of us blame Satan for our moral failures. Others blame God. But we fail to address our own hearts. That’s why Jesus gave us the gift of repentance, for when we recognize the great love that God has for us, we can bring our darkest motives to the light. Jesus came to deliver us from temptation. We just need to admit where that temptation comes from.”

We must realize the devil is once again attacking if he makes us think God had anything to do with temptation.  Anything that is not of God, belongs to Satan. Don’t let him drag you into his trap of temptation. Just as with resisting temptation, you will need to learn to “resist the devil.” (James 4:7b)

Here’s a thought to ponder on Day 3 of our PreEaster Week of Prayer:

“We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.” – Corrie Ten Boom

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray today concerning these unique ways for sharing the gospel.
France — Cristina and Matt Price never guessed how many opportunities
would arise as a result of having twins. Before the girls were
born, Cristina and Matt could slip in and out of stores without notice.
Since the twins’ arrival, they have become the center of attention. In
the hospital, before the girls’ arrival, nurses would stop by to see the
“American woman pregnant with twins.” Madeleine and Emilie have
received countless “oohs and aahs” and numerous “Are they twins?”
Matt and Cristina have joined an association called “Jumeaux et
Plus” (Twins and More) for families with multiples. Since they are
the only American family, everyone wants to meet them. Matt and
Cristina are amazed the twins have allowed them access into the
lives of French people. Ask God to continue opening new opportunities
for them to minister to French families.
Creative Access — One missionary family recently opened a “tearoom”
in Europe. The tearoom is a place for women to gather and
fellowship, drink tea, and enjoy Bible “storying.” During Bible storying,
the missionaries tell a story from the Bible just as it is written in
hopes their listeners will retell the story to their families. The tearoom
is open one day a week for several hours. Pray the ladies who
attend these gatherings will be receptive to what they hear and not
frightened away. Ask God to give the missionaries wisdom and the
words to say.