Friday, October 7, 2016

Night Light for Couples - Let’s Make a Deal


“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap.” 1 Timothy 6:9

Some of you are old enough to remember Monty Hall and the game show Let’s Make a Deal—the one where contestants could keep what they had already won or risk trading it in for the mystery prize behind “door number one, door number two, or door number three.” Believe it or not, I once convinced Jim to go with me to one of the shows.

There we were: I had toy birds fastened everywhere on my head and blouse, and Jim (reluctantly) held a sign that said, “My wife is for the birds.” Our getup was enough to earn us seats in the contestants’ row, and before we knew it, we were in front of the cameras trying to name the correct price of four items to win a brand‐new Camaro. And believe me, we needed that car! Jim had just graduated from USC, and we had invested every available dollar in his tuition and expenses.

We guessed the first three items within the three‐dollar margin of error, but we missed on the last one—a Hoover vacuum cleaner. So we didn’t win the Camaro. Yet we walked away from that show with a new vacuum cleaner and another, much more valuable prize: a greater appreciation for how easily greed could overcome us.

Since that time we have observed that Satan appears to offer whatever a person hungers for in exchange for a spiritual compromise. In our case, a new automobile was the perfect enticement to unleash our greed. If illicit sex is your desire, it will eventually be made available. If your passion is for fame or power, the object of that lust will be promised (even if never delivered). Likewise, if you thirst for great wealth—beware! People who care passionately about money are often suckers for wild‐eyed schemes and shady deals. They are always on the verge of a bonanza that seems to slip through their fingers. Instead of getting rich, they get taken.

This is the threat posed by greed. Material comforts or money in the bank can become our first love—our greatest treasure and passion. And when that happens, God becomes almost irrelevant. But the Lord will not settle for second place (“You shall have no other gods before me”— Exodus 20:3). We encourage you to say, “Let’s make a deal” right now. Agree now that you’ll always keep money in its place and the Lord as the first love of your life.

- Shirley M Dobson
  • From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
    Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Daily Readings for October 7, 2016


Micah 3:9-4:5
Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob and chiefs of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wrong! Its rulers give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets give oracles for money; yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Surely the LORD is with us! No harm shall come upon us." Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height. In days to come the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

Acts 24:24-25:12
Some days later when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ Jesus. And as he discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will send for you." At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him. After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him and requested, as a favor to them against Paul, to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly. "So," he said, "let those of you who have the authority come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him." After he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he arrived, the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. Paul said in his defense, "I have in no way committed an offense against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against the emperor." But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, "Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?" Paul said, "I am appealing to the emperor's tribunal; this is where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor." Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, "You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go."

Luke 8:1-15
Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources. When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold." As he said this, he called out, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that 'looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.' "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

Morning Psalms

Psalm 140 Eripe me, Domine
1   Deliver me, O LORD, from evildoers; protect me from the violent,
2   Who devise evil in their hearts and stir up strife all day long.
3   They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adder's poison is under their lips.
4   Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who are determined to trip me up.
5   The proud have hidden a snare for me and stretched out a net of cords; they have set traps for me along the path.
6   I have said to the LORD, "You are my God; listen, O LORD, to my supplication.
7   O Lord GOD, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8   Do not grant the desires of the wicked, O LORD, nor let their evil plans prosper.
9   Let not those who surround me lift up their heads; let the evil of their lips overwhelm them.
10   Let hot burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the mire, never to rise up again."
11   A slanderer shall not be established on the earth, and evil shall hunt down the lawless.
12   I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the poor and render justice to the needy.
13   Surely, the righteous will give thanks to your Name, and the upright shall continue in your sight.


Psalm 142 Voce mea ad Dominum
1   I cry to the LORD with my voice; to the LORD I make loud supplication.
2   I pour out my complaint before him and tell him all my trouble.
3   When my spirit languishes within me, you know my path; in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4   I look to my right hand and find no one who knows me; I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for me.
5   I cry out to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
6   Listen to my cry for help, for I have been brought very low; save me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
7   Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your Name; when you have dealt bountifully with me, the righteous will gather around me.


Evening Psalms

Psalm 141 Domine, clamavi
1   O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; hear my voice when I cry to you.
2   Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3   Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD, and guard the door of my lips; let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
4   Let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers, nor eat of their choice foods.
5   Let the righteous smite me in friendly rebuke; let not the oil of the unrighteous anoint my head; for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
6   Let their rulers be overthrown in stony places, that they may know my words are true.
7   As when a plowman turns over the earth in furrows, let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.
8   But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.
9   Protect me from the snare which they have laid for me and from the traps of the evildoers.
10   Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I myself escape.


Psalm 143 Domine, exaudi
1   LORD, hear my prayer, and in your faithfulness heed my supplications; answer me in your righteousness.
2   Enter not into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified.
3   For my enemy has sought my life; he has crushed me to the ground; he has made me live in dark places like those who are long dead.
4   My spirit faints within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5   I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds; I consider the works of your hands.
6   I spread out my hands to you; my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.
7   O LORD, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; do not hide your face from me or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8   Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in you; show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.
9   Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD, for I flee to you for refuge.
10   Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11   Revive me, O LORD, for your Name's sake; for your righteousness' sake, bring me out of trouble.
12   Of your goodness, destroy my enemies and bring all my foes to naught, for truly I am your servant.


New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

The Daily Meditation for October 7, 2016

From Forward Day By Day
Written by Scott B. Hayashi

Luke 8:4-5a (NRSV) When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, [Jesus] said in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed…”

Jesus is teaching the crowd using an example with which they would be familiar. That is important to note. The image of a sower resonates with a people attached to the land.

I read a story about teachers who worked with children from the inner city who were growing up far away from the world of agricultural production. When the teachers took the children on a field trip to a working farm, they discovered that the children did not know the vegetables at their grocery stores and bodegas were grown in fields. These city kids thought that carrots came from the grocery store, not from the ground. The children assumed that carrots always came in bunches. They were surprised to learn that carrots grow in the dirt, one by one!

Jesus uses a familiar image to tell people about God. The image of God as a sower wouldn’t connect with our young friends from the city. Imagine yourself speaking to these children about God. What are your parables for a hungry people?

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Standing Strong Through the Storm - CHOOSING NOT TO HATE


And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5

Rami Ayyad was assassinated a few years ago on October 7th for his work as the head of the Bible Society in the Gaza Strip. His murder left his wife, Pauline, burdened with three young children and a heart full of hatred for his killers.

While Rami was locking up the bookstore owned by the Palestinian Bible Society in Gaza, a vehicle pulled alongside him, and several men forced him in the back seat. Rami, remaining calm and trusting in the Lord, was allowed to call his wife. “I’m going with some young men somewhere, but I’ll be home soon,” he tried to reassure her. That was the last time Pauline would hear her husband’s voice.

Hours later, his body was found. He had been brutally tortured and shot twice, a bullet in the chest, and one in the head. A spokesman for the Palestinian Bible Society said, “He’s a martyr for Christ.” Pauline recalls, “I was so broken after the death of my husband, and I hated the people who did it.”

There has been no progress in the hunt for Rami’s killers. A local Christian commented, “Many of the Muslims believe that Rami was evangelizing people so it was OK to kill him.”

In such an environment of hatred, Pauline’s resentment festered. However, the Holy Spirit in His gentle but insistent way kept whispering to her until she could carry the hatred no further. “It was then,” she recalls, “that the Lord poured over me forgiveness for those who killed Rami and those who I used to blame.” Her heart was set free and she heard the Lord say, “It’s not everybody who gets to be called a martyr’s wife.” Deep in thought, she reflected, “That’s a great honor.”

Brother King from International Christian Concern (ICC) writes, “Pauline’s experience reflects that of the persecuted church in general. Abused, spat upon, beaten, tortured, raped, and killed, these believers suffer as Jesus did. Sometimes they respond in very human ways, but when they listen to and follow the Holy Spirit, a great power comes into them and they possess what they could not have imagined previously – peace, love for their enemies, and forgiveness for those who delivered only pure evil to their lives…This is the gift of the persecuted church. In the furnace of affliction, the Spirit of God is set ablaze in their hearts. In turn, their hearts become a beacon to all they come in contact with.”

RESPONSE: Today I will thank God for the gift of His Holy Spirit. I will listen to Him and follow Him.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for the example of Pauline. Strengthen her as she raises her children.

Girlfriends in God - Enough with Fear!


Today’s Truth

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).

Friend to Friend

Recently I experienced a flare up of my old Lyme symptoms. One doctor told me years ago that I no longer deal with an active disease, just the residual effects of the disease. I have daily joint pain and occasional neurological flare-ups. I’ve come a long way in my healing and health since those sick years, and my struggle through that valley has left a lasting imprint on my heart.

On one hand, I took countless spoils from that battle. My trust in God has deepened over time. I now understand how fragile and fleeting this life can be. I’m quicker to see things from an eternal perspective.

However, I also carry with me the baggage of fear.

Crawling through that valley, battling sickness and the financial hardship that accompanied it, all while trying to care for three little boys, sent me in a tailspin of fear from time to time. Even now, with my kids grown and a full plate of ministry duties, I pick up fear when remnants from my past reappear.

Can you relate?

So during my recent flare-up of symptoms, I cried out to God, “Oh, Lord, I long for perfect and total healing so I will no longer fear sickness and disease!” And just as quickly the Lord spoke these words to my heart: What makes you think that once you’re healed completely, you won’t struggle with fear of sickness and disease? These are two separate things. I’ve equipped you to take on the fear, so slay that dragon. And entrust your health, and all of your cares to Me. I will sustain you.

Talk about a light bulb moment!

Think about how the enemy works. When he attaches fears to our concerns, he backs us into a corner until we feel helpless and powerless to do anything about our circumstance.

For me, when fear rises up because my face has gone numb, I want to panic because I can’t make my symptoms go away. But when I separated my fear from my health and decided, I can do something about this fear, I took the power away from the enemy and began to see my circumstance with greater clarity, and even peace.

In Luke 10:19 Jesus tells us that He has given us authority over ALL the power of the enemy. He’s given us authority. So we need to take authority.

Jesus wants us to entrust our concerns to Him, for He cares for us.

But He’s also equipped us for battle. Over and over Scripture gives us this charge: Do. Not. Fear.

Pay attention next time you feel stirred up in fear because a current circumstance mirrors a past pain or hardship. Maybe it’s your marriage, your finances, your sense of identity and acceptance. Maybe it’s your job. Where do you tend to feel weak, vulnerable, and unsettled?

Step back, pick up your shield and sword (See Ephesians 6) and slay that dragon of fear! Then cast your cares on the Lord, for He will sustain and strengthen you.

Then, simply do the next thing He tells you to. He’ll get you where you need to go. Just walk boldly and confidently forward in faith.

Overwhelming victory is yours because you belong to Him.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, I belong to You. I am someone You love; someone You’ve saved; someone You’ve redeemed. Help me to lay hold of all that You’ve purchased for me. I want to walk in the freedom You offer me. I want to stand mighty in battle because You’ve equipped me! Forgive me for coddling my fears more than I cling to the promises of God. Fill me afresh with faith this day. Help me to live in a manner worthy of Your Name.
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Has fear attached itself to a circumstance in your life? Separate the two, deal with the fear, and entrust your cares to God.

In what ways is God inviting you to engage your faith today?

More from the Girlfriends

In her book, Your Powerful Prayers: Reaching the Heart of God with a Bold and Humble Faith, Susie Larson will help you learn how to boldly come before the throne of God with confidence and power. Visit Susie’s website for more information about her ministry and resources.


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Click here to find out more about
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Men of the Bible - Matthew


His name means: "Gift of Yahweh"

His work: Matthew was a tax collector who was awarded by Herod Antipas a contract to extract tariffs from his own people.
His character: A successful businessman whose encounter with Jesus profoundly changed his life and vocation forever.
His sorrow: Alienation, first from his own people because of his profession and then from religious leaders because of his vocation.
His triumph: A carefully organized, accurate, and convincing apologetic for the veracity of Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9

A Look at the Man

Matthew was good at making money. But there was a downside to getting rich as a tax collector in Palestine: People hated you for it. It made it hard to have any friends besides tax collectors or other ne'er-do-wells. He had learned to ignore the looks, to pretend he didn't hear the epithets—to conclude that these were the necessary costs of doing business.

Tax collectors were answerable to no one. There were no regulations to guide their procedures. Whatever they could extract from the people—over and above what the authorities required—was theirs to keep. It wasn't that Matthew didn't care about people, it was just that he cared more about his own prosperity. No wonder he was hated.

Matthew knew this when he chose his profession. In fact, in his writing, Matthew grouped tax collectors with prostitutes in social rank. But he was willing to pay this price for financial success.

But in spite of his choice of occupation and his pleasure with its material benefits, everything changed the day Jesus invited Matthew to be one of his disciples. And the wisdom of following the Master was confirmed in Matthew's heart the night Jesus won the affection of his friends.

Matthew knew that his decision was one he could never withdraw. He had set his life on a new course that could not be changed. Unlike the other disciples who had temporarily left their fishing nets—and could return to them at a later time—he knew it would be difficult for him to go back to his tax collecting. But Matthew was not halfhearted about his decisions. He had paid a heavy price among his countrymen when he chose tax collecting; now he would be asked to do the same in following Jesus.

Imagine how Matthew's transformation became a confirmation of the power and the authenticity of the Messiah's message. "Have you seen Matthew recently?" Jews would say to each other in the marketplace. "Something has happened to him."

Matthew was swept away with Jesus the man, the messenger, the Messiah. His gospel includes more references to Old Testament prophecy than any other. This truly was the one the prophets had foretold. And his thorough coverage of Jesus' most important sermon reminds us that Matthew was awed by the power of the Savior's words.

Very little is recorded in the Gospels as to Matthew's specific activities. Except for his invitation for Jesus to join him and his friends for dinner, we read of no conversation or dialogue. But this does not diminish Matthew's prominence during the days of Jesus' ministry on earth. For nothing speaks more profoundly than the testimony of a changed life—especially one that makes waves in the marketplace.

Reflect On: Matthew 9:9–13
Praise God: For his transforming power.
Offer Thanks: For the impact that the message of Jesus Christ has on those who are willing to believe and follow the Messiah.
Confess: An unwillingness to turn from our drive for economic success and to submit to the Spirit’s direction—to resist being inconvenienced by the call of the Savior.
Ask God: To come to your workplace—your tax-collector’s booth. Ask him to repeat the same words he spoke to Matthew, and ask him to give you the courage to respond as Matthew did.

Un Dia a la Vez - ¿Qué declaras sobre los tuyos?


Cada uno cosecha lo que siembra [...] Por lo tanto, siempre que tengamos la oportunidad, hagamos bien a todos. Gálatas 6:7, 10

Si leíste el devocional anterior, sabes que hablamos de la importancia de declarar cosas positivas sobre nuestra vida y tomar como nuestras las promesas que Dios nos dejó en el Manual de Instrucciones.

No obstante, así como es importante para nosotros, también es importante hacerlo para los nuestros. ¿Qué cosas dices de tu cónyuge, tus hijos y tu familia?

Un gravísimo error es lo que declaramos sobre la vida de nuestros hijos. Con nuestras palabras necias atamos a los hijos con cosas terribles como estas: «Eres un tonto. No sabes hacer nada. Eres un inútil y un bruto». No tienes idea del daño y el efecto que esas palabras traerán sobre su vida. Llega a un punto que hasta se lo creen. Y lo estarás atando con esas declaraciones de por vida.

¿Cómo eres con tu esposa? ¿La humillas, la insultas o la maltratas de palabras? Hoy Dios te dice que el que toca a uno de sus hijos toca a la niña de sus ojos (véase Zacarías 2:8). Cuando se daña a un hijo de Dios, es como si se lo hicieran a Él. ¿Te imaginas?

También, mujeres, ¿qué estamos declarando sobre los esposos? ¿Los humillamos, los insultamos, los maldecimos? Recordemos que nuestros esposos son la cabeza de la casa.

Por favor, pensemos antes de hablar y reconozcamos que todo lo que sembramos eso mismo cosecharemos.

Verse of the Day - October 07, 2016


Psalm 63:1 (NIV) [ Psalm 63 ] [ A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. ] You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Read all of Psalm 63

Our Daily Bread - Grasping the Cross


Read: Philippians 3:7–12 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 28–29; Philippians 3

Not that I have . . . already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Philippians 3:12

In 1856, Charles Spurgeon, the great London preacher, founded the Pastors’ College to train men for the Christian ministry. It was renamed Spurgeon’s College in 1923. Today’s college crest shows a hand grasping a cross and the Latin words, Et Teneo, Et Teneor, which means, “I hold and am held.” In his autobiography, Spurgeon wrote, “This is our College motto. We . . . hold forth the Cross of Christ with a bold hand . . . because that Cross holds us fast by its attractive power. Our desire is that every man may both hold the Truth, and be held by it; especially the truth of Christ crucified.”

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he expressed this truth as the bedrock of his life. “Not that I have . . . already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). As followers of Jesus, we extend the message of the cross to others as Jesus holds us fast in His grace and power. “I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

Our Lord holds us in His grip of love each day—and we hold out His message of love to others.

Lord Jesus, Your cross is the focal point of history and the turning point of our lives. Hold us tightly as we cling to Your cross and extend your love to others.

We hold to the cross of Christ and are held by it.

© 2016 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Unser Täglich Brot - Das Kreuz ergreifen


Lesen: Philipper 3,7-12 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Jesaja 28–29; Philipper 3

Nicht, dass ich’s schon ergriffen habe . . .; ich jage ihm aber nach, ob ich’s wohl ergreifen könnte, weil ich von Christus Jesus ergriffen bin. (Philipper 3,12)

Im Jahr 1856 gründete Charles Spurgeon, der große Londoner Prediger, das Pastors‘ College, um Männer für den christlichen Dienst auszubilden. 1923 wurde es umbenannt in Spurgeon-College. Das heutige Logo des Colleges zeigt eine Hand, die ein Kreuz hält, und dazu die lateinischen Worte Et Teneo, Et Teneor, was bedeutet: „Ich halte und bin gehalten.“ In seiner Autobiografie schrieb Spurgeon: „Das ist das Motto unseres Colleges. Wir halten das Kreuz Christi mit fester Hand hoch . . . weil das Kreuz uns durch seine Anziehungskraft hält. Unser Wunsch ist, dass jeder Mensch nicht nur die Wahrheit festhält, sondern auch von ihr gehalten wird; besonders die Wahrheit des gekreuzigten Christus.“

In seinem Brief an die Philipper erklärt Paulus, dies sei die Grundlage seines Lebens. „Nicht, dass ich’s schon ergriffen habe . . .; ich jage ihm aber nach, ob ich’s wohl ergreifen könnte, weil ich von Christus Jesus ergriffen bin“ (Phil.3,12). Als Nachfolger Jesu bringen wir anderen die Botschaft des Kreuzes, während Jesus uns mit seiner Gnade und Kraft hält. „Ich bin mit Christus gekreuzigt. Ich lebe, doch nun nicht ich, sondern Christus lebt in mir“ (Gal. 2,19-20).

Unser Herr hält uns jeden Tag im Griff seiner Liebe—und wir halten anderen die Botschaft seiner Liebe entgegen.

Herr Jesus, dein Kreuz ist der Kernpunkt der Geschichte und der Wendepunkt unseres Lebens. Halt uns fest, wenn wir uns an dein Kreuz klammern und von dort aus anderen deine Liebe bringen.

Wir halten das Kreuz Christi und werden von ihm gehalten.

© 2016 Unser Täglich Brot

Хлеб наш насущный - Держаться креста


Читать сейчас: Филиппийцам 3:7-12 | Библия за год: Исаия 28-29; 2 Коринфянам 9

Говорю так не потому, чтобы я уже достиг... но стремлюсь, не достигну ли я, как достиг меня Христос Иисус. — Филиппийцам 3:12

В 1856 г. Чарльз Сперджен, великий английский проповедник, основал Пасторский колледж, готовивший христианских служителей. В 1923 г. он был переименован в Колледж Сперджена. Сегодня герб этого учебного заведения венчает надпись на латыни: «Et Teneo, Et Teneor», что значит: «Держусь и поддержан». В своей биографии Сперджен писал: «Это девиз нашего колледжа. Мы держимся за крест Христов дерзновенной рукой... потому что крест влечет нас непреодолимой силой. Мы желаем, чтобы каждый человек держался истины и был поддерживаем ею, особенно истиной о Христе распятом».

В Послании к филиппийцам Павел полагает эту истину в основание своей жизни. Он пишет: «Cтремлюсь, не достигну ли я, как достиг меня Христос Иисус» (Флп. 3:12). Мы, последователи Христа, распространяем весть о кресте, а Он Сам поддерживает нас Своей силой и благодатью. «Я сораспят Христу, и уже не я живу, но живет во мне Христос» (Гал. 2:19-20).

Наш Господь каждый день поддерживает нас Своей любовью. А мы передаем эту весть любви другим.

Господь Иисус, Твой крест – центр истории и поворотная точка нашей жизни. Держи нас крепко у Твоего креста и распространи через нас Свою любовь в окружающем мире.

Мы держимся креста Христова и сами поддерживаемы им.

© 2016 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Notre Pain Quotidien - Saisir la croix


Lisez : Philippiens 3.7‑12 | La Bible en un an : Ésaïe 28 – 29 et Philippiens 3

Ce n’est pas que j’aie déjà remporté le prix, ou atteint la perfection ; mais je cours, pour tâcher de le saisir, puisque moi aussi j’ai été saisi par Jésus‑Christ. (Philippiens 3.12)

En 1856, le grand prédicateur londonien Charles Spurgeon a fondé le Pastors’ College afin d’y former des hommes en vue du ministère chrétien. On l’a renommé le Spurgeon’s College en 1923. De nos jours, la crête du bâtiment arbore une main saisissant une croix et l’inscription latine : Et teneo, Et Teneor, qui signifie : « Je saisis et j’ai été saisi. » Dans son autobiographie, Spurgeon a écrit : « Voilà la devise de notre collège. Nous […] saisissons fermement la croix de Christ d’une main sûre […] car cette croix nous a fermement saisis par le pouvoir d’attraction qu’elle détient. Nous désirons voir tous les hommes saisir la vérité et être saisis par elle ; surtout la vérité du Christ crucifié. »

Dans son épître aux Philippiens, Paul a exprimé cette vérité à titre de fondation sur laquelle reposait sa vie : « Ce n’est pas que j’aie déjà remporté le prix, ou atteint la perfection ; mais je cours, pour tâcher de le saisir, puisque moi aussi j’ai été saisi par Jésus‑Christ » (PH 3.12). En tant que disciples de Jésus, nous propageons le message de la croix tandis que Jésus nous saisit fermement par sa grâce et sa puissance : « J’ai été crucifié avec Christ ; et si je vis, ce n’est plus moi qui vis, mais Christ qui vit en moi » (GA 2.20).

Notre Seigneur nous a fermement saisis par son amour, et nous communiquons son message d’amour de sorte que les autres le saisissent à leur tour.

Nous saisissons la croix de Christ, qui nous maintient en lui.

© 2016 Ministères NPQ