Tuesday, March 21, 2017

LHM Daily Devotion - "Tears For The Holy City"





Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Tears For The Holy City"

March 22, 2017

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out" (Luke 19:39-40, ESV).


Jesus enters Jerusalem with a large crowd joyfully singing His praises. Some Pharisees come out of Jerusalem and urge Jesus to silence His supporters. But Jesus refuses; this King will have His rightful praise. Even if the people remain silent, the stones themselves will cry out.

In a few days the Pharisees will have their way. These praises will fall silent as the crowds begin shouting, "Crucify, crucify Him!" Reaching the ridge of Jerusalem Jesus begins sobbing. If only the city realized how easily it could escape disaster. All its citizens have to do is turn from their wrongs and trust in Jesus. Woefully, that great peace is hidden from their eyes.

Jesus' tears flow because His all-knowing eyes see what will happen here in 40 years. He sees the Roman legions arriving, encircling the city, and cutting down the trees to build their siege weapons. He sees violence and disease breaking out through the doomed metropolis. He sees starvation and plague ravaging those who remain. He sees the Romans breaking through the city walls and savagely attacking the last defenders at the temple walls. He sees the temple in flames and the defenders being slaughtered, as they turn from their Roman attackers in a desperate attempt to extinguish the fires. He sees the temple reduced to rubble, with not one stone left upon another.

And He weeps bitterly because all this is so needless. If only they would recognize God graciously visiting them through His Son.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Your heart broke at the senseless devastation Jerusalem would suffer because of its foolish unbelief. Guard my heart and mind against unbelief, so I may live with You in heaven, and not suffer eternally in hell. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Jesus enters Jerusalem with a large crowd joyfully singing His praises.

Devociones de Cuaresma - La actitud policíaca de los fariseos

 

Devociones de Cuaresma  2017

La actitud policíaca de los fariseos

22 de Marzo de 2017

Moisés nos ordenó apedrear a mujeres como ésta. ¿Y tú qué dices? Juan 8:5, RVC (8:1-11)

Una escena parecida a la de Juan 8:1-11 se repitió varias veces durante el ministerio de Jesús: el templo, Jesús enseñando, el pueblo escuchando. En esta ocasión aparecen fariseos con un reo y un caso para juzgar. Vinieron a Jesús con versículos bíblicos en los labios: "Moisés nos ordenó..." Seguramente no encontraron a esta mujer por casualidad, sino que la estuvieron espiando para sorprenderla. Siendo que el adulterio se penaba con la muerte, quienes se aventuraban en tales cosas se cuidaban de no ser descubiertos. ¿Cómo fue que los fariseos la descubrieron?No tuvieron ninguna piedad ante esta indefensa mujer, semidesnuda o desnuda, puesta en medio del pueblo, y de Jesús y sus discípulos. A los fariseos no les importaba que se matara a una mujer, si con ello le ganaban a Jesús una pulseada teológica. Citaron la Biblia, pero sin consideración por la vida de una persona. Le preguntaron a Jesús cuál era su opinión, ¡en un caso de vida o muerte!, aunque ellos ya habían juzgado.

A veces soy tan fariseo como los fariseos que critico por su falta de amor. Juzgo a los demás, espío para ver cómo viven. A veces vengo a Jesús con preguntas de las cuales ya tengo la respuesta. Sólo quiero saber si Jesús piensa como yo.

¿Y tú qué dices, estimado hermano? ¿Cómo vienes a Jesús? ¿Qué le traes? ¿Qué le preguntas? Esta historia nos pone en nuestro lugar. No somos Jesús, pero podemos ser el pueblo escuchando, o los fariseos acusadores, o la mujer sorprendida en pecado. ¡No es muy difícil para Dios sorprendernos en pecado! El silencio de Jesús es respetuoso. Nos hace pensar en nuestro propio pecado para revestirnos con su perdón y librarnos de situaciones de condena y de muerte.

Querido Padre, gracias porque Jesús no nos acusa de inmediato, y porque su silencio nos hace pensar en cuánto nos amas. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Reina Valera Contemporánea (RVC) Copyright ©  2009, 2011 by Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas.

Alimento diario... un mensaje de esperanza

Our Daily Bread - What Are You Known For?

Read: Hebrews 11:23–28 | Bible in a Year: Joshua 10–12; Luke 1:39–56

[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. Hebrews 11:26

A memorial stone stands in the grounds of a former Japanese prison camp in China where a man died in 1945. It reads, “Eric Liddell was born in Tianjin of Scottish parents in 1902. His career reached its peak with his gold medal victory in the 400 metres event at the 1924 Olympic Games. He returned to China to work in Tianjin as a teacher. . . . His whole life was spent encouraging young people to make their best contributions to the betterment of mankind.”

In the eyes of many, Eric’s greatest achievement was on the sports field. But he is also remembered for his contribution to the youth of Tianjin in China, the country where he was born and that he loved. He lived and served by faith.

What will we be remembered for? Our academic achievements, job position, or financial success may get us recognized by others. But it is the quiet work we do in the lives of people that will live long after we are gone.

Moses is remembered in the faith chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11, as someone who chose to align himself with the people of God instead of enjoying the treasures of Egypt (v. 26). He led and served God’s people by faith.

Ask God to show you how you can make a difference in the lives of others. For what would you like to be remembered?

Faithfulness to God is true success.


© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Bạn Được Biết Đến Vì Điều Gì?

Đọc: Hê-bơ-rơ 11:23-28 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Giô-suê 10-12; Lu-ca 1:39-56

Ông coi sự sỉ nhục về Đấng Christ là quý hơn châu báu Ai Cập, vì ông trông mong sự ban thưởng. (Hê-bơ-rơ 11:26)

Một hòn đá tưởng niệm dựng ở khu đất của một trại tù Nhật trước đây ở Trung Quốc, nơi mà một người đàn ông đã chết vào năm 1945. Hòn đá có viết: “Eric Liddell sinh năm 1902 tại Thiên Tân, ba mẹ là người Scốt-len. Sự nghiệp của ông thành công nhất với chiến thắng huy chương vàng ở giải 400 mét tại Thế Vận Hội năm 1924. Ông đã trở lại Trung Quốc để dạy học ở Thiên Tân… Ông đã dùng toàn bộ cuộc đời mình để khích lệ những người trẻ hết lòng góp sức nhằm giúp nhân loại tốt hơn.”

Trong mắt nhiều người, thành tựu lớn nhất của Eric là trong lĩnh vực thể thao. Nhưng ông cũng được nhớ đến vì sự đóng góp cho giới trẻ Thiên Tân ở Trung Quốc, đất nước nơi ông sinh ra và là nơi ông yêu mến. Ông đã sống và phục vụ bằng đức tin.

Chúng ta sẽ được nhớ đến vì điều gì? Những thành tựu học vấn, địa vị công việc hay thành công về tài chính có thể khiến chúng ta được người khác công nhận. Nhưng công việc thầm lặng mà chúng ta làm trong cuộc đời người khác mới sống mãi sau khi chúng ta qua đời.

Môi-se được nhớ đến trong Hê-bơ-rơ 11, là chương đức tin của Kinh Thánh, như là người đã chọn để đứng với dân sự Chúa thay vì hưởng thụ những châu báu của Ê-díp-tô (c.26). Ông đã lãnh đạo và phục vụ dân sự Chúa bằng đức tin.

Hãy cầu xin Chúa chỉ cho bạn cách để tạo sự khác biệt trong cuộc đời người khác. Điều bạn muốn được nhớ đến là gì?

Trung tín với Chúa là sự thành công thật.

bởi C. P. Hia

© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

Nuestro Pan Diario - ¿Por qué cosas te conocen?

Leer: Hebreos 11:23-28 | La Biblia en un año: Lucas 1:39-56

[Moisés tuvo] por mayores riquezas el vituperio de Cristo que los tesoros de los egipcios; porque tenía puesta la mirada en el galardón (Hebreos 11:26).

En un antiguo campo de concentración japonés en China, hay una lápida dedicada a un hombre que murió allí en 1945, que dice: «Eric Liddell nació en Tianjin en 1902, hijo de escoceses. Su carrera alcanzó la cima al ganar la medalla de oro en la competición de 400 metros en los Juegos Olímpicos de 1924. Posteriormente, regresó a China a trabajar como maestro en Tianjin […]. Pasó toda su vida alentando a los jóvenes a hacer todo lo posible para el mejoramiento de la humanidad».

Para muchos, el mayor logro de Eric fue en la esfera deportiva, pero también se lo recuerda por su contribución a la juventud de Tianjin, en China, país en donde nació y al que amaba. Vivió y sirvió por fe.

¿Por qué cosas se acordarán de nosotros? Nuestros logros académicos, posición laboral o éxito financiero quizá nos concedan el reconocimiento de los demás, pero lo que perdurará después de que hayamos partido es el trabajo silencioso que hayamos hecho en la vida de otras personas.

Hebreos 11, el capítulo de la fe en la Biblia, recuerda a Moisés como alguien que prefirió ponerse del lado de los israelitas en vez de disfrutar de los tesoros de Egipto (v. 26). Guió y sirvió por fe al pueblo de Dios.

Señor, muéstrame hoy cómo puedo marcar una diferencia en la vida de los demás.

El éxito verdadero es la fidelidad a Dios.


Unser Täglich Brot - Wofür bist du bekannt?

Lesen: Hebräer 11,23-28 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Josua 10–12; Lukas 1,39-56

[Mose] hielt die Schmach Christi für größeren Reichtum als die Schätze Ägyptens, denn er sah auf die Belohnung. Hebräer 11,26

Auf dem Gelände eines ehemaligen japanischen Gefangenenlagers in China erinnert ein Gedenkstein an einen Mann, der dort 1945 starb. Auf dem Stein heißt es: „Eric Liddell wurde 1902 als Sohn schottischer Eltern in Tianjin geboren. Höhepunkt seiner Karriere war der Gewinn der Goldmedaille im 400-Meter-Lauf an den Olympischen Spielen von 1924. Er kehrte nach China zurück, um in Tianjin als Lehrer zu arbeiten . . . Sein ganzes Leben setzte er dafür ein, jungen Menschen Mut zu machen, damit sie ihr Bestes geben zum Nutzen der Menschheit.“

In den Augen vieler erbrachte Eric seine größte Leistung auf dem Sportplatz. Man gedenkt seiner aber auch wegen seinem Einsatz für die Jugend von Tianjin in China, dem Land, in dem er geboren wurde und das er liebte. Er lebte und wirkte aus Glauben.

Woran wird man bei uns denken? Unsere Bildung, berufliche Stellung oder finanziellen Erfolg können uns vielleicht Anerkennung einbringen. Aber es sind die kleinen Dinge, die wir in der Stille im Leben anderer bewirkt haben, die noch lange nach uns weiterleben.

Mose wird in Hebräer 11 als Held des Glaubens bezeichnet, der sich lieber zu Gottes Volk hielt, als die Schätze Ägyptens zu genießen (V.26). Er führte und diente Gottes Volk im Glauben.

Bitte Gott, dir zu zeigen, was du tun kannst, um andere zu fördern. Woran soll man sich später einmal erinnern, wenn man an dich denkt?

Treue zu Gott ist wahrer Erfolg.


© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Notre Pain Quotidien - À quoi tient notre réputation ?


[Regardant] l’opprobre de Christ comme une richesse plus grande que les trésors de l’Égypte, car il [Moïse]/em> avait les yeux fixés sur la rémunération. ( Hébreux 11.26)

On a érigé en Chine une pierre commémorative sur le terrain d’un ancien camp de prisonniers japonais où un homme est mort en 1945. On peut y lire : « Eric Liddell est né à Tianjin de parents écossais en 1902. Sa carrière a atteint son apogée lorsqu’il a remporté la médaille d’or au 400 mètres lors des Jeux olympiques d’été de 1924. Il est revenu en Chine pour travailler comme enseignant à Tianjin. […] Il a passé sa vie entière à encourager les jeunes à apporter leurs meilleures contributions à l’avancement de l’humanité. »

Aux yeux de bien des gens, Eric a réalisé son plus grand exploit sur le terrain sport, mais on se le rappelle également pour sa contribution au bien des jeunes de Tianjin, en Chine, le pays où il est né et qu’il aimait tant. Il y a vécu et y a servi Dieu par la foi.

À quoi tient notre réputation ? Il se peut que nos réalisations scolaires, notre poste ou notre réussite financière nous vaillent la reconnaissance des gens, mais c’est l’oeuvre que nous accomplissons en silence dans la vie des gens qui nous survivra le plus longtemps.

On évoque Moïse dans le chapitre de la foi de la Bible, Hébreux 11, comme quelqu’un qui s’aligne sur le peuple de Dieu au lieu de se réjouir des trésors de l’Égypte (V. 26). Il a dirigé et servi le peuple de Dieu par la foi.

Хліб Наш Насущній - Чим ви запам’ятаєтесь?

Читати: Євреїв 11:23-28 | Біблія за рік: Ісуса Навина 10–12 ; Луки 1:39-56

Він наругу Христову вважав за більше багатство, ніж скарби єгипетські, бо він озирався на Божу нагороду. — Євреїв 11:26

У Китаї, на місці де колись був японський табір військовополонених, стоїть меморіальний камінь, присвячений одній людині, що померла в тім таборі у 1945 році. На ньому написано: “Ерік Ліддел. Народився в 1902 році у місті Тяньцзінь, в сім’ї шотландців. Піком його кар’єри стало здобуття золотої медалі на стометрівці на Олімпійських Іграх у 1924 році. Потім він повернувся до Китаю, де працював вчителем у Тяньцзіні… Все своє життя він надихав молодих людей робити свій посильний внесок у те, щоб людям у всьому світі жилося краще”.

В очах багатьох людей Ерік досяг найбільших успіхів у спортивній сфері. Але він запам’ятався також своїм внеском у виховання молоді Китаю – країни, в якій він народився і яку щиро любив. Його життя й служіння спрямовувались вірою.

А чим запам’ятаємось ми? Наші академічні або спортивні досягнення, наш фінансовий успіх можуть здобути широке визнання, але наша непримітна праця в житті людей залишить вплив, що триватиме набагато довше за наше життя.

Мойсей теж запам’ятався багато чим. Його ім’я потрапило до списку “людей віри” в 11-му розділі Послання до євреїв. Він проміняв скарби єгипетські на життя серед народу Божого (Євр. 11:26). Вірою він керував Божим народом і служив йому.

Попросіть, щоб Бог відкрив вам, як ви можете позитивно вплинути на життя інших людей. Чим би вам хотілось запам’ятатись?

Вірність Богу – справжній успіх.


© 2017 Хліб Наш Насущній

Хлеб наш насущный - Чем вы запомнитесь?

Читать сейчас: Евреям 11:23-28 | Библия за год: Иисуса Навина 10-12; Луки 1:39-56

[Моисей] поношение Христово почел большим для себя богатством, нежели египетские сокровища, ибо он взирал на воздаяние. — Евреям 11:26

На месте бывшего японского концлагеря в Китае стоит мемориальный камень. Здесь в 1945 г. погиб человек. На камне надпись: «Эрик Лиддел родился в Тяньцзине в шотландской семье в 1902 г. Достиг вершины спортивной карьеры в 1924 г. на Олимпийских играх, завоевав золотую медаль в забеге на 400 м. Вернулся в Китай работать учителем... Посвятил жизнь воспитанию молодых людей, побуждая их трудиться на благо человечества».

В глазах многих величайшим достижением Лиддела была победа на Олимпиаде. Но его также помнят за вклад в воспитание молодежи в Китае, стране, в которой он родился и которую любил. Он жил и работал в согласии со своей верой.

Чем запомнимся мы? Академические достижения, положение на работе, финансовые успехи могут сделать нас известными. Однако более важную роль играет незаметный труд, совершаемый для людей. Это влияние продолжится и после нашего ухода.

В Послании к евреям говорится о вере Моисея. Он решил примкнуть к страдающему Израилю, оставив египетские сокровища (Евр. 11:26). В согласии со своей верой он возглавлял Божий народ и служил ему.

Попросите Бога показать, как вы можете послужить окружающим вас людям. За какие дела они будут вас вспоминать?

Верность Богу – истинный успех.


© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

The Daily Readings for TUESDAY, March 21, 2017


The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Jeremiah 7:21-34

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to them or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you." Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but, in the stubbornness of their evil will, they walked in their own counsels, and looked backward rather than forward. From the day that your ancestors came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day; yet they did not listen to me, or pay attention, but they stiffened their necks. They did worse than their ancestors did. So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. You shall say to them: This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. Cut off your hair and throw it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation that provoked his wrath. For the people of Judah have done evil in my sight, says the LORD; they have set their abominations in the house that is called by my name, defiling it. And they go on building the high place of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire-- which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind. Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the LORD, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter: for they will bury in Topheth until there is no more room. The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the animals of the earth; and no one will frighten them away. And I will bring to an end the sound of mirth and gladness, the voice of the bride and bridegroom in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for the land shall become a waste.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!


The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Romans 4:13-25

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")-- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!


The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in John 7:37-52
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!


On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But some asked, "Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not arrest him?" The police answered, "Never has anyone spoken like this!" Then the Pharisees replied, "Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law-- they are accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" They replied, "Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee."

Here ends the Gospel lesson for today
Glory be to Thee ,O Christ!


Morning Psalms

Psalm 78: Part I Attendite, popule
1   Hear my teaching, O my people; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2   I will open my mouth in a parable; I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
3   That which we have heard and known, and what our forefathers have told us, we will not hide from their children.
4   We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, and the wonderful works he has done.
5   He gave his decrees to Jacob and established a law for Israel, which he commanded them to teach their children;
6   That the generations to come might know, and the children yet unborn; that they in their turn might tell it to their children;
7   So that they might put their trust in God, and not forget the deeds of God, but keep his commandments;
8   And not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9   The people of Ephraim, armed with the bow, turned back in the day of battle;
10   They did not keep the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
11   They forgot what he had done, and the wonders he had shown them.
12   He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13   He split open the sea and let them pass through; he made the waters stand up like walls.
14   He led them with a cloud by day, and all the night through with a glow of fire.
15   He split the hard rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as from the great deep.
16   He brought streams out of the cliff, and the waters gushed out like rivers.
17   But they went on sinning against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
18   They tested God in their hearts, demanding food for their craving.
19   They railed against God and said, "Can God set a table in the wilderness?
20   True, he struck the rock, the waters gushed out, and the gullies overflowed; but is he able to give bread or to provide meat for his people?"
21   When the LORD heard this, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob, and his anger mounted against Israel;
22   For they had no faith in God, nor did they put their trust in his saving power.
23   So he commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven.
24   He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them grain from heaven.
25   So mortals ate the bread of angels; he provided for them food enough.
26   He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens and led out the south wind by his might.
27   He rained down flesh upon them like dust and wingéd birds like the sand of the sea.
28   He let it fall in the midst of their camp and round about their dwellings.
29   So they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.
30   But they did not stop their craving, though the food was still in their mouths.
31   So God's anger mounted against them; he slew their strongest men and laid low the youth of Israel.
32   In spite of all this, they went on sinning and had no faith in his wonderful works.
33   So he brought their days to an end like a breath and their years in sudden terror.
34   Whenever he slew them, they would seek him, and repent, and diligently search for God.
35   They would remember that God was their rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
36   But they flattered him with their mouths and lied to him with their tongues.
37   Their heart was not steadfast toward him, and they were not faithful to his covenant.
38   But he was so merciful that he forgave their sins and did not destroy them; many times he held back his anger and did not permit his wrath to be roused.
39   For he remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that goes forth and does not return.


Evening Psalms

Psalm 78: Part II Quoties exacerbaverunt
40   How often the people disobeyed him in the wilderness and offended him in the desert!
41   Again and again they tempted God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42   They did not remember his power in the day when he ransomed them from the enemy;
43   How he wrought his signs in Egypt and his omens in the field of Zoan.
44   He turned their rivers into blood, so that they could not drink of their streams.
45   He sent swarms of flies among them, which ate them up, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46   He gave their crops to the caterpillar, the fruit of their toil to the locust.
47   He killed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost.
48   He delivered their cattle to hailstones and their livestock to hot thunderbolts.
49   He poured out upon them his blazing anger: fury, indignation, and distress, a troop of destroying angels.
50   He gave full rein to his anger; he did not spare their souls from death; but delivered their lives to the plague.
51   He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the flower of manhood in the dwellings of Ham.
52   He led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53   He led them to safety, and they were not afraid; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54   He brought them to his holy land, the mountain his right hand had won.
55   He drove out the Canaanites before them and apportioned an inheritance to them by lot; he made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56   But they tested the Most High God, and defied him, and did not keep his commandments.
57   They turned away and were disloyal like their fathers; they were undependable like a warped bow.
58   They grieved him with their hill-altars they provoked his displeasure with their idols.
59   When God heard this, he was angry and utterly rejected Israel.
60   He forsook the shrine at Shiloh, the tabernacle where he had lived among his people.
61   He delivered the ark into captivity, his glory into the adversary's hand.
62   He gave his people to the sword and was angered against his inheritance.
63   The fire consumed their young men; there were no wedding songs for their maidens.
64   Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.
65   Then the LORD woke as though from sleep, like a warrior refreshed with wine.
66   He struck his enemies on the backside and put them to perpetual shame.
67   He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68   He chose instead the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion, which he loved.
69   He built his sanctuary like the heights of heaven, like the earth which he founded for ever.
70   He chose David his servant, and took him away from the sheepfolds.
71   He brought him from following the ewes, to be a shepherd over Jacob his people and over Israel his inheritance.
72   So he shepherded them with a faithful and true heart and guided them with the skillfulness of his hands.


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.

Verse of the Day - March 21, 2017


Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV) “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Read all of Jeremiah 17

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - "God Goes With You"

The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.
Daniel 1:7 (NLT)

Nebuchadnezzar could change their names, but he couldn’t change their hearts. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had a God to serve and a stand to make.

The powerful king had made the call for some of Israel’s finest young men. He wanted the brightest and the best. He wanted to indoctrinate and brainwash them in the ways of Babylon. And he wanted them to abandon the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and worship the gods of Babylon instead.

Ancient Babylon was a wonder to behold, filled with jaw-dropping opulence. Yet there was no reverence for the Lord in that place. Everyone cowered in fear in the presence of King Nebuchadnezzar.

It is believed by many commentators that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were somewhere between the ages of 14 and 19. They were good Jewish boys who had been raised by their parents in the way of the Lord. But their world, as they knew it, changed overnight. Torn away from their families, they were placed in an alien culture of paganism and unparalleled luxury. Up to that point, they would have lived in simple conditions. But they suddenly found themselves in the palace of the most powerful man on earth.

Maybe your world has changed recently. Maybe you were going a certain direction and have unexpectedly found yourself on a different path. Maybe you recently headed to college, and it is an entirely new world for you—and not exactly a world that is supportive of your Christian values. Maybe your business has sent you to a different city, or maybe you are stationed overseas. Here is what you need to know: Wherever you go, God goes with you. He doesn’t live in one place; He is present with all His children. And He hasn’t forgotten about you.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT® copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Devotion by Greg Laurie © 2017 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.

Un Dia a la Vez - Testimonio


Tú, Señor, me llenas de alegría con tus maravillas; por eso alabaré jubiloso las obras de tus manos.
Salmo 92:4 (NIV)

Le doy muchas gracias a Dios porque este libro lo disfruto tanto como tú. En estos meses de preparación acelerada del devocional, Dios me llenó de tantas vivencias y testimonios que me permitieron definitivamente su terminación. Durante este año, no solo podré hablarte de mi vida y lo que ha hecho Dios, sino también de lo que he podido crecer con los testimonios de muchos de mis oyentes.

Mi esposo, Edgar, conoció una pareja que es fiel oyente de «Buenos Días Familia». Muy contentos por conocerle, le dijeron cómo las oraciones y los mensajes que Dios ha depositado en mi corazón sirvieron, en un momento determinado de sus vidas, como una inyección espiritual que se convirtió en esperanza de vida.

Al hermano de esta oyente dominicana lo trasladaron a Colombia para realizarle un trasplante de médula ósea. Entonces, como era oyente en Miami, una vez terminada su operación y al iniciar su recuperación, pidió seguir escuchando las oraciones vía Internet. Aun sin poder moverse y en los momentos de dolor, esta radio y esta voz fueron instrumentos de nuestro Dios.

Me sentí tan feliz que dije: «Dios mío, quizá nunca podré saber en cuántas personas lograremos influir con solo hablar de una verdad tan hermosa que es tu amor y el regalo de tu salvación».

Gracias le doy a Dios porque aunque muchos tal vez crean que yo desarrollaría mejor mi talento en otro medio de comunicación, quizá con más dinero y menos sacrificios, nunca me he arrepentido de haber dejado la radio secular. Por eso, mi testimonio es que han sido diez años, la mitad de mi carrera radial, llenos de satisfacciones.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón. La Santa Biblia, Nueva Versión Internacional® NVI® Copyright © 1986, 1999, 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST

I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles…

Prison! Even the word sends shivers down the back and the thought is immediately pushed to the back of our minds. Yet we in the western world often have no idea just how horrible conditions are in prisons in non-western countries.

For most people anywhere in the world, imprisonment is simply the biggest shock of their life. One of the most famous prisoners, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, was almost poetic in his description in his book The Gulag Archipelago. “Arrest [and imprisonment] is an instantaneous, shattering thrust, expulsion, and somersault from one state to another.”

Prison is extremely challenging for those, like Aleksandr, who find themselves there unjustly. It is rigorous even for those who acknowledge their guilt and must pay the price. But a strong faith in God and trust in God’s ultimate goodness and purposes enables Christian prisoners to emerge with victorious testimonies. And like the Apostle Paul they can say they were “prisoners of Jesus Christ.”

For example, Pastor Steven in Vietnam is a courageous leader of the unofficial church. He had a ticket to the USA in 1975 but chose to stay and suffer with his people. He is passionate about the gospel and says, “I always have my suitcase packed by the front door, ready for prison again.”

He spent seven and a half years in a tiny cell after being arrested for “illegal Christian activity.” He was tortured for sharing Christ with other prisoners, but his faith impacted thousands. One Vietnamese pastor says, “Before 1975, we were only allowed to preach in prisons on Tuesdays, but now there are brothers witnessing there seven days a week!”

An Open Doors-Africa co-worker named Solomon was assigned to find out if there were many Christians in prison or labor camps in Mozambique during the communist regime there. While researching, he was arrested himself. “In prison, all my possessions, including my Bible were taken from me. Then I was subjected to a cross-examination for six hours, after which I was thrown into a cell, exhausted. I had to sleep on a concrete floor without even a blanket.

“Knowing that my heavenly father would never forsake me, I directed all my attention to my fellow-prisoners. Although I still had to sleep on the floor and was harassed by malaria, bugs and gnawing hunger, I tried to talk about my faith as much as possible…

“I had the opportunity to preach to my companions. I prayed for the sick and the Lord heard my prayers and healed them. That was of great support to them and during my stay in prison, I led fifteen people to the Lord.

“Unexpectedly, I found out that there were more Christians in prison. Now it became clear to me why I had to be arrested. In the first place, to bring the message of salvation to the lost ones in prison. And secondly, to strengthen my fellow Christians.

RESPONSE: Today I accept the fact I can be a witness for Jesus anywhere and everywhere He leads.

PRAYER: Pray for Christians in prison (Hebrews 13:3) and pray they will be used of God while there.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Girlfriends in God - So You Have a Past

by Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Friend to Friend

The New Testament begins with the book of Matthew and showcases more drama than a Hallmark movie. The book starts off with a genealogy trail that leads from Abraham to the birth of Jesus. This list of names might make you yawn, but it’s actually really important - and even exciting. (Yes. You read that right!) It’s fascinating because it gives evidence to a family line that shows Jesus was a descendent of both Abraham and King David, thus fulfilling what the Old Testament predicted about the lineage of the Messiah.

Scandal steps onto the page in verse three of Matthew chapter one when a woman’s name shows up. (Traditionally, only the names of men appeared in these family lineages.) But this wasn’t just any woman, it’s one from the shady side of the family tree … Tamar. She had a past, and any Jewish scholar worth their salt would know about it. She was used and abused by men that should’ve loved, protected, and provided for her. Once scorned, she schemed for revenge and ended up having twins to her father-in-law. One of the twins, Perez, is an ancestor to King David.

As the list goes on we see a few more eyebrow-raising names…

Rahab’s name is listed. Remember her? She was the prostitute who “turned good” when she helped Joshua and the Israelites capture Jericho. Bathsheba’s on the list too, but they don’t even mention her by name. She’s recorded this way, “David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.” (Matthew 1:6) Nice. Archived as the woman who had an affair with King David while she was married to a soldier named Uriah.

All three of these women were known, but not necessarily for cleaned up good things. Seeing these women listed among the relatives of Jesus seems very… messy. It seems to me that historians would want to hide those names, not put them out there for everyone to see! But that’s not God’s way. He doesn’t sweep things under the rug and pretend they aren’t there.

And strangely enough, I’m encouraged by the presence of these women in the lineage of Jesus. Why? Because they are powerful displays of His grace. They are proof that God does not require perfection from us in order for His will to be done through us. The apostle Paul summed it up nicely in his second letter to the church of Corinth. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

So you have a past. So did Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba. I do too. Who doesn’t?

So you have a few people in your family with rusty reputations. So do I. So did Jesus.

So you have some shame or pain regarding things that were done to you… things that were or are beyond your control. You’re not alone.

God’s mercy reaches beyond the muck and mire of our pasts to recreate us in the grace and love of Jesus. He lifts fallen heads, purifies rebellious hearts, and places slippery feet on solid ground. Nothing about having a “past” or “complicated associations” can keep you from walking out the freedom and hope of Jesus. God always uses the broken to showcase His beauty. Believe it.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, Thank you for grace… for not holding my past against me… for declaring me a new creation in Christ. Please help me to trust you with my past and with my future.
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.


Now It’s Your Turn

Read Isaiah 41:8-14. What does this passage tell you about God? Where do you sense He is leading you today? Talk to Him. Seek His help, healing, and direction. Then click over to my blog and post a prayer of response or post a prayer need.

More from the Girlfriends

Gwen Smith is a speaker, worship leader, songwriter, and author of the new book, I Want I ALL, which includes a Bible Study Guide right in the back of the book; no extra purchase required. I WANT IT ALL it’s easy to read yet contains compelling and challenging content. You'll connect with the stories, probably dust off a few heart dreams, think bigger thoughts of God, laugh and smile a lot, search your soul, and even cry a little ... because each page lovingly directs you to the personal grace and truth of JESUS.
(CLICK HERE to get a FREE Downloadable “7 Day I WANT IT ALL” Devotional Ebook.)
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