Sunday, September 17, 2017

Daily Devotion September 18, 2017 "Put God's Forgiveness to Work in Your Life!"

When I was a pastor at Church for All Nations in New York City...

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour



"Put God's Forgiveness to Work in Your Life!"

September 18, 2017

Then Peter came up and said to Him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."

When I was a pastor at Church for All Nations in New York City, I led a Bible study on Wall Street. There gathered every Tuesday Morning were some of the best traders and investors in the world. They would share with me their secrets of investing, and I would share with them the powerful message of the Word of God in Jesus Christ. Let's just say we both learned a lot from each other. But the secrets were not that secret at all. Oftentimes in both areas, it was incredibly straightforward talking about what is true in life, what works in life: it was simple, yet powerful, truths that really made a difference in living life for all its worth.

Their investment secret, you ready? Here it is: start early and invest regularly, and look for gains in the long term. I remember when I was young I was told to "buy term insurance" (because it's cheaper) and "invest the difference" in the costs of the premiums, in mutual funds. Why? Forty years later, at 65, you wouldn't need the insurance because you would have the money in the bank. Put your money to work so that later you can reap its blessing, its temporal freedom. Sounds simple enough, right? Then why do so few do it. With the resources we have, so many of us could manage it better for an abundance later on. That message was at the heart of many, many successful investors and fund managers in their personal lives. Words to live by, honestly.

In the lesson for the sermon yesterday, Jesus is talking about an investment strategy that is even more important than that in our lives. It goes to the heart of our spiritual -- not just our temporal -- lives. It's one that has an eternal payoff, that has an eternal perspective and scope. He's talking about receiving and sharing the forgiveness of God in a regular fashion with those God brings into our lives. Living life with that focus means we are eager to make the deposit of forgiveness in the lives of those we love. We are looking to put His love and grace to work in our lives, in our relationships, in our families. What would life be like for you this week, this month, this year, if you focused on putting that to work: receiving and sharing God's gracious forgiveness in Christ, with others? What would happen if all of us focused on that rather than hold grudges, spread vicious rumors, or look out for ourselves alone?

If you've ever had any money to invest, you know the joy of what it feels like when it grows. Some of you, just because you put your money to work in your house, in a mutual fund, or in stocks and bonds, have learned that such disciplines can make a difference in having abundance to share when the time comes. Well, Jesus is telling you that you haven't seen anything yet when it comes to what really matters. If you enjoy temporal abundance and growth, get ready for the joy of watching His eternal forgiveness and mercy do its work in your life and in the lives of those you love. If you are stingy and foolish in either area -- that way of living is empty in the end -- but even if your temporal investment strategies don't yield the abundance you had hoped for, putting God's forgiveness to work always has abundance in store in the end. Get on board with Christ's spiritual investment strategy; I know that you will be blessed as you do.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, Your forgiveness and grace is such an incredible blessing for our lives. Give us wisdom and courage to put that to work in our lives and through our lives for others in Your Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

CPTLN Devocional de 18 de Setiembre de 2017


Alimento Diario

Valemos mucho

18 de Setiembre 2017

Pero tú, Señor, eres nuestro padre; nosotros somos el barro y tú eres quien nos da forma; todos nosotros somos obra de tus manos.

Son innumerables las veces que dejo pasar oportunidades increíbles sin aprovecharlas.

Es por eso que durante muchos años recordé la historia verídica de un bulto grande, supuestamente una piedra, que durante siglos estuvo en un riachuelo en Carolina del Norte.

Las pocas personas que vieron ese bulto al pasar, no le prestaron atención. Así fue hasta que un hombre pobre lo vio y pensó que serviría para mantener abierta la puerta de su casa, por lo que lo cargó y se lo llevó.

Las cosas cambiaron cuando un geólogo vio por casualidad ese bulto y descubrió que no era una simple piedra, sino que era oro, el trozo de oro más grande que jamás se haya encontrado al este de las montañas Rocosas. Más tarde fue avaluado en más de $100.000 dólares.

¿Alguna vez se ha sentido como un bulto que no sirve más que para sostener abierta una puerta?

Si su respuesta es afirmativa, quiero que sepa que Dios no piensa igual que usted. El Señor vio cuánto valía y por eso envió a su Hijo a este mundo para salvarlo. Usted vale tanto como para que Jesús invirtiera toda su vida en salvarlo.

Como dijo Isaías, puede que parezcamos ser nada más que un bulto, pero en las manos del experto alfarero somos transformados en algo de mucho valor.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, gracias por enviar a tu Hijo a salvarme. Me consuela saber que tú me valoras tanto. Te pido que me des poder para vivir mi vida en agradecimiento y alabanza a ti. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

De una devoción escrita originalmente para "By the Way"

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.

The Daily Readings for SUNDAY, September 17, 2017 - 15th Sunday after Pentecost

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Opening Sentence
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Confession and Forgiveness

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
God is light; in him there in no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and son not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Most holy and merciful Father, We confess to you and to one another, that we have sinned against you by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father; And free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.

Sunday Morning Prayer
God, as you gave us the sun to lighten our days, so you have given us your Word to lighten our minds and our souls. I pray that you will pour out on me your Spirit as I pray today, that my heart and mind may be opened to your Word, and that I may learn and accept your will for my life.

Shine within my heart, loving God, the pure light of your divine knowledge; open the eyes of my mind and the ears of my heart to receive your Word, this day and always, Amen.

The Psalm
Psalm 103:1-13
[Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness Of David]
1  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3  who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4  who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5  who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6  The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7  He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9  He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12  as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13  As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

The Lessons

A reading from Genesis 50:15-21
[Joseph Forgives His Brothers]
Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers said, "What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?" So they approached Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this instruction before he died, 'Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.' Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, "We are here as your slaves." But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones." In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

A reading from Romans 14:1-12
[Do Not Judge Another]
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

A reading from Matthew 18:21-35
[Forgiveness]
Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
[The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant]
"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Here ends the Readings.


Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

Continuous Reading Track
Exodus 14:19-31
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."
[The Pursuers Drowned]
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.


Psalm 114 In exitu Israel
[God’s Wonders at the Exodus]
1  When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2  Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
3  The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.
4  The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.
5  Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
6  O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?
7  Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8  who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.

The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayer of the Day
Heavenly Lord Jesus, I pray to you, help all the people on earth who are oblivious to you and your saving grace. I see and hear — I am bombarded with — words and actions that spring from the total darkness of those who do not know you. They blaspheme your name, they scorn your Word, they mock those who confess you.

I know your will be done in all things, mighty God, and it seems that there are those you will abandon to evil; yet even so, it is my prayer that you save them all, or save as many as you might be persuaded to; or even, that you save a single one by my prayer. I pray that you might have mercy upon the wretched atheists, the misguided who worship a God without Christ, and all the many who are simply confused and adrift. Save them Lord Christ; this I pray to you and in your name, Amen.

Anselm’s Prayer
Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you my whole being.

I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of your love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love. Amen.
~ by (Saint) Anselm, 1033-1109

A Collect for Sundays
O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.


All Creatures of Our God and King
Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

Closing Prayer
Oh God Almighty, send me Your light and truth, to keep this day and all the days of my life. And may Your mighty hand protect me, and all my brothers and sisters who have joined me in prayer this day, blessing our homes and our lives. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.

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.

"Cats Never Forgive" - Sermon for SUNDAY, September 17, 2017 - 15th Sunday after Pentecost


Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."


"Cats Never Forgive"
by Fr. Paul Andrew
Jail Ministry, Virginia

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

Cats never forgive. Scientists have observed conciliatory behavior in many different animal species, like gorillas, goats, and hyenas, whom often follow confrontations with friendly behavior like embracing or rubbing noses. The only species that has so far failed to show outward signs of reconciliation are domestic cats.

In other words, when it comes to forgiving others, don't act like a cat!

The Our Father prayer has a very high standard of forgiving....forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those trespass against us, and our Gospel Reading repeats the theme that pardoning others is a condition for receiving divine forgiveness.

e.g. General Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley, “I never forgive and I never forget.” To which Wesley replied, “Then, Sir, I hope you never sin.

Prudence is used in how we forgive because some people can be abusive, so we might have to love them at a distance. But prayer is the one of the most powerful expressions of love that we can offer.

To forgive seventy-seven times is biblical language for endless, AND it is meant to be contrasted with Genesis 4:24, which speaks of bad person who vowed vengeance, "seven-sevenfold." However, a theme which is repeated in Deut. 32:35 and Romans 12:19: Those who take vengeance into their own hands will become victims of divine vengeance.

To forgive is to enter in to Christ’s crucifixion with him. As he bore the pain of our sins, we are now asked to bear the pain of other’s offenses against us. Forgiving is hard because it’s a cross.

Lewis B. Smedes said, “When you forgive the person who hurt you deeply and unfairly, you perform a miracle that has no equal.”

The Jewish philosopher, Hannah Arendt, once had these wise words to say, "Forgivenss is only power which can stop the stream of painful memories."

Here are a couple extreme cases of forgiveness:
As Catholics, we believe God’s greatest attribute is mercy. When my 21-year-old brother was murdered in 2007 on the campus of Virginia Tech, I greatly struggled with this tenet of our faith. I felt abandoned by a God who lied to me about his goodness... A year after Matthew died, my family received a letter from the mother of a student who had survived the ordeal. She thanked us for our son and brother’s sacrifice, which she believed saved her daughter’s life. Cadet Matthew La Porte had barred the classroom door with a desk. When the shooter forced his way in, Matthew charged him and sustained 7 gunshot wounds... I prayed for healing. God said, ‘Forgive the shooter. Tell your story.’ A giant leap of faith and trust in him enabled me to do the impossible—to forgive my brother’s killer and share with others what I had experienced. It was then that my life changed a second time. Peace came to me when I put my energy into loving others rather than seeking revenge. Joy came when I saw how sharing my story helped others face their own personal struggles. Mercy does not allow those who wrong us to get away with injustice. Mercy repairs what is broken, restores hope, and molds us into holy souls who emulate more closely the heart of Jesus Christ. Mercy is everything.
~ Priscilla La Porte

Story no. 2—
In 1990 a drifter named Robert Knighton was convicted for murdering Richard Denny and his wife, Virginia, in rural Oklahoma. Knighton got $61 and an old truck from the robbery and murder. Richard Denny had an adopted daughter named Sue Norton. When Knighton’s trial began, Sue attended the trial… confused. ‘I should feel anger and want vengeance, but I was also taught I need to pray for him and forgive him,’ Sue said. During the trial, she learned of Knighton’s childhood: a mother who had been married six times; reformatories and prisons starting at the age of 12. The day the trial ended, she asked to meet with Knighton. He was six feet tall, shackled and angry. She took a deep breath and said, ‘If you are guilty, I forgive you.’ She offered her hand through the bars. He pulled back. She grabbed it and started praying. ‘I learned forgiveness is a gift to ourselves, not for the forgiven.’ She began to write to him and to visit him. ‘Executions just turn more families into victims,’ she said. She lost friends. Knighton became a Christian on Oklahoma’s death row. She was present at his 2003 execution, his only friend among the witnesses.

Our Gospel today says, “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart. The catechism states that “it is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense”. It takes time for our hearts to catch up with our decision to forgive and say the words I forgive you. And there is Decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness.

A kindly Lutheran pastor said,
‘Up in that church tower,’ he said, nodding out the window, ‘is a bell which is rung by pulling on a rope. But you know what? After the sexton lets go of the rope the bell keeps on swinging. First ‘ding’ then ‘dong.’ Slower and slower until there’s a final dong and it stops. I believe the same thing is true of forgiveness. When we forgive, we take our hand off the rope. But if we’ve been tugging at our grievances for a long time, we mustn’t be surprised if the old angry thoughts keep coming for a while. They’re just the ding-dongs of the old bell slowing down’.

Reader's Digest once asked its readers to complete the sentence: "I Never Regret..."

Some of their readers responded:
"I never regret...the day I quit smoking."
~ Sandy Biss, Elbow Lake, MN

"I never regret...taking naps and leaving large tips."
~ Rhiannon Rae, Hershey, PA

"I never regret...serving my country."
~ Sharon Hicks, Clarksville, TN

And listen to this last response:
"I never regret....forgiving the person who caused me pain, which gave me relief I never thought I could have."
~ Erika Jones, New York, NY


Amen


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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. Sermon shared by Fr. Paul Andrew on Aug 11, 2017.

Prayer of the Day for SUNDAY, September 17, 2017


Heavenly Lord Jesus, I pray to you, help all the people on earth who are oblivious to you and your saving grace. I see and hear — I am bombarded with — words and actions that spring from the total darkness of those who do not know you. They blaspheme your name, they scorn your Word, they mock those who confess you.

I know your will be done in all things, mighty God, and it seems that there are those you will abandon to evil; yet even so, it is my prayer that you save them all, or save as many as you might be persuaded to; or even, that you save a single one by my prayer. I pray that you might have mercy upon the wretched atheists, the misguided who worship a God without Christ, and all the many who are simply confused and adrift. Save them Lord Christ; this I pray to you and in your name, Amen.

Verse of the Day for SUNDAY, September 17, 2017


Ephesians 5:1 (NIV) Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children

Read all of Ephesians 5

Listen to Ephesians 5

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

Un Dia a la Vez - Los ángeles


Fortalézcanse con el gran poder del Señor. Pónganse toda la armadura de Dios para que puedan hacer frente a las artimañas del diablo.

Ayer analizamos que los ángeles existen y la Biblia registra su existencia. Sin embargo, hay personas que se desvían con este asunto. Estudian los ángeles más que la misma Biblia. Los endiosan y hablan de los milagros que hicieron los ángeles en sus vidas. Así que dejan a Dios en un segundo plano. Debemos reconocer que los ángeles existen, pero sin olvidarnos de Dios.

Nada ni nadie debe ser más importante en nuestras vidas que Dios.

Me impresionó mucho saber que el diablo no es como lo pintan: rojo, con cuernos y cola. Resulta que el diablo era un ángel muy hermoso llamado Lucero, o Lucifer, que significa «hijo de la mañana». Su gran pecado fue su enorme egoísmo y su deseo de igualarse a Dios o estar por encima de Él. Deseaba que lo adoraran y le reconocieran como a Dios.

A raíz de esto, se formó una gran batalla en el cielo y expulsaron de allí a Lucifer y la tercera parte de ellos, a los que se les conoce como ángeles caídos. A partir de ese momento, Satanás se convirtió en el príncipe de este mundo que solo desea robar, matar y destruir.

Por eso debemos entender que el enemigo quiere siempre hacernos daño. Entonces, cuando nos quiere tentar y hacer caer, se presenta con cosas agradables y llamativas, pues quiere engañarnos.

Por eso, mi invitación hoy es a que nos pongamos la armadura de Dios, a fin de estar firme contra todas las cosas que trama el diablo en nuestra contra.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR


Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
~ Matthew 5:42 (NIV)

The second part of the Great Commandment (Luke 10:27) is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus then tells the story of the Good Samaritan. In this story Jesus defines our neighbor as anyone in need of help. This kind of love is very practical.

It was the middle of winter and the elderly Christian in prison had a badly infected ear. He thanked God that he had been able to keep his fur hat affording him some protection from the biting cold. At least he had a pillow at night.

One day one of his cellmates asked him for his fur hat. The Christian had been willing to share food with his cellmates, but felt he could not give up his hat. After all, he had an infected ear. He needed that hat.

Through the night he wrestled with his conscience. He was haunted by this scripture: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42).

After a night of prayer, he sought forgiveness before God and was ready to hand over his hat. In the morning he learned that during the night the guards had taken the cellmate to another prison with a more severe climate.

That same morning, the guards held a routine check of the cell and among the personal objects confiscated was the believer’s fur hat.

He had tried to keep something that he was about to lose and God wanted to see the hat used for continued good with the other prisoner. Many years later, this believer remembered that lesson in Christian maturity which the Holy Spirit taught him.

RESPONSE: Today I will live in the realization that people are more important than things.

PRAYER: Help me, Lord, to not be tied down by my possessions but be open to sharing what You have given me with others in need.