Monday, October 9, 2017

LHM Daily Devotion - October 10, 2017 "The Way, the Bridge"


The old Kosciuszko Bridge is no more. Seventy-eight years ago, New York...

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour



"The Way, the Bridge"

October 10, 2017

Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
~ John 14:6 (ESV)

The old Kosciuszko Bridge is no more.

Seventy-eight years ago, New York officials proudly opened the Kosciuszko Bridge, which connected Brooklyn and Queens. When they did so, they heralded the opening of a new era of travel when quick-and-easy passage would take place between those two great boroughs.

There were two problems:

• First, the politicians were overly optimistic in their glowing remarks concerning the future;

• Second, the engineers who did the designing had greatly underestimated the amount of  traffic which would want to make use of their span.

Indeed, the bridge was designed to handle only 25 percent of the traffic that currently passes over it, and it now has become a great bottleneck for commuters, visitors, and commerce.

After many years of frustration, the decision was finally made to bring down the bridge. Two weeks ago, in a matter of seconds, hundreds of explosive charges reduced the 22-million pounds of steel to a great pile of scrap metal.

It should be noted there was no such engineering difficulty 2,000 years ago when the Savior built a new bridge between sinful humankind and the Triune God.

The Savior's bridge was capable of handling the souls of every man, woman, and child who ever lived. On this bridge there would be no bottlenecks; there would be no traffic jams; there would be no complications.

No toll or payment was demanded from those who wished to make use of the bridge. From the day the bridge's plan was first revealed to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden -- until it was completed on Resurrection Sunday -- the bridge was designed to be free.

Understand, there had been a cost, but that charge was paid for by God's Son, the world's Savior. The foundation had been laid when He had fulfilled the laws we had broken; the span was set by His resistance to temptation; and the roadbed had been completed when He had conquered death the day He rose. Because of Jesus' finished work, all who believe in Him as Savior have their sins forgiven and are granted passage from Earth to heaven.

Now if I make this bridge sound like a good thing, it is. But you should know there are problems. First, the bridge is capable of handling far more souls than are currently using it. Second, the bridge will not be there forever. The time is coming when it will, like the Kosciuszko span, be taken down.

Which explains why it is our job to encourage as many people to use God's bridge as possible, that is, to believe in Jesus as Savior, while there is still time.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there is only one Way to get from where we are to where You are. While there is still time, grant that those who are lost may see Jesus is the bridge, the only Way to heaven. This we ask in His 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 10 de Octubre de 2017


Alimento Diario

Perseverar

10 de Octubre 2017

Aunque deba yo pasar por el valle más sombrío, no temo sufrir daño alguno, porque tú estás conmigo; con tu vara de pastor me infundes nuevo aliento.
~ Salmo 23:4 (RVC)

Se publicó una historia acerca de un pájaro que murió al estrellarse contra una puerta de vidrio de un conocido santuario para aves en Inglaterra.

Que un pájaro se muera al estrellarse contra una puerta de vidrio no es algo inusual. Pero este caso fue diferente, pues se trataba de un zorzal gris que había volado 3,000 millas a través del Atlántico, emigrando desde Canadá, y luego de sobrevivir su larga travesía, terminó muriendo al tratar de entrar en el lugar donde iba a estar seguro.

Ese pájaro me recuerda a muchas personas que conozco. Personas que trabajan y se esfuerzan hasta que ¡zas!, algo pasa, y justo cuando debían haber estado más seguros, el mundo se les viene abajo.

Algunas veces el diablo utiliza el desánimo y la depresión para hacerlos caer. Algunas veces ellos sienten que sus vidas han sido sacadas de curso. Si eso le suena familiar, por favor no se estrelle contra una puerta o una ventana.

Recuerde que el Señor le ama y que, a través de su Hijo Jesucristo, Él ha prometido estar con usted. Por más que usted no lo vea, Él está a su lado cuidándolo y dirigiéndolo... porque quiere mantenerlo seguro.

Póngase en sus manos, y Él le dará lo que usted necesita para seguir adelante.

ORACIÓN: Señor Dios, líbranos de los peligros que vemos, y de los que no vemos. Por el amor de tu Hijo mantennos seguros, firmes en la fe, y dispuestos a compartir con los demás las maravillas de tu amor. 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 MONDAY, October 9, 2017

The demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go!" So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.

2 Kings 21:1-18
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, following the abominable practices of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he erected altars for Baal, made a sacred pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them. He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my name." He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. He made his son pass through fire; he practiced soothsaying and augury, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. The carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever; I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land that I gave to their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them." But they did not listen; Manasseh misled them to do more evil than the nations had done that the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. The LORD said by his servants the prophets, "Because King Manasseh of Judah has committed these abominations, has done things more wicked than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has caused Judah also to sin with his idols; therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such evil that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line for Samaria, and the plummet for the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. I will cast off the remnant of my heritage, and give them into the hand of their enemies; they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their ancestors came out of Egypt, even to this day." Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he caused Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? Manasseh slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza. His son Amon succeeded him.

1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? "All things are lawful," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, for "the earth and its fullness are the Lord's." If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience-- I mean the other's conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks? So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Matthew 8:28-34
When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go!" So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.

Morning Psalms
Psalm 106: Part I Confitemini Domino
1   Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures for ever.
2   Who can declare the mighty acts of the LORD or show forth all his praise?
3   Happy are those who act with justice and always do what is right!
4   Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you have for your people, and visit me with your saving help;
5   That I may see the prosperity of your elect and be glad with the gladness of your people, that I may glory with your inheritance.
6   We have sinned as our forebears did; we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.
7   In Egypt they did not consider your marvelous works, nor remember the abundance of your love; they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.
8   But he saved them for his Name's sake, to make his power known.
9   He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10   He saved them from the hand of those who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11   The waters covered their oppressors; not one of them was left.
12   Then they believed his words and sang him songs of praise.
13   But they soon forgot his deeds and did not wait for his counsel.
14   A craving seized them in the wilderness, and they put God to the test in the desert.
15   He gave them what they asked, but sent leanness into their soul.
16   They envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
17   The earth opened and swallowed Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
18   Fire blazed up against their company, and flames devoured the wicked.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 106: Part II Et fecerunt vitulum
19   Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb and worshiped a molten image;
20   And so they exchanged their Glory for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.
21   They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
22   Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, and fearful things at the Red Sea.
23   So he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath from consuming them.
24   They refused the pleasant land and would not believe his promise.
25   They grumbled in their tents and would not listen to the voice of the LORD.
26   So he lifted his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness,
27   To cast out their seed among the nations, and to scatter them throughout the lands.
28   They joined themselves to Baal-Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29   They provoked him to anger with their actions, and a plague broke out among them.
30   Then Phinehas stood up and interceded, and the plague came to an end.
31   This was reckoned to him as righteousness throughout all generations for ever.
32   Again they provoked his anger at the waters of Meribah, so that he punished Moses because of them;
33   For they so embittered his spirit that he spoke rash words with his lips.
34   They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them.
35   They intermingled with the heathen and learned their pagan ways,
36   So that they worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
37   They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to evil spirits.
38   They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, which they offered to the idols of Canaan, and the land was defiled with blood.
39   Thus they were polluted by their actions and went whoring in their evil deeds.
40   Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against his people and he abhorred his inheritance.
41   He gave them over to the hand of the heathen, and those who hated them ruled over them.
42   Their enemies oppressed them, and they were humbled under their hand.
43   Many a time did he deliver them, but they rebelled through their own devices, and were brought down in their iniquity.
44   Nevertheless, he saw their distress, when he heard their lamentation.
45   He remembered his covenant with them and relented in accordance with his great mercy.
46   He caused them to be pitied by those who held them captive.
47   Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy Name and glory in your praise.
48   Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, "Amen!" Hallelujah!


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.

Prayer of the Day for MONDAY, October 9, 2017


Compassionate Lord, we pray for those who have been devastated by recent natural disasters and murderous acts of violence. We remember those who have lost their lives so suddenly. We hold in our hearts the families forever changed by grief and loss. Bring them consolation and comfort. Surround them with our prayer for strength. Bless those who have survived and heal their memories of trauma and devastation. May they have the courage to face the long road of rebuilding ahead.

We ask your blessing also on all those who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their security and their hope. Bless the work of relief agencies and those proving emergency assistance. May their work be guided by the grace and strength that comes from You alone.

Help us to respond with generosity in prayer, in assistance, in aid to the best of our abilities. Keep our hearts focused on the needs of those affected, even after the crisis is over. We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, October 9, 2017


Deuteronomy 13:4 (NIV) It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

Read all of Deuteronomy 13

Listen to Deuteronomy 13

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 - Failure


Failure

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~ Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

Have you failed in anything during the past year? I'm going to guess that the answer is a big “YES.” I certainly have. And in my own case — and I think, in many other peoples’ cases — some of the failures have been in things that I considered selfless, or at least a “good cause.” People fail in their attempts to stop committing a persistent sin, for example.

But we must remember one specific and central thing about God’s plan for us. No matter how many times we may fail, and no matter how huge and spectacular the failure may be, it has a purpose. God’s plan for us is for a success so perfect, so large, so eternal, that our eventual success will eclipse all of our failures in life and make them into nothing.

Our memory verse comes from Jeremiah and, in context, specifically concerns the Jews. We know from the Bible that, in one sense, Judaism was a complete failure. It was doomed from the beginning; the Law was actually incapable of bringing salvation to those who followed it. Israel came closest to fulfilling the Law in the reign of David; but the very next king (Solomon) sinned so badly that Israel was torn asunder, conquered, dispersed, and exiled.

Yet, the failure of the Law was not final, for the failure was part of God’s plan. He intended that the Hebrews would fail; the Law was necessary that the Jews, and the world, might understand its sin and be prepared to hear the message of the Messiah. (Galatians 3:19) Christ “accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.” (Romans 10:4)

And so our personal failures and failings can be seen in the light of Jeremiah. Not only is failure not permanent, but it can be part of God’s plan for our perfection and salvation. No matter how desperate we may feel at our situation in life, God gives us “a future and a hope.” Our plans are made of straw, but God’s plan for us is made of undefeatable spirit. So we should never feel despair; our future is assured, even in our failures.

This is the time of year to put all sense of failure behind us and look to the future. Let us stride into the New Year in absolute faith and abundant hope, for God’s plan is our welfare, a promise of total victory.
Lord, let me always find hope in your promise to me. Amen.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


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Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Devotion shared by Mason Barge, Editor, Daily Prayer
Have you failed in anything during the past year?

Un Dia a la Vez - No me gusta el espejo


No me gusta el espejo

En cuanto a mí, veré tu rostro en justicia; estaré satisfecho cuando despierte a tu semejanza.
~ Salmo 17:15 (RV-60)

Parece extraño, pero es verdad. Hay personas que no son muy amigas del espejo.

Un día iba en el auto con mi princesa Niki y me dijo: «No me gusta ese espejo». Se refería al espejo que está arriba del asiento del pasajero. Así que le pregunté: «¿Por qué dices eso, mami?». A lo que me contestó con sinceridad: «Porque me muestra todo lo que tengo». En esos días, había estado con una gripe terrible y tenía ojeras. De inmediato, saqué una hojita y escribí la idea, pues va más allá de lo que imaginamos, sobre todo en el ámbito espiritual.

El espejo se menciona en seis versículos de la Biblia y, a decir verdad, no sé si es bíblico o no, pero tiene sentido lo que he escuchado: «Los ojos son el espejo del alma».

Hay espejos en los que nos vemos de tamaño regular, pero hay otros que vienen con aumento y esos nos muestran los mínimos detalles de la cara. Esos no me gustan. Otros espejos distorsionan la imagen y, por lo general, los vemos en las ferias porque es divertido. Sin embargo, ¡qué importante es el espejo! Te muestra tal como eres y prevé cualquier molestia… ¡ya sabes a lo que me refiero!

Sé que a veces lo que vemos en el espejo puede determinar nuestro estado de ánimo. Quizá se trate de unas libras de más o de una pérdida de peso.

Pensemos, pues, que del mismo modo que el espejo nos muestra cómo somos, también nuestra vida debería ser un espejo para los demás. Es decir, que quienes nos vean quieran ser iguales a nosotros porque reflejemos a Jesucristo.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - BEAUTY FOR ASHES


BEAUTY FOR ASHES 

…and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
~ Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)

This scripture has special meaning to Christian women in Central Asia. Some of their “ashes” are: domestic violence, battering of women and sexual abuse, kidnapping of young girls (for marriage purposes) which is culturally accepted and (in some countries) honor killings. Trafficking and prostitution are a well-known phenomenon: many Uzbek girls find themselves in Thailand, Tajik girls in Dubai and Azeri girls in Turkey, without passports, without rights, forced into the sex industry. Central Asian women are often treated as objects of men’s desire or as the possession of men.

Poverty is everywhere in Central Asia. It adds to the heaviness of life together with serious health issues, a lack of available health care and drug and alcohol addiction. Some of the Christian women have unbelieving husbands, and rejected by relatives, become social outcasts in their villages. Others have a husband who is on the run from the authorities, is in prison for his faith or is constantly monitored by the security police. How does she deal with all the pressure and what does she feel when there is a knock on the door? Add to this all the issues related to honour and shame, and the influence of folk Islam with its occult practices and curses. There are plenty of reasons to feel overwhelmed, overburdened and depressed.

Open Doors sponsors regional conferences for these Christian women in Central Asia. The impact of the women’s conferences is like a ripple effect growing into ever widening circles. For many women who come, just to worship openly and to be able to sing loudly in a big group is already a great encouragement as many come from areas where this is not possible. During the conferences there is a lot of dancing, worship, and celebration.

Several years ago some Central Asian Christian women gained the vision for starting work among women in situations of domestic abuse, trafficking and prostitution. All that was learned at the conferences was shared at home with the women in their area. Plans and teaching resources were drawn up, local churches were challenged and equipped and a start was made with various projects that are of great value to the local community.

A pastor’s wife, who spent three years in prison where she became a Christian, shared that she wanted to start ministering to women in prisons but she didn’t know how to start. “Now I have an idea how to minister to women,” she said after having attended the conference.

As God heals the pain and releases the women from their sorrows, He sets them free into a new love for Jesus and for ministry to others, both in the church and in society. They grow as mighty trees, providing shade and covering for others; all of this for the glory of God.

RESPONSE: Today I will live in the freedom Christ brings and become a mighty shade tree of ministry.

PRAYER: Pray for these women’s conferences in Central Asia that God will bestow beauty for ashes.

Women of the Bible - Herodias


Herodias

Her name means: "Heroic" (the female form of "Herod")

Her character: A proud woman, she used her daughter to manipulate her husband into doing her will. She acted arrogantly, from beginning to end, in complete disregard for the laws of the land.
Her shame: To be rebuked by an upstart prophet for leaving her husband Philip in order to marry his half brother Herod Antipas.
Her triumph: That her scheme to murder her enemy, John the Baptist, worked.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3:19-20; 9:7-9

Her Story

Her grandfather, Herod the Great, had ruled Judea for thirty-four years. Herod had brought prosperity to a troubled region of the Roman Empire, building theaters, amphitheaters, and race courses, as well as a palace and a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. In addition to such ambitious endeavors, he had even contrived to lower taxes on two occasions.

But Herod's reign contained shadows that darkened as the years went on. Herodias knew the stories well—how her grandfather had slaughtered a passel of Jewish brats in Bethlehem, how he had murdered his favorite wife (her own grandmother) and three of his sons for real or imagined intrigues. Advancing age and illness did nothing to improve his character. Herod was determined, in fact, that his own death would produce a time of universal mourning rather than celebration. So, in a final, malevolent act, he commanded all the leading Jews to gather in Jericho. Then he imprisoned them in a stadium and ordered them to be executed at the moment of his death. But the king was cheated of his last wish: His prisoners were set free as soon as he died in the spring of 4 bc.

Not a nice man, her grandfather.

Herodias's husband and his half brother Antipas had been lucky survivors of Herod the Great's bloody family, but Antipas had proved the luckier of the two. For while Philip and Herodias languished in Rome with no territory to rule, Antipas was appointed tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. She could sense the man's power the first time he visited them in Rome. And power, she mused, was her favorite aphrodisiac.

Though Herod Antipas was married to the daughter of King Aretas IV, ruler of Nabatea, to the east, he quickly divorced her in favor of Herodias. In one dicey move, Antipas had stolen his brother's wife, compromised his eastern border, and alienated his Jewish subjects, whose law forbade wife-swapping, especially among brothers. But with Herodias beside him, Herod Antipas must have thought himself powerful enough to manage the consequences.

But neither Herod Antipas nor Herodias had expected their transgression to become a matter of public agitation. After all, who was there to agitate, except the usual ragtag band of upstarts? A real prophet had not troubled Israel for more than four hundred years.

But trouble was edging toward them in the form of a new Elijah, whom God had been nurturing with locusts and honey in the wilderness that bordered their realm. This prophet, John the Baptist, cared nothing for diplomacy. He could not be bought or bullied, and was preaching a message of repentance to all who would listen: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

John the Baptist spared no one, not the ordinary people who flocked to him in the desert, not the self-righteous Pharisees or the privileged Sadducees, and certainly not Herod Antipas or Herodias, whom he chided for their unlawful marriage. Herodias wanted Antipas to kill John, yet even he had to step carefully, lest he ignite an uprising among John's ever-growing number of followers. That would be all the excuse his former father-in-law, Aretas, would need in order to attack Antipas's eastern flank. So, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, Antipas imprisoned John in Machaerus, a fortress just east of the Dead Sea.

On Herod Antipas's birthday a feast was held in his honor and attended by a "who's who" list of dignitaries. During the evening, Herodias's young daughter, Salome, performed a dance for Herod Antipas and his guests, which so pleased him that he promised his stepdaughter anything she desired, up to half his kingdom.

Ever the good daughter, Salome hastened to her mother for advice. Should she request a splendid palace or a portion of the royal treasury? But Herodias had one thing only in mind. When Salome returned to the banquet hall, Salome surprised Antipas with a gruesome demand: "I want you to give me, right now, the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

Though Herod Antipas was distressed by her request, he was even more distressed at the prospect of breaking an oath he had so publicly made. Therefore, in complete disregard for Jewish law, which prohibited both execution without trial and decapitation as a form of execution, he immediately ordered John's death.

That night, Herodias must have savored her triumph over the man whom Jesus referred to as the greatest of those who had yet lived. John had been sent as the last of the prophets, a new Elijah, whose preaching was to prepare the way for Jesus. Had Herodias heeded John's call to repentance, her heart might have welcomed the gospel. Rather than being remembered as just one more member of a bloody dynasty, she could have become a true child of God. Instead of casting her lot with the great women of the Bible, however, she chose to model herself on one of the worst—Jezebel, her spiritual mother. By so doing, she sealed her heart against the truth and all the transforming possibilities of grace.

Her Promise

As negative as it sounds, the lesson or promise learned from Herodias can only be that sin will devour us. If sin always has its way in our lives, it will eventually consume us. There is only one way out: If we abandon our sin and repent, we will find forgiveness and a new life in Christ. He promises to forgive even the most horrific sins, the most depraved lifestyles, the most abandoned behaviors. We may still face the consequences of our sin, but we will no longer have to fear its judgment. With Christ as our mediator, we become as clean as if we had never sinned.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.

Girlfriends in God - A Light in the Dark


A Light in the Dark

Today’s Truth

“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”.
~ John 20:21 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

The last thing I planned to do that day was to leave my house. I had a mountain of writing I’d neglected and only a small window of time to complete it. I planned to hole up at home, ignore email and phone, and get the job done.

But then the phone rang. And I answered it. Which led to a spontaneous lunch with a friend who needed to talk. It wasn’t in my schedule, but I jumped in the car and headed out anyway. I knew what it feels like to need a last-minute listening ear.

But lunch took longer than I planned. Doesn’t it always? A sweet afternoon, no doubt about it. But worry over my waiting responsibilities continued to nag me. So I jumped back in my car and pointed it straight toward home. No detours allowed.

Until my phone rang again. And I answered it. It was a work call I’d been waiting for. So I pulled into a coffee shop parking lot where I could talk business without distraction.

Nearly an hour later, I hung up. By now it was well into the late afternoon with my to-dos untouched. Thinking a chai tea latte might energize me; I backed out of my parking space and turned into the drive-through.

Only the drive-through was closed. In the middle of a weekday afternoon. Dear Lord, how was that possible? If I wanted my pick-me-up, I’d have to walk inside.

Once again I parked my car in the lot. Frustrated, I glanced at my watch as I walked inside.

That’s when I met Lindsey.

Lindsey is a beautiful barista. And when my frustrated self walked up to the crowded counter, she’s the one who greeted me with a smile.

“What can I get for you?”
More hours in the day?
“How about a grande chai tea latte?”
“Sure thing.” As she pulled out a fresh cup, Lindsey let me know they were now customizing their standard chai. As a result, I could choose my desired sweetness.

In a rare moment of stranger transparency, I mentioned how happy I was about the customization option, because of the fact that multiple surgeries have taken away most of my taste. I can’t taste sweet, making added sugar pointless, I told her.

Lindsey paused, sucked in a breath, and whispered, “You’re not that woman who wrote that book, are you?”

My turn to pause, inhale. “What book?”
“Undone?” I don’t think she could’ve said it any softer. 
“Actually, yes.” I smiled big. “So nice to meet you!”
And that’s when tears filled her eyes. She went on to explain the week before, she’d heard me tell my story on a radio interview, an ordained moment and message God delivered on a day she desperately needed to hear it.

“That has nothing to do with me,” I smiled again. “That’s all Him. He loves you.”

She nodded in agreement. And then said my showing up in her coffee shop on this particular day was nothing short of a miracle.

If she only knew.

From the moment the day began, God orchestrated my seemingly errant details to interrupt my well-planned day. Instead of allowing me to hole up at home with my list of to-dos, He sent me out. To a beautiful barista named Lindsey.

A coincidence? No way.

Now, months later, I’m pretty sure all that divine orchestration was for me and not her.

You see, most days I feel a strong urge to hide. To buffer myself from the vulnerable life. There are moments when reality weighs heavy, and I feel overwhelmed with a world that’s gone mad.

You know what I mean, don’t you? The wars and economic woes and tragedies and diseases and accidents. Even beyond all the dramatic evidence of this broken world are the everyday challenges of simply trying to love and live. More often than I care to admit, I want to nestle into the protection of anonymity, hide in a shelter of my own making.

And yet, we weren’t given a light to hide it.

Our stories weren’t written for our own reading any more than the sun is for one person’s shining. We’ve been given stories—broken and beautiful stories—so a broken and beautiful world can see there is a God who’s written a story for them too.

Including baristas named Lindsey.

We’ve been sent, you and I. We’re message bearers, storytellers, light givers.

None of this can happen if we hide, content to keep our stories to ourselves. There is a great big world waiting to know there is a God who sees and loves them too. Will we leave safety in order to be sent?

The sending is hard, that is true. Both risk and rawness come when we allow God to push us out of hiding and into the light. It means sharing in the suffering of others. Opening yourself to rejection. Facing and feeling the brokenness of a world we once believed was nearly perfect.

And yet I shudder a bit when I think how close I came to staying home that day. How easy it would’ve been to keep the door locked, stay in my car, and refuse to walk inside those coffee shop doors, keep my lips shut about my story.

How close I came to missing out on God’s sweet gift through His sending. Because in offering Lindsey a glimpse of God’s love, I got a taste of it for myself too.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, as followers of Jesus, we know we are sent. Not on our own merits but on Your Son’s. Called to carry His name to a world filled with people waiting for a miracle. Ambassadors of the story of all stories to a world of Lindseys searching for it. Help us be a light in a darkened world.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

How do you hide from the world? Practice sharing the broken and beautiful parts of your story with a trusted friend or offer a smile and kind words to the next stranger you meet. And see where God takes your willingness from there.

More from the Girlfriends

It’s here! Michele’s new book, I Am: A 60-day Journey To Knowing Who You Are Because of Who He Is, is now available. If you’re exhausted from the struggle to prove your worth, this daily journey may finally deliver the peace you crave.Then, join her I Am Online Experience, starting October 2!

Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
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Girlfriends in God




Ron Hutchcraft - Missing Your Meaning


Missing Your Meaning

 

Tall grass-dead mower. That was my sad situation last spring. I tried everything to get my power mower going, but it really didn't want to start. Of course, that didn't stop the lawn from growing, no. I went away for a little while, came back, and the grass was now taking over. (Get your machete, Ron.) Well, I played with my mower again and again, and it still didn't respond. We were starting to look like maybe the set of a "Tarzan" movie. And my mower, oh it didn't care. So I started looking for alternative equipment to get the job done. Let's see, my hair clippers. Yeah, how about that uh...the ones you use for your haircuts? I was desperate, but I did not try to cut the grass with my hair clippers. No, they work great on hair; they would not work great on my lawn. But, on the other hand, how would you like to get your hair cut with a lawn mower?

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Missing Your Meaning."

You say, "Ron, what's that all about?" Well, you'd have to wonder about someone who tried to use hair clippers to trim a lawn or a lawn mower to trim hair. They both work fine when you use them as they were supposed to be used. But machines don't work when you use them for something they weren't designed for and neither do we.

And right there is the reason so many of us are wondering what the meaning of our life really is; why we still don't know the answer to life's most fundamental question "Why am I here?" We're missing what we were designed for and things just don't seem to be working. Even people who are enjoying a lot of success, whose life is pretty smooth, have to admit that in their honest moments it's still not very fulfilling. The meaning just isn't there. The peace isn't there. And when we're not living like we were designed to, things just don't work very well. Marriage doesn't work like it's supposed to, relationships don't, even our achievements. There's never enough love, never enough excitement, and never any real peace.

Time to break out the Manufacturer's instructions. Of course I mean the Manufacturer of you and me. Here's how your Creator says you were designed to live. Put your life next to this blueprint and see how you're doing. It's in our word for today from the Word of God in Colossians 1:16. Speaking of Jesus Christ, God says, "All things were created by Him and for Him."

There's your created destiny in six words, "Created by Jesus and for Jesus." Like the earth was created to revolve around the sun, you and I were created to revolve our life around the One who made us, but we don't. The reality is more like this: "Created for Him-living for me. In the Bible's words, "Each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6).

If you're missing the meaning of it all, it's because you're missing the One who gives life meaning; the One who gave you your life in the first place and the One who gave His life so you could get back to your Creator. Jesus died on the cross to pay the death penalty for all of your "me first" choices so that Grand Canyon between you and God could finally be bridged. So you could finally know the peace of being who you were made to be-of belonging to the One whose love you were made for.

Maybe you're ready to begin this awesome personal relationship with your Creator God. It's like coming home. If you'd like to, why don't you tell Jesus that right now? Tell Him you're putting all your trust in Him to be your rescuer from your sin, because only He died to forgive it. And only He had the power to walk out of His grave under His own power.

I would really be honored to be able to help you on this most important day to understand exactly how to get started with Jesus. That's why our website's there. I invite you to go to ANewStory.com, because I think it could be the beginning of a new story for you.

You've done enough days without the meaning you were made for haven't you; without the Savior you were made for? If you'll open your heart, you have just spent your last day without Him.