The Daily Readings for WEDNESDAY, November 29, 2017

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

Daily Readings

Obadiah 1:15-21

For the day of the LORD is near against all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, all the nations around you shall drink; they shall drink and gulp down, and shall be as though they had never been. But on Mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall take possession of those who dispossessed them. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau; for the LORD has spoken. Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of the Israelites who are in Halah shall possess Phoenicia as far as Zarephath; and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the towns of the Negeb. Those who have been saved shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.

1 Peter 2:1-10

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Matthew 19:23-30

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, "Then who can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible." Then Peter said in reply, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

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 WEDNESDAY, November 29, 2017

Father, you are good.
I need help. Heal me and forgive me.
They need help.
Thank you.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, November 29, 2017

Luke 11:1-4 (NIV) [Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer] One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Read all of Luke 11

Listen to Luke 11

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Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - Prayer Wimp

Prayer Wimp

Lord, teach us to pray

~ Luke 11:1

Hello, my name is Max. I'm a recovering prayer wimp. I doze off when I pray. My thoughts zig, then zag, then zig again. Distractions swarm like gnats on a summer night. If attention deficit disorder applies to prayer, I am afflicted. When I pray, I think of a thousand things I need to do. I forget the one thing I set out to do: pray.

Can you relate? It's not that we don't pray at all. We all pray some. But wouldn't we all like to pray ... More? Better? Deeper? Stronger? With more fire, faith, or fervency?

We aren't the first to struggle. The sign-up sheet for Prayer 101 contains some familiar names: the apostles John, James, Andrew, and Peter. When one of Jesus' disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), none of the others objected. No one walked away saying, “Hey, I have prayer figured out.” The first followers of Jesus needed prayer guidance.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he gave them a prayer. Not a lecture on prayer. Not the doctrine of prayer. He gave them a quotable, repeatable, portable prayer (Luke 11:1–4). Could you use the same? It seems to me that the prayers of the Bible can be distilled into one. The result is a simple, easy-to-remember, pocket-size prayer:


Father, you are good.
I need help. Heal me and forgive me.
They need help.
Thank you.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Let this prayer punctuate your day. As you begin your morning, Father, you are good. As you commute to work or walk the hallways at school, I need help. As you wait in the grocery line, They need help.

Keep this prayer in your pocket as you pass through the day. Don't think for a minute that he is glaring at you from a distance with crossed arms and a scowl, waiting for you to get your prayer life together. Just the opposite. Here I am! “I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me.” (Rev. 3:20).

He is changing me! Yes, I am a prayer wimp, but a recovering prayer wimp. Not where I long to be, but not where I was. My time in prayer has become my time of power. The Pocket Prayer has become a cherished friend. Its phrases linger in my thoughts like a favorite melody.

My friend, he wants to talk with you. Even now, as you read these words, he taps at the door. Open it. Welcome him in. Let the conversation begin.

~ from Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer by Max Lucado

Father you are good. I need help. Heal me and forgive me. They need help. Thank you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


Seeking God?
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Lord, teach us to pray.

Un Dia a la Vez - Oración por compromisos

Oración por compromisos

Ten compasión de mí, oh Dios; ten compasión de mí, que en ti confío. A la sombra de tus alas me refugiaré.

~ Salmo 57:1 (NVI)

Señor, mi Dios, buscamos tu rostro en este día dándote gracias por tus maravillas.

Gracias, Jesús, porque tú eres mayor que cualquier necesidad y que cualquier problema que pueda tener.

Ayúdame, Señor, a ser una persona de palabra, que mi «sí» sea sí y mi «no» sea no. No permitas, mi Dios, que vaya por el mundo creando falsas expectativas. Por eso, quita de mí toda soberbia y hazme una persona recta.

Te honro hoy y me comprometo a hacer cambios y a buscar tu rostro cada día.

Quiero ser un mejor compañero de trabajo, un buen líder, un excelente padre, el mejor de los cónyuges y el mejor de los hijos.

Además, Señor, anhelo amarte, servirte y entregarme a ti con todo mi corazón.

Pongo delante de ti este nuevo día y confío en tus promesas.

Bendice a mi familia y guárdanos de todo mal y peligro.

En el nombre de Jesús, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - RESPONDING WITH PRAISE

RESPONDING WITH PRAISE

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

The overflow of singing praises amid great difficulties has tremendous spiritual power. Paul and Silas set the biblical pattern in the prison in Philippi (Acts 16).

Helen Berhane spent almost three years in the shipping container prisons of Eritrea. In her book Song of the Nightingale, she shares about the first time she and other women were put in an old metal shipping container that was very hot and filled with fleas and lice:

Everyone was very despondent, and many of the women were angry. They asked me what we should do and I knew they were expecting me to say that we should shout or bang the container, to let our captors know that we were not going to tolerate this treatment. But I remembered… [reading] about how Christians, like nightingales, could not be prevented from singing even in captivity, and I suggested that we sing: “We should praise God in spite of the fleas, in spite of the lice, in spite of the heat. We should thank God despite our circumstances.” So I began to sing with them, and pray, and share the Word of God from memory.[1]

Pastor Ung Sophal sat in a filthy Cambodian prison badly beaten. His hands and feet were chained for five months. “Only my mouth was unchained,” he said.

“...So I sang to God in prison all the time. Another prisoner heard me singing through a small hole in the wall, so I taught him the song—a bit at a time. He passed it on and soon eight of us were singing.”

Archbishop Dominic Tang spent twenty-two years in prison in China for his faith. He reports:

“Besides my prayer and meditation, every day I sang some hymns in a soft voice: ‘Jesus I live for you; Jesus I die for you; Jesus I belong to you. Whether alive or dead I am for Jesus!’ This hymn was taught to me by a Protestant prisoner who lived in my cell.”[2]

RESPONSE: Today I will respond to all the challenges of life I face with praise and thankfulness.

PRAYER: Pray that all Christian prisoners around the world will also respond to their circumstances as those documented above.

1. Helen Berhane, Song of the Nightingale, ( Colorado Springs: Authentic Media, 2009), pp. 36-37.
2. Tony Lambert, The Resurrection of the Chinese Church (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1991), p 179.

Girlfriends in God - How to Wait Powerfully Instead of Powerlessly

How to Wait Powerfully Instead of Powerlessly

Kelly Balarie

Today’s Truth

For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

~ Galatians 5:5 (NASB)

Friend to Friend

My house has green water. Yes, it's true. We packed up our entire little family and moved what I’m sure is 1000 miles away, only to land in a home with fluorescent green hyper-chlorinated water. Go figure.

Welcome home!

Not only that, but the garage is all torn up; I can hardly inch the car through the entrance. So much for a new home. I could go on and on ... (oh how I want to), but I won't.

Needless to say, we are moving. Far away. I hope.

The problem is that we searched for houses far and wide and found nothing. Places are too small or big, too pricey or high traffic, too dark or too dirty. Everything is wrong and time is of the essence, because (as you know) ... we have green water.

Where are you God? We can't wait forever.

Maybe you’re asking God the same kind of question. Maybe you’ve asked for a long time. Maybe He still hasn't answered.

God, do You care about me?
God, why are You doing this to me?
God, don't You want me to be … (healthy, happy, whole, filled, content, free?)
God, do You even hear me?
God, do You want good things for me?

The list goes on and on.

I've been there. I am there. It's hard to wait. It makes you feel like a victim of circumstances. Like your hands are tied behind your back and there's nothing you can do about it. It feels crippling. I think this is why we hate it.

What are you waiting for? What if you could wait powerfully instead of powerlessly? Where you’re full of God's power instead of power-less?

Did you know it is possible to do so?

The definition of waiting powerfully is to actively press into the power, purpose, and plans of God.  It may seem as if you are void of answers, but the truth is that you are full of Him.

Here's how to wait powerfully:

1. Wait prayerfully.
   She who asks God gets answers.
2. Wait pressing into God's teaching.
   She who doesn't know learns that God does.
3. Wait in the presence of God.
   She who stays with God remembers He is with her.
4. Wait on His grand purpose.
   She who believes God is up to something good finds out He is.
5. Wait pondering His faithfulness.
   She who remembers God's faithfulness is encouraged in it.

Choose now to trust God and wait on His perfect plan for your life. He is with you, and He will come through.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, You know everything. You have my right ways marked out. You have good plans for me. You care for me. Help me to trust You in all my ways and to delight in You. God, You will provide for me. Restore me in faith and renew me in Your steadfast love.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What situation seems hopeless? Fruitless? Impossible?

How might believing the God of all power is behind you, change things? Change your attitude? Change your perspective?

More from the Girlfriends

Kelly Balarie, blogger at Purposeful Faith and author of “Fear Fighting: Awakening the Courage to Overcome Your Fears” is passionate about joining hands with women who often find themselves stuck in the pits of life. Step-by-step, word-by-word, her dream is that together they can emerge better - fear, fret and panic-free. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by email for a dose of inspiration and encouragement.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

LHM Daily Devotion - November 29, 2017 "Never Out of Fashion"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

"Never Out of Fashion"

November 29, 2017

(Jesus said) "For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you."

~ John 13:15 (ESV)

We all know that fashion is a fickle thing. What we sometimes forget is that the very best of things never go out of fashion.

For example, it was 1935 and Fiorello H. La Guardia was mayor of New York.

One December night he showed up at a courtroom in the poorest part of the city. He replaced the judge and took over the bench. One case involved an elderly woman who was caught stealing bread to feed her grandchildren. La Guardia said, "I've got to punish you. That will be ten dollars or ten days in jail."

Knowing she could not pay, La Guardia picked up his hat and threw in $10 of his own money. He then fined everyone else in the courtroom 50 cents each for living in a city "where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat."

The woman left the courtroom with her fine paid and an additional $47.50.

Here's another story: this one from last month.

Security guards at a Giant grocery store in Laurel, Maryland, detained a destitute young mother who had tried to steal $15 of diapers for her two-year-old son. Officer Bennett Johns was assigned the case and cited the unnamed lady for "misdemeanor theft."

And then Officer Johns went above and beyond his official duty; he paid for the diapers himself.

As I said, some things should never go out of style, and that includes following Jesus' instruction to do unto others as He has done for us.

Of course, such a statement leads us to ask, "And just what is it Jesus has done?" Well,

• He left home in heaven to live a life on this sin-filled, God-rejecting planet;

• He left the adulation and praises of the heavenly host to embrace a life where people would reject and despise Him;

• He lived a life without ever committing a sin, but He ended up carrying every sin of every person who would ever live;

• He showed nothing but love to His lost people, and they returned His efforts by condemning Him and railroading Him to a cross where the life of the innocent was used to pay the ransom price for those who were guilty.

That is what Jesus has done for us. Now He knows it is impossible for His redeemed brothers and sisters to duplicate the depth and intensity of His caring. He still encourages us to do what we can for those needy who are placed in our path.

It is one way we can show our thanks for all He has done.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are needy souls all around us. Help us to show our gratitude to the Savior by doing what we can to help them. Send the Holy Spirit to use our actions to glorify the Savior and point the lost to our loving Lord and Savior. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
We all know that fashion is a fickle thing. What we sometimes forget is that the very best of...

CPTLN Devocional de 29 de Noviembre de 2017 - "Con tal de vender"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

"Con tal de vender"

29 de Noviembre de 2017

Entonces, Jesús dijo a los doce: '¿También ustedes quieren irse?' Simón Pedro le respondió: 'Señor, ¿a quién iremos? Tú tienes palabras de vida eterna. Y nosotros hemos creído, y sabemos, que tú eres el Cristo, el Hijo del Dios viviente.'

~ Juan 6:66b-69 (RVC)

Hay personas que son capaces de cualquier cosa, con tal de vender algo.

Antes de continuar, debo confesar que poseo un arma de fuego, y que me apasionan todos los tipos de artefactos y aparatos que uno pueda imaginar.

Con esto quiero decir que me gusta tener todos los chiches en mi coche, pero no llego al extremo de pedir que me instalen en él un AK-47. Para los que no saben lo que es un AK-47, se trata de un fusil militar bastante importante. Yo podré tener aire acondicionado, dirección y frenos hidráulicos, y asientos electrónicos, pero nunca se me ocurriría tener un AK-47.

Sin embargo, eso es lo que una concesionaria está haciendo en la Florida: a todo el que les compre un camión cero kilómetro, le dan un AK-47 de regalo. (En realidad, le dan un cupón para canjear por el fusil, o para otros negocios, o $400 dólares de descuento en el precio de venta del camión.)

Es increíble las cosas que algunas personas hacen con tal de vender algo.

Jesús, en cambio, fue diferente.

Lo que nos dice el texto para hoy ocurrió un día en que las multitudes, que habían estado siguiendo a Jesús, decidieron abandonarlo. Algunos de ellos se habían ofendido con las enseñanzas de Jesús, mientras que otros se encontraban confundidos.

En vez de rogarles que volvieran, Jesús miró con tristeza cómo se iban alejando. Luego se volvió a los doce, y les preguntó: '¿También ustedes quieren irse?'

La respuesta de Pedro es contundente: 'Señor, ¿a quién iremos? Tú tienes palabras de vida eterna. Y nosotros hemos creído, y sabemos, que tú eres el Cristo, el Hijo del Dios viviente'.

Hoy, al igual que ese día, hay dos grupos de personas: los creyentes, y los incrédulos. La diferencia entre ellos no es que Jesús ama a unos más que a otros. No. Jesús vivió, murió y resucitó para salvarnos a todos.

La diferencia es que algunos, al igual que Pedro, y que usted y yo, hemos sido llevados a la fe y damos gracias porque Jesús es nuestro Salvador, quien tiene palabras de vida eterna. El otro grupo, lamentablemente, no lo entiende. Por eso hoy oramos por quienes aún no tienen esa fe.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, te damos gracias por habernos permitido ver al Salvador y al sacrificio que hizo para salvarnos. Te pedimos que abras los ojos, mentes y corazones de las multitudes que aún no te conocen, para que reciban tus palabras de vida eterna. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

© Copyright 2010 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.