Wednesday, September 30, 2020

The Daily Bible Readings for THURSDAY, October 1, 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2020/10/01?version=KJV

The Daily Readings
THURSDAY, October 1, 2020
Psalm 19; Exodus 23:1-9; Colossians 2:16-23
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are happy. This saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is more largely insisted upon than any of the rest. Yet there is nothing in our sufferings that can merit of God; but God will provide that those who lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose by him in the end. Blessed Jesus! how different are thy maxims from those of men of this world! They call the proud happy, and admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With these enjoyments and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painful circumstances.

Today’s Readings:
The law rejoices the heart
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
The wonder and glory of creation, and the perfection and power of God’s Word. The God of nature is made known to humanity through His written Word. These thoughts about God’s Word are greatly expanded in Psalm 119. The closing prayer (Psalm 19:13–14) is one of the best prayers in the whole Bible. God’s Word is perfect, sure, true; it gives joy and is sweeter than honey (Halley's Bible Handbook Notes).

Justice for all
23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
In the law of Moses are very plain marks of sound moral feeling, and of true political wisdom. Everything in it is suited to the desired and avowed object, the worship of one only God, and the separation of Israel from the pagan world. Neither parties, friends, witnesses, nor common opinions, must move us to lessen great faults, to aggravate small ones, excuse offenders, accuse the innocent, or misrepresent anything.

Hold fast to Christ the head
2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Let not any be troubled about bigoted judgments which related to meats, or the Jewish solemnities. The setting apart a portion of our time for the worship and service of God, is a moral and unchangeable duty but had no necessary dependence upon the seventh day of the week, the sabbath of the Jews. The first day of the week, or the Lord's day, is the time kept holy by Christians, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. All the Jewish rites were shadows of gospel blessings. It looked like humility to apply to angels as if men were conscious of their unworthiness to speak directly to God. But it is not warrantable; it is taking that honor which is due to Christ only, and giving it to a creature. There really was pride in this seeming humility. Those who worship angels, disclaim Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man. It is an insult to Christ, who is the Head of the church, to use any intercessors but him. When men let go of their hold of Christ, they catch at what will stand them in no stead. The body of Christ is a growing body. And true believers cannot live in the fashions of the world. True wisdom is, to keep close to the appointments of the gospel; in entire subjection to Christ, who is the only Head of his church. Self-imposed sufferings and fastings might have a show of uncommon spirituality and willingness for suffering, but this was not “in any honor” to God. The whole tended, in a wrong manner, to satisfy the carnal mind, by gratifying self-will, self-wisdom, self-righteousness, and contempt of others. The things being such as carry not with them so much as the show of wisdom; or so faint a show that they do the soul no good, and provide not for the satisfying of the flesh. What the Lord has left indifferent, let us regard as such, and leave others to the like freedom; and remembering the passing nature of earthly things, let us seek to glorify God in the use of them.

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV).

Commentaries from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible.

The Daily Bible Readings are selected from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, a three-year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2019 was Year C. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Readings for THURSDAY, October 1, 2020
Psalm 19; Exodus 23:1-9; Colossians 2:16-23 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for THURSDAY, October 1, 2020


Prayer of the Day
THURSDAY, October 1, 2020

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer...Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:12,15 (NIV)

Lord our God, we thank you for your gospel, the great, good tidings we may carry in our hearts to give us joy in this present time, even though on all sides people are in anguish and agony. We thank you that your gospel fills our hearts with compassion, enabling us to help carry what many have to suffer. Show us our need of you so that we can receive your help. If we must be the first to suffer all kinds of pain and distress, may we do so joyfully because we have been promised blessing in the midst of all the pain. May we continually honor your name, praising you for the good news of your kingdom, for the promise that everything must work together for good through Jesus Christ the Savior. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, October 1, 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/10/01?version=KJV

Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Read all of Matthew 5

Listen to Matthew 5

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Rejected or Cornerstone?

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20201001

Rejected or Cornerstone?

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him to be a prophet.

Though cornerstones are often ornamental today, in some kinds of building, the cornerstone is absolutely necessary. It holds the building together, either from the bottom, as a foundation stone, or from the top where two walls meet, as a capstone. You have to choose your cornerstone wisely; if it is weak or broken or has hidden flaws, the whole building could fall apart.

In Jesus' parable, the builders are the religious leaders of His day, and the rejected stone is Jesus Himself. Why would they reject Him? There is a number of reasons, and some of them are still reasons people reject Jesus today. First of all, there was His sheer ordinariness. Nobody meeting Him on an average day would have thought "Son of God" immediately and fallen to his knees. Here was a Man like other men—a Man who was born, ate, slept, worked, got tired, suffered, and even died. How could that be God?

Even as a Man He didn't look like much. He was not rich, not powerful, not from a privileged background. He worked as a carpenter and then a traveling preacher. His formal education probably ended with the synagogue school in Nazareth. He came from a conquered country and died a shameful death. How could this Man be anything great?

But there were even more reasons to reject Him. Jesus spoke the truth, regardless of whom it offended. He would not defer to the rich or powerful.

And look at the people He hung around with! There were fishermen, zealots, tax collectors, women—even slaves and foreigners, as time went on. He did His first miracle in a crowd of rowdy wedding guests and told His great secret—that He was the Messiah—to a Samaritan woman with a checkered past. And then He died on a shameful cross between two thieves.

No wonder the religious leaders rejected Him.

But then there's us. What will we do with Jesus? That's the question that every human being has to face. Will you reject Him—because He is unattractive or out of fashion or apt to get you into trouble with your friends or family? Will you turn away because He is "common," and His followers tend to be the uneducated and poor? Does His death put you off, or the sacrifice that every Christian believer must learn to live within their own lives, taking up their crosses and following Him? Does that put you off?

Or will He be your cornerstone? As Peter quotes God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame" (1 Peter 2:6). God has raised Jesus from the dead and made Him the cornerstone of the church, and ultimately of the whole human race. He has told us that Jesus is His Son, one with the Father and that everyone who trusts in Him will live forever.

So, what do you think of Him?

Dear Father, build me, too, upon Your Son, the Cornerstone. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo

Reflection Questions:
1. What is the best-built building that you know? Why?

2. What is the worst-built building you know? Why?

3. How has Christ functioned as a cornerstone for your own life?
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Though cornerstones are often ornamental today, in some kinds of building, the cornerstone is absolutely necessary.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/10/01
FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Hatred of her enemies is something Takoosh Hovsepian, the wife of an Iranian pastor murdered in 1994 no longer has. She says: “I’ve learned a lesson at God’s University about how to love your enemies.”

As a teenager, Takoosh prayed that she might be allowed to marry a pastor so that she could spend her life in the service of God. Her wish was fulfilled, but the way would not be easy.

Her husband, Pastor Haik Hovsepian, was forty-eight years old when one day he did not come home. After twelve days, it became apparent that he had been killed at the behest of the Iranian government. About that time, four other Iranian pastors were also murdered in a cowardly way. They refused to sign an official declaration that they would not evangelize among Muslims.

In Iran, ninety-eight percent of the population is Muslim. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in particular, the problems for Christians became increasingly great.

Takoosh says, “During the revolution, hundreds of people threatened to set fire to the churches, which fortunately did not happen. The Islamic government does not want Muslims to go to church and evangelism among them is forbidden.”

Pastor Hovsepian held important positions in the Iranian Church. On various occasions, he stated that he was willing to go to the utmost for his faith and for the church. His wife reflects, “Haik repeatedly said, ‘We don’t have to be afraid. We must trust in God.’ But in my heart, I was afraid. Haik was full of love for people, even for his Muslim neighbors. They were welcome at the church; they knew that he would help them even in times of difficulty.”

The day that Haik left to collect a friend from the airport and never came back is deeply engraved on the memory of the widow and her children. At the police station, the eldest son, Joseph, was only shown a photo of his father. According to the police, the body of Pastor Hovsepian had been found in an alleyway in Teheran.

Takoosh says, “I only had hatred in my heart, hatred for my enemies who had murdered Haik. I was not able to forgive them. I prayed with my lips, ‘God, give me the strength to forgive,’ but before I prayed, in my imagination I saw myself throwing mud at them. But one day a miracle happened. God taught me how I could forgive my enemies. I was asking for something which on the deepest level I did not want to ask for. But gradually, in a process of ups and downs which took months, God gave me the strength to pray more and more with my heart for those who had murdered my husband. God answered this prayer.

“Then I was no longer praying only with my lips, but from the depths of my heart. I had learned not only to trust in God and to lean on Him but also how I can forgive my enemies.”

RESPONSE: Today I will forgive offenses against me so God will forgive my sins.

PRAYER: Pray for many Christian brothers and sisters of the persecuted church who have difficulty forgiving those who hurt them or their families.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Hatred of her enemies is something Takoosh Hovsepian, the wife of an Iranian pastor murdered in 1994 no longer has.

Men's Devotional Bible — Fear Not

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/mens-devotional-bible/2020/10/01
Fear Not

Nehemiah 6:1–19

Recommended Reading: Joshua 1:1–9; Psalm 59:1–17; Philippians 4:4–13

Has someone deliberately tried to discredit you? Gone out of his way to tear you down? Persuaded others to believe something untrue about you?

Then you can relate to Nehemiah. He must have scratched his head when his enemies tried five times to lure him outside the city, where certain death awaited. They tried rumors, coercion, and bald-faced threats, but Nehemiah wasn’t fooled. He trusted God and knew that Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem’s claims weren’t true. These enemies were spreading rumors, trying to frighten Nehemiah and his men into stopping their work on Jerusalem’s walls. Instinctively, Nehemiah turned to prayer and asked God to provide strength for finishing the task.

Next, Nehemiah had to be wary when his enemies sent a wolf in sheep’s clothing, inviting him to hide out in the temple for his own safety—an act that would have gone against God’s laws. Yet even when threatened with death, Nehemiah didn’t allow himself to fall into that trap. He had insight into the situation that reinforced his trust in God, rather than believing the bad reports of other men.

Thankfully, you’ll probably never experience an assassination attempt. But you might face an enemy who wants to assassinate your character. Like Nehemiah’s enemies, people who are bent on opposing you can be very resourceful, even downright nefarious, in getting their way. Should you fight back? Or run away and hide?

Remember that, like Nehemiah, you have a heavenly Father to whom you can always turn. As hard as Nehemiah’s enemies tried to attack him, through prayer he found the power to continue his work without fear. You can too. When you trust God for protection, he will fill you with strength to complete the unique tasks he gives you and the courage you need to withstand character assassination attempts.

To Take Away
  • Think about a really tough task, project, or relationship that God has given you to deal with. How does Nehemiah’s example encourage you?
  • Is there someone in your circle of friends who brings you down or makes you feel afraid? How can you respond to him in a way that honors God?
  • In what areas do you need to trust God to protect and strengthen you?
Has someone deliberately tried to discredit you? Gone out of his way to tear you down? Persuaded others to believe something untrue about you?

John Piper Devotional — The All-Satisfying Object

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/john-piper-devotional/2020/10/01
The All-Satisfying Object

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

The quest for pleasure is not even optional, but commanded (in the Psalms): “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

The psalmists sought to do just this: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1–2). “My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

The motif of thirsting has its satisfying counterpart when the psalmist says that men “drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights” (Psalm 36:8, NASB).

I found that the goodness of God, the very foundation of worship, is not a thing you pay your respects to out of some kind of disinterested reverence. No, it is something to be enjoyed: “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8).

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

As C. S. Lewis says, God in the Psalms is the “all-satisfying Object.” His people adore him unashamedly for the “exceeding joy” they find in him (Psalm 43:4). He is the source of complete and unending pleasure: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
The quest for pleasure is not even optional, but commanded.

Un dia a la Vez — Dios toca a tu puerta

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/10/01
Dios toca a tu puerta

He aquí, yo estoy a la puerta y llamo; si alguno oye mi voz y abre la puerta, entraré a él, y cenaré con él, y él conmigo.
Apocalipsis 3:20, RV-60

Cuando analizamos la frase «Dios toca a la puerta», de inmediato pensamos en su significado según la Palabra y lo que representa: El toque del Señor a la puerta de nuestro corazón.

A pesar de que Dios es el único que nos conoce de manera profunda y sabe todas las cosas que cometemos, Él no toma represalias en nuestra contra. Por el contrario, toca a nuestra puerta a fin de darnos salvación y guiarnos si nos desviamos o andamos en malos caminos.

Siempre tenemos varias oportunidades de cambiar y de enderezar nuestros caminos. A decir verdad, nuestro Padre quiere las aprovechemos con su ayuda y que lo hagamos a tiempo, no cuando toquemos fondo o la situación sea preocupante en realidad.

Hoy es tu día. Así que renuncia a todo lo que te aleja de Dios. Además, pídele que te guíe para hacer su voluntad.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy es tu día.

Devocional CPTLN — ¿Rechazado o piedra angular?


¿Rechazado o piedra angular?

Jesús les dijo: «¿Nunca leyeron en las Escrituras: "La piedra que desecharon los constructores, ha venido a ser la piedra angular. Esto lo ha hecho el Señor, y a nuestros ojos es una maravilla"? Por tanto les digo, que el reino de Dios les será quitado a ustedes, para dárselo a gente que produzca los frutos que debe dar. El que caiga sobre esta piedra será quebrantado, y aquél sobre quien ella caiga quedará desmenuzado.» Cuando los principales sacerdotes y los fariseos oyeron sus parábolas, entendieron que hablaba de ellos. Entonces quisieron aprehender a Jesús, pero tuvieron miedo, porque la gente lo consideraba un profeta.

Aunque las piedras angulares son a menudo ornamentales, en algunos tipos de edificios es lo que lo mantiene unido, ya sea desde la parte inferior, como piedra fundamental, o desde la parte superior, donde se unen dos paredes, como piedra angular. Es por ello que hay que elegirla sabiamente: si es frágil, está rota o tiene fallas ocultas, todo el edificio podría derrumbarse.

En la parábola de Jesús, los constructores son los líderes religiosos de su época, y la piedra desechada es el mismo Jesús. ¿Por qué lo rechazarían? Hay varias razones, y algunas de ellas todavía son razones por las que la gente todavía hoy rechaza a Jesús. En primer lugar, estaba su "normalidad". Nadie que se encontrara con Él en un día normal habría pensado inmediatamente en "Hijo de Dios" y habría caído de rodillas. Era un Hombre como los demás hombres, un Hombre que nació, comió, durmió, trabajó, se cansó, sufrió e incluso murió. ¿Cómo podía ser Dios?

Incluso como hombre no parecía gran cosa. No era rico, no era poderoso, no tenía antecedentes privilegiados. Trabajó como carpintero y luego como predicador itinerante. Su educación formal probablemente terminó con la escuela de la sinagoga en Nazaret. Venía de un país conquistado y murió vergonzosamente. ¿Cómo podría este Hombre ser algo grandioso?

Pero había aún más razones para rechazarlo. Jesús decía la verdad, independientemente de a quién ofendiera. No cedía ante los ricos o poderosos. ¡Y ni qué hablar de la gente con la que andaba! Pescadores, fanáticos, recaudadores de impuestos, mujeres, incluso esclavos y extranjeros. Hizo Su primer milagro en una boda entre una multitud de invitados ruidosos, y le contó Su gran secreto, que Él era el Mesías, a una mujer samaritana con un pasado reprochable. Y luego murió en una cruz entre dos ladrones. No es de extrañar que los líderes religiosos lo rechazaran.

Pero, ¿y nosotros? ¿Qué hacemos con Jesús?

¿Lo rechazamos porque no es atractivo o está pasado de moda o porque puede causarnos problemas con amigos o familiares? ¿Nos apartamos de él porque sus seguidores tienden a ser pobres y sin educación? ¿Nos desanima su muerte, o el sacrificio de tener que tomar su cruz y seguirle?

¿O lo hacemos nuestra piedra angular? Como Pedro cita a Dios, "Por eso dice la Escritura: ¡Miren! Yo pongo en Sión la principal piedra angular, escogida y preciosa; y el que crea en ella no será avergonzado" (1 Pedro 2:6). Dios ha resucitado a Jesús de entre los muertos y lo ha convertido en la piedra angular de la iglesia y, en última instancia, de toda la raza humana. Nos ha dicho que Jesús es su Hijo, uno con el Padre, y que todo el que confía en él vivirá para siempre.

¿Qué piensas de Cristo?

ORACIÓN: Amado Padre, edifícame también sobre tu Hijo, la piedra angular. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:
* ¿Cuál es el edificio mejor construido que conoces? ¿El peor construido? ¿Por qué?

* ¿De qué manera ha sido Cristo la piedra angular de tu vida?
© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Aunque las piedras angulares son a menudo ornamentales, en algunos tipos de edificios es lo que lo mantiene unido, ya sea desde la parte inferior, como piedra fundamental, o desde la parte superior, donde se unen dos paredes, como piedra angular.

Хлеб наш насущный — Как отражать Христа

https://russian-odb.org/2020/10/01/%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%ba-%d0%be%d1%82%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%b6%d0%b0%d1%82%d1%8c-%d1%85%d1%80%d0%b8%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b0/

Как отражать Христа

Читать сейчас: Колоссянам 1:25-27 | Библия за год: Исаии 11-13; 2 Коринфянам 3

Благоволил Бог показать [святым], какое богатство славы в тайне этой для язычников, которая есть Христос в вас, упование славы.

Тереза из Лизьё росла веселым, беззаботным ребенком, пока не умерла ее мать. Четырехлетняя малышка стала застенчивой и беспокойной. Но однажды много лет спустя в сочельник все изменилось. Празднуя рождение Иисуса вместе с церковью, она почувствовала, как Бог освобождает ее от страха и возвращает радость. Она поверила, что эту перемену произвела сила Христа, Который сошел с небес, стал Человеком и теперь обитает в ней.

Что такое жизнь Христа в нас? Это тайна, – говорит Павел церкви в Колоссах. Прежде она была сокрыта «от веков и родов» (Кол. 1:26), но теперь Бог открыл ее Своему народу. Он показал, «какое богатство славы в тайне этой… которая есть Христос в вас, упование славы» (ст. 27). Поскольку Господь теперь обитал в колоссянах, они ощущали радость новой жизни. Прежнее греховное «я» уже не имело над ними власти.

Если мы попросили Иисуса быть нашим Спасителем, то мы тоже стали участниками тайны Его обитания в нас. Он может освободить нас от страха, как это произошло с Терезой, и вырастить в нас плод Своего Духа: любовь, радость, мир и долготерпение (Гал. 5:22-23).

Будем благодарить Бога за удивительную тайну – Христос в нас.
Как Христос отражается в вашей жизни? А в жизни тех верующих, которых вы знаете?
Господь Иисус, благодарю, что Ты уничижил Себя, стал Человеком и теперь живешь во мне. Помоги мне лучше понимать Твой труд в моей жизни.


© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Тереза из Лизьё росла веселым, беззаботным ребенком, пока не умерла ее мать. Четырехлетняя малышка стала застенчивой и беспокойной. Но однажды много лет спустя в сочельник все изменилось.