Sunday, October 11, 2020

The Daily Bible Readings for MONDAY, October 12, 2020

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The Daily Readings
MONDAY, October 12, 2020
Psalm 97; Exodus 32:15-35; Jude 17-25
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
Fools are persons who have no true wisdom, who follow their own devices, without regard to reason, or reverence for God. Children are reasonable creatures, and when we tell them what they must do, we must tell them why. But they are corrupt and wilful, therefore with the instruction, there is need for a law. Let Divine truths and commands be to us most honorable; let us value them, and then they shall be so to us.

Today’s Readings:
Light springs up for the righteous
1 The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.

5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

8 Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O Lord.

9 For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.

10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Commentary
Verses 1-7: Though many have been made happy in Christ, still there is room. And all have reason to rejoice in Christ's government. There is a depth in his counsels, which we must not pretend to fathom; but still, righteousness and judgment are the habitations of his throne. Christ's government, though it might be a matter of joy to all, will yet be a matter of terror to some; but it is their own fault that it is so. The most resolute and daring opposition will be baffled at the presence of the Lord. And the Lord Jesus will ere long come and put an end to idol worship of every kind.

Verses 8-12: The faithful servants of God may well rejoice and be glad because he is glorified; and whatever tends to his honor, is his people's pleasure. Care is taken for their safety. But something more is meant than their lives. The Lord will preserve the souls of his saints from sin, from apostasy, and despair, under their greatest trials. He will deliver them out of the hands of the wicked one, and preserve them safe to his heavenly kingdom. And those that rejoice in Christ Jesus, and in his exaltation, have fountains of joy prepared for them. Those that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. Gladness is sure to the upright in heart; the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment. Sinners tremble, but saints rejoice at God's holiness. As he hates sin, yet freely loves the person of the repentant sinner who believes in Christ, he will make a final separation between the person he loves and the sin he hates, and sanctify his people wholly, body, soul, and spirit.


Punishment for the golden calf
32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
Commentary
Verses 15-20: What a change it is, to come down from the mount of communion with God, to converse with a wicked world. In God we see nothing but what is pure and pleasing; in the world nothing but what is sinful and provoking. That it might appear an idol is nothing in the world, Moses ground the calf to dust. Mixing this powder with their drink, signified that the backslider in heart should be filled with his own ways.

Verses 21-29: Never did any wise man make a more frivolous and foolish excuse than that of Aaron. We must never be drawn into sin by anything man can say or do to us; for men can but tempt us to sin, they cannot force us. The approach of Moses turned the dancing into trembling. They were exposed to shame by their sin. The course Moses took to roll away this reproach, was, not by concealing the sin or putting any false color upon it, but by punishing it. The Levites were to slay the ringleaders in this wickedness, yet none were executed but those who openly stood forth. Those are marked for ruin who persist in sin: those who in the morning were shouting and dancing before night were dying. Such sudden changes do the judgments of the Lord sometimes make with sinners that are secure and jovial in their sin.

Verses 30-35: Moses calls it a great sin. The work of ministers is to show people the greatness of their sins. The great evil of sin appears in the price of pardon. Moses pleads with God for mercy; he came not to make excuses, but to make atonement. We are not to suppose that Moses means that he would be willing to perish forever, for the people's sake. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and not more than ourselves. But having that mind which was in Christ, he was willing to lay down his life in the most painful manner, if he might thereby preserve the people. Moses could not wholly turn away the wrath of God; which shows that the law of Moses was not able to reconcile men to God and to perfect our peace with him. In Christ alone, God so pardons sin as to remember it no more. From this history, we see, that no unhumbled, carnal heart, can long endure the holy precepts, the humbling truths, and the spiritual worship of God. But a god, a priest, worship, a doctrine, and a sacrifice, suited to the carnal mind, will ever meet with an abundance of worshippers. The very gospel itself may be so perverted as to suit a worldly taste. Well is it for us, that the Prophet like unto Moses, but who is beyond compare more powerful and merciful, has made atonement for our souls, and now intercedes on our behalf? Let us rejoice in his grace.


Prepare for the Lord’s coming
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Commentary
Verses 17-23: Sensual men separate from Christ, and his church, and join themselves to the devil, the world, and the flesh, by ungodly and sinful practices. That is infinitely worse than to separate from any branch of the visible church on account of opinions, or modes and circumstances of outward government or worship. Sensual men have not the spirit of holiness, which whoever has not, does not belong to Christ. The grace of faith is most holy, as it works by love, purifies the heart, and overcomes the world, by which it is distinguished from a false and dead faith. Our prayers are most likely to prevail, when we pray in the Holy Ghost, under his guidance and influence, according to the rule of his word, with faith, fervency, and earnestness; this is praying in the Holy Ghost. And a believing expectation of eternal life will arm us against the snares of sin: lively faith in this blessed hope will help us to mortify our lusts. We must watch over one another; faithfully, yet prudently reprove each other, and set a good example to all about us. This must be done with compassion, making a difference between the weak and the wilful. Some we must treat with tenderness. Others save with fear; urging the terrors of the Lord. All endeavors must be joined with decided abhorrence of crimes, and care is taken to avoid whatever led to, or was connected with fellowship with them, in works of darkness, keeping far from what is, or appears to be evil.

Verse 24-25: God is able, and as willing as able, to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory. Not as those who never have been faulty, but as those who, but for God's mercy, and a Saviour's sufferings and merits, might most justly have been condemned long ago. All sincere believers were given him of the Father; and of all so given him, he has lost none, nor will lose anyone. Now, our faults fill us with fears, doubts, and sorrows; but the Redeemer has undertaken for his people, that they shall be presented faultless. Where there is no sin, there will be no sorrow; where there is the perfection of holiness, there will be the perfection of joy. Let us more often look up to Him who is able to keep us from falling, to improve as well as maintain the work he has wrought in us, till we shall be presented blameless before the presence of his glory. Then shall our hearts know a joy beyond what earth can afford; then shall God also rejoice over us, and the joy of our compassionate Saviour be completed. To Him who has so wisely formed the scheme, and will faithfully and perfectly accomplish it, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

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 MONDAY, October 12, 2020
Psalm 97; Exodus 32:15-35; Jude 17-25 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for MONDAY, October 12, 2020

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Prayer of the Day
TUESDAY, October 13, 2020

Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
Matthew 6:12 (TPT)

Lord our God, we thank you for the great light you send throughout the world to let us know that you forgive, that no sin is too great for you to forgive. Grant that people may cry out, "Have mercy on me, O God!" Give them the spirit of prayer in their hearts to call, "Father, forgive us our sins." Send your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth and humility, and then forgive their sins. Wherever a soul is sighing, wherever someone is calling to you, hear him. May our prayers come before your throne. Hear and answer us. We have so much on our hearts that we cannot rightly express it all. We pray for others too. Father, forgive them. Clear away all the obstacles so that your judgment can be merciful toward those whom you forgive. Be with us. May we be a church community of Jesus Christ, washed in his blood, with strength to face every bitter outburst of the world's fury and still forgive. May our prayer remain, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, October 12, 2020

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Proverbs 1:8-9
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
Read all of Proverbs 1

Listen to Proverbs 1

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — One God

 

One God


For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Psalm 96:4-6


In today's culture, many people believe there is no absolute truth in spiritual matters. A belief that is true for one individual may not be true for others. Some people prefer to create their own personal religions or forms of spirituality, combining favorite practices selected from a variety of established world religions. Surveys have indicated that some Christian young people may even be reluctant to share the Good News about Jesus for fear of imposing their beliefs on others or perhaps insulting the religious practices of those to whom they witness.

The psalmist has no such concerns. He boldly declares, "All the gods of the peoples are worthless idols." The prophet Isaiah mocks a craftsman who cuts down a tree, using some of the wood to cook a meal and other parts of the same tree to carve an idol and pray to it: "Deliver me, for you are my god!" (Isaiah 44:17b) The apostle Paul, capturing the attention of his Athenian audience by pointing out how religious they are, does not hesitate to tell them that God is not "an image formed by the art and imagination of man." Paul openly describes such beliefs as a product of the "times of ignorance" that the true God will no longer overlook (see Acts 17:29-30).

Our God "made the heavens" and the earth. He is the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—whose "splendor and majesty are before Him." He has revealed Himself in His Word and in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2). The LORD who made the heavens left His heavenly dwelling to live among us. In Eden He had decreed the penalty of death for human sin, and in Christ Jesus, He took that penalty onto Himself, suffering and dying on the cross. Jesus rose up in victory from the grave. In His death and resurrection, through faith in His Name, we have forgiveness and eternal life. No idol could do that!

As brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we gather to worship the only true God, the Triune God, praising Him in the strength and beauty of His sanctuary. Then we leave that place of strength and beauty to carry the Good News of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection into the world. While we agree with the psalmist that "the gods of the peoples are worthless idols," we are counseled by the apostle Peter to be somewhat more tactful in our Christian witness: "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).

Almighty God, You alone are the true God, the Creator of all things. Help us by Your Spirit to be faithful witnesses to Your love and saving work, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Dr. Carol Geisler

Reflection Questions:

1. What does the word "truth" mean to you?

2. Are there "gods" in our society? If so, can you name one or two?

3. For people who keep their "options open" when it comes to God, what might be some typical roadblocks to faith?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
In today's culture, many people believe there is no absolute truth in spiritual matters. A belief that is true for one individual may not be true for others.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — THE BODY OF CHRIST AT WORK

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THE BODY OF CHRIST AT WORK

…so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Training for Christian women in Pakistan, where poverty and illiteracy abound, has proven to reflect the character of the body of Christ.

A student says, “It’s important for me to be here so I can learn to read and write. Then I can read the Bible for myself, which is the most important thing for me. I want the Gospel to spread throughout our country. Now I study hard and I can write my name. I intend to stand before the people and read the Bible by myself so that other people may be encouraged to learn to read and write in the same way.

One teacher named Gladys says, “I have a gift for sewing, cutting, and embroidery. The other gift God has given me is to share with other people and tell them about Jesus. That is the opportunity I have and that is what I am doing here. When I began here, I said to them, ‘I am not educated. I can’t teach anyone.’ But then the Lord said to me, ‘This is My work. I will use you.’

“We do face discrimination because we live in the midst of people who don’t want us to move forward, people who keep trying to push us down so that we will always be in slavery. But the women testify to what God has done for them in their lives. From the time they first come here, I can see God changing their lives because the way they speak changes and they talk about the love they’ve been shown and how that has affected their lives. If someday a mother’s children are Christian because I taught her, I would be so happy because I would know that God had done His work through me.

Another teacher reports, “I first came to the center to learn sewing skills. But my father took me out of the center. He sent me to work for a Muslim family who lived in Turkey. The family said that I should give up my faith because it was no good. I told them that God had blessed me through this faith, and that I could not find such a blessing anywhere else, and that my faith meant everything to me.

“Then one time, when their daughter was ill, they taunted me and said I better pray for her and see what Jesus would do. So I did pray for her, and she was healed. They knew I had prayed to my God for her and so they exclaimed, ‘Glory to God! Surely your Jesus does answer prayers.’

Before I left them, I testified to them, and they said that my prayers work, but I told them, ‘It’s not my prayers. It is the Lord who causes us to pray and it is the Lord who heals.’ And they had to admit that it was true and that my God truly does work.”

Another student concludes, “The Church is the body of Christ. We have to help each other to share the love of Jesus as He has shown us.”

RESPONSE: Today I will share my giftedness with others and help build up the body of Christ.

PRAYER: Pray for the Open Doors training sessions around the world—especially among poor and illiterate Christian women.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Training for Christian women in Pakistan, where poverty and illiteracy abound, has proven to reflect the character of the body of Christ.

Women of the Bible — Herodias

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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.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
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.

John Piper Devotional — Beware of Serving God

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Beware of Serving God

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”

We do not glorify God by providing his needs, but by praying that he would provide ours—and trusting him to answer.

Here we are at the heart of the good news of Christian Hedonism. God’s insistence that we ask him to give us help so that he gets glory (Psalm 50:15) forces on us the startling fact that we must beware of serving God and take special care to let him serve us, lest we rob him of his glory.

This sounds very strange. Most of us think serving God is a totally positive thing; we have not considered that serving God may be an insult to him. But meditation on the meaning of prayer demands this consideration. Acts 17:24–25 makes this plain.

This is the same reasoning as in Robinson Crusoe’s text on prayer: “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine…Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:12, 15).

Evidently, there is a way to serve God that would belittle him as needy of our service. “The Son of Man came not to be served” (Mark 10:45). He aims to be the servant. He aims to get the glory as Giver.
We do not glorify God by providing his needs, but by praying that he would provide ours—and trusting him to answer.

Un dia a la Vez — La infidelidad

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La infidelidad

El que lleva a los justos por el mal camino, caerá en su propia trampa; pero los íntegros heredarán el bien.

Hombres, la infidelidad no es una moda ni te hace más hombre. Por el contrario, te hace más cobarde.

Para los hombres que no tienen una vida espiritual sana, les cuesta mucho entender que debes ser hombre de una sola mujer. Aunque el mundo te tilde de tonto, esa es la voluntad de nuestro Dios. Por eso la fidelidad es la más hermosa cualidad y virtud que pueda tener un hijo de Dios.

¿Has pensado qué haría Jesús si lo hubieran tentado con la infidelidad? ¡Hubiera huido, ya que fue íntegro en todo!

Si quieres cambiar tu vida, debes dejar atrás el pecado de la infidelidad que desgracia tu vida y la de tu familia. El Manual de Instrucciones habla con dureza de las consecuencias. Recuerda lo que se declara en Romanos 6:23: «La paga del pecado es muerte». No te hablo de la muerte natural, sino de la muerte espiritual que pone un abismo entre Dios y tú, te aparta de su protección y te lleva a tocar fondo.

No es más hombre el que tiene más mujeres. Es más hombre el que solo tiene una. Si tienes más de una mujer, recapacita y permite que Dios te libere de esta doble vida. Renuncia a esa relación y arrepiéntete de corazón. Dios, que es un Padre de oportunidades, restaurará tu vida.

Recuerda que la verdadera vida no está en la tierra. La verdadera vida está cuando partamos de este mundo y tengamos que darle cuenta a Dios por lo que hicimos con nuestra vida y con nuestros hogares.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hombres, la infidelidad no es una moda ni te hace más hombre. Por el contrario, te hace más cobarde.

Devocional CPTLN — Un Dios

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Un Dios

El Señor es grande, y digno de alabanza; ¡es temible, más que todos los dioses! Todos los dioses de los pueblos son ídolos, pero el Señor es quien creó los cielos. En su presencia hay alabanza y magnificencia; en su santuario hay poder y gloria.

En nuestra cultura, muchos creen que no existe una verdad absoluta en materia espiritual. Algo que para una persona es cierto puede no serlo para otra. Algunas personas prefieren crear su propia religión o espiritualidad, combinando prácticas tomadas de diversas religiones. Las encuestas han indicado que algunos jóvenes cristianos pueden incluso mostrarse reacios a compartir las Buenas Nuevas de Jesús por temor a imponer sus creencias a otros o insultar las prácticas religiosas de aquellos a quienes testifican.

El salmista no tiene tales preocupaciones. Él declara con valentía: "Todos los dioses de los pueblos son ídolos". El profeta Isaías se burla del artesano que corta un árbol y usa parte de la madera para cocinar y otra parte para tallar un ídolo y rezarle: "Ponme a salvo, porque tú eres mi dios" (Isaías 44:17b). El apóstol Pablo, al captar la atención de su audiencia ateniense al señalar cuán religiosos son, no duda en decirles que Dios no se asemeja "al oro o a la plata, o a la piedra o a esculturas artísticas", o que es producto de la imaginación humana. Al contrario, describe abiertamente tales creencias como producto de los "tiempos de ignorancia" que el Dios verdadero ya no pasará por alto (ver Hechos 17:29-30).

Nuestro Dios "hizo los cielos" y la tierra. Él es el Dios Uno y Trino, Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, cuyo "esplendor y majestad están ante Él". Él se ha revelado en su Palabra y en la persona de su Hijo Jesucristo: "Dios, que muchas veces y de distintas maneras habló en otros tiempos a nuestros padres por medio de los profetas, en estos días finales nos ha hablado por medio del Hijo, a quien constituyó heredero de todo, y mediante el cual hizo el universo" (Hebreos 1:1-2). El Señor que hizo los cielos dejó su morada celestial para vivir entre nosotros. En el Edén había decretado la pena de muerte por el pecado humano, y en Cristo Jesús tomó esa pena sobre sí mismo, sufriendo y muriendo en la cruz. Jesús se levantó victorioso de la tumba. En su muerte y resurrección, por medio de la fe en su Nombre, tenemos perdón y vida eterna. ¡Ningún ídolo puede hacer eso!

Como hermanos y hermanas en Cristo Jesús, nos reunimos a adorar al único Dios verdadero y a llevar la Buena Nueva de la vida, muerte y resurrección de Jesús al mundo. Si bien estamos de acuerdo con el salmista en que "los dioses de los pueblos son ídolos inútiles", el apóstol Pedro nos aconseja ser algo más discretos en nuestro testimonio cristiano: "... honren en su corazón a Cristo, como Señor, y manténganse siempre listos para defenderse, con mansedumbre y respeto, ante aquellos que les pidan explicarles la esperanza que hay en ustedes" (1 Pedro 3:15).

ORACIÓN: Dios Todopoderoso, solo Tú eres el Dios verdadero, el Creador de todas las cosas. Ayúdanos por tu Espíritu a ser testigos fieles de tu amor y salvación, por medio de Jesús nuestro Señor. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:
* ¿Qué "dioses" hay en nuestra sociedad?

* Para las personas que mantienen sus "opciones abiertas" cuando se trata de Dios, ¿cuáles podrían ser algunos obstáculos a la fe verdadera?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
En nuestra cultura, muchos creen que no existe una verdad absoluta en materia espiritual. Algo que para una persona es cierto puede no serlo para otra.

Notre Pain Quotidien — Aimer l’étranger

https://notrepainquotidien.org/2020/10/12/aimer-letranger/

Aimer l’étranger

Lisez : Lévitique 19.33-37
La Bible en un an : Ésaïe 41 – 42 ; 1 Thessaloniciens 1

[Vous] l’aimerez comme vous-mêmes, car vous avez été étrangers dans le pays d’Égypte.

Lorsque j’ai déménagé dans un nouveau pays, une de mes premières expériences m’a donné le sentiment de ne pas y être la bienvenue. Après avoir trouvé un siège dans la petite église où mon mari prêchait ce jour-là, un homme âgé bourru m’a fait sursauter en me disant : « Poussez-vous. » Sa femme s’est excusée en m’expliquant que j’avais pris le banc qu’ils occupaient toujours. Des années plus tard, j’ai appris que des congrégations avaient l’habitude de louer des bancs, leur permettant de ramasser de l’argent pour l’église et de veiller à ce que personne ne prenne la place d’un autre. Apparemment, une partie de cette mentalité s’était transmise au fil des décennies.

Plus tard, j’ai réfléchi à la manière dont Dieu avait amené les Israélites à accueillir les étrangers, contrairement aux pratiques culturelles dont j’avais fait l’expérience. En établissant les lois qui allaient permettre aux Israélites de prospérer, il leur a rappelé la nécessité d’accueillir les étrangers parce qu’ils avaient déjà été eux-mêmes des étrangers (LÉ 19.34). Non seulement devaient-ils traiter les étrangers avec bonté (V. 33), mais ils devaient aussi les aimer comme eux-mêmes (V. 34). Dieu avait délivré les Israélites de l’oppression en Égypte, leur accordant une demeure dans un pays « où coulent le lait et le miel » (EX 3.17). Il s’attendait à ce que son peuple aime aussi les autres qui s’y étaient installés.

Lorsque vous rencontrez des étrangers parmi vous, demandez à Dieu de vous révéler toute pratique culturelle susceptible de vous empêcher de leur manifester son amour.
Dieu le Père, donne-moi ton amour pour que je le manifeste envers d’autres.
Pratiquons l’hospitalité avec zèle, surtout lorsqu’il y a un étranger parmi nous.


© 2020 Ministères NPQ
Lorsque j’ai déménagé dans un nouveau pays, une de mes premières expériences m’a donné le sentiment de ne pas y être la bienvenue.