Monday, October 10, 2016
The Daily Readings for October 10, 2016
Micah 7:1-7
Woe is me! For I have become like one who, after the summer fruit has been gathered, after the vintage has been gleaned, finds no cluster to eat; there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger. The faithful have disappeared from the land, and there is no one left who is upright; they all lie in wait for blood, and they hunt each other with nets. Their hands are skilled to do evil; the official and the judge ask for a bribe, and the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert justice. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of their sentinels, of their punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. Put no trust in a friend, have no confidence in a loved one; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your embrace; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; your enemies are members of your own household. But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
Acts 26:1-23
Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself: "I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently. "All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? "Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities. "With this in mind, I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.' I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The Lord answered, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles-- to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' "After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."
Luke 8:26-39
Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me"-- for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion" for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 1 Beatus vir qui non abiit
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the LORD, and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper.
4 It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.
Psalm 2 Quare fremuerunt gentes?
1 Why are the nations in an uproar? Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes plot together, against the LORD and against his Anointed?
3 Let us break their yoke, they say; let us cast off their bonds from us.
4 He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath, and his rage fills them with terror.
6 I myself have set my king . upon my holy hill of Zion
7 Let me announce the decree of the LORD: he said to me, "You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall crush them with an iron rod and shatter them like a piece of pottery."
10 And now, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Submit to the LORD with fear, and with trembling bow before him;
12 Lest he be angry and you perish; for his wrath is quickly kindled.
13 Happy are they all who take refuge in him!
Psalm 3 Domine, quid multiplicati
1 LORD, how many adversaries I have! how many there are who rise up against me!
2 How many there are who say of me, "There is no help for him in his God."
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me; you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.
4 I call aloud upon the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill;
5 I lie down and go to sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I do not fear the multitudes of people who set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD; set me free, O my God; surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face, you will break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD. Your blessing be upon your people!
Evening Psalms
Psalm 4 Cum invocarem
1 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?
3 Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.
4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
5 Offer the appointed sacrifices and put your trust in the LORD.
6 Many are saying, "Oh, that we might see better times!" Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
7 You have put gladness in my heart, more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 7 Domine, Deus meus
1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me;
2 Lest like a lion they tear me in pieces and snatch me away with none to deliver me.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done these things: if there is any wickedness in my hands,
4 If I have repaid my friend with evil, or plundered him who without cause is my enemy;
5 Then let my enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life into the ground, and lay my honor in the dust.
6 Stand up, O LORD, in your wrath; rise up against the fury of my enemies.
7 Awake, O my God, decree justice; let the assembly of the peoples gather round you.
8 Be seated on your lofty throne, O Most High; O LORD, judge the nations.
9 Give judgment for me according to my righteousness, O LORD, and according to my innocence, O Most High.
10 Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; for you test the mind and heart, O righteous God.
11 God is my shield and defense; he is the savior of the true in heart.
12 God is a righteous judge; God sits in judgment every day.
13 If they will not repent, God will whet his sword; he will bend his bow and make it ready.
14 He has prepared his weapons of death; he makes his arrows shafts of fire.
15 Look at those who are in labor with wickedness, who conceive evil, and give birth to a lie.
16 They dig a pit and make it deep and fall into the hole that they have made.
17 Their malice turns back upon their own head; their violence falls on their own scalp.
18 I will bear witness that the LORD is righteous; I will praise the Name of the LORD Most High.
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.
The Daily Meditation for October 10, 2016
From Forward Day By Day
Written by Scott B. Hayashi
Luke 8:36-37a (NRSV) Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear.
The demoniac is a known person to everyone in his community. He is tolerated as long as he stays in the tombs, not reminding the people of his strange brokenness. But they must have provided food for him, and surely someone left him new rags to replace the old ones. But we would be hard-pressed to imagine people inviting the demoniac into their homes, interrupting their whole lives with this fractured being. As long as he stays among the tombs, and not next door, they can tolerate him.
I do not think that we are very different from the demoniac’s neighbors. We are willing to tolerate incredibly painful fractures in our communities and families even though Jesus could heal them. We do not want to be healed; we do not want to take our medicine. We do not want to embrace the Healer.
Today, pray for the world. Pray that we will not ask Jesus to go away.
Written by Scott B. Hayashi
Luke 8:36-37a (NRSV) Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear.
The demoniac is a known person to everyone in his community. He is tolerated as long as he stays in the tombs, not reminding the people of his strange brokenness. But they must have provided food for him, and surely someone left him new rags to replace the old ones. But we would be hard-pressed to imagine people inviting the demoniac into their homes, interrupting their whole lives with this fractured being. As long as he stays among the tombs, and not next door, they can tolerate him.
I do not think that we are very different from the demoniac’s neighbors. We are willing to tolerate incredibly painful fractures in our communities and families even though Jesus could heal them. We do not want to be healed; we do not want to take our medicine. We do not want to embrace the Healer.
Today, pray for the world. Pray that we will not ask Jesus to go away.
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Standing Strong Through the Storm - GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE OR FORSAKE US
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
“When I was pregnant with our sixth child,” says Bahar from Central Asia, “my husband Bahtiyar fell ill and was diagnosed with stomach cancer. We often prayed for his healing and together with the few other believers in our village we looked to God for His help. Bahtiyar was also seeing a doctor, but not much could be done for him.
“Shortly before Bahtiyar’s death several men from the village mosque came to our house and talked to him. They knew he had been a Muslim before and had become a Christian. Now, when he was so ill, they started debating with him and urged him to return to Islam, promising that they would give him a decent burial. Bahtiyar did not have to think about it at all; he refused to deny Jesus and sent the men away.
“He was with us for three more days; then he passed away and went to be with the Lord. It is our custom to bury our dead on the same day, so when my son went to the other believers in the village and told them that his dad had died they arrived immediately to arrange his funeral. They and other Christians from a nearby town did everything that needed to be done and really took good care of us as a family. According to our tradition Bahtiyar’s body was put in a yurt so people could pay their respects.
“As we lived in a small village the news that Bahtiyar had died was out in no time and it did not take long before the Mullah and many men from the village came to the yurt and started to shout at the believers. “You can’t bury him here in our cemetery, we don’t want him here! This man has left our religion, he has betrayed us, and we don’t want him to defile our cemetery. Find another place!” They were really angry and even threatened to burn our house and the yurt with Bahtiyar’s body. The believers called the police but it took a while before they arrived. Meantime they moved his body to Kisul, another village nearby.
“For a while I was completely confused and did not know what to do. Was God still in control? Was He watching over us as a family, over me? Here I was, pregnant with my sixth child, my husband had just died, we had so many problems burying him and the whole village, including my own mother in law, was against us. Where and how were we going to live?
“God has promised in His Word that He will never leave us, nor forsake us, and He never does. For a brief period I thought that God had left me, but fortunately that did not last long. Soon God reassured me of His presence, I rediscovered my joy in God and I trust that He is in control, even though things in our family have been very difficult this last year.
RESPONSE: Today I will rejoice in God’s reassurance of His presence and control of all things in my life.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, that You are concerned about the smallest details of my life regardless of the circumstances.
Women of the Bible - 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.
Girlfriends in God - To The One Who Feels Unfinished
by Gwen Smith
Today’s Truth
And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. (Philippians 1:6, AMP)
Friend to Friend
It took four years of fresco painting for the Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, to finish the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Commonly known as Michelangelo, his time painting was mostly spent alone, on his back, lying on scaffolding. (How painful!)
The painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most remarkable in the history of Western art. One thing is for sure: the process that altered a ceiling from plain to fabulous required a lot of time, great discipline, and the hand of a master artist. The same is true for us. The journey from broken into beautiful is a lifelong transformation that requires time, discipline, and a Master Artist.
As Michelangelo was working, I’m sure that lots of people came through the corridors of the chapel and stood in amazement. As they looked up at the beauty of his work, I imagine they said things like, “That is the most fantastic work of art I have ever seen!” or “Extraordinary!” To which he might have said, “It’s not done!”
But, I ask you: did the unfinished state of the project negate that parts of the ceiling were beautiful? No! The parts that were complete would still have been extravagant and breathtaking to the average person.
Maybe this is the way God and others see our lives.
At times people may notice the work God has done in us and comment on the beauty. I don't know about you, but even though compliments are nice to hear, I’ve been known to resist them. (Admit it. You probably have too.) It’s not so much a humility thing as it is an “I-don’t-see-myself-as-beautiful” thing. From my limited perspective, I can see only the unfinished work. But in truth, my vantage point doesn’t negate the beauty of the work God has done and is doing in my life. The same is true for you.
Real beauty isn’t about a finished or flawless product. It can’t be. It’s not possible on this side of eternity to have completed beauty. Our restoration will be complete in the presence of God when we see Him face to face.
Now, you might be saying, “But Gwen, I feel like I can’t be restored or beautiful. You don’t know what I’ve done…or what I’ve been through…or about the mess that I’m going through right now!”
Friend, God knows where you have been, what you have been through, and where you are now. He sees your flaws and loves you in spite of your imperfections. His tender love is far-reaching, grace-filled, and complete.
Your past sins do not define you.
Your painful scars do not define you.
Your present sufferings do not define you.
They are just shards of brokenness that God will use to lovingly refine your beauty.
The transformation from broken into beautiful is neither easy nor instantaneous. It demands a yielded heart and can be quite painful, but it comes with great reward. To get started, God will need your broken pieces—your scars, shame, insecurities, disappointments, betrayals, and failures.
Do you have some of those?
Are they tucked away in a safe, do-not-enter part of your heart?
If you’re ready for God to do a beautiful work of transformation in your life then it’s time to do some serious heart-business with Him, friend. You might find it hard to hand over hurts. I get that. It’s hard for me too. But difficult as it may be, when we hand them over, our Master creates a stunning work of beauty in our lives.
Let’s Pray
Holy Father, I am humbled by Your willingness to love and forgive me. Please take the broken pieces of my life and don’t allow me to grab them back. I surrender to Your healing. Mold me and shape me into a reflection of Your beautiful glory.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read Isaiah 64:8, “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Meditate on this verse. Read it again and personalize it in a prayerful response to God. Like this: “Yet, O LORD, you are MY Father. I am the clay, You are the potter; I am the work of Your hand. Fashion me in Your image. Clothe me in Your grace…”
More From the Girlfriends
Are you struggling to trust that God’s love can bring beauty to your life? Learn how God wants to bring you beyond your past heart-wounds and your present challenges to His wholeness, strength and beauty. Broken into Beautiful is a book filled with stories – real stories – gritty and honest, not cleaned up and phony. It’s also filled with Scripture that will inspire you toward the life-changing grace of Jesus. To order the book, go to Amazon or, for a signed copy, visit the store on Gwen’s website.
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Un Dia a la Vez - ¿Qué reflejamos?
Todos nosotros, que con el rostro descubierto reflejamos como en un espejo la gloria del Señor, somos transformados a su semejanza con más y más gloria. 2 Corintios 3:18
¿Podemos decir que reflejamos a Jesús? Me gustaría mucho decir que reflejo a Jesús al cien por cien, pero sería una enorme desfachatez de mi parte. Estoy muy llena de defectos y debilidades que no sería justa con mi Dios. Sin embargo, su anhelo es que alcancemos la estatura del varón perfecto, ¡pero cuán lejos estamos de esto!
Nuestro Padre dice en su Palabra que nos hizo a su imagen y semejanza, pero hemos distorsionado ese concepto con el pecado. Así que me enternece mucho cuando en el Manual de Instrucciones dice que Él nos ve después del perdón de nuestros pecados limpios y sin manchas. De ahí que cada uno de nosotros deba reflexionar de manera individual, y desde el punto de vista espiritual, la clase de espejo que somos y lo que reflejamos.
¿Está nuestro espejo opaco y por más que le echas los mejores líquidos limpiadores siempre se ve opaco? ¿Está nuestro espejo tan manchado que aunque lo limpies le sigues viendo la mancha? ¿O está nuestro espejo roto y no lo limpias porque sabes que se ve deteriorado y feo?
En este día quiero que recuerdes que aunque tu vida esté opaca por tu pasado, manchada por el pecado o rota, porque crees que ya no tiene valor, hoy Jesucristo te dice que Él murió por ti para limpiar y restaurar tu vida y que ya nunca más serás el mismo. Por eso, Jesús te da la oportunidad de un nuevo comienzo a fin de que seas reflejo de su amor.
----------English Translation----------
One day at a time - what we reflect?
All of us, that with the bier we reflect as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are changed into his likeness with more and more glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18
We can say that we reflect Jesus? I would very much like to say that reflection to Jesus one hundred per cent, but it would be a huge part of my part. I'm so full of defects and weaknesses that it would not be fair with my God. However, his desire is that we reach the stature of the perfect boy, but how far we are from this!
Our Father says in his word that made us in his image and likeness, but we have distorted that concept with sin. So I'm really touched a lot when in the instruction manual says that he sees us after the forgiveness of our sins clean and no stains. That is why each and every one of us should reflect individually, and from the spiritual point of view, the kind of mirror that we are and what we reflect.
Is our mirror more opaque and for that you the best liquids cleaners always looks opaque? Is our mirror so stained that even if you clean it up you still see the stain? Or is our broken mirror and don't clean it because you know that looks damaged and ugly?
On this day I want you to remember that although your life is opaque by your past, tainted by sin or broken, because you think it has no value, today Jesus Christ tells you that he died for you to clean and restore your life and that I never The more you will be the same. That's why, Jesus gives you the chance of a new beginning in order to be a reflection of his love.
Verse of the Day - October 10, 2016
Proverbs 19:20-21 (NIV) Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Read all of Proverbs 19
Our Daily Bread - Doing the Opposite
Read: Colossians 2:20–3:4 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 34–36; Colossians 2
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
A wilderness excursion can seem daunting, but for outdoor enthusiasts this only adds to the appeal. Because hikers need more water than they can carry, they purchase bottles with built-in filters so they can use water sources along the way. But the process of drinking from such a container is counterintuitive. Tipping the bottle does nothing. A thirsty hiker has to blow into it to force the water through the filter. Reality is contrary to what seems natural.
As we follow Jesus, we find much that is counterintuitive. Paul pointed out one example: Keeping rules won’t draw us closer to God. He asked, “Why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These rules . . . are based on merely human commands and teachings” (Col. 2:20–22).
So what are we to do? Paul gave the answer. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above” (3:1). “You died,” he told people who were still very much alive, “and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (v. 3).
We are to consider ourselves “dead” to the values of this world and alive to Christ. We now aspire to a way of life demonstrated by the One who said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matt. 20:26).
Consider what these counterintuitive principles from the Bible might mean for you: “Whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:25). “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matt. 20:16). “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. 1 Corinthians 1:27
© 2016 Our Daily Bread Ministries
Unser Täglich Brot - Gewöhnungsbedürftig
Von Tim Gustafson
Lesen: Kolosser 2,20–3,4 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Jesaja 34–36; Kolosser 2
Denn ihr seid gestorben, und euer Leben ist verborgen mit Christus in Gott. Kolosser 3,3
Ein Wüstentrip kann Angst machen. Für Outdoor-Enthusiasten erhöht das jedoch nur den Reiz. Weil Wanderer mehr Wasser brauchen, als sie tragen können, kaufen sie Flaschen mit eingebautem Filter, so dass sie das Wasser aus den Quellen nutzen können, die sie unterwegs finden. Das Trinken aus einem solchen Behälter ist jedoch gewöhnungsbedürftig, denn man kann die Flasche nicht einfach umdrehen. Der durstige Wanderer muss mit aller Kraft hineinblasen, um das Wasser durch den Filter zu zwingen.
Wenn wir Jesus folgen, ist vieles für uns gewöhnungsbedürftig. Paulus nennt ein Beispiel: Das Einhalten von Regeln etwa bringt uns nicht näher zu Gott. Er fragt: „Was lasst ihr euch Satzungen auferlegen, als lebtet ihr noch in der Welt: Du sollst das nicht anfassen, du sollst das nicht kosten, du sollst das nicht anrühren? Das alles . . . sind Gebote und Lehren von Menschen“ (Kol. 2,20-22).
Was also sollen wir tun? Paulus gibt auch die Antwort: „Seid ihr nun mit Christus auferstanden, so sucht, was droben ist“ (3,1). „Ihr seid gestorben“, sagt er Menschen, die noch ziemlich lebendig sind, „und euer Leben ist verborgen mit Christus in Gott“ (V.3).
Wir sollen uns für die Wertvorstellungen dieser Welt für „tot“ halten und lebendig für Jesus. Etwa so: „Wer unter euch groß sein will, der sei euer Diener“ (Matth. 20,26). Auch das ist gewöhnungsbedürftig.
Was töricht ist vor der Welt, das hat Gott erwählt, damit er die Weisen zuschanden mache. 1.Korinther 1,27
© 2016 Unser Täglich Brot
Хлеб наш насущный - Все наоборот
автор: Тим Густафсон
Читать сейчас: Колоссянам 2:20–3:4 | Библия за год: Исаия 34-36; 2 Коринфянам 11:16-33
Ибо вы умерли, и жизнь ваша сокрыта со Христом в Боге. — Колоссянам 3:3
Прогулки по пустыне могут быть опасными, однако любителям экстремальных путешествий это только на руку: так интереснее. Поскольку в пустыне человеку требуется больше воды, чем он может унести, туристы-экстремалы покупают специальные бутылки со встроенными фильтрами, позволяющими пить воду откуда угодно. Но процесс питья из таких бутылок необычен. Попытки высосать воду ни к чему не приведут. В бутылку нужно дуть! Под давлением вода пойдет через фильтр и очистится. Естественные рефлексы в данном случае не работают.
В следовании за Христом можно найти много подобного. Вот пример. Павел пишет, что соблюдение постановлений вовсе не приближает к Богу, как может показаться. Он спрашивает: «Для чего вы, как живущие в мире, держитесь постановлений: “Не прикасайся”, “Не вкушай”, “Не дотрагивайся”... по заповедям и учению человеческому?» (Кол. 2:20-22). Что же делать? Павел отвечает: «Если вы воскресли со Христом, то ищите горнего» (Кол. 3:1). «Вы умерли, и жизнь ваша сокрыта со Христом в Боге», – пишет он людям, еще достаточно живым (Кол. 3:3).
Нам тоже нужно почитать себя «мертвыми» для ценностей мира и жить для Христа. Стремиться к образу жизни, который показал Тот, Кто сказал: «Кто хочет между вами быть большим, да будет вам слугой» (Мф. 20:26).
Подумайте, что значат для вас следующие кажущиеся противоречивыми принципы Библии: «Кто потеряет душу свою ради Меня, тот обретет ее» (Мф. 16:25). «Будут последние первыми, и первые – последними» (Мф. 20:16). «Когда я немощен, тогда силен» (2 Кор. 12:10).
«Бог избрал немудрое мира, чтобы посрамить мудрых». — 1 Коринфянам 1:27
© 2016 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Notre Pain Quotidien - Faire tout le contraire
par Tim Gustafson
Lisez : Colossiens 2.20 – 3.4 | La Bible en un an : Ésaïe 34 – 36 et Colossiens 2
Car vous êtes morts, et votre vie est cachée avec Christ en Dieu. Colossiens 3.3
L’excursion dans le désert peut
sembler intimidante, mais pour les adeptes de plein air, cela ne fait
qu’accroître son attrait. Comme les randonneurs ont besoin de plus d’eau
qu’ils ne peuvent en transporter, ils achètent des bouteilles avec
filtre intégré pour puiser aux sources d’eau chemin faisant. Reste que
l’utilisation de tels contenants semble paradoxale. Même si l’on
renverse la bouteille, pas une seule goutte n’en coule. Le randonneur
assoiffé doit souffler dans la bouteille pour forcer l’eau à traverser
le filtre. La réalité est donc contraire à ce qui semble naturel.
En suivant Jésus, nous tombons souvent
sur des paradoxes. Paul en a d’ailleurs signalé un exemple : le fait
d’observer les règles ne nous rapprochera pas de Dieu. À ce sujet, il a
demandé : « [Pourquoi], comme si vous viviez dans le monde,
vous impose‑t‑on ces préceptes : Ne prends pas ! ne goûte pas ! ne
touche pas ! préceptes qui […] ne sont fondés que sur les ordonnances et
les doctrines des hommes ? » (COL 2.20‑22.)
Que faire, alors ? Selon Paul : « Si donc
vous êtes ressuscités avec Christ, cherchez les choses d’en haut »
(3.1), ce à quoi il ajoute : « Car vous êtes morts, et votre vie est
cachée avec Christ en Dieu » (V. 3).
Nous devons nous considérer nous‑mêmes «
morts » aux valeurs du monde et vivants pour Christ. Nous aspirons
maintenant à un mode de vie répondant aux exigences de celui qui a dit :
« Mais quiconque veut être grand parmi vous, qu’il soit votre
serviteur » (MT 20.26).
« Dieu a choisi les choses faibles du monde pour confondre les sages. »
© 2016 Ministères NPQ
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