Night Light for Couples - The Line of Respect

“Show proper respect to everyone.” 1 Peter 2:17

Conflict can often play a positive role in marriage—especially when it helps maintain lines of respect. Suppose I (jcd) work at my office two hours later than usual on a particular night. I know that Shirley is preparing a candlelight dinner, yet I don’t call to let her know I’ll be late. As the evening wears on, Shirley wraps the cold food in foil and puts it in the refrigerator. When I finally get home, I don’t apologize. Instead, I sit down with the newspaper and abruptly tell Shirley to get my dinner ready. You can bet there would be fireworks in the Dobson household that night! Shirley would rightfully interpret my insensitive behavior as insulting and would move to defend the “line of respect” between us. Her strong feelings would be totally justified.

Let’s put the shoe on the other foot. Suppose Shirley knows I need the car at 2:00 P.M. for some important purpose, but she deliberately keeps me waiting. Perhaps she sits in a restaurant with a friend, drinking coffee and talking. Meanwhile, I’m pacing the floor at home wondering where she is. It is very likely that she will hear about my dissatisfaction when she gets home. Even though the offense was minor, the line of respect has been violated.

Some things are worth defending. At the top of the list is the “line of respect” between husbands and wives.

Just between us…

• When was the last time we had a fight that was good for our relationship?
• Have I crossed your line of respect recently?
• How will upholding the line of respect improve our marriage?

Dear Lord, we want to show respect for each other, but we confess that we’re too often self-centered and insensitive. Forgive us, Lord. Grant us Your grace as we defend the mutual rights that are the foundation of our affection. Amen.

• From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
  Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

Huguenot History

TODAY we remember the seminal event in Huguenot History. On the 18th of October in 1685 the Edict of Nantes was revoked by Louis the XIV. The largest persecution of Protestant Christians in France began. Over 400,000 fled to other countries, creating a Protestant Diaspora. Many fled to British and other Colonies around the globe, to be able to practice their religion freely. We honor and remember those who lost their lives, and who made the perilous trip to unknown lands in the quest for freedom.

Read more about the History and Meaning of the Huguenot Cross.

The Daily Readings for October 18, 2016

Ecclesiasticus 38:1-4, 6-10, 12-14
Honor physicians for their services, for the Lord created them; for their gift of healing comes from the Most High, and they are rewarded by the king. The skill of physicians makes them distinguished, and in the presence of the great they are admired. The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and the sensible will not despise them. And he gave skill to human beings that he might be glorified in his marvelous works. By them the physician heals and takes away pain; the pharmacist makes a mixture from them. God's works will never be finished; and from him health spreads over all the earth. My child, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you. Give up your faults and direct your hands rightly, and cleanse your heart from all sin. Then give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; do not let him leave you, for you need him. There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians, for they too pray to the Lord that he grant them success in diagnosis and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.

Psalm 147 Laudate Dominum
1   Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!
2   The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3   He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4   He counts the number of the stars and calls them all by their names.
5   Great is our LORD and mighty in power; there is no limit to his wisdom.
6   The LORD lifts up the lowly, but casts the wicked to the ground.
7   Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God upon the harp.
8   He covers the heavens with clouds and prepares rain for the earth;
9   He makes grass to grow upon the mountains and green plants to serve mankind.
10   He provides food for flocks and herds and for the young ravens when they cry.
11   He is not impressed by the might of a horse; he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;
12   But the LORD has pleasure in those who fear him, in those who await his gracious favor.
13   Worship the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion;
14   For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you.
15   He has established peace on your borders; he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
16   He sends out his command to the earth, and his word runs very swiftly.
17   He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
18   He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; who can stand against his cold?
19   He sends forth his word and melts them; he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.
20   He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
21   He has not done so to any other nation; to them he has not revealed his judgments. Hallelujah!

2 Timothy 4:5-13
As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Do your best to come to me soon, for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.

Luke 4:14-21
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

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 Liturgical Calendar: Saint Luke the Evangelist

Today the church remembers Saint Luke the Evangelist.

Luke was a Gentile and a physician. He was probably a slave, since most physicians were in those days. He was a Christian convert and a frequent companion of Paul. He probably ministered medically to Paul. In Christian literature he is most often referred to as "The Beloved Physician."

Luke exhibited a sense of history, unique among the evangelists. He was not an eyewitness to the events of Jesus's life, but tried to present an accurate and orderly account of those events which he had heard about from his sources. His writings, The Gospel of Luke and The Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament, give us an historical narrative which remains altogether appealing, even to modern ears. Luke has given us the familiar Christmas story and the parable of the Good Samaritan that the other evangelists omit.

According to tradition, Luke lived to an old age. Unlike so many of the leaders of the early church, he seems to have died quite peacefully of natural causes.

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Read the Wikipedia article here.

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Daily Meditation for October 18, 2016

From Forward Day By Day
Written by Scott B. Hayashi

Luke 4:18a (NRSV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

Today, we celebrate Saint Luke and recall that he is believed to have been a physician. A doctor’s life and work, like the life and ministry of Jesus, are outwardly focused. This is as true today as it was in the time of Jesus. In the gospel reading for today, Jesus identifies himself as the one who is bringing good news to the poor, freeing captives, and restoring sight to the blind.

The Church exists for the benefit of those who are not in the pews. Our work as the Church is meant to be outwardly focused. We must hold fast to the great call of being the Church.

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Girlfriends in God - Possession Obsession

by Kathi Lipp

Today’s Truth

Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then He said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions’ (Luke 12:14-15, NIV).

Friend to Friend

Oh, it starts innocently enough.

It’s that small (or not so small) obsession with shoes. A little time on Zappos.com never hurt anyone.

Or the collection of books that seems to be growing by the nightstand (because Amazon 1-click makes it just that easy…)

It’s that drawer of gadgets, full of tools that will save you oh-so-much time in the kitchen or at work.

I’ve been there so many times – when I’ve been buying too much. More than I need or could really even use. Amazon becomes dangerous. Going to the mall becomes a mind battle. And don’t even get me started on darkening the doors of a Barnes & Noble. I’ve caught myself too many times in the grips of wanting to have All. The. Things.

This is a familiar place for me. I didn’t recognize it when it all first started to happen, but now I understand the signs: when I feel like I’m not enough, when I feel like I don’t have enough.

And that’s when I truly understand that all the forms of greed: buying too many possessions, not wanting to share with others, not giving money to the poor, are warnings - not just because they hurt others - but because they are truly outward indicators of an inward problem.

That feeling starts to creep in – that feeling of being stressed to impress. When I spend time worrying about how others will perceive me, when I’m thinking about friends coming over and what they will think of my house. When I’m meeting someone new for work and I’m overly concerned about what I’m wearing, I know my heart is tangled up in the world.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21) nails it.

Yes, an accurate indicator of where my heart is can be determined by where my wallet is. Am I opening my wallet for the poor, the needy? To support ministries and causes I know God cherishes? Or do I pour out my wallet at Target and Home Goods and Amazon? Is my heart set on heavenly things, or on the third set of decorator pillows I’ve bought that will finally “tie the room together.” Because alas, the room being together does not mean that I’m together.

These ideas should not be met with guilt – they should be embraced with hope. Maybe you too have been caught in the cycle of possession obsession and have been looking for a way out. Jesus is clear – if you want your treasure to be in Him, your heart needs to be in Him. By increasing our time and attention, and yes, even our finances towards the direction of heaven, we can reposition where our heart hangs out.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, Help me to free myself from the desire to possess. Help me manage my money, possessions and resources well so that when people see what I have, they know whose I am and what my priority is – only You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Is there an area of your spending where God has been nudging you? Pray about that area today to see what better plans God has for you.

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Standing Strong Through the Storm - TRAINING A COLONY OF ANTS

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1Timothy 4:8

Discipleship training is a significant part of the ministry of Open Doors. Today a report from one of those involved in receiving training in the house churches of Iran:

“I am proud to be an Iranian, but I have to say that daily life has not become easier lately. Three weeks ago I had a small talk with a Muslim in a park near a main street splitting Tehran north and south. We talked in veiled terms about religion and politics. At the end, the Muslim told me, ‘It feels like a big prison, to be living here.’ I agreed, but didn’t dare to say so. I glanced away, thinking of my Christian friend arrested in December 2010 who is still in prison now.

“I realized that I have more freedom than many of my Christian brothers and sisters who are in jail. But after talking with this Muslim, I also realized that since I became Christian, I have even more freedom than he does! Even the Christians in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison have more freedom than Muslims do. It filled me with a feeling of sympathy and I thought about the lessons we had been learning. It’s part of our discipleship training.

“That training really helped our house group. Together with my wife, we are the leaders of this house church, and every week we get together for at least one meeting. We rotate places and days but it is always in the evening. We study parts of the Bible, talk about the paragraphs that we like or don’t understand, and then we try to apply this to our daily life.

“This sounds good maybe, but I often wonder if this is the right way to do it. How should I know? I became a believer six years ago, when I was seventeen. I don’t feel qualified to call myself a leader. What do I know about the role of the Holy Spirit, about a Christian marriage, about explaining the Bible or studying the Bible in the right way? But others came to faith later, so I am the most ‘experienced’ of our group.

“The training helps us enormously to grow in our own leadership roles, but also motivates us to hand down the important things we learned to others. Now we know we have to stay close to the Word of God. Because it is easy to ascribe our own thoughts to the Holy Spirit, we learned how to test them against the Bible. The training also helped us open up and discuss untouched topics, like relationships in marriage and being a servant leader like Jesus was.

“Through this discipleship training, we’ve been so encouraged to know that people all over the world know about us and pray for us. This helps groups like ours to stay spiritually healthy, and grow in numbers, too.

“Even though believers in house groups like ours have to stay hidden and face a lot of difficulties, I think the church of Iran is like a colony of ants: most of them you don’t see!”

RESPONSE: Today I want to see new believers I know discipled in the scriptures. I will do everything possible to teach and model God’s Word.

PRAYER: Pray for the discipleship training in Iran and other Islamic nations. Pray that house groups will continue to grow in their faith and reach out to others around them.

Un Dia a la Vez - La risa alegra tu vida

Nuestra boca se llenó de risas; nuestra lengua, de canciones jubilosas. Salmo 126:2

Si supiéramos a ciencia cierta lo que ocasiona la risa en nuestro cuerpo, los muchos músculos de la cara que se activan y el beneficio que hace en el alma, creo que reiríamos más a menudo.

Yo me considero una persona muy feliz y muy alegre. Me fascina reírme y sé que esa alegría se contagia a otras personas que viven tristes por sus problemas. Además, tengo el privilegio y el hermoso trabajo en la radio de llevar positivismo y motivación a mis oyentes.

Tú también puedes hacer lo mismo que yo. Puedes alegrarte y llenarte de júbilo, como dice la Palabra, pues Dios te da la fortaleza para ver tus problemas de otra manera. No en vano la Biblia dice que «el corazón alegre hermosea el rostro» (Proverbios 15:13, RV-60).

Si hablamos del amor de Dios, no debemos destilar amargura, odio, mal genio, ni tampoco soberbia. Hay personas que su misma frustración les roba la sonrisa de sus labios. Tampoco es justo contigo mismo consumirte en la tristeza y el dolor.

Sé que hay tiempo de llorar y tiempo de reír, pero es obvio que no debemos llevarlo a los extremos. También hay un cierto tipo de risa burlona que hace daño y la Palabra le llama a esto «vanidad».

Dios es Dios de nuevos comienzos. Así que hoy Él quiere devolverte la alegría y endulzar tu vida. ¡No pases por alto esta oportunidad!

Verse of the Day - October 18, 2016

Psalm 27:14 (NIV) Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Read all of Psalm 27

Our Daily Bread - From the Heart

By David McCasland

Read: Joel 2:12–17 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 53–55; 2 Thessalonians 1

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate. Joel 2:13

In many cultures, loud weeping, wailing, and the tearing of clothing are accepted ways of lamenting personal sorrow or a great national calamity. For the people of Old Testament Israel, similar outward actions expressed deep mourning and repentance for turning away from the Lord.

An outward demonstration of repentance can be a powerful process when it comes from our heart. But without a sincere inward response to God, we may simply be going through the motions, even in our communities of faith.

After a plague of locusts devastated the land of Judah, God, through the prophet Joel, called the people to sincere repentance to avoid His further judgment. “ ‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning’ ” (Joel 2:12).

Then Joel called for a response from deep inside: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (v. 13). True repentance comes from the heart.

The Lord longs for us to confess our sins to Him and receive His forgiveness so we can love and serve Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Whatever you need to tell the Lord today, just say it—from the heart.

Lord, please give me a heart of repentance to see myself as You do. Give me the grace to respond to Your merciful call for change.

God wants to hear your heart.

© 2016 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Unser Täglich Brot - Von Herzen

Von David McCasland

Lesen: Joel 2,12-17 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Jesaja 53–55; 2.Thessalonicher 1

Zerreißt eure Herzen und nicht eure Kleider und bekehrt euch zu dem Herrn, eurem Gott! (Joel 2,13)

In vielen Kulturen gelten lautes Weinen, Klagen und Zerreißen der Kleider als Zeichen der Trauer bei persönlichen oder nationalen Tragödien. Die Menschen Israels im Alten Testament brachten mit ähnlichen äußerlichen Verhaltensweisen ihr tiefes Bedauern über die Abkehr von ihrem Herrn zum Ausdruck.

Ein äußeres Zeichen der Reue kann große Wirkung haben, wenn es tatsächlich von Herzen kommt. Aber ohne innere Hinwendung zu Gott bleibt es, selbst in unseren Gemeinden, womöglich bloß eine Gemütsbewegung.

Nachdem eine Heuschreckenplage das Land Juda vernichtet hatte, rief Gott das Volk durch den Propheten Joel zu echter Buße auf, damit er sie nicht noch mehr strafen musste: „Doch auch jetzt noch, spricht der Herr, bekehrt euch zu mir von ganzem Herzen mit Fasten, mit Weinen, mit Klagen!“ (Joel 2,12).

Dann rief Joel zu einer inneren Umkehr auf: „Zerreißt eure Herzen und nicht eure Kleider und bekehrt euch zu dem Herrn, eurem Gott! Denn er ist gnädig, barmherzig, geduldig und von großer Güte, und es gereut ihn bald die Strafe“ (V.13). Echte Reue kommt von Herzen.

Der Herr wartet darauf, dass wir ihm unsere Sünden bekennen und seine Vergebung empfangen, damit wir ihn lieben und ihm von ganzem Herzen, ganzer Seele, ganzem Gemüt und mit aller Kraft dienen können.

Egal, was du Gott heute zu sagen hast, sag es—von Herzen.

Herr, schenke mir ein Herz der Reue, damit ich mich so sehe, wie du mich siehst. Schenke mir die Gnade, auf deinen barmherzigen Ruf zur Umkehr zu reagieren.

Gott möchte hören, was aus deinem Herzen kommt.

© 2016 Unser Täglich Brot

Хлеб наш насущный - От сердца

автор: Дэвид Маккасланд

Читать сейчас: Иоиль 2:12-17 | Библия за год: Исаия 53-55; Галатам 6

Раздирайте сердца ваши, а не одежды ваши и обратитесь к Господу, Богу вашему; ибо Он благ и милосерден. — Иоиль 2:13

Во многих культурах громкие вопли, плач и раздирание одежд – общепринятый способ выражения скорби. Для ветхозаветного Израиля эти действия, кроме прочего, означали глубокое раскаяние в отступлении от Господа.

Внешние проявления покаяния могут быть действительно драматичными, если проистекают из искреннего сердца. Если же внутри ничего не происходит, внешние действия превращаются в бессмысленный обряд.

Когда нашествие саранчи опустошило землю, Бог через пророка Иоиля призвал людей к искреннему покаянию, чтобы избежать еще большего осуждения. «Но и ныне еще говорит Господь: “Обратитесь ко Мне всем сердцем своим в посте, плаче и рыдании”» (Иоиль 2:12).

Затем пророк побуждает слушателей к глубокому сердечному отклику: «Раздирайте сердца ваши, а не одежды ваши и обратитесь к Господу, Богу вашему; ибо Он благ и милосерден, долготерпелив и многомилостив и сожалеет о бедствии» (Иоиль 2:13). Истинное покаяние рождается в сердце.

Господь желает, чтобы мы исповедовали перед Ним свои грехи и получали прощение, чтобы любить Его и служить Ему всем сердцем, душой, разумением и крепостью. Что бы вы ни говорили Господу, пусть это будет от сердца.

Господи, даруй мне покаянное сердце, чтобы видеть себя так, как видишь Ты. Даруй мне благодать откликнуться на Твой благой призыв к переменам.

Бог желает слышать голос сердца.

© 2016 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Notre Pain Quotidien - D’un coeur sincère

par David McCasland

Lisez : Joël 2.12‑17 | La Bible en un an : Ésaïe 53 – 55 et 2 Thessaloniciens 1

Déchirez vos coeurs et non vos vêtements, et revenez à l’Éternel, votre Dieu ; car il est compatissant et miséricordieux. (Jean 11.25)

Dans nombre de cultures, il est courant que les gens pleurent d’une voix forte, gémissent et déchirent leurs vêtements lors d’un drame personnel ou d’une grande tragédie nationale. C’est d’ailleurs ainsi que les Israélites de l’Ancien Testament extériorisaient la tristesse et la repentance profondes que leur inspirait le fait d’avoir tourné le dos au Seigneur.

Une démonstration extérieure de repentance provenant d’un coeur sincère peut procurer une grande libération. Autrement, nous risquons de faire semblant au sein de notre communauté de foi.

Après qu’un fléau de sauterelles a ravagé le pays de Juda, Dieu, par la bouche du prophète Joël, a appelé le peuple à se repentir sincèrement afin de s’éviter un autre jugement divin : « Maintenant encore, dit l’Éternel, revenez à moi de tout votre coeur, avec des jeûnes, avec des pleurs et des lamentations ! » (JOË 2.12.)

Puis Joël a sollicité une réponse bien sentie : « Déchirez vos coeurs et non vos vêtements, et revenez à l’Éternel, votre Dieu ; car il est compatissant et miséricordieux, lent à la colère et riche en bonté, et il se repent des maux qu’il envoie » (V. 13). La vraie repentance provient du coeur.

Dieu désire ardemment que nous lui confessions nos péchés et que nous recevions son pardon de sorte que nous l’aimions et le servions de tout notre coeur, de toute notre âme, de tout notre esprit et de toute notre force.

Confiez donc vos besoins à Dieu d’un coeur sincère.

Dieu désire entendre parler votre coeur.

© 2016 Ministères NPQ