Friday, November 25, 2016
The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, November 26, 2016
Zechariah 14:12-21
This shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot while they are still on their feet; their eyes shall rot in their sockets, and their tongues shall rot in their mouths. On that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of a neighbor, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other; even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected-- gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever animals may be in those camps. Then all who survive of the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the festival of booths. If any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain upon them. And if the family of Egypt do not go up and present themselves, then on them shall come the plague that the LORD inflicts on the nations that do not go up to keep the festival of booths. Such shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to keep the festival of booths. On that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the cooking pots in the house of the LORD shall be as holy as the bowls in front of the altar; and every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be sacred to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and use them to boil the flesh of the sacrifice. And there shall no longer be traders in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.
Philippians 2:1-11
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luke 19:41-48
As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God." Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer' but you have made it a den of robbers." Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they hear.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 137 Super flumina
1 By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered you, O Zion.
2 As for our harps, we hung them up on the trees in the midst of that land.
3 For those who led us away captive asked us for a song, and our oppressors called for mirth: "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song upon an alien soil?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
7 Remember the day of Jerusalem, O LORD, against the people of Edom, who said, "Down with it! down with it! even to the ground!"
8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy the one who pays you back for what you have done to us!
9 Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, and dashes them against the rock!
Psalm 144 Benedictus Dominus
1 Blessed be the LORD my rock! who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;
2 My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I trust, who subdues the peoples under me.
3 O LORD, what are we that you should care for us? mere mortals that you should think of us?
4 We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Hurl the lightning and scatter them; shoot out your arrows and rout them.
7 Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign peoples,
8 Whose mouths speak deceitfully and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
9 O God, I will sing to you a new song; I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.
10 You give victory to kings and have rescued David your servant.
11 Rescue me from the hurtful sword and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,
12 Whose mouths speak deceitfully and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
13 May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.
14 May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands; may our cattle be fat and sleek.
15 May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, no wailing in the public squares.
16 Happy are the people of whom this is so! happy are the people whose God is the LORD!
Evening Psalms
Psalm 104 Benedic, anima mea
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; O LORD my God, how excellent is your greatness! you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
2 You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak and spread out the heavens like a curtain.
3 You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; you make the clouds your chariot; you ride on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers and flames of fire your servants.
5 You have set the earth upon its foundations, so that it never shall move at any time.
6 You covered it with the Deep as with a mantle; the waters stood higher than the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled; at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
8 They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath, to the places you had appointed for them.
9 You set the limits that they should not pass; they shall not again cover the earth.
10 You send the springs into the valleys; they flow between the mountains.
11 All the beasts of the field drink their fill from them, and the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the air make their nests and sing among the branches.
13 You water the mountains from your dwelling on high; the earth is fully satisfied by the fruit of your works.
14 You make grass grow for flocks and herds and plants to serve mankind;
15 That they may bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden our hearts,
16 Oil to make a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen the heart.
17 The trees of the LORD are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
18 In which the birds build their nests, and in whose tops the stork makes his dwelling.
19 The high hills are a refuge for the mountain goats, and the stony cliffs for the rock badgers.
20 You appointed the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows the time of its setting.
21 You make darkness that it may be night, in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
22 The lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God.
23 The sun rises, and they slip away and lay themselves down in their dens.
24 Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening.
25 O LORD, how manifold are your works! in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
26 Yonder is the great and wide sea with its living things too many to number, creatures both small and great.
27 There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, which you have made for the sport of it.
28 All of them look to you to give them their food in due season.
29 You give it to them; they gather it; you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust.
31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth.
32 May the glory of the LORD endure for ever; may the LORD rejoice in all his works.
33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will praise my God while I have my being.
35 May these words of mine please him; I will rejoice in the LORD.
36 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the wicked be no more.
37 Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah!
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 SATURDAY, November 26, 2016
From Forward Day By Day
Written by Richelle Thompson
Philippians 2:4 (NRSV) Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Sometimes the courage of a daughter inspires her mother.
Unbeknownst to me, our daughter contacted the parents of a friend. Her friend was making questionable decisions, and our daughter was worried. As you can imagine, the words snitch and tattletale (among others) flew by text from phone to phone. I was a little astonished (and a lot proud) but mostly I wanted to see how my daughter was handling the backlash. She wasn’t happy about it—and she hoped her friend would come around. But I love her enough that even if we’re never friends again, maybe she’ll be safer. And that’s worth it.
Saint Paul urges the Christians living in Philippi to put aside their self-interests and conceit for the good of the community. Care for others in the way that Christ loves, not meddlesome or with envy, but with a love that surpasses all else, a love that may come at a great cost—even, sometimes, friendship.
Join more than a half million readers worldwide who use Forward Day by Day as a resource for daily prayer and Bible study
Written by Richelle Thompson
Philippians 2:4 (NRSV) Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Sometimes the courage of a daughter inspires her mother.
Unbeknownst to me, our daughter contacted the parents of a friend. Her friend was making questionable decisions, and our daughter was worried. As you can imagine, the words snitch and tattletale (among others) flew by text from phone to phone. I was a little astonished (and a lot proud) but mostly I wanted to see how my daughter was handling the backlash. She wasn’t happy about it—and she hoped her friend would come around. But I love her enough that even if we’re never friends again, maybe she’ll be safer. And that’s worth it.
Saint Paul urges the Christians living in Philippi to put aside their self-interests and conceit for the good of the community. Care for others in the way that Christ loves, not meddlesome or with envy, but with a love that surpasses all else, a love that may come at a great cost—even, sometimes, friendship.
Join more than a half million readers worldwide who use Forward Day by Day as a resource for daily prayer and Bible study
Our Daily Bread - Unsend
Read: 1 Peter 3:8–12 | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 27–29; 1 Peter 3
Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 1 Peter 3:10
Have you ever sent an email and suddenly realized it went to the wrong person or it contained harmful, harsh words? If only you could press a key and stop it. Well, now you can. Several companies offer a feature that gives you a brief time after sending an email to stop it from leaving your computer. After that, the email is like a spoken word that cannot be unsaid. Rather than being seen as a cure-all, an “unsend” feature should remind us that it’s extremely important to guard what we say.
In the apostle Peter’s first letter, he told the followers of Jesus, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing. . . . For, ‘whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it’ ” (1 Peter 3:9–11).
The psalmist David wrote, “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3). That’s a great prayer for the beginning of each day and in every situation when we want to strike back with words.
Lord, guard our words today so we may not harm others by what we say.
Father, teach us first to guard our hearts so that we may guard our tongues. And help us, when we do say things we regret, to humbly apologize and seek forgiveness.
The tongue has the power of life and death. Proverbs 18:21
© 2016 Our Daily Bread Ministries
Nuestro Pan Diario - No enviar
Leer: 1 Pedro 3:8-12 | La Biblia en un año: 1 Pedro 3
El que quiere amar la vida y ver días buenos, refrene su lengua de mal, y sus labios no hablen engaño (1 Pedro 3:10).
¿A lguna vez mandaste un email y, de pronto, te diste cuenta de que había ido a la persona equivocada o que contenía palabras duras e hirientes? ¡Si tan solo pudieras presionar una tecla y detenerlo! Bueno, ahora puedes hacerlo. Varias compañías ofrecen una opción que te da un tiempo breve después de enviar un correo para detenerlo antes de que salga de tu ordenador. Después de eso, el email es como una palabra dicha que no puede retractarse. En lugar de considerarse una solución, esta opción de «no enviar» debería recordarnos la enorme importancia de cuidarnos en lo que decimos.
En su primera carta, el apóstol Pedro les decía a los seguidores de Jesús: «no devolviendo mal por mal, ni maldición por maldición, sino por el contrario, bendiciendo […]. Porque: El que quiere amar la vida y ver días buenos, refrene su lengua de mal, y sus labios no hablen engaño; apártese del mal, y haga el bien; busque la paz, y sígala» (1 Pedro 3:9-11).
El salmista David escribió: «Pon guarda a mi boca, oh Señor; guarda la puerta de mis labios» (Salmo 141:3). Esta es una buena oración para empezar cada día y en toda situación en que queramos contraatacar con palabras.
Señor, ayúdame a cuidar mi corazón para controlar mi lengua, y mis palabras para no herir a los demás. Y en humildad, a saber pedir perdón.
La muerte y la vida están en poder de la lengua. Proverbios 18:21
© 2016 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Unser Täglich Brot - Rückruf
Von David McCasland
Lesen: 1.Petrus 3,8-12 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Hesekiel 27–29; 1.Petrus 3
Wer das Leben lieben und gute Tage sehen will, der hüte seine Zunge, dass sie nichts Böses rede. (1.Petrus 3,10)
Hast du schon mal eine E-Mail abgeschickt und plötzlich gemerkt, dass sie an den falschen Empfänger ging oder du etwas geschrieben hast, was du lieber zurücknehmen würdest? Gäbe es doch nur eine Taste, um die Mail anzuhalten. Nun, unter gewissen Bedingungen ist das möglich. In manchen Programmen kann man einstellen, dass eine Mail nicht sofort gesendet wird. Danach jedoch ist sie wie ein gesprochenes Wort, das man nicht ungesagt machen kann. Statt als Heilmittel angesehen zu werden, sollte die „Rückruf“—Funktion uns daran erinnern, wie wichtig es ist, dass wir darauf achten, was wir sagen.
Der Apostel Petrus sagt den Nachfolgern Jesu in seinem ersten Brief: „Vergeltet nicht Böses mit Bösem oder Scheltwort mit Scheltwort, sondern segnet vielmehr . . . Denn wer das Leben lieben und gute Tage sehen will, der hüte seine Zunge, dass sie nichts Böses rede, und seine Lippen, dass sie nicht betrügen. Er wende sich ab vom Bösen und tue Gutes; er suche Frieden und jage ihm nach“ (1.Petr. 3,9-11).
Und der Psalmist David bittet: „Herr, behüte meinen Mund und bewahre meine Lippen“ (Ps. 141,3). Das ist ein gutes Gebet am Anfang eines jeden Tages und in jeder Situation, in der wir mit Worten zurückschlagen wollen.
Herr, behüte heute unsere Worte, damit wir niemandem damit wehtun.
Vater, bewahre du zunächst unsere Herzen, damit wir unsere Lippen bewahren. Und wenn wir etwas gesagt haben, was uns leidtut, dann schenk uns die Demut, uns zu entschuldigen und um Verzeihung zu bitten.
Tod und Leben stehen in der Zunge Gewalt. Sprüche 18,21
© 2016 Unser Täglich Brot
Хлеб наш насущный - «Вернуть»
автор: Дэвид Маккасланд
Читать сейчас: 1 Петра 3:8-12 | Библия за год: Иезекииль 27-29; Евреям 2
Кто любит жизнь и хочет видеть добрые дни, тот удерживай язык свой от зла и уста свои от лукавых речей. — 1 Петра 3:10
Случалось ли вам отправлять письмо и затем вдруг осознавать, что вы указали не тот адрес или слишком погорячились в словах? Если бы только можно было нажать клавишу и все вернуть! Что ж, теперь это возможно. Ряд компаний предлагают опцию, позволяющую в течение короткого времени после отправки письма вернуть его обратно. Но если время вышло, уже ничего не поделать. Письмо стало «как воробей»: вылетело и не поймаешь. Опция «вернуть» на самом деле не является панацеей, а, скорее, напоминанием о том, как важно думать, что говоришь.
В Первом послании Петра апостол убеждает христиан: «Не воздавайте злом за зло или ругательством за ругательство; напротив, благословляйте... Ибо кто любит жизнь и хочет видеть добрые дни, тот удерживай язык свой от зла и уста свои от лукавых речей; уклоняйся от зла и делай добро; ищи мира и стремись к нему» (1 Пет. 3:9-11).
Псалмопевец Давид писал: «Положи, Господи, охрану устам моим и огради двери уст моих» (Пс. 140:3). Это замечательная молитва для начала дня и для любой ситуации, когда нам хочется сказать что-то обидное или злое.
Господь, положи охрану нашим устам, чтобы мы не ранили тех, к кому обращаемся.
Отче, научи нас вначале охранять свои сердца, чтобы затем мы смогли обуздывать уста. И помоги, если мы скажем что-то недоброе, смиренно каяться и просить прощения.
«Смерть и жизнь – во власти языка».
© 2016 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Notre Pain Quotidien - Non‑envoi
par David McCasland
Lisez : 1 Pierre 3.8‑12 | La Bible en un an : Ézéchiel 27 – 29 et 1 Pierre 3
Si quelqu’un, en effet, veut aimer la vie et
voir des jours heureux, qu’il préserve sa langue du mal et ses lèvres
des paroles trompeuses. (1 Pierre 3.10)
Vous est‑il déjà arrivé d’envoyer un
courriel pour vous rendre compte soudain que vous l’aviez destiné à la
mauvaise personne ou qu’il contenait des propos durs et blessants ? Si
seulement on pouvait arrêter son envoi d’un simple clic de souris. Eh
bien, on le peut désormais. Plusieurs entreprises offrent maintenant une
option qui nous accorde un court laps de temps avant d’envoyer un
courriel depuis notre ordinateur. Ensuite, le courriel se change en
parole exprimée et que l’on ne peut donc plus reprendre. Au lieu d’y
voir une panacée, l’option « non‑envoi » devrait nous rappeler qu’il est
primordial de mettre une garde à nos lèvres.
Dans sa première épître, l’apôtre Paul a
dit aux disciples de Jésus : « Ne rendez point mal pour mal, ou injure
pour injure ; bénissez, au contraire […] Si quelqu’un, en effet, veut
aimer la vie et voir des jours heureux, qu’il préserve sa langue du mal
et ses lèvres des paroles trompeuses, qu’il s’éloigne du mal et fasse le
bien, qu’il recherche la paix et la poursuive » (1 PI 3.9‑11).
David, le psalmiste, a d’ailleurs écrit :
« Éternel, mets une garde à ma bouche, veille sur la porte de mes
lèvres ! » (PS 141.3.) Quelle merveilleuse prière à faire en début de
journée et en toute situation où nous serions tentés de répliquer avec
méchanceté !
Seigneur, mets une garde à nos lèvres aujourd’hui, afin que nous ne blessions personne par nos paroles.
© 2016 Ministères NPQ
Girlfriends in God - You’re Enough as You Are
by Holley Gerth
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14, NIV)
Friend to Friend
“I am enough because of God.” -Eve, before the fall
“I am not enough.” -Eve, when the serpent tempted her (read Genesis 3)
A cool breeze brushes Eve’s cheek as she walks through the Garden of Eden with her husband and her God. All around her, trees and flowers bloom in brilliant colors. Animals peacefully rest in the shade. She breathes in a deep sigh of contentment. Life is good. She feels no self-consciousness, worry, or fear. Everything is as it should be. She is loved. She is content. She is safe.
The next day she hears an unfamiliar voice as she picks fruit from a group of trees. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). She furrows her brow and turns to reply. No one has ever questioned God before! She says to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’” (Genesis 3:2–3).
Perhaps she expects this explanation to satisfy this snake in the grass. But he continues, “You will not certainly die . . . For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4–5). We know how the rest of the story goes. Eve eats and paradise is lost. But what lie entrapped her heart? What did she believe?
When I read this story, one phrase jumps out at me: You will be like God. In other words, you’re not enough as you are. And with that lie comes a sinister implication: God is holding out on you. Ironically, it’s the same reason the serpent fell. Not content with his identity or position in heaven, he grasped for all of God’s glory and lost everything. But even then he didn’t learn his lesson. He’s still trying to drag God’s daughters down with him.
When I talk with women as an author, counselor, life coach, and friend, I hear the lie Eve believed repeated so often. And I’ve heard it in my own heart as well. The enemy has not changed his tactics much since the beginning of time. That one lie has a variety of versions . . .
You’re not lovable enough.
You’re not good enough.
You’re not beautiful enough.
You’re not smart enough.
You’re not cool enough.
You’re not successful enough.
But all of those expressions have the same message. Somehow, in some way, we must be lacking. Who God has made us and what He has given us are not really adequate. That can seem true because we were once all sinners in need of a Savior. But once we give Jesus our lives, He restores all that was lost in the fall. We live in a post-paradise world, but our identities in God’s eyes are post-cross perfect. We are enough because Jesus is enough in us.
When the enemy tries to convince our hearts that’s not true, what can we say in response? He started his temptation of Eve with, “Did God really say . . . ” I believe we defeat him by answering with “Here’s what God really does say . . .” That’s the tactic Jesus used when the devil tempted Him.
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, ‘If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Mark 4:1–4).
The devil tempted Jesus two more times after that, and our Savior always responded with Scripture. We can follow His example when the enemy tries to ensnare us as well. For example, when we hear the lie, “You are not enough,” we can answer with what God says to us through Scriptures like these:
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. (2 Peter 1:3)
I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
The only weapon that’s part of the armor of God is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The enemy took advantage of Eve, and she acted as if she were defenseless. But we don’t have to do the same.
You are a woman.
You are a warrior.
You wield God’s truth, and it cannot be overcome.
Let’s Pray
Lord, thank You so much that You declare I am enough in You and because of You. When the lies in my life and heart get loud, help me listen to Your voice of truth instead. I’m so grateful that I belong to You, and that You alone have the final word on my identity and destiny.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Talk with God about the lies you battle and ask Him to reveal what’s true. Listen for His loving voice in your heart, look to His Word, and be honest about what you’re feeling.
Here are a few questions you can ponder today:
- What’s a lie I’ve battled? (Example: I’m not enough.)
- How do I need to be healed from the ways this lie has wounded me? Write a prayer sharing honestly with God about how this lie has hurt you and asking Him to heal your heart.
- What’s the truth that will defeat this lie in my life? (Example: I am enough because of God.) Ask God what’s really true, and take time to listen for His answer. It may come from today’s Scriptures, the devotional, encouraging words from someone in your life, or His still small voice within your heart.
This devotion is an exclusive excerpt from Holley Gerth’s newest devotional, Do You Know You’re Already Amazing?. If you’ve read her bestselling book You’re Already Amazing, you already know this devotional is full of truths that will set your heart free so you can become all you were made to be! Holley often says she’s an author, a life coach, a speaker and a friend to YOU! She would love to connect with you on social media at @HolleyGerth or on her blog.
Standing Strong Through the Storm - RADICAL CHRISTIANITY
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Revelation 3:18
Radical Christianity is a life-style, not just a mindset; radical Christianity is concerned with conquering, not cowering; with sacrifice, not superficiality; with victory, not verbiage; with scoring, not slumming; with penetration, not pandering. Radical Christianity is in first gear, neutral is nonexistent; radical Christianity is courageous but never constrictive constraining or cautious! Radical Christianity moves mountains; crosses Red Seas; pulls down walls; builds walls; walks on water; raises the dead; calms storms; feeds 5000 and walks through closed doors.
It suffers regularly; soars often; sweats daily; saturates everything and spreads everywhere. Radical Christianity calls sin black, hell hot, hypocrisy evil, Satan a liar and judgment sure. It doesn’t back down, sit down or stay down. Radical Christianity doesn't depend on the strokes of others to keep it going. It doesn’t acquiesce in the face of loud opposition, fold under pressure, wince under criticism, tarnish under time, die under duress, fade under technology nor rot under moisture. It doesn’t rust, retreat, renounce, reconsider, return or renege.
Radical Christianity always lifts up Christ; knocks down barriers; marches over objections; overwhelms pessimism; gobbles up cynicism; and tramples down skepticism.
Radical Christianity gives lavishly; prays relentlessly; claims abundantly; works feverishly; preaches powerfully; serves lovingly; perseveres patiently and believes expectantly! Radical Christianity dares to challenge the prevailing standard to make it God’s. It never plays to the grandstands; nor waters down its position; nor adjusts its principles, but rather is a thermostat that controls its surroundings, never a thermometer that merely adjusts to them. It is never big, popular, stylish, convenient, in vogue or in-step with the world. Its adherents are few; its sound clear; its philosophy unpopular and its rewards great. Its disciples aren’t rewarded by this world but are those to whom Christ will say, “Well done!”[1]
A congregation of believers was worshipping in a Sunday service in Peru and a squad of heavily armed Shining Path rebels came rushing in. “We’ve heard that this group is committed to God. How many of you are willing to die for your faith? Raise your hands,” he commanded.
Fearing they would be slaughtered, most of the congregation remained still. But a small number of believers tentatively raised their hands. The others were released and the commander said, “Those of you who raised your hands, stop worrying. We’re not going to kill you. We just wanted to see who in the congregation believed enough in their faith that they were willing to die for it. That’s the kind of radical commitment we’re looking for.”
RESPONSE: Today I commit to being a radical Christian and give everything I am and have to Jesus.
PRAYER: Pray for Christians in conflict areas who must regularly put their lives on the line.
1. Bob Moorehead, Words Aptly Spoken (Kirkland, WA: Overlake Christian Press, 1995), p. 17.
Men of the Bible - The Prodigal Son and the Elder Brother
Their work: These men worked for their father, a wealthy landowner.
Their character: Both of the brothers were sinners. One committed the sin of unrighteous living and the other the sin of self-righteousness.
Their sorrow: Both men were alienated from their father. Geography separated the prodigal from his father, while pride separated the elder brother.
Their triumph: The father's open arms and homecoming feast welcomed the prodigal. There was no happiness for the elder brother except the misplaced belief that he was better than his wayward sibling.
Key Scriptures: Luke 15
A Look at the Men
This biblical account is one of Jesus' parables, often called "The Story of the Prodigal Son." But it's really the story of not one but three men: the prodigal son, the elder brother, and the waiting father. Each plays a critical role in the narrative.
What the younger son asked of his father was unthinkable. Inheritance was paid to a man's sons upon his death, so in prematurely requesting the birthright from his father, the boy was saying that he wouldn't care if his father were dead. His rebellion was open and shameless, a public embarrassment for the entire family. And what he did broke his father's heart.
The older boy was every father's dream. As an employee, his efforts were productive, his work ethic was flawless. Even his conduct was exemplary—and he did not hesitate to review all of these qualities in his father's hearing. He had every confidence that his virtuous behavior earned not only his father's respect and riches but his love as well.
But the elder brother carried a deep grudge. The insolence of his younger brother's words and the slack in his life ground away at the elder brother's soul like a millstone. And the special attention the young son drew from the father turned the older son's grudge into hatred.
As far as the elder brother was concerned, the moment the inheritance payment was made to his sibling, the boy's days as a member of the family were finished. Now the older son was his father's only son, and the benefits of his father's wealth would be exclusively his.
Unfortunately for the elder brother, this was not his father's disposition. The younger son, even with his inheritance paid in full, was still a member of the family. Neither open defiance nor running away would have any effect on his father's love for him. This infuriated the elder brother, but his simmering anger was about to be turned into a bubbling cauldron.
The father threw a party. It was bad enough for his absent little brother to keep their father in distress while he was in a faraway land, but to have his father throw a celebration when he returned home was more than the elder brother could bear. In his attempt to punish the father for his grace, he refused to attend the merrymaking, preferring to sulk instead.
In this parable Jesus was declaring all of humankind "sinners," and he divided them into two groups: prodigals and elder brothers—the unrighteous and the self-righteous. And he underscored the fact that the heavenly Father—the living God—loved both and was willing to forgive both.
Contrition for his blatant sinfulness earned the younger brother full forgiveness and a party in his honor. But the older son's inability to see his self-righteousness as sin kept him from receiving the forgiveness his father would have freely extended. So he spent the night alone, overhearing the joyous celebration but experiencing none of it himself.
Reflect On: Luke 15:20–31
Praise God: For his mercy.
Offer Thanks: For the picture of the waiting father and how it tells us of the loving heavenly Father who is eager to forgive our sins of unrighteousness and self-righteousness.
Confess: Any tendency to believe that good deeds earn us a place in the kingdom.
Ask God: To change your attitude, to give you a compassion for the lost and to make your obedience to him a response to his love rather than treating it as a way to earn his love.
Un Dia a la Vez- Espera tu momento
Por tanto, digo: «El Señor es todo lo que tengo. ¡En él esperaré!». Lamentaciones 3:24
¡Qué difícil nos resulta esperar por cualquier cosa que deseamos que suceda!
La espera significa rendir nuestras fuerzas, nuestro tiempo y desarrollar la paciencia.
Dicen por ahí que «el que espera desespera», pero no se trata de eso. Se trata de ser sabios y saber que aunque ahora nos desesperamos, llegará ese momento tan anhelado.
Hoy mi motivación va mas allá de que logremos todo lo que esperamos. Sé que a veces resulta frustrante haber esperado tanto tiempo por algo para que se deshaga al final. Incluso, nos sucede con la persona que creíamos que sería nuestro cónyuge para toda la vida. Entonces pasa algo de repente y todo se acaba al instante.
Quizá nos parezca que tenemos un trabajo en el que estaremos por mucho tiempo y pensamos que somos los ideales para ciertas posiciones. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo los cambios nos llevan a salir de la compañía y los ideales pueden estar en peligro una vez más.
Recuerda, además, que nuestras malas decisiones alteran la estabilidad y pueden alejar lo que ya estaba cerca de parte de Dios. Por eso vale la pena esperar, pues Dios nos dará lo mejor de lo mejor.
Espera tu momento, que cuando llegue, Dios te sorprenderá.
Verse of the Day - November 25, 2016
Colossians 3:17 (NIV) And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Read all of Colossians 3
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