Standing Strong Through the Storm - LIVE IN PEACE AND HOLINESS

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

As we see in Hebrews chapter twelve, once we “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,” we will be aware of how we should then live. Now the writer teaches us about the value of peace and holiness. It is difficult to live in peace with others until you have made your peace with God.

Pastor Haik Hovsepian in Iran (who was martyred in January 1994) once preached on the topic “Salvation or Religion.” It was a very powerful message that goes through five differences between religion and salvation in Christ. Thousands of his tapes on this topic have been distributed in Iran.

One of the people who recently got hold of this tape is a Quran reciter. He has a very powerful voice and many times he has been invited to recite the Quran in different mosques in Iran. He also passionately recited about the life of the Imams (Muhammad’s descendants), who have died in mourning ceremonies in order to make people cry. He used to be a very religious person himself.

When he got hold of the tape with the sermon of Haik, he realized that through religion he cannot be saved. He was in captivity of some immoral sins such as alcohol abuse and adultery. He was a very high-tempered and depressed person too. When he heard about the difference between religion and the salvation of Jesus, the Spirit of God spoke to his heart. He was so moved by the message that he listened to the tape a few more times. Every time he listened to this tape, he felt even more convinced that he needed the salvation of Jesus, until he finally gave his life to the Lord.

Then he was not only liberated from the captivity of his sins, but also from the captivity of the religion with which he was identifying. There was an extraordinary joy and happiness in his face after this experience. In the past, he wore black shirts, as his job was to make people in the mosques cry. But after experiencing Jesus in his life, even his shirts changed to lighter colors! He is now using his voice to sing for the Lord and shares about Jesus wherever he goes.

Being a well-known person among Muslim religious leaders and other people, one evening the secret police knocked at his door. Two weeks later, they released him from prison on bail until his trial time. He had to borrow half of that money from his relatives. As he lost his job as a Quran reciter, he does not have any source of income, so it is difficult for him to live and to pay the money back to his family. But he is trying to live at peace with all people and show God’s holiness in his life. Praise God for the faith of this brother and for his steadfastness in following Jesus.

RESPONSE: Today I will live at peace with others and reveal God’s holiness in my life.

PRAYER: Pray for more believers of Muslim background to find peace with God and others.

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Our Daily Bread - God’s Face

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:4–15 | Bible in a Year: Exodus 4–6; Matthew 14:22–36

For God . . . made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Much of my career as a writer has revolved around the problem of pain. I return again and again to the same questions, as if fingering an old wound that never quite heals. I hear from readers of my books, and their anguished stories give human faces to my doubts. I remember a youth pastor calling me after he had learned that his wife and baby daughter were dying of AIDS because of a tainted blood transfusion. “How can I talk to my youth group about a loving God?” he asked.

I have learned to not even attempt an answer to these “why” questions. Why did the youth pastor’s wife happen to get the one tainted bottle of blood? Why does a tornado hit one town and skip over another? Why do prayers for physical healing go unanswered?

One question, however, no longer gnaws at me as it once did: “Does God care?” I know of only one way to answer that question, and the answer is Jesus. In Jesus, God gave us a face. If you wonder how God feels about the suffering on this groaning planet, look at that face.

“Does God care?” His Son’s death on our behalf, which will ultimately destroy all pain, sorrow, suffering, and death for eternity, answers that question. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

God’s love for us is as expansive as the open arms of Christ on the cross.

By Philip Yancey

© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Nuestro Pan Diario - El rostro de Dios

Leer: 2 Corintios 4:4-15 | La Biblia en un año: Mateo 14:22-36

Porque Dios […] resplandeció en nuestros corazones, para iluminación del conocimiento de la gloria de Dios en la faz de Jesucristo (2 Corintios 4:6).

Gran parte de mi carrera como escritor ha girado en torno al tema del sufrimiento. Vuelvo una y otra vez a la misma pregunta, como si hubiera una antigua herida que no se ha curado. Quienes leen mis libros parecen ponerles rostro a mis dudas. Recuerdo a un joven pastor que me llamó tras saber que su esposa y su hijita morirían de SIDA por una transfusión de sangre infectada, y preguntó: «¿Cómo puedo hablarles a mis jóvenes del amor de Dios?».

Con el tiempo, aprendí a no intentar responder los «porqué» de la vida. Sin embargo, una pregunta que solía hacerme ya no me carcome: «¿A Dios le importa?». La única manera de contestarla es Jesús. En Él, Dios nos mostró su faz. Si te preguntas qué siente Dios ante el sufrimiento en este planeta que gime, mira ese rostro.

«¿A Dios le importa?». La muerte de su Hijo a nuestro favor —que finalmente destruirá para la eternidad toda angustia, tristeza, sufrimiento y muerte— responde esta pregunta; «Porque Dios, que mandó que de las tinieblas resplandeciese la luz, es el que resplandeció en nuestros corazones, para iluminación del conocimiento de la gloria de Dios en la faz de Jesucristo» (2 Corintios 4:6).

Señor, ayúdame a entender que todos los porqués de mi vida se explican mediante tu amor demostrado a través de la Persona y la obra de Jesús a mi favor.

El amor de Dios por nosotros es tan amplio como los brazos extendidos de Cristo en la cruz.

Por Philip Yancey

© 2017 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario

Unser Täglich Brot - Gottes Angesicht

Lesen: 2.Korinther 4,4-15 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: 2.Mose 4–6; Matthäus 14,22-36

Denn Gott . . . hat einen hellen Schein in unsre Herzen gegeben, dass durch uns entstünde die Erleuchtung zur Erkenntnis der Herrlichkeit Gottes in dem Angesicht Jesu Christi. 2.Korinther 4,6

Ein großer Teil meiner schriftstellerischen Tätigkeit dreht sich um das Problem des Leids. Immer wieder stoße ich auf dieselben Fragen wie auf eine alte Wunde, die nicht zuheilen will. Ich erhalte Reaktionen von meinen Lesern und ihre Geschichten geben meinen Zweifeln ein Gesicht. Da ist der Jugendpastor, der mich anrief, nachdem er erfahren hatte, dass seine Frau und seine kleine Tochter wegen einer infizierten Bluttransfusion an Aids sterben würden. „Wie soll ich meiner Jugendgruppe von einem liebenden Gott erzählen?“

Ich habe gelernt, solche „Warum?“-Fragen nicht mehr beantworten zu wollen. Wieso bekam gerade die Frau dieses Pastors die eine verseuchte Dosis? Wieso trifft ein Wirbelsturm eine Stadt und nicht die andere? Warum werden Gebete um Heilung nicht erhört?

Eine Frage allerdings nagt nicht mehr so an mir wie früher: „Ist es Gott egal?“ Ich habe darauf nur eine Antwort, und die lautet: Jesus. In Jesus hat Gott uns ein Gesicht gegeben. Wenn du dich fragst, was Gott im Blick auf das Leid auf diesem ächzenden Planeten empfindet, dann schau in dies Gesicht.

„Ist es Gott egal?“ Der Tod seines Sohnes um unseretwillen, der allen Schmerz, alles Leid, alle Not und selbst den Tod auf ewig vernichten wird, beantwortet die Frage. „Denn Gott, der sprach: Licht soll aus der Finsternis hervorbrechen, der hat einen hellen Schein in unsre Herzen gegeben, dass durch uns entstünde die Erleuchtung zur Erkenntnis der Herrlichkeit Gottes in dem Angesicht Jesu Christi“ (2.Korinther 4,6).

Gottes Liebe zu uns reicht so weit wie die ausgestreckten Arme Jesu am Kreuz.

Von Philip Yancey

© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Хлеб наш насущный - Божье лицо

Читать сейчас: 2 Коринфянам 4:4-15 | Библия за год: Исход 4-6; Матфея 14:22-36

Бог, повелевший из тьмы воссиять свету, озарил наши сердца, дабы просветить нас познанием славы Божией в лице Иисуса Христа. — 2 Коринфянам 4:6

Значительная часть моей писательской работы была связана с проблемой боли. Я снова и снова возвращался к одним и тем же вопросам, раздражая старую рану, которая никогда не заживала. Я получаю письма от своих читателей, и их скорбные рассказы придают моим сомнениям человеческие лица. Я помню молодежного пастора, который позвонил мне после того, как узнал, что его жена и ребенок умрут от СПИДа, которым заразились во время переливания крови. «Как я могу говорить своей молодежной группе о любящем Боге?» – спрашивал он.

 Я понял, что не стоит даже пытаться отвечать на все эти «почему». Почему жене молодежного пастора перелили зараженную кровь? Почему смерч разрушил один дом, а соседний уцелел? Почему молитвы об исцелении остаются без ответа?

Впрочем, один вопрос уже не так гнетет меня, как раньше: «Заботится ли Бог?» Я знаю только один ответ на этот вопрос. Этот ответ – Иисус. В Иисусе Христе Бог открыл нам Свое лицо. Если вы не знаете, что чувствует Бог, глядя на страдание людей, взгляните на это лицо.

«Заботится ли Бог?» Смерть Его Сына за наши грехи, которая в будущем навсегда положит конец боли, печали, страданиям и смерти, отвечает на этот вопрос. «Потому что Бог, повелевший из тьмы воссиять свету, озарил наши сердца, дабы просветить нас познанием славы Божией в лице Иисуса Христа» (2 Кор. 4:6).

Божья любовь к нам так же широка, как и объятия Христа на кресте.

автор: Филип Янси

© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Notre Pain Quotidien - La face de Dieu

Lisez : 2 Corinthiens 4.4‑15 | La Bible en un an : Exode 4 – 6 et Matthieu 14.22-36

Car Dieu […] a fait briller la lumière dans nos coeurs pour faire resplendir la connaissance de la gloire de Dieu sur la face de Christ. (2 Corinthiens 4.6)

Une grande partie de ma carrière d’auteur a tourné autour du problème de la souffrance. Je ne cesse de revenir sur les mêmes questions, comme si je retournais le fer dans une plaie qui ne guérit jamais entièrement. Je reçois des lettres de lecteurs de mes livres, et leurs histoires marquées par l’angoisse mettent des visages sur mes doutes. Je me souviens d’un pasteur de la jeunesse qui m’a téléphoné après avoir appris que sa femme et sa fillette encore bébé se mouraient du SIDA à cause d’une transfusion de sang contaminé. « Comment faire pour parler à mon groupe de jeunes au sujet d’un Dieu bienveillant ? », m’a‑t‑il alors demandé.

J’ai appris à ne plus chercher de réponses à ces « Pourquoi ? » Pourquoi la poche de sang contaminé est‑elle échue aux proches de ce pasteur ? Pourquoi une tornade ravage‑t‑elle un village, mais en épargne un autre ? Pourquoi les prières de guérison physique ne s’exaucent‑elles pas toutes ?

Une question ne me harcèle toutefois plus : « Dieu s’en préoccupe‑t‑il ? » Je ne connais qu’une seule bonne réponse à cette question. En Jésus, Dieu nous a donné un visage. Si vous vous demandez ce que Dieu ressent devant les souffrances de notre planète éprouvée, plongez le regard dans ce visage.

La mort de son Fils, qui éliminera pour l’éternité tout ce qui est chagrin, souffrance et mort, y répond : « Car Dieu […] a fait briller la lumière dans nos coeurs pour faire resplendir la connaissance de la gloire de Dieu sur la face de Christ » (2 CO 4.6).

Christ nous a aimés jusqu’à se faire crucifier pour nous.

par Philip Yance

© 2017 Ministères NPQ

The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, January 21, 2017

First Reading

Isaiah 46:1-13
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols are on beasts and cattle; these things you carry are loaded as burdens on weary animals. They stoop, they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales-- they hire a goldsmith, who makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone from trouble. Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, "My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention," calling a bird of prey from the east, the man for my purpose from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have planned, and I will do it. Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from deliverance: I bring near my deliverance, it is not far off, and my salvation will not tarry; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.

Second Reading

Ephesians 6:10-24
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you everything. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts. Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Gospel

Mark 5:1-20
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many." He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, "Send us into the swine; let us enter them." So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you." And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Morning Psalms

Psalm 30 Exaltabo te, Domine
1   I will exalt you, O LORD, because you have lifted me up and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2   O LORD my God, I cried out to you, and you restored me to health.
3   You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead; you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4   Sing to the LORD, you servants of his; give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5   For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, his favor for a lifetime.
6   Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.
7   While I felt secure, I said, "I shall never be disturbed. You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains."
8   Then you hid your face, and I was filled with fear.
9   I cried to you, O LORD; I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10   What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11   Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; O LORD, be my helper."
12   You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
13   Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

Psalm 32 Beati quorum
1   Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!
2   Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3   While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, because of my groaning all day long.
4   For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5   Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt.
6   I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
7   Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8   You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
9   I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; I will guide you with my eye.
10   Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you."
11   Great are the tribulations of the wicked; but mercy embraces those who trust in the LORD.
12   Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the LORD; shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 42 Quemadmodum
1   As the deer longs for the water-brooks, so longs my soul for you, O God.
2   My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3   My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long they say to me, "Where now is your God?"
4   I pour out my soul when I think on these things; how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God,
5   With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, among those who keep holy-day.
6   Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? and why are you so disquieted within me?
7   Put your trust in God; for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
8   My soul is heavy within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan, and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon.
9   One deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts; all your rapids and floods have gone over me.
10   The LORD grants his loving-kindness in the daytime; in the night season his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
11   I will say to the God of my strength, "Why have you forgotten me? and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me?"
12   While my bones are being broken, my enemies mock me to my face;
13   All day long they mock me and say to me, "Where now is your God?"
14   Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? and why are you so disquieted within me?
15   Put your trust in God; for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 43 Judica me, Deus
1   Give judgment for me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked.
2   For you are the God of my strength; why have you put me from you? and why do I go so heavily while the enemy oppresses me?
3   Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling;
4   That I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness; and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God.
5   Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? and why are you so disquieted within me?
6   Put your trust in God; for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

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.

Verse of the Day - January 21, 2017

Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Read all of Galatians 6

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - "Think Heaven"

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)

You may have heard the expression, "Don't be so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good." However, I know a lot of people who are so earthly minded, they're of no heavenly good. The fact is, we need to be heavenly minded.

Those who think the most about the next life do the most in this one. To be heavenly minded doesn't mean being disconnected with reality. It's simply recognizing that life on earth has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Colosse, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1–2).

The phrase "set your mind" speaks of a diligent act of single-minded investigation. A simple way to translate it is, "Think about Heaven," or more simply, "Think Heaven." I like that. The verb is in the present tense, which means, "Keep thinking about and keep seeking Heaven." Our feet must be on the earth, but our minds should be in Heaven. Yet many of us will go through a day, sometimes a week, and perhaps even a month, without a single thought about Heaven.

We don't know when this life will end. We recognize there is an afterlife. There is future reward for believers and a future judgment for those who do not believe. That affects us in the way we live now.

If you really believe there is a future judgment, you're not going to do whatever you want. It will motivate you to do good things and godly things if you believe there are future rewards. Thinking about Heaven should affect us in the way we live today.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Devotion by Greg Laurie © 2016 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.

Diverse Opportunities for A Diverse Church - Fearfully andWonderfully Made, Day 11

What does the Bible have to say about prejudice? What messages of love does God have for all the people and cultures He created? What opportunities does a diverse church of today have in a society still troubled by racism?

The two-week Fearfully and Wonderfully Made daily devotional—based on passages from the NKJV Modern Life Study Bible—will guide you through a series of Biblical excerpts focused on confronting ethnic prejudice. You'll walk through both the Old and New Testaments, discovering a tapestry of cultural connections throughout the historical richness of Scripture and learn about God's promises of love to those who face discrimination and prejudice. From the call of Abraham to the Samaritan woman at the well, find out how the God of Israel has shown himself to be the God of all tribes and nations.

Today’s reading is drawn from Acts 15:22-35.

In many nations and especially in the western hemisphere, the church faces an increasingly pluralistic society, and it is highly unlikely we will ever return to a uniform culture, if that ever existed in the first place. But the Book of Acts shows that we can thrive in this new world. The response of the apostolic council at Jerusalem to an influx of Gentile believers demonstrates that Christians must allow for cultural differences if they want their churches to survive.

The collections of people who responded to the gospel and banded together in the first century defy modern market research and principles of church growth. Modern thinking holds that groups of people with similar sociological backgrounds grow larger more quickly than ones with different backgrounds. Some argue that like attracts like, so churches should target people of the same race, demographic profile, and socioeconomic status.

The untidy collection of Christians in Acts upends that idea. Diverse churches sprouted up spontaneously in response to God’s grace.

Diverse Contributions The church offered …

• Advocacy by Barnabas on behalf of Saul (9:26, 27); by Paul and Barnabas on behalf of a slave girl to free her from oppressive masters (16:16–21); and by Ephesian believers on behalf of Apollos (18:27, 28)
• Charity and hospitality, often anonymous and large scale, to meet both social and spiritual needs (2:45; 4:32; 11:29, 30; 28:13–15).
• Ethnic reconciliation as deacons acted on behalf of neglected widows (6:1–6); as Philip carried the gospel across ethnic barriers (8:4–17, 26–40); as Peter met with the Gentile Cornelius and defended his actions to Jewish leaders at Jerusalem (10:1—11:30); as Paul and Barnabas brought together Gentiles and Jews at Antioch in Pisidia (13:46–52); as the council at Jerusalem accepted Gentiles as equals in the faith, sending Judas and Silas as emissaries to welcome them (15:1–35); as Paul recruited Timothy to spread the gospel (16:1–5).

The early church was a diverse, grass-roots movement that drew people together in innovative ways. It moved them toward one another and out into their communities in service and love. Like the early church, the modern body of Christ exists in a pluralistic society full of opportunities for unparalleled innovation and growth.

This devotional is drawn from the Modern Life Study Bible. Used by permission

Un Dia a la Vez - Días difíciles

Jesús dijo: Vengan a mí todos ustedes que están cansados y agobiados, y yo les daré descanso.
(Mateo 11:28)

Sé que levantarse y encontrarse con un día lleno de situaciones, problemas familiares, quizá hasta problemas de dinero o la incertidumbre de estar un día más sin trabajo te puede frustrar y llevar a renegar y pelear contra Dios. Mi consejo es que no pelees contra Él. Como hijo de Dios, tienes todo el derecho de decirle cómo te sientes, pero no cuestionarlo y mucho menos maldecir tu vida.

Tal vez te parezca repetitivo, pero es cierto. Este es el día que Dios creó para ti, y algo que alegra el corazón de Dios es que a pesar de tu situación, de tu problema, puedas alegrarte y gozarte en el día que te levantas hoy. Recuerda que no eres el único. Todos tenemos días de angustia, pero no todos tenemos la misma actitud ante la adversidad. De modo que nuestra actitud y nuestra fe sí cambian por completo el panorama.

Descansa en Él y dile: «Señor, aunque no entiendo lo que estoy viviendo, quiero decirte que me alegraré y me gozaré este día. Y esperaré confiadamente en ti. Amén».

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón. Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) La Santa Biblia, Nueva Versión Internacional® NVI® Copyright © 1986, 1999, 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - ENDURE HARDSHIP AS DISCIPLINE

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?...No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12: 7-11)

As we see in Hebrews chapter twelve, once we “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,” we will be aware of how we should then live. Now he teaches us about the value of hardships and discipline that does not seem helpful but in the end produces a harvest of righteousness and peace.

Alexander was on his first research trip to Cuba for Open Doors. He asked a Cuban pastor what his needs were. He expected the response to itemize the many material needs that the churches in Cuba obviously lacked.

“The first thing we need is your prayers,” he replied, “to know the Body of Christ is with us.” Then he went on to list their tremendous need for Bibles, teaching aids, Sunday school materials and printing supplies. Then he concluded with the statement that they could use anything and everything. “If you send us just a bar of soap, we’ll be grateful,” he confessed. “We'll praise God for it!”

Alexander says, “I felt a big lump in my throat as I thought of all the Bibles, literature and freedoms I enjoyed. Yet even with all my blessings, my testimony was not as strong. So I struggled to articulate my feelings. ‘Pastor,’ I said, ‘I can only begin to sense and imagine the difficulties you have encountered.’”

The pastor’s eyes became misty and he softly responded, “Oh yes brother, we have been through the most difficult years. Yet we don’t fear persecution. As a matter of fact, we welcome it because it purifies us!”

Freddie Sun spent years in prison in China because of his Christian faith. Prison was literally a trial of fire for him. He worked in a factory making tee-joints from pig iron. Every day he loaded and unloaded the furnace which fired up to 2700 degrees Fahrenheit. In the midst of this hell on earth, God spoke to him. “I have put you in this high-temperature furnace. Don’t worry—you won’t melt. But your impurities will be removed so you can become a useful tee-joint!”

RESPONSE: Today I will receive God’s discipline with the awareness that it is refining me to be more like Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord help me to accept hardship as Your discipline for my life. I look forward to the harvest of righteousness and peace.