LHM Daily Devotion - "Another Trap"

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Another Trap"

March 26, 2017

The scribes and the chief priests ... sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch Him in something He said, so as to deliver Him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor (Luke 20:19a, 20b).

Read Luke 20:20-26

The leaders of the Jewish high court are furious at Jesus, especially for the parable He just spoke against them. But since the crowds are hanging on Jesus' every word, the leaders cannot directly attack Him. They know they will only be able to destroy Him if they can turn the people against Him.

They decide to attack Him indirectly. So they send spies posing as genuine believers to trick Jesus into saying something that will get Him into trouble with the Roman governor. First, they flatter Jesus to try to throw Him off; then they slyly ask, "Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not?"

It's a devilishly brilliant trap. If Jesus answers, "Yes, you should pay taxes," He'll risk losing His popularity with the pilgrim crowds. But if He says, "No," Pilate will be forced to move in and quickly silence this troublemaker, especially with the dangerous crowds gathered for the Feast.

But Jesus perceives their craftiness and recognizes their trap. So He asks them to show Him the coin used to pay the tax. When they produce the denarius He asks whose image and inscription it bears. They answer "Caesar's." Jesus then answers, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."

Unable to catch Jesus in His words before the multitudes, they marvel and grow silent.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Satan sent so many enemies to lay traps for You, yet none were able to trip You up. Forgive my pride and failings and guide my steps that I may honor You in my words and actions. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

The leaders of the Jewish high court are furious at Jesus, especially...

Devociones de Cuaresma - Un Dios levantado

Devociones de Cuaresma  2017

Un Dios levantado

26 de Marzo de 2017

Cuando ustedes hayan levantado al Hijo del Hombre, sabrán entonces que yo soy. Juan 8:28 (21-30)

Lutero enseñaba que a Dios sólo es posible conocerlo en la cruz. Aunque San Pablo afirma en su carta a los Romanos que Dios no se dejó a sí mismo sin testimonio, sino que toda la creación habla de él, de su poder, y de su sabiduría, es sólo en la cruz donde podemos conocer el amor que Dios nos tiene. Lo interesante de estas palabras de Jesús en Juan 8, es que él nos muestra que no se puso él mismo en la cruz, sino que fueron los líderes religiosos judíos, que lo odiaban y le temían al mismo tiempo, los que lo crucificaron. En un sentido más amplio y más profundo, todos nosotros clavamos a Jesús a la cruz, y lo levantamos para que muera asfixiado, dolorido, y angustiado.

El Padre obró a los tres días, levantado a Jesús de la tumba y resucitándolo victorioso sobre el más cruel de nuestros enemigos: la muerte. Luego, el libro de los Hechos dice que Jesús fue levantado al cielo, para que desde su trono glorioso gobierne a su iglesia y someta y sujete bajo su poder a todas las fuerzas de este mundo.

Jesús fue levantado en la cruz, fue levantado de la muerte a la vida, y fue levantado de la tierra al cielo. En el Jesús levantado en la cruz reconocemos nuestro pecado y el profundo amor de Dios por nosotros, porque somos nosotros quienes debíamos haber sido crucificados. En el Jesús levantado de los muertos reconocemos el poder restaurador del Padre, y en el Jesús levantado a los cielos reconocemos su autoridad y dominio sobre todas las cosas. El Dios levantado es un Dios de arriba que nos ve, nos protege, y nos guía.

Gracias, Padre, porque levantaste a Jesús de la tumba para que también nosotros podamos ser levantados de la muerte y llevados al cielo para vivir con él. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones.

Our Daily Bread® - East Meets West

Read: Romans 14:1–12 | Bible in a Year: Joshua 22–24; Luke 3

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?  Romans 14:4

When students from Southeast Asia met a teacher from North America, the visiting instructor learned a lesson. After giving his class their first multiple-choice test, he was surprised to find many questions left unanswered. While handing back the corrected papers, he suggested that, next time, instead of leaving answers blank they should take a guess. Surprised, one of the students raised their hand and asked, “What if I accidentally get the answer right? I would be implying that I knew the answer when I didn’t.” The student and teacher had a different perspective and practice.

In the days of the New Testament, Jewish and Gentile converts were coming to Christ with perspectives as different as East and West. Before long they were disagreeing over matters as diverse as worship days and what a Christ-follower is free to eat or drink. The apostle Paul urged them to remember an important fact: None of us is in a position to know or judge the heart of another.

For the sake of harmony with fellow believers, God urges us to realize that we are all accountable to our Lord, to act according to His Word and our conscience. However, He alone is in a position to judge the attitudes of our heart (Rom. 14:4–7).

Father in heaven, please have mercy on us for presuming to judge the heart of those who see so many things differently than we do.

Be slow to judge others but quick to judge yourself.

By Mart DeHaan

© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Đông Gặp Tây

Đọc: Rô-ma 14:1-12 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Giô-suê 22-24; Lu-ca 3

Bạn là ai mà xét đoán đầy tớ của người khác? (Rô-ma 14:4)

Khi các sinh viên từ Đông Nam Á gặp giáo viên đến từ Bắc Mỹ, thầy giáo khách mời này đã học được một bài học. Sau khi cho lớp làm bài kiểm tra trắc nghiệm đầu tiên, ông ngạc nhiên khi thấy nhiều câu hỏi bị bỏ trống. Trong lúc trả lại những bài kiểm tra đã được sửa, ông đề nghị rằng, lần tới, thay vì để trống câu trả lời, họ nên đoán. Thật ngạc nhiên, một trong những sinh viên giơ tay lên và hỏi: “Điều gì sẽ xảy ra nếu em ngẫu nhiên chọn đáp án đúng? Em có thể sẽ tưởng mình biết câu trả lời mà em thực sự không biết”. Sinh viên và giáo viên có cách nhìn và thói quen khác nhau.

Trong thời Tân Ước, những người Do Thái và dân ngoại quy đạo đến với Chúa với những quan điểm khác nhau như Đông với Tây. Trước đó, họ bất đồng với nhau về những vấn đề khác biệt như ngày thờ phượng và sự tự do của người theo Chúa trong vấn đề ăn uống. Sứ đồ Phao-lô khích lệ họ nhớ một điều quan trọng: Không ai trong chúng ta có thể biết hay có quyền xét đoán tấm lòng người khác.

Vì sự hòa thuận giữa các tín hữu, Chúa khích lệ chúng ta nhận ra rằng chúng ta thảy đều sẽ chịu trách nhiệm trước Chúa, vì vậy hãy hành động theo Lời Ngài và theo lương tâm. Tuy nhiên, chỉ mình Ngài mới có quyền xét đoán thái độ của tấm lòng (Rô. 14:4-7).

Lạy Cha trên trời, xin thương xót chúng con vì đã xét đoán tấm lòng của những người nhìn nhận sự việc khác với chúng con.

Hãy chậm xét đoán người khác, nhưng hãy nhanh xét đoán chính mình.

bởi Mart DeHaan

© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

Nuestro Pan Diario - Oriente y Occidente se encuentran

Leer: Romanos 14:1-12 | La Biblia en un año: Lucas 3

¿Tú quién eres, que juzgas al criado ajeno?… (Romanos 14:4).

Cuando unos alumnos del sudeste de Asia conocieron a un maestro norteamericano, este aprendió una lección. Después de tomarle a la clase un examen de elección múltiple, se sorprendió al ver que no habían contestado muchas preguntas. Mientras les devolvía las hojas corregidas, sugirió que, la próxima vez, en lugar de dejar el espacio en blanco, eligieran una respuesta al azar. Sorprendido, uno de los alumnos levantó la mano y preguntó: «¿Y si, por casualidad, elijo la respuesta correcta? Implicaría que la sé, pero no es cierto». El alumno y el maestro tenían perspectivas y prácticas diferentes.

En la época del Nuevo Testamento, los judíos y los gentiles convertidos a Cristo llegaban con perspectivas tan diferentes como las de Oriente y Occidente. Poco después, no coincidían en temas como qué días adorar y qué podía comer o beber un seguidor de Cristo. El apóstol Pablo los instó a recordar algo importante: nadie está en condiciones de conocer ni juzgar el corazón de otra persona.

Para mantener la armonía entre los creyentes, Dios nos exhorta a entender que somos responsables ante Él, y a actuar conforme a su Palabra y nuestra conciencia. Solo Él está en condiciones de juzgar las actitudes de nuestro corazón (Romanos 14:4-7).

Señor, que no juzguemos a quienes ven las cosas de manera diferente.

Sé lento para juzgar a los demás, pero rápido para juzgarte a ti mismo.

Por Mart De Haan

© 2017 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario

Unser Täglich Brot - Ost trifft West

Lesen: Römer 14,1-12 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Josua 22–24; Lukas 3

Wer bist du, dass du einen fremden Knecht richtest? Römer 14,4

Der Gastlehrer aus Nordamerika, der vor die Studenten in Südostasien trat, hatte selbst noch zu lernen. So war er völlig überrascht, als bei der ersten Multiple-Choice-Prüfung in einer Klasse viele Blätter halb leer zurückkamen. Beim Verteilen der korrigierten Arbeiten schlug er den Studenten vor, beim nächsten Mal lieber zu raten, welche Antwort die richtige sein könnte, als die Felder leer zu lassen. Erstaunt hob eine Studentin die Hand und fragte: „Und wenn ich per Zufall das Richtige ankreuze? Dann würde es doch so aussehen, als hätte ich die Antwort gewusst, obwohl ich sie gar nicht wusste.“ Studentin und Lehrer hatten verschiedene Arbeitsweisen und Blickwinkel.

In den Tagen des Neuen Testaments lagen die Blickwinkel von Juden und Heiden, die zu Jesus kamen, soweit auseinander wie Ost und West. Schon bald stritten sie über so unterschiedliche Fragen wie Feiertage und was Nachfolger Jesu essen oder trinken dürften. Der Apostel Paulus mahnte sie, etwas ganz Wichtiges nicht zu vergessen: Keiner kennt das Herz des anderen und kann darüber urteilen, was in ihm vorgeht.

Um der Eintracht willen mahnt Gott uns, zu erkennen, dass wir alle dem Herrn gegenüber rechenschaftspflichtig sind und seinem Wort und unserem Gewissen gemäß handeln sollen. Doch er allein ist in der Lage, über unsere innere Einstellung zu richten (Röm. 14,4-7).

Lieber Vater im Himmel, bitte verzeih uns, wo wir meinen, wir könnten über andere richten, weil sie Dinge anders sehen als wir.

Statt andere zu verurteilen, beurteile dein eigenes Verhalten.

Von Mart DeHaan

© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Notre Pain Quotidien - Là où l’Est rencontre l’Ouest

Lisez : Romains 14.1‑12 | La Bible en un an : Josué 22 – 24 et Luc 3

Qui es‑tu, toi qui juges un serviteur d’autrui ? (Romains 14.4)

Lors de sa rencontre avec des étudiants originaires de l’Asie du Sud‑Est, un enseignant d’Amérique du Nord a appris une leçon. Après avoir soumis sa classe à un test à choix multiples, il a découvert à sa grande surprise que ses élèves avaient laissés de nombreuses questions sans réponse. En leur rendant leurs examens corrigés, il leur a suggéré de tenter de répondre à toutes les questions la prochaine fois plutôt que de laisser des questions sans réponse. Étonné, l’un de ses élèves a levé la main et lui a demandé : « Et si je tombais par hasard sur la bonne réponse ? Cela laisserait croire que je la connaissais, alors que ce n’était pas le cas. » L’élève et le professeur nourrissaient une perspective et une façon de faire différentes.

À l’époque néotestamentaire, Juifs et non‑Juifs venaient à Christ avec des perspectives aussi différentes que celles de l’Orient le sont de celles de l’Occident. Ils n’ont pas tardé à tomber en désaccord sur des questions aussi diversifiées que le jour où il convenait d’adorer Dieu et ce que le disciple de Christ était libre de manger et de boire. L’apôtre Paul les a donc exhortés à se remémorer un fait important : aucun de nous n’est apte à connaître ou à juger le coeur d’autrui.

Pour favoriser une bonne entente avec les autres croyants, Dieu nous incite à comprendre que nous devons tous rendre des comptes à notre Seigneur, agissant en conformité avec sa Parole et notre conscience, mais qu’il est le seul à pouvoir juger de nos attitudes (RO 14.4‑7).

Soyez lent à juger les autres, mais fin prêt à vous juger vous‑même.

par Mart DeHaan

© 2017 Ministères NPQ

Хліб Наш Насущній - Східне та західне мислення

Читати: Римлян 14:1-12 | Біблія за рік: Ісуса Навина 22–24 ; Луки 3

Ти хто такий, що судиш чужого раба? — Римлян 14:4

Один вчитель із Північної Америки приїхав викласти свій курс учням у Південно-Східній Азії. Сталося, що після першого тесту, в якому потрібно було вибрати правильну відповідь, багато хто з учнів залишили деякі питання без відповідей взагалі. І це дуже здивувало вчителя. Роздавши студентам виправлені роботи, він запропонував їм наступного разу поставити відповідь навмання, замість того щоб нічого не писати. Тоді один з учнів підняв руку і здивовано спитав: “Але якщо я цілком випадково вгадаю відповідь? Це означатиме, що я знаю правильну відповідь, хоча це не так”. Учні та вчитель мали різне мислення й різний досвід.

За днів Нового Заповіту євреї та погани навертались до Христа, маючи різні погляди. Тому дуже швидко серед них виникли розбіжності відносно “святих днів” та того, що можна і чого не можна їсти й пити послідовникам Ісуса Христа. Апостол Павло намагався донести їм важливу істину: ніхто з нас не може знати серця іншої людини і бути їй суддею.

Скеровуючи нас до єдності й гармонічних стосунків, Бог нагадує нам, що всі ми будемо звітувати перед Ним відповідно до Його Слова й свого сумління. Лише Він має право і можливість знати й судити мотиви наших сердець (Рим. 14:4-7).

Отче Небесний, будь милостивий і пробач нам, що інколи самовпевнено наважуємося судити серця тих, чиї погляди багато в чому відрізняються від наших.

Не спішіть судити інших, а краще почніть із себе.

Автор Мартін де Гаан

© 2017 Хліб Наш Насущній

Хлеб наш насущный - Восток и Запад

Читать сейчас: Римлянам 14:1-12 | Библия за год: Иисуса Навина 22-24; Луки 3

Кто ты, осуждающий чужого раба? — Римлянам 14:4

Учитель из Северной Америки преподавал урок школьникам из Юго-Восточной Азии. После урока они впервые сдавали тест, в котором, отвечая на вопрос, нужно было выбирать один из нескольких предложенных ответов. К удивлению учителя, многие вопросы остались вовсе без ответа. Выставляя оценки, он предложил ребятам в следующий раз, если они не будут знать ответ, попробовать поставить галочку наугад. Один из школьников поднял руку и с удивлением спросил: «А что, если я случайно выберу правильный ответ? Будет казаться, что я его знал, хотя это не так». Очевидно, у школьников и учителя были разные подходы к учебе и взгляды на оценки.

Во времена Нового Завета иудеи и язычники, обращавшиеся ко Христу, также имели разные взгляды. Прошло немного времени, и между ними возникли разногласия по вопросам праздничных дней, пищи и питья. Апостол Павел напомнил им важный факт: никто из нас не может знать и судить сердце другого.

Мы должны осознать, что все христиане подотчетны Богу и должны поступать в соответствии с Его Словом и собственной совестью. Он один видит состояние нашего сердца, а нам следует искать того, что служит к миру и взаимному назиданию (Рим. 14:4-7, 19).

Отче Небесный, будь милостив к нам и удержи от осуждения тех, кто думает и видит иначе, чем мы.

Будьте медленны на осуждение других и скоры на осуждение себя.

автор: Мартин де Гаан

© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, March 25, 2017 - The Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Annunciation by Johann Christian Schröder, c. 1690

The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Isaiah 7:10-14

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

Psalms

Psalm 45 Eructavit cor meum
1   My heart is stirring with a noble song; let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.
2   You are the fairest of men; grace flows from your lips, because God has blessed you for ever.
3   Strap your sword upon your thigh, O mighty warrior, in your pride and in your majesty.
4   Ride out and conquer in the cause of truth and for the sake of justice.
5   Your right hand will show you marvelous things; your arrows are very sharp, O mighty warrior.
6   The peoples are falling at your feet, and the king's enemies are losing heart.
7   Your throne, O God, endures for ever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom; you love righteousness and hate iniquity.
8   Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
9   All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, and the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad.
10   Kings' daughters stand among the ladies of the court; on your right hand is the queen, adorned with the gold of Ophir.
11   Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely; forget your people and your father's house.
12   The king will have pleasure in your beauty; he is your master; therefore do him honor.
13   The people of Tyre are here with a gift; the rich among the people seek your favor."
14   All glorious is the princess as she enters; her gown is cloth-of-gold.
15   In embroidered apparel she is brought to the king; after her the bridesmaids follow in procession.
16   With joy and gladness they are brought, and enter into the palace of the king.
17   In place of fathers, O king, you shall have sons; you shall make them princes over all the earth.
18   I will make your name to be remembered from one generation to another; therefore nations will praise you for ever and ever."

The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Hebrews 10:4-10

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God' (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)." When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in Luke 1:26-38
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Here ends the Gospel lesson for today
Glory be to Thee ,O Christ!

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 - March 25, 2017

1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Read all of 1 John 1

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

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - "Does It Take a Miracle?"

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

—John 11:45–46 (NKJV)

Have you ever thought that if you could do a miracle for your unbelieving friends, they would put their faith in Christ? Maybe you’ve thought, “If I could just take them down to the local cemetery and raise some people from the dead, that would convert them right there on the spot.”

Some of them might believe, but most of them would not. Miracles won’t necessarily convert someone. Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39–40).

Let me loosely paraphrase what Jesus was saying: “You want to see a miracle? I’m not going to give you one. Here’s what I will say. I will go to a cross. I will die for your sins. And I will rise from the dead. That is the sign I’m giving to you.”

What will bring people to faith in Christ is not necessarily some miracle that we might perform. Rather, it will be the message of the gospel, the recognition that we’re all sinners and that we have sinned against a holy God. But God loves us so much that He sent His own Son to die on a cross in our place and take all of the sin of the world upon Himself. “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,” Isaiah 53:5 says, “and by His stripes we are healed.”

He came to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. That is the message we need to share.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

Seeking God?

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relationship with Jesus Christ.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Devotion by Greg Laurie © 2017 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.

Un Dia a la Vez - Oración por madurez espiritual

No juzguen a nadie, para que nadie los juzgue a ustedes. Porque tal como juzguen se les juzgará.
Mateo 7:1-2

¡Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos! Acudo a ti porque me he dado cuenta que con mis palabras y con mis comentarios muchas veces he ofendido y herido a otros.

Dios mío, deseo ser una persona más espiritual sin caer en el fanatismo. Guíame a fin de que, cuando vea o escuche cosas que no me gustan o no me parezcan bien, no sea quien levante ni una palabra en contra de nadie.

Si me has perdonado y me has aceptado como soy, ¿quién soy yo para juzgar a los demás?

Te pido que me des la oportunidad de cambiar y poder ser sabio y prudente.

Enséñame a medir las consecuencias de mis palabras y pon en mí misericordia por los demás. También ayúdame a comprender que cuando señalo a alguien, hay otros cuatro dedos señalándome a mí.

Te amo y te necesito.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - ANGELIC STRENGTHENING: THE GARDEN

An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

Luke 22:43

Today’s devotional comes from a Chinese house church pastor who was arrested and held for three weeks just prior to this talk. He says his experience was going with Christ to the Garden and to the Cross. Today he explains The Garden:

My arrest was totally unexpected. There was no warning. I was teaching a seminar in one of our church groups in northeast China, when in the middle of the afternoon, six policemen burst in and the next thing I knew I was punched in the stomach and lying on the floor. One of the policemen put his foot hard on my neck and I couldn’t move. I was then allowed to get up. Someone rammed me in the kidneys with a baton and I fell again, gasping from the pain. The pain was sharp and severe all the way to the police station, and I couldn’t take anything but the shallowest breaths. It turned out my digestion was ruined for months.

Although it was unexpected, there was a strange way in which I had been prepared for it. The night before, I was praying at midnight for the seminar. I had a list of all the participants, and was praying for each one. The more I prayed, the more discouraged I became. These men and women were too young, or too uneducated, or too wounded. I just felt that they were not good enough to be leaders in our movement. I slumped and sighed and felt very depressed. Also, I was having a bad stomach ache. For weeks my stomach was sore and nausea had been my constant companion.

Then all of a sudden I felt a depression on the sofa, like someone had entered the room and sat down beside me. I opened my eyes. There was no one there, but the depression on the sofa remained. Then I felt a large hand on my back. It was hot and pressed into my lower spine, straightening me up. I felt strong again and my nausea disappeared. Then a soft voice said, “I am strengthening you for the fight. Do not worry about these young people. I am the strength of God, sent by Jesus to look after them and you. I will help you because He loves you.”

That was an angel. I am convinced of that. Just as the Scripture says of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength” (Luke 22:43), so it was for me. Angels appear to give us strength. And so all the time I was being taken to the police station in a cramped van, I was repeating the words of the angel to me, “I will help you because He loves you.”

So I want to make this clear to you all. Whenever you face the challenge of suffering for Christ, you will be angelically strengthened beforehand. You need to keep praying, because that’s when the angel comes. But if you pray, you will be ready, because an angel will be there to strengthen you to bear anything.

RESPONSE: Today I will continue to pray and trust God for His angelic strengthening.

PRAYER: Thank You, God, for Your angelic host who come to strengthen in our greatest point of need.

NIV Devotions for Couples - Parental Lessons to Avoid

Ezekiel 20:1–29

“Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Ezekiel 20:18–19

Most children follow the example of their parents. Even as we move into adulthood and marriage, it is natural to mirror our parents’ attitudes and actions. Following their examples can be positive and productive. But what some parents teach can also be difficult and destructive, or somewhere in between.

Jim and Jolene wrestled with the lessons each had learned in their dysfunctional families. When they gave their lives and their marriage to Jesus Christ, they found themselves on a healthier path. But the lessons each had learned from parents and other family members required a lot of sifting. As the couple grew in Christ, they learned three important lessons that the people of Israel also had to learn. The prophet Ezekiel provided specific directions:

First, do not follow the rules (written and unwritten) of sinful parents. Their destructive behavior, broken relationships and spiritual emptiness can lead to death. That was Jim’s experience. He had witnessed drunkenness, abuse and betrayal in his parents’ relationship, and as a teen Jim followed their example as he got into drugs, alcohol and trouble with the law.

Even religious parents can provide poor examples to follow. Jolene often went to church with her family and took part in a youth group. But her mother was judgmental, and her father was preoccupied with his own life. Neither one modeled for Jolene how to behave in a long-term relationship.

Second, do everything you can to pattern your lives and relationship after Christ and his followers. Before meeting each other, Jim and Jolene had become believers. Yet they had to learn how to live as authentic Christians in marriage. They learned as much as they could from Christ’s teachings and example as well as from godly couples in church.

Third, keep the Sabbath. It’s easy to organize life around each other, your jobs, recreational activities, house and yard upkeep, or caring for the kids. But as God says in Ezekiel 20:20, we must keep the Sabbaths holy, “that they may be a sign between us.” When our lives conform to the pattern suggested to us by Scripture, setting aside a day to worship God with other believers and letting everything else line up after that, then, as Ezekiel said, we will know God is our Lord.

John R. Throop

Let’s Talk

• What were some of the lessons our parents taught us about being a husband or wife? How did they model good behavior? Not-so-good behavior?
• What are some practical and productive ways we can follow the commands of Christ to build a spiritual life as a couple and together glorify him?
• In a time-challenged world, what are some ways we can keep the Sabbath together? How can we worship and obey God together?