Ichthus Ministries: 03/27/17

Monday, March 27, 2017

LHM Daily Devotion - "Jesus Has a Question of His Own"

Jesus has completely silenced His enemies, easily evading their traps.

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Jesus Has a Question of His Own"

March 28, 2017

"David calls Him Lord, so how is He his Son?" (Luke 20:44, ESV).

Read Luke 20:41-44

Jesus has completely silenced His enemies, easily evading their traps. Now it's His turn to ask the questions and show the priests and scribes-those who are considered experts in the Old Testament-how little they truly understand of God's Word.

The scribes readily accept that the Messiah is David's Son, a human. For them the hard leap is the transition from thinking of the Messiah as a mere man to believing He is God's Son. But Jesus starts on the other side. First establishing from Psalm 110:1 that the Christ is David's Lord, Jesus asks how God's Almighty Son can possibly be human?

Jesus is revealing the very heart of the Old Testament, which the scribes had missed despite all their careful study. The promised Savior is the Son of God, begotten of His Heavenly Father from eternity, before all creation. But here in time God's Son became human by the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, when He was conceived of the Virgin Mary. This should sound familiar. Jesus is talking about the mystery of Christmas!

But that Baby lying in the manger was not just Mary's human child; He was God's own eternal Son, who had become human. That's the reason the angels proclaimed His birth, and the reason the wise men bowed down to worship Him. Being human He could submit Himself to God's Law and earn our home in heaven by His perfect obedience. And since He is human He could take our sins upon Himself and suffer and die. Since the Christ is also God's Son, His suffering and death will suffice for all humans of all time.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we thank You for humbling Yourself to leave Your glorious throne, for becoming human, and for saving us from our sins. Amen.

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

Devociones de Cuaresma - Escuchemos con atención

Devociones de Cuaresma 2017

Escuchemos con atención

28 de Marzo de 2017

Así yo dejaré de hacerles el daño que he pensado hacerles por sus malas obras. Jeremías 26:3, RVC (26:1-6)

El pasaje de Jeremías 26:1-6 es una seria advertencia que incluye condenación y castigo por las malas obras, llamado al arrepentimiento, y anuncio de cambio en el corazón de Dios. El versículo 2 de este párrafo es el que más impacta nuestro pensamiento actual: "Diles a... los que vienen a mi casa a adorarme, todo lo que yo te ordene."

En mi experiencia como cristiano he observado que muchas veces vamos al templo a que nos digan lo que queremos escuchar. Los predicadores somos "cautos" a veces para no decir algo que ofenda a los oyentes. Pero el oráculo de Dios es enfático: "Diles todo lo que yo te ordene." Dios no nos deja ser selectivos respecto de lo que debemos oír, porque somos incapaces de elegir lo que es bueno para nosotros. El pecado tiñe todas nuestras elecciones. Por ese motivo, necesitamos escuchar todo el consejo de Dios.

Hay que notar que en Jeremías aun los que adoran son advertidos, porque los que adoraban en ese tiempo, y los que adoramos hoy, necesitamos ser llamados al arrepentimiento. Es interesante cómo Dios le pide a Jeremías que anuncie un arrepentimiento personal: "...cada uno de ellos se aparte de su mal camino."

El Señor nos llama hoy en forma individual a apartarnos del camino pecaminoso, porque su propósito no es hacernos daño. El llamado de Dios es que caminemos en sus sendas, porque cuando no caminamos en sus sendas nos hacemos daño a nosotros y a los demás.

Cuando Jesús dijo: "Yo soy el camino" (Juan 14:6), nos mostró la única senda por la que debemos andar. Confiar en la muerte y resurrección de Jesús es andar por esa senda.

Gracias, Padre, porque nos sacaste del camino de la perdición y porque nos diste en Jesús el único camino a la vida. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL

Our Daily Bread - Bearing Good Fruit

Read: Psalm 1:1–3 | Bible in a Year: Judges 4–6; Luke 4:31–44

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season. Psalm 1:3

The view from my airplane window was striking: a narrow ribbon of ripening wheat fields and orchards wending between two barren mountains. Running through the valley was a river—life-giving water, without which there would be no fruit.

Just as a bountiful harvest depends on a source of clean water, the quality of the “fruit” in my life—my words, actions, and attitude—depends on my spiritual nourishment. The psalmist describes this in Psalm 1: The person “whose delight is in the law of the Lord . . . is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season” (vv. 1–3). And Paul writes in Galatians 5 that those who walk in step with the Spirit are marked by “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (vv. 22–23).

Sometimes my perspective on my circumstances turns sour, or my actions and words become persistently unkind. There is no good fruit, and I realize I haven’t spent time being quiet before the words of my God. But when the rhythm of my days is rooted in reliance on Him, I bear good fruit. Patience and gentleness characterize my interactions with others; it’s easier to choose gratitude over complaint.

The God who has revealed Himself to us is our source of strength, wisdom, joy, understanding, and peace (Ps. 119:28, 98, 111, 144, 165). As we steep our souls in the words that point us to Him, the work of God’s Spirit will be evident in our lives.

God’s Spirit lives in His people, in order to work through them.

By Peter Chin

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Sanh Trái Tốt

Đọc: Thi Thiên 1:1-3 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Các quan xét 4-6; Lu-ca 4:31-44

Người ấy sẽ như cây trồng gần dòng nước, sinh bông trái đúng mùa đúng tiết. (Thi Thiên 1:3)

Khung cảnh nhìn từ cửa sổ máy bay thật ấn tượng: dãy cánh đồng lúa mì đã chín và vườn cây ăn quả trải dài giữa hai ngọn núi cằn cỗi. Chạy dọc theo thung lũng là con sông tươi mát, cung cấp nguồn nước quý giá giúp cây cối đơm hoa kết trái.

Như mùa vụ dư dật phụ thuộc vào nguồn nước sạch thể nào thì chất lượng “trái” trong đời sống chúng ta – lời nói, hành động và thái độ – cũng phụ thuộc vào dinh dưỡng thuộc linh thể ấy. Tác giả Thi thiên mô tả điều này trong Thi thiên 1: Người “vui thích về luật pháp của Đức Giê-hô-va …sẽ như cây trồng gần dòng nước, sinh bông trái đúng mùa đúng tiết” (c.1-3). Và Phao-lô viết trong Ga-la-ti 5 rằng những người bước theo Thánh Linh được biểu lộ qua “yêu thương, vui mừng, bình an, nhịn nhục, nhân từ, hiền lành, trung tín, khiêm nhu, tiết độ” (c.22-23).

Đôi khi cái nhìn của tôi về hoàn cảnh thật tồi tệ, hay những hành động và lời nói tôi thật không tử tế. Không có trái tốt, và tôi nhận ra mình đã không dành thời gian để tĩnh lặng trước Lời Chúa. Nhưng khi nhịp sống các ngày của tôi gắn chặt vào sự nương cậy nơi Ngài, thì tôi sanh bông trái tốt. Sự kiên nhẫn và mềm mại thể hiện trong mối quan hệ của tôi với người khác; tôi thấy dễ dàng biết ơn hơn thay vì phàn nàn.

Đức Chúa Trời, Đấng bày tỏ chính Ngài với chúng ta là nguồn sức mạnh, khôn ngoan, niềm vui, sự hiểu biết và bình an (Thi. 119:28, 98, 111, 144, 165). Khi chúng ta dằm thắm tâm hồn mình trong lời Ngài, thì công việc của Thánh Linh Ngài sẽ rõ ràng trong đời sống chúng ta.

Lạy Cha, cảm ơn Ngài đã ban Lời quý giá mang lại sự sống. Xin giúp con đâm rễ vững vàng trong Lời đó; nguyện đó sẽ là nguồn sức mạnh và nguồn khích lệ của con mỗi ngày.

Thánh Linh của Chúa sống trong dân sự Ngài, để hành động qua họ.

bởi Peter Chin

Nuestro Pan Diario - Dar fruto bueno

Leer: Salmo 1:1-3 | La Biblia en un año: Jueces 4–6 Lucas 4:31-44

Será como árbol plantado junto a corrientes de aguas, que da su fruto en su tiempo… (Salmo 1:3).

La vista desde la ventanilla del avión era asombrosa: una angosta franja de campos sembrados y huertas se extendía entre dos montañas estériles. A lo largo del valle, corría un río con agua vivificadora, sin la cual, no habría fruto.

Así como una cosecha abundante depende de una fuente de agua limpia, la calidad del «fruto» en mi vida —mis palabras, acciones y actitudes— depende de mi nutrición espiritual. El salmista lo describe en el Salmo 1: «el varón […] que en la ley del Señor está su delicia, […] será como árbol plantado junto a corrientes de aguas, que da su fruto en su tiempo» (vv. 1-3). Y, en Gálatas 5, Pablo escribe que, a los que andan en el Espíritu, los caracteriza el «amor, gozo, paz, paciencia, benignidad, bondad, fe, mansedumbre, templanza» (vv. 22-23).

A veces, las circunstancias me amargan, o mis acciones y palabras se vuelven desagradables. No hay buen fruto. Entonces, me doy cuenta de que no he pasado tiempo escuchando las palabras de mi Dios. Pero, cuando el ritmo de mi vida diaria se arraiga en Él, doy fruto bueno. Al interactuar con los demás, soy paciente y amable, y me resulta más fácil dar gracias que quejarme.

Jesucristo es nuestra fuente del poder, la sabiduría, el gozo, el discernimiento y la paz (Salmo 119:28, 98, 111, 144, 165) que debemos producir.

Señor, riega mi vida con tu Palabra.

El Espíritu de Dios vive en sus hijos para obrar a través de ellos.

Por Peter Chin

Unser Täglich Brot - Gute Früchte

Lesen: Psalm 1,1-3 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: Richter 4–6; Lukas 4,31-44

Der ist wie ein Baum, gepflanzt an den Wasserbächen, der seine Frucht bringt zu seiner Zeit. Psalm 1,3

Der Blick aus dem Flugzeug war atemberaubend: ein schmales Band von Gärten und fruchtbaren Feldern wand sich zwischen zwei kahlen Gebirgszügen. Durchs Tal floss ein Fluss. Lebenspendendes Wasser, ohne das es keine Frucht gäbe.

So, wie eine reichliche Ernte von einer gesunden Quelle abhängt, so hängt die Qualität der „Frucht“ meines Lebens—meiner Worte, Taten und meines Verhaltens—von der geistlichen „Wasserzufuhr“ ab. Der Psalmist beschreibt das in den ersten Versen von Psalm 1. Und Paulus schreibt in Galater 5, dass Menschen, in denen der Heilige Geist lebt, von „Liebe, Freude, Friede, Geduld, Freundlichkeit, Güte, Treue, Sanftmut und Keuschheit“ geprägt sind (V.22-23).

Manchmal macht mich der Blick auf meine Umstände sauer oder meine Worte und mein Handeln werden lieblos. Es gibt keine gute Frucht und ich erkenne, dass ich mir keine Zeit genommen habe, um vor Gott stille zu werden. Aber wenn ich in der Abhängigkeit von Gott bleibe, trage ich gute Frucht. Geduld und Freundlichkeit prägen mein Tun und dankbar sein fällt mir leichter als jammern.

Gott ist die Quelle unserer Kraft, Weisheit, Freude, Erkenntnis und des Friedens (Ps. 119,28.98.111.144.165). Wenn wir uns in das Wort vertiefen, das uns auf ihn verweist, wird das Wirken seines Geistes in unserem Leben erkennbar.

Danke, Vater, für dein kostbares, Leben spendendes Wort. Hilf uns, darin zu wurzeln und lass es uns zu einer Quelle der Kraft und Ermutigung werden.

Gottes Geist lebt in Gottes Kindern, um durch sie zu wirken.

Von Peter Chin

Notre Pain Quotidien - Porter du bon fruit

Lisez : Psaume 1.1‑3 | La Bible en un an : Juges 4 – 6 et Luc 4.31-44

Il est comme un arbre planté près d’un courant d’eau, qui donne son fruit en sa saison. (Psaume 1.3)

Ma vue par le hublot de l’avion était frappante : d’étroits champs de blé mûr et des vergers nichés entre deux montagnes nues. Une rivière traversait la vallée. Une rivière d’eau vivifiante, sans laquelle aucun fruit ne pourrait pousser.

Exactement comme une riche récolte dépend d’une source d’eau propre, la qualité du « fruit » de ma vie – paroles, actions et attitude – dépend d’une nourriture spirituelle saine. Le Psaume 1 décrit cette réalité ainsi : La personne « qui trouve son plaisir dans la loi de l’Éternel […] est comme un arbre planté près d’un courant d’eau, qui donne son fruit en sa saison » (V. 1‑3). Et Paul écrit dans Galates 5 que ceux qui marchent sur les traces de l’Esprit se reconnaissent à leur fruit : « [L’amour], la joie, la paix, la patience, la bonté, la bienveillance, la foi, la douceur, la maîtrise de soi » (V. 22,23).

Il arrive que ma perception de la situation tourne au vinaigre ou que mes actions et mes paroles soient méchantes. Ne portant aucun bon fruit, j’en suis venu à passer du temps en silence devant la Parole de mon Dieu. Lorsque le rythme de mes jours est ancré dans ma confiance en lui, je porte cependant du bon fruit. La patience et la douceur caractérisent alors mes interactions ; et il est ainsi plus facile de préférer la gratitude aux plaintes.

Dieu est notre source de force, de sagesse, de joie, de compréhension et de paix (PS 119.28,98,111,144,165). Si notre âme baigne dans sa Parole, l’oeuvre de son Esprit sera manifeste en nous.

L’Esprit de Dieu vit dans ses enfants, afin d’oeuvrer par eux.

par Peter Chin

Хліб Наш Насущній - Добрий плід

Читати: Псалом 1:1-3 | Біблія за рік: Суддів 4–6 ; Луки 4:31-44

І він буде, як дерево, над водним потоком посаджене, що родить свій плід своєчасно. — Псалом 1:3

За ілюмінатором літака відкривався вражаючий вид: вузенькі смуги полів з налитим білим колоссям і фруктові сади, що простягнулись між двома лисими горами. На полонині була видна вихляста лінія річки, без життєдайної води якої не було б цих садів.

Як рясний урожай залежить від джерела чистої води, так і якість “плоду” в моєму житті (слова, вчинки, відношення) залежить від здорового духовного харчування. Псалміст зображає цю істину в Псалмі 1. Людина, “що в Законі Господнім його насолода… буде, як дерево, над водним потоком посаджене, що родить свій плід своєчасно” (Пс. 1:1-3). Апостол Павло також пише, що ті, хто ходять у Дусі, являють у своєму житті “любов, радість, мир, довготерпіння, добрість, милосердя, віру, лагідність, здержливість” (Гал. 5:22-23).

Інколи я починаю похмуро дивитись на речі, в моїх словах та вчинках постійно присутня деяка жорсткість. Я починаю розуміти, що не проводив час у тиші з Божим Словом. Але коли ритм мого життя коріниться у близьких стосунках з Христом, тоді в моїх стосунках з людьми все більше проявляється терпіння, м’якість.

Бог часто відкриває Себе як джерело сили, мудрості, радості, розуміння та миру (Пс. 118:28, 98, 111, 144, 165). Якщо ми занурюємо свою душу в живу воду Його Слова, стає все більш помітною Його праця в нашому житті.

Отче, дякуємо Тобі за дорогоцінне, життєдайне Слово. Допоможи вкорінюватися в ньому. Нехай воно стане для нас щоденним джерелом сили й підбадьорення.

Дух Божий живе в людях, щоб звершувати через них Свою працю.

Автор Пітер Чін

Хлеб наш насущный - Добрый плод

Читать сейчас: Псалом 1:1-3 | Библия за год: Судей 4-6; Луки 4:31-44

И будет он как дерево, посаженное при потоках вод, которое приносит плод свой во время свое. — Псалом 1:3

Вид из окна самолета был захватывающим: узкая лента пшеничного поля, готового к жатве, и фруктовые сады у подножия двух бесплодных гор. А прямо посередине долины текла река. Животворная влага, без которой не было бы никаких плодов.

Так же как богатая жатва зависит от обилия воды, так и качество «плодов» в моей жизни – мои слова, дела и отношение – зависит от духовного питания. Псалмопевец говорит об этом в Псалме 1. Человек, питающийся от источника Божьего Слова, будет «как дерево, посаженное при потоках вод, которое приносит плод свой во время свое» (Пс. 1:1-3). Павел в Послании к галатам пишет, что человек, поступающий по духу, будет приносить плод Духа: «любовь, радость, мир, долготерпение, благость, милосердие, вера, кротость, воздержание» (Гал. 5:22-23).

Иногда мой взгляд на обстоятельства жизни омрачается, или мои слова и поступки становятся недобрыми. Тогда я понимаю, что забыл о тихом времени со Словом моего Бога. Зато если ритм моих дней звучит в согласии с Его действием во мне, я приношу добрый плод. Терпение и кротость наполняют мое общение с людьми. Намного проще быть благодарным и не жаловаться.

Бог, открывшийся нам, является источником силы, мудрости, радости, понимания и мира (Пс. 118:28, 98, 111, 144, 165). Питая свои души словами, указывающими на Него, мы увидим в своей жизни доброе действие Божьего Духа.

Отче, благодарим Тебя за драгоценное, животворное Слово. Помоги нам укореняться в нем. Пусть оно станет для нас постоянным источником сил и ободрения.

Божий Дух живет в Его народе, чтобы действовать через него.

автор: Питер Чин

The Daily Readings for MONDAY, March 27, 2017

The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Jeremiah 16:10-21

And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, "Why has the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?" then you shall say to them: It is because your ancestors have forsaken me, says the LORD, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law; and because you have behaved worse than your ancestors, for here you are, every one of you, following your stubborn evil will, refusing to listen to me. Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor. Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, "As the LORD lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt," but "As the LORD lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them." For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their ancestors. I am now sending for many fishermen, says the LORD, and they shall catch them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. For my eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from my presence, nor is their iniquity concealed from my sight. And I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations. O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: Our ancestors have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit. Can mortals make for themselves gods? Such are no gods! "Therefore I am surely going to teach them, this time I am going to teach them my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD."

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

The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Romans 7:1-12

Do you not know, brothers and sisters-- for I am speaking to those who know the law-- that the law is binding on a person only during that person's lifetime? Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress. In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

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

The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in John 6:1-15
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

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

Morning Psalms

Psalm 89: Part I Misericordias Domini
1   Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2   For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3   I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4   'I will establish your line for ever, and preserve your throne for all generations.'"
5   The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O LORD, and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
6   For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? who is like the LORD among the gods?
7   God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, great and terrible to all those round about him.
8   Who is like you, LORD God of hosts? O mighty LORD, your faithfulness is all around you.
9   You rule the raging of the sea and still the surging of its waves.
10   You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11   Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.
12   You have made the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.
13   You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
14   Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; love and truth go before your face.
15   Happy are the people who know the festal shout! they walk, O LORD, in the light of your presence.
16   They rejoice daily in your Name; they are jubilant in your righteousness.
17   For you are the glory of their strength, and by your favor our might is exalted.
18   Truly, the LORD is our ruler; The Holy One of Israel is our King.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 89: Part II Tunc locutus es
19   You spoke once in vision and said to your faithful people: "I have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20   I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21   My hand will hold him fast and my arm will make him strong.
22   No enemy shall deceive him, nor any wicked man bring him down.
23   I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
24   My faithfulness and love shall be with him, and he shall be victorious through my Name.
25   I shall make his dominion extend from the Great Sea to the River.
26   He will say to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.'
27   I will make him my firstborn and higher than the kings of the earth.
28   I will keep my love for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29   I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of heaven."
30   If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments;
31   If they break my statutes and do not keep my commandments;
32   I will punish their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with the lash;
33   But I will not take my love from him, nor let my faithfulness prove false.
34   I will not break my covenant, nor change what has gone out of my lips.
35   Once for all I have sworn by my holiness: 'I will not lie to David.
36   His line shall endure for ever and his throne as the sun before me;
37   It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon, the abiding witness in the sky.'"
38   But you have cast off and rejected your anointed; you have become enraged at him.
39   You have broken your covenant with your servant, defiled his crown, and hurled it to the ground.
40   You have breached all his walls and laid his strongholds in ruins.
41   All who pass by despoil him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42   You have exalted the right hand of his foes and made all his enemies rejoice.
43   You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not sustained him in battle.
44   You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.
45   You have cut short the days of his youth and have covered him with shame.
46   How long will you hide yourself, O LORD? will you hide yourself for ever? how long will your anger burn like fire?
47   Remember, LORD, how short life is, how frail you have made all flesh.
48   Who can live and not see death? who can save himself from the power of the grave?
49   Where, Lord, are your loving-kindnesses of old, which you promised David in your faithfulness?
50   Remember, Lord, how your servant is mocked, how I carry in my bosom the taunts of many peoples,
51   The taunts your enemies have hurled, O LORD, which they hurled at the heels of your anointed.
52   Blessed be the LORD for evermore! Amen, I say, Amen.

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 27, 2017

Psalm 62:7 (NIV) My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Read all of Psalm 62

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 - "God Always Keeps His Promises"

From then on Jesus began to tell His disciples plainly that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem, and that He would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day He would be raised from the dead.

—Matthew 16:21 (NLT)

I heard about a guy who traveled cross country. After landing at the airport, he went to the luggage carousel and retrieved his bags. Then he hailed a cab and climbed in the back. After cruising along for a few moments, he had a question for the cabbie, so he tapped the guy on the shoulder. The cab driver freaked out, shrieked, and swerved across four lanes.

After catching his breath, the guy in the back seat asked the cab driver, “What was that all about?” The cab driver said, “Sir, I am sorry. I have been driving a hearse for forty years. This is my first day as a cabbie.”

When you are driving a hearse, you don’t expect to get tapped on the shoulder. And when someone dies, we don’t expect them to be alive again.

Jesus warned His disciples that He would die. He also promised that He would rise again from the dead. In Matthew 16:21, we read that “Jesus began to tell His disciples plainly that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem, and that He would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day He would be raised from the dead.”

Could He have been any more specific? And yet, this was lost on the disciples. They collectively missed the memo. But three days after Jesus was crucified, He rose as He said He would.

Here is what we need to remember: God always keeps His promises.

If God says something is going to happen, it will happen. God told us His Son would come to this earth. That happened. God told us His Son would be crucified. That happened. God told us His Son would be raised again from the dead. That happened.

And God has told us His Son will come back again to this earth. That will happen. It will happen very soon, quite possibly.

What other promises has God made to you in the pages of Scripture? Think about them today, and know with confidence that He will keep them.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT® copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Devotion by Greg Laurie © 2017 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.

Un Dia a la Vez - Alimenta a la familia

Busquen primeramente el reino de Dios y su justicia.
Mateo 6:33, NVI

Cuando hablo de alimentos, no me refiero a que seas un magnífico proveedor en tu casa. Es obvio que eso es lo que debes hacer como cabeza del hogar, aunque seas madre soltera.

Con todo, analiza lo que dice el Manual de Instrucciones: «No solo de pan vivirá el hombre» (Lucas 4:4, rv-60).

Así que me refiero a cómo estás alimentando a tu familia desde el punto de vista espiritual. Lo que hagas por tus pequeños, marcará su vida cuando sean adolescentes y adultos.

En estos tiempos tan difíciles, nunca ha sido más importante que comiences a implementar en tus hijos hábitos de oración, lectura bíblica y la búsqueda de una iglesia en la que puedan aprender a conocer de verdad a Dios y lo que Él hizo por cada uno de nosotros.

Es posible que me digas: «Pero como yo trabajo siempre, los fines de semana no tengo tiempo para ir a la iglesia y por las noches estoy tan cansado que tampoco tengo tiempo de orar con mis hijos, mucho menos crear en ellos el hermoso hábito de leer la Biblia».

Nunca es tarde para empezar, pues nuestros hijos necesitan conocer de Jesús. Esto los guardará de muchas cosas en la vida.

Ir a una iglesia no es fanatismo, sino que es un deber y a su vez es protección para ellos. Aun así, el ejemplo comienza por nosotros mismos.

De la misma manera que sea tu relación con Dios, asimismo será la de tus hijos con Él, ya que eres su ejemplo a seguir.

Comienza a dar el ejemplo hoy y cosecharás vidas victoriosas en ellos. Sin importar la edad que tengan… ¡comienza ya!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - HUMAN INCOMPREHENSION: THE CROSS

And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Mark 15:34

Today’s devotional again 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 continues and explains another aspect of The Cross:

But it is not all triumph. I know some pastors who said they just smiled all the time from the moment they were arrested, and felt unutterable joy the whole time. I suppose that is possible. After all, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego seemed to be very calm throughout their ordeal. But we must not make that the test of true spirituality. The Psalmists are full of despair and questioning as they go through hard times. So were Jeremiah and Job and Habakkuk. And most sobering of all, our Lord Himself was heard to cry from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

This is the dark side of the experience. What makes suffering hardest to bear are the questions, the voices that well up within each of us, that are full of doubts, despair and depression. And I believe this is OK. As humans we were not meant to suffer. We were made to be part of a perfect world, with no sorrow or sighing, an Eden where everyone was righteous and fulfilled. So when we suffer, there is a sense in which our bodies and spirits witness saying, “This is unnatural, this is not why we were created.”

In my own case, I wondered whether God had turned His back on me, or was punishing me for past sins. Yes, I know that sounds odd after all I have just said about feeling the power of God within to forgive my persecutor, and having the angel strengthen me. But you forget these things in the dark watches of the night, sleeping sandwiched between two prisoners and being cursed by everyone because you need to rise and go to the toilet; and so everyone must wake up and shift their position. It was the nights that were worst.

But most of these doubts were not weaknesses as such; they were attempts to comprehend the incomprehensible. Where is God here? What’s He up to? How can this possibly extend His kingdom? How is His glory served by one of my sisters being raped by an interrogator? The fact is, when we suffer, there is so much that we cannot understand. I read somewhere that “because we are human, we yearn to understand, but because we are human, we cannot understand.”

Suffering puts us in our place. It humbles us to realize that we are not really in charge of our lives. This is a hard realization. God is in charge, and His purposes can be hard to discern at times. He takes even the sin of the world, and turns it to good account. We often do not see how He does this, but we believe it. Accepting it in faith is never easy when you are suffering.

RESPONSE: Today I will not try to understand the incomprehensible. I will accept God’s goodness in everything by faith.

PRAYER: Pray for Christian prisoners going through great pain today that they may know His touch.

Women of the Bible - Jael

Her name means: "A Wild or Mountain Goat"

Her character: Decisive and courageous, she seized the opportunity to slay an enemy of God's people.
Her sorrow: To be lauded by Deborah and Barak for her part in a decisive victory.
Key Scriptures: Judges 4-5

Her Story

Jael watched uneasily through the flaps of her tent as clouds swept the blue from the sky and rain fell like a shroud across the horizon. Sisera, she knew, had marched to Tabor. But what good were iron chariots in a flooded valley? she wondered. Yet the Israelites were poorly armed, with little chance of prevailing. Still, she remembered the stories of Moses and the people he had led across the wilderness. Had their God, she wonderd, been asleep these many years?

The sight of a man running, then stumbling toward her interrupted her thoughts. A soldier fleeing? Was he Israelite or Canaanite? His identity might reveal the way the winds of battle were blowing. She went out to meet him, surprised to find that Sisera himself was approaching, dirty and bleeding.

"Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid," she welcomed him.

"I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." Instead Jael opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink.

"Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.' "

As soon as Sisera fell into an exhausted asleep, Jael picked up a tent peg and hammer. Her arm was steady, her aim sure. Hadn't she been in charge of the tents all these years? Quickly, she thrust the peg through his temple and into the ground. Like a piece of canvas fixed in place, Sisera, the great general, lay dead, slain by a woman's hand, just as Deborah had prophesied to Barak.

Was Jael a hero, an opportunist, or merely a treacherous woman? It is difficult to know. She and her husband, Heber, were Kenites, members of a nomadic tribe whose survival depended on its ability to stay clear of local disputes. Her husband had made his peace with the Canaanites despite his descent from Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law. Perhaps ancient ties had no longer seemed expedient, considering the power of the Canaanite rulers. But Jael may have believed in Israel's God. Or perhaps she merely wanted to curry favor with the Israelites, the day's clear winners. Certainly Barak and Deborah approved of her, singing:

Most blessed of women be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
Her hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workman's hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
she shattered and pierced his temple.
At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell—dead. - Judges 5:24-27

Jael's treachery and Deborah's gloating strike us as bloodthirsty, all the more so because we don't usually attribute such behavior to women. But by the standards of ancient warfare, both were heroes. Both were decisive and courageous women who helped God's people at a critical moment in history.

Her Promise

Behind the story of Jael and the death of Sisera is a God who promised never to forget his people and who holds to that promise. When hope seems dim and the prospect of victory seems close to impossible, God is at work, bringing about his plan.

The people of Israel during the time of the judges must have worn God to exasperation with their continual wavering. When times were good, they easily forgot God and went their own way. But as soon as times got tough, they went running to him for deliverance.

Sound like anyone you know? The story of the wavering of God's people continues even today. We so easily move forward on our own, thinking we can handle it all, until we run up against something too hard for us. Only then do we run to God for help.

But what an amazing God he is. Always there. Always willing to rescue us when we call. Always willing to forgive.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.

Girlfriends in God - It’s Not How You Start. It’s How You Finish

by Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7, NIV).

Friend to Friend

I sat by her bed.

Her hand swollen…full…unmoving.

Feet that danced just a few weeks ago now stilled. Arms that lifted just a short time ago now limp. Words that spilled easily just a moment ago now halted. How could life seep away so quickly, right before my eyes?

Mom was ready. But I wasn’t.

Mom called to tell me she was going to the emergency room. She had abdominal pain and couldn’t stop throwing up. I had just been at her house four days before, and this was something new.

“She has an ileus,” the doctor explained. “Part of her intestines have stopped working. But her heart isn’t strong enough to survive surgery. If her intestines don’t start working on their own, she will die.”

Four weeks into the sitting and waiting, it looked like Mom was going to get to go Home. Not to her little brick house in the colonial neighborhood…the one with cedar shingles, cobblestone street, and white picket fence where she had lived for more than 25 years, but her home in a celestial neighborhood with familiar faces, golden streets, and the presence of God. Mom was ready. She had been planning the party for quite sometime.

I gently held her fluid-filled hand. Sky-blue eyes looked off into the distance. Her mind replaying bits and pieces of life.

“Mom, whatcha thinking about?” I asked.

“It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish,” she whispered.

“Who told you that?” I asked with a knowing smile.

“You did,” she replied.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you more,” she countered.

Mom had regrets. We all do…if we’re honest. But she finished well. She had made sure that her grandkids, extended family, and I knew we were loved. She had made preparations of her passing as easy as possible for me, the lone child responsible for all the details. She loved Jesus and was thrilled to get to see Him face to face.

The last week of her life, I was having a bit of a crying spell. Mom had requested the doctors remove all the machines, all the tubes, all the medications. “Comfort care.” That’s what they called it.

“Well Mom, it looks like you’re going to get to see Jesus before I do.”

And in a quick wit that served her well to the end, she teased with a twinkle in her eye, “Are you jealous?”

And to be honest…I was.

We never know when our last day on this earth will be. But here’s what we do know—we have a choice right now, today, to finish well. Your new start to the finish could begin today. Regardless of your past mistakes and missteps, weakness and failures…regardless of how you started this race, you can decide to begin your finish well.

Let’s Pray

Lord, I have made so many mistakes in my life. A trail of regrets lie behind. But praise You I’ve chosen to leave them behind and not carry them into my future. No matter how I started, I pray that You will give me the wisdom and the power to finish well.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read this passage and note what Paul said about his decision to finish well:

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward [reaching forward] what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

What part does forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead play in finishing well?

More from the Girlfriends

What do you do with those regrets in your life? I say lets turn those miserable messes into magnificent messages of hope. Want to learn more about finding peace and purpose in the hurts of your past? Check out my book, Your Scars are Beautiful to God. It comes with a Bible study guide for groups or individuals who want to go deeper.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God P.O. Box 725 Matthews, NC 28106

info@girlfriendsingod.com

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