LHM Daily Devotion - "Pontius Pilate"

The Jewish high court and temple police arise as a large company and...

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Pontius Pilate"

April 8, 2017

Then the whole company of them arose and brought Him before Pilate. (Luke 23:1, ESV)

Read Luke 23:1-4

The Jewish high court and temple police arise as a large company and lead Jesus to Pilate. As they bring their charges against Him, they won't even call Him by name, saying instead, "this fellow." They level three charges against Jesus. First, they accuse Him of stirring up the nation against Rome. Next, they charge Him with hindering the payment of taxes to Caesar. And finally, they accuse Him of declaring Himself to be the Christ-a king who would be a definite threat to Caesar.

Pilate directly asks Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?"

Jesus answers the same way He answered the Jewish high court previously. "You have said so." In Luke's Greek Jesus is really saying, "Yes, what you have said is true. I am King of the Jews."

In Pilate's mind there was no doubt, Jesus definitely was claiming to be the King of the Jews. And yet Pilate recognized this Christ-King was no threat to Caesar.

After this questioning Pilate went back out to the Jewish leaders and made his verdict known: "I find no guilt in this Man." At this point the trial should be over. Pilate should order the Jewish crowd to disperse and free Jesus, with an armed escort, if necessary.

But upmost in Pilate's mind is maintaining peace and order during this festival, when so many Jews from across the Empire have streamed into Jerusalem. He could certainly use his troops to disperse the Jewish leaders and free Jesus, but he prefers a more peaceful resolution. He seeks consent for his ruling from the Jewish high court-his first fatal flaw of the day.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Pilate was convinced of Your innocence, yet He opened the door to injustice when he should have set You free. Thank You for being willing to suffer and die for me. Amen

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Devociones de Cuaresma - Dejemos de jugar a los héroes

Devociones de Cuaresma  2017

Dejemos de jugar a los héroes

08 de Abril de 2017

Porque no tenemos un sumo sacerdote que no pueda compadecerse de nuestras debilidades, sino uno que fue tentado en todo de la misma manera que nosotros, aunque sin pecado. Por tanto, acerquémonos confiadamente al trono de la gracia, para alcanzar misericordia y hallar gracia para cuando necesitemos ayuda.
Hebreos 4:15-16, RVC (4:14-16)

Un día, hace bastante tiempo, me descuidé respecto del dinero que tenía depositado en el banco. Ese día entraron dos extracciones automáticas que dejaron la cuenta bajo cero. El banco me cobró 40 dólares por eso. A la tarde, cuando fui a depositar, y a tratar de que me perdonaran esos 40 dólares, le dije a la persona que me atendió: "Yo sé que fue un error mío, así que no tengo a nadie más a quien echarle la culpa, por lo que lo que pido es misericordia." Seguramente la persona que me estaba atendiendo nunca había escuchado una argumentación semejante para pelear por unos dólares, porque sin chistar canceló la multa del banco. Le quedé muy agradecido.

Me pregunto: ¿quién no necesita ayuda alguna vez? Después que dejamos de ser presuntuosos, y a causa de las dificultades de la vida dejamos de jugar a tratar de ser héroes que todo lo podemos, comenzamos a reconocer nuestra necesidad de ayuda. Y cuando se trata de alcanzar la misericordia de Dios, es cuando más ayuda necesitamos.

El autor de Hebreos nos dice que Jesús entiende perfectamente cuánta ayuda de la gracia de Dios necesitamos. Él vivió en carne propia los sufrimientos de la cruz, el abandono de sus amigos, la traición de uno de los suyos, y las tentaciones del diablo. Él es ahora nuestro intercesor ante Dios para que podamos acercarnos confiadamente a él sabiendo que, a pesar de nuestros pecados, nos mirará con cariño, entendimiento, y amor.

Gracias, Padre, porque nos diste un sumo sacerdote que, aunque sin pecado, fue como nosotros. Ayúdanos a tener presente que él nos quiere y recibe siempre, y que podemos contar con su ayuda. 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 - A Shepherd for Life

Read: Genesis 48:8–16 | Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 10–12; Luke 9:37–62

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God . . . has been my shepherd all my life to this day. Genesis 48:15

When my son changed grades in school he cried, “I want my teacher for life!” We had to help him realize that changing teachers is a part of life. We may wonder: Is there any relationship that can last a lifetime?

Jacob, the patriarch, found out there is one. After living through many dramatic changes and losing loved ones along the way, he realized there had been a constant presence in his life. He prayed, “May the God . . . who has been my shepherd all my life to this day . . . bless these boys” (Gen. 48:15–16).

Jacob had been a shepherd, so he compared his relationship to God as that of a shepherd and his sheep. From the time a sheep is born through its growth to old age the shepherd cares for it day and night. He guides it during the day and protects it during the night. David, also a shepherd, had the same conviction, but he highlighted the eternal dimension to it when he said, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:6).

Changing teachers is a part of life. But how good it is to know that we can have a relationship for life. The Shepherd has promised to be with us every day of our earthly existence (Matt. 28:20). And when life here ends, we will be closer to Him than ever.

Father, I thank You for being the Shepherd of my life. I praise Your faithfulness.

God never abandons us.

By Keila Ochoa

© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Đấng Chăn Dắt Trọn Đời

Đọc: Sáng Thế Ký 48:8-16 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: 1 Sa-mu-ên 10-12; Lu-ca 9:37-62

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Đức Chúa Trời đã chăn dắt con từ khi mới ra đời cho đến ngày nay. Sáng Thế Ký 48:15

Khi con trai tôi chuyển lớp, cháu khóc lóc: “Con muốn cô giáo con dạy cho con suốt đời luôn!” Chúng tôi phải giúp cháu hiểu rằng việc thay đổi giáo viên là chuyện bình thường của cuộc sống. Có lẽ chúng ta tự hỏi: Có mối quan hệ nào bền vững suốt đời không?

Tổ phụ Gia-cốp đã tìm thấy một mối quan hệ như thế. Sau khi trải qua nhiều thay đổi lớn và mất đi những người thân yêu, ông nhận ra rằng vẫn có một người luôn hiện diện trong suốt cuộc đời ông. Ông cầu nguyện: “Lạy Đức Chúa Trời… là Đức Chúa Trời đã chăn dắt con từ khi mới ra đời cho đến ngày nay… xin Chúa ban phước cho hai đứa trẻ nầy” (Sáng 48:15-16).

Gia-cốp là một người chăn chiên, vì thế ông so sánh mối quan hệ của mình với Chúa như mối quan hệ giữa người chăn với chiên mình. Từ lúc chiên ra đời cho tới khi già, người chăn luôn chăm sóc chiên cả ngày lẫn đêm, ban ngày chăn dắt chiên, ban đêm bảo vệ chiên. Đa-vít, cũng là một người chăn chiên, ông cũng nhận ra điều đó, nhưng ông nhấn mạnh đến khía cạnh đời đời của mối liên hệ với Chúa khi nói: “Tôi sẽ ở trong nhà Đức Giê-hô-va cho đến lâu dài” (Thi 23:6).

Việc thay đổi thầy cô giáo là một phần của cuộc sống. Nhưng thật tốt biết bao khi biết rằng chúng ta có một mối quan hệ vững bền suốt đời. Đấng Chăn Chiên hứa ở với chúng ta trong mỗi một ngày chúng ta còn sống trên đất (Mat. 28:20). Và khi sự sống trên đất kết thúc, chúng ta sẽ gần với Ngài hơn bao giờ hết.

Lạy Cha, con cảm ơn Ngài là Đấng Chăn Giữ cuộc đời con. Con ngợi khen sự thành tín của Ngài.

Đức Chúa Trời không bao giờ từ bỏ chúng ta.

bởi Keila Ochoa

© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

Nuestro Pan Diario - Pastor de por vida

Leer: Génesis 48:8-16 | La Biblia en un año: 1 Samuel 10–12; Lucas 9:37-62

… Dios […] ha sido mi pastor toda mi vida hasta este día (v. 15 LBLA).

Cuando mi hijo pasó de grado en la escuela, lloró, diciendo: «¡Quiero a mi maestra para siempre!». Tuvimos que ayudarle a darse cuenta de que cambiar de maestra es parte de la vida. Tal vez nos preguntemos: ¿Habrá alguna relación que dure para siempre?

Jacob, el patriarca, descubrió una. Después de vivir muchos cambios drásticos y de perder seres queridos en el camino, se dio cuenta de que había una presencia constante en su vida. Oró: «El Dios […] que ha sido mi pastor toda mi vida […] bendiga a estos muchachos» (Génesis 48:5-16 LBLA).

Jacob había sido pastor, así que comparaba su relación con Dios con la del pastor y sus ovejas. Desde que la oveja nace hasta que es vieja, el pastor la cuida día y noche. La guía durante el día y la protege mientras duerme. David, también un pastor, tenía la misma convicción, pero hizo énfasis en la dimensión eterna al declarar: «en la casa del Señor moraré por largos días» (Salmo 23:6).

Cambiar de maestro es parte de la vida. Pero qué bueno es saber que podemos tener una relación eterna. El Pastor nos ha prometido estar con nosotros todos los días de nuestra existencia terrenal (Mateo 28:20). Y, cuando nuestra vida aquí termine, estaremos más cerca de Él que nunca.

Padre, gracias por ser el Pastor de mi vida. Te alabo por tu fidelidad.

Dios nunca nos abandona.

Por Keila Ochoa

© 2017 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario

Unser Täglich Brot - Hirte meines Lebens

Lesen: 1.Mose 48,8-16 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: 1.Samuel 10–12; Lukas 9,37-62

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Der Gott, der mein Hirte gewesen ist mein Leben lang bis auf diesen Tag. 1.Mose 48,15

Als mein Sohn in eine neue Klasse kam, jammerte er: „Ich will meinen Lehrer behalten!“ Wir mussten ihm erst klarmachen, dass ein Lehrerwechsel zum Leben gehört. Aber fragen wir uns nicht selbst manchmal, ob es überhaupt Beziehungen gibt, die ein Leben lang halten?

Jakob, der Patriarch, hatte erfahren, dass es tatsächlich so eine Beziehung gibt. Nach vielen dramatischen Veränderungen und dem Verlust geliebter Menschen erkannte er, dass es in seinem Leben doch immer eine Konstante gegeben hatte. Er betete: „Der Gott, der mein Hirte gewesen ist mein Leben lang bis auf diesen Tag . . ., der segne die Knaben“ (1.Mose 48,15-16).

Jakob war selbst ein Hirte gewesen und so verglich er seine Beziehung zu Gott mit der eines Hirten zu seinen Schafen. Vom Augenblick der Geburt an bis ins Alter sorgt der Hirte Tag und Nacht für sein Schaf. Er führt es am Tag und beschützt es in der Nacht. David, ebenfalls ein Hirte, war derselben Überzeugung, aber er betont auch noch die Ewigkeitsperspektive, wenn er sagt: „Ich werde bleiben im Hause des Herrn immerdar“ (Ps. 23,6).

Lehrerwechsel gehören zum Leben. Aber wie gut ist es zu wissen, dass wir eine Beziehung haben können, die ein Leben lang bestehen bleibt. Der Hirte hat versprochen, alle Tage unseres irdischen Lebens bei uns zu sein (Matth. 28,20). Und wenn unser Leben hier zu Ende geht, werden wir ihm näher sein als je zuvor.

Hab Dank, Herr, dass du der Hirte meines Lebens bist. Ich preise deine Treue.

Gott lässt uns nie im Stich.

Von Keila Ochoa

© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Notre Pain Quotidien - Un Berger pour la vie

Lisez : Genèse 48.8‑16 | La Bible en un an : 1 SAMUEL 10 – 12 et LUC 9.37‑62

Dieu [...] m'a conduit depuis que j'existe jusqu'à ce jour. V.15

En changeant d’année scolaire, mon fils s’est écrié : « Je veux avoir mon professeur pour toujours ! » Nous avons dû l’aider à comprendre que le changement de professeur fait partie de la vie. Il se peut que nous nous demandions : Y a‑t‑il une seule relation qui dure toute une vie ?

Jacob, le patriarche, en a trouvé une. Après avoir connu de nombreux changements et deuils tragiques, il s’est rendu compte que quelqu’un avait été à ses côtés toute sa vie. Il a alors prié ainsi : « Que le Dieu […] qui m’a conduit depuis que j’existe jusqu’à ce jour […] bénisse ces enfants ! » (GE 48.15,16.)

Ayant lui‑même été berger, Jacob a comparé sa relation avec Dieu à celle d’un berger avec ses brebis. Le berger s’occupe de ses brebis jour et nuit, depuis leur naissance jusqu’à leur vieillesse. Il les garde durant le jour et les protège durant la nuit. David, lui aussi berger, nourrissait la même conviction, mais il en a souligné la dimension éternelle en déclarant : « [J’habiterai] dans la maison de l’Éternel jusqu’à la fin de mes jours » (PS 23.6).

Le changement de professeurs fait partie de la vie, mais combien il est agréable de savoir que nous pouvons compter toute notre vie sur une certaine relation ! Le Berger a promis de rester auprès de nous chaque jour de notre existence terrestre (MT 28.20). Et lorsque notre vie ici‑bas prendra fin, nous nous retrouverons plus près de lui que jamais.

Dieu ne nous abandonne jamais.

par Keila Ochoa

© 2017 Ministères NPQ

Хліб Наш Насущній - Пастир на все життя

Читати: Буття 48:8-16 | Біблія за рік: 1 Самуїлова 10−12 ; Луки 9:37-62

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Бог… що пасе мене, відколи існую аж до цього дня. — Буття 48:15

Коли мій син переходив у старші класи, він завжди плакав: “Хочу, щоб цей вчитель викладав усе моє життя!” Ми змушені були пояснювати йому, що зміна вчителів – то невід’ємна частина життя. Інколи ми запитуємо себе: “Чи можливі стосунки, що тривають усе життя?”

Яків – один із патріархів – знайшов Того, з Ким можливі такі стосунки. В кінці буремного життя, сповненого змін і втрати коханих людей, він зрозумів, що в його житті завжди був присутній Господь. Тому він молився: “Бог… що пасе мене, відколи існую аж до цього дня… нехай поблагословить цих юнаків” (Бут. 48:15-16).

Яків був пастухом, тому порівняв свої відношення з Богом з тим, як пастух пасе своїх овець. Пастух дбає про вівцю день і ніч з моменту її народження аж до самої смерті. Вдень він водить її пастися, а вночі захищає. Давид також був пастухом і дійшов до переконання, що Бог є найкращим Пастирем. Але він підкреслює ще й вічний вимір стосунків з Богом: “Я пробуватиму в домі Господньому довгі часи!” (Пс. 22:6).

Вчителі приходять і вiдходять. Таке життя. Але як добре знати, що існують стосунки, що тривають усе життя. Добрий Пастир пообіцяв бути з нами щодня, протягом усього нашого земного існування (Мт. 28:20). І коли земне життя скінчиться, ми будемо близькі з Ним як ніколи.

Отче, дякую за те, що Ти є Пастир усього мого життя. Славлю Тебе за Твою вірність.

Бог ніколи не полишить нас.

Автор Кейла Очоа

© 2017 Хліб Наш Насущній

Хлеб наш насущный - Пастырь всей жизни

Читать сейчас: Бытие 48:8-16 | Библия за год: 1 Царств 10-12; Луки 9:37-62

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Бог, пасущий меня с тех пор, как я существую, до сего дня. — Бытие 48:15

Переходя в следующий класс, мой сын расплакался: «Я хочу, чтобы эта учительница всегда меня учила». Пришлось объяснять ему, что никуда не деться, учителя меняются, так устроен мир. И я задумалась: могут ли вообще быть отношения на всю жизнь?

Патриарх Иаков знал по крайней мере об одной такой связи. Пережив много драматических перемен, потеряв любимых людей, он осознал, что был Тот, Кто всегда присутствовал рядом с ним на протяжении всей жизни. «Бог, пасущий меня с тех пор, как я существую, до сего дня», – сказал Иаков о Нем (Быт. 48:15-16).

Иаков был пастухом, и он сравнил Божье присутствие в своей жизни с тем, как пастух ухаживает за овцами. С того времени, как овца появляется на свет, и до самого конца жизни пастух заботится о ней день и ночь. Давид, тоже пастух, имел такое же убеждение, выразив свое главное желание в словах: «Я пребуду в доме Господнем многие дни» (Пс. 22:6).

Учителя приходят и уходят. Но как хорошо знать, что есть Тот, Кто будет рядом всегда. Добрый Пастырь обещал сопровождать нас во все дни земного странствования (Мф. 28:20). А когда жизнь на земле закончится, мы станем еще ближе к Нему.

Отче, благодарю, что Ты – мой Пастырь. Славлю Тебя за доброту и верность.

Бог никогда не оставит нас.

автор: Кейла Очоа

© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

The Daily Readings for FRIDAY, April 7, 2017

The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Jeremiah 29:1-13

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD. For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,

The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Romans 11:13-24

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry in order to make my own people jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And even those of Israel, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in John 11:1-27

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."

Morning Psalms

Psalm 22 Deus, Deus meu
1   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
2   O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; by night as well, but I find no rest.
3   Yet you are the Holy One, enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4   Our forefathers put their trust in you; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5   They cried out to you and were delivered; they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6   But as for me, I am a worm and no man, scorned by all and despised by the people.
7   All who see me laugh me to scorn; they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8   He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, if he delights in him.
9   Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.
10   I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb.
11   Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
12   Many young bulls encircle me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13   They open wide their jaws at me, like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14   I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15   My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16   Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
17   They stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
18   Be not far away, O LORD; you are my strength; hasten to help me.
19   Save me from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.
20   Save me from the lion's mouth, my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21   I will declare your Name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22   Praise the LORD, you that fear him; stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.
23   For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; but when they cry to him he hears them.
24   My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25   The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the LORD shall praise him: "May your heart live for ever!"
26   All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations bow before him.
27   For kingship belongs to the LORD; he rules over the nations.
28   To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29   My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever.
30   They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that he has done.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 141 Domine, clamavi
1   O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; hear my voice when I cry to you.
2   Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3   Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD, and guard the door of my lips; let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
4   Let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers, nor eat of their choice foods.
5   Let the righteous smite me in friendly rebuke; let not the oil of the unrighteous anoint my head; for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
6   Let their rulers be overthrown in stony places, that they may know my words are true.
7   As when a plowman turns over the earth in furrows, let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.
8   But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.
9   Protect me from the snare which they have laid for me and from the traps of the evildoers.
10   Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I myself escape.

Psalm 143 Domine, exaudi
1   LORD, hear my prayer, and in your faithfulness heed my supplications; answer me in your righteousness.
2   Enter not into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified.
3   For my enemy has sought my life; he has crushed me to the ground; he has made me live in dark places like those who are long dead.
4   My spirit faints within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5   I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds; I consider the works of your hands.
6   I spread out my hands to you; my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.
7   O LORD, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; do not hide your face from me or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8   Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in you; show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.
9   Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD, for I flee to you for refuge.
10   Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11   Revive me, O LORD, for your Name's sake; for your righteousness' sake, bring me out of trouble.
12   Of your goodness, destroy my enemies and bring all my foes to naught, for truly I am your servant.

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.

Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia

Today the church remembers Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia, Confessor and Ecumenist, 1925.

Born as Vasily Ivanovich Belavin, Tikhon spent his early years with the church as a lay leader. Educated at St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he was an instructor of moral and dogmatic theology at Pskov Seminary. At age twenty-six, in 1891, Belavin took monastic vows and became known as Tikhon. He was ordained as bishop in 1897, becoming the Archbishop of the Aleutians and Alaska and head of the Russian Orthodox Church in America in 1898.

In this role, he developed warm friendships with Episcopalians in the United States. Tikhon attended the ordination of the Bishop of Fond du Lac in 1900, and was prepared to take part in the laying on of hands, but the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops forbade this. Tikhon returned to Russia in 1907.

Ten years later, he was elected Patriarch of Moscow, amidst a time of great political and social tumult. He condemned the killing of the Tsar and his family in 1918 and publicly opposed the nationalization of church property. In his later years, statements were issued in his name, renouncing his antigovernment positions. However, the authenticity of these statements is questioned, and the Russian Orthodox Church considers him to have remained loyal.

Exhausted from his work and imprisoned for more than a year by the Soviets, Tikhon died on April 7, 1925, a martyr for his faith. One of his most widely acclaimed quotations captures his zeal and his hope. It our prayer this day.

May God teach every one of us to strive for His truth, and for the good of the Holy Church, rather than something for our own sake. Amen

Read the Wikipedia article here.

Holy God, holy and mighty, you call us together into one communion and fellowship: Open our eyes, we pray, as you opened the eyes of your servant Tikhon, that we may see the faithfulness of others as we strive to be steadfast in the faith delivered to us, that the world may see and know you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise unto ages of ages. Amen

Verse of the Day - April 7, 2017

Galatians 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Read all of Galatians 2

Listen to Galatians 2


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 - "A New Relationship"

Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"

—John 20:17 (NKJV)

On the morning of the Resurrection, Jesus didn’t allow Mary to touch Him. He was essentially saying, “It’s not going to be the way it used to be. You can’t hold on to Me in the old way. It’s a new covenant.”

Then He made a radical statement: “Go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God’” (John 20:17). For Jesus to call God His Father was one thing. But He said, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father. . . .” In other words, “He is your Father now too.”

If you came from a fatherless home, God can be the Father you never had. Jesus opened up a new relationship for us through His death on the cross and His Resurrection from the dead. No longer must we go through a high priest to seek atonement for our sins, because Jesus became the final sacrifice for our sins. And He has given us free access to God the Father, to whom we can come in times of need.

Do you know God as your Father? Or does He seem like some distant force? If that is the case, I have good news for you: God is not some mere force or distant power somewhere in the universe. He is personal, He is caring, and He loves you. And that is why He sent His Son to die on the cross in our place.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

Seeking God?

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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 - La edad con dignidad

Enséñanos a contar bien nuestros días, para que nuestro corazón adquiera sabiduría.
Salmo 90:12, NVI

El devocional de hoy lo motivó el de ayer. Podríamos decir que es otro caso muy común que se presenta en ciertas personas y, sobre todo, en determinadas edades de la vida.

Cuando vemos que ya no somos jovencitos, que la belleza se va deteriorando debido a que la gravedad hace su efecto y «todo se cae», vienen las preocupaciones de los hombres y las mujeres por sentirse jóvenes. De ahí que cambie su comportamiento y, algunas veces, se presenten los divorcios.

En el caso del hombre, el deseo está en demostrar que aún puede conquistar. En el de las mujeres, su anhelo está en provocar admiración. Este comportamiento va de la mano con la manera de vestirse y de actuar que se manifiesta de una forma bien llamativa. El resultado es que vemos mujeres de edades bien avanzadas con minifaldas y escotes, mientras que los hombres se visten como jovencitos y su comportamiento deja mucho que desear.

Vivamos cada etapa de nuestra madurez con dignidad. Disfrutemos el hecho de ser personas con experiencia y que esas canas, más que ser cabellos blancos, infunden respeto.

Pidámosle a Dios que nos ayude a aceptarnos tal y como somos a medida que vamos envejeciendo. Y que podamos dejar un hermoso legado a nuestros hijos y a nuestros nietos.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - LIVING FOR JESUS

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

John12:32-33, NIV

Manuel was an effective evangelist among the mountain Quechua people in Peru. He felt called by the Lord to take Bibles and share the gospel with the anti-government guerilla soldiers who camped in hiding in the mountains. For the many illiterates he took the New Testament on cassette. It was a bold and risky ministry.

One day some Shining Path guerrillas with their big AK-47 guns intercepted him on the trail and ordered him to stop going to the mountains; stop handing out Bibles, cassettes and other Christian materials; and stop preaching about Jesus. They threatened his life if he did not desist.

Some months later Manuel did not return home when expected. A search party discovered his dead body at the side of the trail. It was more than just a cadaver. His feet, hands and tongue had been cut off. And with a knife they had carved on his torso a message in Spanish, “We told you to stop!” The chopped body parts completed the message, “stop visiting the villages; stop distributing Bibles; stop preaching about Jesus!”

There was a memorial service for Manuel attended by many believers. Hundreds of people came from the mountains to honor his memory. Our Open Doors co-worker reported that there were more people standing outside the rural church than sitting inside the crowded sanctuary.

An evangelist preached the memorial service message and challenged young people to come forward and take Manuel’s place. Ten young people made the commitment and knelt at the front altar.

An elder standing at the side asked in a loud voice, “But young people. What if the same thing happens to you as happened to Manuel?”

One of the youths at the front cried out, “If we die, a hundred will spring up and take our place!”

Living for Jesus is actually harder than dying for Jesus. It means I must die to myself every day!

RESPONSE: Since Jesus gave His life for me, what more can I give Him than my own life. And until that day of physical death, I will die to myself daily.

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus, for giving Your life blood for me. I give You my life in service today and every day until You call me to be with You in Your heavenly home.

Men of the Bible - Samson

His name means: "Little Sun"

His work: To deliver Israel from the Philistines.
His character: Samson's erotic attachments to foreign women eventually led to his death. A man of mythic strength, he was inwardly weak, given to anger and unfaithful to his Nazirite vows. His prayers as well as his actions against the Philistines seem to have been motivated by the desire for personal vengeance.
His sorrow: To have been blinded and imprisoned by his lifelong enemies.
His triumph: To have killed more Philistines by his death than he had while living.
Key Scriptures: Judges 13-16

A Look at the Man

One of the first Bible stories children hear is the story of Samson, the man who defeated his enemies with a superhuman feat of strength. But it is such an unsavory story that we find ourselves leaving out certain details, for example, Samson's boasting, his visits to prostitutes, or his murderous rage. Even the man's prayers were selfish, focused as they were on his own desire for revenge rather than on God's glory.

Why would God, knowing the future, choose such a person to play such a role, even sending an angel to announce his birth? The question is not easily answered. But it is certainly true that Samson would have been a better man had he paid attention to the call God had placed on his life. Instead, he seems to have squandered the promise of his life by living it in a self-centered, self-directed way.

Ironically, the pattern of his life formed a vivid picture of Israel's own unfaithfulness during a period when it seemed incapable of resisting the allurement of foreign gods. And so the people God had set apart and called his own, the nation he intended to build up and make strong, grew progressively weaker in the land he had promised.

Samson's story reminds us of God's faithfulness, of his ability to deliver his people regardless of the circumstances and despite their sins. It also reminds us of what can happen when we allow ourselves to become attached to things and people, however enticing, that might end in our own self-destruction.

Reflect On: Judges 16:23–31
Praise God: For his sovereignty.
Offer Thanks: For God’s strength working within you.
Confess: Any promises you have made to God and not kept.
Ask God: To make you a person who is strong on the inside.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (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. Coming this fall: watch for Wicked Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler.

Girlfriends in God - Hot or Cold

by Arlene Pellicane

Today’s Truth

So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16, NIV).

Friend to Friend

I have a habit with my coffee that some of you will relate to. Others may be tempted to think less of me, but I will just have to risk that for the sake of this devotion.

I am a coffee re-heater. I take my morning cup of coffee and I nurse that same cup for hours. I take a few nice hot sips and set my mug down. Several minutes later, my coffee is lukewarm. It’s no longer good. I head to the microwave to make it hot again. I take a few sips and repeat this process a few more times throughout the morning.

Coffee’s good either hot or cold. There is no in-between. The example of lukewarm coffee can remind us of the importance of having a hot faith. You’re either an all-in Jesus follower or you’re not. Listen to the words written to the church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelation, “Because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

This example of lukewarm liquid would make a lot of sense to the Laodiceans. One of the city’s problems was a poor water supply, which made them very vulnerable to attack. If an enemy surrounded the city, they could easily cut off the water supply. The main supply came on a six-mile aqueduct from the hot springs of Hierapolis. By the time it flowed into Laodicea, it was lukewarm and uninviting.

Just like drinking lukewarm water is terribly unpleasant, so is being a lukewarm believer. This is a picture of apathy, indifference, or compromise. Being spiritually lukewarm is like being hot enough to make it to church most Sundays but cold enough to play down Christianity when it’s not convenient or profitable to you.

When you try to serve both God and world, you end up being rejected by both. The hot Christian is zealous for God, wanting to have an on-fire love for Him. This person is blessed. But why would God prefer someone to be cold than lukewarm as it says in verse 15 “I wish you were either one or the other”?

If someone is cold towards Christ, he or she may hit rock bottom and discover the need for Jesus. When we are away from God, that emptiness can drive us back to Him. But when we have just enough of Jesus to think everything is okay, yet we’re embracing much of the world, we are growing lukewarm and that’s a dangerous place to be.

I was in a café recently and the coffee served was lukewarm. I try to be a flexible person, but I figured I paid for that cup of coffee and I wanted it hot. I ended up using the microwave, not the classiest experience but at least my coffee was hot.

You know Jesus has paid the highest price for us. We don’t want to give Him a lukewarm life. May we burn brightly for Him, constantly stoking the fire of our faith to guard ourselves against lukewarm living.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, forgive me for being neither hot or cold sometimes. I want to be completely devoted to You. Give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your Name.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Would you describe your relationship with God as hot, cold or lukewarm?

More from the Girlfriends

Feeling a little lukewarm in your marriage? Reignite passion for your precious role as wife in Arlene’s book 31 Days to a Becoming a Happy Wife.

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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