LHM Daily Devotion - "Change of Venue"

Pilate has cleared Jesus of all charges. But the Jewish leaders aren't...

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Change of Venue"

April 9, 2017

And when he (Pilate) learned that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. (Luke 23:7, ESV)

Read Luke 9:7-9; 23:5-12

Pilate has cleared Jesus of all charges. But the Jewish leaders aren't letting up. Jesus is simply too dangerous. He has stirred up the whole nation, beginning in Herod's Galilee, all the way down here to Pilate's Judea. But their words give Pilate a brilliant idea. Since Jesus came from Herod's jurisdiction, he'll shift the responsibility for this case and let Herod deal with it.

Herod is Jesus' judge, but he doesn't ask a single judicial question, nor does he examine the charges against Jesus. Herod has long wanted to see Jesus. But he's not interested in God's truth; he wants to be entertained by a miracle, catch a good performance, perhaps. So Jesus remains silent.

The Jewish high court strenuously presses its charges, hoping to get a more favorable reaction from Herod. But Herod absolutely refuses to hold a trial. His subjects already hate him for executing John the Baptist, and he isn't about to touch this Jesus fellow.

Since Jesus answers Herod's questions and pleas with silence, Herod feels Jesus is treating him with contempt-so he returns the favor. Along with his soldiers Herod treats Jesus with scorn and disrespect, as if He was nothing. He dresses Jesus in splendid garments; then he sends him back to Pilate. The two governors agree: if Jesus is a king, He appears harmless.

But this day does see one reconciliation. Previously, Pilate and Herod had been bitter enemies; now they become friends. Herod is grateful that Pilate sent Jesus' case to him. Pilate is grateful that Herod recognized his authority and was courteous enough to return Jesus to Pilate's jurisdiction.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, the Jews falsely accused You; Pilate judged You innocent but wouldn't free You, and Herod was looking to be entertained. Give me faith to worship You in truth and humility as my Savior, King and Lord. Amen

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

Devociones de Cuaresma - La gran entrada

Devociones de Cuaresma  2017

La gran entrada

09 de Abril de 2017

"Vayan a la aldea que tienen ante ustedes. Al entrar en ella van a encontrar atado un burrito sobre el cual nadie se ha montado. Desátenlo y tráiganlo acá." Marcos 11:2, RVC (1-11)

La multitud que acompañó a Jesús desde Jericó y desde Betania se encontró con otra multitud, que salió de Jerusalén a buscarlo. Ahora hay más personas en el gran desfile, hay alegría, hay amontonamiento, gritos de júbilo, alborozo. ¿Qué está pasando? La multitud recitaba y cantaba una porción del Salmo 118: "Señor, ¡te ruego que vengas a salvarnos! ¡Te ruego que nos concedas la victoria! ¡Bendito el que viene en el nombre del Señor! Desde el templo del Señor los bendecimos" (Salmo 118:25-26).

La palabra 'Hosanna', usada tan frecuentemente en la iglesia cristiana y vociferada incansablemente aquí por la multitud, quiere decir: "Salva ahora." Es interesante la observación de los evangelistas cuando describen que la multitud cantaba y gritaba: "Hosanna en las alturas." Cierto, la salvación viene desde las alturas.

Tú y yo somos personas con serios problemas de pecados, culpas, y desesperanzas. Al igual que el burro de esta historia, estamos atados. No servimos para nada, sólo producimos gastos porque ocupamos espacio y nos tienen que alimentar. Pero qué hermosa analogía vemos aquí: una vez desatados por orden de Jesús, una vez que recibimos la salvación que viene de las alturas, del trono mismo de Dios, servimos para algo, así como sirvió el burro para entrar a Jesús a Jerusalén.

¿Qué cosas te tienen atado? ¿Qué pecados te tienen inquieto y te impiden disfrutar la cabalgata junto a Jesús? Cualesquiera sean esas cosas, no hay nada que en este momento te impida gritar: "Salva Señor, ¡ahora!" Después de todo, para eso Jesús hizo esa gran entrada: para cambiar nuestra vida, para traernos paz, y para darnos la esperanza de la resurrección.

Gracias, Padre, porque enviaste a Jesús, desde las alturas, para traernos salvación y desatarnos del mal. 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 Journey of Belief

Read: John 20:24–31 | Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 13–14; Luke 10:1–24

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These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31

Since its first publication in 1880, Lew Wallace’s novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ has never been out of print. It has been called the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century, and it continues to draw readers today as it weaves the true story of Jesus with that of a fictional young Jewish nobleman named Judah Ben-Hur.

Amy Lifson, writing in Humanities magazine, said that the writing of the book transformed the life of the author. “As Ben-Hur guided readers through the scenes of the Passion, so did he lead the way for Lew Wallace to believe in Jesus Christ.” Wallace said, “I have seen the Nazarene . . . . I saw him perform works which no mere man could perform.”

The Gospels’ record of the life of Jesus allows us to walk alongside Him, witness His miracles, hear His words, and see His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. At the conclusion of John’s gospel, he wrote, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30–31).

Just as Lew Wallace’s research, reading of the Bible, and writing led him to believe in Jesus, so God’s Word draws us to a transformation of mind and heart by which we have eternal life in and through Him.

Lord, may the record of Your life be written on our minds and hearts so that we may have ever-increasing faith in You.

Many books can inform, but only the Bible can transform.

By David McCasland

© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Hành Trình Đức Tin

Đọc: Giăng 20:24-31 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: 1 Sa-mu-ên 13-14; Lu-ca 10:1-24

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Nhưng các việc nầy được ghi chép để anh em tin rằng Đức Chúa Jêsus là Đấng Christ, Con Đức Chúa Trời, và để khi anh em tin thì nhờ danh Ngài mà được sự sống. Giăng 20:31

Kể từ ấn bản đầu tiên vào năm 1880, cuốn tiểu thuyết Ben-Hur: Chuyện về Đấng Christ của Lew Wallace chưa bao giờ ngừng xuất bản. Nó vẫn luôn được gọi là cuốn sách Cơ Đốc có ảnh hưởng nhất của thế kỷ 19, và vẫn còn tiếp tục thu hút độc giả ngày nay vì đan xen câu chuyện thật của Chúa Jêsus với câu chuyện về một nhân vật hư cấu là thanh niên quý tộc người Do Thái tên là Judah Ben-Hur.

Viết trong tạp chí Humanities, Amy Lifson nói rằng quá trình viết quyển sách này đã thay đổi cuộc đời của tác giả. “Khi Ben-Hur dẫn độc giả qua các phân cảnh của sự Thương Khó, thì anh ta cũng dẫn lối cho Lew Wallace đến chỗ tin nơi Chúa Jêsus Christ.” Wallace nói: “Tôi đã thấy người Na-xa-rét ấy… Tôi đã thấy Ngài thi hành những công việc mà không một con người bình thường nào có thể làm được.”

Những ký thuật về cuộc đời Chúa Jêsus trong các sách Phúc Âm cho phép chúng ta bước cùng Ngài, chứng kiến những phép lạ của Ngài, và nghe lời Ngài phán dạy. Kết thúc sách Phúc Âm của mình, sứ đồ Giăng đã viết: “Đức Chúa Jêsus còn làm nhiều dấu lạ khác trước mặt các môn đồ mà không ghi chép trong sách nầy. Nhưng các việc nầy được ghi chép để anh em tin rằng Đức Chúa Jêsus là Đấng Christ, Con Đức Chúa Trời, và để khi anh em tin thì nhờ danh Ngài mà được sự sống” (Giăng 20:30-31).

Cũng như việc nghiên cứu, đọc Kinh Thánh và viết truyện của Lew Wallace đã dẫn ông đến chỗ tin nhận Chúa Jêsus, thì cũng vậy, Lời Chúa mang đến sự biến đổi trong tâm trí và tấm lòng, nhờ đó chúng ta nhận được sự sống đời đời trong Ngài và qua Ngài.

Lạy Chúa, nguyện những câu chuyện về cuộc đời Ngài được ghi khắc trong lòng và trí chúng con để đức tin chúng con nơi Ngài mãi thêm lên.

Có nhiều quyển sách giúp chúng ta gia tăng tri thức, nhưng chỉ Kinh Thánh mới có thể thay đổi chúng ta.

bởi David McCasland

© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

Nuestro Pan Diario - Un periplo de fe

Leer: Juan 20:24-31 | La Biblia en un año: 1 Samuel 13–14; Lucas 10:1-24

Pero éstas se han escrito para que creáis que Jesús es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios… (v. 31).

Desde su primera publicación en 1880, la novela de Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur, nunca se dejó de imprimir. Se lo ha llamado el libro cristiano más influyente del siglo xix, y hoy sigue atrayendo lectores, ya que entrelaza la historia verdadera de Jesús con la ficticia de un joven príncipe judío, Judah Ben-Hur.

Amy Lifson, escritora para la revista Humanities, afirmó: «Así como Ben-Hur guió a sus lectores por las escenas de la Pasión, también llevó a Lew Wallace a creer en Jesucristo». Wallace declaró: «He visto al nazareno […]. Lo vi hacer obras que ningún simple mortal podía hacer».

El registro de la vida de Jesús en los Evangelios nos permite caminar junto a Él, ver sus milagros y escuchar sus palabras. En la conclusión de su Evangelio, Juan escribió: «Hizo además Jesús muchas otras señales en presencia de sus discípulos, las cuales no están escritas en este libro. Pero éstas se han escrito para que creáis que Jesús es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, y para que creyendo, tengáis vida en su nombre» (Juan 20:30-31).

Tal como la investigación y la lectura de la Biblia llevaron a Wallace a creer en Jesús, la Palabra de Dios transforma nuestra mente y nuestro corazón, para que tengamos vida eterna en y por medio del Señor.

Señor, que el registro de tu vida quede grabado en nosotros; aumenta nuestra fe.

Muchos libros pueden informar, pero solo la Biblia puede transformar.

Por david c. mccasland

© 2017 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario

Unser Täglich Brot - Auf dem Weg des Glaubens

Lesen: Johannes 20,24-31 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: 1.Samuel 13–14; Lukas 10,1-24

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Diese sind geschrieben, damit ihr glaubt, dass Jesus der Christus ist, der Sohn Gottes, und damit ihr durch den Glauben das Leben habt in seinem Namen. Johannes 20,31

Seit der ersten Veröffentlichung im Jahr 1880 war Ben Hur, der Roman von Lew Wallace, nie vergriffen. Man sagt, es sei im neunzehnten Jahrhundert das christliche Buch mit dem größten Einfluss gewesen. Auch heute noch zieht die Geschichte über den echten Jesus und den fiktiven jüdischen Fürsten namens Judah Ben-Hur die Leser in ihren Bann.

Es heißt, das Schreiben des Buches habe das Leben des Autors verändert. „So, wie Ben Hur die Leser durch die Szenen der Passion führt, so bahnte es für Lew Wallace den Weg zum Glauben an Jesus Christus“, schreibt Amy Lifson. Wallace selbst sagte: „Ich habe den Nazarener gesehen . . . Ich sah ihn Dinge tun, die kein bloßer Mensch tun kann.“

Die Berichte über das Leben Jesu in den Evangelien erlauben uns, an seiner Seite zu gehen, seine Wunder zu sehen und seine Worte zu hören. Johannes schreibt am Ende seines Berichts: „Noch viele andere Zeichen tat Jesus vor seinen Jüngern, die nicht geschrieben sind in diesem Buch. Diese aber sind geschrieben, damit ihr glaubt, dass Jesus der Christus ist, der Sohn Gottes, und damit ihr durch den Glauben das Leben habt in seinem Namen“ (Joh. 20,30-31).

So wie sein Forschen, Lesen in der Bibel und Schreiben Lew Wallace zum Glauben an Jesus führten, so will Gottes Wort in uns eine Veränderung von Herz und Sinn bewirken, die uns durch ihn und in ihm ewiges Leben schenkt.

Herr, schreibe du die Geschichte deines Lebens in unsere Herzen und Sinne, damit unser Glaube an dich immer mehr wachsen kann.

Viele Bücher informieren. Nur die Bibel kann transformieren.

Von David McCasland

© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Notre Pain Quotidien - Un parcours de foi

Lisez : Jean 20.24‑31 | La Bible en un an : 1 SAMUEL 13 – 14 et LUC 10.1‑24

Mais ces choses ont été écrites afin que vous croyiez que Jésus est le Christ, le Fils de Dieu, et qu'en croyant vous ayez la vie en son nom. V.31

Depuis sa première parution en 1880, le livre de Lew Wallace intitulé Ben‑Hur, une histoire sur le Christ n’a jamais été en rupture de stock. On dit de ce livre qu’il a été le plus influent du XIXe siècle et qu’il continue de captiver ses lecteurs de nos jours en tissant sous leurs yeux la véritable histoire de Jésus à même la vie fictive d’un jeune noble Juif nommé Juda Ben‑Hur.

Amy Lifson a rapporté dans la revue Humanities que l’écriture de ce livre a transformé la vie de son auteur : « Tout en guidant les lecteurs au fil des scènes de la Passion, Ben‑Hur a aussi amené Lew Wallace à croire en Jésus‑Christ. » Wallace a déclaré : « J’en suis venu à voir le Nazaréen. […] Je l’ai vu accomplir des oeuvres humainement impossibles. »

Le récit que font les Évangiles de la vie de Jésus nous permet de marcher avec lui, d’assister à ses miracles et d’entendre ses paroles. Il est écrit : « Jésus a fait encore, en présence de ses disciples, beaucoup d’autres miracles, qui ne sont pas écrits dans ce livre. Mais ces choses ont été écrites afin que vous croyiez que Jésus est le Christ, le Fils de Dieu, et qu’en croyant vous ayez la vie en son nom » (JN 20.30,31).

Comme la quête de Lew Wallace, sa lecture de la Bible et son écriture l’ont conduit à croire en Jésus, de même la Parole de Dieu nous amène à la laisser transformer notre esprit et notre coeur pour nous accorder la vie éternelle et la présence de Christ en nous.

De nombreux livres informent, mais seule la Bible transforme.

par David McCasland

© 2017 Ministères NPQ

Хліб Наш Насущній - Подорож віри

Читати: Івана 20:24-31 | Біблія за рік: 1 Самуїлова 13−14 ; Луки 10:1-24

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Це ж написано, щоб ви ввірували, що Ісус є Христос, Божий Син, і щоб, віруючи, життя мали в Ім’я Його! — Івана 20:31

Починаючи з першої публікації у 1880 році, роман Лью Уоллеса “Бен-Гур” ніколи не переставав друкуватись. Його називають найбільш впливовою християнською книгою 19 століття. Цей роман і тепер приваблює читачів, тому що вплітає історію про реального Ісуса в сюжет, в якому йдеться про видуманого героя – єврейського аристократа Юду Бен-Гура.

Емі Ліфсон у своїй статті в журналі “Гуманітарні Науки” писала, що написання цього роману змінило життя самого автора. “Як роман «Бен-Гур» веде читача до сцени розп’яття, так він привів ЛьюУоллеса до віри в Ісуса Христа”. Сам Уоллес сказав: “Я побачив Назарянина… Я побачив, що Він творив такі речі, які жодна звичайна людина не спроможна зробити”.

Євангелія, зображаючи життя Ісуса, дозволяють нам ходити разом з Ним, бачити Його чудеса, чути Його слова. Євангеліст Іван пише: “Багато ж і інших ознак учинив був Ісус у присутності учнів Своїх, що в книзі оцій не записані. Це ж написано, щоб ви ввірували, що Ісус є Христос, ожий Син, і щоб, віруючи, життя мали в Ім’я Його!” (Ів. 20:30-31).

Дослідження Уоллеса привели його до віри. Ми теж приходимо до віри в Ісуса, коли читаємо Біблію. Боже слово впливає на нас, змінює наш розум, наше серце – щоб мали через Ісуса вічне життя.

Господи, нехай євангельська розповідь про Твоє життя буде викарбувана в нашому розумі й серці, щоб мати всезростаючу віру в Тебе.

Багато книг інформують, але тільки Біблія трансформує.

Автор Давид Маккасланд

© 2017 Хліб Наш Насущній

Хлеб наш насущный - Путешествие веры

Читать сейчас: Иоанна 20:24-31 | Библия за год: 1 Царств 13-14; Луки 10:1-24

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Это же написано, чтобы вы уверовали, что Иисус есть Христос, Сын Божий, и, веруя, имели жизнь во имя Его. — Иоанна 20:31

Со времени первого издания в 1880 г. роман Лью Уоллеса «Бен-Гур: история Христа» никогда не прекращал публиковаться. Его назвали самой известной христианской книгой XIX столетия. Сегодня она продолжает привлекать читателей, сочетая подлинное повествование о Христе с вымышленным рассказом о благородном еврейском юноше по имени Бен Гур.

Эми Лифсон рассказала в журнальной статье, что написание этой книги преобразило жизнь автора. «Как книга “Бен-Гур” ведет читателя по сценам жизни Христа, так же совершался и путь Лью Уоллеса к вере в Спасителя». Он писал: «Я увидел Назарянина... Я увидел дела, которые не мог совершить обычный человек».

Евангельское повествование о жизни Христа позволяет нам пройти рядом с Ним, увидеть Его чудеса и услышать Его слова. В конце Евангелия от Иоанна сказано: «Много сотворил Иисус пред учениками Своими и других чудес, о которых не написано в книге этой. Это же написано, чтобы вы уверовали, что Иисус есть Христос, Сын Божий, и, веруя, имели жизнь во имя Его» (Ин. 20:30-31).

Так же как исследования, чтение Библии и писательский труд привели Лью Уоллеса к вере в Иисуса Христа, Божье Слово может преобразить наш разум и сердце, направляя к вечной жизни в Нем и через Него.

Господи, пусть книга Твоей жизни будет написана в наших сердцах и умах, чтобы наша вера возрастала и укреплялась с каждым днем.

Многие книги учат, но только Библия преображает.

автор: Дэвид Маккасланд

© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, April 8, 2017

The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Jeremiah 31:27-34

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD. In those days they shall no longer say: "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge. The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt-- a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Romans 11:25-36

So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob." "And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in John 11:28-44

When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Morning Psalms

Psalm 137 Super flumina
1   By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered you, O Zion.
2   As for our harps, we hung them up on the trees in the midst of that land.
3   For those who led us away captive asked us for a song, and our oppressors called for mirth: "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
4   How shall we sing the LORD'S song upon an alien soil?
5   If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
6   Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
7   Remember the day of Jerusalem, O LORD, against the people of Edom, who said, "Down with it! down with it! even to the ground!"
8   O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy the one who pays you back for what you have done to us!
9   Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, and dashes them against the rock!

Psalm 144 Benedictus Dominus
1   Blessed be the LORD my rock! who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;
2   My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I trust, who subdues the peoples under me.
3   O LORD, what are we that you should care for us? mere mortals that you should think of us?
4   We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow.
5   Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6   Hurl the lightning and scatter them; shoot out your arrows and rout them.
7   Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the great waters, from the hand of foreign peoples,
8   Whose mouths speak deceitfully and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
9   O God, I will sing to you a new song; I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.
10   You give victory to kings and have rescued David your servant.
11   Rescue me from the hurtful sword and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,
12   Whose mouths speak deceitfully and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
13   May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.
14   May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands; may our cattle be fat and sleek.
15   May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, no wailing in the public squares.
16   Happy are the people of whom this is so! happy are the people whose God is the LORD!

Evening Psalms

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

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

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Verse of the Day - April 8, 2017

Romans 5:10 (NIV) For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Read all of Romans 5   Listen to Romans 5

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 - "What Breaks God's Heart"

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."

—Luke 19:41–42 (NKJV)

As Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds were celebrating. They were laughing. They were cheering. They were having a great time. And what was Jesus doing? He saw the city, and He wept over it. Here was the crowd, whipped into a frenzy, and Jesus was weeping. The crowd was rejoicing, and Christ was sobbing.

Why did Jesus weep when He saw Jerusalem? Being God and having omniscience, Jesus knew these fickle people who were crying out, “Hosanna!” would soon be shouting, “Crucify Him!” He knew that one of His handpicked disciples, Judas, would betray Him. He knew that another disciple, Peter, would deny Him. He knew that Caiaphas, the high priest, would conspire with Pilate, the Roman governor, to bring about His death. And, He knew the future of Jerusalem. Looking ahead 40 years, He saw the destruction that would come upon the city at the hands of the Emperor Titus and his Roman legions.

Jesus also wept because His ministry was almost over. Time was short. He had healed their sick. He had raised their dead. He had cleansed their lepers. He had fed their hungry. He had forgiven their sins. Yet for the most part, He had been rejected. John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” And so He wept. This broke His heart, and it still does.

Unbelief and rejection breaks God’s heart, because He knows the consequences. But when the door of the human heart is shut, He refuses to enter forcibly. He will only knock, wanting to gain admittance. He has given us the ability to choose. But when we choose the wrong thing, He knows the repercussions that will follow—in this life and the one to come. And His heart is broken.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

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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 dorada

Corona de honra es la vejez, que se halla en el camino de justicia.
Proverbios 16:31, RV-60

Me gusta mucho cuando se habla de la edad dorada, pues dan la idea de las experiencias maravillosas en la vida.

Hoy quizá seas tú esa persona de la tercera edad que se siente triste y solitaria. A lo mejor tu familia te dejó en un hogar para viejitos y de vez en cuando te visitan y a veces te llaman. La soledad en esta etapa de la vida es una de las razones que más lleva a la depresión.

En este día, Dios quiere decirte que no estás sola ni solo aunque pases días sin saber de tu familia. Tal vez te encuentres en tu casa viendo pasar los días y, en muchos casos, sin poder salir siquiera porque tu salud no lo permite o porque ya hasta conducir un auto es un problema para ti.

Hoy Dios te dice que Él está contigo, que eres más que una hermosa joya para Él y que es tu compañía. Refúgiate en Dios.

Ante esto, las preguntas que caben son las siguientes: ¿Qué estamos haciendo tú y yo por ellos? ¿Cómo estamos ayudando a nuestros viejitos, empezando por casa? ¿Cómo los tratamos? ¿Sabías que después del abuso infantil el abuso a las personas mayores está en segundo lugar? Lo más triste de todo es son víctimas de sus propios familiares.

La Palabra nos enseña que las canas son sabiduría y merecen todo el respeto.

Por lo tanto, honro hoy a las personas de la edad dorada.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - WOUNDS FOR CHRIST

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Acts 5:41, NIV

Today’s devotional comes from Ron Boyd-MacMillan’s excellent volume Faith That Endures:

The Biblical scholar William Barclay famously described a New Testament Christian as having three remarkable characteristics: “One, they were absurdly happy; two, they were filled with an irrational love for everyone; and three, they were always in trouble!”

Persecuted Christians are constantly in trouble. As a Palestinian pastor put it, “If you speak truth to power, power always reacts.” An encounter with the persecuted reveals the incendiary nature of this gospel we follow, and if our witness does not provoke some sort of explosive reaction, we have to check whether our gospel powder is damp or dry. We should be in trouble for Jesus! If we aren’t, something is wrong…

Persecuted Christians are not tempted into the illusion that the world is actually a friendly place that does not mind our identifying with Christ. The world for them is unmasked in its hostility to Christ.

Once when visiting Czechoslovakia in the 1980’s, I delivered a Bible to an elderly pastor. He had not seen a Bible in years. He smelled it, kissed it with trembling lips, cradled it, and then with great reverence, opened it. Then he turned to me and said, “Let me tell you of my wounds.” And he poured out his trials for God, which included seven beatings by the secret police and the awful seduction of his daughter by a government agent who then fooled her into betraying him. Then he turned to me, his eyes boring into my soul, and asked, “What wounds have you for the Master?” I was embarrassed to have so few to share.

The questions of the persecuted church are simple: Are you in trouble for Jesus? Where are your wounds? If you don’t have any, maybe you’ve forgotten you’re in a fight at all. Whatever culture we are in, we are always being subtly coerced into spending our money, or time, on what is not of Christ. Persecution afflicts us all if we stand up for Christ. The world, the flesh, and the devil will never reach an accommodation with Christ. Like it or not, we are caught up in cosmic warfare. The gospel has landed us in it. We will all be scarred by the battle. We will all experience persecution. The difference is only one of degree and type.[1]

RESPONSE: Today I will evaluate my life and assess what are my wounds for Christ. I will then rejoice in suffering for Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, I submit to Your Lordship over my life and accept whatever wounds You will enable me to bear for Your sake and the gospel’s.

1. Ronald Boyd-MacMillan, Faith That Endures (Grand Rapids: Fleming Revell, 2006), pp. 322-323.

NIV Devotions for Couples - Fighting Over Nothing

Joel 2:1–32

Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things!
Joel 2:21, NIV

In the midst of calamity, of living with the consequences of sin, the prophet Joel reminds us not to be afraid, but rather to be glad and rejoice, for “the LORD has done great things!” This is a great reminder for me in marriage.

Okay, my marriage doesn’t usually feel like a calamity. But at times it has felt impossible . . . like a mistake… like a mess. It has felt, to borrow an image from Joel, like a horde of locusts has come in and taken over everything.

Our most recent rough patch was over nothing. I think the immediate cause was sleep deprivation and too many evening meetings at church and work. Griff and I just got stuck, like a needle on a broken record. For about three days, we couldn’t exchange a pleasant word, let alone a loving one.

We had lost our sense of being a team. Each, I think, was thinking, “I’m contributing way more here.” One of us was thinking, “I do way more housework,” and the other was thinking, “I slog away at work for endless hours to pay the mortgage.” And together we were concluding, “Why do I put up with this? I’m not getting anything out of it.” There were moments in that three-day period when I seriously wondered if we would ever get through that horrible time. “This is how we’ll be for the rest of forever,” I thought.

Our dissatisfaction was not only superficial but also sinful. We were allowing ourselves to feel alienated from each other and to enjoy strangely delicious feelings of self-righteous annoyance. I felt a little superior; I’m sure Griff did too.

The prophet Joel told the people of Judah that unless they got their act together (that is, repented), God would destroy them just as locusts had destroyed their land.

At the time, I didn’t think God was waiting around to unleash lightning bolts on our marriage. But unless Griff and I repented of our small sins—tetchiness, selfishness, anger—our small sins would quickly become large sins that could do serious harm to our marriage.

At times like that, I find it helpful to remember that the Lord has done great things. He has done great things in our marriage. He has gotten us through far worse patches than three days of clawing at each other. Remembering that I don’t have to be in control and that I should cede that control to God, who has done great things, leads me to repent. After three days or three hours of tetchiness, repentance can be as simple and profound as acknowledging that if I let God into the situation, we won’t feel so stuck.

For me, the beginning of repentance is as basic as picturing Jesus walking into the situation. Sometimes I do that when Griff and I are in the middle of a squabble. Sometimes, I can’t get there until later, when I’m alone. Then I replay the scene, the tension and the annoyance, and I envision Jesus showing up. This is not just some imaginative exercise. It is a prayer, a plea for help. And the God who does great things answers.

Lauren Winner

Let’s Talk

• What are some of the great things God has done in our marriage?
• What are some small sins in our marriage that sometimes threaten to turn into big, destructive sins?
• How might inviting Jesus into our squabbles lead us to repentance? What might change as a result?