LHM Daily Devotion - August 29, 2017 "Silly Suggestions? I Don't Think So."

With all of North Korea's saber rattling, a few weeks ago some of her...

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

"Silly Suggestions? I Don't Think So."

August 29, 2017

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

~ Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)

With all of North Korea's saber rattling, a few weeks ago some of her nearby neighbor nations decided to review the programs they use to prepare their people for a nuclear attack.

In these lists of things people should do and not do are things like

1. DO NOT be at ground zero;
2. DO get as much dense stuff as you can between yourself and the fallout;
3. DO NOT go out for groceries for a few weeks; going out exposes yourself to radiation;
4. DO wash your clothes and body with soap and water to get rid of the fallout;
5. DO NOT use hair conditioner.

Wait! What was that last one? Don't use hair conditioner? Are you serious? That doesn't make any kind of sense at all. What was that Guam government thinking?

Well, when the nation of Guam put out its instructions, the no-hair-conditioner clause was, most-definitely printed out for all to see. Now I know the rule sounds like a silly one, but the Guam government is standing by what it wrote.

And, for two reasons, the scientific community is in agreement.

Reason 1: Don't use hair conditioner because it is sticky and will catch those radioactive isotopes and hold them next to your brain.

Reason 2: Don't use hair conditioner because it employs chemicals to close up the hair follicle and, once again, hold those radioactive isotopes next to your noggin'.

So, you see, the suggestion isn't as silly as it once sounded.

You know, over the years I've met a fair number of people who think the Lord has given His people some silly suggestions. And if you're curious, I'll tell you what I mean.

How about the one in our text above, which reminds us to be faithful in worship? There's a ton of people whose actions show they think the Lord was silly when He inspired that to be written. Talk to them about worship and they respond, saying, "I can worship God in the woods (shop, cabin, golf course) just as easily as I can in church." They say, "I don't get anything out of the sermon." They say, well, they say a lot of things, which show they think the Lord's got it wrong.

Folks, He didn't get it wrong. You see, the Lord didn't make that suggestion just for the individual. He made it for the church. When you worship, you show the world whose side you are on. When you worship, your fellow church member is strengthened. When you worship, you are showing your willingness to obey the Lord whose Son was sacrificed for your salvation.

And besides, you're not that good a prophet to tell whether some sermon is going to be just the one for you.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You see that which I cannot. Let me have the faith and the spirit of humility to acknowledge that You know what You are doing and Your ways are best. This I ask in my Savior's Name. Amen.

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CPTLN Devocional de 29 de Agosto de 2017

Alimento Diario

El Camino correcto

29 de Agosto 2017

Tú me enseñas el camino de la vida; con tu presencia me llenas de alegría; ¡estando a tu lado seré siempre dichoso!

~ Salmo 16:11 (RVC)

A Daniel Boone una vez le preguntaron: "¿Alguna vez estuvo perdido?" A lo que contestó: "No, pero una vez estuve sumamente confundido durante tres días".

La respuesta de Boone fue graciosa. La historia de Kay Gadsby es trágica.

Kay era una joven inglesa de 21 años que sufría muchos problemas físicos. En su corta vida tuvo un trasplante de corazón, y estuvo en la lista de espera para recibir un tercer trasplante de riñón.

Kay falleció cuando la ambulancia que la llevaba al hospital perdió su rumbo en el recorrido de 30 millas. Aparentemente, el conductor había ido a ese hospital sólo una vez y, cuando el sistema de navegación de la ambulancia falló, no logró encontrar la forma de llegar.

Mientras Kay le preguntaba una y otra vez a su madre: "¿No voy a morir, no es cierto?", el paramédico se turnaba entre atenderla a ella y pasarse al asiento de adelante para darle instrucciones al conductor.

Tanto usted como, yo continuamente vemos pasar cientos de autos y camiones. Me pregunto cuántos de sus ocupantes aún no conocen al Salvador. Todos están muy ocupados yendo a algún lugar, pero ese lugar, en la mayoría de los casos, no es el cielo. Todos creen, al igual que Kay, que van a llegar al destino para el cual se subieron al vehículo, pero no siempre todos lo logran.

Esa es una de las razones por la cual usted y yo, que hemos sido salvados por Cristo, hacemos lo que hacemos.

Si conocemos a alguien a quien se le ha roto el sistema de navegación, lo dirigimos a la Palabra de Dios donde, como dice el salmista, el Señor nos da a conocer el camino que lleva a la vida.

Si alguien necesita un trasplante, le presentamos al Salvador, que es el gran médico del cuerpo y del alma.

A quien está confundido y no sabe qué camino tomar, lo dirigimos hacia Jesús, quien es el camino por excelencia.

Es una gran tragedia que Kay haya muerto en esas circunstancias. Pero mayor tragedia aún será si quienes nos rodean nunca llegan a conocer al Salvador que puede perdonar sus pecados, sanar sus almas, y llevarlos al cielo.

ORACIÓN: Señor Jesús, estoy rodeado de personas que se encuentran perdidas y muriendo. Te pido que, cada vez que sea posible, me ayudes a mostrarles el camino que lleva a ti. En tu nombre. 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.

The Daily Readings for MONDAY, August 28, 2017

The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Mark 13:24-25

Opening Sentence

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."

~ Psalm 122:1

Morning Prayer

I give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have protected me through the night from all danger and harm. I ask you to preserve and keep me, this day also, from all sin and evil, that in all my thoughts, words, and deeds I may serve and please you. Into your hands I commend my body and soul and all that is mine. Let your holy angels have charge of me, that the wicked one have no power over me. Amen.

Confession and Forgiveness

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is nothing good in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent; according to Your promises declared unto men in Christ Jesus our Lord. Grant that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; to the glory of His name. Amen

Today's Readings

The First Reading is taken from 1 Kings 1:5-31

Now Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king" he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, "Why have you done thus and so?" He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, and they supported Adonijah. But the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the prophet Nathan, and Shimei, and Rei, and David's own warriors did not side with Adonijah. Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the stone Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, but he did not invite the prophet Nathan or Benaiah or the warriors or his brother Solomon. Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know it? Now therefore come, let me give you advice, so that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go in at once to King David, and say to him, 'Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying: Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then is Adonijah king?' Then while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words." So Bathsheba went to the king in his room. The king was very old; Abishag the Shunammite was attending the king. Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, "What do you wish?" She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your servant by the LORD your God, saying: Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne. But now suddenly Adonijah has become king, though you, my lord the king, do not know it. He has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the children of the king, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army; but your servant Solomon he has not invited. But you, my lord the king-- the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, that my son Solomon and I will be counted offenders." While she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan came in. The king was told, "Here is the prophet Nathan." When he came in before the king, he did obeisance to the king, with his face to the ground. Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne'? For today he has gone down and has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's children, Joab the commander of the army, and the priest Abiathar, who are now eating and drinking before him, and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!' But he did not invite me, your servant, and the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon. Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not let your servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

[The Accession of Solomon] King David answered, "Summon Bathsheba to me." So she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. The king swore, saying, "As the LORD lives, who has saved my life from every adversity, as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,' so will I do this day." Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, "May my lord King David live forever!"

The Second Reading is taken from Acts 26:1-23

[Paul Defends Himself before Agrippa] Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself: "I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently. "All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? "Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

[Paul Tells of His Conversion] "With this in mind, I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.' I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The Lord answered, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles-- to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

[Paul Tells of His Preaching] "After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."

The Holy Gospel is written in Mark 13:14-27

[The Desolating Sacrilege] "But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter. For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days. And if anyone says to you at that time, 'Look! Here is the Messiah!' or 'Look! There he is!'-- do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be alert; I have already told you everything.

[The Coming of the Son of Man] "But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Morning Psalms

Psalm 1 Beatus vir qui non abiit
1   Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2   Their delight is in the law of the LORD, and they meditate on his law day and night.
3   They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper.
4   It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5   Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6   For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Psalm 2 Quare fremuerunt gentes?
1   Why are the nations in an uproar? Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2   Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes plot together, against the LORD and against his Anointed?
3   Let us break their yoke, they say; let us cast off their bonds from us.
4   He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; the Lord has them in derision.
5   Then he speaks to them in his wrath, and his rage fills them with terror.
6   I myself have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion
7   Let me announce the decree of the LORD: he said to me, "You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.
8   Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9   You shall crush them with an iron rod and shatter them like a piece of pottery."
10   And now, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11   Submit to the LORD with fear, and with trembling bow before him;
12   Lest he be angry and you perish; for his wrath is quickly kindled.
13   Happy are they all who take refuge in him!

Psalm 3 Domine, quid multiplicati
1   LORD, how many adversaries I have! how many there are who rise up against me!
2   How many there are who say of me, "There is no help for him in his God."
3   But you, O LORD, are a shield about me; you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.
4   I call aloud upon the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill;
5   I lie down and go to sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6   I do not fear the multitudes of people who set themselves against me all around.
7   Rise up, O LORD; set me free, O my God; surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face, you will break the teeth of the wicked.
8   Deliverance belongs to the LORD. Your blessing be upon your people!

Evening Psalms

Psalm 4 Cum invocarem
1   Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2   You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?
3   Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.
4   Tremble, then, and do not sin; speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
5   Offer the appointed sacrifices and put your trust in the LORD.
6   Many are saying, "Oh, that we might see better times!" Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
7   You have put gladness in my heart, more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
8   I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 7 Domine, Deus meus
1   O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me;
2   Lest like a lion they tear me in pieces and snatch me away with none to deliver me.
3   O LORD my God, if I have done these things: if there is any wickedness in my hands,
4   If I have repaid my friend with evil, or plundered him who without cause is my enemy;
5   Then let my enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life into the ground, and lay my honor in the dust.
6   Stand up, O LORD, in your wrath; rise up against the fury of my enemies.
7   Awake, O my God, decree justice; let the assembly of the peoples gather round you.
8   Be seated on your lofty throne, O Most High; O LORD, judge the nations.
9   Give judgment for me according to my righteousness, O LORD, and according to my innocence, O Most High.
10   Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; for you test the mind and heart, O righteous God.
11   God is my shield and defense; he is the savior of the true in heart.
12   God is a righteous judge; God sits in judgment every day.
13   If they will not repent, God will whet his sword; he will bend his bow and make it ready.
14   He has prepared his weapons of death; he makes his arrows shafts of fire.
15   Look at those who are in labor with wickedness, who conceive evil, and give birth to a lie.
16   They dig a pit and make it deep and fall into the hole that they have made.
17   Their malice turns back upon their own head; their violence falls on their own scalp.
18   I will bear witness that the LORD is righteous; I will praise the Name of the LORD Most High.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayer of the Day

Lord God, I pray that this day my conduct will be like that you have set for your clergy: Above reproach. May I be this day temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, and not violent, but gentle. May I never be quarrelsome, always seeking peace even in disagreement, and may my love be for you and my fellow man, not for money. I pray that I manage my own household well. If I have any children in my charge, I pray to that I may take the time to see that they are in control and behaving with proper respect. Grant me a good reputation with outsiders, so that I will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil. This I pray through my Lord Christ, whose love and attention ever gave us an example of conduct, Amen.

A Collect for the Renewal of Life

O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

His Hands
Jenny Jordan Frogley

Alleluia! Christ has risen.
Christ has risen indeed. Alleluia!

Closing Prayer

O good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to your fold again. Deal favourably with me according to your good pleasure, until I may dwell in your house all the days of my life, and praise you forever and ever with them that are there. Amen.

~ from a prayer of St. Jerome, 408 A.D.

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.

Prayer of the Day for MONDAY, August 28, 2017

Lord God, I pray that this day my conduct will be like that you have set for your clergy: Above reproach. May I be this day temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, and not violent, but gentle. May I never be quarrelsome, always seeking peace even in disagreement, and may my love be for you and my fellow man, not for money. I pray that I manage my own household well. If I have any children in my charge, I pray to that I may take the time to see that they are in control and behaving with proper respect. Grant me a good reputation with outsiders, so that I will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil. This I pray through my Lord Christ, whose love and attention ever gave us an example of conduct, Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, August 28, 2017

John 6:29 (NIV) Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Read all of John 6

Listen to John 6

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 - The Bible is True

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

~ Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)

One of the most profound acts of obedience we can make to God is to believe what He says, when what He says is different from what we think. Indeed, changing a person’s mind can be a huge task . . . even when that person is ourselves. Human psychology can be puzzling. Why do we cling so stubbornly to what we learn as children, even when we learn, beyond any doubt, that it is incorrect? Or why do we defend ideas about religion, politics, and all manner of subjects, as if our lives depended on our ideas being right, even when the ideas are clearly wrong -- or at least, just matters of opinion -- and not particularly important, to boot?

I'll tell you a short story about a divinity student. I heard this from a young assistant pastor in a class, once. We were talking about Revelation, and how hard it is to glean specific facts from the enormous mass of imagery. It is generally impossible to determine which statements are plain statements of fact, and which are metaphor. This young pastor related that he knew a student, in divinity school, who was a “dispensational premillennialist” and would not even speak to other students who believed otherwise!

There are many and very different interpretations of Revelation 20. “Dispensational premillennialists” believe that there will be a pre-tribulation rapture. “Historical premillennialists” believe that Christ will not return until the end of the Great tribulation and that Christians will suffer for the faith as they bring forth the final witness associated with the 5th seal of the book of Revelation. Is your brain dizzy yet? There are also “amillennialists” who believe that Christ is presently reigning through the Church, and that the 1000 years of Revelation 20:1-6 is a metaphorical reference to the present church age. There are also a large number of “post-millennialists”!

But all of these theologies, and many variants, have one thing in common. They do not make one whit of difference to us. Our faithfulness, our obedience, our actions, the means of salvation and the nature of God, are utterly unaffected by this intellectual trap. It is a variant of the most famous theological absurdity: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin. And the more time Christians spend considering and arguing about such things, the less time they spend helping the poor, preaching the salvation of Christ, praying, and all the other clear actions Christ commanded us to take.

So this divinity student got so lost in the bizarre world of Revelation 20 that he lost sight of a clear and important teaching about which there is no room for disagreement: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10.

We can see the evil effect of taking our opinions too seriously by remembering this young divinity student. Where the Bible states something clearly, we must be willing to change our opinions and conform ourselves to the Word of God. The Bible’s statements about Christian unity and harmony are crystal clear; beliefs about millennialism are the product of unclear Bible verses being interpreted by fallible human minds.

Where the Bible is clear, we must follow it, no matter how badly we want to believe something different. Moreover, we must appreciate one of the greatest things about the Bible: It never changes. It is the same now as it was 2,000 years ago. It is a fixed anchor in a world where human thought can drift into all sorts of error.

Let nobody tell us “times have changed” and therefore we may alter or ignore teachings we don't like. Is the Bible the Word of God, or is it not? Is not God eternal? Did He not know we would be reading His Bible in the 21st century? Was He unable to tell us where parts of His Bible were contingent on societal norms? Society cannot change the Bible, for the very purpose of it is to tell us where society has gone wrong!

Lord, let me always remember that your Word is perfect and timeless. Amen.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


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Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Devotion by Mason Barge, Editor, Daily Prayer
One of the most profound acts of obedience we can make to God is to believe what He says, when what He says is different from what we think.

Un Dia a la Vez - El corazón del hogar

[Ella] está atenta a la marcha de su hogar, y el pan que come no es fruto del ocio. Sus hijos se levantan y la felicitan; también su esposo la alaba.

~ Proverbios 31:27-28 (NVI)

La mujer es el corazón del hogar. Sin duda, Dios le ha dado a la mujer esta gran responsabilidad.

¿Te has puesto a pensar que cuando tenemos nuestros esposos, o aun si somos madres solteras, Dios nos ha dado la capacidad de ser ese corazón del hogar? Tú y yo influimos de una manera positiva o negativa en nuestros esposos y en nuestros hijos. Cuando estamos desanimadas, eso es lo que transmitimos en casa… ¡y cómo sufren todos ese desaliento!

Sin embargo, esto lo vemos también en las cosas positivas. Si eres emprendedora, de seguro animas a tu esposo en los momentos en que necesita de ti. Asimismo, cuando alientas a tus hijos y los aconsejas en medio de las dificultades, su respuesta será positiva.

Por eso la mujer es ese motor que debe estar siempre conectado con Dios, ya que nuestra función en el hogar es determinante. Así que, recapacita, pues si tu esposo y tus hijos se quejan de ti, que eres insoportable, que no se te puede hablar o que te pasas la vida con regañinas, estas son señales de advertencia.

Pidámosle a Dios que nos ayude a cambiar y a estar centradas, de manera que logremos seguir siendo ese motor impulsor en la familia.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - GOD’S ETERNAL LOVE

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

~ Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

Yesterday we learned the first prison lesson from Pastor Okuk Ojula who was incarcerated on false charges for three and a half years in a federal prison in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

When Jim Cunningham was able to visit him in the prison, he told Jim that before the prison experience, he had centered his life on serving the Lord, pursuing his education to the highest level (he has an MA in economics from the University of Reading-UK), doing research work and other good things to help people. But he had never thought of imprisonment as having any spiritual or practical value. He commented, “Time was very precious to me and I never thought of wasting it in prison sitting for nothing under a hostile situation.”

But God taught Pastor Okuk several lessons. The second one is that the depth of God’s love for us is eternal. He says, “I was in prison for my protection. God put me in prison beforehand to escape the massacre of the elites and the educated people of my tribe in the Gambella region—the incident of December 2003 that shook the media world.”

Genocide Watch reported that at least 416 Anuak people were massacred in December 2003 in Gambella led by Ethiopian government troops in uniform, but they were joined by other local tribal people from highland areas. Between 3000 and 5000 additional Anuak refugees fled into Sudan as refugees.

The pretext for these massacres was the ambush of a van on December 13th by an unidentified gang who murdered its eight occupants, who were U.N. and Ethiopian government refugee camp officials. There is no evidence that the killers were Anuak. The Ethiopian troops responded by murdering hundreds of Anuak civilians in Gambella and surrounding areas. They also burned their homes and raped the women.

Sources indicated that those targeted particularly were educated Anuak men; a tactic often intended to render a group leaderless and defenseless. To this day hundreds of Anuak Christians are still listed as “missing.”

Pastor Okok is convinced that his imprisonment in Addis was God’s love and protection because if he had been at home, he would have been a prime target because of his education.

RESPONSE: Today I will walk in the assurance of God’s love and His positive actions on my behalf even when they do not seem to be favorable.

PRAYER: Pray for those brothers and sisters experiencing injustice without the understanding of God’s purposes.

Women of the Bible - Elizabeth

Her name means: "God is my oath"

Her character: A descendant of Aaron, Elizabeth was a woman the Bible calls "upright in the sight of God." Like few others, male or female, she is praised for observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations without blame. She is the first to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Her sorrow: To be barren for most of her life.
Her joy: To give birth to John, later known as John the Baptist, the Messiah's forerunner. His name, divinely assigned, means, "The Lord Is Gracious."
Key Scriptures: Luke 1:5-80

Her Story

Her eyes were a golden brown. Like currants set in pastry, they winked out at the world from cheeks that had baked too long in the sun. Snowy strands of hair straggled from beneath a woolen shawl, tickling her wrinkled face. Small hands rested tenderly on her rounded belly, softly probing for any hint of movement. But all was still. From her vantage point on the roof of the house, she noticed a figure walking up the pathway and wondered who her visitor might be.

She and Zechariah had been content enough in their quiet house these last few months, secluded in their joy. Each morning she had opened her eyes as though waking to a fantastic dream. Sometimes she shook with laughter as she thought about how God had rearranged her life, planting a child in her shriveled-up, old-woman's womb.

Six months ago, Zechariah had been chosen by lot to burn incense before the Most Holy Place, a once-in-a-lifetime privilege. But during his week of priestly service in the temple, he had been frightened half to death by a figure who appeared suddenly next to the altar of incense. "Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son," the angel told him, "and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord." It was Sarah and Abraham all over, Rebekah and Isaac, Rachel and Jacob. God was once again kindling a fire with two dry sticks.

For the life of her, Elizabeth couldn't understand her husband's response to the messenger that had so terrified him. Once you'd laid eyes on an angel, how could you fail to believe that anything was possible? But Zechariah had blurted out his skepticism and suffered the consequences. His voice had been snatched away and would not be given back until the angel's words came to pass. These days he communicated by scribbling on a wax tablet.

Elizabeth looked down again at the figure advancing up the path, a green sprig of a girl. The older woman stepped carefully down the stairs and into the house to welcome her guest. But with the young woman's words of greeting came something that felt like a gale force wind, shaking the beams and rafters of the house. Steadying herself, the older woman felt suddenly invigorated. Her unborn baby leapt inside her as she shouted out a welcoming response: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Mary had made the journey all the way from Nazareth to visit her relative Elizabeth. The same angel who had spoken to Zechariah in the temple had whispered the secret of the older woman's pregnancy to the virgin, who was also with child. The magnificent song of praise that burst from Mary's lips during their meeting may have taken shape during the course of her sixty-mile journey south, to the hill country of Judea where Elizabeth lived.

The two women held each other, their bonds of kinship now stronger than what mere flesh and blood could forge. For Israel's God—the God of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, Naomi, Ruth, Abigail, and Hannah—was on the move again, bringing the long-ago promise to fulfillment. And blessed was she who did not doubt that what the Lord had said to her would be accomplished.

Her Promise

God always keeps his promises! For hundreds of years, God had been telling the people of Israel that he would send a Messiah. One who would provide a direct bridge to God himself. One whose sacrifice would provide redemption for all time. The events in this first chapter of Luke are just the beginning of the fulfillment of God's greatest promise to his people. With Mary we can say: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!"

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 - August 28, 2017

5-Step Plan to Godly Thinking

Kelly Balarie

Today’s Truth

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. 

~ Philippians. 4:8 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Some days, it feels like a woman’s work is never done.

These words coursed through my mind as I swung left and right around the kitchen tossing dishes into the dishwasher, removing food stains from the floor and shoving ketchup into the open nook in the side fridge door. I exhaled. I’m nearly there - nearly to the moment I fall back and put my feet up.

Trash still lined the counters: a paper towel by the sink, a wrapper by the coffee maker and an old straw that was nearly too grimy to pick up. I surveyed it all. I considered what to grab first and how to do it most efficiently. I had a plan! The kitchen would sparkle.

Yet, somewhere between laying hands on the grimy straw and the half-used paper towel a thought hit me: Why don’t I survey my mind the same way I do my counters?

God says “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” (Phil. 4:8)

Do I think this way? Do you?

The power of thinking is much like the process of cleaning.

We must: 

Identify the dirty stuff. We must look for anything that does not belong in the temple of God. We must recognize our stuff.

Gossip, negative thinking, complaining, nit-picking, and judgement don’t belong in a shiny bright, glory-filled temple of God. Take notice of them.

Decide it must go. Pick up on what doesn’t belong and make a decision to do things differently. Head that very thought towards the trash can. Be done with it!

You do this by telling yourself: This thought is not helping me, but hurting me. When I fill my mind with the what is not good, I miss the goodness of God.

Replace what was missing. When we clean, we usually remove stuff from the counters first, so can wipe the whole surface. But, after we’ve cleaned, we replace items. We put back the vase, the coffee maker and the pot.

TIP: Put the P.L.A.N.T. back in location.

Simply, think a good thought as it relates to these letters (see sample below):

Pure: God loves me.
Lovely: God has a sweet moment for me after I’m done with this counter.
Admirable: I feel good I didn’t put this cleaning off until tomorrow.
Noble: The King of Kings sees my work.
True and Right: I have a family that loves me.

Will this process work perfectly every time? No way. What does? We live on earth, after all. Mean thoughts, annoyed words or debilitating self-proclamations still sneak in on occasion, but be encouraged, the more you clean and survey your mind, the more it comes alive to joy and contentment.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, thank you for my mind. Thank you that you’ve given me instructions regarding it. You have offered me help, a way to think and a path to go so I may have pure thoughts. I want to be more like you. Develop in me - purity and clarity. Help me remove what does not belong in your temple.
Thank you, God.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What thoughts rule in your mind on a daily basis?

What might the P.L.A.N.T process produce in your life if you were to apply it?

More from the Girlfriends

Kelly Balarie, blogger at Purposeful Faith and author of “Fear Fighting: Awakening the Courage to Overcome Your Fears” is passionate about joining hands with women who often find themselves stuck in the pits of life. Step-by-step, word-by-word, her dream is that together they can emerge better - fear, fret and panic-free. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by email for a dose of inspiration and encouragement.

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