LHM Daily Devotion - November 16, 2017 "Not Logical"

It was always my custom to stand at the front door of the church and...

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

"Not Logical"

November 16, 2017

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

~ 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

It was always my custom to stand at the front door of the church and welcome folks to worship.

As you can imagine, such a vantage point allowed me to see many strange and interesting things. For me, none was more interesting than watching women cleaning up their children, especially their boys who have the ability to make the cleanest of outfits instantaneously dirty.

That's why moms who knew their children were spic-and-span at the beginning of the trip to church still went through the checklist one last time. One last time they wanted to make sure their little ones were presentable.

I can still see those mothers going through their mental checklist:

• Hands clean and devoid of all blotches and smears? Check!

• Hair in place, no bubble-gum or peanut butter? Check!

• No lint or loose hairs on shoulders or shirt? Check!

• Is the tuck-in Sunday shirt still tucked in? Check!

• Any major stains? None. Check!

Now if there was some dirt or a heretofore unnoticed stain, mom took care of such horrors right there and then. This she did by fishing a handkerchief out of her purse and spitting into it. A big stain called for a lot of spittle. To the best of my knowledge, no stain can withstand this method of cleaning. Oh, there's one other thing you should know about mom's cleaning their men.

The thing you should know is this: there is no age cutoff. I have seen 76-year-old great-grandmothers clean up their 78-year-old husbands as well as their 45-year-old sons. This they do because there are special occasions when the ladies like their guys to look good.

And no occasion is more special than a wedding: your wedding.

A few weeks ago, Brittany Ross Cook of Ontario, Canada, married Clayton Cook. Everything went great at the wedding, but afterwards, as they were taking pictures in Victoria Park, they ran into problems. In the midst of the formal pictures, the groom excused himself, walked over to the river, watched for a few seconds and, still attired in his formal clothes, jumped in.

It could have been the end of a beautiful relationship. But it wasn't. Brittany forgave Clay after he explained. You see, Clay had seen one child push another into that river. When he walked to the riverbank he was told the lad couldn't swim. A quick glance at the boys struggles showed, without help, the boy wasn't going to make it.

Jumping in to save that child may not have been the logical thing to do. It may not have been the logical thing to do, but it was the right thing to do.

Two-thousand years ago, your Savior took a look at sinful humanity. He could plainly see we couldn't save ourselves. Indeed, if anybody was going to be rescued in this world it would be because He got involved, which is why Jesus began His earthly ministry. He put His own life, His own place in heaven to the side, to save us. To save us, He became obedient unto death, even death on the cross.

Understand, it was not the logical thing to do. How could the innocent dying for the guilty be logical? How could trading the life of God's Son to rescue a rebellious world be logical? No, it wasn't logical, but it was -- from the Lord's perspective -- the right thing, the godly thing to do.

As Paul wrote, "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, today we rejoice that You didn't do the logical thing in saving us. May we do our best to live worthy of the Name Christian. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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

CPTLN Devocional de 16 de Noviembre de 2017 - Un mundo diferente

Alimento Diario

Un mundo diferente

16 de Noviembre 2017

Ante todo, exhorto a que se hagan rogativas, oraciones, peticiones y acciones de gracias por todos los hombres; por los reyes y por todos los que ocupan altos puestos, para que vivamos con tranquilidad y reposo, y en toda piedad y honestidad.

~ 1 Timoteo 2:1-2 (RVC)

Una joven en Somalia está muerta. Fue apedreada hasta que murió.

Según sus acusadores, esa joven de 23 años había confesado haber cometido adulterio, había querido ser juzgada por su delito y había pedido recibir el castigo que merecía.

De acuerdo a su padre, ella tenía 13 años y había sido violada por tres hombres. Cuando se quejó, fue detenida y condenada.

Lo que nosotros sabemos por cierto es que esa joven fue muerta a pedradas. Ella había suplicado por su vida, pero sus súplicas fueron ignoradas. Así es que la enterraron hasta el cuello, y 50 hombres se encargaron de apedrearla. Después de un tiempo, unas enfermeras la sacaron del pozo para ver si todavía estaba viva. Como todavía vivía, la volvieron a poner allí, y continuaron tirándole piedras.

Más de 1.000 personas se habían juntado para mirar.

A quienes la violaron, o cometieron adulterio con ella, no se les castigó de ninguna forma.

Lo que me lleva al tema de esta devoción.

Yo, al igual que muchos de ustedes, no siempre estoy contento con cómo van las cosas en el país. Muchos de ustedes, al igual que yo, no siempre estarán contentos con la forma de pensar de nuestros gobernantes.

Pero aún así, es necesario que cada uno de nosotros demos gracias al Señor por vivir en un país libre y que juntos oremos por las autoridades que el Señor nos ha dado.

Debemos estar agradecidos porque tenemos un país en el que la religión puede ser practicada libremente y en el que la mayoría de los jueces tratan de ser justos y equitativos.

Nuestro país es un regalo precioso de Dios que debe ser protegido y preservado no sólo con acciones, sino también con oración.

ORACIÓN: Querido Padre, te doy gracias por haberme regalado libertad. Ayúdame a usar esa libertad para orar por los líderes, gobernantes y jueces de mi país. Bendícelos con tu gracia para que sigan tus caminos. En el nombre del Salvador que me liberó del pecado, la muerte, y el diablo. 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 WEDNESDAY, November 15, 2017

‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ - Matthew 15:34b

Daily Readings

Nehemiah 7:73-8:18

So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. When the seventh month came-- the people of Israel being settled in their towns-- all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. On the second day the heads of ancestral houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to the scribe Ezra in order to study the words of the law. And they found it written in the law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the people of Israel should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month, and that they should publish and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem as follows, "Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written." So the people went out and brought them, and made booths for themselves, each on the roofs of their houses, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them; for from the days of Jeshua son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the book of the law of God. They kept the festival seven days; and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

Revelation 18:21-24

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "With such violence Babylon the great city will be thrown down, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and minstrels and of flutists and trumpeters will be heard in you no more; and an artisan of any trade will be found in you no more; and the sound of the millstone will be heard in you no more; and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more; and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more; for your merchants were the magnates of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in you was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slaughtered on earth."

Matthew 15:29-39

After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?" Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

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 WEDNESDAY, November 15, 2017

O GOD, who guides the meek in judgment and makes the light rise out of darkness for the godly; Grant me, in all my doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have me do, that the Spirit of Wisdom may save me from all false choices, and that in your light I may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, November 15, 2017

Psalm 25:4 (NIV) Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.

Read all of Psalm 25

Listen to Psalm 25

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 - Lesson From The Ants

Lesson From The Ants

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.”

~ Psalm 25:4 (NIV)

Daniel Detweiler told a story about his experience with ants. The story went something like this. As Detweiler walked from his house to the garden, he noticed a long string of ants coming uphill across his path. He stopped to watch, and then dropped to his knees to observe them more closely.

All of the ants were following the exact same path. The path was about the width of the ants themselves. Not one ant was standing still, slooping, or wandering off course. At times there was a little break in the procession; enough so that the following ant could not see the next ant ahead. He was not lost, and all he had to do was to keep moving ahead on the same path. They would all eventually meet at the same destination.

Detweiler carefully bent over and made a little path across the ant path with his finger, but left the rest of the ant path undisturbed. When the next ant in the line came up to his finger mark the ant stopped. Obviously confused, it wandered back and forth. The ant no longer knew where to go. The following ants did the same.

In a short while a whole group of ants did the same. They were bypassing each other and crisscrossing his finger path, and also the original ant path. They could not figure out their initial path, and their running around only brought more chaos.

An example of a person's path being blocked in the Bible was in 1 Thessalonians when Paul wrote a letter to the “brothers and sisters” in the church in Thessalonica. He wrote that he had been separated from them for a little while. Then went on to say: “(I) wanted very much to come, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented (me).” Paul's path to go to the church in Thessalonica had definitely been blocked. When this happened did Paul go running around in confusion and chaos like the ants did? No, Paul understood that God has a reason behind every disturbed path.

God's people as they travel their ordinary road of life, often have their perfectly planned out path abruptly blocked. Like the ants they often stumble, crisscross, and become confused because of it. Why not take the time to remember that your Rock is Christ, and if you trust Him, and steadfastly follow Him, He will give you, like Paul, the wisdom to know which way to walk around, or go over, the stumbling block, and that will be your right path to follow.

O GOD, who guides the meek in judgment and makes the light rise out of darkness for the godly; Grant me, in all my doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have me do, that the Spirit of Wisdom may save me from all false choices, and that in your light I may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny


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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Lord, we lift our eyes in prayer and wait upon Your direction.

Un Dia a la Vez - Los cambios

Los cambios

Encomienda al Señor tus afanes, y él te sostendrá; no permitirá que el justo caiga y quede abatido para siempre.

~ Salmo 55:22 (NVI)

Los cambios han sido trascendentales en mi vida. Desde la llegada de Colombia a Estados Unidos, he tenido unos diecisiete cambios de domicilio, incluyendo un cambio de estado y mi más reciente cambio de casa que sucedió justo mientras escribía este libro. Le di gracias a Dios porque de cada situación que vivo, Él me da una enseñanza.

Si te pones a pensar y echas atrás la película de tu vida, te acordarás de diversos cambios que han marcado tu vida para siempre.

Algo que me gusta mucho de mi Dios es que utiliza cada cambio para enseñarnos que Él tiene mejores cosas para nosotros. Si cometemos errores, Él está dispuesto a sanarnos y darnos una oportunidad.

Si no fuera por la intervención divina, no sé qué hubiera sido de mis princesas y de mí después de sufrir tantos golpes en la vida.

Hoy en día puedo dar testimonio de que las cosas malas que nos suceden Dios las cambia para bien. Solo Él puede cambiar nuestro lamento en baile.

Si estás pasando por cambios en tu vida, por más difíciles que sean tus problemas, no te desesperes, ni te angusties porque no estás solo. Dios no te abandonará y te bendecirá.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - NO ORDINARY LIFE

NO ORDINARY LIFE

And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

~ Matthew 5:40-42 (NIV)

An Open Doors co-worker shares this personal experience from the Middle East:

The serenity of the pastor walking beside us seemed to calm the hustle and the bustle of the small village. He suddenly came to a stop, carefully looked around and then said, “Some time ago, exactly on the spot where you are standing now, a Christian brother was slaughtered to death because of his faith. He was abducted and brought here to be executed. Life in a mid-eastern village like this is not easy if you confess Jesus to be the Son of God. It could cost you your life.”

I looked at this servant of Christ and asked him the obvious question “Why do you choose to live here? Why do you choose to follow Christ under such severe circumstances?”

Without hesitation he looked at me and his reply became a challenge and guideline for my walk with the Lord, even if it is in the safety of my home. He replied “I refuse to live an ordinary life in Christ.” 

As Christians we are called to refuse an ordinary life in Christ. We are commanded to reject worldly standards, to reject mediocrity, to reject compromise and to value people more than possessions, even more than our own lives.

To truly follow Jesus means His will is more important than my life. As well, while alive, I must adopt a lifestyle that puts people ahead of possessions, even one of my most valuable possessions—time! We tend to cherish stuff and comfort more than souls.

In the Shepherd of Hermes, an early church writing, we are urged, “Instead of fields, buy souls that are in trouble according to your ability.”

RESPONSE: Today amid the comforts of my environment I will refuse to live an ordinary life but seek to be more like Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, I want to live the Jesus way, valuing people more than things even to the point of sacrifice. Help me to escape the bonds of the ordinary Christian life.

Girlfriends in God - I Have a Great Plan, Lord!

I Have a Great Plan, Lord!

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Friend to Friend

“You need surgery, Mary,” the doctor said. Surely I had heard him wrong. My summer plans flashed before my eyes, and I clearly did not have time for surgery.

I had writing projects to complete, trips to take with our grandchildren, my usual painstakingly thorough summer house cleaning, several home improvements to complete … the list was impressive.

The doctor’s words interrupted my thoughts, “When can we get you on the schedule? We don’t want to wait too long.” I simply could not believe what he was telling me.

I had gone to see my general practitioner after a pretty nasty fall, but I just thought I had bruised my collarbone or pulled a ligament in my shoulder. He x-rayed my shoulder and said, “Well, the good news is that you have not broken anything.” Awesome! I was so relieved. “But you have separated your shoulder.” What? I then assumed they could pop it back into place – right? “I’m going to send you to an orthopedic surgeon,” he said. Seeing the look of horror on my face, he continued, “Just to see if you need physical therapy or surgery.” I knew what I needed. Physical therapy. But here is the orthopedic surgeon telling me I need surgery. I was not happy.

“How long is the recovery from this kind of surgery?” I asked.

“About 3 months, and it is a tough recovery that includes vigorous physical therapy,” he said.

The prospect of having to endure pain did not bother me. What did bother me was watching my summer slowly go down the drain before my eyes.

Have you ever been there? Your carefully laid out plans disintegrate before your eyes and you wonder what God is doing?

I know there are days when the plan of God seems completely wrong and we simply do not understand. Every moment is pregnant with darkness, and our hearts are numb, paralyzed by fear and doubt. We are treading water in the storm-tossed sea of life, desperately longing to see Him walking on the treacherous waves toward us, rescue in His hand.

It is in those shadowed moments that we must choose to trust the Plan Maker, the Master Designer, even though our faith is small, and we cannot understand the plan. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. And one day, every one of our question marks will be yanked into exclamation points as we see that high plan as He sees it – perfect.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT).

Today, Girlfriend, set aside your meager agenda. Lay down your limited life arrangement and look for God to meet you at the point of surrender, power and victory in His hands. Now that is a great plan.

Let’s Pray

Father, please forgive me when I stubbornly choose to ignore Your plan for my life. Thank You for always being there for me, ready to rescue me from my own selfish desires and decisions. Help me remember that Your plan is the highest plan for my life and give me the strength to follow that plan. I want to honor and please You, Lord.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read and memorize 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” How does this verse impact the way you live, think, and act?

More from the Girlfriends

The most common invitation offered by Jesus Christ is simply to "come." He doesn't ask us to fix what is wrong or expect us to clean up our lives. That is His responsibility. Jesus loves us just as we are - in the midst of our sin and frail humanity. When we come to Him with a "yes" in our hearts, He lovingly transforms the broken places into beautiful scars of healing and new life. "Come As You Are” is an encouraging message filled with hope and God's love and power to help us be all He created us to be. Check it out! And be sure to connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com