The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, May 12, 2018

The Seventy Elders
Numbers 11:16-17; 24-29

Daily Readings

SATURDAY, May 12, 2018

Old Testament

Numbers 11:16-17; 24-29
The Seventy Elders
11:16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you. 17 I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people along with you so that you will not bear it all by yourself. 24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again. 26 Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!”

The Epistle

Ephesians 2:11-22
One in Christ
2:11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

The Gospel

Matthew 7:28-8:4
7:28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
8:1 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2 and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” 3 He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
So the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them.”

The Morning Prayer for SATURDAY, May 12, 2018

Lord, never let me become stale or jaded in my faith. Amen.

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, May 12, 2018

James 3:1 (NIV) Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

Read all of James 3

Listen to James 3

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Chaplain Kenny - The Danger of Studying Theology

The Danger of Studying Theology

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

~ James 3:1 (NIV)

TO SHELDON VANAUKEN, who had asked whether he should continue with his postgraduate work in history or study theology: On the danger of combining one’s vocation with one’s spiritual interest.

5 January 1951

We must ask three questions about the probable effect of your research subject to something more theological.

(1.) Would it be better for your immediate enjoyment? Answer, probably but not certainly, Yes.

(2.) Would it be better for your academic career? Answer, probably No. You would have to make up in haste a lot of knowledge which could not be very easily digested in the time.

(3.) Would it be better for your soul? I don’t know. I think there is a great deal to be said for having one’s deepest spiritual interest distinct from one’s ordinary duty as a student or professional man.

St. Paul’s job was tent-making. When the two coincide I should have thought there was a danger lest the natural interest in one’s job and the pleasures of gratified ambition might be mistaken for spiritual progress and spiritual consolation: and I think clergymen sometimes fall into this trap.

Contrariwise, there is the danger that what is boring or repellent in the job may alienate one from the spiritual life. And finally someone has said ‘None are so unholy as those whose hands are cauterised with holy things’: sacred things may become profane by becoming matters of the job. You now want truth for her own sake: how will it be when the same truth is also needed for an effective footnote in your thesis? In fact, the change might do good or harm. I’ve always been glad myself that Theology is not the thing I earn my living by. On the whole, I’d advise you to get on with your tent-making. The performance of a duty will probably teach you quite as much about God as academic Theology would do. Mind, I’m not certain: but that is the view I incline to.

Lord, never let me become stale or jaded in my faith. Amen.

In Jesus,
Chaplain 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. Devotion taken from “The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III”.
I’ve always been glad that Theology is not the thing I earn my living by.

Un dia a la Vez - Vivamos el hoy

Vivamos el hoy

Oh Señor [...] por todas las generaciones proclamará mi boca tu fidelidad. Declararé que tu amor permanece firme para siempre.

~ Salmo 89:1-2 (NVI)

Doy gracias a mi Dios porque muchas personas comienzan su día con este humilde devocional y lo digo así porque no soy pastora ni mucho menos. Aun así, Dios me ha dado el don y el gran privilegio de inyectar entusiasmo y alegría a la gente debido a todo lo que se pierde cuando se tienen tantas cosas en la mente y la vida es muy agitada.

Agradezco a cada uno de los oyentes que me ha dicho que mis oraciones y mis palabras de aliento han sido y siguen siendo de bendición para sus vidas y su diario vivir. ¡GRACIAS!

En realidad, esa debe ser nuestra actitud. Muchas veces he llegado durante estos diez años a la radio con diversas preocupaciones, enfermedades, problemas económicos y situaciones que vivimos todos los seres humanos. A pesar de eso, Dios ha sido tan grande que, en medio de esas circunstancias, todo se olvida al llegar al micrófono. Es como si pasara a otro plano. De mi boca solo sale agradecimiento a Dios y unas inmensos deseos de decirte: «Dios te ama, Dios te cuida, Dios está interesado en tu problema, Dios quiere hacerte feliz».

No obstante, dependerá mucho de nuestra actitud. Nosotros somos lo que hablamos o lo que confesamos. Si te levantas amargado y desde que abres tus ojitos y tu boca lo primero que pronuncias son palabras negativas, sales de tu casa en ese tono, lo llevas en mente y se lo dices a tu familia y a tus compañeros, eso es lo que vas a ser.

Por favor, rompe esa manera de actuar y hazte el propósito desde hoy mismo hablar cosas lindas y confesar lo que deseas ser.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Agradezco a cada uno de los oyentes que me ha dicho que mis oraciones y mis palabras de aliento han sido y siguen siendo de bendición para sus vidas y su diario vivir. ¡GRACIAS!

Standing Strong Through the Storm - PRAYER: TURNING PERIODS INTO COMMAS

PRAYER: TURNING PERIODS INTO COMMAS

Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.

~ Acts 14:19-20a (NIV)

Today we hear from Open Doors’ author and co-worker, Anneke Companjen. These are the concluding paragraphs of her first book, Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy:

My husband, Johan, likes to speak on Acts 14 when he challenges Christians around the world to care for the Suffering Church.

In that chapter we read how the authorities won the crowd over and stoned Paul. They dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. 

“Period!” Johan tells his audience. “The devil wanted to put a period here. Paul was finished as far as the enemy was concerned. But God had other plans. The story continues, ‘But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city’ (Acts 14:20). Something happened that turned the devils period into God’s comma. What made the difference? The disciples’ prayer.”

God loves to change the devils periods into commas, and he’s still doing it today.

It is my heart’s desire that he will use you and me to make a difference in the lives of Christians who are persecuted for their faith around the world. We can reach out to them, each in our own church and community and in our own way, through awareness, through action, and most of all, through prayer.[1]

RESPONSE: Today I will not underestimate the power of prayer for persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. I will pray asking God to turn the devil’s periods into His commas.

PRAYER: Pray for persecuted Christians today whether they are experiencing pain or pressure, guilt or relief, sorrow or joy, faith or denial, isolation or fellowship, prison or freedom, hope or despair, forgiveness or bitterness.

1. Anneke Companjen, Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), pp. 216-217.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

NIV Devotionals for Couples - What Jesus Says About Divorce

What Jesus Says About Divorce

Read Matthew 19:1–12

Some Pharisees came to [Jesus] to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

~ Matthew 19:3 (NIV)

When married people face dark times in their marriage, they may quietly sort through the ramifications of divorce. Knowing what the Bible says is critical in that process. But couples also need to figure out how to respond to friends and family who divorce. Do we need to know all the details in order to know who to support? Do we have to choose sides? What do we do when a friend divorces and then remarries? Should we go to the wedding?

As a pastor, I don’t think there is any life situation harder to sort out than divorce. Every story is different. Every situation is painful. It isn’t always easy to determine if there is a “guilty party.” How to weave compassion, grace and righteousness together often confounds me. Christians who take the Bible seriously and who earnestly want to please the Lord don’t always come to the same conclusions. But one thing is certain: We need to consider what Jesus has to say about divorce and remarriage, particularly in Matthew 19.

Divorces in Jesus’ day make our “quickie” divorces of today look positively glacial. A man could divorce his wife, as verse 3 says, “for any and every reason,” at least according to one school of Jewish thought. (Others took a stricter view.) As we are all wont to do, these Pharisees who questioned Jesus wanted to know exactly what reasons justified getting a divorce. But the question was loaded; these Pharisees apparently were among those who used the Law of Moses (specifically Deuteronomy 24:1–4) as proof that divorce for any reason was lawful.

Jesus’ response was that Moses allowed divorce, not to give permission for divorce, but to solve the problem of marital infidelity. Something has to be done when sin utterly poisons the covenant relationship of marriage. Jesus said that sexual immorality (sure evidence of a hard heart) can so poison the covenant of marriage that the innocent party can be released from the marriage commitment.

While Matthew 19 can stir up as many questions as it answers, there are some inescapable conclusions: First, divorce is rarely a solution for followers of Jesus to consider. Rather, we are to cultivate marriages with the grace and truth of God so that they may shine forth the love of Jesus to the world around us. We are not to be like the Pharisees, who tried to push the limits of the law as far as it would go.

Second, we are to become marriage builders among our friends and family. We know how hard and even hopeless marriage can seem sometimes, but we are to be agents of grace and truth to these struggling friends, helping them find hope and help, praying with them and providing a haven away from the tension.

Third, we should affirm those who choose to remain single for the sake of the kingdom, as Jesus did in this passage. Singles don’t need our sympathy; they deserve our respect! Those who remain single and single-mindedly serve Christ are models to us all.

Lee Eclov

Let’s Talk

• Whom do we know who has divorced or is going through a divorce right now? What makes divorce so complicated for Christians to respond to?
• What does repeated sexual immorality do to a marriage? When does the damage become irreparable? How do some couples recover from such sin?
• How could we honor a single person we know who serves God with undivided attention?

When married people face dark times in their marriage, they may quietly sort through the ramifications of divorce.

LHM Devotion - May 12, 2018 - There's Always Hope

Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"There's Always Hope"

May 12, 2018

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.

~ 1 Peter 1:3-6 (ESV)

It was some time ago that King George VI of England addressed the British Commonwealth on New Year's Eve. Although the king didn't know it, cancer was eating at him, and he would die before the end of that year. The world's future was then, as it always seems to be, hopeless.

That king spoke these words: "I said to the man at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I might walk safely into the unknown.' And he said to me, 'Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. It shall be to you safer than the light and better than the known.'"

That is what I would like to say to you this day.

Don't stop the Holy Spirit from placing your hand into the hand of your Savior. Hope is a fragile thing, and when it shrivels and shrinks, it takes a miracle to revive it. Hopelessness is a disease of the soul which takes a Savior to bring about a cure. If you are, or know someone who feels you have nothing to hope for, whose days are being spent waiting for a better tomorrow which you're convinced will never come, let me share this miracle: you have a living, risen Savior.

If all you can see is darkness stretching out before you, believe that the Savior's nail-pierced hand is also stretching out to you. Jesus, who has defeated death, can defeat any and all problems that plague you. He can bring peace to any harm which is in your heart. He can bring hope to the deepest of hurts.

In short, life with Christ is filled with endless hope, and without Him there is only a hopeless end.

Too good to be true? Not at all. My friends, if you ever visit the catacombs in Rome, those underground tunnels where many early Christians are buried, look at the sermons preached by the symbols on their graves.

You will, if you look closely enough, see three common signs: a dove, a fish, and an anchor. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit who gives us faith and hope. The fish, in Greek, ichthus, is an acronym for the words: Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior. Jesus is the basis for all hope and heaven.

And the anchor?

The anchor says that in seemingly hopeless times, when all is adrift, Jesus is our God-given hope who anchors our souls. Sermons from the grave, hundreds of years old, sermons which say there are no hopeless situations. Daily Devotioners, I have run out of space, but I pray you will be brought to see, or will continue to see, that the risen Redeemer is the living hope who changes the dark of a sinful world into the light and joy of fellowship with our Lord.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, as long as I live in this world I will be subject to sin's darkness. Grant that where that darkness is the greatest I may be led with certainty by the light of my living Lord. This I ask in the Savior's Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
It was some time ago that King George VI of England addressed the British Commonwealth on New Year's Eve...

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Dành Thời Gian

Dành Thời Gian

Đọc: Lu-ca 19:1-10 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: II Các vua 15-16; Giăng 3:1-18

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Hãy xuống mau, vì hôm nay Ta phải ở lại nhà của ngươi. Lu-ca 19:5

Rima, một phụ nữ Sy-ri mới chuyển đến Mỹ sống đang cố gắng dùng tay và vốn tiếng Anh ít ỏi của mình để giải thích cho giáo viên dạy tiếng Anh hiểu vì sao cô buồn. Nước mắt lăn dài trên má khi cô bưng lên một đĩa fatayer (gồm thịt, phô mai và bánh bina) được sắp xếp thật đẹp mắt. Sau đó, cô nói: “Một người đàn ông,” rồi cô làm động tác sột soạt khi chỉ từ cửa vào phòng khách rồi trở lại cửa. Giáo viên xâu chuỗi lại những gì cô cố gắng diễn đạt rằng một số người ở hội thánh gần đó định đến thăm Rima cùng gia đình và mang theo ít quà. Nhưng rồi chỉ có một người đàn ông đến. Ông này đến, đưa cho cô thùng đồ rồi vội vã đi. Ông ấy có việc bận, trong khi cô và gia đình thì cảm thấy cô đơn, ao ước có một cộng đồng và được cùng ăn fatayer với những người bạn mới.

Dành thời gian cho người khác là điều Chúa Jêsus đã làm. Ngài cùng ăn tối với người khác, dạy dỗ đoàn dân và dành thời gian với từng người. Ngài còn chủ động đến nhà của một người thu thuế tên là Xa-chê, người đã leo lên cây để nhìn thấy Chúa Jêsus. Ngài ngước mắt lên và phán: “Hãy xuống mau, vì hôm nay Ta phải ở lại nhà của ngươi” (Lu. 19:1-9). Cuộc đời Xa-chê đã được thay đổi mãi mãi.

Vì có nhiều trách nhiệm khác nên không phải lúc nào chúng ta cũng có thể dành thời gian cho người khác. Nhưng khi làm điều đó, chúng ta có đặc ân kỳ diệu là được ở bên người khác và nhìn xem Chúa hành động qua chúng ta.

Người khác đã dành thời gian cho bạn như thế nào? Tuần này, bạn có thể bày tỏ tình yêu của Chúa cho ai, bằng cách nào?

Thời gian có lẽ là món quà quý nhất mà bạn có thể trao tặng cho người khác.

bởi Anne Cetas

© 2018 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Rima, một phụ nữ Sy-ri mới chuyển đến Mỹ sống đang cố gắng dùng tay và vốn tiếng Anh ít ỏi của mình để giải thích cho giáo viên dạy tiếng Anh hiểu vì sao cô buồn.