The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, May 19, 2018

The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-20

The Daily Readings

SATURDAY, May 19, 2018

Old Testament

Ezekiel 36:22-27
36:22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.

The Epistle

Ephesians 6:10-24
The Whole Armor of God
6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Personal Matters and Benediction
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you everything. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts. 23 Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gospel

Matthew 9:18-26
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
9:18 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20 Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 And the report of this spread throughout that district.

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.
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The Morning Prayer for SATURDAY, May 19, 2018

Lord, be merciful to your people. Fill us with your gifts and make us always eager to serve you in faith, hope and love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, May 19, 2018

Acts 4:13-14 (NIV) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.

Read all of Acts 4

Listen to Acts 4

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 - God Values "Ordinary" People

God Values "Ordinary" People

Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.

~ Judges 6:6 (NIV)

John Wesley said, “Give me a hundred men who love God with all their hearts and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world.”

God effectively changed a culture through one man named Gideon who was willing to stand in the gap and make a difference. Gideon wasn’t perfect, but God saw potential in him. He made it into the exclusive list of courageous men and women in Hebrews 11 who put their faith into action.

What I find interesting about Hebrews 11, the Heroes’ Hall of Faith, is that God never mentions their sins. He tells us about their accomplishments through faith, but He never mentions their flaws or their shortcomings (although other verses do).

Gideon’s world was messed up. It had been two hundred years since Israel had seen the walls of Jericho fall by the power of God. Things had changed because they didn’t finish the job. God told Israel to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan, and Israel obeyed partially. As a result, the Canaanites had come back and grown stronger. Ultimately they were ruling over them.

The Israelites were devastated. They were hungry, hurting, and humiliated, and they started calling on God. He sent His answer in the form of Gideon. God goes out of His way to find ordinary people so that He gets the glory.

When we look at someone like Gideon, it gives hope to those of us who are on the ordinary side. God often will use the unqualified to do the unexpected. The Lord can change the world with an ordinary person who will say, “Lord, I am willing to be that person.” Will you step forward? God can do a lot with a little. God can do a lot with you.

Lord, be merciful to your people. Fill us with your gifts and make us always eager to serve you in faith, hope and love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In Jesus,
Chaplain Kenny

Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.
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 © 2017 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.
God often will use the unqualified to do the unexpected.

Un dia a la Vez - Los hijos del divorcio

Los hijos del divorcio

Y ahora, Señor, ¿qué esperanza me queda? ¡Mi esperanza he puesto en ti!

~ Salmo 39:7 (NVI)

Esta semana la he dedicado a ese problema triste y común que es la separación o el divorcio, y he motivado a las mujeres, y a los hombres por igual, a seguir adelante a pesar de sus frustraciones.
Sin embargo, hoy llego como una gran defensora de los «hijos del divorcio».

No les hagamos más daño del que ya les hemos ocasionado con la triste noticia de que papi y mami no seguirán viviendo juntos, pues ese es un trauma de por vida que solo se logra sanar por la misericordia de Dios.

Cuando nos separamos o divorciamos, es como si olvidáramos que esos hijitos son el resultado de esa relación. Caemos en el grave error de cobrarnos la venganza por nuestras manos y ponemos a los hijos de carnada.

Nuestros hijos pasan a sufrir la manipulación y los convertimos en mensajeros para nuestro ex. Lo triste de todo es que, en la mayoría de los casos, esos mensajes van con amenazas, insultos y lo que menos damos es un buen ejemplo. Incluso, a menudo los papás cortan la ayuda económica a fin de castigar a las madres y no les dan dinero.

Si estás pasando por algo así, recuerda que necesitas la intervención de Dios en tu vida y mucha oración y protección en esta nueva etapa que estás experimentado. Así que el mejor consejo que te puedo dar es el siguiente: «Busca a Dios y entrégale por completo tu vida y la de tus hijos».

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Esta semana la he dedicado a ese problema triste y común que es la separación o el divorcio, y he motivado a las mujeres, y a los hombres por igual, a seguir adelante a pesar de sus frustraciones.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - SERVING TWO MASTERS

SERVING TWO MASTERS

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

~ Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

Riches are dangerous because their seductive power often causes people to reject Christ and His kingdom. The rich young ruler who turned sadly away after being told that he had to part with his riches to inherit salvation prompted Jesus’ statement, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:24; Mark 10:23; Matthew 19:23)

A desire for riches can cause people to do almost anything—even to the extent of selling their souls. The result, Scripture warns, is anguish now and damnation later (1Timothy 6:9-10). An abundance of possessions can easily lead us to forget that God is the Source of all good. The people of Israel were warned of this before they entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 8:11-17).

The pursuit of wealth often results in wars. James 4:1-2 says this clearly and it is amply confirmed from world history. Instead of fostering more compassion toward the poor, riches often harden the hearts of the wealthy. Rich persons are often unconcerned about the poor at their doorstep. (Luke 16:19-31; Isaiah 5:8-10; Amos 6:4-7; James 5:1-5)

Money is not neutral; it is a power with a life of its own. It is a power that is even demonic in character. When Jesus uses the Aramaic term mammon, translated as money in the NIV, (Matthew 6:24) to refer to wealth, He is giving it a personal and spiritual character as a rival god. Mammon is a power that seeks to dominate us.

Hence, money is an active agent. It is a law unto itself—capable of inspiring devotion. It is tremendously instructive to stand back and observe the frantic scramble of people for money. And this does not occur just among the poor and starving. Even the super rich still seek it furiously. The middle class continue to buy more houses, acquire more cars and purchase more clothes than they need. If money were only a medium of exchange, it would make no sense at all to attach such prestige to it. We value people in relation to their income. We give people status and honor in relation to how much money they have or appear to have.

We can have all the Christian externals and yet be complete materialists in our hearts.

RESPONSE: I choose to serve God, so I will not give money any place of prominence in my life or in my heart.

PRAYER: Lord, I need Your help today to stay focused on You and not on all the “things” around me.

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 - Giving Up Our Secrets

Giving Up Our Secrets

Read Mark 4:21–25

“Whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.”

~ Mark 4:22 (NIV)

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “The cruelest lies are often told in silence.” Much in our world is deceptive and dishonest: the rhetoric of political campaigns, for example, or the propaganda of advertising, with its slanted facts and testimonials. In a time that makes us wary, we long for honesty that breeds trust and nurtures hope.

A woman once came to me for counseling. For the next two years, we wrestled through the difficulties in her life. She was living a lie, and she didn’t even know it. Secrets had twisted her in so many ways that she couldn’t even say what her problem was. But finally God got through to her, wrapped his healing around her hurting heart, and took the kinks out of her troubled dreams.

When we first started counseling, the woman hid her pain behind clever tales and false fronts. She talks differently today. Her yes means yes, and she knows why. She doesn’t have to lie to God anymore, and she doesn’t have to invent stories for others. The doors of her prison have swung open. She has found God. She has found herself. She is free of secrets, and the way she talks shows it.

Straight talk is important in marriage. It is easy to distort the truth when we are doing the “dating dance” and wooing one another. We parade partial truths in hopes that some of our deeper secrets will stay hidden. The tipping point comes when we enter into the deeper relational stage we call “engagement.” An older term for that was betrothal, which literally means giving our troth, an earlier variation on the word truth. In other words, dating is playing games, but engagement, or betrothal, means we are now committing to truth. We are choosing to reveal more of ourselves so we can see each other wholly and love each other in wholesome ways.

The outcome of a good engagement is marriage, when, as Adam and Eve discovered, we find ways to be “naked and not ashamed” before each other. This is more than just undressing; it is the psychological honesty that allows us to meet one another in truth, peering into each other’s souls without embarrassment or threat of one of us walking away.

There may be times when too much honesty harms a good relationship, but it is hard to know how secrets can be part of a healthy relationship. God does not turn away from us when the secrets of our hearts are brought into the healing light of divine grace. Nor should we turn from those who trust us with the intimacy of private faults, disappointments, needs and dreams. As Jesus reminds us in this brief parable about a lamp, “Whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.” Especially in marriage.

Wayne Brouwer

Let’s Talk

• How well do we know each other? How much can we entrust to one another? How are knowing and trusting related?
• What do we know about each other that no one else knows? How have we used that secret information in healthy and nurturing ways? How have we abused it?
• Are there secrets we keep from one another? Do we need to become more open with one another? How might we do that?

The cruelest lies are often told in silence.

LHM Devotion - May 19, 2018 - What Was He Thinking?

Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"What Was He Thinking?"

May 19, 2018

Abstain from every form of evil.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (ESV)

Some ideas are good ideas, and some are not. This devotion focuses on ideas which were terrible.

Back when I was serving a number of congregations in South Dakota, my duties took me through Wind Cave National Park. It was usually a great drive made memorable by occasional encounters with bison, deer, elk, and all manner of smaller beasties.

On one occasion, Pam and I stopped to watch some bison which were grazing close to the road.

As we watched, a crowd of visitors began to form. Most obeyed the posted rules to stay in their cars; one man did not feel that rule applied to him. Boldly, he walked toward the closest bison, took his four-year-old girl in his arms, and began to throw her onto the animal, so he could get a picture.

He was stopped only because another man came running up to him with shouted screams of warning.

That memory came back to me this past week when I read of a man from India whose name is Bhatara. One day, when he was out with his friends, Bhatara spotted a bear lying alongside the road. All appearances said the bear had been killed, probably from an encounter with a large truck. As I said, Bhatara believed the beast to be dead, and he was pretty proud of himself when he pulled the car over.

He told his friends he wanted to take a selfie with the beast.

His friends tried to dissuade him, but he was not about to back down. He wanted that photo and he wanted it badly. Boldly, Bhatara approached the "dead" bear. Of course, by now you know the bear was not dead. On the other hand, it had been wounded, and there's nothing more dangerous than a bear who is in pain.

Oh, there is another thing the bear was: he was sure he didn't want any more contact with humans. That is why, when he sensed Bhatara was coming up on him, the bruin launched a full-scale attack.

By the time the police arrived and tranquilized the bear, Bhatara was already dead, which all goes to prove it doesn't make any difference: wild bears or bison -- it's a terrible idea to try and take a selfie with them.

Would you like another terrible idea? This terrible idea is revealed anytime someone wants to know "How close can I get to a sin without being punished?" The person who drives at 69 mph in a 65 mph zone is asking that question. The teen who wants to know "How far can I go on a date before I sin?" is asking that question. The individual who pushes his tax deductions past being justifiable is thinking about that question.

It' a terrible idea to flirt with the sins which the Savior came to remove. It is a terrible idea because flirting with sin can lead to a successful temptation. It's a bad idea because it brings dishonor to the Savior. And that, my friends, is something we do not want to do. Jesus has done all which was necessary for us to be forgiven and saved. Now it behooves us to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may do my best to avoid sin. Remove its enticements to us, allow us to live in a period of peace and hope for all parties concerned. This I ask in the Savior's Name. Amen.

The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Matthew Diebel for USA Today on May 7, 2018. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/05/07/bear-mauls-death-indian-man-who-tried-take-selfie/585843002/

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Some ideas are good ideas, and some are not. This devotion focuses on ideas which were terrible.

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Còn Nếu

Còn Nếu

Đọc: Đa-ni-ên 3:8-18 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: I Sử ký 7-9; Giăng 6:22-44

Download MP3

Đức Chúa Trời mà chúng tôi thờ phượng có thể cứu chúng tôi thoát khỏi lò lửa hực... Còn nếu Ngài không cứu, thì xin đức vua biết cho rằng chúng tôi cũng không phục vụ các thần của vua. Đa-ni-ên 3:17–18

Có lúc cuộc sống giáng cho chúng ta một đòn chí mạng. Lại có khi những điều kỳ diệu xảy ra.
Ba chàng trai trẻ, là những phu tù tại Ba-by-lôn đã đứng trước vị vua đáng sợ của xứ đó và dạn dĩ tuyên bố rằng dù trong hoàn cảnh nào họ cũng không bao giờ thờ lạy pho tượng khổng lồ bằng vàng cao chót vót phía trên họ. Họ cùng nhau tuyên bố: “Nếu chúng tôi bị ném vào lò lửa, thì thưa đức vua, Đức Chúa Trời mà chúng tôi thờ phượng có thể cứu chúng tôi thoát khỏi lò lửa hực và khỏi tay vua. Còn nếu Ngài không cứu, thì xin đức vua biết cho rằng chúng tôi cũng không… thờ lạy pho tượng” (Đa. 3:16-18).

Ba người này là Sa-đơ-rắc, Mê-sác và A-bết-nê-gô, họ đã bị ném vào lò lửa hực thật; và Chúa đã giải cứu họ cách kỳ diệu để không một sợi tóc nào trên đầu họ bị cháy xém và quần áo của họ không bị ám khói (c.19-27). Họ sẵn sàng chết nhưng vẫn tin cậy nơi Chúa không chút lay chuyển, ngay cả khi Chúa không cứu.

Chúa muốn chúng ta bám chặt lấy Ngài, dù người thân yêu của chúng ta không được chữa lành, dù chúng ta bị mất việc, dù bị bắt bớ. Có lúc Chúa cứu chúng ta khỏi sự nguy hiểm trong cuộc sống này, nhưng có lúc Ngài không cứu. Nhưng chân lý mà chúng ta có thể nắm chắc đó là: “Đức Chúa Trời mà [chúng ta] thờ phượng” sẽ luôn yêu thương và ở cùng chúng ta trong mọi lò lửa thử thách, mọi hoàn cảnh.

Lạy Chúa, chúng con yêu Ngài! Xin ban cho chúng con đức tin vững vàng cùng sức mạnh và niềm hy vọng mỗi ngày dù ở trong bất cứ hoàn cảnh nào.

Chúa có thể làm mọi điều.

bởi Alyson Kieda

© 2018 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Có lúc cuộc sống giáng cho chúng ta một đòn chí mạng. Lại có khi những điều kỳ diệu xảy ra.