The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, June 2, 2018

The Good Fight of Faith
1 Timothy 6:11-19

The Daily Readings

SATURDAY, June 2, 2018

Old Testament

Proverbs 25:15-28
15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
    and a soft tongue can break bones.
16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
    or else, having too much, you will vomit it.
17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,
    otherwise the neighbor will become weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow
    is one who bears false witness against a neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot
    is trust in a faithless person in time of trouble.
20 Like vinegar on a wound
    is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Like a moth in clothing or a worm in wood,
    sorrow gnaws at the human heart.
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat;
    and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink;
22 for you will heap coals of fire on their heads,
    and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind produces rain,
    and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
    than in a house shared with a contentious wife.
25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
    so is good news from a far country.
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
    are the righteous who give way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
    or to seek honor on top of honor.
28 Like a city breached, without walls,
    is one who lacks self-control.

The Epistle

1 Timothy 6:6-21
6:6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
The Good Fight of Faith
11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Personal Instructions and Benediction
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; 21 by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you.

The Gospel

Matthew 13:36-43
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

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.
Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The Morning Prayer for SATURDAY, June 2, 2018

Heavenly Lord, you have brought me to the beginning of a new day. As the world is renewed fresh and clean, so I ask you to renew my heart with your strength and purpose. Forgive me the errors of yesterday and bless me to walk closer in your way today. This is the day I begin my life anew; shine through me so that every person I meet may feel your presence in my soul. Take my hand, precious Lord, for I cannot make it by myself. Through Christ I pray and live,

Amen

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, June 2, 2018

Revelation 22:1-2 (NIV) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Read all of Revelation 22

Listen to Revelation 22

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 - A Future Hope

A Future Hope

“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias. But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? No, I will not.” The Lord dwells in Zion!

~ Joel 3:17-21 (NIV)

Joel prophesied that God would judge other nations for how they treated his people. On the day of the Lord, this future judgment would come; however, on that terrible day, the Lord promised to be a refuge for his people. In this passage, God promised to be the God of his people and live among them in Jerusalem. As a result of God’s presence among the people, the land would be blessed, fruitful and safe from foreign invasion.

This blessing points believers to the day referenced in Revelation 22:1–2, where in the new heaven and the new earth, the river of life will flow from the throne of God and bring life to all the city—including the tree of life, which will continually bear fruit. The people of God can take part in this beautiful blessing because of the work of Jesus on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, he took on the guilt of all who will trust in him for salvation, and he became the one way that God would pardon human sin.

Jesus, then, is the ultimate refuge for the people of God. He not only protects them from their enemies, but he has also absorbed the wrath of God on their behalf. This is what makes it possible for God to dwell within his people. Now, the people of God, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, live each day of their lives with the hope of a great future and wait for this promise of eternal blessing to be realized.

Jesus, thank you for bearing the weight of my guilt. Help me to live free of this guilt, living every second in the knowledge of the future you’ve made possible for me. 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 NIV The Jesus Bible.
Joel prophesied that God would judge other nations for how they treated his people.

Un dia a la Vez - Los errores más comunes

Los errores más comunes

¿Qué Dios hay como tú, que perdone la maldad y pase por alto el delito del remanente de su pueblo? [...] y arroja al fondo del mar todos nuestros pecados.

~ Miqueas 7:18-19 (NVI)

Quisiéramos vivir la vida sin caer en tantos errores, pero Dios los permite por varias razones. Primero, para glorificarse. Si todo nos fuera bien y no tuviéramos luchas de ningún tipo, ¿te imaginas cómo seríamos? De seguro estaríamos lejos de Dios. Sin embargo, las equivocaciones y las caídas nos hacen estar bien agarraditos del Padre.

De los errores aprendemos y esa es una de las razones por las que Dios, que conoce por completo nuestra vida, nos permite atravesar circunstancias difíciles en las que pareciera que Él no está y que nunca vamos a salir adelante. Soy la primera en reconocer esos errores, pues muchas veces en mi vida tomé decisiones de las que me arrepiento y en las que no tuve en cuenta a Dios. En realidad, me aparté de su cobertura y viví las consecuencias.

Otro error del que debemos huir es el de alejarnos de Dios. Si nos alejamos de Él, tendremos grandes posibilidades de que nos enredemos en situaciones difíciles. También mucha gente comete el doble error de alejarse de Dios y permitir la influencia de personas que lo que menos quieren es que uno esté en los caminos del Señor.

Mi consejo en este día es que la vida sin Dios es vacía, no tiene sentido.

Así que ten una relación profunda con Él, a fin de que te guíe aunque hayas caído de nuevo.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Quisiéramos vivir la vida sin caer en tantos errores, pero Dios los permite por varias razones.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - WHERE IS YOUR HOUSE?

WHERE IS YOUR HOUSE?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

~ Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

This scripture is best illustrated by the testimony of a nameless (for security) Arab Christian woman:

“My grandfather was born in one village, grew up, got married and died in the same village. I was born in one city, and by the age of ten, I already had lived in three different countries and moved five times because my parents were looking for better job opportunities. After marriage, and by the age of thirty-five, I had already moved fifteen times mainly because of three different war situations in my home country!

Is there some kind of prize for people moving so often? Some of the changes were done willingly but for most of them, I had no choice! I lived in stone houses, brick houses and even in a prefabricated one (with thin walls like cardboard) and that was at a time when Beirut was being bombarded! I have to admit that I had fears not because of the bombardment but because of not being able to find a place we could afford to pay rent!

One day, I was so worried that I couldn’t sleep; so, I sat down to figure out how I would overcome this fear. I thought to myself, What is the worst thing that can happen to me? If I cannot afford to sleep in a building, I will go and sleep under a tree; no one would charge me money for doing that and no one has died because of sleeping under a tree!

Then, I looked back into the past years and saw how God had taken good care of me, helping me not only to survive during wartime, but also to be productive and render services to my community. If, by faith I am God’s child, according to His promises in the Bible, He will continue to take care of me. So, having these thoughts, I began singing, “You are my hiding place, You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance, Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you!” That was it, my fears were gone! I still do not own my own place to live, but I carry the same song in my heart and in my laptop, to listen to whenever I change the places I sleep!

I discovered that the best thing to do is not to get attached to material things or even people, because they will be there for some time and will be gone soon. The best thing is to get my heart attached to God, because He will go with me everywhere, will provide for me what I need and in the end take me to live in the heavenly city where my eternal house is! So, where is your house?”

RESPONSE: Today I will seriously evaluate where my “treasure” and “house” are because that’s where Jesus says my heart will also be.

PRAYER: Help me Father to accumulate treasures in heaven and not on earth.

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

The NIV Couples Devotional - Measuring Our Success

Measuring Our Success

Read Luke 9:18–27

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

~ Luke 9:25 (NIV)

Now and again I see mortality clinging to my steps like a lengthening shadow, and I am caught wondering why I am still here. A question chiseled in stone over the grave of a child recycles in my brain: “If I am so quickly done for, what on earth was I begun for?”

Life feeds that cynicism. Since people around us often cannot see our soul inside the material stuff with which we surround it, we are often beguiled into amassing possessions and accomplishments to proclaim our worth.

Yet all of those things can be stripped away from us in a matter of seconds. Recently I cried with a 30-something fellow who appeared to be a glowing testimony of success. He grew up in a close-knit family, has an athletic body and a movie-star face, married a beautiful and intelligent woman, lives in a luxurious home, and is buying a business that could become a multibillion-dollar corporation before he retires.

But now all the good looks and money mean nothing. A foolish action has fractured his marriage and torn him from his children. “Two weeks ago I thought I had it all. Now I don’t know if I have anything,” the man said. “I would trade everything to have my wife and children back.”

His sad words made me think about Jesus’ comment to his disciples. Jesus had set his sights on his future suffering in Jerusalem, and he was trying to prepare his friends for that reality. Jesus knew he would encounter denial, devastation and death. Rather than excusing his disciples from such painful experiences, Jesus warned them that they too would face some tough times. Indeed, it was a requirement of following him: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

God meant for us to enjoy the marvelous beauty and material resources of our world. But Jesus wanted to make clear that we can’t truly delight in possessions if they consume us while we are consuming them.

When Jesus made his pilgrimage to the cross, his disciples accompanied him to Jerusalem. True, they would all have their moments of quivering fright that sent them scrambling into hiding, yet they joined him as best they could. And eventually they all suffered great loss as they took up their crosses and followed him.

The greatest thing about courtship and marriage is that we don’t have to go through life alone. We share our journey with another. We reaffirm the faith and values we have spoken about in the easy times so that when we have to slog through the swamp of despair or navigate the hard places of loss, we can encourage each other to put our feet in appropriate places and keep our eyes trained on our Savior, Jesus Christ. Together we can follow him.

Wayne Brouwer

Let’s Talk

• What are our 20-year goals? In what ways could those goals nurture or destroy our relationship? How would Jesus nudge us to change or clarify our plans?
• What is our net worth? How do we measure it? What questions can we ask to help us think through the true value of our possessions?
• What have we accumulated as a couple that we will pass on to our children? How might those things be a blessing? A hardship?

Now and again I see mortality clinging to my steps like a lengthening shadow, and I am caught wondering why I am still here.

LHM Devotion - June 2, 2018 - Waiting for Jesus

Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Waiting for Jesus"

Jun. 2, 2018

(Jesus said) "Therefore stay awake -- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning -- lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake."

~ Mark 13:35-37 (ESV)

We are an impatient people.

Last month an old friend showed up at the house for a short visit. Knowing he had driven a considerable distance, I asked, "How was your trip?"

He replied, "There were a lot of police on the road."

We all know what he meant. He hadn't been able to drive at the speed he wanted. He couldn't set his cruise control higher than the posted limit.

Not so long ago, I heard about a bunch of drivers who were on an interstate in Pennsylvania. They were proceeding at a pretty good clip until they saw a highway patrol car coming down the ramp.

One after another, the cars' brake lights flashed on. Nobody passed anybody. Everybody behaved.

Everybody kept glancing in their rearview mirror, waiting for that moment when the officer would disappear, and they would be free to do as they wished. After a few miles of watching the comedy in front of him, the policeman activated his bullhorn and called out to the drivers ahead of him: "I'm not a Pennsylvania State policeman! I'm from Connecticut! You can speed up now!"

We are an impatient people.

* When you go to a department store, you scan the registers to see which line is shortest. You check out the stuff in the other customers' carts to see who will take longer to ring out.

* At the bank's drive-up teller window, you go where the line is shortest.

* At the fast-food place you get upset if the persons in the cars ahead of you put in a big order.

* When we vote, we don't want to be slowed down by too lengthy ballots.

Don't believe me? Ask a grade-school teacher what it's like when Christmas vacation rolls around. Ask them whether they can get anything done during that last week of school. It's hard because the students are incredibly impatient for Christmas vacation.

Truly, we are an impatient people.

That is one reason why it is so very hard for us to obey Jesus when He tells us to watch for His return. It's hard to do. It's not part of our nature. We want what we want, and we want it right now. And, if we can't have it right now, we're going to do something else.

Yes, it's hard waiting for Jesus. Even so, we ought to do it. Why?

* Because Jesus asked us to be prepared for that unknown hour.

* Because we will be released from the testing and temptations of this sinful place.

* Because when Jesus returns, all those who believe and have been granted forgiveness are going to be given a life which makes the best offerings of this world seem second-rate.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive our impatience and our failure to be committed to the simplest requests of the Savior. Grant that we may be proven faithful to You and prepared for that unknown hour when this world will end and a new world ~ a better world ~ shall begin. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.

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

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Khao Khát Lời Chúa

Khao Khát Lời Chúa

Đọc: I Phi-e-rơ 2:1-5 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: II Sử ký 17-18; Giăng 13:1-20

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Anh em hãy khao khát sữa thiêng liêng thuần khiết như trẻ sơ sinh, để nhờ đó anh em được lớn lên trong sự cứu rỗi. I Phi-e-rơ 2:2

Vào một ngày đầu xuân, vợ chồng tôi có cơ hội được ngắm dàn đồng ca vô cùng tuyệt vời của lũ chim bên ngoài cửa sổ nhà bếp. Một cặp chim sáo ngậm rơm bay vào ống khói nhỏ của nhà bên cạnh. Hai tuần sau đó, chúng tôi vô cùng thích thú khi thấy bốn chú chim non ló đầu ra từ ống khói. Chim bố và chim mẹ đang thay phiên để mớm mồi cho những chú chim non đang đói.

Khi nhìn những cái miệng há to của chim non, tôi nhớ đến tầm quan trọng của việc khao khát thức ăn thuộc linh đối với những người theo Chúa. Trong I Phi-e-rơ 2:2, sứ đồ Phi-e-rơ sử dụng hình ảnh tương tự là trẻ sơ sinh khao khát sữa: “hãy khao khát sữa thiêng liêng thuần khiết như trẻ sơ sinh, để nhờ đó anh em được lớn lên trong sự cứu rỗi.” Từ Hy Lạp được dịch là “khao khát” nói đến mong muốn mãnh liệt. Đó là một từ ghép có nghĩa là “thật sự ao ước” hay “mong muốn hết sức.”

Dường như thật lạ khi được truyền dạy phải khao khát điều gì đó. Nhưng không giống như những chú chim non đang đói hay trẻ sơ sinh khát sữa, chúng ta cần được nhắc nhở về nhu cầu nuôi dưỡng tâm linh. Dù có lẽ chúng ta đã từng được nuôi dưỡng bởi Lời Chúa (c.3), nhưng chúng ta cần nhận ra rằng đây là nhu cầu mỗi ngày và nếu không tiếp tục nuôi dưỡng tâm linh mình, chúng ta sẽ dần trở nên yếu đuối. Chúa mong muốn nuôi nấng tâm linh của con cái yêu dấu của Ngài. Vì vậy, hãy mở lòng đón nhận Lời Ngài.

Lạy Chúa, con khao khát Lời chân lý của Ngài. Con khao khát ân điển Ngài. Xin đáp ứng những nhu cầu của con.

Việc suy ngẫm Lời Chúa sẽ nuôi dưỡng tâm linh của bạn.

bởi Dennis Fisher

© 2018 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Vào một ngày đầu xuân, vợ chồng tôi có cơ hội được ngắm dàn đồng ca vô cùng tuyệt vời của lũ chim bên ngoài cửa sổ nhà bếp.