The Daily Readings for THURSDAY, July 19, 2018

The Plot to Kill Jesus
Matthew 26:1-16

The Daily Readings

THURSDAY, July 19, 2018

Old Testament

Joshua 3:14-4:7
3:14 When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, 16 the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.
Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal
4:1 When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, 3 and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.’” 4 Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe. 5 Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.”

The Epistle

Romans 12:1-8
The New Life in Christ
12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

The Gospel

Matthew 26:1-16
The Plot to Kill Jesus
26:1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6 Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. 8 But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 9 For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

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.
Two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.

The Morning Prayer for THURSDAY, July 19, 2018

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank You this day. I thank You for my being able to be awake again, to see and hear the morning. I am blessed because You are a forgiving Father and an understanding one at that.

You have done marvelous things for me and my loved ones yet You still continue to bless me with so much more. Please forgive me every day for some things I may have done, said or thought. That may not have pleased You and I ask You now for your forgiveness.

Please keep me and my loved ones from all danger and harm. Help me start this day with a new, pleasant attitude with plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so I can hear Your loving voice. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things without judgement. Let me not whine or complain over things I have no control over. And when the world closes in on me, let me remember the example of Jesus, to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. Continue to use me to do Your Will.

Amen

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, July 19, 2018

Joshua 1:9 (NIV) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Read all of Joshua 1

Listen to Joshua 1

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 - Don’t Leave Home Without It

Don’t Leave Home Without It

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

~ Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Most people will recognize the title as the product of a Madison Avenue ad shop; it's a slogan written for American Express and used in their television and magazine commercials. A committee of copywriters and ad executives decided we need to have an Amex card with us whenever we leave the house. But Madison Avenue is in the business of lying for money. They want to make something look better than it is, so that people who don’t need it will pay money for it, and then they can have a big salary, a summer house in the Hamptons, an ulcer and a newer, younger spouse.

Lies are expensive. The truth is free. There are people who do try to make a lot of money selling it, and some who succeed, but it’s free. Or at worst, you can get it for $2.99 plus shipping on amazon.com, the price of the ESV economy Bible (free if you have a Kindle reader).

And the truth is, you can leave home (at least sometimes) without a credit card. But there are three things that you cannot leave home without: Love. Joy. Hope. If you have been a Christian very long, you will recognize a common theme among these three traits, which is, that they are all fruits of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us that these three abide: Faith, hope, and charity. So for convenience sake, let us bundle faith with joy and see them as two sides of the same coin.

“Abide” means, of course, “live.” And in the parlance of the New Testament, we live only by knowing Christ. As we learned in Galatians, the essential state of salvation is that we die and are reborn in Christ. He lives in us, and (using the preposition “in” with a different meaning) we live in Him. To “live in Christ” boils down to the three cardinal attributes of faith/joy, hope, and charity/love.

Faith and joy are the root of belief, the beginning, the key, to knowing God. Faith means that we are so sure that God exists and has told us the truth in His Bible that we bet everything on Him. It is almost impossible to define, because it occurs in a different way than anything else we experience. It is a realization that there is something very powerful that we cannot see, hear, or touch, something more powerful than the visible reality around us. Faith is the trait, and joy is the resulting emotion, when we realize through our spirit that we have a God, who made us and knows us.

Hope is the assurance of something unseen. It has a different meaning than when we use it in everyday language, meaning that we wish for something that we are not at all sure will happen. It does not mean that we “hope we go to heaven.” It is tied to faith, but with a different emphasis, and emphasizes certainty, not contingency.

Hope is the absolute knowledge we receive, through faith, that Christ was the Son of God and that, by His sacrifice, we belong to God and He is going to look out for us. When all is said and done, we know that we will live, in peace and perfect happiness, with Christ in heaven. We have already crossed the finish line and we have won the race. It’s all over but the shoutin’, as the saying goes.

And to keep this short: read 1 John. Love is the result. It is the sign, the proof, that we are actually living in Christ. When we are careless of our faith and hope, our love recedes in proportion to how much we are living in the world. The best thing is to divorce ourselves from the world, even as we live in it, and take our love with us wherever we go, whatever we do.

Faith. Joy. Hope. Love. Don’t leave home without it.

Heavenly father, let me always live in the spirit and show Your love before all the world. 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 written by Mason Barge, Editor, Daily Prayer.
Most people will recognize the title as the product of a Madison Avenue ad shop.

Un dia a la Vez - En familia

En familia

Busquen al Señor mientras se deje encontrar, llámenlo mientras esté cercano.

~ Isaías 55:6 (NVI)

Es importante entender el valor que Dios le da a la familia. ¿Has pensado en cuántos sábados o fines de semana no has estado en casa? ¿Desde cuándo no complaces a tu familia con ir a algún parque o un restaurante? Debes saber que tu primera obligación es, y será siempre, tu familia. Dios instituyó la familia para que estuviéramos acompañados y para que pasáramos tiempo juntos.

Quizá sea la mañana de este sábado y te das cuenta que te identificas con mis palabras. A lo mejor ya tienes planeado el día con tus amigos y no has tenido en cuenta a tus hijos ni a tu pareja. Estás en tiempo de cambiar los planes y aprovechar la familia que te entregó Dios.

En caso de que al mirar a tu alrededor estés solo porque no tengas familia, tal vez digas: «Pero bueno, ¿y yo qué hago?». Quiero que sepas que Dios está contigo. Él es tu Padre, tu Amigo, tu Consejero.

Aprovecha esta oportunidad de tener un momento a solas con Dios. Reflexiona en las bendiciones que te ha dado Él y entonces dedica este día para ti. ¿Qué tal si vas a la playa, visitas un amigo, sales a caminar o haces lo que más te gusta?

Dale gracias a Dios por tu familia dondequiera que esté.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Es importante entender el valor que Dios le da a la familia.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - THE PEACEMAKERS

THE PEACEMAKERS

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

~ Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

With the possession of a meek spirit, we are equipped to step into the midst of conflict and be ambassadors “waging peace” that passes all understanding. The richness of the New Testament word “peace” describes a condition of perfect and complete positive well-being. It also describes right relationships—intimate fellowship and goodwill between human beings. Peace comes not from avoiding issues but from facing them, making peace even when the way is through trouble. 

Blessed are those peacemakers who produce right relationships in every sphere of life, for they are doing a God-like work. 

Such actions may involve laying down one’s life, like Jesus did, in order to reconcile men with God and break down barriers among men (Galatians 3:26-29). Are we willing to pay the price so that others might find peace with God? Are we willing to insist that all should hear the Gospel and believe? In some conflict areas of the world, Christians call this “waging peace.”

Our brothers and sisters in Israel and the West Bank—where “peace” is sought but very evasive—remind us that Jesus’ high moral teaching is that we should not resist evil with evil (Matthew 5:39). Jesus is calling His followers not to respond in kind to the acts of injustice and dehumanization directed against them, but rather to respond with transforming initiatives. This unique perspective that He teaches contrasts with the “fight or flight” responses so deeply conditioned in human beings.

Dr. Salim Munayer is a wonderful example of such a peacemaker. The organization he founded takes groups of Christian Palestinians and Israelis on trips to the desert where they must work together in a situation that breaks down barriers and promotes trust relationships. Brother Andrew comments that this ministry doesn’t “just talk about the problem between Palestinians and Jews. It brings the two sides together and provides the means for them to reconcile.” 

“Waging peace” involves: promoting love not hate; fostering unity among brethren; being a witness of a higher kingdom; and following the non-violence example of Jesus.

RESPONSE: Today I will be proactive and “wage peace” in my sphere of influence.

PRAYER: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. May I counter hatred with love and injury with forgiveness today.

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 Men - Bless the Blesser

Bless the Blesser

Numbers 6:22–27
Recommended Reading: Psalm 80:1–19; Ephesians 1:3–14; 1 John 1:5–7

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

Not so much what moves someone to do something goofy, like wearing plaid knickers on the golf course or pouring ketchup on an otherwise perfectly good plate of scrambled eggs. Instead, you wonder what motivates a guy to bring coffee to a harried coworker during a normal workday or to take the kids out for dinner so his wife can enjoy an uninterrupted bubble bath. What causes someone to take an action that remains forever unknown to all but a few?

What motivated the person who carefully and skillfully etched the priestly blessing that would later be identified as Numbers 6:24–26 onto two small silver scrolls, each barely an inch long?

“The LORD bless you and keep you …”

Did this anonymous silversmith realize that he was recording the very words of Almighty God?

“The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you …”

Did he know that his work would survive thousands and thousands of years, until rediscovered one day in a burial cave in modern Jerusalem?

“The LORD turn his face toward you …”

Did this artisan know that what he inscribed on finger-sized scraps of silver would, in the 21st century, become the oldest known record of any written Scripture text?

“… and give you peace.”

And did he know that, as you read these words, you would need God’s blessing to provide heavenly light and grace and peace in your life this very day?

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

To Take Away

• What incites you to take small actions that benefit other people but seem to offer no reward for you?
• How have others shown kindness to you recently?
• In what specific ways has God blessed you, kept you and turned his face toward you during the past year? How can you pass on the blessing?

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

Girlfriends in God - Who Defines Your Worth?

Who Defines Your Worth?

Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

“You are precious and honored in my sight…”

~ Isaiah 43:4a (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Years ago, I bought my daughter a really cute jacket at the mall. It was a hoodie made of a cuddly fabric with cream, lavender, and mint green horizontal stripes. The jacket zipped up in the front and was well crafted, stylish, and simply adorable.

When I bought it, I felt like the price on the tag was a fair one, so I gladly pulled out my wallet and paid the retail amount. I was a kid in a candy store on the way home - fully anticipating a shriek of happiness from my little bag-of-beans when I gave it to her.

I wasn’t disappointed. Kennedy loved her new coat, and I was pleased with my purchase. Happy dances all around… until a week later, when I saw the same jacket in the same store at a greatly reduced price.

Are you tensing up with me?

Suddenly, I felt schnookered! As soon as I saw the red line on the price tag of the unsold coats, everything changed in my mind – Kennedy’s jacket wasn’t worth what I paid for it.

When we speak of the worth of something, we often consider it to be a relative term. One that has shifting factors. For example, the jacket I bought was thirty-nine dollars, and a week later it was nineteen ninety-nine. The jacket didn’t change, but its’ perceived worth did.

Now, consider the worth of a woman. Are the factors that determine her value based upon variable and shifting factors or are they based upon fixed factors? Seems to be a silly question, doesn’t it? Fixed, of course! But, if the answer is so glaringly obvious, why do we struggle so much as women with feelings of worthlessness? Why do we walk around feeling like that red lined jacket? I think it’s because we often allow variable earthly factors to define our worth.

There are so many reasons why women feel worthless:

Because they’ve been abused (raped, molested, physically abused, verbally abused…)

Because they’ve been told that they’re worthless (by a parent, spouse, sibling, teenage child, or another…)

Because of choices they’ve made or that have been made for them (divorce, infidelity, abortion, promiscuity, eating disorders, addictions, uncontrolled anger…)

Because they’ve been cheated on (infidelity, internet affair, pornography…)

Because they’re co-dependent (conclude their value based upon other people – “If my husband isn’t okay, I’m not okay.”)

Because they don’t collect a paycheck (stay at home moms that have left the work force, laid off employees, displaced employees, those on disability…)

Because they’ve battled an illness (unable to care for family, perform basic home duties, participate in ministry or Bible study like they once did, can’t drive, cook…)

Unfortunately, the variable factors that we use to define our worth are endless. Many of us feel worthless. Why? We’ve felt ignored, invisible, insignificant, useless, undesired, ugly, unloved, or forgotten. We girls are emotional; broken in many ways. Great portions of our identity and of our personal value are wrapped into combustible packages of emotion - how we feel about this or that. The truth is, our worth has nothing to do with our feelings.

Trust me, I’m not going to try to convince you that I know everything there is to know about feeling like a woman of worth or about being a woman of worth. In fact, the more I know God, the less inclined I am to pretend to have life or faith figured out. I’m constantly tempted to define my worth with activities, emotions, and accomplishments. I’ve come to realize, however, that way of thinking is a spiritual dead end road. Scripture tells us that anything we do in our own strength or of our own goodness is of no value to God. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6a).

What I DO know is this: because of Jesus Christ, I’m a woman of highest worth. Not because of anything else. We are His daughters, made in His image, precious in His sight. In light of this, we need to set aside feelings that diminish our value, and embrace our proper identity: Child of the King of Kings.

Hear this, friend: feelings of worthlessness are from Satan himself. It burns me up that the enemy has such a strong grip on God’s daughters in this area. We need to associate the word worthless with the word lie. {Tweet this!} That’s exactly what it is, a big, fat lie!

God wants every one of us to experience hope and healing in Christ and have an appropriate sense of self-worth.

So let's go back to Kennedy's new coat for just a moment. Imagine walking into God's department store. There on the rack, you spy a coat that is just plain fabulous – I mean stop-you-in-your-tracks fabulous! One-size fits all, the tag reads. Yeah, right, you whisper under your breath. Then you flip over the price tag and it’s crazy expensive – way beyond what you could ever dream of paying. Like, if you added up every dollar that ever passed through your hands – then multiplied that by ten thousand – that kind of expensive. Then imagine the storeowner walking over to you, slipping the coat off the rack and onto your shoulders.

“It's a perfect fit,” He smiles.

“Sir,” you manage with a whisper, “I could never afford such a coat. This is meant for royalty and I'm, well, just an ordinary girl.”

“Oh precious woman, this coat is made especially for you, and the price has already been paid in full.”

As the owner straightens the sleeves on your arms and adjusts the collar around your neck, you notice his hands - nail pierced hands. And suddenly you realize that this is the covering you were meant to wear all along.

You are precious and highly valuable in the eyes of the One who sees. And you never, never, never have to worry about being on anyone's bargain rack again.

Let’s Pray

Holy Father, I’m humbled to be viewed as precious in Your eyes. Thank You for taking on my sin so that I could take on your righteousness. Please help me to see myself as You see me. Help me to thrive in Your beauty as a woman of worth!
In Jesus’s Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What came to your mind as you read today’s devotion? Are you held captive by feelings of worthlessness? Spend a few moments in prayer and ask God to reveal truth to your heart about how He sees you.

More from the Girlfriends

We’re pleased to announce the new GRACEOLOGY with Gwen Smith podcast! Hang out with Gwen and friends when you go on walks, exercise, run errands or travel. Podcasts are also perfect to listen to as you do household chores! (Laundry anyone?) Each GRACEOLOGY with Gwen Smith podcast episode is filled with fun, faith-focused, grace-filled conversations that will help you know and trust God more.. CLICK HERE to subscribe on iTunes, or visit GwenSmith.net/Graceology for more information.

Portions of today’s devotion are from Gwen’s book Broken Into Beautiful. If you’re brave enough to get real so that you—and those you love—can discover true freedom and God's extravagant restoration, get your copy today on Amazon or, for a signed copy, visit Gwen’s web store.

Seeking God?

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

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Girlfriends in God

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There are so many reasons why women feel worthless...

LHM Devotion - July 19, 2018 - Just Suppose

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Just Suppose"

Jul. 19, 2018

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See, I have told you."

~ Matthew 28:5-7 (ESV)

Jesus rose from the dead. Sadly, a lot of people don't believe that. Many of them want proof.

Shall we try and give proof to them? Do you think it would help if I showed them Someone who had actually risen from the dead? Would they believe then? Understand, I'm not talking about one of those ER episodes where somebody's heart stops for a few seconds. I'm talking about somebody who was really, truly dead. Would that convince them?

Look, suppose you had an uncle Bob. Suppose, before he died, uncle Bob said he was going to come back and visit you. Would you believe him? Of course, you wouldn't. You know when a person is dead, he's dead. You might humor uncle Bob, but you wouldn't believe him. When uncle Bob died you wouldn't keep looking for him. You know dead people stay dead.

Now, suppose, just suppose, three days after his funeral, uncle Bob did come and pay you a visit. Would that change your opinion? Of course, it wouldn't.

You would think uncle Bob's visit was a hallucination, a dream, an over-active imagination. You're too smart to get suckered by a dream, aren't you? But what if uncle Bob showed you he was real.

Suppose uncle Bob got close enough so you could feel his breath. Suppose he asked for something to eat and ate it. Suppose he said, "Here, touch me, here," and you did. Would you believe then? I bet you wouldn't. Dreams can be very real. You'd probably think, now, I'm the one who has lost it. It's a logical conclusion.

But what if the rest of the family had also seen uncle Bob, had heard the same things you did, at the same time. Would you stay skeptical about uncle Bob's resurrection? It would be hard, wouldn't it? And suppose uncle Bob showed up again, and again, and again, and again. You would be left with two choices: you were crazy, or uncle Bob had kept his promise to come back from the dead. If you're like most, you'd go with the second of the two choices. You'd believe.

When somebody came up and said things like "That wasn't really uncle Bob," you'd say, "Yes, it was." And if somebody said, "Uncle Bob didn't really die," you'd say, "He had a great big hole in his heart. He was dead." And all of your answers would say, uncle Bob's appearance wasn't opinion; it was reality. It was true.

That, my friends, is what I'm saying about Jesus. Jesus, God's Son, is alive. He was dead. He was crucified. He was stabbed through the heart. He was buried, but today He is alive. He is really, physically, touchably alive.

It's not opinion. You can believe it is the truth because it is.

I don't much care about the other things you doubt and deny, but I do care about this. Your eternity rests upon whether you believe Jesus is your Savior, on whether Jesus is your Redeemer, on whether you know that Jesus' truth is God's truth and God's truth is salvation.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the world demands proof of the resurrection. May their hearts be opened when You give it to them. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Jesus rose from the dead. Sadly, a lot of people don't believe that. Many of them want proof.

Devocional del CPTLN del 19 de Julio de 2018 - ¿Tontería o salvación?

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Tontería o salvación?

19 de Julio de 2018

Los judíos piden señales, y los griegos van tras la sabiduría, pero nosotros predicamos a Cristo crucificado, que para los judíos es ciertamente un tropezadero, y para los no judíos una locura, pero para los llamados, tanto judíos como griegos, Cristo es poder de Dios, y sabiduría de Dios. Porque lo insensato de Dios es más sabio que los hombres, y lo débil de Dios es más fuerte que los hombres.

~ 1 Corintios 1:22-25 (RVC)

Nunca había oído hablar de la Corte Europea de Derechos Humanos de Estrasburgo. Dicha Corte ordenó a Italia a pagar una multa de $7,390 a una madre que había solicitado que se quitaran los crucifijos de los salones de clase de la escuela pública a la que asiste su hijo.

La Corte rechazó el argumento del gobierno italiano de que el crucifijo es un símbolo nacional de cultura, historia, identidad, tolerancia y secularismo, y dijo que el crucifijo puede perturbar a los estudiantes no cristianos y ateos. La decisión de la Corte fue apelada.

El Padre Lombardi, representante del Vaticano, dijo que la Corte ha tomado las cosas erróneamente. El crucifijo es una señal de la importancia de los valores religiosos en la historia y cultura de Italia, y por lo tanto es un símbolo de unidad y bienvenida a toda la humanidad. Y agregó que: "Ciertamente, no es un símbolo de exclusión."

Si interpreto correctamente a cada parte, la iglesia está diciendo: "No, no, no, no, no, la cruz y el crucifijo son solamente un símbolo que acepta a todos, cultural e históricamente inofensivo", y la Corte secular está diciendo: "La cruz y el crucifijo dan un mensaje poderoso del sufrimiento y muerte de Jesús... un mensaje que el mundo no creyente puede encontrar ofensivo."

En otras palabras, la Iglesia minimiza el impacto de la cruz de Cristo, y la Corte secular enfatiza el poder de lo que ocurrió en el calvario.

Pablo lo dijo con mucha claridad en el texto que usamos hoy: la cruz de Jesús, acompañada de la victoriosa resurrección de la muerte del Salvador, va a ser siempre una ofensa, insulto, tontería e insensatez para los que no creen.

Así mismo, para los creyentes la cruz y la tumba vacía son la gran prueba de que el intento de Dios por salvarnos se ha hecho realidad.

Y aunque puede significar perder el caso, yo por seguro animaría a la iglesia a decirlo de esta forma: la cruz de Jesús es ofensiva para algunos, tontería para otros, y salvación para todos los que creen.

ORACIÓN: Querido Padre, qué extraño es que el mundo no creyente frecuentemente reconoce el poder y la importancia de la cruz y la tumba vacía del Salvador mejor que los propios cristianos. Envía tu Espíritu Santo a nuestras iglesias para que así podamos proclamar el poder del Cristo crucificado y resucitado. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Nunca había oído hablar de la Corte Europea de Derechos Humanos de Estrasburgo.

Хлеб наш насущный - Через крест

Через крест

Читать сейчас: 2 Коринфянам 4:8-18 | Библия за год: Псалтирь 22-24; Деяния 21:18-40

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[Ничто] не может отлучить нас от любви Божией во Христе Иисусе, Господе нашем. — Римлянам 8:39

У моего сотрудника Тома на столе стоит стеклянный крест. Это подарок его друга Фила, который, как и Том, болел раком. На подарке – пожелание смотреть на все «через крест». Стеклянный сувенир служит Тому напоминанием о Божьей любви и Его добрых намерениях.
Смотреть «через крест» – непростая задача для всех верующих, особенно в трудные времена. Намного проще сосредоточиться на проблемах, а не на Божьей любви.

Послания апостола Павла – хороший пример такой «перспективы креста». Вот как он описал свое отношение к почти непрекращающимся страданиям: «Мы отовсюду притесняемы, но не стеснены; мы в отчаянных обстоятельствах, но не отчаиваемся; мы гонимы, но не оставлены; низлагаемы, но не погибаем» (2 Кор. 4:8-9). Он верил, что его страдание «производит в безмерном преизбытке вечную славу», и смотрел «не на видимое, но на невидимое» (2 Кор. 4:17-18).

Смотреть «на невидимое» не значит приуменьшать проблемы. Пол Барнет в толковании на этот текст объясняет: «Это уверенность в Божьих намерениях… С другой стороны, это трезвое признание, что наша надежда смешана с болью».

Иисус отдал за нас Свою жизнь. Его любовь глубока и жертвенна. Глядя на жизнь «через крест», мы видим Его любовь и верность. И наша надежда на Него укрепляется.

Небесный Отец, открой нам Себя. Укрепи нашу надежду на Тебя. Помоги видеть все так, как видишь Ты.

Смотрите на все через крест.

автор: Анн Ситас

© 2018 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Стеклянный сувенир служит Тому напоминанием о Божьей любви и Его добрых намерениях.