The Daily Readings for FRIDAY, August 17, 2018

The Daily Readings

FRIDAY, August 17, 2018

Old Testament

Judges 14:20-15:20
14:20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

Samson Defeats the Philistines
15:1 After a while, at the time of the wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife, bringing along a kid. He said, “I want to go into my wife’s room.” But her father would not allow him to go in. 2 Her father said, “I was sure that you had rejected her; so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister prettier than she? Why not take her instead?” 3 Samson said to them, “This time, when I do mischief to the Philistines, I will be without blame.” 4 So Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took some torches; and he turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. 5 When he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves. 6 Then the Philistines asked, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken Samson’s wife and given her to his companion.” So the Philistines came up, and burned her and her father. 7 Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will not stop until I have taken revenge on you.” 8 He struck them down hip and thigh with great slaughter; and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

9 Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah, and made a raid on Lehi. 10 The men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us.” 11 Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then have you done to us?” He replied, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.” 12 They said to him, “We have come down to bind you, so that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines.” Samson answered them, “Swear to me that you yourselves will not attack me.” 13 They said to him, “No, we will only bind you and give you into their hands; we will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.

14 When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him; and the spirit of the Lord rushed on him, and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. 15 Then he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached down and took it, and with it he killed a thousand men. 16 And Samson said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey,
    heaps upon heaps,
with the jawbone of a donkey
    I have slain a thousand men.”

17 When he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and that place was called Ramath-lehi.

18 By then he was very thirsty, and he called on the Lord, saying, “You have granted this great victory by the hand of your servant. Am I now to die of thirst, and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 So God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came from it. When he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore it was named En-hakkore, which is at Lehi to this day. 20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

The Epistle

Acts 7:17-29
7:17 “But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied 18 until another king who had not known Joseph ruled over Egypt. 19 He dealt craftily with our race and forced our ancestors to abandon their infants so that they would die. 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God. For three months he was brought up in his father’s house; 21 and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.

23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his relatives, the Israelites. 24 When he saw one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his kinsfolk would understand that God through him was rescuing them, but they did not understand. 26 The next day he came to some of them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When he heard this, Moses fled and became a resident alien in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.

The Gospel

John 4:43-54
Jesus Returns to Galilee
4:43 When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee 44 (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country). 45 When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54 Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

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.
“Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

The Morning Prayer for FRIDAY, August 17, 2018

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For You are with me. Heavenly Father, I thank You for the dawn of a new day! Thank You for Your blessings upon my life and my family.

I give You all the praise and honor, because this is the day You’ve made, and  You are mighty and worthy indeed! All honor and glory belongs to You.

With You, I will do the impossible, I will not fail. My past is no longer important, because You, Oh Lord, are my future.

Amen

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, August 17, 2018

Psalm 34:15 (NIV) The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

Read all of Psalm 34

Listen to Psalm 34

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

Un dia a la Vez - Regalos de nuestro Dios

Regalos de nuestro Dios

Los ojos del Señor están sobre los justos, y sus oídos, atentos a sus oraciones.

~ Salmo 34:15 (NVI)

Para los que me conocen, saben que muy a menudo utilizo este lema: «Déjate sorprender. Dios nos consiente. Dios nos da regalos porque nos ama. Está interesado en vernos felices».

Todos los días lo compruebo en mi vida. No se trata de que Dios lo haga por capricho, sino porque es el único que conoce en realidad tus gustos, tus deseos, tu corazón. Como Padre, desea nuestro bienestar. Es tan especial que nos deja boquiabiertos, con detalles que quizá solo habías soñado tú.

Hace tan solo unos meses, Él me volvió a sorprender y me dio un regalo tan hermoso que ha sido inspiración para este libro que hoy disfruto contigo.

Me dio el privilegio de unirme a un viaje misionero al Perú para visitar exactamente un área llamada Callao y llevar muchas cosas que hacen falta allí, pero sobre todo poder ver y palpar la necesidad de un pueblo. No hay nada más gratificante que lo que predicamos o aprendemos lo pongamos por obra.

No te desanimes, Él no te dejará sin sueños que cumplir. Todo será en su momento. El primer regalo ya lo tenemos y es la vida eterna.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Déjate sorprender. Dios nos consiente. Dios nos da regalos porque nos ama. Está interesado en vernos felices

Standing Strong Through the Storm - IDENTIFYING WITH CHRISTIAN PRISONERS

IDENTIFYING WITH CHRISTIAN PRISONERS

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

~ Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)

The letter to the Hebrews was written to first century Jewish believers in Jesus who were being persecuted. Some were so discouraged they were considering returning to Judaism. The writer encourages them to persevere because of the superiority of Jesus over everything and everyone else. And He will return to establish the ultimate kingdom.

Chapter 13 begins the author’s final instructions. First we are to continue (repeated action) loving one another as brothers and sisters. This love is to be practical and reach out even to strangers who we are to entertain as we may not realize when one might be an angel. Then in our verse for today, our love is to extend to those who are in prison for their faith, even to the point of assuming we are in there with them. That makes a huge difference as to how we show practical love.

Russian Christian prisoner, Aleksandr Ogorodnikov, shares, “One night I was thrown into a cell with a broken window. The KGB was determined to do an experiment and freeze me. Later they would say, ‘He broke the window in his cell and died of cold.’ I felt despair. I thought to myself, ‘Has God really left me? Am I really forgotten and neglected? Have my years of suffering been in vain?’

“And in my despair I began to pray. I usually pray silently, but this time I started to appeal to God out loud. ‘God, have You left me?’ My cries were bursting from a heart literally in utter despair.

“And right then, I suddenly felt palpable, physical warmth. Not the kind that comes from a heater, but like when a mother draws her freezing child to her breast, and warms him with her tearful breath of compassion. It was a very living, human warmth. It penetrates you, as if piercing you to the heart. And inside your heart a spring opens up, out of which flows peace—a wonderful, magnificent, soothing peace.

“I felt a very loving, brotherly touch—someone’s caring hand touching my shoulder. I actually felt it. In the morning, it was a shock to my executioners. They couldn’t understand. I wasn’t simply alive, but my temperature was the same as that of a normal person. I heard a doctor explaining to my executioners in the corridor, ‘This is impossible! We can’t explain it.’

“It so happened that many people began praying for me. And that was exactly when they released me.”

RESPONSE: I will continue to remember my brothers and sisters around the world who are in prison for their faith.

PRAYER: Lord, give the sense and touch of Your presence to those suffering for You in prison today.

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

Men of the Bible - Jeremiah

Jeremiah

His name may mean: "Yahweh Has Exalted" or "Yahweh Has Established"

His work: Though Jeremiah's prophecies were primarily directed toward Judah, the Lord also gave him prophetic messages for other nations of the world. His ministry took place during the last forty years of Judah's existence, from 627-586 BC.
His character: Jeremiah has often been called "the weeping prophet." He struggled with feelings of insecurity, doubt, and alienation. Because of the constant opposition he faced, he became so depressed that he cursed the day of his birth. Despite the cost to himself, he spoke the word of the Lord with uncompromising honesty.
His sorrow: Though the date and place of Jeremiah's death are uncertain, Jewish tradition holds that he was stoned to death by fellow Jews while living in Egypt after the destruction of Jerusalem. Despite their misfortunes, those who had taken refuge in Egypt remained unrepentant, blaming their troubles not on their idolatry, but on their failure to worship Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven.
His triumph: It is hard to find evidence in the book of Jeremiah that the prophet enjoyed any sense of personal triumph throughout the course of his ministry. Though he may have felt vindicated when his prophecies about Jerusalem came true, such feelings would have been small comfort in light of the suffering that had befallen his people.
Key Scriptures: Jeremiah 1; 20; 36; 37:16-21; 39:1-14

A Look at the Man

Jeremiah is often considered a prophet of doom, a man who warned God's people of the grievous consequences of their sin. Yet it would not have been possible for him to thunder on about impending judgment if he had despaired of the possibility that Judah might actually repent and be saved. Surely it was hope that kept him going.

This hope was made tangible during Babylon's sustained siege of Jerusalem. One day Jeremiah heard the Lord telling him that one of his cousins would soon ask him to buy a field belonging to him. But why, he must have wondered, should he waste precious silver purchasing property that was about to be overrun by a foreign invader? Before he had time to puzzle out the answer, he saw his cousin approaching. Sure enough, the man was selling his field and wanted Jeremiah to buy it. So Jeremiah did.

As the prophet tried to make sense of this impractical business transaction, God spoke again, telling him, "I will surely gather [my people] from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them" (Jeremiah 32:37-40).

Jeremiah's hope was based on the knowledge that nothing is ever too hard for God, not even restoring the fortunes of a people whose future seemed utterly wrecked. So, like a good contrarian investor, he ignored the conventional wisdom and bought the field. His purchase proved valuable, for the Lord eventually brought many of his people back to Jerusalem, a people chastened, purified, and eager to live once again in the land of the promise.

Reflect On: Jeremiah 20:7–18
Praise God: For his relentless love.
Offer Thanks: That he will never fail or forsake us.
Confess: Any tendency to try to hide your thoughts or feelings from God.
Ask God: To help you develop a deep and honest relationship with him.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Jeremiah is often considered a prophet of doom, a man who warned God's people of the grievous consequences of their sin.

Girlfriends in God - Boomerang of Encouragement

Boomerang of Encouragement

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

You have heard the old saying, “What goes around, comes around.” Truer words were never spoken when talking about encouragement. We all need encouragement – especially during the tough times. Those “tough” times can come in all shapes, sizes and forms and can vary from person to person.

We have one child who has been known to run an extremely high fever, walk around on a broken foot, and have a headache that would put me in bed … all without a word of complaint. The doctors have always been amazed at this child’s high level of pain tolerance. We have another child who has been known to dissolve into hysterics at the sight of a splinter embedded in a finger and turn ghastly pale and almost faint at the mere smell of the doctor’s office. The doctors have been amazed at this child’s low level of pain tolerance. The difference between these two children does not reflect a right or wrong reaction. As one of my friends often says, “It is what it is.” When each child was in pain, they both needed understanding, compassion, and encouragement.

When I went through my first major battle with clinical depression, one of the most precious groups of encouragers was the elders of the church where my husband was the pastor. With my permission, Dan shared with them what I was dealing with and asked them to pray. They did pray. But these men didn’t think prayer was enough. These amazing angels wanted to do more by putting feet and hands to those prayers and did not stop until they came up with a rescue plan for me.

Our church had five services each weekend and because I was so emotionally frail, I never knew which service I would be able to attend until I was on the way. Dan would relay the message that I was coming, and the elders went into action. One would meet me at the car and escort me inside. Another would keep an eye on me during the service in case I needed help. Our church auditorium had three main aisles. An elder would walk those aisles before and after the service, watching and waiting. Many times, the elder would press a note of encouragement into my hand as he passed the offering plate. If he sensed I was in trouble or caught in a draining conversation, he would swoop in, take me by the arm and say, “Excuse us, please. Mary is needed elsewhere.” I was then ushered to my car, hugged and told, “We are praying for you. We love you. Go home.”  I know. It was amazing! Their encouragement was also a main factor in my recovery.

The reason these special men offered me encouragement was because Dan and I made the decision to share my pain – openly and honestly. Doing so invited them into my life. Now that I am on the other side of that pit, I remember the love and encouragement they gave me – and I am motivated to encourage others. It’s God’s circle of encouragement. However, there is another very important truth here I don’t want us to miss.

There are those who suffer alone and in silence, unable to scrape up the courage to share their pain and have no advocate to sound the alarm on their behalf. I believe God will not only give us the discernment to see their pain; but He will also show us how to encourage and build them up. He will reveal ways to help the weak and be patient with the broken lambs who cross our path … if we ask Him to do so.

Are you willing to share your pain with others and allow God to use them in your life as a source of encouragement? Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the circle of encouragement.

Let’s Pray

Father, I am amazed at how You love me through others. Thank You for the gift of encouragement. Help me to receive that gift and then to give it away to someone else in need. I want to be Your hands and feet to those who are hurting around me. Give me eyes to see them and love them, Lord.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now it’s Your Turn

1. If you need encouragement, think of two people with whom you can share that need and make a plan to do so.
2. Look for people in your life to encourage.

Encouragement is like a boomerang. When thrown correctly, it will come back to you. Godly encouragement does not wait for an invitation to work. It looks for the opportunity to work.

More from the Girlfriends

If you need help learning how to trust God, get Mary’s new book, 10-Day Trust Adventure, now available in hard copy.

Perfect for personal or small group study, this book addresses every decision you make - and teaches you how to make those decisions as you step out in faith and trust God.

Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

What goes around, comes around.

LHM Devotion - August 17, 2018 - The Ultimate Makeover

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"The Ultimate Makeover"

Aug. 17, 2018

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (ESV)

Scripture says in Christ we are a new creation. The question is, are we?

Take a look at your life: an honest look. Are you truly happy? Do you feel blessed? Has your life been filled with blessings and joy? Do you have peace? Most people would confess their lives have been less than perfect -- or anything close to it.

If you doubt the validity of that statement, go to the library. Visit a bookstore. There you will find countless volumes telling you how to be successful as a parent, a spouse, or a lover. You will find books on how to be a good manager, a good employer, a good employee. There is no aspect of your life where someone isn't telling you how you can do better and be better.

With all of this advice, you would think the world would be at peace, we would be content, and our homes would be happy. In truth, discontent, disharmony, discouragement, and despondency are still featured on the menu for daily living.

Scripture says if you are in Christ you are a new creation.

Are you?

Were you content and happy yesterday? Will you be at peace tomorrow? I grant the world can offer an education that will make you smarter. It can offer you great career opportunities which have the potential of making you wealthier. Without the cross, you can buy a nice home which will offer some creature comforts, but only the cross of Christ can offer you a way to have your heart, soul, and mind recreated by the gift of God's salvation which comes to us through Christ Jesus the Lord.

Only the cross can dispel the old, destroy the sin, and create a new life of joy in this world and the next. My friend, look in the Bible's New Testament, and you will find countless people -- regular, everyday people -- whose lives were transformed, made infinitely better because of a contact with and belief in the Christ.

1. There is the Gergesene demoniac who lived naked, alone, and wandered in the cemetery of his town. Jesus cast out his demons and made him a new creation, a man who would be a living witness to the new life Jesus had given him (see Mark 5: 2-20).

2. Then there was the blind man of John 9 who not only received his sight, but also found a Savior. He became a new creation.

3. There was a leper, one of ten, whom Christ recreated. His body was healed, most certainly, but he also found in his thanksgiving, a healing for his soul. For that leper, the old had gone, the new had come.

4. Should we talk about the thief who hung next to Jesus on the cross? Even as he was dying, Jesus made him a new creation, a new man.

5. How about Paul, the apostle? Once Saul, the murderer, Jesus erased the old name, the old mindset, the old ways, and created within him something new.

In Jesus, we, like them, can also be made new.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life which has transformed me, I give thanks. May others also experience the phoenix of a new life in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Scripture says in Christ we are a new creation. The question is, are we?

Devocional del CPTLN del 17 de Agosto de 2018 - Amenazas

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Amenazas

17 de Agosto de 2018

Cuando Elías se sentó, vio cerca de su cabecera un pan que se cocía sobre las brasas y una vasija con agua. Comió y bebió, y se volvió a dormir.

~ 1 Reyes 19:6 (RVC)

Jezabel estaba amenazando al profeta Elías, quien había hecho muchos milagros y profetizado en varias ocasiones. Cuando Jezabel le envío una advertencia, Elías escapó buscando refugio en el desierto. Una vez allí, quiso morir, pero Dios envió a un ángel para que lo cuidara y alimentara. Finalmente, Elías recobró su energía.

Cuando Elías pensó que todo estaba perdido y que su situación era desesperada, Dios fue a su rescate. Lo mismo sucede hoy en nuestras vidas: cuando creemos que todo está perdido, Dios viene en nuestro rescate. Y luego que Dios interviene, quedamos como Elías: completamente transformados.

El ejemplo de Elías puede servir de gran inspiración a los cristianos de hoy que pasan por momentos de pruebas, enfermedad, recesión económica, pérdidas en los negocios o hasta tiempo en la cárcel. Si nos mantenemos fieles al Señor y buscamos su ayuda, él promete que nos va a ayudar y renovar en toda situación.

ORACIÓN: Gracias, Padre celestial, por amarnos y cuidarnos en toda necesidad. Amén.

Biografía del autor: El autor de la devoción para este día es Tifor Ephraim, un maestro de escuela secundaria de Camerún.

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Jezabel estaba amenazando al profeta Elías, quien había hecho muchos milagros y profetizado en varias ocasiones.

Хліб Наш Насущній - Ісус простяг руку

Ісус простяг руку

Читати: Матвія 14:22-23 | Біблія за рік: Псалми 97−99 ; Римлян 16

Завантажити MP3

І зараз Ісус простяг руку й схопив його. — Матвія 14:31

Інколи життя стає дуже напруженим – важкі заняття, виснажлива робота, туалет і ванна вже занадто брудні, і навіть щоб випити кави, потрібно шукати у розкладі “віконце”. Це призводить до того, що я ледве змушую себе найти для читання Біблії кілька хвилин – і щоразу кажу собі, що наступного тижня приділятиму спілкуванню з Богом більше часу. Та наступного тижня мене знову відволікають термінові справи, і я забуваю просити у Бога помочі в тих чи інших моментах.

Коли апостол Петро йшов по воді назустріч Ісусу, його швидко “відволікли” шалені вітри та хвилі, і він почав тонути (Мт. 14:29-30) – як я бува “тону” у хвилях різних справ. Але як тільки Петро почав кричати, “зараз Ісус простяг руку й схопив його” (Мт. 14:30-31).

Помічаю, що коли через надмірну заклопотаність я втрачаю з поля зору Бога, то починаю кричати до Нього і змушена віддавати Йому свої проблеми. Але саме так і працює Бог. Як тільки ми звертаємося до Ісуса Христа за допомогою, Він без коливання простягає Свою руку.

Коли нас накривають хвилі життєвих проблем, дуже легко забути про те, що Бог з нами серед усіх цих штормів. “Чого усумнився?” – запитав Ісус Христос Петра (Мт. 14:31). Через які б випробування ми не проходили, Він завжди поруч. Поруч, щоб у будь-який момент простягнути руку і врятувати нас.

Господи, допоможи мені звертатися до Тебе серед своїх справ та різних відволікань. Дякую, що Ти завжди поруч і завжди готовий вихопити мене з буремних хвиль життєвих проблем.

Бог чекає, щоб ми звертались до Нього для отримання вчасної допомоги.

Автор Джулія Шваб

© 2018 Хліб Наш Насущній

Інколи життя стає дуже напруженим – важкі заняття, виснажлива робота, туалет і ванна вже занадто брудні, і навіть щоб випити кави, потрібно шукати у розкладі “віконце”.