The Daily Readings for MONDAY, September 10, 2018

The Daily Readings

MONDAY, September 10, 2018

Old Testament

Job 32:1-10, Job 32:19-33:1, Job 33:19-28
Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends
32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3 he was angry also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he. 5 But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry.

6 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answered:

“I am young in years,
    and you are aged;
therefore I was timid and afraid
    to declare my opinion to you.
7 I said, ‘Let days speak,
    and many years teach wisdom.’
8 But truly it is the spirit in a mortal,
    the breath of the Almighty, that makes for understanding.
9 It is not the old that are wise,
    nor the aged that understand what is right.
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
    let me also declare my opinion.’

19 My heart is indeed like wine that has no vent;
    like new wineskins, it is ready to burst.
20 I must speak, so that I may find relief;
    I must open my lips and answer.
21 I will not show partiality to any person
    or use flattery toward anyone.
22 For I do not know how to flatter—
    or my Maker would soon put an end to me!

Elihu Rebukes Job
33:1 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
    and listen to all my words.

19 They are also chastened with pain upon their beds,
    and with continual strife in their bones,
20 so that their lives loathe bread,
    and their appetites dainty food.
21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen;
    and their bones, once invisible, now stick out.
22 Their souls draw near the Pit,
    and their lives to those who bring death.
23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel,
    a mediator, one of a thousand,
    one who declares a person upright,
24 and he is gracious to that person, and says,
    ‘Deliver him from going down into the Pit;
    I have found a ransom;
25 let his flesh become fresh with youth;
    let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
26 then he prays to God, and is accepted by him,
    he comes into his presence with joy,
and God repays him for his righteousness.
27     That person sings to others and says,
‘I sinned, and perverted what was right,
    and it was not paid back to me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
    and my life shall see the light.’

The Epistle

Acts 13:44-52
13:44 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. 46 Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles,
    so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. 49 Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel

John 10:19-30
10:19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews
22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

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.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy.

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, September 10, 2018

Monday morning prayer

Lord,

Sometimes, Monday can be a hard day. Dreaded on Sunday and fled from on a Friday. Yet why Lord as Monday could be the beginning of a work adventure, the new challenge of a week filled with potential? So I pray you would help me to embrace this day.

Let it be a new day and a wonder day. Help me to see not the clouds but the sunrise, not the rain but the ripples of falling drops. Show me the joy of the embrace with loved ones, not the tensions and troubles. Monday need not be the grudge day to be endured but the fun day to be embraced.

Almighty God, as I cross the threshold of this day, I commit myself Your care. Mold me in your image. In everything I say and do, let my mind be on the eternal goodness of heaven rather than the vanities of earth, meaningless pride, or the anger and envy that tear apart my precious soul. Help me to turn my eyes towards your Kingdom, of love, hope and new beginnings.

Amen

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, September 10, 2018

Acts 13:47 (NIV) For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Read all of Acts 13

Listen to Acts 13

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 - Desesperación Testimonio de sanidad (cuarta parte)

Desesperación Testimonio de sanidad

(cuarta parte)

La oración de fe sanará al enfermo y el Señor lo levantará. Y si ha pecado, su pecado se le perdonará.

~ Santiago 5:15 (NVI)

¿Cuántas veces has vivido una prueba donde pasan los días y las semanas sin ver mejoría, ni cambio, y te desesperas? Lo que sucede es que lo que vemos y vivimos no coincide con lo que nos promete Dios.

Eso me pasó a mí. Tuve momentos en los que lloré amargamente. Tenía la promesa de que Dios me sanaría, pero mi condición me mostraba lo contrario, pues a duras penas podía caminar. Ni siquiera pude ingerir alimentos durante dos meses. Entonces, cuando pude comer, mi organismo rechazaba la comida. Era muy difícil sentir que no tenía control de mí misma, hasta tenía que usar pañales. Así que solo decía: «Dios puede sacarme de esto».

Fue una verdadera prueba experimentar el insomnio y pude entender a las personas con esta condición. Mis días eran eternos, largos, interminables. Por el día mi mente estaba un poco ocupada con las visitas y mi familia, pero cuando se iban todos, me quedaba en ese cuarto sola con un frío que me calaba los huesos sin poder dormir. Tuve extensas conversaciones con mi Dios donde le pregunté un sinnúmero de cosas y muchas no recibían respuestas.

No obstante, en medio de esa quietud obligada pude entender el propósito por el que estaba allí. En primer lugar, Dios me mostró que había descuidado mi salud y, en segundo lugar, que era muy autosuficiente. Estaba en tal vorágine de trabajo que no tenía tiempo ni para escuchar a Dios. Así que esa fue la única manera en la que, estando inmóvil, pude ver su voluntad para mi vida.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¿Cuántas veces has vivido una prueba donde pasan los días y las semanas sin ver mejoría, ni cambio, y te desesperas?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - UNGRACE

UNGRACE

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

~ John 1:14 (NIV)

Yesterday we concluded that “grace” is Christianity’s best gift to the world! It’s a force stronger than vengeance, stronger than racism, stronger than hate. But sadly to a world desperate for this grace, the church sometimes presents one more form of what Philip Yancey calls “ungrace.”

Charles Swindoll in his book, The Grace Awakening, powerfully lists these enemies of grace as:

1. From without: legalism, expectations, traditionalism, manipulation, demands, negativism, control, comparison, perfectionism, competition, criticism, pettiness and a host of others.
2. From within: pride, fear, resentment, bitterness, an unforgiving spirit, insecurity, fleshly effort, guilt, shame, gossip, hypocrisy, and many more.[1]

Nothing has the power to change us from within like the freedom that comes through grace. And grace has very practical outworking in our lives.

1. A greater appreciation for God’s gifts
   Those who claim the freedom God offers gain an appreciation for the gifts that come with life: the free gift of salvation, life, laughter, music, beauty, friendship and forgiveness.
   
   
2. Less time and energy being critical or concerned about other’s choices
   When you begin to operate in the context of grace and freedom, you become increasingly less petty. You will allow others room to make their own decisions in life, even though you may choose otherwise. A grace-full Christian is one who looks at the world and others through “grace-tinted lenses.”
   
   
3. More tolerant and less judgmental
   When you are so involved in your own pursuit of grace, you’ll no longer lay guilt trips on those with whom you disagree.
   
   
4. A giant step toward maturity
   As your world expands, thanks to an awakening of your understanding of grace, your maturity will enlarge. You will become more like Jesus and you will never be the same!

RESPONSE: Today I will determine to avoid those things that prompt “ungrace” in my life.

PRAYER: Lord, I don’t want to live any longer in the same old ways. Help me to become more like Jesus.

1. Charles R. Swindoll, The Grace Awakening (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1990), pp. 5-14.

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

Women of the Bible - Mary, The Mother of Jesus

Mary, The Mother of Jesus

Her name means: "Bitterness"

Her character: She was a virgin from a poor family in an obscure village in Galilee. Her response to Gabriel reveals a young woman of unusual faith and humility. Her unqualified yes to God's plan for her life entailed great personal risk and suffering. She must have endured seasons of confusion, fear, and darkness as the events of her life unfolded. She is honored, not only as the mother of Jesus, but as his first disciple.
Her sorrow: To see the son she loved shamed and tortured, left to die like the worst kind of criminal.
Her joy: To see her child raised from the dead; to have received the Holy Spirit along with Christ's other disciples.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 1:18-25; 2; Luke 1:26-80; 2:1-52; John 19:25-27

Her Story

She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes, an old woman silhouetted against the blue Jerusalem sky. Even the wood beneath her conjured images. Though she could no longer recall the exact curl of his smile or the shape of his sleeping face resting next to hers, she could still see the rough brown hands, expertly molding the wood to his purposes. Joseph had been a good carpenter and an even better husband.

These days the memories came unbidden, like a gusty wind carrying her away to other times and places. Some said drowning people see their lives unfold in incredible detail just before they die. Age had a similar effect, she thought, except that you could relive your memories with a great deal more leisure …

A cool breeze teased at her skirts as she balanced the jug on her head, making her way toward the well. A stranger, she noticed, was approaching from the opposite direction. Even in the dusky light, his clothes shone, as though bleached bright by the strongest of fuller's soap.

"Greetings," he shouted, "you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

No Nazarene, she was sure, would ever dare greet a maiden like that. But with each step his words grew bolder, not softer, rushing toward her like water cascading over a cliff:

"Do not be afraid, Mary….
You have found favor with God….
You will give birth to a son….
He will be called the Son of the Most High….
The Holy Spirit will come upon you….
Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in
her old age."

Wave after wave broke over her as she listened to the angel's words—first confusion and fear, then awe and gratitude, and finally a rush of joy and peace. Her whole being drenched in light. Then she heard more words, this time cascading from her lips, not his:

"I am the Lord's servant.
May it be to me as you have said."

Though the angel departed, Mary's peace remained. The Most High had visited the lowliest of his servants and spoken the promise every Jewish woman longed to hear: "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." The moon hung like a smile in the night sky as Mary lifted the brimming buckets and began walking across the fields. As the water swayed and splashed to the rhythm of her movements, she realized that she too felt full and satisfied—as though she had just finished a favorite meal. Questions, she knew, would come with the morning. For now, it was enough to look up at the stars and know that God was at work shaping her future.

...

"Mama, Mama," he yelled, running toward her, chubby arms flung out beseechingly.

"Jesus, what is it now, child?" she smiled, scooping the chunky boy into her arms before he could topple over in the usual tangle of arms and legs. But he was all kisses, squealing and nuzzling his curly head against her breast, as though to bury himself in her soft, warm flesh. She sighed contentedly. How many mothers had she known? But none had adequately described the sheer wonder of a child—the laughter, the constant surprise, the tenderness. Not to mention the fear and worry that were also part of the bargain.

But this was no time to entertain such thoughts. The men from the East had recently left. How strange these Magi seemed, with their tales of a star that had led them all the way to Bethlehem in search of a new king. They had bowed before her dark-eyed child, laying out their treasures of gold, incense, and myrrh—as though paying homage to royalty. One morning, however, they had packed in haste, saying only that a dream had warned them to return home without reporting news of their successful search to King Herod. Even the mention of that king's name had filled her with dread. Bethlehem lay just six miles south of Jerusalem—dangerously close to the man who had murdered his own children out of jealousy for his throne. How would such a ruler respond to rumors of a child-king in Bethlehem?

Two nights ago Joseph had shaken her awake, shushing her with details of the dream he had just had: "Mary, an angel appeared to me. We must leave before sunrise. Herod plans to search for our child and kill him!"

Now they were on their way to Egypt, reversing the steps of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, who had led her ancestors to freedom so long ago. Mary wondered, as they rested, if they would ever see their homeland again.

...

"Woman," he breathed the word softly, painfully, through lips encrusted with blood, his lean arms flung out on either side of him, as though imploringly. The palms of his hands were pinned with spikes. He looked at her first and then at the young man standing beside her. "Here is your son." The words came haltingly.

Then to the man, he sighed: "Here is your mother."

She wanted to reach for him with all the might of her love, to bury his sorrow in her breasts, to tell him he was the son she needed most. Would not the God who pitied Abraham also pity her? Would he allow her to suffer what even the patriarch had been spared—the sacrifice of a child? All her life she had loved the God whose angel had spoken to her, calling her "highly favored." But how could a woman whose son was dying on a Roman cross ever consider herself "favored"?

Suddenly her own words came back to her, as though a younger version of herself was whispering them in her ear: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

The midday sky had blackened, but she could still see her son's twisted form on the cross, his eyes searching hers. Thorns circled his forehead in the shape of a crown, a crude reminder of the sign the Roman governor had fastened to the wood: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

She thought of the Magi and their priceless gifts. The gold and incense, royal treasures that had helped them survive their stay in Egypt. She had always wondered about the myrrh. Now she knew—it was embalming oil for the king the wise men had come to worship.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" His cry pierced her. The earth shook violently and she fell to her knees, barely able to complete the words of the psalm for the man who hung dead on the cross:

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent….
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads….
Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God….
They have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
But you, O Lord, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me….
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! …
Future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it. — Psalm 22

By the time Mary opened her eyes, the setting sun had turned the city into a golden land. She smiled, wiping the tears from her wrinkled face. How true the angel's words had been. No woman from Eve onward had ever been blessed as she, the mother of the Messiah, had been. Yes, the past was alive inside her, but it was the future that filled her with joy. Soon, she would see her son again and this time it would be his hands that would wipe away the last of her tears.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes, an old woman silhouetted against the blue Jerusalem sky.

Girlfriends in God - I Want to Grow in Faith

I Want to Grow in Faith

Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

~ Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Sir Isaac Newton wrote a book that was published in 1687 called The Principia: Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy. In this book, Newton unpacks research that redefined the way the world looks at science and physics. One of the three Laws of Motion he wrote about is this: an object in motion tends to remain in motion unless an external force is applied to it.

Interestingly enough, this particular law of motion presents a compelling analogy for increasing growth and progressing toward mature faith. When it comes to growing in spiritual maturity, the most important thing to do is getting started. Once you begin to move, it is much easier to stay in motion. To progress. To mature.

Motivation often follows the simple discipline of getting started.

Though I know this to be true, I am still the princess of procrastination. (Tiara worthy!) Even though I am aware that progress and procrastination are oil and water, I am also blissfully delusional with rationalization. My oil and water blend just fine, thank you very much.

 The antithesis of procrastination then is simply to do something . . . anything!Find a way to move forward. Start small. After all, objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Right? So if you and I want to experience the power that God has for us, we need to intentionally direct our hearts in ways that leads us to His strength.

The writer of Hebrews gave a challenge to those who are believers in Christ, but who lack maturity.

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14, NIV)

Where are you in all of this? Are you intentionally moving forward in faith or is your faith unintentionally waning and taking a back seat to everything else in your life?

There was a short season when my children were young and needed to be fed and carried. Brad and I encouraged them as they progressed from sitting up, to crawling, and then to walking and running on their own. Their growth was our mission.

My spiritual growth needs to be my own personal mission. Mature believers grow.

Spiritually speaking, where are you now as compared to a few years ago?

One marker of spiritual maturity is that the fruit of God’s Spirit is evident in our lives. Do people see God in you? They know about your pains, but do they know about your peace? Do others leave your presence and wonder where your joy comes from or do they wonder if you were weaned on a dill pickle? And how do you respond when you face temptation? Are you led by the Spirit of God or by your own desires?

The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in the church at Colosse to draw strength from Jesus by being rooted in and built up in Him. 

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)

To make this happen, I have to know the teachings, the character, and the life-changing love of Jesus. Since motivation often follows the simple discipline of getting started … I need to just get started. Pray a prayer. Talk to Jesus. Read a verse. Read a whole chapter. Read the notes in my Bible that correspond with that verse or those chapters.

I can do this. You can do this. We can strengthen our faith by just getting started.

Let’s start now in prayer and then move into a time of response – a time of motion – in the “Now It’s Your Turn” section.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I want to grow in faith. Please help me to intentionally seek and know You more so that others might see evidence of Your goodness in my life.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

COLOSSIANS CHALLENGE:  Pick a starting point from the following:

Read the book of Colossians, a few verses a day. Read then respond in prayer.

Read the book of Colossians, one chapter a day. Read then respond in prayer.

Read the book of Colossians for four days straight, a different translation each day.

Read then respond in prayer.

AND since it helps to lock in some accountability, CLICK HERE to leave a comment on my blog and tell me which of the Colossians challenge levels you are committing to: Daily Verses, Chapter or Book! {No shame! A few verses per day or a whole book a day … doesn’t matter! Do what you can do. Just do something!}

More from the Girlfriends

Have you listened to the new GRACEOLOGY with Gwen Smith podcast yet? 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. These discussions are going to encourage you in meaningful ways to live out and lean on the GRACE of Jesus in the midst of cluttered, messy days. CLICK HERE to listen on iTunes, or visit GwenSmith.net/Graceology for more information.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

The Principia: Mathematical Principle of Natural Philosophy.

LHM Daily Devotions - Like His Brothers

"Like His Brothers"

Sep. 10, 2018

Then I called on the Name of the Lord: "O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!" Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

~ Psalm 116:4-7 (ESV)

"Mom! Mom! Are you there!? Mom!"

I ran out of my room at the top of our rather steep second-story steps to the sound of mounting panic in my five-year-old son's voice. This time he was attempting to slide down the banister that is fixed only a few inches from the wall and had gotten his leg stuck. He had one remaining toe holding him on the step and nowhere to go but down!

Despite images of what might have happened if I had not reached him in time, I couldn't help but laugh. This boy's insatiable desire to try life from every angle is one of my favorite things about him! And while I certainly have my crabby moments as his mother, I also delight to save him from danger and help him discover ways to experience life to its fullest.

In this psalm, David gives voice to his own experience of being rescued. He sings the praises of a son who, free to explore, has been pulled back from the edge by his parent's loving embrace. His testimony here bears witness to God as a gracious parent. This is the same God, our Heavenly Father, who spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all (see Romans 8:32).

Some of us never knew the security of loving earthly parents and are tempted to read this passage with the old fear and shame experienced when needing to be saved. Even those of us with great parents know that they (and all of us) fall woefully short of God's perfect parenting. So, it's easy to imagine God being grumpy, disappointed, and disapproving when we yet again need help.

But that's not the kind of God we have.

Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." This is not a begrudging God! This is a loving Father who delights, much as I did in that moment with my son, to intervene for our good.

What a joy to know that rather than berate us for our shortcomings and our failures, we have a Savior who is merciful, patient, an understanding of our weaknesses, because He has been like us.

As the writer of Hebrews says, "For surely it is not angels that He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:16-17).

THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, as the bumps and bruises of life tempt us to be silent in our troubles, please remind us to call out unashamed for Your salvation, again and again, knowing that You are for us -- always. In Your Name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by AmyRuth Bartlett. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"Mom! Mom! Are you there!? Mom!"

Devocional del CPTLN del 10 de septiembre de 2018 - Hombres cristianos

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Hombres cristianos

10 de Setiembre de 2018

Por lo tanto, también nosotros, que tenemos tan grande nube de testigos a nuestro alrededor, liberémonos de todo peso y del pecado que nos asedia, y corramos con paciencia la carrera que tenemos por delante. Fijemos la mirada en Jesús, el autor y consumador de la fe, quien por el gozo que le esperaba sufrió la cruz y menospreció el oprobio, y se sentó a la derecha del trono de Dios.

~ Hebreos 12:1-2 (RVC)

Una revista de Internet está postulando a los hombres más influyentes del mundo. No me sorprendió ver en esa lista a gobernantes, atletas, artistas y políticos, ni tampoco a Simón Cowell, de "American Idol", ocupando el quinto lugar.

Pero con lo que sí no estuve de acuerdo, fue con la persona elegida para ocupar el primer lugar como el "hombre más influyente". De acuerdo con este estudio, el lugar #1 lo ocupa Don Draper.

La razón por la cual no estoy de acuerdo con esta elección, es que nadie conoce a Don Draper. Y nadie le conoce porque Don no es más que un personaje ficticio de un programa de televisión.

Se supone que Don es influyente porque es un súper hombre... un gran trabajador, un gran bebedor, semi-moral, la clase de hombre que se esfuerza de verdad. Él es el tipo de persona que el resto de nosotros supuestamente quisiéramos ser.

Pero si yo quiero ver a alguien que valga la pena ser emulado, todo lo que tengo que hacer es mirar al Salvador. Fue Él quien soportó la cruz y dio su vida para que yo fuera perdonado.

Y si Jesús es fuera de serie, y realmente lo es, puedo dar gracias por la gran nube de testigos que me han rodeado desde mi juventud. Uno de ellos es mi padre, y junto con él un sinnúmero de otros hombres cristianos que me enseñaron acerca de Jesús. Pastores retirados que con alegría compartieron su sabiduría, que siempre me dieron su apoyo, y que nunca se entrometieron. Y los obreros laicos... no terminaría de mencionarlos.

No, si voy a buscar hombres influyentes, no tengo que ir muy lejos... y de seguro no tengo que buscar en la televisión o inventar personajes. Porque he sido bendecido por haber conocido hombres cristianos.

ORACIÓN: Amado Señor, te agradezco por haberme rodeado de hombres cristianos que no se avergüenzan ni del Evangelio ni de su Salvador. Ellos no fueron perfectos, pero fueron tus testigos poderosos. Por el poder de tu Espíritu Santo haz que el número de hombres cristianos aumente. Te lo pido 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.
Una revista de Internet está postulando a los hombres más influyentes del mundo.

Unser Täglich Brot - Wie man fest steht

Wie man fest steht

Lesung: Judas 1,24–25 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: Sprüche 8–9; 2. Korinther 3

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Dem aber, der euch vor dem Straucheln behüten kann. Judas 1,24

Es war ein kalter, eisiger Wintertag und meine Gedanken drehten sich nur darum, aus meinem warmen Auto in ein warmes Gebäude zu kommen. Plötzlich fand ich mich auf dem Boden wieder, meine Knie waren nach innen verdreht, meine Unterschenkel nach außen. Nichts war gebrochen, aber ich hatte Schmerzen. Der Schmerz wurde mit der Zeit schlimmer und es brauchte Wochen, bis ich wieder ganz gesund war.

Wer von uns ist nicht schon gestürzt? Wäre es nicht schön, wenn uns etwas oder jemand immer auf unseren Füßen halten würde? Während es physisch keine Garantien oder Trittsicherheit gibt, gibt es den Einen, der bereitsteht, um uns zu helfen bei unserem Wunsch, Jesus in diesem Leben zu ehren und uns vorzubereiten, im nächsten freudig vor ihm zu stehen.

Jeden Tag begegnen uns Versuchungen (und selbst falsche Lehren), die uns ablenken, verwirren und verwickeln wollen. Aber letztendlich sind es nicht unsere eigenen Bemühungen, die uns auf unseren Beinen halten, während wir in dieser Welt unterwegs sind. Wie tröstlich ist es zu wissen, dass, wenn wir Ruhe bewahren, obgleich wir versucht sind, ärgerlich zu reagieren, Ehrlichkeit statt Betrug wählen, Liebe statt Hass oder das Richtige statt des Falschen wählen, wir Gottes Kraft erfahren, die uns hilft, einen festen Stand zu behalten (Judas 1,24). Und wenn wir vor Gott für treu empfunden werden, wenn Christus wiederkehrt, wird das Lob, das wir ihm jetzt für seine erhaltende Gnade entgegenbringen, durch die Ewigkeit erschallen (V. 25).

Vater, danke, dass du ständig für unsere Seelen sorgst.

Nur gekleidet in Seiner Gerechtigkeit, stehen wir fehlerlos vor dem Thron. Edward Mote

Von Arthur Jackson

© 2018 Unser Täglich Brot
Es war ein kalter, eisiger Wintertag und meine Gedanken drehten sich nur darum, aus meinem warmen Auto in ein warmes Gebäude zu kommen.