The Daily Readings for THURSDAY, September 20, 2018

Paul and Silas in Jail
Acts 16:25-40

The Daily Readings

THURSDAY, September 20, 2018

Old Testament

Job 28
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28:1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
    and a place for gold to be refined.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Miners put an end to darkness,
    and search out to the farthest bound
    the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
4 They open shafts in a valley away from human habitation;
    they are forgotten by travelers,
    they sway suspended, remote from people.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread;
    but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
6 Its stones are the place of sapphires,
    and its dust contains gold.

7 “That path no bird of prey knows,
    and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.
8 The proud wild animals have not trodden it;
    the lion has not passed over it.

9 “They put their hand to the flinty rock,
    and overturn mountains by the roots.
10 They cut out channels in the rocks,
    and their eyes see every precious thing.
11 The sources of the rivers they probe;
    hidden things they bring to light.

12 “But where shall wisdom be found?
    And where is the place of understanding?
13 Mortals do not know the way to it,
    and it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’
    and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be gotten for gold,
    and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
    in precious onyx or sapphire.
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
    nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
    the price of wisdom is above pearls.
19 The chrysolite of Ethiopia cannot compare with it,
    nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 “Where then does wisdom come from?
    And where is the place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
    and concealed from the birds of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say,
    ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

23 “God understands the way to it,
    and he knows its place.
24 For he looks to the ends of the earth,
    and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he gave to the wind its weight,
    and apportioned out the waters by measure;
26 when he made a decree for the rain,
    and a way for the thunderbolt;
27 then he saw it and declared it;
    he established it, and searched it out.
28 And he said to humankind,
‘Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
    and to depart from evil is understanding.’”

The Epistle

Acts 16:25-40
16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

35 When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, “The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul replied, “They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; 39 so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 After leaving the prison they went to Lydia’s home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.

The Gospel

John 12:27-36
Jesus Speaks about His Death
12:27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. 34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”

The Unbelief of the People
After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.

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.
Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

The Morning Prayer for THURSDAY, September 20, 2018

Thursday morning prayer

Lord on this day I remember that You go before me, so I pause to meditate on Your promises. Thank You Lord that You go with me, You lay a pathway, You watch over me like a shepherd. So I give You my fears, worries and anxieties. I lay all tension and stress at the foot of the cross. Thank You that You arose from the death, and that You bring life, freedom, hope and the promise of Heaven! Praise You that I am safe in Your presence.

May Thursday be a hope filled day, that floods my fears with light, a day that quiets all anxious thoughts as I encounter Christ. Let Thursday always prompt my heart to stop and find Your peace, and live upon the truth You give my eyes to You I lift.

Amen

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, September 20, 2018

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Read all of Ephesians 4

Listen to Ephesians 4

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 - Oración por nuestra defensa

Oración por nuestra defensa

Yo le digo al Señor: «Tú eres mi refugio, mi fortaleza, el Dios en quien confío».

~ Salmo 91:2 (NVI)

Señor, ¡qué cosas tan hermosas nos has dejado en tu Palabra! Cuando leo el Salmo 91, comprendo, mi Dios, que si soy obediente a tu Palabra, mi vida estará siempre bajo tus alas. Con tus cuidados y protección. Que no debo temer a nada ni nadie porque eres mi Defensor.

En tu Palabra prometiste no abandonarme y estar conmigo en todo momento.

Ayúdame, Señor, a darte todo mi amor y a confiar plenamente en tu poder.

Dios mío, no temeré y descansaré en ti.

Por más noticias preocupantes que se escuchen afuera, yo creeré en ti.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Señor, ¡qué cosas tan hermosas nos has dejado en tu Palabra!

Standing Strong Through the Storm - WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO DO GOD’S WILL

WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO DO GOD’S WILL

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

~ 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)

Our Open Doors colleague, Ron Boyd-MacMillan, shares the following insight from his teaching, “Why I Need to Encounter the Persecuted Church.”

While living in Hong Kong, I used to make a point of having dinner with many of the Open Doors supporters worldwide that gave up some holiday time to courier Bibles into China. Often in the course of their travels some of them would meet famous house church leaders and say, “To be truthful, I was a bit disappointed in meeting.” They would add something like, “I thought these people would be remarkable saints, and of course they were, but they were also quite prejudiced, or rude, or had some other feature that I did not think worthy of a very spiritual leader.” They assumed that the persecuted were “super-saints.” But they are not.

It is a very unfortunate trend to idolize the persecuted. We assume that if a Christian survives twenty years in a stinking prison cell they are in a completely different spiritual category from ourselves. They are of course different in what they have experienced, but that does not necessarily make them more spiritual. As J.C. Ryle once put it, “Even the best of men are only men at the best.” They often retain the blind spots and prejudices of their culture.

On one occasion I was taking a distinguished Bible teacher to meet a revival leader in Lanzhou, Gansu province. This Chinese leader had seen over 50,000 people come to know the Lord through his ministry over a ten-year period, but to our amazement he taught that “you can only come to faith on a Sunday.” He had been taught Christianity by his beloved grandmother, who believed the Lord would only listen to pleas for repentance on a Sunday. We talked and argued about this, and eventually he threw us out shouting, “You just hate my Granny.” I hear now, years later, that he has extended the “repentance period” to Saturday as well. Yet he is still an extremely effective evangelist despite this chronic, man-made obstacle he has erected to the grace of God!

Surely the great point is this: flawed as some Chinese leaders were, they did the will of God mightily. They labored in a country that has seen the number of Christians grow from less than one million in 1949 to over eighty millions today—the largest revival in the history of Christendom. God didn’t stop pouring out his Spirit because his saints were imperfect.

If the persecuted teach us anything, it is that God will work through us even despite our prejudices, blind spots and eccentricities. If we offer ourselves, we will be used…as we are.

We do not have to be perfect to do God’s will. Otherwise, no one could.

RESPONSE: Today I will walk in faith thankful that I do not have to be perfect to do God’s will.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, that You can still use me with all my imperfections and blind spots.

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 - On Track

On Track

1 Chronicles 23:24–32
Recommended Reading: Psalm 95:1–11; Matthew 6:5–15; Colossians 4:2–4

What if every driver decided to ignore the center yellow lines? Smash-ups would rival apocalyptic visions. Those colored splotches in the roadway keep us on track. They keep us safe.

In our spiritual journey, praise and thanksgiving are like a yellow line, keeping our hearts on track. But it doesn’t take much to veer off course, does it? Think about the Levites. They were set apart to offer thanks and praise to God every morning and every night, day in and day out, in a never-ending cycle (see 1 Chronicles 23:30). It was their job. Forced “thank yous.” Praise, praise, praise.

Imagine the temptations inherent in this routine. Did easy-to-repeat prayers take the place of petitions motivated by full hearts and genuine gratitude? Did their minds wander as the words bubbled out? “Hear me, O God. Here we go again.”

We’ve all heard of the doctor who’s in terrible physical condition or the plumber whose house has leaky pipes. When you do something for a living, as these people do, it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated to keep your own life in order. This is what it may have been like for the Levites as well.

Praise and thanks are key ingredients in a healthy relationship with God. We need them as much as we need fresh air. Praise isn’t just an outward gesture; it reveals what’s inside us—the attitude we have toward God. When we offer meaningful thanks, we acknowledge that God’s goodness deserves our recognition and awe. Every gift comes from his hand. Nothing we’ve done grants us the sun’s bright rising or peaceful slumber at night—it all comes from God’s good hand.

How do we make our delight in God genuine and true every day? Unlike the Levites, God doesn’t demand that we follow certain daily requirements. Maybe that makes the routine more difficult. We are responsible for taking the time to bow before him and offer our praise and thanks.

When we skip this routine, we become like those drivers who disregard the center line—a potential accident waiting to happen. But when we take the time to regularly focus on and praise the God who loves us, he helps us to stay on track.

To Take Away

• Spiritually, would you describe yourself as “on track” or as “an accident waiting to happen”? Why?
• Why does God want you to praise him?
• List several things in your life for which you can praise and thank God. How can you keep your prayers of praise and thanksgiving fresh?

What if every driver decided to ignore the center yellow lines?

Girlfriends in God - The Thing That Might Make People Avoid You

The Thing That Might Make People Avoid You

Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.

~ 2 Corinthians 2:14-16a (NIV)

Friend to Friend

A few summers ago, I flew to Nashville to record vocals for a CD project. My friend, Kerri, and I had spent the last day of my trip in a studio, recording background vocals.  When we were finished, I had to high tail it to the airport in order to catch my flight home.

Kerri enthusiastically offered to take me to the airport. I was excited because I’m all about spending time with my girlfriends and catching up on life.  As we made our way out to the car, Kerri apologetically mentioned that her young daughter had dropped a milk sippy in her car the day before, and that she hadn’t been able to locate it.

“I would love to take you to the airport, Gwen,” she said, “but there’s just no telling what my car is going to smell like!”

“No problem,” I said.  “I’m a mom!  I’ve dealt with many-a-missing milk sippy in my day.  How bad can it be?”

Did I mention that it was one of those “you can fry an egg on the sidewalk,” dog days of August? Yep. It was! You know where this is going, don’t you? As we opened the car doors, Kerri and I were smacked silly with the stinky smell of sour milk.  Not just a subtle smell, mind you – but a dominant, “been sitting in the 100 degree weather all day” smell.  It reeked something fierce!  We laughed until we almost cried at how horrible it smelled as we made our way down the expressway to the airport.

Sounds kind of funny, but let’s be real: smells matter.  Some smells, like a stinky sour milk sippy, are offensive.  They make you want to run and hide.  While other smells, like fresh baked bread, or a lotioned-up baby, are awesome and inviting.

How do you smell today?

We need to remember that our attitudes and conversations give off a smell. The apostle Paul said, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16a, emphasis mine).

Does your attitude give off an aroma of Christ?

Are those around you drawn to Him as a result of the love and peace you display?

Do your conversations consistently honor God, embody the fruit of the Spirit, and expel the fragrance of life…or are they sometimes laced with bitterness, resentment, anger, complaining, and gossip?

Imagine what message it will send to our loved ones, our neighbors, our co-workers, and our communities when we intentionally locate and throw away our stinky, sour sippy attitudes, and seek God for renewal of our minds and actions. Let’s smell good today, friend! Let’s run the race before us as women of honor who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, give off an aroma of Christ.

Let’s Pray

Holy Father,
Please forgive me for all of the times I’ve allowed sinful behavior to creep into my thoughts and conversations.  I ask that you will now, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read, write down, and commit to memory the following verse: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Spend some time in prayer right now.  Ask God to reveal to you any areas in your life that might not “smell” as they should. Then talk to a trusted friend about what He brings to your heart, and ask her to pray for you and hold you accountable.

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

A few summers ago, I flew to Nashville to record vocals for a CD project.

LHM Daily Devotions - Ask

"Ask"

Sep. 20, 2018

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And He (Jesus) did not want anyone to know, for He was teaching His disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise." But they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask Him.

~ Mark 9:30-37 (ESV)

Can you recall a time when you didn't understand something -- directions to a destination, something in class your teacher just reviewed, instructions your spouse gave about what to get at the grocery store? Go one step further: were you then afraid to ask for clarification out of fear of appearing inattentive or even dumb?

It's odd, isn't it? There seems to be something in us at times that shuns the idea of asking for help. Maybe we're worried we might look bad, you know, incapable of handling the task before us. Maybe we just don't like asking for help -- no matter how beneficial it would be to do so.

Well, apparently, the disciples could be a little "slow on the draw," when it came to grasping some of the things Jesus said -- no matter how explicit. Jesus says He's going to be turned over to those who want to do Him harm, and they will murder Him. But then, in the ultimate twist of fate, "He will rise." Was it they didn't understand, or they didn't want to understand this? After all, there could be implications in all this for them, too.

Logic would say after hearing this, the disciples would be on high alert and full panic mode. After all, they're coming off a three-year stint of hanging around with Jesus, being His crowd-control guys, running errands for Him, following His instructions, left and right. People who were familiar with Jesus were familiar with them because they were always together. It was potentially death by association -- and they knew that.

There may have been murmuring among the disciples: "What does this all have to do with us?" "I know Jesus isn't the most popular guy in the world with the chief priests and elders, but what He's talking about is over the top." "Did I hear right what He said: He's going to die? He's going to rise from the dead?"

At this point, maybe a question or two from the disciples to Jesus would have been in order.

Here, too, is where we can fall short when we do not take our concerns to God. When we're in the middle of some crisis that has us full of fear, we should "ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given" (James 1:5). This is the promise we have from the Heavenly Father made real in Jesus Christ.

He is there to hear us when we don't understand and give us courage when we are afraid to ask.

Just ask.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, when life has us uncertain and full of fear, remind us to ask You for help. In Your Name we pray. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by a contributing writer from LHM.  Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Can you recall a time when you didn't understand something?

Devocional del CPTLN del 20 de septiembre de 2018 - Nunca es suficiente

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Nunca es suficiente

20 de Setiembre de 2018

Si por la noche te atacaran ladrones o bandidos, ¿no te robarían sólo hasta quedar satisfechos?

~ Abdías 1:5a (RVC)

En 1883, la isla Krakatoa de Indonesia explotó.

Además de haber matado a 36,000 personas, el volcán causó un verdadero desastre. El polvo lanzado al cielo provocó impresionantes atardeceres, pero redujo las temperaturas alrededor del mundo.

No hace mucho, un empresario de Indonesia fue a la isla Sebesi. Para todos nosotros, que nuestra geografía no está muy actualizada, Sebesi es la isla que está al lado de Krakatoa, por lo que es un lugar aterrador para vivir.

Como dije, un empresario se presentó y ofreció cavar unos cauces en Krakatoa para desviar cualquier lava y así minimizar la posibilidad de otra explosión. Era un plan que tenía sentido, por lo que los nativos aceptaron con agrado.

Poco después, el empresario comenzó a trabajar, pero no hizo lo que había prometido, sino que sus hombres y sus barcos comenzaron a dragar la isla. En otras palabras, lo que estaba haciendo no era salvando Krakatoa, sino que la estaba robando.

Resulta ser que, en los últimos años, Indonesia ha visto islas enteras desaparecer a manos de explotadores que las roban y venden a proyectos de rehabilitación en China, Tailandia y Singapur.

En el texto para hoy, Abdías dice que los saqueadores y ladrones usualmente roban sólo lo que les basta. Pero aquí ese no es el caso. Esto me recuerda a alguien más. Si lee los primeros capítulos de Génesis, verá cómo Satanás se comprometió a robar lo que le pertenecía a Dios.

El padre de la mentira prometió sabiduría y discernimiento a nuestros primeros padres y, aunque era una mentira, ellos le creyeron. Y así, en un instante, nos quitó todo lo que Dios nos había dado. Así era en ese tiempo, y así es hoy. El diablo promete algo, no da nada, pero trata de llevárselo todo.

Esa es la razón por la que necesitamos un Salvador que nos señale las mentiras de Satanás; necesitamos un Salvador que ponga resistencia a esas mentiras por nosotros. Necesitamos un Salvador que sea suficientemente fuerte para cargar con todos nuestros pecados... necesitamos un Salvador que diga la verdad.

¿Cuál verdad? La verdad que Cristo dice: "porque yo vivo, ustedes vivirán también."

ORACIÓN: Señor, te doy gracias por tu Hijo y tu Palabra... son verdad y la verdad. Ayúdame a reconocer las mentiras de Satanás y a enseñarles a otros a hacer lo mismo. Mantenme en la verdad. Tu Palabra es verdad. 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.
En 1883, la isla Krakatoa de Indonesia explotó.

Хлеб наш насущный - Где найти надежду

Где найти надежду

Читать сейчас: Римлянам 5:1-11 | Библия за год: Екклесиаста 4-6; 1 Коринфянам 11:1-16

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А надежда не постыжает, потому что любовь Божия излилась в сердца наши Духом Святым, данным нам. — Римлянам 5:5

Элизабет долгое время страдала от наркотической зависимости, а когда излечилась, то захотела помогать другим. Но что делать? Она начала писать ободряющие записки и оставляла в разных местах. Например, помещала их под автомобильные «дворники» или приклеивала на парковочные столбики. Раньше она сама искала повсюду признаки надежды. Теперь оставляет их другим. Одна из ее записок заканчивалась словами: «Большой любви и светлой надежды».

Любовь и надежда – это именно то, что дает Иисус. Каждый новый день Он дарит нам Свою любовь и укрепляет надеждой. Его любовь не падает на нас каплями, а проливается потоком из Его полноты и наполняет сердца верующих. «Любовь Божия излилась в сердца наши Духом Святым, данным нам» (Рим. 5:5). В трудные времена Он развивает в нас терпение и стойкость, ведет навстречу жизни, полной радости и надежды (Рим. 5:3-4). Даже в те дни, когда мы были далеки от Него, Он любил нас (Рим. 5:6-8).

Вы ищете признаки надежды? Господь готов подарить любовь и надежду каждому человеку через личные отношения с Ним. Наша надежда на лучшую жизнь коренится в Его неизменной любви.

Спасибо, Господь, за любовь, которую Ты излил на меня. Помоги радоваться в Тебе и не сомневаться в добром деле, которое Ты совершаешь.

Надежда – якорь для души.

автор: Анн Ситас

© 2018 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Элизабет долгое время страдала от наркотической зависимости...