The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, September 29, 2018

The Daily Readings

SATURDAY, September 29, 2018

Old Testament

Hosea 1:1-2:1
1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel.

The Family of Hosea
2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”

6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. 7 But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen.”

8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.”

The Restoration of Israel
10 Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head; and they shall take possession of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

2:1 Say to your brother, Ammi, and to your sister, Ruhamah.

The Epistle

Acts 20:1-16
Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece
20:1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months. He was about to set sail for Syria when a plot was made against him by the Jews, and so he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Beroea, by Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, by Gaius from Derbe, and by Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. 5 They went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas; 6 but we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we joined them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

Paul’s Farewell Visit to Troas
7 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. 9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. 12 Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.

The Voyage from Troas to Miletus
13 We went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for he had made this arrangement, intending to go by land himself. 14 When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 We sailed from there, and on the following day we arrived opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos, and the day after that we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; he was eager to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

The Gospel

Luke 4:38-44
Healings at Simon’s House
4:38 After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39 Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.

40 As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. 41 Demons also came out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues
42 At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. 43 But he said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

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.
Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead.

The Morning Prayer for SATURDAY, September 29, 2018

Saturday morning prayer

Lord on this preparation day, I jump into all that You have given me. Might I embrace each part of this glorious time, enjoying the service, relishing in the challenges, engaging with the fun and celebrating with laughter.

Lord on this day, may I enjoy the beauty of the created world all around me. Might I run, drive, walk and sing in the freedom of this day! Thank you that right now I can feel Your love flowing through each vein of my being, causing me to pulsate with vision and life. Lord, on this day I jump into all that You have given me.

Lord, on this preparation day, I wake to live and give. May it be a worthwhile day, fill up to the brim. A day with service, laughter, work and play, a time to run and sing. May Saturday be a day I walk and breathe your goodness in, enjoy the beauty all around and freedoms joy within.

Amen

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, September 29, 2018

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 2

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New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Un dia a la Vez - Días de preparación

Días de preparación

Toda la Escritura es inspirada por Dios, y útil para enseñar [...] a fin de que el hombre de Dios sea perfecto, enteramente preparado para toda buena obra.

~ 2 Timoteo 3:16-17 (RV-60)

Si estás buscando un cambio en tu vida, y en especial le has pedido a Dios que te dé una oportunidad para cambiar, servir y cumplir con un llamado, piensa que Dios escucha con mucha seriedad tus peticiones. Por eso, va a empezar a dirigir tu vida de tal forma que te irá llevando a dejar cosas, a tomar decisiones muy duras para ti, pero que serán necesarias para los planes que tienes. Conozco personas que han hecho pactos con Dios y han dejado sus trabajos seculares que no honraban su nombre y han buscado algo que vaya de acuerdo a su estilo de vida.

¿Sabes lo que pasa a veces? Parecemos muy espirituales y nos dejamos llevar por las emociones. Le decimos al Señor: «Quiero ser misionero, quiero ser pastor y vivir para ti».

«Perfecto», dice Dios. «¿Estás dispuesto a dejarlo todo por mí? ¿Dejarías ese trabajo que te da buen dinero, pero te roba tiempo con tu familia? ¿O estás listo para ser misionero dejando tu familia y viajando a lugares en los que quizá no tengas una cama donde dormir y la comida no sea la más apetitosa?».

El servicio a Dios tiene un precio y sacrificios que enfrentar. Sin embargo, la gran verdad es que si Dios te llama, te capacita y te prepara. Creo que ya te lo dije, pero lo repito ahora: Así como los soldados van a la guerra, pero antes necesitan preparación física y entrenamientos muy fuertes, igual sucede con nosotros. Dios necesita prepararnos para darnos lo que anhelamos.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Si estás buscando un cambio en tu vida, y en especial le has pedido a Dios que te dé una oportunidad para cambiar, servir y cumplir con un llamado, piensa que Dios escucha con mucha seriedad tus peticiones.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - NORTH KOREA TESTIMONY – PART 2

NORTH KOREA TESTIMONY

PART 2

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

~  Romans 8:17 (NIV)

At the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town in October 2010, North Korean Gyeong Ju Son shared her moving life story. Here is the conclusion.

While staying at the Korean Consulate in Beijing, waiting to go to South Korea, her life was dramatically and irrevocably changed when Jesus came to her in a dream. She says:

“He had tears in His eyes. He walked towards me and asked ‘Gyeong Ju, how much longer are you going to keep me waiting? Walk with me. Yes, you have lost your earthly father, but I am your heavenly Father and whatever has happened to you, was because I love you.’”

Praying to God for the very first time, she gave Him her heart, soul, mind and strength, asking that she would be used at His will. A deep love for the lost people of North Korea and the need to bring the love of Jesus to them has subsequently become her life purpose. She continues:

“I look back over my short life and I see God’s hand everywhere. Six years in North Korea, eleven in China and now in South Korea. Everything I suffered; all the sadness and grief, all that I have experienced and learned; I want to give it all to God and use my life for His Kingdom. In this way I also hope to bring honor to my father.”

Now a student, the intention of this young and vibrant follower of Christ is to go to university to study political science and diplomacy, and then work for the rights of the voiceless in North Korea. She concluded:

“Brothers and sisters here in this place, I humbly ask you to pray that the same light of God’s grace and mercy that reached my father and my mother and now me, will one day soon dawn upon the people of North Korea, my people!”

RESPONSE: Today I will continue to believe that God takes terrible situations and turns them into good.

PRAYER: Lord, we pray that you will call many youths like Gyeong Ju to minister among the needy people of North Korea.

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

The NIV Couples Devotional - Finding the Best of Times

Finding the Best of Times

Revelation 21:1–27

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

~ Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

Marriage can be like the days of the French Revolution, immortalized in the words of Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities—“the best of times and the worst of times.”

In the best times of marriage, we can’t get enough of each other. We breeze through workdays, knowing we can be together afterward. We spoon our bodies in the night, delighting in how well we fit together. We cook special things for each other. We reach for each other’s hands in church, show each other off to friends, get high at the sound of each other’s voice on the phone.

We crave each other in the hard times too: when our parents decide to divorce, when a close friend is diagnosed with cancer, when one of us loses a job, when we have a miscarriage, when someone betrays us. We ease the hurt by holding each other tight and letting the tears fall, by reading passages of Scripture together, by linking hearts and hands in prayer. Somehow just being together fortifies us in the times when we ache and hurt.

In the worst of times, we lose each other. He flirts with a waitress, making his wife feel invisible. She goes on a spending spree at the mall, sabotaging the budget her husband so carefully worked out. He works late night after night; she spends too much time with friends. Even at church the togetherness is lost as she goes to choir, while he goes to Bible study. She has meetings that leave him sitting alone; he is so busy talking to others that he barely notices she’s gone. Even when together, spouses can be alone. They stay home for the night, but he’s upstairs watching a football game, while she’s downstairs trotting on the treadmill. Or during dinner, she’s replaying a work problem in her head, while he’s reading the paper.

Whatever the reason, failing to connect becomes a kind of living death. The warmth, the passion, the closeness between us cools until it seems we’re only going through the motions of marriage. Then something, somehow, prods us into reaching for each other again: Maybe it’s a sermon that cuts truth like a knife into our hearts or a friend who begins asking questions about our relationship or a work associate whose problems become too personal. Then things can really heat up between us—this time with anger, accusations, threats and tears. The pain is excruciating, but if we work through it (sometimes with professional help), we can find each other again in a new kind of love, one that’s forged in the fire and ashes of repentance and forgiveness. Then the tears we drop are ones of relief, gladness and joy.

One day we will stop crying for good. After we pass through the final vale of separation from each other, God himself will wipe our faces clean of tears. Then he will usher us into glory, where we will be so united with him, so one with him, that there will never again be a need for tears. The best times of marriage, in all their passion and delight, are a prelude to that.

Phyllis Ten Elshof

Let’s Talk

• What are some times when we felt the most togetherness? What helped fuel those times? When have we felt most alienated from each other? What brought us back together? What are some practical ways we can work together that will keep us close?
• Is either of us sometimes uncomfortable with too much intimacy? What do we do when we feel crowded into closeness? How do we get some space without offending each other?
• How does closeness and intimacy with God affect our relationship with each other?

Marriage can be like the days of the French Revolution, immortalized in the words of Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities—“the best of times and the worst of times.”

LHM Daily Devotions - Begin Life Again with Jesus!

"Begin Life Again with Jesus!"

Sep. 29, 2018

(Jesus said) "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'"

~ John 3:6-7 (ESV)

To start your life again with blessing; to have the assurance that "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17b), you must follow the clear-cut direction Jesus gives in our text: He tells Nicodemus, and us, "Ye must be born again."

Yet while there is no human "must" in the record of your redemption, as soon as you come to Jesus and receive Him as your all-sufficient Redeemer, you "must be born again." The Lord wants you to become an entirely new creature. He is not satisfied with good intentions, better conduct, the best you can do. Repairing, patching, improving, disguising your defects are not enough. You "must be born again." The Almighty wants a completely new heart and spirit within you. He demands, "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2b).

Are you born again? This second birth is for you. The new life in the Lord is yours for believing, receiving, trusting Jesus, the Son of God, as your Savior. No matter how sin-blotched and ugly your life may be, you can begin it again with marvelous beauty. Once, Edwin Landseer, the eminent artist, was a guest in a castle in Scotland. Someone accidentally broke a bottle of acid, which fell against the drawing-room wall, decorated with spotless ivory. The ugly stain caused by the acid splash seemed to ruin the whole wall, but Landseer took a piece of charcoal from the fireplace and with a few deft lines embodied the stain in an attractive woodland scene -- a quick transformation by which the unsightly became beautiful. If a mere man could thus use acid splashes and charcoal to produce astonishing artistry, does the almighty Spirit of God not work incomparably greater marvels on sin-stained human hearts and lives when He changes them, cleansed by Jesus' blood, into the image of Christ?

In this moment, the Savior is appealing to you personally and directly, as He once spoke to Nicodemus; and when He promises, "Behold, I make all things new" (see Revelation 21:5), offering you the beginning of a new life, don't reject the mightiest blessing even God can ever give you, but clasp your Savior tightly, lay your sins at the foot of His cross, pray the ancient plea for merciful renewal, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me," and the holy angels in heaven will rejoice as you are reborn, Spirit-born, into everlasting blessedness. God grant you this radiant rebirth through Jesus, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life"! Amen.

THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we must be born again, and by Your Son's eternal work accomplished at Calvary, we can be! Thank You for Your incomparable gift of love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

From "Begin Life Again with Jesus!" a sermon excerpt from Walter A. Maier, the first Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
To start your life again with blessing; to have the assurance that "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new", you must follow the clear-cut direction Jesus gives in our text...

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Mót Lúa

Mót Lúa

Đọc: Ru-tơ 2:1-12 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Ê-sai 7-8; Ê-phê-sô 2

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Ru-tơ, người Mô-áp, thưa với Na-ô-mi: “Xin cho con ra ngoài ruộng để mót lúa. Con sẽ theo sau người nào sẵn lòng cho con mót.” Ru-tơ 2:2

Một chị bạn người Tanzania có khải tượng mua một mảnh đất xa xôi ở thủ phủ Dodoma. Vì nhận ra nhu cầu của một số góa phụ trong vùng nên chị Ru-tơ muốn biến những khoảnh đất đầy bụi bặm này thành nơi nuôi gà và trồng rau. Khải tượng của chị trong việc chu cấp cho những người khó khăn xuất phát từ lòng yêu mến Chúa và được truyền cảm hứng bởi cô Ru-tơ, một nhân vật Kinh Thánh cùng tên với chị.

Luật pháp của Chúa cho phép người nghèo và người ngoại quốc được mót lúa ở các bờ ruộng (Lê. 19:9-10). Cô Ru-tơ (trong Kinh Thánh) là người ngoại quốc vì thế cô được phép mót lúa để làm thức ăn cho mình và mẹ chồng. Việc cô Ru-tơ mót lúa trong ruộng của Bô-ô, một người họ hàng gần đã dẫn cô Ru-tơ và bà Na-ô-mi đến chỗ tìm được một mái ấm và sự bảo vệ. Cô Ru-tơ đã khéo léo và siêng năng trong công việc mót lúa hằng ngày ở các bờ ruộng và Chúa đã chúc phước cho cô.

Niềm đam mê của chị Ru-tơ, bạn tôi và sự tận hiến của cô Ru-tơ trong Kinh Thánh đã thôi thúc tôi cảm tạ Chúa về cách Ngài vẫn quan tâm đến người nghèo và người bị áp bức. Họ đã truyền cảm hứng cho tôi, thôi thúc tôi tìm cách giúp đỡ người khác trong cộng đồng và cũng là cách để bày tỏ lòng biết ơn của tôi đối với Đấng ban cho. Bạn có thể thờ phượng Chúa bằng cách nào qua việc bày tỏ lòng thương xót của Ngài với người khác?

Lạy Chúa Jêsus, Ngài ao ước không một ai phải chịu cảnh đói khát. Xin mở mắt con để thấy những cách mà chúng con có thể giúp đỡ những người khó khăn thiếu thốn. Nguyện chúng con chia sẻ tình yêu của Ngài vì sự vinh hiển của Ngài.

Chúa quan tâm đến những người yếu đuối, bất lực.

bởi Amy Boucher Pye

© 2018 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Một chị bạn người Tanzania có khải tượng mua một mảnh đất xa xôi ở thủ phủ Dodoma.