Sunday, March 3, 2019

The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, March 4, 2019

Peter's Vision
Acts 10:9-23a

The Daily Lectionary
MONDAY, March 4, 2019
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 35:11-28
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
     they ask me about things I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good;
     my soul is forlorn.
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
     I wore sackcloth;
     I afflicted myself with fasting.
   I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
14   as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
   I went about as one who laments for a mother,
     bowed down and in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,
     they gathered together against me;
   ruffians whom I did not know
     tore at me without ceasing;
16 they impiously mocked more and more,
     gnashing at me with their teeth.

17 How long, O Lord, will you look on?
     Rescue me from their ravages,
     my life from the lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the great congregation;
     in the mighty throng I will praise you.

19 Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me,
     or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.
20 For they do not speak peace,
     but they conceive deceitful words
     against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open wide their mouths against me;
     they say, “Aha, Aha,
     our eyes have seen it.”

22 You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent!
     O Lord, do not be far from me!
23 Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense,
     for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
     according to your righteousness,
     and do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say to themselves,
     “Aha, we have our heart’s desire.”
   Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you up.”

26 Let all those who rejoice at my calamity
     be put to shame and confusion;
   let those who exalt themselves against me
     be clothed with shame and dishonor.

27 Let those who desire my vindication
     shout for joy and be glad,
     and say evermore,
   “Great is the Lord,
     who delights in the welfare of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
     and of your praise all day long.

Exodus 35:1-29
Sabbath Regulations
35:1 Moses assembled all the congregation of the Israelites and said to them: These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do:

2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy sabbath of solemn rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwellings on the sabbath day.

Preparations for Making the Tabernacle
4 Moses said to all the congregation of the Israelites: This is the thing that the Lord has commanded: 5 Take from among you an offering to the Lord; let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord’s offering: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and fine leather; acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece.

10 All who are skillful among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle, 11 its tent and its covering, its clasps and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the curtain for the screen; 13 the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance, the entrance of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin with its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the finely worked vestments for ministering in the holy place, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron, and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests.

Offerings for the Tabernacle
20 Then all the congregation of the Israelites withdrew from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, everyone whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and brought the Lord’s offering to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the sacred vestments. 22 So they came, both men and women; all who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and pendants, all sorts of gold objects, everyone bringing an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And everyone who possessed blue or purple or crimson yarn or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or fine leather, brought them. 24 Everyone who could make an offering of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s offering; and everyone who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work, brought it. 25 All the skillful women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun in blue and purple and crimson yarns and fine linen; 26 all the women whose hearts moved them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 And the leaders brought onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the Israelite men and women whose hearts made them willing to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

Acts 10:9-23a
10:9 About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” 15 The voice said to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.

17 Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon’s house and were standing by the gate. 18 They called out to ask whether Simon, who was called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look, three men are searching for you. 20 Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them.” 21 So Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” 22 They answered, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in square brackets.

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.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2019, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2018 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, March 4, 2019



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.

This day, help me to turn my eyes towards your Kingdom, of love, hope and new beginnings. Amen.

Early Morning Prayer


I come before you O Lord
As the sun rises may your hope rise up in me.
As the birds sing may your love flow out of me.
As the light floods into this new day,
May your joy shine through me.
I come before you, O Lord
And drink in this moment of peace,
That I may carry something of your hope, love and joy
Today in my heart.

Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, March 4, 2019


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

Read all of Joshua 1

Listen to Joshua 1

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

Un dia a la Vez - Cada día es una oportunidad


Cada día es una oportunidad

Bendito el hombre que confía en el Señor, y pone su confianza en él. Será como un árbol plantado junto al agua, que [...] nunca deja de dar fruto.

Hoy es tu oportunidad de servir a alguien. La historia de ayer es tan verídica como la que te cuento hoy. Hace un año, leíamos el devocional A los pies del Maestro, de Charles Spurgeon. Fue una tremenda bendición para muchos de nosotros.

En uno de esos capítulos, el autor nos hablaba de que debemos estar gozosos donde estemos, ya sea en grandes trabajos o en sencillos. Que debemos aprovechar cada posición en la que Dios nos permite estar, no solo en el trabajo, sino en nuestra vida en general.

Además, que debemos entender que Él lo permite porque allí aprenderemos y cumpliremos ese propósito. Luego de leer esa reflexión, empezamos a ver que no debemos quejarnos.

Que nos debemos levantar agradecidos y felices aunque no nos guste los que hacemos. Que Dios ve nuestro corazón y que nuestra actitud es determinante en la vida.

No pasaron ni cinco minutos cuando nos escribió Edgar diciendo: «¿Qué hago yo que no me quiero levantar porque no me gusta ir al trabajo que tengo? ¿Cómo sé que Dios me está llamando?». Y esta quizá sea tu pregunta hoy: «¿Para qué voy para mi casa si no soy feliz?». Lo que sí te puedo decir es que debemos ser fieles en todo, aunque lo que vivamos no sea lo que deseamos.

¿Quieres un mejor trabajo? Empieza siendo fiel por este que no te gusta y cambia tu actitud.

Dios es el único que conoce tu corazón y podrá manifestarse en tu vida. Él está listo para bendecirnos y darnos lo mejor a cada uno de nosotros que somos sus hijos. ¡Hoy es tu oportunidad!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy es tu oportunidad de servir a alguien.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - TEARS OF SUFFERING


TEARS OF SUFFERING

Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?
~ Psalm 56:8 (NIV)

Somewhere in this world a persecuted Christian might be crying right at this moment. It might seem that their tears are in vain and simply drop to the ground. But ages ago King David was convinced that God was interested in his tears. In the passage noted above, alternate translations for listing tears on a “scroll” include putting tears in a “bottle” or “wineskin.”

Today in the Middle East it is not uncommon to see a collection of oddly-shaped bottles, labeled only as “sprinklers.” But in ancient Middle Eastern times these bottles were known as “tear-catchers.” When a husband went off to war, his wife would collect her tears for him in a bottle. On his return she would hand him the bottle as proof of her love. In times of death or serious trouble, family members would bring their tear-catchers and collect tears from all the people present. Sometimes the tears would be stored in a small round jar with a lid. These tear bottles represented the sorrows of the family; tears serving as a message in a bottle. In those days each person was buried with his or her tear bottle; archaeologists have found many of these bottles in ancient tombs.

In the days of King David of Israel the bottle was more likely made of animal skin. David was a man who went through a lot of suffering and persecution. David had no doubts: his tears were not shed in vain, but were collected by God. The words in Psalm 56 could also be those of our persecuted brothers and sisters. They serve as a reminder for us to “treasure” their tears.

The words of David are still true today. People try to trample on our brothers and sisters; want to harm them; spy on their movements. David put his trust clearly in the Lord. In verses 3 and 4 he says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Watching the moving DVD documentary, A Cry from Iran, you will be brought to tears as you see and hear the story of Iranian Pastor Haik who was martyred for his faith in the mid-1990’s. He worked tirelessly for the release from prison of Christian brother Mehdi Dibaj who was sentenced to death for apostasy. Miraculously Mehdi was released. At Pastor Haik’s funeral, a teary-eyed Mehdi Dibaj said, “I was the one who should have died, not Haik.” Six months later he too was martyred.

Recently our office for the Middle East received an Iranian “tear-catcher” as a present. The bottle helps us to remember the tears of the Iranian Christians, but with them all of the Christians around the world who are being persecuted. It speaks about grief, about tears, about suffering; but also about faith and confidence in the Lord.

Let us remember their tears, knowing that as one member suffers, all members suffer. And let us rejoice that someday God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and our eyes.

RESPONSE: Today I will remember those of my extended Christian family around the world who are suffering and shedding tears.

PRAYER: Pray for persecuted church believers today who may be shedding sorrowful tears of grief.

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 - The Mothers of Moses


The Mothers of Moses

Jochabed

Her name means: "The Lord Is Glory"

Her character: Her fierce love for her son, coupled with her faith, enabled her to act heroically in the midst of great oppression.
Her sorrow: To live in bondage as a slave.
Her joy: That God not only preserved the son she surrendered to him but that he restored her child to her.
Key Scriptures: Exodus 2:1-10; Hebrews 11:23

Pharaoh's Daughter

Her character: The Jewish people honor men and women whom they designate as "righteous Gentiles." These are people who, though nonbelievers, have assisted God's people in some significant way. Surely, Pharaoh's daughter should top the list of righteous Gentiles, courageously and compassionately delivering a child from death, a child who would one day act as Israel's great deliverer.
Her sorrow: That her adopted son, whom she had taken care of for forty years, had to flee his home in Egypt in order to escape Pharaoh's wrath.
Key Scriptures: Exodus 2:1-10

Their Story

Three hundred years after the death of the patriarch Joseph, a baby boy was born in Egypt, his lusty cries muffled by a woman's sobs. Jochebed's heart was a tangle of joy and fear. This son, his fingers forming a tiny fist against her breast, was so striking a child she hardly believed he was hers. Tenderly she raised the small hand to her mouth, pressing its warmth to her lips. Her gesture calmed them both. She could feel the stiffness in her back dissolving, her muscles relaxing as she watched the night shadows evaporate in the morning's light.

Slave though she was, she was yet a Levite, a woman who belonged to the God of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Rebekah, of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. She knew the stories. She believed the promises. God was faithful. Hadn't her people already grown as numerous as the sand of the sea, just as he said they would?

In fact, the Israelites were so numerous that the pharaohs feared they might one day welcome an invading army and betray the nation from within. Over time, the Egyptians had tightened their grip, finally enslaving the Israelites, until Pharaoh's paranoia produced an even greater evil—a command to murder each Hebrew male child emerging from the womb. But the Hebrew midwives feared God more than the king and refused to follow his orders, excusing themselves by claiming that Hebrew women were stronger than Egyptian women, giving birth before the midwives even arrived.

So Pharaoh commanded his soldiers to search out and smother every newborn male in the waters of the Nile. Jochebed could hear the screams of the mothers echoing regularly across the Hebrew camp as their children were torn from them. Her arms tightened around her own child as he slept quietly against her breast. This one, she vowed, would never be fodder for the Egyptian river god. She and her husband, Amram, would pray. They would plan. And they would trust God to help them.

For three months, as long as she dared, she hid the infant, managing to keep Miriam and three-year-old Aaron quiet about their new baby brother. Finally, she acted on an idea that had been growing in her mind. Pharaoh had commanded her to consign her son to the Nile River. All right then. Her own hands would put him into the water.

Remembering how God had spared the child Isaac on the mountain of sacrifice, she bent down and laid her son in a basket of papyrus, waterproofed with tar and pitch. Then, with a whispered prayer and a last caress, she wiped her eyes, begging God to preserve her baby from the crocodiles that swarmed the river.

She could not bear to watch as the child drifted away from her. Instead, young Miriam kept vigil, following at a distance to see what would become of him.

Soon Pharaoh's daughter arrived at the riverbank with some of her attendants. Spotting the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave girl to fetch it. As soon as she beheld the brown-eyed baby, she loved him. The river had brought her a child whom she would cherish as her own. She could not save all the innocent children, but she could spare one mother's son.

Was she surprised when a young slave girl, Miriam, approached, asking whether she could go after a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for her? Did she suspect the truth when Jochebed gathered the boy in her arms, this time as his nursemaid?

Whatever was in her mind, Pharaoh's daughter named the child Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water." For the next forty years, she educated him, a prince in the courts of Pharaoh himself.

God kept Moses safe in the midst of extraordinary evil and danger—first in crocodile-infested waters and then when he was growing up right under Pharaoh's nose. And he used the Egyptians to protect and educate him in ways that must have made Moses even more effective in his eventual role as his people's deliverer.

Year after year, Jochebed would surely have reflected on the marvelous faithfulness of God. Her ingenuity, courage, and faith should inspire even the most weak-kneed among us.

Two women—a slave and a princess—preserved the life of Israel's future deliverer and so preserved the entire Jewish race.

Their Promise

Moses' mother, Jochebed, had one thing in mind when hiding her son and leaving him in a basket in the river. Her goal was to preserve his life for one more day, one more hour, one more moment. She could not have known how God planned to work in her life or in the life of her son. Nor did she realize he was putting into place a divine plan to rescue his people from the very oppression she was resisting.

God's ways are beautiful in the extreme. He uses the devoted, intense love of a mother for her child to bring freedom to an entire race. Like Jochebed, our goal should be to hang on, trusting that God has his own purpose at work and that we and our children are part of it.

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.
Three hundred years after the death of the patriarch Joseph, a baby boy was born in Egypt, his lusty cries muffled by a woman's sobs.

Girlfriends in God - Breaking Up With Fake


Breaking Up With Fake

Today’s Truth

On high, he summons heaven and earth in order to judge his people.
~ Psalm 50:4 (CSB)

Friend to Friend

When a skilled jeweler places a diamond under a microscope, he is able to authenticate and determine its value based upon the color, cut, clarity and carat weight of the stone.

Flaws are visible in the testing, and any jeweler worth his salt can easily see the difference between a man-made cubic zirconia and a real diamond that’s been forged in pressure over time.

I like to think I can spot fake from a mile away too. It’s everywhere: the lashes, spray tans, hair color, boobs, eyebrows, puffy lips and high cheekbones. Beyond the substitute beauty efforts, there are a million other ways humanity serves up fake. Passing off that gossip as a prayer request. Praying from my lips, but not from my heart. Harboring anger and holding on to it like an invisible friend that I have every right to have.

God sees straight through fake.

Empty sacrifices are meaningless to Him.

Psalm 50 serves as a powerful reminder to me not to try to pass off a cubic-zirconia-faith to a flawless-diamond God. He leaves no room for insincere worship and makes it clear that He doesn't want me going through the motions of religion in an effort to please or appease Him. He doesn’t want any part of fake faith. That’s not His way.

Holy echoes call out routine religion. If you’re really my daughter, act like it. Don’t bring me your fake faith and expect that I’m going to pretend along with you. It’s of no value to me. Be grateful. Really. Thank me for every good and perfect gift you have in life. It’s all from me. And be honest in worship. Do what you say you’re gonna do. Include me in your days. Talk with me about your troubles. Let me come along side of you. Recognize me as God and just watch: I’ll show up in powerful ways. 

Yowsa! Tell me how you really feel, God.

He wants our honest attention. Our sincere faith.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks;
he summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God appears in radiance.
Our God is coming; he will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes him,
and a storm rages around him.
On high, he summons heaven and earth
in order to judge his people:
“Gather my faithful ones to me,
those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God is the Judge.
(Psalm 50:1-6, CSB)

The holy God of heaven doesn’t want any of us to treat Him lightly. He deserves better. He deserves our genuine thanksgiving, honor and trust. He is faithful, merciful and kind. 

Sacrifice a thank offering to God,
and pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in a day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor me.

Time to break up with fake faith… because grace is free, but it didn’t come cheap.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord,You know my heart and my ways. Search me. Know me. Reveal any way in me that needs polishing or cut off in order for me to shine bright for You. Convict my heart when I’m less-than authentic. Lead me in Your grace and purity. Help me be a real reflection of the hope I have in You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Be still. Know that He is God. Ask Him to show you any area of your attitude, perspective, behavior or focus that needs some polishing.

READ Romans 12:1-21. Consider what this can and should look like in your life.

More from the Girlfriends

If you want to read and study the Bible, but don’t know where to start, this is for you! Girlfriends in God co-founder Gwen Smith has several online Bible Study options that will guide you on a personal journey with the Lord as you read, record, reflect on and respond to His Word. These studies will help you know what God says about tender topics like forgiveness, healing, fear, depression, relationships and hope. Each study can be done in the comfort of your home and in a time frame that fits with your personal schedule. Visit www.GwenSmith.net/BibleStudy to learn more.

Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God


http://girlfriendsingod.com/events/
When a skilled jeweler places a diamond under a microscope, he is able to authenticate and determine its value based upon the color, cut, clarity and carat weight of the stone.

LHM Daily Devotions - No Fear!

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20190304

"No Fear!"

Mar. 4, 2019

I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
~ Psalm 91:2 (ESV)

You are invulnerable! If only I could believe that were true! If only I had skin of steel and super powers coursing through my veins, then I would be invulnerable. I could leap tall buildings in a single bound! I could take on all comers, certain of victory no matter what the odds. If only it were true, then my sleep would be sweet, and my days would be safe from all deadly harm. If only it were true, then I would have no fear.

But I know better.

Yet, the psalmist declares that you are invulnerable, not in the likeness of some self-trusting superhero but trusting and resting in the shadow of the Almighty (see Psalm 91:1). Though fear, mortal danger, and destruction arise and surround you on every side, the one who holds fast to the Lord in love —that one shall the Lord deliver. "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you" (Psalm 91:7). When you call to the Lord for deliverance, He will answer you and rescue you by His guardian angels, honor you and satisfy you with long life and salvation (see Psalm 91:15-16). Yes, in the Lord's shadow, there and there alone, you are invulnerable.

But, "Wait a minute!" you say, have not Christians around the world and throughout history suffered horribly at the hands of the wicked? Yes, they have. Did not Paul give us a long litany of his sufferings for the sake of Christ? Yes, he did: imprisonments, countless beatings, stoned, shipwrecked, in danger from rivers, robbers, the Jews and Gentiles, danger in the city, in the wilderness, in hunger, in thirst, cold and exposure (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-27). So where is this great invulnerability the psalmist writes of? Why didn't the guardian angels of God protect Paul just as God promised? They did ... but not in the way you are thinking.

Jesus said, "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). In Christ Jesus your soul is safe from all harm even as your body is exposed to the mortal dangers of this world. In Christ Jesus you are invulnerable, eternally secure, joy-filled, forgiven, redeemed, and awaiting the resurrection of the body and the dawn of a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness (see 2 Peter 3:13). No man, no threat, no condition, and no danger are able to snatch you from the hand of Christ Jesus. This is why Paul glories in his sufferings for Christ, knowing that nothing in heaven or earth, no fire, no sword, no pain or poverty can ever separate him from the love of Christ. Though discipleship in Christ cost Paul everything he owns, yet, unshaken, his inheritance in the Lord makes him invulnerable to all the dangers he faced below.

It was true for Paul, and it's true for you and for me. No fear! No fear!

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as I walk in the footsteps of Christ before me, teach me to live my life in no fear of earthly danger for I am Yours and You are mine. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Mark Schreiber. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
You are invulnerable! If only I could believe that were true! If only I had skin of steel and super powers coursing through my veins, then I would be invulnerable.

Devocional de la CPTLN del 04 de Marzo de 2019 - ¡No temas!


ALIMENTO DIARIO

¡No temas!

04 de Marzo de 2019

"Tú eres mi esperanza, mi Dios, ¡el castillo en el que pongo mi confianza!"
~ Salmo 91:2 (RVC)

¡Eres invulnerable! ¡Ojalá fuera verdad! Quizás si tuviera piel de acero y superpoderes corriendo por mis venas sería invulnerable. ¡Podría saltar de un edificio a otro y enfrentar a cuanto enemigo se apareciera, seguro siempre de la victoria! Si fuera verdad, mi sueño sería dulce y mis días estarían a salvo de todo daño mortal. Si fuera verdad no tendría miedo, pero no lo es.

Sin embargo, el salmista declara que eres invulnerable... pero no como un superhéroe que confía en sí mismo, sino confiando y descansando a la sombra del Omnipotente. Aun cuando el temor, el peligro mortal y la destrucción acechan por todos lados, el Señor librará a quien se aferra a él en amor. "A tu izquierda caerán mil, y a tu derecha caerán diez mil, pero a ti no te alcanzará la mortandad" (Salmo 91:7). Cuando clames al Señor para que te libere, Él te responderá y te rescatará con sus ángeles guardianes, te honrará y te satisfará con una larga vida y salvación (ver Salmo 91:15-16). Sí, a la sombra del Señor, allí y solo allí, eres invulnerable.

Pero, "¡espera un momento!", dices: "¿acaso no han sufrido horriblemente los cristianos de todo el mundo a través de la historia a manos de los malvados?" Sí, es cierto. "¿Y acaso no nos dio san Pablo una larga letanía de sus sufrimientos por causa de Cristo?" Sí, lo hizo: Pablo fue encarcelado, golpeado, apedreado, sufrió peligros en el mar, en la ciudad, en el desierto, ante ladrones, judíos y gentiles, pasó hambre, sed y frío (ver 2 Corintios 11:23-27). Entonces, ¿dónde está esta gran invulnerabilidad de la que escribe el salmista? ¿Por qué los ángeles guardianes de Dios no protegieron a Pablo tal como Dios lo prometió? Lo hicieron ... pero no en la forma en que estás pensando.

Jesús dijo: "No teman a los que matan el cuerpo, pero no pueden matar el alma. Más bien, teman a aquel que puede destruir alma y cuerpo en el infierno" (Mateo 10:28). En Cristo Jesús tu alma está a salvo de todo daño, incluso cuando tu cuerpo está expuesto a los peligros mortales de este mundo. En Cristo Jesús tu alma es invulnerable, eternamente segura, llena de gozo, perdonada, redimida y esperando el amanecer de un cielo nuevo y una tierra nueva en los cuales mora la justicia (ver 2 Pedro 3:13). Ningún hombre, ninguna amenaza, ninguna condición y ningún peligro pueden arrebatar tu alma de la mano de Cristo Jesús. Esta es la razón por la cual Pablo se glorifica en sus sufrimientos por Cristo, sabiendo que nada en el cielo o en la tierra, ni fuego, ni espada, ni dolor ni pobreza pueden separarlo del amor de Cristo. Aunque el discipulado en Cristo le costó a Pablo todo lo que poseía, el cielo que habría de heredar en el Señor lo hizo invulnerable a todos los peligros que tuvo que enfrentar.

Fue cierto para Pablo y también es cierto para ti y para mí. ¡No temas! ¡No temas!

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, ayúdame a seguir los pasos de Cristo y enséñame a vivir sin temor de los males de este mundo, sabiendo que soy tuvo y tú eres mío. Amén.

Dr. Mark Schreiber

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¡Eres invulnerable! ¡Ojalá fuera verdad! Quizás si tuviera piel de acero y superpoderes corriendo por mis venas sería invulnerable.

Notre Pain Quotidien - Ici même avec nous

https://www.ministeresnpq.org/2019/03/04/ici-meme-avec-nous/

Ici même avec nous

La Bible en un an : Nombres 29 – 31 ; Marc 9.1-29

Mais ils lui dirent : Nous n’avons ici que cinq pains et deux poissons. V. 17

Toute son attention était concentrée sur l’étagère du haut, où se trouvaient les pots de sauce à spaghetti. Il y avait une minute ou deux que j’étais là à essayer de me décider devant la même étagère, mais cette femme ne semblait pas m’avoir remarqué. Or, étant plutôt grand, les étagères du haut me sont accessibles, mais ce n’était pas le cas de cette femme des plus petites. Je lui ai donc offert mon aide. Tressautant, elle m’a dit : « Juste ciel ! Je n’avais même pas vu que vous étiez là. Oui, vous seriez gentil de m’aider. »

Les disciples se sont retrouvés dans une situation inextricable – une foule affamée, un lieu isolé et le temps qui leur filait entre les doigts – « [L’heure] est déjà avancée ; renvoie la foule, afin qu’elle aille dans les villages, pour s’acheter des vivres » (MT 14.15). Lorsque Jésus les a mis au défi de s’occuper eux-mêmes de tout le monde, ils lui ont répondu : « Nous n’avons ici que […] » (V. 17). Ils semblaient n’être conscients que de ce qui leur manquait. Pourtant, Jésus se tenait tout juste à leurs côtés, et donc non seulement le multiplicateur des pains, mais encore le pain de vie en personne.

Il peut nous arriver de laisser nos défis et nos tentatives pour les relever par nous-mêmes, selon notre perspective souvent limitée, nous aveugler à la présence constante du Christ ressuscité. Des collines éloignées aux rayons des épiceries, ainsi qu’à tout ce qu’il y a entre elles, il reste Emmanuel – le Dieu qui est toujours là à nos côtés, prêt à nous venir en aide à tout instant.

Emmanuel est avec nous partout et en toute situation.


© 2019 Ministères NPQ
Toute son attention était concentrée sur l’étagère du haut, où se trouvaient les pots de sauce à spaghetti. Il y avait une minute ou deux que j’étais là à essayer de me décider devant la même étagère, mais cette femme ne semblait pas m’avoir remarqué.