The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, August 11, 2019 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.
Luke 12:35

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

SUNDAY, August 11, 2019 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

[Lectionary/Ordinary 19, Proper 14]

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Opening Prayer

As We Gather Here

(Words for the above video)

As we gather here in the harbour of your safety

We thank you for fellowship and family.

We ask that you will strengthen us, restore us and inspire us with your love.

Lord, would fill us with your peace

So that as we journey onwards

We would pour out your love and grace to others.

We ask that our souls would catch the wind of your spirit

so that we would take your promises to all the earth.

Amen.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Confession (Isaiah)

The words of Isaiah remind us in vivid terms that the God of justice cannot endure solemn assemblies that hold on to iniquity. We confess that our hands may be stained with sins that are like scarlet, crimson red, hands that need to be washed to be like bright wool, as beautiful as fresh snow.

God of mercy, remove the evil of our doings so we may learn to do good!

God of mercy, remove confusion from our doings so we may seek justice!

God of mercy, remove fear from our doings so we may rescue the oppressed!

God of mercy, remove hopelessness from our doings so we may defend the orphan!

God of mercy, remove complacency from our doings so we may plea for the widow!

Assurance of Pardon

God of compassion, your eternal love brings us back in true friendship with you through your boundless forgiveness. In Christ, this love is treasured in our hearts. Gathered as your community of believers, our family of faith, we are empowered to forgive one another as we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!

First Reading

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
1:1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
     you rulers of Sodom!
   Listen to the teaching of our God,
     you people of Gomorrah!
11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
     says the Lord;
   I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
     and the fat of fed beasts;
   I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
     or of lambs, or of goats.

12 When you come to appear before me,
     who asked this from your hand?
     Trample my courts no more;
13 bringing offerings is futile;
     incense is an abomination to me.
   New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—
     I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals
     my soul hates;
   they have become a burden to me,
     I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you stretch out your hands,
     I will hide my eyes from you;
   even though you make many prayers,
     I will not listen;
     your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
     remove the evil of your doings
     from before my eyes;
   cease to do evil,
17   learn to do good;
   seek justice,
     rescue the oppressed,
   defend the orphan,
     plead for the widow.

18 Come now, let us argue it out,
     says the Lord:
   though your sins are like scarlet,
     they shall be like snow;
   though they are red like crimson,
     they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
     you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
     you shall be devoured by the sword;
     for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23 Deus deorum

1  The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken; *
   he has called the earth from the rising of the sun
   to its setting.

2  Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *
   God reveals himself in glory.

3  Our God will come and will not keep silence; *
   before him there is a consuming flame,
   and round about him a raging storm.

4  He calls the heavens and the earth from above *
   to witness the judgment of his people.

5  "Gather before me my loyal followers, *
   those who have made a covenant with me
   and sealed it with sacrifice."

6  Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *
   for God himself is judge.

7  Hear, O my people, and I will speak:
   "O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *
   for I am God, your God.

8  I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *
   your offerings are always before me.

23 Consider this well, you who forget God, *
   lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.

24 Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving
   honors me; *
   but to those who keep in my way will I show the
   salvation of God."

Second Reading

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

The Meaning of Faith
11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

The Faith of Abraham
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”

13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

The Gospel

Luke 12:32-40

12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Watchful Slaves
35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39 “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you that we are a family in Christ. Help us to share his love and legacy with everyone that we encounter this week. May we lavish Christ’s abounding goodness upon our families, friends and colleagues. Holy Spirit, come and equip us in our workplace, guide us in our school life, and inspire us in our neighbourhood. May we be your hands and feet to the needy, your words of affirmation to the oppressed and your arms of comfort to the lonely.

Thank you for choosing to use us to bring your kingdom here on earth.

Amen.

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.
Christian discipleship involved watchfullness, and watchfullness involves perseverance. Christians are called to focused, fearless faith.

“Faithfulness” The Sermon for SUNDAY, August 11, 2019 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 12th chapter of Luke, beginning with the 32nd verse.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” (Luke 12:32-40, NRSV)

All mighty God, we thank you for your word and the way that you in it revealed to us who you are and what you've done for us in Christ. Now as we open that word we pray that your spirit may be present, that all thoughts of worry or distraction may be removed and that the Spirit will allow us to hear your voice. And so, oh God, fill us with your spirit through the reading and proclamation of your word this day. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

“Faithfulness”

Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin.

The Lord explained that the man was to push against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, shoulder set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s mind: “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.”

The man began to believe that the task was impossible and that he was a failure, and he felt discouraged and disheartened. “Why kill myself over this?”, he thought. I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.”

And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord”, he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter.

What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately. “My friend, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed, but is that really so? Look at yourself.

Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have, yet you haven’t moved the rock. Your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom.

This you have done.

“I, my friend, will now move the rock.”

At times when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him....By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but remember it is still God who actually moves them.

As Oswald Chambers said, “God does not call us to be successful, only faithful.”

That is a harsh story, but such a story is called for as our gospel text this morning speaks about being ready for the coming of Christ.

“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes… You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Jesus is reminding us that we are accountable to Him for the faith lives which we live. Our Lord challenges us to be faithful at all times as we walk our journey of life of trusting in Him. Our faith is not something which we turn on and off, but something which is always prevalent in our lives. Jesus wants us to be accountable in our faithfulness.

Jesus’ unanticipated and sudden coming keeps us motivated or conscientious. I don’t see this coming so much as a threat, and yet because it is sudden it motivates us to be ready for Him inasmuch as we want our faithfulness to please him.

This faithfulness is based on the promises of God as we find them in Bible. In our Old Testament lesson we see God’s promises Abraham that he would have a descendant and through that descendant, his offspring would be as numerous as the sands on the seashore or the stars in the sky. Abraham trusted in God’s promise even though at the age of 100 he had no son, no offspring, but he had confidence in God’s word and as the text says in Genesis 15:6: “And he (Abraham) believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

Abraham believed in God’s promises and they came true. This is no easy circumstance having reliance in something as intangible as a promise. But Abraham did and we are asked to have the same kind of reliance in God’s written promises as we see in the Bible. The gospel message is indeed a promise for our lives in which we are asked to believe.

It is like the following: Far away in a lonely desert stands a water pump in the sand. You are a solitary traveler, and your canteen is empty and you come upon that pump. Tied to it is a hand written sign put there by some pilgrim.

The sign reads, “I have buried a bottle of water to prime the pump. Don’t drink any of it.

Pour in half of it to wet the leather. Wait, and then pour in the rest. Then pump. The well has never gone dry, but the pump must be primed to bring the water up. Have faith, believe. When you are through drawing water, fill the bottle and bury it in the sand for the next traveler.” Having come upon this pump in the desert with this sign and being out of water, what would you do?

Will you dig the water bottle from the sand and drink from it? Or will you believe and believing dare to pour that water every drop of it down into the old trusty pump? Because you trust, you take a risk, both for yourself and for the next person who will pass that way. What will you do?

Will you be faithful in the written promises of God? God has promised through Christ to care for us, to redeem us, to provide for us in His unique way. Will you believe in the promises of salvation that are found in the Bible? Or like the man in our first story do you begin to waver in your faithfulness to those promises? Do you trust what you have heard and read about God’s of salvation?

Faith is trust. For example, when you go swimming you need not trust the buoyancy of water as long as you can touch bottom. But get out over your head and it is another matter. If you become tense and rigid and fight to stay afloat, you will sink. But if you relax and trust the water to hold you up, you can float and live.

Will you go with the flow so to speak? Go with God each day and believe, trust in His promises for salvation?

Faith is trusting in God’s promises each day, because we are accountable for our faithfulness at all times when we need it and when we don’t. Confidence in God’s promises is a way of life. We are held accountable for that way of life and because we believe and trust we will want to live a faithful life.

A boy and his father were taking a walk. In the far corner of the field they found a small patch of beautiful and fragrant flowers. They were in the middle of weeds, almost completely hidden and unnoticed, yet these flowers were blooming in full beauty and they sensed their fresh fragrance.

All of us have met persons unnoticed by many, but who in the middle of struggle and unlikely surroundings far from the center of attention live lives of beauty and fragrance. And living lives which seemed obscure they faithfully fulfilled God’s calling for them.

God’s question on the last day will not be, “How much were you noticed?” or even “How much did you do?” Rather, His question will be, “Were you faithful in fulfilling your calling where I placed you?”

Were you faithful as a house wife, a farmer, a teacher, a banker, etc. Were you faithful in what ever God has called you to do in this world. Did you do your work faithfully believing and trusting in God to provide? Were you faithful knowing that at any moment, Christ might come again?

A closing story speaks about this faithfulness waiting for the Lord to come again:

“While taking a tour of Europe, a tourist visited a lovely estate in Italy. He admired the beautiful garden which had been taken care of in a wonderful way. He walked ground the garden, he came upon the gardener and said, “My, you have done a beautiful job with this garden. How long have you taken care of it?”

The gardener replied, “25 years.”

“How often has the owner been to this estate?”

“Four times.”

“When was he last here?”

“Twelve years ago.”

“But, he must write to you often with instructions?”

“Never.”

“Well, who comes to look after things? To make sure things are kept up?”

“I am left pretty much alone. I take care of things.”

“But you keep the garden so lovely that one would think you were expecting the owner tomorrow.”

“Today, sir, today,!!!”

“And he (Abraham) believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Let us pray: Lord, our God, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son. May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)® Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Sermon contributed by Rev. Tim Zingale.
God does not call us to be successful, only faithful.

The Morning Prayer for SUNDAY, August 11, 2019

Sunday Morning Prayer

Lord on this special day, I run into Your loving arms. May Sunday be a celebration, filled with thankfulness, where I connect with the presence of Heaven, seek Your beauty and goodness, and cherish special family time together. Come fill my heart afresh with Your love. May it overflow with Heaven's bounty, moving through this rest day and into the week ahead.

Lord on this special day,

I run into Your arms.

Spend cherished time with family,

And find shelter in Your palm.

May Sunday be a celebration,

Full up to the brim,

With Heaven's promise ringing loud,

And Your love flowing in.

Amen.

Verse of the Day SUNDAY, August 11, 2019

Psalm 119:14 (NIV) I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

Read all of Psalm 119

Listen to Psalm 119

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 - Sunday, August 11, 2019

La limpieza del templo de Dios

¿Quién puede subir al monte del Señor? ¿Quién puede estar en su lugar santo? Solo el de manos limpias y corazón puro.

~ Salmo 24:3-4, NVI

El concepto de la limpieza no es necesariamente verte con una escoba, una mopa o cualquier otro utensilio de aseo. La limpieza también tiene que ver con nuestro cuerpo cuando Jesús viene a nuestro corazón al aceptarlo como el Salvador de nuestras vidas.

El Manual de Instrucciones nos enseña que nosotros somos el templo del Espíritu Santo. La pregunta es la siguiente: ¿Cómo está ese templo? ¿Está lleno de corrupción, de pecado, de mentira, de hábitos que desagradan a Dios?

La limpieza de la casa de Dios, o el templo del Espíritu, a veces no es cosa de un día. Quizá tengamos cosas tan arraigadas que nos resulten difíciles de sacar. Sin embargo, con la ayuda de Dios, claro que es posible.

Cuando estamos agradecidos por lo que Él nos ha dado, como la salvación y la vida eterna, tenemos que poner de nuestra parte.

Hoy examinemos y saquemos lo que de seguro oscurece el templo del Espíritu y la posterior llegada de Dios a nuestra casa.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
El concepto de la limpieza no es necesariamente verte con una escoba, una mopa o cualquier otro utensilio de aseo. La limpieza también tiene que ver con nuestro cuerpo cuando Jesús viene a nuestro corazón al aceptarlo como el Salvador de nuestras vidas.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Sunday, August 11, 2019

THE SOURCE OF PERSECUTION

Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

~ Esther 3:8 (NIV)

Today we feature the first in a series from a house church pastor’s sermon in China:

The Bible is written to persecuted communities, and we must learn from each community the peculiar blessings and dangers of persecution. I would like to draw your attention to some lessons from the persecuted community in the time of Esther.

Esther was Queen of Persia sometime after 483 BC. She was a beautiful woman with a secret—no one except her adopted father knew it. It was her racial origin. She was a Jew.

There came a great persecution. In Esther 3:8, we read that the king of Persia’s advisor says he should not tolerate a certain group of people. The king agrees, and issues a decree calling for the extermination of all Jews.

The Jews are devastated, including Esther. How they got into this situation, how they get out of it, and what happened afterwards all reveal great truths about suffering churches—of which we are one.

Where does persecution come from? What is its source? The text shows us clearly. Persecution is the result of pride. Pride on the part of the persecutor.

Haman is the culprit. He is humiliated because a Jew called Mordecai refuses to bow low enough to him. We are not given the reason why Mordecai would deliver such a calculated snub, but it makes Haman see red. Instead of just trying to get rid of Mordecai, though, he has to project his personal humiliation into something grand. He won’t admit it’s all just a personal grudge, but concocts an elaborate plan to get rid of all Jews because they are in breach of the king’s laws.

His plan is a good one. The Jews are different, he says. True. They are so different, they are not good citizens, he adds. False, but the king is right to be suspicious of any group that seems to have other loyalties than just to him. It’s the same in China. Our government persecutes us because we are different. We are honest, separate, and we have greater loyalties than just to the state. That makes us an object of suspicion.

But the root of it all is pride. The cause of the persecution was simply that Haman was angry. I have read that in Russia, the terrible persecutions that were visited upon the churches there came from the fact that Lenin’s brother was shot by the Tsar’s forces, and what galled him in particular was that a Russian Orthodox priest blessed the proceedings. He carried his personal hatred with him…It’s a pride matter. It always is. The source of suffering is always found in human pride.

RESPONSE: Today I will check my pride at the door and realize that God is still in control!

PRAYER: Pray that prideful leaders will humble themselves to acknowledge the God of the universe.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Esther was Queen of Persia sometime after 483 BC. She was a beautiful woman with a secret—no one except her adopted father knew it.

LHM Daily Devotions - August 11, 2019 - If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee

"If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee"

Aug. 11, 2019

"Be patient and await His leisure in cheerful hope, with heart content, To take whate'er thy Father's pleasure and His discerning love hath sent, Nor doubt our inmost wants are known to Him who chose us for His own.

"God knows full well when times of gladness shall be the needful thing for thee. When He has tried thy soul with sadness and from all guile has found thee free, He comes to thee all unaware and makes thee own His loving care."

Organizations sometimes have employees participate in team-building and trust-building activities. One exercise may require an individual to fall backwards, trusting that fellow workers will be there to break the fall. In another test, a person wearing a blindfold must depend only on a voice for guidance down a path or through a simple obstacle course. Such exercises may not be very difficult for us. We know that other people are there for us; we can hear them and sense the presence of others around us. We can physically hear the voice calling out directions and feel the arms that support us.

The hymn instructs us to be patient, waiting "in cheerful hope, with heart content," for God to act in our lives. That kind of trust may at times be more difficult than trusting people in a teamwork exercise. We cannot physically hear God's thundering voice or feel His touch or sense His presence. As Scripture reminds us, "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Yet, by faith we can be certain that our wants and needs "are known to Him who chose us for His own." The apostle Paul encourages us to set aside our wavering trust: "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31b-32). If we trust God for so great a thing as our eternal salvation, we can surely trust Him in all else.

We depend on our senses and rightly so. God created us to experience the world through sight and sound and smell, through touch and taste. He has graciously given us His Son to be our Savior, and it is through Christ Jesus that the God in whom we trust comes to us even when we are "all unaware" and calls us to trust His loving care. He comes to us in ways that even our physical senses can grasp. We hear Him speak whenever and wherever His Word is proclaimed. We feel His touch and taste His forgiveness as we receive Jesus' body and blood in His Holy Supper. We hear and taste and trust, until that day when we stand in His presence, when faith becomes sight and trust is fulfilled beyond all doubt.

THE PRAYER: Almighty God and Savior, You know our inmost wants and needs. Lead us by Your Spirit to trust You in all things. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• What are some things you most consider when thinking about trusting someone else?
• Are you able to remain at peace and lean on God when things are tense in your life?
• How does Jesus' character affect your trust in Him?

This Daily Devotion was written by Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, ""If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee."  Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What are some things you most consider when thinking about trusting someone else?

Unser Täglich Brot - „Aber“

„Aber“

Lesung: Habakuk 3,17-19 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: Psalm 81—83; Römer 11,19-36

MP3 herunterladen

Aber ich will mich freuen des Herrn und fröhlich sein in Gott, meinem Heil. Habakuk 3,18

Nach dem schweren Hurrikan Harvey im Jahr 2017 reiste ich mit einer Gruppe nach Houston, um den Menschen dort zu helfen. Wir wollten den Betroffenen vor allem Mut machen. Als wir mit ihnen in den zerstörten Kirchen und Häusern standen, wurde aber auch unser eigener Glaube gestärkt und herausgefordert.

Den fröhlichen Glauben, den einige dieser Menschen nach Harvey ausstrahlten, sehen wir auch am Ende der Prophezeiung, die Habakuk im siebten Jahrhundert vor Christi Geburt aussprach. Er hatte angekündigt, dass schwere Zeiten bevorstanden (Habakuk 1,5—2,1) und alles schlimmer würde, bevor Besserung eintrat. Zum Schluss denkt er über die irdischen Verluste nach, die eintreten werden. „Der Feigenbaum grünt nicht . . . der Ertrag des Ölbaums bleibt aus . . . Schafe sind aus den Hürden gerissen, und in den Ställen sind keine Rinder“ (V.17).

Welche Haltung nehmen wir ein angesichts von unvorstellbaren Schlägen wie zum Beispiel dem Verlust der Arbeit, dem Tod eines lieben Menschen oder einer Naturkatastrophe? Habakuks „Lied für schwere Zeiten“ ruft uns auf zu festem Glauben und Vertrauen auf Gott. Das betont er mit einem kräftigen „Aber“ (V.18). Er ist die Quelle unserer Errettung, Kraft und Sicherheit (V.19), und zwar gestern, heute und für alle Zeit. Wer auf ihn vertraut, wird am Ende nicht enttäuscht.

Wie hat Gott dir in schweren Zeiten gegeben, was du brauchst? Wie kannst du anderen Mut machen, wenn sie in einer Krise stecken?

Vater, lass meinen Glauben fest in dir verankert sein, auch wenn das Leben schwer und ungewiss ist. Du bist mein Heil und meine Kraft.

Von Arthur Jackson

© 2019 Unser Täglich Brot
Welche Haltung nehmen wir ein angesichts von unvorstellbaren Schlägen wie zum Beispiel dem Verlust der Arbeit, dem Tod eines lieben Menschen oder einer Naturkatastrophe?

The NIV Couples Devotional - Saturday, August 10, 2019

Giving Off the Scale

Philippians 2:1–11

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

~ Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)

John Powell describes different kinds of relationships, including one he calls “pan-scale love.” A pan scale is what Lady Justice carries. She stands blindfolded atop a courthouse with pans held by chains at both ends of a balance beam.

Powell says that many of us enter courtship or marriage with a pan-scale commitment. In the exhilaration of first falling in love, we give 100 percent of ourselves to our mate, and our end of the pan scale hangs heavy with love’s offerings. For a week or a month or even a year, we don’t check to see whether the pan scale is balanced because we assume our partner is also devoting 100 percent to the relationship.

But, says Powell, there comes a time when we begin to analyze which way the pan-scale balance beam is tipping. Invariably, as much as we love our spouse, we begin to recognize that he or she isn’t investing quite as much as we are.

So we pull back a little. Maybe she doesn’t pick up the clothes that he carelessly leaves in corners of the bedroom. Perhaps he doesn’t offer a cheery “hello” and warm kiss when she walks in the door. Maybe she doesn’t stop to pick up the dry cleaning or he forgets to gas up the car. This gradual lessening of giving doesn’t usually mean coming up short on the scale of big things; rather, it’s little cuts that over time begin adding up to the message: “I’ve been giving 100 percent to this relationship, and you’re only offering 87 percent. If you won’t put your full load of love on your end of the pan scale, I’m going to pull some of mine back to even things up.”

The trouble is, such efforts at balancing the pan scale of love only backfire. Typically, when partners begin to notice that the scales aren’t even, they each begin to think they are giving more than the other. The response is a subtle but progressive retaliatory cutback on a full deposit.

It may take a while, but if left unchecked, pan-scale love will eventually bankrupt a relationship. As I view my investments as overmatching my partner’s, my mate, from another vantage point, feels similarly cheated. If we check the nuptial agreements and try to reclaim what we believe is rightfully ours, Lady Justice is left with empty scales.

How much better to be known, as the Philippians were, for their generosity. People in that church sensed Paul’s needs and, without being asked, sent him gifts time after time. Paul regarded those surprises, their over-the-top giving, as “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). God asks each of us to bring him an offering according to what our heart prompts us to give, not one that matches what God gives us—that’s impossible and we know it.

Likewise, we are to give to our partner in marriage—without weighing it against what’s being offered on the other side, with humble thanks for each other, with sincere appreciation for each other, with gratitude for the opportunity to meet each other’s needs without being asked. Then our giving will be an off-the-scale fragrant offering to each other, an acceptable sacrifice that is pleasing to God.

Wayne Brouwer

Let’s Talk

• In what ways do we treat our giving in marriage as pan-scale love? When have we felt cheated?
• How can we increase the level of generosity in our relationship? What gifts do each of us bring? How might they be used to strengthen our marriage?
• How can each of us invest more in our marriage without worrying about whether we’re getting a good deal?

John Powell describes different kinds of relationships, including one he calls “pan-scale love.”

Un dia a la Vez - Saturday, August 10, 2019

Oración por la pérdida de un hijo

El Señor está cerca de los quebrantados de corazón, y salva a los de espíritu abatido.

~ Salmo 34:18, NVI

Señor Jesús, hoy vengo ante ti intercediendo por todas las madres que han perdido un hijo, ya sea durante el embarazo o en alguna otra circunstancia.

Sé que tú, como Padre, puedes comprender la inmensidad del dolor porque también entregaste a tu Hijo Jesucristo a una muerte terrible en la cruz.

Señor, consuela, fortalece y levanta a cada hija tuya que esté atravesando este dolor.

Sabemos que eres perfecto, y aunque no entendamos por qué permites estas pruebas en nuestras vidas, descansamos en ti.

Ayúdalas, mi Dios, y permite que los padres que sufren también puedan recibir consolación. Levanta y sana estos matrimonios y permite que tú seas su esperanza.

Gracias, Señor, por las pruebas. A pesar de que no las entendemos, sabemos que tienen propósitos eternos en ti.

Te amo, Señor, y te entregamos nuestras vidas.

En el nombre de Jesús, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Señor Jesús, hoy vengo ante ti intercediendo por todas las madres que han perdido un hijo, ya sea durante el embarazo o en alguna otra circunstancia.