The Daily Bible Readings for SATURDAY, September 26, 2020

The Daily Readings

SATURDAY, September 26, 2020

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Numbers 27:12-14; Mark 11:27-33

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:

Hebrews 10:30-31

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

How dreadful is the case, when not only the justice of God, but his abused grace and mercy call for vengeance! All this does not in the least mean that any souls who sorrow for sin will be shut out from mercy, or that any will be refused the benefit of Christ's sacrifice, who are willing to accept these blessings. Him that cometh unto Christ, he will in no wise cast out.

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

Recounting God’s power

1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

These are called dark and deep sayings, because they are carefully to be looked into. The law of God was given with a particular charge to teach it diligently to their children, that the church may abide for ever. Also, that the providences of God, both in mercy and in judgment, might encourage them to conform to the will of God. The works of God much strengthen our resolution to keep his commandments. Hypocrisy is the high road to apostasy; those that do not set their hearts right, will not be steadfast with God. Many parents, by negligence and wickedness, become murderers of their children. But young persons, though they are bound to submit in all things lawful, must not obey sinful orders, or copy sinful examples.

Numbers 27:12-14

Moses’ punishment for Meribah

27:12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.

13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

Moses must die, but he shall have the satisfaction of seeing the land of promise. This sight of Canaan signified his believing prospect of the better country, that is, the heavenly. Moses must die, but death does not cut him off; it only brings him to rest with the holy patriarchs. It is but to die as they died, having lived as they lived; and as their end was peace, why should we fear any evil in the passage of that dark valley?

Mark 11:27-33

Jesus’ authority is questioned

11:27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Our Saviour shows how near akin his doctrine and baptism were to those of John; they had the same design and tendency, to bring in the gospel kingdom. These elders did not deserve to be taught; for it was plain that they contended not for truth, but victory: nor did he need to tell them; for the works he did, told them plainly he had authority from God; since no man could do the miracles which he did, unless God were with him.

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV).

Commentaries from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible.

The Daily Bible Readings are selected from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, a three-year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2019 was Year C. 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 what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Readings for SATURDAY, September 26, 2020
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Numbers 27:12-14; Mark 11:27-33 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for SATURDAY, September 26, 2020

Prayer of the Day

SATURDAY, September 26, 2020

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

— Revelation 3:20 (RSV)

Lord our God, we are your children, who come before you and stand in your presence. Be with us and be our light in all situations of life, in all hardships and grief. Be our light, as you have always been. Reveal your power so that the world may know you as we have come to know you. Give us joyful readiness to persevere until your day comes, for the brightness of your day will shine through all darkness and will end all evil, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, September 26, 2020

Hebrews 10:30-31

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Read all of Hebrews 10

Listen to Hebrews 10

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — A Worthwhile Faith

A Worthwhile Faith

Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

— John 14:6-7

During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths. Engineers and administrators could find no solution to the costly delays. Finally, someone suggested a gigantic net be hung under the bridge to catch any who fell. In spite of the enormous cost, the engineers finally opted for the net. After it was installed, progress was hardly interrupted. A worker or two fell into the net but all were saved. Ultimately, the time lost to fear was regained by replacing fear with faith in the net.

When it comes to faith, it doesn't matter how strong your faith is. It doesn't matter how intensely or passionately you believe in something; rather, the power of faith is the object. It's whether that person or thing in which you place your faith is worthy of faith, is capable of delivering on that faith, whether it has the capacity to hold on to you when your grip is about to perilously slip. On that Golden Gate Bridge, many very talented people did the very best to not fall, but fall they did. But when they fell into a net that could hold them—that could break their fall and even protect them—it changed the way they worked.

They now worked by faith, not fear.

So, let me say it about as clearly as I can say it. When it comes to life and salvation, truth, and wisdom, there is no object of faith that can match Jesus Christ. And if you are seeking to know God, His blessing, His protection, His grace—there is only one way to be certain of that. Ready? Look to Jesus and Him alone.

That's a pretty bold statement, isn't it? But before trying to challenge it, or deny it, or setting that claim aside, please take a good, hard look at Jesus in the Bible. Listen to what He says of Himself today. He says He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one else is that for you. Please read the book of John for a clearer picture of Him; it's less than 50 pages long. That's it! You could come to grips with Jesus today. I guarantee you will not find anyone like Him. There may be other religious teachers, philosophers, leaders, gurus, but there is no Savior like Jesus. You can work on that bridge of life yourself, or you can put your faith in the safety net of Jesus, the power of the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus, and then live life now in the fearlessness of knowing Him as Savior. To that end, God bless you.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your willingness to be my Savior, to come into this life to give me Your eternal life as a gift of the cross and resurrection. Give me a fearlessness then to live life boldly now for others because of the power of faith that rests in You. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you admire feats of engineering? Do you have a favorite?

2. What did Jesus mean when He said that because someone had seen Him they had seen the Father?

3. What reservations do you have in trusting your life to Jesus—now and eternally?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — DEREGISTERING IN CENTRAL ASIA

DEREGISTERING IN CENTRAL ASIA

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

— Colossians 1:18

“Our church is considering whether to relinquish our government registration,” said Pastor Sergei to our SSTS seminar group in a restricted Central Asia country. No one knew how to respond. The seminar was being conducted in this pastor’s church because it was the only one the region registered with the central government!

“Why?” someone asked.

“Here is our reasoning,” Pastor Sergei graciously replied. “We have a ‘grandfather clause’ that permits us to be registered even though we do not meet the current requirements to be registered. But I have to file a report with the government each month outlining the number of meetings, who attended, and how much money we received from these meetings and people. I find it very difficult to give an accurate report, thereby possibly jeopardizing some individuals who attend our meetings, or to falsify the reports and thereby violate my conscience.

Pastor Sergei added, “I feel like I am working every day for the NSS (National Security System—former KGB). As a denomination, we are unprepared for persecution. I feel my people would be better prepared for persecution if we met in smaller cell groups and were not registered.”

To register a church in this country, three conditions must be met: a list of at least one hundred members whose last names are Russian or Koreans but no one from one of the traditional Muslim tribal groups; a vote of 100% among the church neighbors favoring a meeting in their area; and a building, but few want to rent or sell a building to a Christian group—even if the neighbors approve!

“This is why we are thinking of deregistering with the government and going underground as smaller cell churches,” concludes Pastor Sergei. Then he looks straight into your eyes and asks, “Do you agree?”

RESPONSE: Today I reaffirm that Christ is the head of His church, not temporal authorities.

PRAYER: Lord, give wisdom today to church leaders in countries where registration is so difficult and fraught with so many complexities.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Our church is considering whether to relinquish our government registration.

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

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?
• Are 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.”

John Piper Devotional — Live Confident in God’s Power

Live Confident in God’s Power

The immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…

— Ephesians 1:19

The omnipotence of God means eternal, unshakable refuge in the everlasting glory of God no matter what happens on this earth. And that confidence is the power of radical obedience to the call of God.

Is there anything more freeing, more thrilling, or more strengthening than the truth that God Almighty is your refuge—all day, every day in all the ordinary and extraordinary experiences of life?

If we believed this, if we really let this truth of God’s omnipotence get hold of us, what a difference it would make in our personal lives and in our ministries! How humble and powerful we would become for the saving purposes of God!

The omnipotence of God means refuge for the people of God. And when you really believe that your refuge is the omnipotence of God Almighty, there is a joy and a freedom and a power that spills over in a life of radical obedience to Jesus Christ.

The omnipotence of God means reverence, recompense, and refuge for his covenant people.

I invite you to accept the terms of his covenant of grace: turn from sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the omnipotence of God Almighty will be the reverence of your soul, the recompense of your enemies, and the refuge of your life—forever.
The omnipotence of God means eternal, unshakable refuge in the everlasting glory of God no matter what happens on this earth. And that confidence is the power of radical obedience to the call of God.

Un dia a la Vez — A las alturas

A las alturas

El Señor es mi fortaleza, el cual hace mis pies como de ciervas, y en mis alturas me hace andar.

— Habacuc 3:19, RV-60

Hoy quiero retarte a dejar todo pensamiento negativo que tienes de ti mismo.

Es tiempo de sacudirse y dejar atrás lo que el enemigo y otras personas han puesto en tu mente y que te lo has creído.

Es día de renunciar a la mentira y es día de reconocer que eres un vencedor y un hijo de Dios. ¡Abandona las máscaras!

No importa qué tipo de vida hayas tenido antes de llegar a Cristo. Una vez que recibes a Jesús en tu corazón y te arrepientes de tus pecados, la Palabra nos dice que nos convertimos en nuevas criaturas. Al ser nuevas criaturas, debemos aprender a ver la vida de otra manera. Debemos aprender a ver las cosas desde otro ángulo.

No sigamos teniendo compasión de nosotros, ya que Dios no nos ve así. Al contrario, Él nos ve como cabeza y no cola. Nos ve en lo alto y no abajo.

Dios quiere llevarnos a nuevas alturas, a nuevas dimensiones.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Es tiempo de sacudirse y dejar atrás lo que el enemigo y otras personas han puesto en tu mente y que te lo has creído.

Хліб Наш Насущній — Хранитель обітниці

Хранитель обітниці

Читати: Євреїв 6:13-20 | Біблія за рік: Ісаї 1–2 ; До галатів 5

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І, терплячи довго отак, Авраам одержав обітницю.

— Євреїв 6:15

Джонатан, усвідомлюючи серйозність шлюбних обітниць, які він давав ЛаШонн, із запинкою повторив урочисте “Обіцяю”. “Як можна давати ці обітниці і не вірити в можливість їх виконати?” – подумав він. Тягар від узятих зобов’язань залишився навіть після шлюбної церемонії. Після вечірки Джонатан повів свою дружину до церкви, де понад дві години молився, аби Бог допоміг йому виконати обіцянку любити ЛаШонн і турбуватися про неї.

Підставою для весільних страхів Джонатана було усвідомлення власних людських слабкостей. Натомість у Бога, Який обіцяв благословити через Авраамове насіння всі народи (Гал. 3:16), не було таких обмежень.

Переконуючи своїх читачів бути стійкими і терплячими у вірі в Христа, автор Послання до євреїв згадував Божі обітниці Аврааму, терпляче очікування патріарха і виконання всього, що було обіцяно (Євр. 6:13-15). Похилий вік Авраама і Сарри не завадив здійсненню Божої обітниці “розмножити” Авраама (в. 14).

Ви закликані довіряти Богу попри власну слабкість і нестійкість? Вам складно виконувати свої зобов’язання і обітниці? В 2 Коринтян 12:9 Бог обіцяє нам допомогти: “Досить тобі Моєї благодаті, – бо сила Моя здійснюється в немочі”. Понад тридцять шість років Бог допомагав Джонатану і ЛаШонн залишатися вірними своїм обітницям. Чому б і вам не покластися на Божу допомогу?

Чому нам складно довіряти Божим обітницям? Яких обітниць вам треба дотримуватися у цей період життя?

Боже, дякую за Твою вірність у дотриманні Твоїх обітниць стосовно мене. Допоможи мені бути вірним у своїх обітницях, які я дав Тобі та іншим.

Автор Артур Джексон

© 2020 Хліб Наш Насущні
Джонатан, усвідомлюючи серйозність шлюбних обітниць, які він давав ЛаШонн, із запинкою повторив урочисте “Обіцяю”. “Як можна давати ці обітниці і не вірити в можливість їх виконати?” – подумав він.