Food and Light for everyone

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Devotions: Ps 20, 21, 110, 116, 117; Job 9:1; 10:1-9, 16-22; Acts 11:1-18; Jn 8:12-20

May God answer and protect me on a day of trouble. May He send help from His sanctuary and grant my heart's desire, fulfilling all my plans. May I shout in victory in God's name, and set up bannerst to celebrate. Some boast in firepower or manpower; I boast in YHWH my God. Father, I rejoice in Your strength; I pray for a godly day, for the power to live and work effectively. Glory to You, my God! Swallow my enemies, and burn away my own dross. Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength, as I sing of Your power! Let Jesus reign—Priest forever, King of kings, mighty God. He intercedes for me, and I will call on Him all my days. Gracious and righteous is my Lord, merciful and mighty. You, Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. What can I do to thank You? I will exalt salvation and call on YHWH's name; I will keep my promises in the presence of His people. I am Your servant, Lord; You have set me free, and I praise You forever. Great is God's steadfast love towards us; His faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Job's answer to Bildad continued: 'I hate my life; I will vent my soul's bitterness. I say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why You are afflicting me. You are so superior in every way, Lord; why pick on me, a mere mortal? I am not guilty; You made me, and I revere You. Have mercy, Lord!

The apostles and brothers in Judea heard that the Gentiles were coming to God. So when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him. But Peter explained to them: 'I was in Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw something descending, like a great sheet let down from heaven by its four corners. In it I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds. And I heard a voice saying, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' I said, 'No, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' But the voice replied, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.' All this was repeated three times, and then all was drawn up into heaven. At that very moment, three men arrived, sent to fetch me to Caesarea. The Spirit told me to go with them and make no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered our host's house. He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.' As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. I remembered that the Lord had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Now if God gave the same gift to them as He gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?' When they heard all this, the critics were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, 'Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life!'

Jesus said to those around Him, "I Am the Light of the world; whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' The Pharisees disputed with Him, as always: 'You are bearing witness to yourself; your tesimony is not true.' Jesus answered, 'Even if I do bear witness to Myself, My testimony is true, for I know whence I came and whither I am going; you know neither. You judge Me according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet, even if I were to judge, My judgment is true. For I don't judge alone: I judge with Him Who sent Me. In your law it is written that they testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to Myself and the Father Who sent Me bears witness to Me.' They said, 'Where is your father?' Jesus answered, 'You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.' Jesus said all this as He was teaching in the temple treasury; but no one arrested Him, because His hour had not yet come.