The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, January 1, 2019 - New Year’s Day

The Judgment of the Nations
Matthew 25:31-46

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, January 1, 2019 - New Year’s Day

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

Everything Has Its Time
1  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2  a time to be born, and a time to die;
     a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3  a time to kill, and a time to heal;
     a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4  a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
    a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5  a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
    a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6  a time to seek, and a time to lose;
    a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7  a time to tear, and a time to sew;
    a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8  a time to love, and a time to hate;
    a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task
9 What gain have the workers from their toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. 11 He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.

Psalm 8

Divine Majesty and Human Dignity
To the leader: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
1  O Lord, our Sovereign,
     how majestic is your name in all the earth!

   You have set your glory above the heavens.
2    Out of the mouths of babes and infants
   you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
     to silence the enemy and the avenger.

3  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
     the moon and the stars that you have established;
4  what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
     mortals that you care for them?

5  Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
     and crowned them with glory and honor.
6  You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
     you have put all things under their feet,
7  all sheep and oxen,
     and also the beasts of the field,
8  the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
     whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9  O Lord, our Sovereign,
     how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Revelation 21:1-6a

The New Heaven and the New Earth
21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

   “See, the home of God is among mortals.
   He will dwell with them;
   they will be his peoples,
   and God himself will be with them;
4  he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
   Death will be no more;
   mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
   for the first things have passed away.”

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Matthew 25:31-46

The Judgment of the Nations
25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

"The Joy Of Forgiveness"

Our New Year's Day message comes to us today from Psalms the 32nd chapter, beginning at the 1st verse.

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (Psalm 32:1-2, 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

"The Joy Of Forgiveness"

I. INTRODUCTION
In "A Christmas Carol", Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, who against his will, takes him back to a time when he was still a young man. Scrooge sees himself proposing to the woman he loved, a woman who later breaks their engagement because she realizes that he has come to love money more than her. As Scrooge watches the scene unfold, we can see the emotions playing out over his face. We can imagine what is going through his mind: What a fool he had been! How his life would have been different if he had married, if his heart hadn’t been hardened by the love of money. Perhaps that young man wouldn’t have become this wretched, bitter old miser.

Well, consider this: How would you like to be visited by the ghost of your past? How would you like to go back and relive your sins, your mistakes, the foolish choices that changed your life? How would you like to be forced to watch helplessly, knowing what the outcome is going to be, unable to do anything to change the result, feeling the sharp pain of regret at not having taken the other path, or at least wondering what would have happened had your choices been different. Well, for most people, there’s really no need for a nighttime visit from one of Charles Dickens’ three spirits. Because we do it ourselves. We replay the past, again and again. We see it projected on the screen of our minds and we say if only I knew then what I know now. But the past is just that – the past. It can not be changed and we have to live with the choices and circumstances of our actions. But knowing this is not a reason for despair. As a matter of fact God tells that we can rejoice instead of despairing. As we begin the year 2019 and leave the sins, mistakes, and foolish choices of 2018 behind God comforts us with the message that we can Begin the New Year in the Joy of Forgiveness.

II. SIN REVEALED
Psalm 32 was written by King David. He composed this psalm after he was called to repentance by the prophet Nathan for committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband Uriah the Hittite. David was hand picked by God to be King over Israel. And with God’s help he defeated all of his enemies. David was totally devoted to the God and there was nothing he could not accomplish because God was with him. But at the peak of his reign as king, David used his position and power to commit a most despicable sin and God tells us in the 2nd book of the prophet Samuel, “The thing David had done displeased the LORD.” David tried to hide his sin of adultery and murder for a year but he could not hide it from God. God did not want David to remain in his sin so he sent his prophet Nathan to call him to repentance.

But before God sent the prophet Nathan, the weight of David’s sin was heavy on his mind. David tells us, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” Even though he tried to hide his sin, David was suffering from a guilty conscience. He knew that what he had done placed a barrier between him and his lord and he regretted what he had done.

Like David, we all have sinned against God. We all have private sins which we try to hide. We think that no one knows about them but God knows. We have all done things that we are ashamed of, things that we think God would never forgive. But like David we can take those sins to the foot of the cross and leave them there. Like David we can turn to our loving and gracious God, repent, and God will forgive us. David said, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

III. CONFESSING OUR SINS
David invites us all to follow him in confessing our sins to God and receive the joy of forgiveness, to receive the peace and comfort which forgiveness brings. David encourages us to trust that God forgives us and removes all our guilt. God will do this because the punishment for our sin has already been carried out. Before the creation of the world God had already planned that Jesus would be the one to suffer for our sins. God would send his one and only Son to this world to be our substitute, to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. Let me say that again! Jesus died for the sins of the world! All sins! There are no sins left unpunished for all who trust in what Jesus has done for us.

It is because of David’s trust in his Lord that the terrible sins he committed were in the past; removed from him as far as the east is from the west, that he could say, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

We also have the same confidence that all of our sins are in the past. There is no need to despair over them. God has taken my sins and your sins and washed them away in the blood of the lamb. They are behind us never to be brought up again. Knowing this we can move forward confidently in the New Year.

IV. TRUST IN GOD
What does the year 2019 have in store for us? We are a nation at war. We are under the threat of terrorist attack at any time. But as long as we live in a sinful world we are going to have to deal with threats of violence like this. God tells us that we must go through many trials and tribulations before we can enter the kingdom of Heaven. And in the Gospel of John he tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

We will want to place our trust and confidence in the Lord in the toughest of times. Satan attacks us with doubt when we face trials and tribulations. The devil wants us to question our trust in the Lord. When we are faced with sickness or injury we say things like, “Why is God punishing me?” Brothers and sisters, God is not punishing you. God has carried out his punishment on his one and only Son. Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt we owed to God. His innocent death for our sins was the payment God required and he does not punish us even though we deserve it. The punishment that each of us deserve was completed when our Savior said, “IT IS FINISHED.


V. GOD'S FORGIVENESS
The greatest need we have is the need for forgiveness. God fulfilled that need when he sent his Son to pay for our sins. But even there Satan tries to plant doubt in our minds. God tells us that he has forgiven all our sins by his grace. But when your conscience nags at you and you feel bad about the things that happened in your past, listen to what God says. God tells us, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” God has forgiven every sin that you have committed against him. If you need further proof that you can trust in God for your forgiveness, then look to your baptism where all your sins have been washed away. Come to the Lord’s Table and receive his precious body and blood where God personally tells you to have confidence that you are forgiven.

While we live on earth our trust and confidence is often misplaced, often disappointed. We trust our physical strength, yet illness can make us weak. We work and save our money and then a recession comes to threaten our security. We trust friends with secrets only to find their hearts are false and that they use their tongues against us. Our ideals lie shattered, our goals unattained, our ambitions unfulfilled. In the end, we find that self-reliance is able to produce nothing but depression and despair.

But God reminds us to place our trust and confidence in him, who alone is trustworthy. We can rely on him because we have proof that he has acted mightily for us. In Jesus Christ God assumed the burden of our sinful nature and cancelled our debt of sin. By his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has removed our sin and guilt forever. This fact gives us the confidence that when God calls us home we can stand before him trusting in what Jesus has done and not on what we have done. Do you need any other reason to move forward into the year 2019 confident that that your sins are forgiven?

VI. CONCLUSION
After the visits from the ghosts of past, present, and future, Ebeneezer was given a new chance at life. He was allowed the opportunity to change his ways. He was given a new chance at life and he rejoiced. Through forgiveness God has given us a fresh start on life. God has given us his word so that we can read, learn and hold firmly onto his promises of life. These are promises that you can trust and have confidence in as you begin the New Year. These are promises that remove any doubt or fear. May God the Holy Spirit give you a firm faith to trust in him and all that he has done for you so that the year 2019 will be one that you can begin in the joy of forgiveness. Amen.

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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.
A new years sermon that focuses on leaving your sins in the past and rejoicing in God’s forgiveness

The Morning Prayer for TUESDAY, January 1, 2019 - New Year’s Day

Tuesday morning prayer

In 1788 Quakers in Pennsylvania freed their slaves, anticipating the emancipation of chattel slaves in the United States some seventy-five years later. Together with free blacks, abolitionist evangelicals, and slaves who were willing to risk their lives, Quakers led one of America’s most vibrant faith-based justice movements — ​the Underground Railroad. Committed to simplicity, religious freedom, and nonviolence, Quakers have contributed to movements for peace and justice throughout US history.

Lord, help us answer your call as readily as our father Abram, that we might extend your blessing throughout our community. Remind us that the places where we find you become altars in our world.

Lord, on this day I chose to put You first. Thank You that when You are at the center of our family, our lives are rich with love and goodness. Lord, be the running stream, springing up at the very heart of our household. Might we drink daily from the water of life, that our days would be filled with kindness, forgiveness, trust and love.

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.

May this day be a gentle time of love and kindness shown, to all my friends and family a love that helps us grow.

Let Tuesday always prompt my heart to place my life in You. To see Your holy will be done I give my life anew.

Amen

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, January 1, 2019 - New Year’s Day

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Read all of 2 Corinthians 5

Listen to 2 Corinthians 5

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 - Tus triunfos están en Dios

Tus triunfos están en Dios

Deléitate en el Señor, y él te concederá los deseos de tu corazón.

~ Salmo 37:4 (NVI)

El primer versículo que aprendí cuando conocí a Jesús fue: «Deléitate en el Señor». Como todo lo nuevo, me tomé un tiempo para entender lo profundas que eran estas palabras. Este ha sido un versículo que me ha seguido durante los últimos catorce años de mi vida.

Luego, un día entendí que deleitarme en el Señor era estar siempre en el gozo de Dios, feliz ante su presencia y sirviéndole a Él. Desde entonces, en mis oraciones ha estado presente que la clave es amar a mi Dios con todo el corazón, servirle con lo mejor que tengo, gozarme en su amor sin importar las situaciones por las que esté pasando y tener siempre la esperanza de que mi vida es para servirle y trabajar para Él. Así que ahora estoy segura de que eso me da una enorme recompensa. No sé cuándo ni cómo, pero Dios me concederá los deseos de mi corazón, ya que esa es la promesa de la segunda parte del versículo: «Y él te concederá los deseos de tu corazón».

Por eso quiero que hoy, cuando estaremos como familia llevando este libro cada día, tú puedas comprender y aplicarlo a tu vida.

Entrégale a Dios todo este nuevo día, este nuevo año. Entrégale tus sueños, tus preocupaciones, tus negocios, tu trabajo, tus relaciones, tu familia, tu economía, tu situación migratoria. En fin, entrégate por completo a Dios. Deja que Él sea el piloto de esa nave que es tu vida y preocúpate de sus negocios. Es decir, búscalo, ten momentos de oración, asiste a una iglesia en la que puedas seguir creciendo de manera espiritual y Él, a cambio, se ocupará de todas tus necesidades. Pondrá orden en tu vida y te bendecirá.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Deléitate en el Señor

Standing Strong Through the Storm - BE A LIGHTHOUSE

BE A LIGHTHOUSE

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

~ John 12:46 (NIV)

One of the strongest images of standing strong in a storm is the lighthouse. In the era before radar, satellite navigation and GPS systems, lighthouses were vital to protect ships from crashing onto rocks, shoals and shores. Building lighthouses can be considered one of man’s most noble endeavors. Since the beginning of seafaring, families and friends have lit bonfires at night to guide sailors home.

George Bernard Shaw said, “I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.”

And evangelist D.L. Moody commented, “Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining—they just shine.”

Jesus used this imagery of light to describe our role in His kingdom. We are the light of the world, He said, after claiming Himself to be the true light. Therefore we function much like a lighthouse, both internally and externally.

The first design for a lighthouse is the internal function of generating light. Early lighthouses used a literal fire that had to be constantly fed and watched. Later electric lights were utilized and ultimately laser lights. But this light still has to be internally projected.

So we too as followers of Jesus project internal light, the outer expression of the inner life under the control of the Holy Spirit.

The other aspect of a modern lighthouse is that it also is an external reflector. Over the years of improvements, revolving lenses have been developed to reflect that internally generated light further into the darkness.

As the moon reflects the light of the sun, so we reflect the light of the Son in a world of darkness.

And finally, lighthouses remind us of God’s love. Like the bright shining beam of a lighthouse, His love reaches out…piercing through the darkness of any storm.

RESPONSE: Today and throughout this year I will be a lighthouse for Jesus, projecting His inner light and reflecting His light externally.

PRAYER: Lord, may Your love and Your light pierce the darkness of the world around me as I stand strong and faithful for You like a lighthouse, today and through the year ahead.

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

The Twelve Days of Christmas - The Eight Day

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Eight Day

The 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days that separate Christmas Day on December 25 and ends on January 5, with the next day being Epiphany, which is celebrated January 6. Depending on the church, January 6 may mark Christ’s baptism (in the Catholic tradition), or it may mark the day that the wise men (or the Magi) visited Jesus with their gifts.

The Day of Epiphany is when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi. Magi means wise men.

From 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During that era someone wrote ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas‘ as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.

Some beliefs believe that the day after Christmas started the 12 Days of Christmas. You also hear some people think its the 12 days that lead up to Christmas. But reality, it starts on December 25, that is the first day.

  The Eight Day of Christmas

The carol says On The Eight Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

Eight Maids A-Milking

According to catechism hidden meaning it means …

The eight Beatitudes.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Gospel of Saint Matthew 5:3-10

Girlfriends in God - More Than a New Year’s Resolution

More Than a New Year’s Resolution

Wendy Speake

Today’s Truth

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

My Christmas guests have left. My husband and our sons are celebrating the New Year with a camping trip in the dessert. I am home, undressing the tree and packaging our nativity set away for the next 11 months. These are my first quiet moments in weeks, with only the familiar sound of tissue paper crinkling as the soundtrack to my thoughts. During the hustle and bustle of guests and going, little space remained for this sort of pondering. But today, here in the quiet, I have 2019 on my mind.

Resolution.

I was thinking of sitting down and writing down a few resolutions today. However, I’m afraid that resolution is too small a word for all that’s on my heart. It lacks power, because resolutions are rooted in my resolve to do better. And I often fail at better. No matter how hard I try to read the Bible more consistently and drink more water and say no to sweets and limit the amount of time I spend on Facebook and increase the amount of time I spend on the treadmill… I rarely make it past January 10th transformed. Though I am desperate to be transformed. No, I don't need another New Year's resolution that will leave me unchanged. What I need is a revolution. That’s the word.

Revolution.

It came to me clearly as the Christmas bell I was carefully wrapping and laying in a box. I don't need another resolution... and I don’t need more resolve. What I need is more of Jesus. Not a resolution that I make, but a revolution that He makes… in me. Christ in me, revolting against me in this world. His power revolutionizing my weakness. His transforming purpose prevailing over all my plans in the new year. What I need in 2019 is a total Jesus-revolution, way down deep in my fibers. Down in my habits too; my eating and my drinking and my shopping and the time I spend on social media. I need Jesus’ strength revolting against all of the areas of my life where I’ve been too weak for far too long!

My weakness stops me from turning resolutions into a reformed life. But the revolution power of Christ reforms and transforms me day-by-day-by-day, for 365 days as I learn to seek Him first.

I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me”. That’s what I’m doing at the start of 2019, and I’m inviting you to do the same. Boast in the One who has the power to completely revolutionize your life this year.

Do you struggle with sugar addiction and food fixation? Resolving again to eat more veggies and less cookies won’t do it! We need a Jesus-revolution in our lives to transform our eating (and drinking too). We need more whole foods, yes. But what we really need is to ingest more of Him and His Word. We need to turn to Him more than we turn into the Starbucks drive-through. We need to run to Jesus, more than we run into our pantries. We need Jesus to crowd out all of the habits and all of our addictions that we’ve resolved to stop for years and years.

Here at the start of 2019, let’s revolt against all of the things we’ve been running to for comfort, when we could have been (should have been) running to the Comforter. Let’s revolt against our tendency to self-medicate with online shopping and run instead to the Great Physician. Do you see what I’m saying? We can make resolutions to stop spending and stop eating and start working out, but we’re simply too weak and lack the resolve to make it work. We don’t need another resolution, we need a revolution of Christ’s power in us as we begin a new year, eagerly anticipating radical transformation!

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, More of You is what I need… more of You and less of me muscling through this life of faith another year. I am weak, but You are strong. That’s why I don’t need more resolve this new year, I simply need more of You.
In Jesus’s revolutionizing Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What do you struggle with most? Do you struggle with sugar addiction? Year after year, do you make the same old resolutions to get to the gym and eat healthier? Or maybe you’re addicted to your phone, always scrolling through social media. Or maybe it’s shopping, retail therapy. Are you tired of the conviction and ready for transformation? A Jesus-revolution is just what you need this year!

More from the Girlfriends

If you struggle with addiction, whether with sugar, shopping, or social media, join Wendy Speake for her fifth annual 40 Day Sugar Fast, starting January 8th. You’ll start by giving God your sugar for forty days, but soon you’ll discover it’s about so much more. God never asked us for a sugar-sacrifice, He wants a living sacrifice. As we lay down all the temporary things that we think we need, He shows us that what we need is Him! Every year thousands of women sign up for forty days of fasting from sugar and feasting together on Christ and His satisfying word. Waistlines decrease as faith lives increase! It’s an incredible time of physical and spiritual transformation, and it all begins January 8th. Sign up today.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

Resolution

LHM Daily Devotions - A SWORD

"A SWORD"

Jan. 1, 2019

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

~ Luke 2:34-35 (ESV)

"A sword will pierce through your own soul also." Isn't that the truth. Thirty-some years later, Mary would watch as her dear Son Jesus hung on a cross, mocked and hated by those who passed by. I'm fairly sure Mary would have preferred a literal sword through her heart instead of the grief of watching Jesus die.

But on that day she stood listening to Simeon, did she have any idea of what was to come? Maybe so. As an observant Jewish woman, she would have heard the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Passages like Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 wouldn't be comfortable to hear. "A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief"? "You lay Me in the dust of death"? Mary must have shivered sometimes, holding her baby and thinking of the future.

Mary didn't want to see Jesus die. But Jesus—God come in human flesh—didn't want to see Mary die. Or any of us, truly. He made us. He loves us. He wants us to live—now and forever.

And so Jesus accepted—not a sword through the soul, but a spear in the side (John 19:34). He went willingly to death on our behalf, to buy us back from death. We were "the joy set before Him" that made all the suffering worthwhile (Hebrews 12:2). And then He rose from the dead, never to die again. No more swords through the soul, no more spears through the heart. Just life, joy, and love—forever.

THE PRAYER: Lord, when it feels like there is a sword through my soul, comfort and strengthen me in You. Amen.

The Coming King REFLECTION QUESTIONS!

• Do you worry about the future? Specifically, what about?

• Have you ever suffered willingly to spare someone else pain? Talk about it, if you are willing.

• Jesus choose suffering so you could be saved from destruction. Write or say a prayer thanking Him for His love.

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you worry about the future? Specifically, what about?

Devocional del CPTLN de 01 de Enero de 2019 - Una espada

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Una espada

01 de Enero de 2019

Simeón los bendijo, y a María, la madre del niño, le dijo: «Tu hijo ha venido para que muchos en Israel caigan o se levanten. Será una señal que muchos rechazarán y que pondrá de manifiesto el pensamiento de muchos corazones, aunque a ti te traspasará el alma como una espada.»

~ Lucas 2:34-35 (RVC)

"Te traspasará el alma como una espada". Y así habría de ser. Treinta y tantos años después, María miraba a su querido hijo Jesús colgando en una cruz, sufriendo las burlas y el odio de quienes lo veían. Seguramente María habría preferido que una espada de verdad le atravesara el corazón, en vez de tener que ver morir así a su hijo Jesús.

Pero ese día se quedó escuchando a Simeón. ¿Habrá tenido alguna idea de lo que le esperaba? Tal vez sí. Como mujer judía practicante, habría escuchado las profecías del Antiguo Testamento sobre el Mesías. Pasajes como Isaías 53:3: "... Será el hombre más sufrido, el más experimentado en el sufrimiento...", y el Salmo 22:15: "... me has lanzado al polvo de la muerte...", no serían fáciles de escuchar. De sólo pensar en el futuro, a veces se habrá estremecido y abrazado fuerte a su hijo.

María no quería ver morir a Jesús. Pero Jesús, el Dios encarnado, no quería ver morir a María... o a cualquiera de nosotros. Él nos ama y quiere que vivamos ahora y para siempre.

Y por eso aceptó no una espada en el alma, sino una lanza en el costado (Juan 19:34). Por su propia voluntad Jesús fue a la muerte en nuestro lugar, para volvernos a comprar de la muerte. Fuimos "el gozo que le esperaba" (Hebreos 12:2), lo que hizo que todo el sufrimiento valiera la pena. Y luego resucitó de entre los muertos para nunca más morir. No más espadas en el alma, no más lanzas en el costado. Sólo vida, gozo y amor para siempre.

ORACIÓN: Señor, cuando sientas que hay una espada en mi alma, reconfórtame y fortaléceme en Ti. Amén.

PREGUNTAS DE REFLEXIÓN:

• ¿Qué te preocupa del futuro?

• ¿Alguna vez has elegido sufrir para evitar el dolor de alguien?

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué te preocupa del futuro?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Año nuevo, prioridades nuevas

Año nuevo, prioridades nuevas


Leer: Eclesiastés 9:4-12
 | La Biblia en un año: Génesis 1–3 Mateo 1


Todo lo que te viniere a la mano para hacer, hazlo según tus fuerzas… (v. 10).


Siempre quise aprender a tocar el violonchelo, pero nunca encontré tiempo para tomar clases. O más precisamente, nunca me hice de tiempo. Pensé que tal vez en el cielo, pueda dominar ese instrumento. Mientras tanto, quise enfocarme en usar mi tiempo en las formas específicas en que Dios me ha llamado a servirle ahora.


La vida es corta, y muchas veces, nos sen-
timos presionados a aprovechar al máximo el tiempo en este mundo, antes de que se nos vaya. Pero ¿qué significa esto en realidad?


Tras meditar en la vida, el rey Salomón recomendó dos cosas. Primero, vivir de la forma más significativa posible, disfrutando las cosas buenas que Dios nos permite experimentar: comida y bebida (Eclesiastés 9:7); ropa y perfumes (v. 8); el matrimonio (v. 9); y todas sus buenas dádivas… ¡incluso quizá, aprender a tocar el violonchelo!


La segunda recomendación es trabajar con diligencia (v. 10). La vida está llena de oportunidades, y debemos aprovechar todas las que Dios nos da, buscando su sabiduría para saber cómo equilibrar el trabajo y la diversión mientras ejercitamos nuestros dones para servirlo.


La vida es un don maravilloso de Dios, y lo honramos a Él cuando nos deleitamos, tanto en sus bendiciones diarias como en un servicio útil.

Señor, ayúdame a vivir este año para ti 
y cumpliendo tus propósitos.


Podemos disfrutar de las bendiciones de Dios 
y ser una bendición para los demás.

Por Poh Fang Chia

© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Siempre quise aprender a tocar el violonchelo, pero nunca encontré tiempo para tomar clases. O más precisamente, nunca me hice de tiempo. Pensé que tal vez en el cielo, pueda dominar ese instrumento. Mientras tanto, quise enfocarme en usar mi tiempo en las formas específicas en que Dios me ha llamado a servirle ahora.


The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, December 31, 2018

Jesus the Light of the World
John 8:12-19

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, December 31, 2018

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 147:12-20

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
    he blesses your children within you.
14 He grants peace within your borders;
    he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down hail like crumbs—
    who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
    his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his ordinances.
   Praise the Lord!

1 Kings 3:5-14

3:5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”

John 8:12-19

Jesus the Light of the World
8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 13 Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18 I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” 19 Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

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
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, December 31, 2018

Watch Night

Established in African-American communities on December 31, 1862, Watch Night is a gathering to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation becoming law. When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1863, all slaves in the Confederate States were proclaimed free. Since that date 156 years ago, African-Americans have celebrated the good news of freedom in local churches on New Year’s Eve. Like the slaves who first gathered while the Civil War raged on, we proclaim freedom for all captives in Jesus’ name, knowing that for millions, freedom is not a reality. Our celebration is a commitment to join modern-day slaves and undocumented workers in their struggle for justice.

Writing about the first Watch Night, Booker T. Washington said, “As the great day grew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. True, they had sung those same verses before, but they had been careful to explain that the ‘freedom’ in these songs referred to the next world, and had no connection with life in this world. Now they gradually threw off the mask; and were not afraid to let it be known that the ‘freedom’ in their songs meant freedom of the body in this world.”

Lord, we know that freedom will prevail because you are already victorious. Help us never lose hope, never stop celebrating your victory, and never stop walking alongside those who struggle to see this freedom come on earth as it is in heaven.

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, December 31, 2018

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 (NIV) This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Read all of Isaiah 43

Listen to Isaiah 43

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

The Twelve Days of Christmas - The Seventh Day

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Seventh Day

The 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days that separate Christmas Day on December 25 and ends on January 5, with the next day being Epiphany, which is celebrated January 6. Depending on the church, January 6 may mark Christ’s baptism (in the Catholic tradition), or it may mark the day that the wise men (or the Magi) visited Jesus with their gifts.

The Day of Epiphany is when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi. Magi means wise men.

From 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During that era someone wrote ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas‘ as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.

Some beliefs believe that the day after Christmas started the 12 Days of Christmas. You also hear some people think its the 12 days that lead up to Christmas. But reality, it starts on December 25, that is the first day.

The Seventh Day of Christmas

The carol says On The Seventh Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

Seven Swans A-Swimming

According to catechism hidden meaning it means …

The Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

1. wisdom
2. understanding
3. counsel
4. knowledge
5. fortitude
6. piety
7. fear of the Lord

or even the seven sacraments of the Catholic Faith

1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist
4. Penance or Reconciliation
5. Anointing the Sick,
6. Holy Orders
7. Matrimony

Un dia a la Vez - Oración por un nuevo comienzo

Oración por un nuevo comienzo

Nuestra boca se llenó de risas; nuestra lengua, de canciones jubilosas [...] Sí, el Señor ha hecho grandes cosas por nosotros, y eso nos llena de alegría.

~ Salmo 126:2-3 (NVI)

Señor Jesús, solo pueden salir de mis labios palabras de agradecimiento por todo lo poderoso que has sido con nosotros en este año. En cada momento de mi vida estuviste a mi lado escuchando mi necesidad. Fuiste mi socorro en tiempos de angustia.

Gracias porque me ayudaste a que muchas de mis peticiones se hicieran realidad. Te agradezco también que me llenaras de valentía cuando pensaba que no sería capaz de salir adelante.

Te amo con todo con mi corazón y, a partir de hoy, entrego en tus manos mi vida, mi salud, mi economía, mi familia, mi trabajo y todos los anhelos profundos de mi corazón que ya tú conoces.

Guárdame, mi Dios, y acompáñame en mi entrar y en mi salir.

En el nombre de Jesús te lo pido, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Señor Jesús, solo pueden salir de mis labios palabras de agradecimiento por todo lo poderoso que has sido con nosotros en este año ...

Standing Strong Through the Storm - STAND STRONG THROUGH ALL STORMS

STAND STRONG THROUGH ALL STORMS

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither…

~ Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)

Concluding Thoughts:

1. Ours is the Kingdom. No matter what setbacks we see or experience, in the end the Kingdom will revert to our Lord and we will reign with Him.

2. Ours is the victory through dying and living again – victory through being able to drink the cup of evil and injustice poured out and not being consumed by it.

3. Ours is the responsibility of caring for our suffering brethren, especially converts and those in countries more restrictive and repressive than ours.

4. Ours is the responsibility of reaching those who still sit in darkness.

5. Ours are the lives that should manifest purity and Christlikeness.

6. Ours are the hearts that should be willing to pay the price to bring peace and understanding among men and between men and God. Hearts willing to be proactive. Hearts willing to stand at the end of the day and having done all; stand.

7. Ours is the challenge to stand strong through all the storms we face and come through the fire refined and purified to walk the way of the cross before a dying world.

RESPONSE: Today I will accept the challenge to stand strong through all the storms I may face!

PRAYER: Pray for Christians living in severe persecution areas that refined and purified, they may experience all of the victory which is available through Christ.

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

Girlfriends in God - To The One Who Feels Unfinished

To The One Who Feels Unfinished

Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

~ Philippians 1:6 (AMP)

Friend to Friend

It took four years of fresco painting for the Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, to finish the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Commonly known as Michelangelo, his time painting was mostly spent alone, on his back, lying on scaffolding. (How painful!)

The painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most remarkable in the history of Western art. One thing is for sure: the process that altered a ceiling from plain to fabulous required a lot of time, great discipline, and the hand of a master artist. The same is true for us. The journey from broken into beautiful is a lifelong transformation that requires time, discipline, and a Master Artist.

As Michelangelo was working, I’m sure that lots of people came through the corridors of the chapel and stood in amazement. As they looked up at the beauty of his work, I imagine they said things like, “That is the most fantastic work of art I have ever seen!” or “Extraordinary!” To which he might have said, “It’s not done!”

But, I ask you: did the unfinished state of the project negate that parts of the ceiling were beautiful? No! The parts that were complete would still have been extravagant and breathtaking to the average person.

Maybe this is the way God and others see our lives.

At times people may notice the work God has done in us and comment on the beauty. I don't know about you, but even though compliments are nice to hear, I’ve been known to resist them. (Admit it. You probably have too.) It’s not so much a humility thing as it is an “I-don’t-see-myself-as-beautiful” thing. From my limited perspective, I can see only the unfinished work. But in truth, my vantage point doesn’t negate the beauty of the work God has done and is doing in my life. The same is true for you.

Real beauty isn’t about a finished or flawless product. It can’t be. It’s not possible on this side of eternity to have completed beauty. Our restoration will be complete in the presence of God when we see Him face to face.

Now, you might be saying, “But Gwen, I feel like I can’t be restored or beautiful. You don’t know what I’ve done…or what I’ve been through…or about the mess that I’m going through right now!”

Friend, God knows where you have been, what you have been through, and where you are now. He sees your flaws and loves you in spite of your imperfections. His tender love is far-reaching, grace-filled, and complete.

Your past sins do not define you.

Your painful scars do not define you.

Your present sufferings do not define you.

They are just shards of brokenness that God will use to lovingly refine your beauty.

The transformation from broken into beautiful is neither easy nor instantaneous. It demands a yielded heart and can be quite painful, but it comes with great reward. To get started, God will need your broken pieces—your scars, shame, insecurities, disappointments, betrayals, and failures.

Do you have some of those?

Are they tucked away in a safe, do-not-enter part of your heart?

If you’re ready for God to do a beautiful work of transformation in your life then it’s time to do some serious heart-business with Him, friend. You might find it hard to hand over hurts. I get that. It’s hard for me too. But difficult as it may be, when we hand them over, our Master creates a stunning work of beauty in our lives.

Let’s Pray

Holy Father, I am humbled by Your willingness to love and forgive me. Please take the broken pieces of my life and don’t allow me to grab them back. I surrender to Your healing. Mold me and shape me into a reflection of Your beautiful glory.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read Isaiah 64:8, “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Meditate on this verse.  Read it again and personalize it in a prayerful response to God. Like this:  “Yet, O LORD, you are MY Father. I am the clay, You are the potter; I am the work of Your hand. Fashion me in Your image. Clothe me in Your grace…”

More From the Girlfriends

Are you struggling to trust that God’s love can bring beauty to your life? Learn how God wants to bring you beyond your past heart-wounds and your present challenges to His wholeness, strength and beauty. Broken into Beautiful is a book filled with stories – real stories – gritty and honest, not cleaned up and phony. It’s also filled with Scripture that will inspire you toward the life-changing grace of Jesus. To order the book, go to Amazon or, for a signed copy, visit the store on Gwen’s website.

Get a FREE 5-Day Devotional Broken Into Beautiful E-book filled with Biblical truth, honest struggles, and practical help.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

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Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

It took four years of fresco painting for the Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, to finish the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.