The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, November 18, 2018 - Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
Mark 13:1-8

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

SUNDAY, November 18, 2018 - Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

(Revised Common Lectionary Year B)

Opening Prayer

Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

~ From Psalm 51

The Collect

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Confession and Forgiveness

Trusting God's promise of forgiveness, let us confess our sins against God and one another.

Most merciful God, We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have failed to do. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Words of Reassurance

If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world.

~ 1 John 2:1b-2, NIV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

~ 1 John 1:9, NIV

The Lessons

First Reading

Daniel 12:1-3
The Resurrection of the Dead
12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

The Psalm

Psalm 16 Conserva me, Domine
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *

I have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord,
my good above all other."

2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *

upon those who are noble among the people.

3 But those who run after other gods *

shall have their troubles multiplied.

4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, *

nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; *

it is you who uphold my lot.

6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *

indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; *

my heart teaches me, night after night.

8 I have set the Lord always before me; *

because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *

my body also shall rest in hope.

10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, *

nor let your holy one see the Pit.

11 You will show me the path of life; *

in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Second Reading

Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25
10:11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” 13 and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. [15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds,”

17 he also adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.]

A Call to Persevere
19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The Gospel

Mark 13:1-8
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
13:1 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Apostle's Creed

We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Benediction

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

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 Collects, Psalms and Canticles are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.
“Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.

"Is Jesus Really Coming Back Or Not?" The Sermon for SUNDAY, November 18, 2018 - Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

"Is Jesus Really Coming Back Or Not?"

The Holy Gospel comes to us today from Mark the 13th chapter, beginning at the 1st verse.

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the gift of life and all that is needed to sustain us from day to day, but we are often unappreciative. You have revealed the depth of your love for us, through the life, death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus the Christ, yet we often fail to share your love with others. Through our baptism, you have claimed us as children of your kingdom, and heirs of eternal life, yet we often fail to express our gratitude for your gift of grace. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, move us to deeper faith, and empower us to live our lives in thanksgiving. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.

In the words of today’s text there is a great sense of urgency. These words of Jesus are very important words, because it was just a few days or not many hours before he would be crucified on the cross. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the disciples would struggle with what to do next. In these words in our text the Lord Jesus wanted them to focus their attention: not on the things around them that they had seen, but on the spiritual things that would give them strength. Jesus wanted the disciples to focus on the power of God’s holy word.

If I were to hand out confidential voting papers on which you can vote either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, I wonder what the results would be.

You want to know what the question is, don’t you! It’s this: Is Jesus really coming back or not? Yes or no.

Mark chapter 13 is not easy to understand, and I do not claim to understand it fully. However, the words of Jesus in chapter 13 tell us very clearly about the time leading up to his return, even if some of the details are difficult to make complete sense of.

Jesus and his disciples are leaving the Temple (13:1). A conversation begins, initially concerning the might and the splendor of the Temple buildings. “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Sadly, my mischievous mind is hearing words like, “Grandmother, what big eyes you’ve got!”

The Jewish Historian Josephus tells us that the Temple at the time of Jesus was a Wonder of the World. Some of its stones were 40 feet long, 12 feet high and 18 feet wide. The front of the temple was covered in plates of gold. When the sun rose the plates reflected back a fiery splendor, so fierce that people were forced to turn their eyes away, just as we are when faced with the sun in our eyes. It was a truly amazing sight.

Jesus’ reply is that every stone of that magnificent Temple will be thrown down. The building symbolizing the pride of the nation is going to be destroyed; and indeed it was destroyed around 70AD by the Romans; but when Jesus spoke these words around 40 years before the destruction of the Temple, he gave no dates. What he did give were warnings about future persecutions, warnings about false teachers, and encouragements to watch and wait for the Son of Man to come with great power and glory (13:26).

These words of Jesus come just a few days before his crucifixion. There is a sense here of Jesus preparing his disciples. Good Friday was to be a bleak, bloody, bereavement experience for the disciples. Easter Sunday was to be a day of joy and jubilation in their journey of faith, but after Jesus ascended into heaven, and even after the gift of the Holy Spirit, awful days of persecution were to come before the return of the Son of Man. I wonder where you are today in your journey of faith in Jesus?

There was a sense of preparation in Jesus’ words because he is talking about a variety of things to come, many of which Christians are experiencing today. Muslim converts to Christ often know exactly what it means for a brother to betray his brother to death and a father his child (13:12).

Mark 13 calls us to have a long term, even eternal view, of events on earth; and not a short-term view.

So, how can we turn our attention to the long term, and avoid getting too focused upon the short term?

During the whole of the chapter Jesus issues clear advice about how we should react to events, so as to help us keep a long-term perspective. (13:5), “beware that no one leads you astray.” In other words take care not to be fooled by false teachings, and there are false teachings at work in the national church today. (13:7), “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.” Wars are awful. They are horrible; but they must not draw us into thinking that God has withdrawn from his world. The Son of Man will return “with great power and glory” (13:26); and “he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” (13:27).

Later in the chapter are calls to be steadfast in our faith: Jesus says “Do not worry beforehand about what you are to say” (13:11); and “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (13:13).

So when our circumstances shift from comfort to discomfort; when our world moves from certainty to uncertainty; and when perhaps even friends and family turn against us, these are not reasons to reject God or to cease to believe in him. They are the opposite. They are times to remind ourselves that Jesus predicted these events. They are times to stand firm.

Another theme running through the whole chapter is that of being alert and watchful. Verses 5, and 9 “beware”, verse 23,"be alert", verse 33, “keep alert”, and verses 35 and 37, “keep awake”.

Is Jesus really coming back? He said he will! He is coming back. It won’t be like the return of Doctor Who and not even like the Return of Superman, but Jesus is coming back. Before that day, he’s told us what to expect. Jesus calls us to be alert, and not to worry even if circumstances are awful.

Lord, our God, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son. May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer. Grant that we may be ready to receive Christ when he comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 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.
This sermon encourages us to watch, to wait, to be alert, to be on our guard, and not to worry. This is an encouragement to remember and believe that Jesus will indeed return with great power and glory, and to remember it whatever our current circumstance.

The Morning Prayer for SUNDAY, November 18, 2018

Sunday morning prayer

My loving God, I thank You for bringing me safely to another day of worship. How I desire to praise You with a pure heart and right spirit! To that end, I again ask Your forgiveness for all my sins and renewing of my faith. As I speak to You today, fill my heart with true praise and thankfulness for all You have done for me. Lead me to appreciate more fully the blessings of worshiping with my fellow Christians. Thank You for the opportunity to pray and study Your Word with other believers. Make me a faithful witness in my congregation and my family so that others will see me leaning only on You, who saved me in Jesus Christ.

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.

Amen

Verse of the Day for SUNDAY, November 18, 2018

John 17:17 (NIV) Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Read all of John 17

Listen to John 17

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 - Oración por cambios en la vida

Oración por cambios en la vida

Me has dado a conocer la senda de la vida; me llenarás de alegría en tu presencia, y de dicha eterna a tu derecha.

~ Salmo 16:11 (NVI)

Padre santo, queremos agradecerte este nuevo día y decirte que eres lo más importante para nosotros. Cada día que pasa vemos tu amor incondicional y disfrutamos de tus bendiciones.

Dios mío, gracias porque permites cambios en mi vida y conoces mi necesidad. A veces, tomo decisiones equivocadas, pero tú me guías a toda verdad.

Aunque no entendamos todo lo que nos pasa, sabemos que con tu amor nos cuidarás y nos darás nuevas oportunidades.

Ayúdame a aprender de mis errores y dame la fortaleza para superar las cosas que debo dejar y cambiar.

Entrego el resto de este día en tus manos y descanso en tu Palabra.

En el nombre de Jesús, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Dios mío, gracias porque permites cambios en mi vida y conoces mi necesidad.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - RELEASE FROM CHAINS

RELEASE FROM CHAINS

Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

~ Acts 16:26 (NIV)

African Muslim, El Gasim, saw the sign of the cross one day while praying the usual five times a day in the prison where he was incarcerated. He changed positions but the cross wouldn’t go away. This went on for seven days. He had no explanation for it, except that Christ was calling him to give his life to Him. A Christian pastor, also in prison explained that living for Christ would not be without suffering. They prayed together.

Other Muslim inmates saw El Gasim praying one day with another Christian prisoner and reported them to the authorities. When summoned to the superintendent’s office, they openly declared their faith in Christ and received twenty-five lashes each, administered by a Christian warder. The other prisoner denied his new faith but El Gasim confessed Christ and said he would face the consequence, no matter what. This enraged the authorities. He was beaten, shackled in chains weighing over fifty pounds and put on death row to be hanged.

The imprisoned pastor had great compassion for El Gasim, knowing that if God did not intervene, he was surely staring death in the eye. He told him Paul and Silas’ story, reminding him that he wasn’t the first to be beaten and chained for the sake of Christ. The important thing to remember was that Paul and Silas prayed and praised God, when their chains fell off and the prison doors opened. The pastor confirmed that it could still happen today, because the power that worked then, was still at work today. They prayed together, earnestly seeking God’s will.

The pastor retired to his room and continued praying. In the meantime, El Gasim, who then felt encouraged by the sharing, took the first step and to his surprise, the unexpected happened—the chain broke loose and fell from one of his legs. Bystanders, whose attention were drawn by the sound of the falling chain, watched in amazement as he took the second step—the same thing happened. A miracle had happened right before him and his other inmates. El Gasim went to the warder and told him, “Your chains are in the chapel, go and collect them.”

Trembling and confused the warder informed his superiors of this strange occurrence. An emergency meeting was convened. The incident could not be ignored or laughed off as nonsense. There were too many witnesses. They decided that it would be best to let El Gasim go free, because if he stayed he would certainly convert others to Christianity. Sending him to another prison wouldn’t help either, because even there they couldn’t stop Christ from doing miracles.

RESPONSE: Today I affirm my faith in a miracle working God who can release me from my chains.

PRAYER: Pray for persecuted Christian prisoners who need to be released from chains today.

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

LHM Daily Devotions - Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death

"Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death"

Nov. 18, 2018

"Awake, O sleeper, rise from death, And Christ shall give you light; So learn His love, its length and breath, Its fullness, depth and height."

Today's hymn paraphrases Ephesians 5:14, "Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Some scholars think that Paul is quoting an early Christian hymn here -- something the young churches might have sung when they met together. Clearly, they needed to remind themselves of Jesus' light just as we do today!

It's a dark world we live in -- a world full of temptation and evil. We struggle to live our lives as Christians, and sometimes we go astray. Most temptations are not the great, obvious ones. We may never have been seriously tempted to murder or commit adultery or worship an actual idol. But can we say the same about common sins like gossip and backbiting? Have we never repeated a juicy rumor, even though we knew it was harming a friend's reputation?

Or what about quarreling and refusing to forgive other people? It only takes a moment for a difference of opinion to turn into a nasty argument. We stomp away, vowing we will never speak to that person again. And so, a friendship is lost, a marriage is soured, a church is divided. The darkness creeps in.

We need light. We need a light that can light up all the dark spots in our lives, all the shameful, guilty places where we have strayed away from Christ. The hymnwriter reminds us that Christ's love shines through the darkness into our lives. "Awake, O sleeper, rise from death, And Christ shall give you light!"

The Holy Spirit calls us back to Jesus -- back to the One who suffered, died, and rose again for our sakes. He took all our sins on Himself and destroyed all our darkness with His own glorious light. Now we, too, can live in the light. No matter how long we have run away from God nor how far our running has taken us from Him, His light will reach us and lead us back to Him. His light can light up the deepest, darkest place in this world.

As we come into God's light, we begin to reflect it. As Paul explains, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). God begins to shine through us, making us light-filled witnesses to Jesus' love. Then the dark world around us can see the light that dispels the darkness: Jesus, our Savior.

May God keep us with Him forever.

THE PRAYER: Almighty Savior, send the light of Christ into my heart. Fill my heart with love for You. Keep me safely in Your love. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Ruth Ann Brinkmann and Dr. Kari Vo. It is based on the hymn, "Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death." Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
It's a dark world we live in -- a world full of temptation and evil.

Notre Pain Quotidien - Ne cessez pas de bâtir !

Ne cessez pas de bâtir !

Lisez : Esdras 5.1-5

La Bible en un an : : Ézéchiel 8 – 10 ; Hébreux 13

Mais l’œil de Dieu veillait sur [eux]. Et on [les] laissa continuer. V. 5

Quand on lui a donné la possibilité de jouer un nouveau rôle au travail, Simon a cru qu’elle lui venait de Dieu. Après avoir prié et sollicité des conseils à ce sujet, il a eu le sentiment que Dieu voulait ainsi l’amener à assumer de plus grandes responsabilités. Tout tombait en place, et son patron l’appuyait dans ce changement. Puis les choses se sont mises à mal tourner. Certains de ses collègues lui enviaient sa promotion et lui refusaient leur collaboration. Il a alors commencé à se demander s’il devait baisser les bras.

Lorsque les Israélites sont retournés à Jérusalem pour y rebâtir la maison de Dieu, leurs ennemis ont voulu les intimider et les décourager (ESD 4.4). Les Juifs se sont d’abord interrompus, mais ont repris la construction après que Dieu les y a encouragés par les prophètes Aggée et Zacharie (4.24 – 5.2).

Lorsque leurs ennemis sont revenus les harceler, les Israélites ont toutefois persévéré, sachant que « l’œil de Dieu veillait sur [eux] » (5.5). Ils se sont attachés aux instructions divines et ont cru que le Seigneur les ferait triompher de toute opposition. Or, Dieu a incité le roi de Perse à soutenir la construction du Temple jusqu’à la fin (V. 13,14).

De même, Simon a demandé à Dieu de lui accorder la sagesse de discerner s’il devait garder son emploi ou s’en trouver un autre. Fort de sa conviction de devoir persévérer, il a fini par gagner ses collègues à sa cause.

Là où Dieu nous place et quelle que soit l’opposition à vaincre, continuons de le suivre avec fidélité, car il nous conduira à bon port.

Restez ferme, car l’œil de Dieu veille sur vous.

par Leslie Koh

© 2018 Ministères NPQ
Quand on lui a donné la possibilité de jouer un nouveau rôle au travail, Simon a cru qu’elle lui venait de Dieu.