The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, January 22, 2019

Divisions in the Church
1 Corinthians 1:10-17

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, January 22, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 145

The Greatness and the Goodness of God
Praise. Of David.
1  I will extol you, my God and King,
     and bless your name forever and ever.
2  Every day I will bless you,
     and praise your name forever and ever.
3  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
     his greatness is unsearchable.

4  One generation shall laud your works to another,
     and shall declare your mighty acts.
5  On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
     and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6  The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
     and I will declare your greatness.
7  They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
     and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8  The Lord is gracious and merciful,
     slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9  The Lord is good to all,
     and his compassion is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
     and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
     and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
     and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
     and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

   The Lord is faithful in all his words,
     and gracious in all his deeds.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling,
     and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
     and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand,
     satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways,
     and kind in all his doings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
     to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
     he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
     but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
     and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

Song of Solomon 4:1-8

The Bride’s Beauty Extolled
1  How beautiful you are, my love,
     how very beautiful!
   Your eyes are doves
     behind your veil.
   Your hair is like a flock of goats,
     moving down the slopes of Gilead.
2  Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
     that have come up from the washing,
   all of which bear twins,
     and not one among them is bereaved.
3  Your lips are like a crimson thread,
     and your mouth is lovely.
   Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
     behind your veil.
4  Your neck is like the tower of David,
     built in courses;
   on it hang a thousand bucklers,
     all of them shields of warriors.
5  Your two breasts are like two fawns,
     twins of a gazelle,
     that feed among the lilies.
6  Until the day breathes
     and the shadows flee,
   I will hasten to the mountain of myrrh
     and the hill of frankincense.
7  You are altogether beautiful, my love;
     there is no flaw in you.
8  Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
     come with me from Lebanon.
   Depart from the peak of Amana,
     from the peak of Senir and Hermon,
   from the dens of lions,
     from the mountains of leopards.

1 Corinthians 1:3-17

1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12 What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.

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
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.

The Morning Prayer for TUESDAY, January 22, 2019

Tuesday morning prayer

Lord, we all suffer varying degrees of blindness. We are blind to love, to justice, to grace, and to life. Help us not to condemn one another in our blindness, but rather to work together to help one another see more clearly by your light.

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. Amen.

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.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, January 22, 2019

Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Read all of Matthew 7

Listen to Matthew 7

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 - Que nada te aleje del amor de Dios

Que nada te aleje del amor de Dios

Porque yo sé muy bien los planes que tengo para ustedes [...] a fin de darles un futuro y una esperanza.

~ Jeremías 29:11 (NVI)

Muchas veces nos hacemos grandes ilusiones ante la vida. ¿Te ha pasado que has soñado tanto tener o lograr algo que cuando lo obtienes no cumple tus expectativas? No te sientas mal, pues no eres el único. A menudo nos confiamos porque hacemos las cosas con nuestras propias fuerzas. Hemos tomado decisiones sin consultar y mucho menos hemos llevado nuestros planes delante de Dios.

Tal vez digas: «Bueno, ¿y por qué tengo que llevarlo todo ante Dios?». Porque es lo más inteligente que podemos hacer tú y yo. Te lo explico: Dios es nuestro Creador. Es el dueño de nuestra vida. Sabe todo acerca de nuestra vida presente y futura. Y dejó en su Palabra más de tres mil promesas para nosotros. El problema está en que muchos no creen que eso sea cierto. Sin embargo, los que hemos tenido una relación personal con Él, hemos comprobado que sí cumple sus promesas. Te daré algunas para que las analices:

• Prometió que aunque nuestro padre y nuestra madre nos abandonen, Él nunca nos dejará (véase Salmo 27:10).

• Prometió que nos fortalecerá y ayudará, y nos sostendrá con la diestra de su justicia (véanse Salmos 18; 27; 48:10).

Toma hoy de tu tiempo y lee la Biblia. Allí encontrarás muchas promesas que te pertenecen y sentirás una cercanía a tu Padre «Dios».

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Muchas veces nos hacemos grandes ilusiones ante la vida. ¿Te ha pasado que has soñado tanto tener o lograr algo que cuando lo obtienes no cumple tus expectativas?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - LIVE IN PEACE AND HOLINESS

LIVE IN PEACE AND HOLINESS

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

~ Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

As we see in Hebrews chapter twelve, once we “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,” we will be aware of how we should then live. Now the writer teaches us about the value of peace and holiness. It is difficult to live in peace with others until you have made your peace with God.

Pastor Haik Hovsepian in Iran (who was martyred in January 1994) once preached on the topic “Salvation or Religion.” It was a very powerful message that goes through five differences between religion and salvation in Christ. Thousands of his tapes on this topic have been distributed in Iran.

One of the people who recently got hold of this tape is a Quran reciter. He has a very powerful voice and many times he has been invited to recite the Quran in different mosques in Iran. He also passionately recited about the life of the Imams (Muhammad’s descendants), who have died in mourning ceremonies in order to make people cry. He used to be a very religious person himself.

When he got hold of the tape with the sermon of Haik, he realized that through religion he cannot be saved. He was in captivity of some immoral sins such as alcohol abuse and adultery. He was a very high-tempered and depressed person too. When he heard about the difference between religion and the salvation of Jesus, the Spirit of God spoke to his heart. He was so moved by the message that he listened to the tape a few more times. Every time he listened to this tape, he felt even more convinced that he needed the salvation of Jesus, until he finally gave his life to the Lord.

Then he was not only liberated from the captivity of his sins, but also from the captivity of the religion with which he was identifying. There was an extraordinary joy and happiness in his face after this experience. In the past, he wore black shirts, as his job was to make people in the mosques cry. But after experiencing Jesus in his life, even his shirts changed to lighter colors! He is now using his voice to sing for the Lord and shares about Jesus wherever he goes.

Being a well-known person among Muslim religious leaders and other people, one evening the secret police knocked at his door. Two weeks later, they released him from prison on bail until his trial time. He had to borrow half of that money from his relatives. As he lost his job as a Quran reciter, he does not have any source of income, so it is difficult for him to live and to pay the money back to his family. But he is trying to live at peace with all people and show God’s holiness in his life. Praise God for the faith of this brother and for his steadfastness in following Jesus.

RESPONSE: Today I will live at peace with others and reveal God’s holiness in my life.

PRAYER: Pray for more believers of Muslim background to find peace with God and others.

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 - Will God Really Show Up For Me?

Will God Really Show Up For Me?

KellyBalarie

Today’s Truth

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

~ Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

There’s nothing worse than believing God for victory, only to experience defeat.

Recently, I prayed and prayed without any change. I praised and worshipped, without a breakthrough. Even now, I need God for everything, yet wonder if He’ll really going to do anything. It feels like...I’m about to be left with nothing. Empty handed.

God, are You really going to come through for me?
God, do You really have this?
God, can I really trust You?

The Israelites trusted God way back then, sort of. As they saw the Egyptian troops chasing them down, they got overwhelmingly terrified. And seemingly angry at their leader Moses.

They griped, “What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Exodus 14:11-12, NIV)

Slavery was more appealing than trusting God for His victory.

I am like them when I say:

“What have I gotten myself into now, God?
Where are you, God?
Why haven’t you ____, God?”

Moses replied to the Israelites, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14, NIV)

I believe God says the same to us:

Do not be afraid.
Stand firm.
You will see the deliverance of God.
You will see God come through.
The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.
Stillness allows us to perceive God’s goodness. In this, our outlook, our mindsets and our attitudes change. Here, our faith rises. Here, breakthrough happens.

You know, when the Israelites lost faith, God instructed Moses to tell them something. He said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to move on.” (Exodus 14:15)

I believe God is saying the same to us: 
Move on from unbelief.
Move on from fearing your battle.
Move on from counting every issue and believing I am not in it.
Move on from your old outlooks.
Move on from your self-limiting beliefs.
Move on from the idea there is no good plan.

Do a new thing. . .
Train your mind in truth.
Seize God’s peace.
Find life.
Conquer challenges through me.
Defeat doubt.

God has always had a very good plan. From the beginning God’s plan in this instance was that He would get all the glory.

“Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground…And I will gain glory through…The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” (Exodus 14:16-18, NIV)

And so the Israelites moved. The miracle happened. The sea parted.

Let’s Pray

Father, You always have a good plan. May we rest in it.
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Remember some times when God had a good plan in motion for you, even when you could not see it? Thank Him for always looking out for you.

More from the Girlfriends

Kelly Balarie, blogger at Purposeful Faith and author of the new book “Battle Ready: Train Your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt and Live Victoriously” is passionate about joining hands with women who often find themselves stuck in the pits of life. Step-by-step, word-by-word, her dream is that together they can emerge better - fear, fret and panic-free. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by email for a dose of inspiration and encouragement.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

There’s nothing worse than believing God for victory, only to experience defeat.

LHM Daily Devotions - The Joy of the Lord

"The Joy of the Lord"

Jan. 22, 2019

And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. ... They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. ... And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

~ Nehemiah 8:1, 8-10 (ESV)

I have to admit there are some parts of the Bible I don't like to read or hear in church. Shocking, right? But whenever I read those bits, they make me feel guilty. I recognize all my sins and guilt, and that isn't a comfortable feeling at all.

The people in the passage above are in much the same boat. They are the Israelites who returned from exile. They know their own history—how the people of Israel had God's Law, but they disobeyed Him so often and so stubbornly that God finally let their enemies overcome them and carry them away to a foreign land for 70 years. Now that they're finally back home, they're trying to rebuild. But it's not easy.

Just imagine what it's like to stand in a city that has been so thoroughly destroyed it looks like it's been bombed. The temple has been burned; the city wall has been torn down. There are piles of loose stones everywhere as well as burned timber. Their houses need major work to be safe and to keep the rain out. And all this is the result of breaking God's Laws. No wonder the people are weeping when they hear the words of God's Law!

But their leaders Nehemiah and Ezra stop them. They say, in effect, "Don't cry. Go home; eat good food, and drink sweet wine. Be happy and celebrate; the joy of the Lord is your strength."

What's this about? Simply that we should not stop with repentance. Yes, we should be sorry when we sin. But we need to go on to the next step—to receiving God's mercy. We need to recognize that, through Jesus Christ our Savior, God has forgiven all our sins and reconciled us to Himself. We are not God's enemies any longer. Jesus has taken our sins to His cross. We are no longer dead in our sins; we are alive to God in our risen Lord Jesus. It is right for us to celebrate and be happy; God has given us peace and joy with Him forever.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to trust in Your forgiveness and be happy in Your love. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was 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).
I have to admit there are some parts of the Bible I don't like to read or hear in church. Shocking, right?

Devocional del CPTLN de 22 de Enero de 2019 - El gozo del Señor

ALIMENTO DIARIO

El gozo del Señor

22 de Enero de 2019

... le rogaron al escriba Esdras que llevara el libro de la ley de Moisés, que el Señor le había dado al pueblo de Israel. Y es que la lectura de la ley se hacía con mucha claridad, y se recalcaba todo el sentido, de modo que el pueblo pudiera entender lo que escuchaba... Como todo el pueblo lloraba al escuchar las palabras de la ley, el gobernador Nehemías, el sacerdote y escriba Esdras, y los levitas que explicaban al pueblo el sentido de la ley, dijeron: "Este día está consagrado al Señor, nuestro Dios. No hay razón para que lloren y se pongan tristes." También dijeron: "Vayan y coman bien, y tomen un buen vino, pero compartan todo con los que nada tienen. Éste día está consagrado a nuestro Señor, así que no estén tristes. El gozo del Señor es nuestra fuerza."

~ Nehemías 8:1, 8-10 (RVC)

Debo admitir que hay algunas partes de la Biblia que no me gusta leer o escuchar en la iglesia. Chocante, ¿no es cierto? Pero cada vez que las leo, me hacen sentir culpable. Reconozco todos mis pecados y culpa, y ese no es un sentimiento para nada agradable.

Las personas en el pasaje de arriba están casi en el mismo bote. Se trata de los israelitas que habían regresado del exilio. Ellos sabían bien su propia historia: cómo el pueblo de Israel tenía la Ley de Dios pero había desobedecido tan a menudo y tan obstinadamente, que finalmente Dios permitió que sus enemigos los vencieran y se los llevaran prisioneros a una tierra extraña en la cual vivieron durante 70 años. Ahora que finalmente están de regreso en su propia tierra, están tratando de reconstruir. Pero no es fácil.

Solo imagina lo que es estar en una ciudad que ha sido destruida al punto que parece que hubiera sido bombardeada. El templo había sido quemado; la muralla de la ciudad había sido derribada. Había montones de piedras apiladas por todas partes, al igual que madera quemada. Las casas necesitaban muchos arreglos para volver a ser seguras y evitar que entrara la lluvia. Y todo eso era el resultado de quebrar las leyes de Dios. ¡No es de extrañar, entonces, que las personas lloraran al escuchar las palabras de la Ley de Dios!

Pero sus líderes, Nehemías y Esdras, los detienen diciéndoles: "No lloren. Vayan a casa; coman bien y beban vino dulce. Sean feliz y celebren; el gozo del Señor es nuestra fortaleza."

¿A qué se referían con eso? Simplemente, a que no debemos quedarnos en el arrepentimiento. Sí, es cierto que debemos lamentarnos cuando pecamos. Pero luego debemos tomar el siguiente paso, que es recibir la misericordia de Dios. Necesitamos reconocer que, a través de nuestro salvador Jesucristo, Dios ha perdonado todos nuestros pecados y nos ha reconciliado consigo mismo. Ya no somos enemigos de Dios. Jesús ha llevado nuestros pecados a su cruz. Ya no estamos muertos en nuestros pecados; estamos vivos para Dios en nuestro Señor Jesús resucitado. Está bien que celebremos y seamos felices, pues Dios nos ha dado paz y gozo con Él para siempre.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, ayúdame a confiar en tu perdón y a ser feliz en tu amor. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Debo admitir que hay algunas partes de la Biblia que no me gusta leer o escuchar en la iglesia. Chocante, ¿no es cierto?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Hijo de Dios para siempre

Hijo de Dios para siempre

Leer: Romanos 8:8-17
 | La Biblia en un año: Éxodo 4–6 Mateo 14:22-36


Descargar MP3

Porque todos los que son guiados por el Espíritu de Dios, éstos son hijos de Dios (v. 14).


En una reunión en la iglesia a la que asistí con mis padres, siguiendo la costumbre, nos tomamos de las manos mientras recitábamos juntos el Padrenuestro. Mientras estaba así, con mi madre a un lado y mi padre al otro, me impactó la idea de que siempre sería su hija. Aunque ya soy adulta, todavía me pueden llamar «la hija de Leo y Phyllis». Entonces, reflexioné que no solo soy hija de ellos, sino que siempre seré también hija de Dios.


El apóstol Pablo quería que los creyentes de la iglesia de Roma entendieran que su identidad consistía en haber sido adoptados en la familia de Dios (Romanos 8:15). Como habían nacido del Espíritu (v. 14), ya no tenían que ser esclavos de cosas intrascendentes. Al tener el Espíritu, eran «herederos de Dios y coherederos con Cristo» (v. 17).


Para aquellos que siguen a Cristo, ¿qué diferencia marca esto? Muy simple: ¡todo es diferente! Nuestra identidad como hijos de Dios nos proporciona un fundamento sólido y moldea la manera en que vemos el mundo y a nosotros mismos. Por ejemplo: saber que somos familia de Dios nos ayuda a dejar la zona de confort, para seguirlo a Él. También nos libera de buscar la aprobación de los demás.


¿Por qué no meditas hoy en lo que significa ser un hijo de Dios?

Señor, ayúdame a poner en práctica 
mi identidad como hijo tuyo, mostrando tu amor y esperanza.


Todos los que siguen a Dios 
muestran que son sus hijos.

Por Amy Boucher Pye

© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
En una reunión en la iglesia a la que asistí con mis padres, siguiendo la costumbre, nos tomamos de las manos mientras recitábamos juntos el Padrenuestro. Mientras estaba así, con mi madre a un lado y mi padre al otro, me impactó la idea de que siempre sería su hija.