The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, January 29, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, January 29, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 119:89-96

89 The Lord exists forever;
     your word is firmly fixed in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
     you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
91 By your appointment they stand today,
     for all things are your servants.
92 If your law had not been my delight,
     I would have perished in my misery.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
     for by them you have given me life.
94 I am yours; save me,
     for I have sought your precepts.
95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
     but I consider your decrees.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
     but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Jeremiah 36:11-26

The Scroll Read in the Palace
36:11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah son of Shaphan heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the king’s house, into the secretary’s chamber; and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the officials. 13 And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14 Then all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah son of Shelemiah son of Cushi to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. 15 And they said to him, “Sit down and read it to us.” So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all the words, they turned to one another in alarm, and said to Baruch, “We certainly must report all these words to the king.” 17 Then they questioned Baruch, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” 18 Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the scroll.” 19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.”

The Scroll Read in the Palace
20 Leaving the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, they went to the court of the king; and they reported all the words to the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary; and Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. 22 Now the king was sitting in his winter apartment (it was the ninth month), and there was a fire burning in the brazier before him. 23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a penknife and throw them into the fire in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. 24 Yet neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words, was alarmed, nor did they tear their garments. 25 Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest the secretary Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But the Lord hid them.

2 Corinthians 7:2-12

Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance
7:2 Make room in your hearts for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I often boast about you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with consolation; I am overjoyed in all our affliction.

5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—disputes without and fears within. 6 But God, who consoles the downcast, consoled us by the arrival of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was consoled about you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it (though I did regret it, for I see that I grieved you with that letter, though only briefly). 9 Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance; for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong, nor on account of the one who was wronged, but in order that your zeal for us might be made known to you before God.

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
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.

The Morning Prayer for TUESDAY, January 29, 2019

Tuesday morning prayer

Twentieth-century Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor said, “I think there is no suffering greater than what is caused by the doubts of those who want to believe. I know what torment this is, but I can only see it, in myself anyway, as the process by which faith is deepened. What -people don’t realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross.”

How merciful are you, O Lord, when you receive us even with our doubts and suspicions. We pray to keep tiptoeing toward you without fear of rejection. We pray to keep up our feeble attempts at serving you even when we question the worth of our efforts.

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 29, 2019

Mark 9:35 (NIV) Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Read all of Mark 9

Listen to Mark 9

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 - Dios alivia mi dolor

Dios alivia mi dolor

Responde a mi clamor, Dios mío y defensor mío. Dame alivio cuando esté angustiado, apiádate de mí y escucha mi oración.

~ Salmo 4:1 (NVI)

Oh, Dios mío, en ti confío. Sé que eres mi consuelo y que en medio de esta prueba tú estás conmigo.

Quiero decirte, mi Dios, que aunque no entiendo el porqué estoy viviendo esta situación y estoy sufriendo, te ofrezco a ti cada lágrima, cada noche sin dormir, cada pensamiento negativo que ha llegado a mi mente de que mejor sería no existir y deposito mi corazón en ti para que lo llenes de tu amor.

Señor, renuévame y restaura mi alma. Permite que muy pronto pueda encontrar alivio a esta situación y logre ver la salida en medio de esta tribulación.

Señor, tú eres mi refugio y mi esperanza.

Señor, que se haga tu voluntad y no la mía.

Y ayúdame a aprender de esto que hoy me permites vivir.

Que pueda crecer después de esta prueba y sea capaz de ayudar a otras personas que sufren.

Gracias, mi Dios, por formar en mí el carácter de tu Hijo Jesucristo.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oh, Dios mío, en ti confío. Sé que eres mi consuelo y que en medio de esta prueba tú estás conmigo...

Standing Strong Through the Storm - SATAN’S ATTACK ON THE BIBLE

SATAN’S ATTACK ON THE BIBLE

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

~ 1 Peter 1:23-25a (NIV)

Brother Andrew continues his teaching on Satan’s strategic attacks:

The second prong of Satan’s attack is on the written word of God. He has historically tried to prevent Christians from having access to the Bible.

Satan understands the power of the Word of God. At the temptation of Jesus, he even made a sly attempt to use Scripture (actually misapplying it) to deflect Jesus from His true mission (Luke 4:1-3). Twisting Scripture is still a favorite tactic of Satan, and we believers need to know the Word so we can respond, just as Jesus did, with a well-applied “It is written…”

Peter recognized the significant role the Word has in our salvation. In his epistle to Christians passing through “fiery trials” he gives the words of encouragement in today’s scripture above.

Now you can understand my life’s passion to distribute the Bible, even in places where its importation or distribution is prohibited. Because I’ve gone around the world preaching that message, many people assume that I must have been the first “God’s smuggler.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

I personally believe that the first Bible smuggler probably was Timothy, the man Paul looked upon as his son in the gospel. This young man of delicate health, but of great spirituality and loyalty, was converted in Paul’s first campaign at Lystra. At the end of his life, when Paul was in prison in Rome, he looked to Timothy for comfort. In a letter to him, Paul asked his friend to bring his books to the prison the next time he visited.

In 2 Timothy 4:13 it becomes clear Paul was requesting that scrolls of Old Testament Scriptures be brought to him for further study. But how could Timothy get them into Rome and into the jail when, by that time, Christians has already become an outlawed sect? The only possible way would have been to smuggle them in with other items.

Billy Graham, in his book Hoofbeats, suggests that John the apostle had to write his Revelation secretly, while closely guarded by the Romans. The parchment manuscript pages would have been smuggled off the island of Patmos and Christian volunteers copy them for the churches…

This world is an enemy-occupied territory filled with souls to whom Christ holds rightful claim. Under Christ’s command, we invade countries by any means that will help us to get in with the Word of God…

Today I want others to have what makes me grow spiritually—the Bible.

RESPONSE: Today I will make every effort to ensure that the Bible is available to everyone to read and practice.

PRAYER: Pray for many believers around the world still waiting for their first personal Bible.

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 - Greed Stinks!

Greed Stinks!

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

~ Colossians 3:5 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Cantaloupe may very well be my favorite food. When it is in season, I stock up and always have some on hand. On one particularly hot day, a lunch of cantaloupe sounded luscious ... and it was. Afterwards, I was gone for several hours, running errands. When I walked back in the front door that afternoon, a foul stench nearly knocked me down. It was such a strong odor! A dead animal was my first thought. A plumbing problem was my next idea. I began a room-to-room search that ended abruptly at the kitchen sink. Opening the cabinet underneath, I nearly gagged at the stench that slapped me in the face. I instantly remembered that I had thrown the cantaloupe peels in the garbage before running errands and forgotten to take them to the outside garbage can as I usually did. The house reeked, and the delicious cantaloupe was forgotten as I threw the peels away, lit every candle I could find, and opened every window in an effort to eliminate the odor of rotting fruit. Nasty!

Greed acts the same way in our life and must be treated like garbage. Deliberately throw it away. Remove it from your life as soon as you discover its presence. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, we find the apostle Paul’s strong warning to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." Greed is the gangrene of the soul. If not quickly dealt with, greed will contaminate every emotion, creating a foul stench in every part of life. Choose against it. Fight it with Scripture and bombard it with prayer, remembering that God alone is our provider and that He will supply our every need.

I have come to the conclusion that the underlying problem with wants and needs is that we confuse the two.  What we want and what we need are not always the same things. Anyone who has met my husband will tell you that he is down-to-earth and unassuming. Dan may be a mega church pastor, but he is also very approachable and unpretentious. The truck Dan drives is proof that he is totally unimpressed with the material things this world has to offer. Our family named the truck “Old Blue” for two reasons. It is old, and it is blue. However, it is paid for, and it runs. However, I am certain he would not turn down an offer from someone who wanted to buy him a brand-new Ford F-150 truck as a Christmas gift. In fact, from time to time, I have seen him gaze at some bright, shiny new truck with longing in his eyes.

Dan has been the lead teaching pastor of a several very large churches and could easily rationalize driving a nice car or truck as part of his pastoral image. The only problem with that idea is that Dan is not the least bit concerned with his pastoral image when it comes to material possessions. He is, however, deeply concerned with the image of God being seen in his life.

Is it wrong to want and desire nice things? Not if we view and use those nice things as tools and refuse to worship them as idols. I sometimes think God has to strip us of everything we have so we can learn the life changing truth that He is our Source. Just as the shepherd meets every need of his sheep, God meets our needs. Just as sheep totally depend upon their shepherd's care, we would be wise to depend totally upon God. He is our Provider. He is our Source, and He is all we need.

Let’s Pray

Father, I can be so greedy! Please forgive me when I live as though You cannot provide my every need. Help me to walk by faith, knowing that You love me fiercely and will take care of me. You are my Father, my God … my Provider! Thank You!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Do you really see God as your Provider, the One who stands ready to meet every need you will ever have?  Does your life reflect the promise that God is enough?

Think back to the times when God met your needs. Record each experience in your Victory Journal. And if you don’t have a Victory Journal, today would be a great time to start keeping one. Make a habit of searching for and keeping a record of God’s provision in your life.

Read and memorize Luke 12:15."Jesus said to them, ‘Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns.’"

More from the Girlfriends

Our son attended college in a small South Carolina town filled with antique stores and family owned businesses. One store in particular caught my eye as we drove into town for the first time. The message painted on the storefront windows said it all, “If we ain’t got it, you don’t need it!” God holds everything we need in the palm of His hand. He is our Provider. Amen!

Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through E-mail, Twitter, Instagram, Shopify, or on Facebook.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

Cantaloupe may very well be my favorite food. When it is in season, I stock up and always have some on hand. On one particularly hot day, a lunch of cantaloupe sounded luscious ...

LHM Daily Devotions - Who, Me?

"Who, Me?"

Jan. 29, 2019

Then the LORD put out His hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

~ Jeremiah 1:9-10 (ESV)

Poor Jeremiah! Imagine being just a young man—probably a teen—and having God put such a responsibility on you: being a prophet with the power to affect the fate of nations and kingdoms. It must have been terrifying. No wonder Jeremiah tried to get out of it, saying, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."

But God wasn't having that: "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 1:6-8).

We may not face exactly the same pressures Jeremiah did, but we have our own responsibilities. We might be parents or grandparents, caring for tiny human lives. Or we might be teachers or mentors of some sort, responsible for guiding the minds and actions of people in our care. We might be employers or managers, affecting the livelihood of those under us. We might do work that affects the public health or the financial wellbeing of people whose money we handle. We might even be voters or officials, making decisions that affect our common life together.

Whatever the responsibility, it's common—and helpful!—for us to feel like Jeremiah: "I'm not up to this task, Lord. I am not enough." We are right to feel this way, because it's true. We are not enough. We cannot, in ourselves, do the job God has put before us.

But look at what God did with Jeremiah: He touched Jeremiah's mouth, which symbolized the work Jeremiah would be doing, and He said, "I appointed you... I send you... I am with you to deliver you." Jeremiah would not be doing his ministry on his own. We aren't doing our work on our own, either. God has given us something even greater than our responsibilities—His own presence, guidance, and protection.

Of course, we are nervous when we start a new responsibility! But Jesus is with us. He has already walked the way we must now walk; He has already been in a position of responsibility—not just for one person or one family or one group of people, but—for all humanity. When He came to earth to save us, He was taking on an awesome responsibility. The whole fate of the human race was riding on His shoulders. And on the cross, it came down to Him alone, at His weakest hour, bearing the sin and the grief and the weakness of us all so that through His death, we could be saved. The responsibility was His. Now that He has risen from the dead and lives forever, He can surely help us with ours.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help me with the responsibilities You have placed in my life so that You Yourself will handle them through me. 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).
Poor Jeremiah! Imagine being just a young man—probably a teen—and having God put such a responsibility on you.

Devocional del CPTLN de 29 de Enero de 2019 - ¿Quién? ¿Yo?

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Quién? ¿Yo?

29 de Enero de 2019

Y el Señor extendió su mano, me tocó la boca y me dijo: «Yo, el Señor, he puesto mis palabras en tu boca. Date cuenta de que este día te he puesto sobre naciones y reinos, para que arranques y destruyas, para que arruines y derribes, para que construyas y plantes.»

~ Jeremías 1:9-10 (RVC)

¡Pobre Jeremías! Imagina ser un joven, probablemente un adolescente, y que Dios te imponga tal responsabilidad: ser un profeta con el poder de afectar el destino de las naciones y los reinos. Debe haber sido aterrador. No es de extrañar que Jeremias quisiera zafar, diciendo: "¡Ay, Señor! ¡Ay, Señor! ¡Date cuenta de que no sé hablar! ¡No soy más que un muchachito!".

Pero Dios no lo iba a permitir: "No digas que sólo eres un muchachito, porque harás todo lo que yo te mande hacer, y dirás todo lo que te ordene que digas. No temas delante de nadie, porque yo estoy contigo y te pondré a salvo." (Jeremías 1: 6-8)

Puede que no enfrentemos exactamente las mismas presiones que Jeremías, pero tenemos nuestras propias responsabilidades. Quizás seamos padres o abuelos a cargo de pequeñas vidas humanas. O quizás seamos maestros o mentores de algún tipo, responsables de guiar las mentes y acciones de las personas a nuestro cuidado. Quizás seamos empleadores o gerentes, afectando el sustento de los que están bajo nosotros. O quizás hacemos un trabajo que afecta la salud pública o el bienestar financiero de las personas cuyo dinero manejamos. Incluso hasta podríamos ser funcionarios de gobierno que tomamos decisiones que afectan nuestra vida en común.

Sea cual sea nuestra responsabilidad, es común y útil que nos sintamos como Jeremías: "No estoy a la altura de esta tarea, Señor. No soy suficiente". Tenemos razón al sentirnos así, porque es verdad. No somos suficientes. No podemos, en nosotros mismos, hacer el trabajo que Dios nos ha confiado.

Pero miremos lo que Dios hizo con Jeremías: le tocó la boca, que simbolizaba el trabajo que Jeremías estaría haciendo, y dijo: "Yo te llamé ... Yo te envío ... Yo estoy contigo para librarte". Jeremías no iba a llevar a cabo su ministerio por su cuenta. Tampoco nosotros estamos haciendo nuestro trabajo por nuestra cuenta. Dios nos ha dado algo aún mayor que nuestras responsabilidades: Su presencia, Su guía y Su protección.

Por supuesto que nos ponemos nerviosos cuando empezamos una nueva responsabilidad. Pero Jesús está con nosotros. Él ya ha andado por donde debemos andar ahora y ha sido responsable no solo por una persona o un grupo de personas, sino por toda la humanidad. Cuando vino a la tierra para salvarnos, el destino de la raza humana estaba sobre sus hombros. Y al colgar de la cruz, en su hora más débil, soportó la carga de la culpa del pecado de todos nosotros para que, a través de su muerte, pudiéramos ser salvos. La responsabilidad fue solo suya. Ahora que ha resucitado de entre los muertos y vive para siempre junto al Padre, no cabe duda de que puede ayudarnos con las nuestras.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor Jesús, ayúdame con las responsabilidades que me has asignado, para que tú mismo puedas manejarlas a través de mí. 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.
Imagina ser un joven, probablemente un adolescente, y que Dios te imponga tal responsabilidad.

Nuestro Pan Diario - Romper los cielos

Romper los cielos

Leer: Isaías 64:1-8
 | La Biblia en un año: Éxodo 21–22 Mateo 19


Descargar MP3

¡Oh, si rompieses los cielos, y descendieras…! (v. 1).


Hace poco, mientras una amiga me contaba que había abandonado su fe, escuché una queja conocida: ¿Cómo puedo creer en un Dios que parece no hacer nunca nada? Esta pregunta desgarradora aparece en la mayoría de nosotros en un momento u otro, cuando leemos noticias sobre violencia y sobrellevamos nuestras propias tristezas. La angustia de mi amiga revelaba cuánto necesitaba que Dios actuara a su favor; un anhelo que probablemente todos hayamos experimentado.


Israel también conocía el tema. El Imperio babilónico la había aplastado y había convertido Jerusalén en escombros humeantes. El profeta Isaías expresó en palabras la oscura duda del pueblo: ¿Dónde está el Dios que supuestamente debía rescatarnos? (Isaías 63:11-15). Pero incluso desde allí, Isaías también elevó una valiente oración: Dios, «si rompieses los cielos, y descendieras» (64:1). En lugar de alejarlo de Dios, su dolor y tristeza lo llevaron a acercarse a Él.


Nuestras dudas y problemas ofrecen un don extraño: revelan lo perdidos que estamos y cuánto necesitamos que Dios obre a nuestro favor. Ahora vemos la historia maravillosa: En Jesús, Dios ciertamente rompió los cielos y descendió. Cristo entregó su cuerpo roto para poder asombrarnos con su amor. En Jesús, Dios está cerca.

Señor, te necesito. ¿Podrías romper 
los cielos y descender?


¿Sobre qué interrogantes o dudas 
tienes que hablar con Dios?

Por WC

© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Hace poco, mientras una amiga me contaba que había abandonado su fe, escuché una queja conocida: ¿Cómo puedo creer en un Dios que parece no hacer nunca nada? Esta pregunta desgarradora aparece en la mayoría de nosotros en un momento u otro, cuando leemos noticias sobre violencia y sobrellevamos nuestras propias tristezas. La angustia de mi amiga revelaba cuánto necesitaba que Dios actuara a su favor; un anhelo que probablemente todos hayamos experimentado.