The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, March 1, 2019

The Coming of the Lord
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, March 1, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15

Thanksgiving for Vindication
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath Day.
1  It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
     to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2  to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
     and your faithfulness by night,
3  to the music of the lute and the harp,
     to the melody of the lyre.
4  For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
     at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
     and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
     they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit;
     they are always green and full of sap,
15 showing that the Lord is upright;
     he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Proverbs 15:1-9

1  A soft answer turns away wrath,
     but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2  The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge,
     but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3  The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
     keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4  A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
     but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5  A fool despises a parent’s instruction,
     but the one who heeds admonition is prudent.
6  In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
     but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7  The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
     not so the minds of fools.
8  The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
     but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
9  The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
     but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Coming of the Lord
4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

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 since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, March 1, 2019

Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV) Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Read all of Psalm 73

Listen to Psalm 73

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 no te ha abandonado

Dios no te ha abandonado

El Señor omnipotente enjugará las lágrimas de todo rostro, y quitará de toda la tierra el oprobio de su pueblo. El Señor mismo lo ha dicho.

~ Isaías 25:8 (NVI)

A pesar de lo que hacemos en nuestra manera de vivir, vemos la mano de Dios.

Naigir, un hombre de bien y buena familia, es otro amigo que tuve la oportunidad de conocer. Un día, por ambición, acepta hacer uno de esos trabajitos por dinero. Sin pensarlo dos veces, se lanza y lo sorprenden. Lo que una vez le dijera un aparente amigo: «Tranquilo, todo está fríamente calculado», se convirtió en la pesadilla de su vida. Cae preso y sin ningún familiar en Estados Unidos. Lo que era una gran ambición quizá por ganarse unos cuantos verdes, se volvió en la más horrible de las tragedias.

Al igual que Víctor, conoce de Dios en ese lugar y empieza el cambio en su vida. Su testimonio llega a mis manos con una desgarradora carta, donde me pide que llame a su hijita por la radio el día del cumpleaños. Además, me pide que no le dijera a su hija dónde estaba.

Llegó el día e hicimos la llamada en mi programa radial «Buenos Días Familia». Cuando esa nena de solo ocho años de edad pasa al teléfono, escucha que es una sorpresa de su papá que dejó de ver de un día para otro hace cuatro años. Entonces se quebrantó y lloró de tal manera que todos en cabina quedamos en silencio.

¿Por qué llegar hasta el extremo de Naigir? Porque no nos conformamos con creerle a Dios. Dejemos que sea Dios el que nos provea todo lo que necesitamos. No vale la pena poner en riesgo nuestros hijos y nuestra felicidad. Recordemos que aunque Dios nos perdona, todo lo que hacemos mal tiene sus consecuencias.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
A pesar de lo que hacemos en nuestra manera de vivir, vemos la mano de Dios.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - ABC’S OF VICTORY

ABC’S OF VICTORY

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

~ Psalm 37:5-6 (NIV)

A lthough things are not perfect B ecause of trial or pain C ontinue in thanksgiving. D o not begin to blame, E ven when the times are hard. F ierce winds are bound to blow. G od is forever able. H old on to what you know; I magine life without His love, J oy would cease to be. K eep thanking Him for all the things L ove imparts to thee. M ove out of "Camp Complaining." N o weapon that is known, O n earth can yield the power P raise can do alone. Q uit looking at the future; R edeem the time at hand; S tart every day with worship. T o "thank" is a command U ntil we see Him coming V ictorious in the sky. W e'll run the race with gratitude; X alting God most high. Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but... 

Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad![1]

RESPONSE: I am too blessed to be stressed!

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for the encouragement I receive from following Your ways.

1. Author unknown.

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

Men of the Bible - Moses

Moses

His name Is Associated with the Phrase "To Give Birth"

His work: To lead God's people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.
His character: Moses enjoyed a depth of relationship with God that set him apart from every other figure in the Old Testament and enabled him to intercede powerfully on behalf of his people. Though a reluctant prophet, he obeyed God as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Through him God communicated his plan to forge a people unique in history, a people who belonged to him.
His sorrow: To have been burdened with the leadership of a "stiff-necked" people whose failure to believe and obey God resulted in delaying their entrance into the Promised Land while they wandered for forty years in the desert wilderness. Moses died before entering the Promised Land.
His triumph: On numerous occasions Moses encountered both the power and the love of God to such a degree that his face shone. Unlike other men, Moses spoke with God directly, face to face.
Key Scriptures: Exodus 1-20; Numbers 13-14

A Look at the Man

When Moses witnessed how God had demolished the enemies of his people, he must have been filled with the knowledge of the greatness of God, utterly convinced that no one and nothing was beyond the reach of the Lord's power. That day Moses may have thought the worst was over in his struggle to lead the Israelites to freedom and into the land of promise. He couldn't have known how hard it would be to lead them across the Sinai Peninsula and into Canaan, a journey that would take not months but years.

For though God had freed the people, they were still in bondage—not to any military power but to their own way of looking at the world, to their stubbornness, and to their fear of taking the risks that inevitably accompany a life of faith.

When Moses appointed a contingent of leaders, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, to conduct a reconnaissance mission in Canaan, all but two (Joshua and Caleb) came back with a bad report: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! But the people who live there are powerful and the cities are fortified and very large. The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

The spies' report incited the people to rebellion, and they grumbled and complained, saying: "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"

Because the Israelites entertained an evil vision of God's intentions toward them, making it impossible for them to obey him, he punished them by making them wander in the desert until the last of their generation (except for Joshua and Caleb) had died off. The Israelites who had left Egypt as slaves were not yet ready for the full freedom God intended for them.

But though Moses was frustrated by their response, he did not abandon his people. He did not shrug off the burden of leadership God had given him. Instead, he led them, taught them God's commandments, judged their disputes, prayed for them, and stayed with them until a new generation had grown up that was no longer burdened by a slave's mentality. And God loved Moses and praised him for his faithfulness and strengthened him with everything he needed to stay faithful throughout his long ordeal.

Reflect On: Exodus 32:30–32
Praise God: For his mercy.
Offer Thanks: That God hears our prayers on behalf of others.
Confess: Any failure to regularly intercede for the needs of others.
Ask God: To bring people to mind for whom he wants you to pray regularly.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
When Moses witnessed how God had demolished the enemies of his people, he must have been filled with the knowledge of the greatness of God, utterly convinced that no one and nothing was beyond the reach of the Lord's power.

Girlfriends in God - Come to Me

Come to Me

Wendy Speake

Today’s Truth

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

~ Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Since the start of the new year, three words have been ringing in my ears: “Come to Me.” Matthew 11:28 has been hidden in my heart for as long as I can remember, but recently I’ve heard the Lord speak this intimate invitation to me personally, in light of all the things I tend to run to, turn to, “come” to.

“Come to Me.”

As I turn to comfort food: “Come to Me, I’m the Great Comforter.”
As I turn on my computer; “Come to Me, I want to connect with you.”
As I head into Target for a little retail therapy, “Come to Me, let me be your Counselor.”
As I make a phone call to talk through my stress with a friend; “Come to Me… Call on Me!”
As I turn into Starbucks for something sweet; “Come to Me, my words are sweet as honey.”
As I scroll through Facebook; “Don’t follow them, follow Me. Come to Me.”
As I open up Amazon Prime; “Come to Me, I’m free and I’ll set you free!”
As I binge watch another late-night TV show; “Come. To. Me.”

“Come to Me.”

There are so many things that I mindlessly “come to” each day — so many things that I eat, read, watch, buy, consume… But God is speaking clearly to me: “Come to me, consume Me, and let me consume you.”

Are you weary and heavy laden? Experiencing a void that social media, food, and shopping simply can’t fill? Take the weight of it all to the Lord. If you’re worn out, exhausted, running to all the false gods this world has to offer… take it all to Him. He has the shoulders to carry your burdens. The One who shouldered the cross, can shoulder your pain. It’s what He does. Amazon Prime can’t do it. Facebook can’t do it. Brownies can’t do it for you either. It’s not their job. It’s God’s job.

“Come to Me.”

He is able to carry your hurting relationships square on His shoulders. He can handle your fears and your failures. He can carry your sin-struggles and your shame. He alone can carry the weight of it all, all the way up Calvary’s hill. And at the foot of the cross, He can lay it down on your behalf. In exchange for those heavy burdens, He offers His light yoke. That’s what He gives us when we give it all to Him.

“Come. Come to Me. Bring it all to Me, and I will give you rest.”

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, Your Word isn’t a far off and long-ago record of an old and distant God. You are speaking clearly today to my listening heart. “Come to Me” You’re inviting me now. Holy Spirit, give me Your in-dwelt courage to stop turning to social media, to stop turning to my phone, to stop turning to shopping and eating and friendship with this world… none of those things have ever been able to alleviate my stress of lift my burdens. Give me the constant, kind conviction to come to You, with all that concerns me today.
In Jesus’ heavy-lifting Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Sweet friends, where have you been taking your burdens? Whether it’s to the gym or the mall or online… consider today how temporary those things are. Only Christ is eternal, every other solution is fleeting at best.

More from the Girlfriends

If you tend to take everything that concerns you to your online friends, as a means to alleviate your daily burdens, consider joining Wendy Speake for her annual 40 Day Social Media Fast this Lenten season, March 6th – April 18th. A Social Media Sabbatical may be just what you need to help you turn to Him (“come” to Him) daily. Sign up now and receive a journal template, 40 scripture memory cards, and a decorate screen saver to encourage you during the 40 Day Social Media Fast.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

Since the start of the new year, three words have been ringing in my ears: “Come to Me.”

LHM Daily Devotions - What Am I Doing Here?

"What Am I Doing Here?"

Mar. 1, 2019

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

~ Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV)

"What am I doing here?" It's a question every one of us has probably asked many times.

Sometimes the question is asked in relation to a specific situation. The question then may really be "What am I doing here at the bridge table when my cards are so bad that I'm not enjoying the game?" Or "What am I doing here at this party when I should be home with my wife and kids?"

At other times, the question "What am I doing here?" is a question being asked in reference to certain areas of life. At those times, the nature of the question is "What am I doing in this job ... in this marriage ... in this friendship, etc.?"

All of these questions are, of course, interrelated. For what I see to be the meaning and purpose of my life on earth will relate directly to how I feel about my job, my marriage, my friendships, and everything else in my life. And what I believe to be my reason for being in this world will also relate to why I am in certain places and certain situations, and how I feel about being there.

As a Christian, the question "What am I doing here?" is related in all its implications to my Christian faith. For it is my Christian faith which determines the meaning and purpose of my life. And it is my faith which determines for me the specifics of what I should be doing from day to day, and where I should be or should not be in the course of my daily living.

In Ephesians 5:1-20, St. Paul gives the Christian answer to the question "What am I doing here?" Study Ephesians 5:1-2 to discover what the apostle says is to be the meaning and purpose of the Christian's life on earth.

Now look at verses 3-20. What do these verses tell you about the life you should strive to live as a Christian? What do they say about the kind of character you should display—the kind of example you should set? Take a few minutes and ask yourself this very personal question: "How does the way I live my life compare to the words of Paul?"

Some attempt to reduce the Christian life down to a system of do's and don'ts, but Paul is talking about much more than that here. These words are given as a practical means by which Christians express the meaning and purpose of their lives as "imitators of God" who "walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us."

What am I doing here? By God's grace and the power of His Holy Spirit, I'm living my life as a child of God.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy and purpose You have given us as Your children. Let the lives we lead point to Your Son, our Lord and Savior. In His Name we pray. Amen.

From The Lutheran Layman, November 1978 issue, "What Am I Doing Here?" by Ron Schlegel. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"What am I doing here?" It's a question every one of us has probably asked many times.

Devocional de la CPTLN del 01 de Marzo de 2019 - ¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí?

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí?

01 de Marzo de 2019

Por tanto, imiten a Dios, como hijos amados. Vivan en amor, como también Cristo nos amó y se entregó a sí mismo por nosotros, como ofrenda y sacrificio a Dios, de aroma fragante.

~ Efesios 5:1-2 (RVC)

¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí? Es una pregunta que todos alguna vez nos hemos hecho.

A veces nos lo preguntamos en relación con una situación específica, en cuyo caso lo que realmente estamos preguntando, es: "¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí en esta fiesta, cuando debería estar en casa con mi esposa y mis hijos?

Otras veces, nos lo preguntamos en referencia a ciertas áreas de la vida, como por ejemplo: "¿Qué estoy haciendo en este trabajo ... en esta relación ... en estos estudios, etc.?"

Todas estas preguntas están, por supuesto, interrelacionadas. Porque lo que crea ser el significado y propósito de mi vida en la tierra estará directamente relacionado con lo que siento por mi trabajo, mi matrimonio, mis amistades y todo lo demás en mi vida. Y lo que crea ser mi razón de estar en este mundo también se relacionará con los lugares y situaciones en que me encuentre.

Como cristiano, la pregunta "¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí?" está relacionada en todas sus implicaciones para mi fe cristiana. Porque mi fe cristiana es la que determina el significado, razón y propósito de mi vida. Y también es mi fe la que determina lo específico que debería estar haciendo cada día y dónde debería o no debería estar en el curso de mi vida diaria.

En Efesios 5:1-20, donde San Pablo da a los cristianos la respuesta a la pregunta "¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí?" En Efesios 5:1-2 descubrirás lo que el apóstol dice que es el significado y el propósito de la vida cristiana en la tierra.

Ahora mira Efesios 5:3-20. ¿Qué te dicen estos versículos acerca de lo que debe ser la vida del cristiano? ¿Qué dicen sobre el carácter que debes exhibir, el ejemplo que debes dar? Piensa en la siguiente pregunta: "¿Cómo se compara la forma en que vivo, con las palabras de Pablo?"

Hay quienes intentan reducir la vida cristiana a una lista de reglas, pero aquí Pablo está hablando de mucho más que eso. Estas palabras están dadas como un medio práctico por el cual los cristianos expresan el significado y propósito de sus vidas como "imitadores de Dios" que "caminan en amor, como Cristo nos amó y se entregó a sí mismo por nosotros".

¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí? Por la gracia de Dios y el poder de su Espíritu Santo, estoy viviendo como un hijo de Dios.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, gracias por la alegría y propósito que has dado a tus hijos. Ayúdanos para que nuestra vida muestre a tu Hijo, nuestro Señor y Salvador. En su Nombre. Amén.

Ron Schlegel

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué estoy haciendo aquí? Es una pregunta que todos alguna vez nos hemos hecho.

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Không So Sánh

Không So Sánh

Đọc: Giăng 21:17-25 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Dân số ký 23-25; Mác 7:14-37

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Tấm lòng bình tịnh là sự sống của thân xác, còn sự ghen ghét làm mục nát trong xương. Châm Ngôn 14:30 

“Một ngày nào đó, em sẽ đăng tất cả lên Facebook—chứ không chỉ những gì tốt đẹp!”

Đó là lời bình luận ngẫu hứng của Sue, bạn tôi trong lúc ăn trưa với chồng—câu nói đó làm tôi bật cười và cũng khiến tôi suy nghĩ. Mạng xã hội có thể là phương tiện tốt, giúp chúng ta giữ liên lạc và cầu nguyện cho bạn bè cách xa nhiều năm và ở xa hàng cây số. Nhưng nếu chúng ta không cẩn thận, mạng xã hội sẽ tạo ra cái nhìn không thực tế về cuộc sống. Khi hầu hết những gì chúng ta thấy là “thước phim lung linh” về “điều tốt đẹp”, chúng ta sẽ có suy nghĩ sai trật rằng cuộc sống người khác không có nan đề, rồi tự hỏi cuộc sống mình đã trở nên tồi tệ từ lúc nào.

Tự so sánh mình với người khác là điều chắc chắn sẽ khiến bạn không hạnh phúc. Khi các môn đồ so sánh mình với nhau (xem Lu. 9:46; 22:24), Chúa Jêsus đã nhanh chóng ngăn chặn điều đó. Sau khi phục sinh, Chúa Jêsus cho Phi-e-rơ biết rằng ông sẽ chịu đau đớn thế nào vì cớ đức tin của mình. Phi-e-rơ quay sang Giăng và hỏi: “Thưa Chúa, còn người nầy thì sao?” Chúa Jêsus đáp: “Nếu Ta muốn người ấy cứ ở lại cho tới lúc Ta đến thì can hệ gì đến con? Phần con, hãy theo Ta” (Gi. 21:21-22).

Chúa Jêsus chỉ cho Phi-e-rơ thấy phương cách tốt nhất để tránh sự so sánh gây hại. Khi tâm trí chúng ta tập chú vào Chúa và tất cả những gì Ngài đã làm cho mình, thì những ý tưởng tập chú vào bản thân sẽ biến mất và chúng ta sẽ mong muốn theo Ngài. Giữa sự tranh đấu căng thẳng và áp lực của thế gian này, Chúa ban cho chúng ta sự bình an và sự hiện diện đầy yêu thương của Ngài. Không gì có thể so sánh với Ngài.

Làm thế nào để bạn có thể sử dụng mạng xã hội theo cách tôn cao Chúa? Mối liên hệ thật sự với Chúa sẽ giúp bạn tránh khỏi việc so sánh thế nào?

Việc so sánh với người khác khiến chúng ta đánh mất niềm vui. Theodore Roosevelt

bởi James Banks

© 2019 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

“Một ngày nào đó, em sẽ đăng tất cả lên Facebook—chứ không chỉ những gì tốt đẹp!”