The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, March 27, 2019

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Luke 13:18-19

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, March 27, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 39

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the leader: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1  I said, “I will guard my ways
     that I may not sin with my tongue;
   I will keep a muzzle on my mouth
     as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2  I was silent and still;
     I held my peace to no avail;
   my distress grew worse,
3    my heart became hot within me.
   While I mused, the fire burned;
     then I spoke with my tongue:

4  “Lord, let me know my end,
     and what is the measure of my days;
     let me know how fleeting my life is.
5  You have made my days a few handbreadths,
     and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight.
   Surely everyone stands as a mere breath.    Selah
6    Surely everyone goes about like a shadow.
   Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
     they heap up, and do not know who will gather.

7  “And now, O Lord, what do I wait for?
     My hope is in you.
8  Deliver me from all my transgressions.
     Do not make me the scorn of the fool.
9  I am silent; I do not open my mouth,
    for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me;
     I am worn down by the blows of your hand.

11 “You chastise mortals
     in punishment for sin,
   consuming like a moth what is dear to them;
     surely everyone is a mere breath.    Selah

12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
     and give ear to my cry;
     do not hold your peace at my tears.
   For I am your passing guest,
     an alien, like all my forebears.
13 Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again,
     before I depart and am no more.”

Numbers 13:17-27

13:17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb, and go up into the hill country, 18 and see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the towns that they live in are unwalled or fortified, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be bold, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the season of the first ripe grapes.

21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into the Negeb, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the Anakites, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came to the Wadi Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Wadi Eshcol, because of the cluster that the Israelites cut down from there.

The Report of the Spies
25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us; it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.

Luke 13:18-21

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
13:18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast
20 And again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

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
What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it?

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, March 27, 2019

Psalm 62:7 (NIV) My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Read all of Psalm 62

Listen to Psalm 62

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 - Alimenta a la familia

Alimenta a la familia

Busquen primeramente el reino de Dios y su justicia.

~ Mateo 6:33 (NVI)

Cuando hablo de alimentos, no me refiero a que seas un magnífico proveedor en tu casa. Es obvio que eso es lo que debes hacer como cabeza del hogar, aunque seas madre soltera.

Con todo, analiza lo que dice el Manual de Instrucciones: «No solo de pan vivirá el hombre» (Lucas 4:4, rv-60).

Así que me refiero a cómo estás alimentando a tu familia desde el punto de vista espiritual. Lo que hagas por tus pequeños, marcará su vida cuando sean adolescentes y adultos.

En estos tiempos tan difíciles, nunca ha sido más importante que comiences a implementar en tus hijos hábitos de oración, lectura bíblica y la búsqueda de una iglesia en la que puedan aprender a conocer de verdad a Dios y lo que Él hizo por cada uno de nosotros.

Es posible que me digas: «Pero como yo trabajo siempre, los fines de semana no tengo tiempo para ir a la iglesia y por las noches estoy tan cansado que tampoco tengo tiempo de orar con mis hijos, mucho menos crear en ellos el hermoso hábito de leer la Biblia».

Nunca es tarde para empezar, pues nuestros hijos necesitan conocer de Jesús. Esto los guardará de muchas cosas en la vida.

Ir a una iglesia no es fanatismo, sino que es un deber y a su vez es protección para ellos. Aun así, el ejemplo comienza por nosotros mismos.

De la misma manera que sea tu relación con Dios, asimismo será la de tus hijos con Él, ya que eres su ejemplo a seguir.

Comienza a dar el ejemplo hoy y cosecharás vidas victoriosas en ellos. Sin importar la edad que tengan… ¡comienza ya!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Cuando hablo de alimentos, no me refiero a que seas un magnífico proveedor en tu casa.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - HUMAN INCOMPREHENSION: THE CROSS

HUMAN INCOMPREHENSION: THE CROSS

And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

~ Mark 15:34 (NIV)

Today’s devotional again comes from a Chinese house church pastor who was arrested and held for three weeks just prior to this talk. He says his experience was going with Christ to the Garden and to the Cross. Today he continues and explains another aspect of The Cross:

But it is not all triumph. I know some pastors who said they just smiled all the time from the moment they were arrested, and felt unutterable joy the whole time. I suppose that is possible. After all, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego seemed to be very calm throughout their ordeal. But we must not make that the test of true spirituality. The Psalmists are full of despair and questioning as they go through hard times. So were Jeremiah and Job and Habakkuk. And most sobering of all, our Lord Himself was heard to cry from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

This is the dark side of the experience. What makes suffering hardest to bear are the questions, the voices that well up within each of us, that are full of doubts, despair and depression. And I believe this is OK. As humans we were not meant to suffer. We were made to be part of a perfect world, with no sorrow or sighing, an Eden where everyone was righteous and fulfilled. So when we suffer, there is a sense in which our bodies and spirits witness saying, “This is unnatural, this is not why we were created.”

In my own case, I wondered whether God had turned His back on me, or was punishing me for past sins. Yes, I know that sounds odd after all I have just said about feeling the power of God within to forgive my persecutor, and having the angel strengthen me. But you forget these things in the dark watches of the night, sleeping sandwiched between two prisoners and being cursed by everyone because you need to rise and go to the toilet; and so everyone must wake up and shift their position. It was the nights that were worst.

But most of these doubts were not weaknesses as such; they were attempts to comprehend the incomprehensible. Where is God here? What’s He up to? How can this possibly extend His kingdom? How is His glory served by one of my sisters being raped by an interrogator? The fact is, when we suffer, there is so much that we cannot understand. I read somewhere that “because we are human, we yearn to understand, but because we are human, we cannot understand.”

Suffering puts us in our place. It humbles us to realize that we are not really in charge of our lives. This is a hard realization. God is in charge, and His purposes can be hard to discern at times. He takes even the sin of the world, and turns it to good account. We often do not see how He does this, but we believe it. Accepting it in faith is never easy when you are suffering.

RESPONSE: Today I will not try to understand the incomprehensible. I will accept God’s goodness in everything by faith.

PRAYER: Pray for Christian prisoners going through great pain today that they may know His touch.

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 - We're Loved Even When Life is Messy

We're Loved Even When Life is Messy

Holley Gerth

Today’s Truth

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~ Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

Friend to Friend

I walk into the kitchen on an ordinary morning and sigh at the spectacle in front of me. Mugs half-filled with cold tea. Dishes with bits of red sauce still stuck around the edges. Plates piled high in the sink.

I imagine a hazmat team beating down the door at any moment. One of my in-laws showing up to repossess my husband. Paparazzi peeking in the windows to snap a scandalous shot of the wreckage.

I look at my husband and declare, “I feel like a failure because the kitchen is a mess.” I know these words are irrational. Everyone has messy times in their lives. But on this morning those words feel true. He chuckles at my perfectionist self. “We’ve been traveling and really busy,” he says with a grin and an arm around my shoulders.

This bit of grace is enough to throw me a lifeline. And into that space comes this reminder: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38-39).

And quite suddenly and unexpectedly I’m writing my own version….

Nothing can separate me from God’s love. Neither messy kitchens nor dirty dishes, neither stressful deadlines or chaotic travel, neither all I have to do today or what’s on my schedule for tomorrow—not even the lie of the enemy saying “You’re a failure” can separate me from God’s love.

How would you fill in those blanks?

Nothing can separate me from God’s love. Neither (screaming children, a hard diagnosis, the amount of wine I had last night, a crumbling marriage, the bad hair day) nor (what anyone says about me, how many times I’ve messed up before, my insecurity or feelings of inadequacy, the latest bad news on TV)--not even the sneaky attacks of the enemy (on my heart, my work, my family) can separate me from God's love.

There’s always a reason to believe God isn’t going to love us anymore. But there is also one reason we can always know that isn’t true: The Cross. It is bigger than mountains of dishes or the hardest of divorces or the scariest diagnosis. It is the one constant in our crazy lives, the ever-present declaration telling us over and over again, “You are loved. You are loved. You are loved.”

My husband and I clear the counters and load the dishwasher. As we do, my thoughts begin to clear too. It’s so easy to let my circumstances or environment define me. But God alone gets to determine my identity. He looks at all that’s in my life, in my heart, in my kitchen sink and He still calls me always and without hesitation, “Beloved.”

He’s saying the same to you. To all of us. Whatever may happen, however we may feel, Love gets the final word in our lives today.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I’m overwhelmed by Your love for me. It isn’t based on my track record or my resume. It won’t fail or disappear if I mess up. You love me for me, just as I am. When I try to measure up or listen to the lies that say I need to be more or do more, remind me of grace. Your Love gets the final word.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

How would you fill in those blanks? Write it out today… Neither ________ nor ________ -- not even ________ can separate me from God's love.

More from the Girlfriends

Holley Gerth is a bestselling author, encourager and life coach who loves empowering women to embrace who they are and become all God created them to be. In her book You're Loved No Matter What, Holley shares how God wants to set our hearts free by revealing the lies we believe and reminding us of the truth: His love has no limits, His love has no expectations, His love has no requirements, and His love is not dependent on us.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

I walk into the kitchen on an ordinary morning and sigh at the spectacle in front of me ...

LHM Daily Devotions - MORE THAN A DUTY

"MORE THAN A DUTY"

Mar. 27, 2019

And they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together...

~ Luke 22:55 (ESV)

When the guards got back to the high priest's house, they went into the courtyard and made a fire. It was cold, and they'd be waiting a long, long time. There was no prospect of bed any time soon! The priests and leaders would be meeting for hours, they knew that. So they gathered in a group around the charcoal fire, warming themselves and watching the flames. Waiting was their duty.

The servants of the household were on duty, too. The girl in charge of the door was checking people who arrived for the meeting to make sure that no one improper got in. Other servants passed through the courtyard, making sure that the men in the meeting had whatever they needed. That was their duty—to fetch and carry whatever was needed—chairs, refreshments, messages. They, too, would have a long night.

Though they could not have known it, there was one more person on duty that night—our Lord Jesus, on trial for His life in that council room. Of everyone there He had the hardest work, for He was in the process of rescuing the entire human race. By now He was well launched into His Passion—arrested, beaten, slapped, forced to listen while people lied about Him and His ministry. It would be a very long night for Jesus, with no rest and no sleep ever again—not until His body slept in death the next evening in a borrowed tomb.

But it was more than duty that motivated Jesus. He wasn't just doing it because He "had to"—He was doing it because He loved us. Looking ahead, He knew that everything He suffered would bring us out of spiritual death into eternal life and joy forever. As Isaiah put it, "He shall see His offspring... Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11). Because of what Jesus did, we are God's children, and Jesus is satisfied—joyful!—because we belong to Him.

THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You so much that we are more than just another duty for You. Thank You for taking delight in us. Amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• What duties do you have in your life?

• What kinds of things do you do for love—not simply because you have to do them?

• What does it mean to you, that Jesus delights in you?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What duties do you have in your life?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 27 de Marzo de 2019 - Más que un deber

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Más que un deber

27 de Marzo de 2019

En medio del patio encendieron una fogata, y se sentaron alrededor de ella. También Pedro se sentó entre ellos.

~ Lucas 22:55 (RVC)

Cuando los guardias regresaron a la casa del sumo sacerdote, fueron al patio y encendieron una hoguera. Habían esperado mucho, tenían frío y ¡ni miras de ir a dormir pronto! Sabían que los sacerdotes y los líderes iban a estar reunidos por horas, por lo que se juntaron alrededor del fuego para calentarse. Su deber era esperar.

Los sirvientes también estaban de servicio. La joven a cargo de la puerta se aseguraba de que no entrara nadie inapropiado. Otros sirvientes se encargaban de que los hombres reunidos tuvieran lo que necesitaban: sillas, refrigerios, mensajes. Ellos también tendrían una noche larga.

Aunque no podían saberlo, había otra persona más en servicio esa noche: nuestro Señor Jesús. De todos los que estaban allí, él tenía el trabajo más difícil: rescatar a la humanidad. A esas alturas, su pasión ya estaba bien entrada: ya había sido arrestado, golpeado, abofeteado, obligado a escuchar mientras la gente mentía sobre él y su ministerio. Para él también sería una noche muy larga: nunca más descansaría ni dormiría, no hasta que su cuerpo durmiera de muerte la noche siguiente en una tumba prestada.

Pero no fue el deber lo único que motivó a Jesús. Lo que estaba haciendo lo hacía no sólo porque "tenía que hacerlo", sino porque "quería hacerlo" por amor a nosotros. Jesús sabía que todos sus sufrimientos y muerte nos sacarían de la muerte espiritual a la vida y el gozo eternos. Como dijo Isaías: "Verá el fruto de su propia aflicción, y se dará por satisfecho. Mi siervo justo justificará a muchos por medio de su conocimiento, y él mismo llevará las iniquidades de ellos" (Isaías 53:11). Gracias a lo que Jesús hizo somos hijos de Dios, y Jesús está gozoso porque le pertenecemos.

ORACIÓN: Señor, gracias por dar tu vida por nosotros para que podamos tener vida eterna junto a ti. Amén.

PREGUNTAS DE REFLEXIÓN:

• ¿Qué cosas haces por amor, no simplemente porque tienes que hacerlas?

• ¿Qué significa para ti que Jesús se deleite en ti?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué cosas haces por amor, no simplemente porque tienes que hacerlas?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Gestão de imagem

Gestão de imagem

Leia: Isaías 43:1-9
 | A Bíblia em um ano: Juízes 1–3; Lucas 4:1-30


Baixe a versão MP3

Visto que foste precioso aos meus olhos, digno de honra, e eu te amei, darei homens por ti… v.4


Para comemorar o aniversário de 80 anos de Winston Churchill, o parlamento britânico pediu que Graham Sutherland pintasse um retrato dele. “Como você vai me pintar”, Churchill teria perguntado ao artista: “Como anjo ou cão feroz?” Churchill gostava destas duas percepções que causava. Sutherland disse-lhe que o retrataria da maneira que o via.

Churchill não gostou do resultado. Foi retratado largado numa cadeira com a carranca mal-humorada, fiel à realidade. Após a sua apresentação oficial, Churchill escondeu-a em sua adega, e mais tarde, o retrato foi destruído secretamente.

A maioria de nós tem sua autoimagem e quer que outros concordem: seja de sucesso, santidade, beleza ou força. Podemos ir longe para esconder os lados “ocultos”. Talvez, no fundo, temamos que não seremos amados se o lado “bem pessoal” for conhecido.

Quando os israelitas foram levados cativos, eles foram vistos em seu pior momento. Por causa de pecados, Deus permitiu que os inimigos os conquistassem. Mas lhes disse para não temerem, pois os conhecia pelo nome, e estaria com eles em cada situação humilhante (Isaías 43:1,2). Eles estavam seguros em Suas mãos (v.13) e eram “preciosos” (v.4). Apesar de sua “feiura”, Deus os amava.

Deus nos conhece verdadeiramente e mesmo assim nos ama com intensidade (Efésios 3:18).

O profundo amor de Deus significa que podemos realmente 
ser quem somos diante de todos.

por Sheridan Voysey

© 2019 Ministérios Pão Diário
Para comemorar o aniversário de 80 anos de Winston Churchill, o parlamento britânico pediu que Graham Sutherland pintasse um retrato dele. “Como você vai me pintar”, Churchill teria perguntado ao artista: “Como anjo ou cão feroz?”