The Daily Lectionary for SATURDAY, March 30, 2019

The Parables of the Lost Sheep and coin
Luke 15:1-10

The Daily Lectionary

SATURDAY, March 30, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 32

The Joy of Forgiveness
Of David. A Maskil.
1  Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
     whose sin is covered.
2  Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
     and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3  While I kept silence, my body wasted away
     through my groaning all day long.
4  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
     my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.    Selah

5  Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
     and I did not hide my iniquity;
   I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
     and you forgave the guilt of my sin.    Selah

6  Therefore let all who are faithful
     offer prayer to you;
   at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
     shall not reach them.
7  You are a hiding place for me;
     you preserve me from trouble;
     you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.    Selah

8  I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
     I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9  Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
     whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
     else it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
     but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
     and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Exodus 32:7-14

32:7 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

11 But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Luke 15:1-10

The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

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
“This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, March 30, 2019

Isaiah 53:3-4 (NIV) He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

Read all of Isaiah 53

Listen to Isaiah 53

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 - Hijos, valoremos a nuestros padres

Hijos, valoremos a nuestros padres

Escucha a tu padre, que te engendró, y no desprecies a tu madre cuando sea anciana.

~ Proverbios 23:22 (NVI)

Padres y madres, no se vayan de la meditación de hoy. Nosotros también somos hijos.

Aunque ya lo mencioné al inicio de este libro, el único mandamiento con promesa es que honremos a nuestros padres para tener una larga vida.

¿Te imaginas lo que para Dios significa el respeto a ellos que hasta puede ser una condición para vivir muchos años?

Sé que cuando somos jóvenes y adolescentes, los consejos de papá y mamá son a veces hasta fastidiosos. Su compañía en ciertas edades hasta molesta en determinadas etapas de la vida. Salir con ellos… ¡huy, qué pena!

No obstante, todo esto pasa y, a medida que vamos creciendo, madurando, aprendiendo y perdonando, vamos cambiando la manera de verlos y respetarlos.

Cuando llegamos a la etapa de ser padres, es que al fin apreciamos todo lo que hicieron por nosotros. Cuando esos hijos crecen y nos faltan al respeto o nos hacen sufrir, por fin nos ponemos en los zapatos de nuestros papás que nos aconsejaban y velaban por nuestro bienestar.

Nunca es tarde para atenderlos, para acompañarlos, para disfrutarlos y hacer lo que dice la Biblia: «Honra a tu padre y a tu madre» (Éxodo 20:12).

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Padres y madres, no se vayan de la meditación de hoy. Nosotros también somos hijos.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - RELATIONAL ASPECT OF COMMITMENT

RELATIONAL ASPECT OF COMMITMENT

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

~ Luke 9:23 (NIV)

The relational aspect of commitment is found in the phrase, “Whoever wants to be my disciple…” There is a desire on our part that causes us to want to come to Jesus to be His follower. It is a relationship that you seek to establish with Him. But what is the origin of this relationship? We do not have anything in us that is good enough to be offered to God. It is God Himself who has committed Himself to us. It is He who has taken the initiative that makes it possible for me to respond in commitment to Him.

We see God’s commitment in His creation. He made humankind in His image. And we see His true commitment when we messed up in the fall of humankind. Thus began God’s plan for salvation, the redemption story that culminated in the coming of Jesus Christ. God’s commitment to us is one of total love. This caused Him to not even spare His only Son from the cruelty of the cross to redeem us from the curse of sin.

In addition, when Jesus was on earth, it was He who took the initiative. In fact, when there were some who wanted to volunteer their services prior to their understanding of the true nature of discipleship and the commitment that is required of them, they were discouraged from doing so:

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:18–22)

This is the relational aspect of commitment; one in which we desire to follow Jesus because God first committed Himself to us and calls us to follow Him. We who have experienced His love and grace desire to respond to Him.

RESPONSE: Today I commit to a relationship with Jesus in being a true learner and follower.

PRAYER: Lord, I respond to Your love and grace today and desire to become a fully devoted disciple.

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

The NIV Couples Devotional - Parental Lessons to Avoid

Parental Lessons to Avoid

Ezekiel 20:1–29

“Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

~ Ezekiel 20:18–19 (NIV)

Most children follow the example of their parents. Even as we move into adulthood and marriage, it is natural to mirror our parents’ attitudes and actions. Following their examples can be positive and productive. But what some parents teach can also be difficult and destructive, or somewhere in between.

Jim and Jolene wrestled with the lessons each had learned in their dysfunctional families. When they gave their lives and their marriage to Jesus Christ, they found themselves on a healthier path. But the lessons each had learned from parents and other family members required a lot of sifting. As the couple grew in Christ, they learned three important lessons that the people of Israel also had to learn. The prophet Ezekiel provided specific directions:

First, do not follow the rules (written and unwritten) of sinful parents. Their destructive behavior, broken relationships and spiritual emptiness can lead to death. That was Jim’s experience. He had witnessed drunkenness, abuse and betrayal in his parents’ relationship, and as a teen Jim followed their example as he got into drugs, alcohol and trouble with the law.

Even religious parents can provide poor examples to follow. Jolene often went to church with her family and took part in a youth group. But her mother was judgmental, and her father was preoccupied with his own life. Neither one modeled for Jolene how to behave in a long-term relationship.

Second, do everything you can to pattern your lives and relationship after Christ and his followers. Before meeting each other, Jim and Jolene had become believers. Yet they had to learn how to live as authentic Christians in marriage. They learned as much as they could from Christ’s teachings and example as well as from godly couples in church.

Third, keep the Sabbath. It’s easy to organize life around each other, your jobs, recreational activities, house and yard upkeep, or caring for the kids. But as God says in Ezekiel 20:20, we must keep the Sabbaths holy, “that they may be a sign between us.” When our lives conform to the pattern suggested to us by Scripture, setting aside a day to worship God with other believers and letting everything else line up after that, then, as Ezekiel said, we will know God is our Lord.

John R. Throop

Let’s Talk

• What were some of the lessons our parents taught us about being a husband or wife? How did they model good behavior? Not-so-good behavior?
• What are some practical and productive ways we can follow the commands of Christ to build a spiritual life as a couple and together glorify him?
• In a time-challenged world, what are some ways we can keep the Sabbath together? How can we worship and obey God together?

Most children follow the example of their parents. Even as we move into adulthood and marriage, it is natural to mirror our parents’ attitudes and actions.

LHM Daily Devotions - THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD

"THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD"

Mar. 30, 2019

(Jesus said) "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

~ Matthew 10:16 (ESV)

What a cold-blooded snake.

Caiaphas is the ultimate politician. He sees Jesus as a risk, someone who could bring the whole religious hierarchy crashing down. Caiaphas isn't about to lose his job as high priest, not for Jesus, even if He is a miracle worker, even if He is the actual Messiah. Better to get rid of Him at once. And so Caiaphas says to his fellow plotters: "You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man (Jesus) should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish" (John 11:49-50).

Time to bite the bullet. Make the hard decision. Get rid of one man and save the whole nation. After all, we're living in the real world, aren't we? Not the pretty baby world of morality and fairy tales. We're grown-ups here. And so Caiaphas sets in motion the events of Jesus' suffering and death.

We hear this reasoning so often—from politicians, from businesses, and even sometimes from our own coworkers, friends, or family. And we are tempted. We know what they're proposing is wrong. But it looks like such an easy solution... And we're scared. If we don't go along with it, will our own worlds come crashing down? Should we join the crucifiers with Caiaphas, or should we risk ending up on a cross next to Jesus?

But even here the Holy Spirit is at work. He takes those terribly evil words and turns them into a prophecy: Caiaphas "did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad" (John 11:51-52).

It is for us Jesus died—for all of us who are scared, who are tempted, who worry about what the future will bring. It is even for us who have fallen, who took the easy way out when we knew it was wrong. For us Jesus died, to bring us together again as the children of God, forgiven and made new. For us Jesus rose, that we might be set free from fear and trust in the safety of God's love for us.

THE PRAYER: Lord, give us wisdom and strength to withstand our own fears and the tempting wrong suggestions of those around us. Amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• Who in your world do you hear saying things like Caiaphas? How do you deal with their pressure on you?

• What do you do when you're afraid? Does it help?

• If you are willing, tell about a time when you were tempted to take the easy way out. How did God help 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 do you do when you're afraid? Does it help?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 30 de Marzo de 2019 - La sabiduría del mundo

ALIMENTO DIARIO

La sabiduría del mundo

30 de Marzo de 2019

Tengan ustedes en cuenta que los estoy enviando como a ovejas en medio de lobos; así que sean prudentes como serpientes y sencillos como palomas.

~ Mateo 10:16 (RVC)

Caifás es el político máximo. Él ve a Jesús como un riesgo a la jerarquía religiosa, por lo que les dice a sus compañeros conspiradores: «Ustedes no saben nada, ni se dan cuenta de que nos conviene que un hombre muera por el pueblo, y no que toda la nación perezca» (Juan 11:49-50).

Es hora de hacer de tripas corazón, de tomar la decisión difícil, de deshacerse de un hombre para salvar a toda la nación. Y así, Caifás desencadena los acontecimientos del sufrimiento y la muerte de Jesús.

Este razonamiento lo escuchamos a menudo, ya sea de políticos, en los negocios, y a veces de nuestros compañeros de trabajo, amigos o familiares. Y nos sentimos tentados. Sabemos que lo que están proponiendo está mal. ¡Pero parece una solución tan fácil! Además, si no lo aceptamos, ¿qué va a pasar con nuestro mundo? ¿Deberíamos unirnos a Caifás y sus verdugos, o arriesgarnos a terminar en una cruz junto a Jesús?

Pero incluso aquí vemos a Dios en acción. Su Espíritu Santo toma las malvadas palabras de Caifás y las convierte en la siguiente profecía: "Pero esto no lo dijo por cuenta propia sino que, como aquel año era el sumo sacerdote, profetizó que Jesús moriría por la nación; y no solamente por la nación, sino también para congregar en un solo pueblo a los hijos de Dios que estaban dispersos" (Juan 11:51-52).

Jesús murió para unirnos nuevamente como hijos de Dios, perdonados y hechos nuevos. Jesús resucitó para que podamos ser liberados del temor y la confianza en la seguridad del amor de Dios por nosotros.

ORACIÓN: Señor, danos sabiduría y fortaleza para resistir nuestros propios miedos y las tentadoras sugerencias erróneas de quienes nos rodean. Amén.

PREGUNTAS DE REFLEXIÓN:

• ¿A quién escuchas decir cosas como Caifás en tu vida? ¿Cómo lidias con su presión sobre ti?

• ¿Qué haces cuando tienes miedo? ¿te ayuda?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué haces cuando tienes miedo? ¿te ayuda?

Хліб Наш Насущній - Творець, Ким усе стоїть

Творець, Ким усе стоїть

Читати: Євреїв 1:1-4 | Біблія за рік: Суддів 9−10 ; Луки 5:17-39

Завантажити MP3

Він був сяєвом слави та образом істоти Його, тримав усе словом сили Своєї. — Євреїв 1:3

Орудуючи лупою та пінцетом, швейцарський годинникар Пилип докладно пояснював мені, як він розбирає, чистить, а потім знову збирає крихітні деталі фірмових механічних годинників. Пилип, вказуючи на хитромудрі частинки, розкривав переді мною важливий компонент годинника: ходову пружину. Цей механізм рухає всі шестерні, що дозволяє годиннику показувати правильний час. Без пружини не зможуть функціонувати годинники навіть найбільш професійного виготовлення.

В Посланні до євреїв автор велично підносить Ісуса Христа як Того, через Кого Бог створив небеса та землю. Як майстер виготовляє складний фірмовий годинник, так і Христос створив кожну деталь нашого Всесвіту (Євр. 1:2). Все було створене через Нього – від унікальних відбитків пальців кожної людини до величезної сонячної системи.

Але Ісус є не лише Творець. Він грає ключову роль у функціонуванні та процвітанні творіння. Присутність Христа “тримає усе словом сили” Його (Євр. 1:3), завдяки чому все зберігається вкупі й працює у своїй вражаючій складності.

Якщо у вас сьогодні буде можливість насолодитися красою творіння, згадайте, що “все Ним стоїть” (Кол. 1:17). Нехай глибоке розуміння центральної ролі Ісуса в творінні та підтримуванні Всесвіту викликає радість у вашому серці і спонукає до прославлення Його святого Ймення.

Що у Божому творінні спонукає вас поклонятися Господу? Що ви відчуваєте, коли згадуєте, що Ісус тримає все Своїм словом?

Господи Ісусе, ми так вдячні Тобі за все, що Ти створив. Дякуємо за те, що піклуєшся про Своє творіння й підтримуєш його.

Автор Ліза Самра

© 2019 Хліб Наш Насущній
Орудуючи лупою та пінцетом, швейцарський годинникар Пилип докладно пояснював мені, як він розбирає, чистить, а потім знову збирає крихітні деталі фірмових механічних годинників.