The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019

Feeding the Five Thousand
Luke 9:10-17

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 53

Denunciation of Godlessness
To the leader: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.
1  Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
     They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
     there is no one who does good.

2  God looks down from heaven on humankind
     to see if there are any who are wise,
     who seek after God.

3  They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
     there is no one who does good,
     no, not one.

4  Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
     who eat up my people as they eat bread,
     and do not call upon God?

5  There they shall be in great terror,
     in terror such as has not been.
   For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;
     they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.

6  O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
     When God restores the fortunes of his people,
     Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

2 Kings 4:1-7

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil
4:1 Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil.” 3 He said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few. 4 Then go in, and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.” 5 So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But he said to her, “There are no more.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your children can live on the rest.”

Luke 9:10-17

Feeding the Five Thousand
9:10 On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.

12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so and made them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

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
“We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Read all of Hebrews 12

Listen to Hebrews 12

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 - Vive de día en día

Vive de día en día

Así que, no os afanéis por el día de mañana, porque el día de mañana traerá su afán. Basta a cada día su propio mal.

~ Mateo 6:34 (RV-60)

No sé cuál es el interés de muchas personas, unas más que otras, en conocer lo que les pasará en el futuro y cómo serán sus vidas en el mañana. Quieren saber de enfermedades, traiciones y cosas negativas que, más que hacerles un favor, llenan su vida de confusión y zozobra.

Debes entender que el único interesado en tu vida, en tu futuro, en bendecirte y conceder las peticiones del corazón es Dios.

Ninguna persona de estas que se encargan de adivinar el futuro les importa cómo termine tu vida, porque ni siquiera conocen lo que Dios ya tiene predestinado para nosotros.

Claro, los brujos, espiritistas y adivinos, entre otros, adquieren poder porque el enemigo se encarga de dárselo. Sin embargo, ese poder no es para bendecir tu vida, pues quieren acercarse a ti con horóscopos y demás cosas que solo causan confusión.

En su Palabra, Dios presenta al enemigo con tres funciones muy definidas. Así que, por favor, memorízalas bien: El enemigo viene para robar, matar y destruir.

Dios, tu Padre, si es que así lo reconoces, te ofrece todo lo contrario. Él quiere darle paz a tu vida en medio de tu preocupación. Promete no abandonarte jamás. Quiere hacerte feliz y quiere sanarte. Te da la oportunidad de que te arrepientas y, como si fuera poco, te ofrece una vida eterna en su presencia cuando lo reconoces por medio de su Hijo Jesucristo.

Vive de día en día porque cada día trae su propio afán.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
No sé cuál es el interés de muchas personas, unas más que otras, en conocer lo que les pasará en el futuro y cómo serán sus vidas en el mañana.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - COME AND DIE

COME AND DIE

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

~ John 12:24 (NIV)

When our children were young, we would often sing before dinner the chorus, “Come and dine the master calleth, come and dine...” One day our youngest, Melinda, our adopted Filipina asked, “Daddy, why does Jesus say we have to come and die?” The family laughed at this question concluding that we really needed to work on our singing diction.

But as I study Jesus’ teaching, I’ve come to realize that Melinda was singing correctly all the time. Because Jesus also indicates that discipleship means there is a cross to bear. All too often the cross becomes for us just an historic symbol. One day a North American minister was showing a foreign visitor his newly built church building. Outside, a spotlight illuminated a huge cross on the steeple. The pastor boasted, “That cross alone cost us $10,000.”

The visitor looked at him quizzically and replied, “Where I come from, Christians can get them for free!”

A Canadian Christian aid worker was overwhelmed at the enormous need among the believers of southern Sudan. He recalls some children in a village wearing nothing but hand carved bone crosses fashioned in necklaces around their necks. He pointed to the cross on one emaciated child and questioned her with hand motions. She smiled broadly, took off the necklace and handed it to him.

His thoughtful analysis is this: “That little act symbolizes the state of the suffering church in Sudan. With absolutely nothing in the way of material possessions, they still have the cross of Jesus Christ. They are prepared to share its hope - even though it means death.”

To Jesus the cross meant the willing denial of self for the sake of others. Seeking to save your life, you’ll lose it while losing your life for Jesus will save it.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who gave up his life taking a stand against Hitler wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” That’s what it means to lose our life in order to save it. Jesus himself was our example being willing to go to the cross on behalf of others—even a lost world.

RESPONSE: Today I will deny myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, I respond to Your call to “come and die to myself” in order to find real life in You.

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 - Our God of Second Chances

Our God of Second Chances

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

~ Luke 15:20 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Perhaps one of the most memorable and heart-touching stories of grace and forgiveness is recorded in Luke 15. It’s what we’ve come to know as the Story of the Prodigal Son. This young man demanded his inheritance while his father was still alive, spent it all on riotous living, and found himself dirty, destitute, and despairing. As despicable as pigs were to Jews, this young man took a job taking care of pigs and eating their food just to stay alive. But then he had an epiphany.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father” (Luke 15:17-20).

And where was his father? He was panning the horizon, hoping for a sign that his boy might return home. Don’t let the depth of that sentence pass you by. The father was PANNING the horizon. Looking. Waiting. Praying.

It is easy to think that God is dispassionately sitting on his throne just waiting for us to come groveling back to him. That’s not the picture Jesus paints at all. The father was panning the horizon. Searching. Pacing. Expectant. That’s how much your heavenly father loves you. There’s nothing passive about it.

While “he was still a long way off” (verse 20), the father spotted his son on the horizon. Filled with compassion, he picked up the edges of his robe and ran. He didn’t wait for his son to come to him, grovel at his feet, and beg for forgiveness. No, as soon as the father caught a glimpse of his son, he dashed toward his boy, smothered him with kisses, and welcomed him home.

If you remember, not everyone was happy when the prodigal son returned. His big brother resented the fact that he got another chance. And you know what? There will be those who resent the fact that we get another chance as well.

“Big brother won’t mind if you come back as long as you hang your head and wear your shame. But when God has the audacity to give you a little dignity back and you dare lift your radiant face to heaven in liberated praise, big brother may be appalled!…It’s pride that can’t celebrate with a prodigal-come-home. Folks who won’t celebrate are still kidding themselves into thinking they did something right to be loved by their Father.”¹¹

I say, let him be appalled. Nothing makes some people angrier than grace. Big brother is invited to the party too, and it’s his decision whether or not he wants to join in the celebration. I’m just glad he’s not the one in charge.

Jesus was telling this story to a group of Pharisees while others also listened in. The typical question asked when telling this story is, are you the prodigal son or the big brother. But here’s where I want you to hang your hat today. Jesus loved both. The prodigal and the big brother. The sinner and the Pharisee. You and me. He pans the horizon looking for all to come to Him. And when we do He says: Let the party begin!

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for never giving up on me. Whether I’m acting like the wayward prodigal or the judgmental big brother, I know that You love me and long for me to take my place in Your loving arms. Father, I’m home.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read Luke 15:11-32 in your Bible today.

What impresses you most about the Father’s reaction to his sons?

What is God saying to you from this story today?

More From the Girlfriends

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Girlfriends in God

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Perhaps one of the most memorable and heart-touching stories of grace and forgiveness is recorded in Luke 15.

LHM Daily Devotions - SAVING THE SAVIOR?

"SAVING THE SAVIOR?"

Apr. 3, 2019

While he (Pilate) was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man, for I have suffered much because of Him today in a dream."

~ Matthew 27:19 (ESV)

Pilate's wife is one of the more interesting minor characters in the Passion story. All we know about her is that she had a dream about Jesus, and it concerned her so much that she tried to get her husband to set Him free as a righteous man. Where did the dream come from? Coincidence? God? Wherever it came from, she was right. And she did everything in her power to rescue the innocent Jesus from His fate.

Pilate was apparently worried by his wife's dream—no surprise, since the Romans put a lot of stock in omens, portents, and dreams. At the very least, he would have been deeply uneasy at his wife's report. He was already aware that the case against Jesus was based purely on jealousy—that the religious leaders hated Him for His popularity, and not for any real wrongdoing. So Pilate tried to get Jesus released through a trick—offering the crowd a choice between the popular Jesus and a known murderer, Barabbas. Unfortunately, it backfired. The crowd chose the wrong man. And Pilate didn't have the guts to set the innocent Jesus free.

It must have been heartbreaking for Pilate's wife. She tried so hard to save Jesus, and all for nothing. He died anyway, like a common criminal, hanged on a cross.

Or was it for nothing? Jesus wouldn't say so. He knew exactly why He had come to that day, and it wasn't to be miraculously saved by a Roman lady, however kindhearted. He came instead to save her—yes, and Pilate too, and everybody else, all who would have their sins taken away by His death on the cross. And by rising again, He gave all of us who trust in Him everlasting life. Jesus is our true and everlasting Savior.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You that You chose to save us rather than being saved Yourself. Amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• Have you ever had a particularly disturbing dream?

• When have you tried to help someone and had it all go terribly wrong?

• When has God overruled your plans, only to do something that was ultimately much better?

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).
Have you ever had a particularly disturbing dream?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 03 de Abril de 2019 - ¿Salvando al Salvador?

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Salvando al Salvador?

03 de Abril de 2019

Mientras él estaba sentado en el tribunal, su mujer mandó a decirle: «No tengas nada que ver con ese justo, pues por causa de él hoy he tenido un sueño terrible.»

~ Mateo 27:19 (RVC)

La esposa de Pilato es uno de los personajes menores más interesantes de la historia de la Pasión. Todo lo que sabemos de ella es que tuvo un sueño sobre Jesús que le preocupaba tanto, que trató de que su esposo lo liberara como un hombre justo. ¿De dónde vino el sueño? ¿Coincidencia? ¿Dios? No lo sabemos. Pero tenía razón. E hizo todo lo que estaba a su alcance para rescatar al Jesús inocente de su destino.

Pilato estaba preocupado por el sueño de su esposa lo que no es de extrañar, ya que los romanos creían mucho en los augurios, los presagios y los sueños. Como mínimo, se habría sentido muy incómodo con el relato de su esposa. Ya era consciente de que el caso contra Jesús se basaba en que los líderes religiosos lo odiaban por su popularidad y no por ningún delito real. Así es que trató de liberarlo a través de un truco: ofreciendo a la multitud la posibilidad de elegir entre el popular Jesús y Barrabás, un asesino conocido. Desafortunadamente, las cosas le salieron mal: la multitud eligió al hombre equivocado y Pilato no tuvo las agallas para igual liberar a Jesús.

¡Debe haber sido desgarrador para la esposa de Pilato, que en vano trató tanto de salvar a Jesús!

¿Pero es cierto que fue en vano? Jesús no diría eso. Él sabía exactamente a qué había venido y que no debía ser salvado por una dama romana, por muy bondadosa que fuera. Al contrario, él vino para salvarla a ella... y también a Pilato y a todos los demás: a todos cuyos pecados les serán quitados con su muerte en la cruz.

ORACIÓN: Señor Jesús, gracias por haber elegido salvarnos a nosotros en vez de salvarte a ti mismo. Amén.

PREGUNTAS DE REFLEXIÓN:

• ¿Alguna vez has tenido un sueño particularmente inquietante?

• ¿Alguna vez Dios ha anulado tus planes, sólo para hacer algo mucho mejor?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez has tenido un sueño particularmente inquietante?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Coração compassivo

Coração compassivo


Leia: Colossenses 3:12-17
 | A Bíblia em um ano: Juízes 19–21; Lucas 7:31-50


Baixe a versão MP3

Revesti-vos […] de misericórdia, de bondade, de humildade, de mansidão, de longanimidade. v.12


Fomos em 7 pessoas assistir a um show musical num parque lotado. Para sentarmos juntos, tentamos nos espremer numa fila de cadeiras. Mas, enquanto nos acomodávamos, uma mulher se esgueirou entre nós. Sue, minha esposa lhe disse que queríamos sentar juntos, mas ela lhe respondeu: “Que pena”, e sentou-se junto aos seus dois companheiros.

Três de nós nos sentamos numa fila atrás da outra de quatro, e Sue notou que um adulto que parecia ter necessidades especiais acompanhava a intrusa. Ela queria manter seu pequeno grupo juntos para cuidar deles. Nisso, a nossa irritação se desfez. Sue disse: “Imagine como deve ser difícil num lugar lotado como este.” Sim, talvez a mulher tivesse sido rude, mas nós podíamos sentir compaixão em vez de raiva.

Sempre encontraremos pessoas que precisam de compaixão. Talvez as palavras de Paulo nos ajudem a ver as pessoas ao nosso redor de modo diferente. Como pessoas que precisam do toque suave de graça, e “…como eleitos de Deus, santos e amados”, nos revestirmos de “ternos afetos de misericórdia, de bondade, de humildade, de mansidão, de longanimidade” (v.12). Paulo nos diz: “Suportai-vos uns aos outros, perdoai-vos mutuamente…” (v.13).

Ao demonstrarmos compaixão, indicaremos aos outros quem é Aquele que derramou o Seu coração de graça e compaixão sobre nós.

Compaixão é entender os problemas dos outros.

por Dave Branon

© 2019 Ministérios Pão Diário
Compaixão é entender os problemas dos outros.