The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

The Heavenly Worship
Revelation 4:1-11

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 30

Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David.
1  I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
     and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2  O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
     and you have healed me.
3  O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
     restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

4  Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
     and give thanks to his holy name.
5  For his anger is but for a moment;
     his favor is for a lifetime.
   Weeping may linger for the night,
     but joy comes with the morning.

6  As for me, I said in my prosperity,
     “I shall never be moved.”
7  By your favor, O Lord,
     you had established me as a strong mountain;
   you hid your face;
     I was dismayed.

8  To you, O Lord, I cried,
     and to the Lord I made supplication:
9  “What profit is there in my death,
     if I go down to the Pit?
   Will the dust praise you?
     Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
     O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;
     you have taken off my sackcloth
     and clothed me with joy,
12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
     O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Isaiah 6:1-4

A Vision of God in the Temple
6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

   “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
   the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.

Revelation 4:1-11

The Heavenly Worship
4:1 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. 4 Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.

Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,

   “Holy, holy, holy,
   the Lord God the Almighty,
     who was and is and is to come.”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
     to receive glory and honor and power,
   for you created all things,
     and by your will they existed and were created.”

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
“Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

Romans 12:12 (NIV) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Read all of Romans 12

Listen to Romans 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 - Friday, May 3, 2019

Aprendamos de nuestros hijos

Los hijos son una herencia del Señor, los frutos del vientre son una recompensa.

~ Salmo 127:3 (NVI)

Es un honor poder decir que tengo tres princesas que son mi orgullo y mi felicidad. Quizá te llame la atención que siempre que me refiera a alguna de mis hijas la señale como mi princesa. Y es que lo son para mí. No solo por la belleza física que les ha dado Dios, sino por una belleza interna que se destaca en cada una de acuerdo a sus edades. He admirado mucho de ellas que, a pesar de los errores de mami, se han mantenido bien paradas y firmes en los caminos del Señor, pues las pruebas vividas nos unieron y he podido recibir su consejo y su apoyo.

En medio de mi enfermedad, mis divorcios y mis quebrantos, siempre recibí el consejo sabio de mi Nathy, quien con carácter y autoridad me decía lo que necesitaba escuchar. Sin faltarme al respeto, las veces que necesita decirme las cosas, lo hace.

La admiro por su madurez espiritual y la manera tan equilibrada de afrontar cada situación. También aprendo mucho de ella por su comunión con Dios, su constancia en servirle en la iglesia y su vida de oración. ¡Qué linda!

Naty, mi princesa mayor, te amo y agradezco tu apoyo y tu rectitud. Te felicito por el ejemplo de orden, de valentía y entrega a tu estudio y trabajo.

En la actualidad, estudia Administración de Empresas y danza profesional, trabaja en un consultorio médico, danza en la iglesia y hace parte de un programa para jóvenes en Vida Network.

Entrega todo tu amor y dedicación a tus hijos, y recogerás sus triunfos.

No los ofendas ni lastimes. Valóralos y ámalos porque son tus hijos.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Entrega todo tu amor y dedicación a tus hijos, y recogerás sus triunfos.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, May 3, 2019

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

~ 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV)

Helen Berhane was imprisoned for almost three years in the shipping container prisons in Eritrea. She shares how a Muslim man with epilepsy was also imprisoned. She says in her testimonial book titled Song of the Nightingale:

I noticed that he wore two charms on his belt. I pointed at them, “Where did you get those charms from?” “I saw a witch doctor, before I was arrested, about my fits. He said that they would make me better, but I should never take them off.” “Jemal,” I said, ‘those charms cannot heal you. Only prayer to God can do that.”

As I spoke he began to have a fit, and so I prayed for him. I did this often until, miraculously, he agreed to take the charms off. I took them away and burnt them, but whatever was in them smelled awful, and the guards demanded to know what I had been doing, which gave me the opportunity to explain to them that only prayer can heal a person, not charms from a witch doctor.

Jemal’s health improved and his fits became less frequent. I was delighted but he was worried.

“Helen, if they know that I am feeling better they will keep me here, and I want to be released.”

“If you continue to trust in God, no one can keep you from going home, not if God wills that you should be released.” I was very pleased when he was released shortly afterwards.[1]

RESPONSE: Today I will live in the awareness that the spiritual battle rages all around me and I can be used to counter Satan’s bondage over people.

PRAYER: Lord, you have given me the spiritual weapons with which to demolish the strongholds of the spiritual battle that I find myself against today. Help me not to depend on the weapons of the world.

1. Berhane, p. 31.

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 - Friday, May 3, 2019

David

His name may mean: "Beloved"

His work: A shepherd by trade, David became the second king of Israel.
His character: A man of stark contrasts, David was a man who did nothing halfheartedly. Though he sinned terribly, his repentance was deep and lasting. Scripture refers to him as "a man after God's own heart."
His sorrow: During his lifetime, David had to come to grips with his own sinfulness and the severity of God's punishment like the death of his sons and his inability to build the temple.
His triumph: Under David's leadership, the nation of Israel reached prominence like it had never known before.
Key Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17

A Look at the Man

It's the stuff of epic cinematography—hillsides filled with thousands of jostling soldiers, clattering armaments, and everything at stake. But the heart of the story of David and Goliath is real. It's the story of a young man who threw himself at life with great abandonment, confident as he was in the goodness and power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

There were two defining moments in David's childhood. The first happened when Samuel visited his father's home looking for the man who would someday be king. The youngest son and least likely candidate, David, came in from the pasture to receive the prophet's anointing and then went back to work.

The second defining moment was when he encountered Goliath in a contest that would determine the outcome of a battle. Forerunners of the ancient Greeks, the Philistines were accustomed to deciding battles in an arena rather than between armies. In addition to saving lives, such contests indulged the desire to turn warfare into sport. The Philistine army must have thought they had it made with a warrior like Goliath in their ranks. But they didn't reckon on the young boy who believed that God was capable of anything. Winding his way through the company of Israel's soldiers, David's innocent questions were met with shock and derision. But David was astounded by the Israelites' lack of faith.

Even the king was afraid. "Don't you know who you're fighting for?" David asked Saul. "Where's your trust in him?"

The courage David exhibited as a young man who defended his father's sheep from wild animals and then defended God's people from a godless thug lasted throughout his life. And the same confidence in the God of his fathers marked his life in the years that followed.

Though David wasn't a perfect man, he confessed his sins with the same unfettered confidence in God that had marked his previous dealings. And because he never blamed anyone but himself when he fell, he received God's mercy with no impediments.

Almost five hundred years later the prophet Isaiah would write:

Seek the LORD while he may be found;
 call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
 and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
 and to our God, for he will freely pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Perhaps Isaiah was remembering David, the man whose courage, confidence, faith, contrition, and trust in God's mercy knew no limits.

David lived without restraint. No giant would deter him. He took the promises of the living God for his own and seized life with the certainty of knowing that God was with him. This was the legacy of the "man after God's own heart."

Reflect On: 2 Samuel 22
Praise God: For his promises.
Offer Thanks: For God’s faithfulness in keeping his covenants.
Confess: The unconfessed sin that keeps you from serving God wholeheartedly.
Ask God: For a renewed willingness to follow him.

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.
It's the stuff of epic cinematography—hillsides filled with thousands of jostling soldiers, clattering armaments, and everything at stake.

Girlfriends in God - Friday, May 3, 2019

A Little Reminder From God

Kelly Balarie

Today’s Truth

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

I am such a mess. I hate how I am. I can’t ever get a handle on this issue.

 Thoughts of self-hatred coursed through my mind as I sat on the hard-tile floor and took it all in. . . Within the cabinets I’d just spent twenty minutes rearranging, there still was no semblance of organization. Papers shot out of books. Bags heaped left and right in no particular order. Shoes and knick-knacks filled the right side of the cabinet. And, worst of all, electrical cords stood like tumbleweed in the center of it all.

Regarding cleaning and organizing, my best efforts fell – way short. And this is the problem. You see, no matter what I do, everything stays a mess. I fix things for a moment, until: my kids come home and mess things up, I get busy and I forget to keep up with it all, or clutter becomes impossible to throw out because I fear I’ll lose future-memories. 

I want to be a better mom than this; my family deserves better.

With a heavy heart, I decided to approach my husband, “Uh…,” I said. “Can I share something with you?”

He waited.

“There’s an area I haven’t told you about where – all the time -- I feel so angry at myself. Every time I open up a cabinet, I mentally get furious at how I feel like I’m the most unorganized woman on the planet.”

Compassionately, he looked at me and replied, “Well, maybe Jesus just wants you to remind you that His grace is sufficient.”

And He was right. I finally understood. My cabinets – and my deficiency -- are a blessing, not a curse.

How could a deficiency be a blessing? Deficiencies point us to Christ’s all-sufficiency. Through them, we come to the One prepared to help us. The One with answers. The One with all the grace to accomplish true and long-lasting life-change.

Grace accomplishes far more than our hardest labor ever could. Certainly, God often calls us to meet Him in this venture by working, but work without God is -- toil.

My cabinets would now be a reminder of this. They, in all their untidy-glory, would almost speak, “Kelly, invite Jesus in to help you with this.”

Where do you need to invite Jesus in? What personal issue do you hate to look at? What feels unconquerable? Heavy? Burdening?

Jesus’ grace is sufficient. It is sufficient to change you, to rework you, to remake you, and to renew you.

It is more than okay to desperately need Jesus’ grace.  It is life-changing to be in need of God.

Be encouraged. Wherever you feel powerless, God is powerful. Wherever you are hungry, God has food for you. Wherever you feel blind, God restores sight. You are not left behind or forgotten. God will help.

Today, rejoice by saying: No matter where I feel deficient, Christ is all-sufficient.

But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

Let’s Pray

Father, help me to receive your grace, love, and help.
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Admit an area where you need God’s help to change. Ask Him to show up there. Look for Him throughout your day.

More from the Girlfriends

Kelly Balarie, blogger at Purposeful Faith and author of the new book “Battle Ready: Train Your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt and Live Victoriously” is passionate about joining hands with women who often find themselves stuck in the pits of life. Step-by-step, word-by-word, her dream is that together they can emerge better - fear, fret and panic-free. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by email for a dose of inspiration and encouragement.

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 am such a mess. I hate how I am. I can’t ever get a handle on this issue.

LHM Daily Devotions - A Family Affair

"A Family Affair"

May 3, 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)

"The family that prays together stays together" was a popular saying that has been used so often it has almost become a cliché.

Now no Christian would argue with the assertion that it's important for a Christian household with friends and extended family members to share a prayer life together; however, true Christian living requires more of a godly influence on the family than a few minutes spent together in prayer.

In the Christian family, in the Christian household, the personal faith of each member will be evident in the dealings with all members of the family with one another. Family members will communicate to one another by word and deed the love and forgiveness that is theirs in Jesus Christ. When discipline is necessary, it will be of a kind that reflects the family members' relationship to the Lord. And together as a family or as a household they will strive in all things to bear witness to their faith.

The Christian family finds its motivation and rationale for its life together in Jesus Christ. What St. Paul says about husband-wife relationships in Ephesians 5 and about parent-child relationships in Ephesians 6 is all said under the banner proclamation he gives about all Christian relationships in Ephesians 5:1-2.

Take a few minutes now to read these passages from Ephesians 5 and 6. Think about what Paul says here and how it should influence your family's relationships, your household's relationships, with friends and extended family members.

Also relevant to the relationship of Christian family members to one another are the apostle's words in Ephesians 5:21. How will "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" affect the words family members speak to one another and how they act toward one other? In Ephesians 6:4, Paul talks about the relationship between Christian parents and their children. Read this section and consider how one's experience of the love of God in Jesus impacts children's obedience to their parents and the parents disciplining of their children.

The key to a Christian family living out His love—the mutual love we can only know because God first loved us—is Jesus. In the Christian household where friends, extended family members, and neighbors come together, we love one another and forgive one another. We do this because God loves and forgives us through the life, death, and resurrection of His beloved Son Jesus.

When discipline and correction are called for in the Christian family, it is always administered in love, given for the express purpose of benefitting the family as a whole—the household as a whole. By this the family is strengthened to better witness to the life they share by faith in Jesus. For by the grace of God and in the power of His Holy Spirit, the Christian family at work or worship, prayer, or play, bears witness to the faith that is in them throughout their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your Son has brought us together as a family, as a household. Let us love one another as He has taught us to do. In His Name we pray. Amen.

From The Lutheran Layman, January 1979 issue, "The Family That Prays Together" by Ron Schlegel. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"The family that prays together stays together" was a popular saying that has been used so often it has almost become a cliché; however, true Christian living requires more of a godly influence on the family than a few minutes spent together in prayer.

Devocional de la CPTLN del 03 de Mayo de 2019 - Asuntos de familia

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Asuntos de familia

03 de Mayo 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)

"La familia que ora unida permanece unida" es un dicho popular que se ha utilizado tantas veces, que casi se ha convertido en un cliché.

Ningún cristiano estaría en desacuerdo con la afirmación de que es importante para una familia cristiana compartir una vida de oración. Sin embargo, la verdadera vida cristiana requiere más de una influencia piadosa en la familia que unos pocos minutos juntos en oración.

En la familia cristiana la fe personal se hace evidente en el trato entre todos los miembros de la familia, donde se supone debe reinar el amor y el perdón de reciben de Jesucristo. Cuando la disciplina es necesaria, la misma debe reflejar la relación de los miembros de la familia con el Señor. Y juntos, como familia, lucharán en todo para dar testimonio de su fe en su Señor y Salvador Jesucristo.

La familia cristiana encuentra en Jesucristo su motivación y la razón para su vida en unidad. Lo que dice San Pablo sobre las relaciones entre esposos en Efesios 5:21-33 y sobre las relaciones entre padres e hijos en Efesios 6:1-5 lo dice en el contexto de lo que se espera de la relación entre todos los cristianos en Efesios 5:1-2.

Tómate unos minutos para leer estos pasajes de Efesios 5 y 6. Luego piensa en lo que Pablo dice aquí y cómo debería influir en las relaciones entre los miembros de tu familia.

También son relevantes para la relación entre los miembros de la familia cristiana las palabras del apóstol en Efesios 5:21. ¿Cómo afecta el "cultivar la mutua sumisión en el temor de Dios" las palabras que usan los miembros de la familia y la forma en que actúan entre sí? En Efesios 6:4 Pablo habla sobre la relación entre los padres e hijos cristianos. Lee esta sección y reflexiona sobre cómo la experiencia del amor de Dios en Jesucristo afecta el vínculo padres-hijos.

La clave para que una familia cristiana viva el amor de Dios—el amor mutuo que solo podemos conocer porque Dios nos amó primero—es Jesús. En la familia cristiana vivimos juntos, amándonos unos a otros y perdonándonos unos a otros, porque Dios nos ama y nos perdona a través de la vida, muerte, y resurrección de su amado Hijo.

Cuando se requiere disciplina y corrección, se administra con amor, con el propósito expreso de beneficiar a la familia toda. Porque por la gracia de Dios y con el poder de su Espíritu Santo, la familia cristiana da testimonio de la fe que hay en ellos por medio de su Señor y Salvador Jesucristo en el trabajo y en la adoración, en la oración, y durante el esparcimiento.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, tu Hijo Jesús nos ha reunido como familia. Anímanos a amarnos unos a otros como Jesús nos enseñó. Oramos en su nombre. Amén.

Ron Schlegel - Enero, 1979 LLL "La familia que ora unida"

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
"La familia que ora unida permanece unida" es un dicho popular que se ha utilizado tantas veces, que casi se ha convertido en un cliché. Sin embargo, la verdadera vida cristiana requiere más de una influencia piadosa en la familia que unos pocos minutos juntos en oración.

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Không Chỉ Là Người Ở Gần

Không Chỉ Là Người Ở Gần

Đọc: Lu-ca 10:25-37 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: I Các vua 14-15; Lu-ca 22:21-46

Download MP3

Ngươi phải yêu người lân cận như chính mình. Mác 12:31

Mùa hè năm 2017, cơn bão Harvey đã gây ra tổn thất kinh hoàng về sinh mạng và tài sản của vùng Gulf Coast, nước Mỹ. Nhiều người đã cung cấp thức ăn, nước uống, quần áo và chỗ ở cho những người có nhu cầu cấp bách.

Người chủ cửa hàng piano tại Maryland cảm thấy được thôi thúc phải làm gì đó hơn nữa. Ông nhận thấy âm nhạc có thể mang đến sự chữa lành đặc biệt và cảm giác quen thuộc cho những người vừa mất đi mọi thứ. Vì vậy, ông và người nhân viên bắt đầu tân trang lại những chiếc đàn piano cũ và tìm hiểu tình hình để xem nơi nào có nhu cầu lớn nhất. Mùa xuân năm đó, Dean Kramer và Lois vợ ông bắt đầu đoạn đường dài đến Houston, Texas trên chiếc xe tải chở đầy những chiếc piano để tặng cho những gia đình, hội thánh, và các trường học trong khu vực bị thiệt hại.

Đôi khi chúng ta cho rằng người lân cận là ai đó sống gần chúng ta hay chí ít cũng là người mà chúng ta biết. Nhưng trong Lu-ca 10, Chúa Jêsus đã kể thí dụ về người Sa-ma-ri nhân lành để dạy rằng tình yêu thương đối với người lân cận không nên có giới hạn. Người đàn ông đến từ Sa-ma-ri đã giúp đỡ một người lạ đang bị thương, mặc dù đây là người Do Thái, là dân có mối bất hòa với người Sa-ma-ri (c.25-37).

Khi Dean Karmer được hỏi lý do ông tặng hết những chiếc đàn piano đó, ông giải thích đơn giản rằng: “Chúng tôi được dạy phải yêu người lân cận mình.” Và chính Chúa Jêsus đã nói rằng: “Không có điều răn nào lớn hơn” (Mác 12:31) là yêu Chúa và yêu người lân cận mình.

Lạy Chúa, xin giúp con nhìn vượt trên những rào cản và giới hạn, để xem tất cả mọi người là người lân cận của con, và để yêu thương họ cách rời rộng như Ngài đã dạy con.

Bạn đang giới hạn cách hiểu về chữ "người lân cận" như thế nào? Chúa đang thúc giục bạn mở rộng ranh giới về “người lân cận” ra sao?

bởi Cindy Hess Kasper

© 2019 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Mùa hè năm 2017, cơn bão Harvey đã gây ra tổn thất kinh hoàng về sinh mạng và tài sản của vùng Gulf Coast, nước Mỹ.