The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, May 17, 2019

The Seventh Trumpet

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, May 17, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 148

Praise for God’s Universal Glory
1  Praise the Lord!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;
     praise him in the heights!
2  Praise him, all his angels;
     praise him, all his host!

3  Praise him, sun and moon;
     praise him, all you shining stars!
4  Praise him, you highest heavens,
     and you waters above the heavens!

5  Let them praise the name of the Lord,
     for he commanded and they were created.
6  He established them forever and ever;
     he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

7  Praise the Lord from the earth,
     you sea monsters and all deeps,
8  fire and hail, snow and frost,
     stormy wind fulfilling his command!

9  Mountains and all hills,
     fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
     creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
     princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
     old and young together!

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
     for his name alone is exalted;
     his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
     praise for all his faithful,
     for the people of Israel who are close to him.
   Praise the Lord!

Daniel 7:13-14

7:13 As I watched in the night visions,

   I saw one like a human being
     coming with the clouds of heaven.
   And he came to the Ancient One
     and was presented before him.
14 To him was given dominion
     and glory and kingship,
   that all peoples, nations, and languages
     should serve him.
   His dominion is an everlasting dominion
     that shall not pass away,
   and his kingship is one
     that shall never be destroyed.

Revelation 11:15

The Seventh Trumpet
11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

   “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord
     and of his Messiah,
   and he will reign forever and ever.”

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
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying ...

Verse of the Day FRIDAY, May 17, 2019

Romans 11:33 (NIV) Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Read all of Romans 11

Listen to Romans 11

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 17, 2019

Decepcionados

Bendeciré al Señor, que me aconseja; aun de noche me reprende mi conciencia. Siempre tengo presente al Señor; con él a mi derecha, nada me hará caer.

~ Salmo 16:7-8 (NVI)

Hace unos meses, como casi todos los días, recibí una llamada de una oyente jovencita y muy desilusionada de su pareja. Vivió con él por catorce años, pero nunca llegaron a casarse. De esa relación quedaron tres hijos, uno de once años, otro de tres y el último de dieciocho meses.

Hace más de un año, se separó de él porque descubrió que la había engañado con varias mujeres y decidió pedirle que se fuera de la casa. A raíz de esa decisión, comenzó el calvario para esta joven madre. El padre de sus hijos no la volvió ayudar económicamente y la amenaza sin cesar con quitarle a los niños. Como si fuera poco, la está tratando de manipular diciéndole que la única manera en que la ayuda es si se va a vivir donde le diga, obligándola a vivir con la ex suegra. Además, le habla mal a los niños de ella tildándola de loca.

Nuestra oyente llamó desesperada porque no quería vivir bajo amenazas. Buscaba ayuda legal ya que, al no estar casada, no sabía si tenía algún derecho, al igual que sus hijos.

Esta pudo haber sido mi historia o tu historia, pero nos deja varias moralejas.

Debemos hacer las cosas legalmente ante Dios y ante los hombres. No por las amenazas de alguien debemos bloquearnos ni aterrorizarnos. Por el contrario, debemos resaltar quiénes somos en Jesucristo.

Hoy en día, ella y sus hijos están recibiendo consejería y asesoría legal. Así que poco a poco va recuperando su autoestima.

Por favor, todo lo que hagas consúltalo con Dios y recuerda que Él es el único que no falla ni te dejará.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hace unos meses, como casi todos los días, recibí una llamada de una oyente jovencita y muy desilusionada de su pareja.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, May 17, 2019

SYNCRETISM

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…

~ Romans 1:21-22 (NIV)

Satan has led many quasi-religious groups to unite around a mixture of religious teachings and then brand honest Christian believers as bigots for clinging to salvation in Christ alone. An outgrowth of the postmodern era in which we live is that many people no longer believe in absolute truth. A natural extension of this lack of absolutes is the widely held view that there is good in every religion and all roads lead to heaven. Individuals can then pick and choose the elements they wish from whatever faith and mix them all together. This is true syncretism. Chuck Colson refers to its impact on our faith as “salad-bar Christianity!”

Satan is delighted when people believe and expound on his lies. He does not want anyone to know the truth and come to a personal relationship with Jesus who is the truth, the way and the life (John14:6). Jesus is the only way.

One man reportedly traveled the world to find one name for God that would be universal and bring all people together. Instantly the word love came to his mind. He later wrote, “Give God the universal name of Love and we will create a golden cord to tie together the truths of all the religions of the world.” But love is not God’s name. It is His nature. And God expressed it most fully when He sent His Son to die for our sins (John 3:16). Only when we accept Christ’s sacrifice for us will we know the love of the one true God that can bind people together.

few years ago, an inter-faith group of 10,000 people met at the Vatican in Rome. The group included the Pope, the Dalai Lama and Muslim Imam W. D. Mohammed. An outspoken Hindu woman was quoted as saying, “It was refreshing to note that the idea that all religions have universal truths, and are merely different paths to the same goal was accepted as a given from the outset by all delegates without a single dissenting voice.”

The same delegates also endorsed a general condemnation of “aggressive” proselytizing. This is the prevailing thinking of our day and age. Satan will do all he can to cause this thinking to even invade the church and individual Christian thinking and action.

The end result of syncretism in free societies will be anti-conversion laws and a prohibition of Christian witnessing. The euphemism for this law will probably be called “religious freedom.”

RESPONSE: Today I will guard carefully against the deceptions of Satan leading to syncretism.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to fix my eyes on You and Your Word today so that I will not stumble.

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 17, 2019

Mephibosheth

His name means: "From the Mouth of the Shameful Thing"

His work: Nothing is said about his occupation; because he lived his life without the use of his legs, Mephibosheth must have lived on the charity of others.
His character: Although he had good reason for self-pity, he was deeply grateful for David's kindness and was very loyal to him.
His sorrow: He was disabled, unable to walk.
His triumph: Because of David's generosity, Mephibosheth received land and servants and was welcomed at the king's table.
Key Scriptures: 2 Samuel 4:4; 9:6-13; 16:1-4; 19:24-30

A Look at the Man

Mephibosheth was a broken man. When he was only five years old, his father and grandfather were killed in battle. That day the heir-apparent prince was stripped of his royalty. And, if that were not tragic enough, a fall from his nurse's arms permanently disabled him.

Some men are victims of their own poor judgment. But others suffer at the hands of others. This was the lot of Mephibosheth.

We can only imagine what life was like for him. Growing up, he must have heard stories of his grandfather Saul, Israel's first king and mighty warrior. His family would have told him that his father, Jonathan, should have been the rightful heir to the throne. And he certainly heard stories of David, the man who now reigned as the king of Israel.

But instead of growing up in luxury, prestige, health, and favor, Mephibosheth was forced to deal with life's "if onlys."

If only my grandfather had been faithful. If only my father had lived. If only I could walk. If only someone would remember me.

So Mephibosheth lived in obscurity in the home of a man named Makir on the opposite side of the Jordan River from Jerusalem. And then one day a message was delivered to Mephibosheth: "King David has called for you. You are hereby summoned to the palace."

We can only imagine how fearful Mephibosheth must have been to have an audience with the king. Sitting on the ground was a familiar posture for Mephibosheth, but even from that position, he bowed down when he was brought into the presence of the king.

David could have thanked this humble man for his respectful gesture. He could have reminded him that he was simply carrying out an old commitment made to his father. Or David could have told him of his plan to grant him his grandfather's land and give him servants and a home in the palace. Actually, he eventually did all these things, but his first words to this man were the most exquisite and comforting he could have spoken.

"Mephibosheth," David said, "do not be afraid."

And then David lavished Mephibosheth with more than he ever could have dreamed: land, servants, and access to the king's table. Mephibosheth had not deserved the misfortune that had marked his life. But neither did he earn the good fortune that suddenly befell him. Mephibosheth must have been overwhelmed by it all.

In the years that followed, it would have been understandable if Mephibosheth would have gotten accustomed to the lavish treatment—his initial humility eventually turning to pride. But this did not happen.

When his caretaker committed treachery and set David against him, Mephibosheth did not retaliate. Instead, he mourned the loss of the king's trust. And when David came to his senses and restored Mephibosheth's estate, Mephibosheth humbly refused the king's generosity.

Mephibosheth's gratitude for what the king had done for him was unshakable. His loyalty to David stood firm.

Reflect On: 2 Samuel 9
Praise God: Because he is still looking for people to show kindness to.
Offer Thanks: For the way God has expressed his mercy to you.
Confess: Any tendency to take God’s mercy for granted, as though it is something you deserve.
Ask God: To help you reveal his kindness to others.

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.
Mephibosheth lived his life without the use of his legs.

Girlfriends in God - Friday, May 17, 2019

Ten Trash Bags

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

“Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:8 ESV)

Friend to Friend

I set out to tackle a task I had put off for many years. I didn’t really want to do it at all. It was the job of cleaning out my ministry storage closet. A closet filled with boxes of memories collected over twenty years.

• Old magazines with articles I had written dating back to 1996.
• Thirty-six inch vinyl posters of book covers beginning in 1999.
• A 3-foot lighthouse used in a teaching on motherhood.
• A treasure box of oyster shells mixed with a strand of pearls used in another teaching on what can happen with irritations that get under our skin.
• Videos of past interviews from television programs that probably don’t even exist any longer.
• A box of CDs from ten years of recording Proverbs 31 Ministries radio programs. “Hi, I'm Sharon Jaynes with Proverbs 31 Ministries. Have you ever…”

The programs played through my mind as I dumped one storage bin after another into plastic bags—pieces of my life into black drawstring Hefties. Corners of posters, magazines, cassettes, note-filled binders, and CDs poked through the plastic bags as if trying to escape.

Twenty years. Ten trash bags.

I put the bags out by the street and pondered my day’s work. You’d think I would have been happy to have cleaned out all that clutter, but something inside me ached.

“So that’s it then,” I whispered as I walked away from twenty years of accumulated memories.

The next day my heart felt just about as empty as the newly cleaned shelves…until I opened my email. A word of encouragement waited for me in my inbox. A woman told me about how something I had written had given her the courage to face another day. I won’t go into the details, but her email opened my eyes and my heart to something I already knew, but had forgotten for just a moment.

Those ten trash bags didn’t contain twenty years of ministry or memories. Why? Because memories can’t be put in a trash bag. Because people’s lives can’t be put in a trash bag.

It isn’t our accomplishments and accolades that matter in this life, but the people we impact and the lives we’ve loved.

Paul wrote:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 ESV

And you can’t put that in a trash bag.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, more than anything, I want to glorify Your name while here on this earth. Help me to never cling to earthly treasures, but to live open handed. Thank You for the reminder that the most important things in this world is to love You with all my heart, and to love my neighbor—those who cross my path.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn

What was the one thing that Paul said he did in Philippians 3:13-14?

We often think of forgetting the “bad” in our lives and leaving that behind, but how can clinging to the “good” hold us back as well?

Have you ever know anyone to cling to something good such as a high school accomplishment, one mountaintop experience, or one accolade? What do you think Paul would have to say about that? How could clinging to such keep someone from moving ahead to the next thing God has for him or her?

When you leave this earth, and your worldly possessions are put in trash bags, who are the lives that you have touched that will always remain?

More From the Girlfriends

These moments of God speaking to me in the middle of the mundane is what I call a sudden glory—when God makes his presence known. Sudden glory moments shouldn’t be rare in our lives, but daily occurrences. If you would like to learn more about how to experience God’s presence in your everyday life, then A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More is just for you. It also comes with a study guide in the back.

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 set out to tackle a task I had put off for many years.

LHM Daily Devotions - More Like Jesus

"More Like Jesus"

May 17, 2019

When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?

~ Psalm 8:3-4 (ESV)

There's a hobby shop that carries a jigsaw puzzle with this title, "Little Red Riding Hood's Hood." Some fiendishly clever jigsaw puzzle maker must have designed it in a fit of vengeance aimed at the world in general. The puzzle has over 1,000 pieces, all uniformly red. When assembled, it makes a simple Crimson Circle, eight inches in diameter.

When God began creating, He wove into His creation a much more exquisite, interlocking design than this puzzle. He did it as well for the life of each person who would inhabit the natural world. He structured His creation in such an intricate way that each event, each detail of individual lives was interconnected with other events and details in the lives of His other creatures. He did it, not by whim, but in love, And in so doing, an unbelievably beautiful and complex pattern began to form.

Since the Lord Jesus is all-knowing and all-powerful, we assume the creation was an easy thing for Him. And in one sense it was, it must have been, because God has the power to do anything at all, and this gave Him the necessity of choice. He had to choose the "right" alternative from many possibilities.

So how did He decide? Majority vote? The greatest good for the greatest number? Did He set Gabriel down to flip a celestial coin? Or as some suggest, did He put the original actors on stage, wish them well, and leave the theater, promising to return at some future date to see what had become of them?

Of course not! In moments of weakness, many of us have fleetingly feared that this is the case. But in fact we know that all things in our lives are sent by our loving Father for our best interests. Even when it's hard for us to feel or understand this, we know it. Each joy, each problem, each new day proceeds and concludes under the precise guidance of our Savior.

All of this concern for you, for me, is our Father's plan to make each of us in a unique and beautiful way more and more like Jesus. In times of puzzlement and perplexity, wonder and worry, we know that all things are working together in God's total plan for the good of His believers.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, by the breath of Your mouth, You called the universe into existence, and man as Your greatest creation. Teach us to lead lives worthy of You and committed to the Son You sent as our Savior. In His Name we pray. Amen.

From The Lutheran Layman, January 1979 issue, "Little Red Riding Hood's Hood," by Jane L. Fryar. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
There's a hobby shop that carries a jigsaw puzzle with this title, "Little Red Riding Hood's Hood."

Devocional de la CPTLN del 17 de Mayo de 2019 - Más como Jesús

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Más como Jesús

17 de Mayo de 2019

Cuando contemplo el cielo, obra de tus dedos, y la luna y las estrellas que has creado, me pregunto: ¿Qué es el ser humano, para que en él pienses? ¿Qué es la humanidad, para que la tomes en cuenta?

~ Salmo 8:3-4 (RVC)

Hay un rompecabezas con el título: "La capucha de Caperucita Roja". Algunos creadores astutos deben haberlo diseñado en un arranque de venganza dirigido al mundo en general: ¡tiene más de 1.000 piezas, todas rojas! Armado, forma un simple círculo rojo de ocho pulgadas de diámetro.

Cuando Dios creó, introdujo un diseño mucho más exquisito e interconectado que este rompecabezas: lo hizo en el mundo natural y también en la vida de cada persona que habitaría la tierra. Dios estructuró su creación de una manera tan compleja, que cada acontecimiento y detalle de cada vida se interconectó con otros acontecimientos y detalles en las vidas de otras criaturas. Y lo hizo no por capricho, sino en amor. Y al hacerlo, comenzó a formarse un patrón increíblemente hermoso y complejo.

Dado que el Señor lo sabe todo y es todopoderoso, asumimos que la creación fue algo fácil para él. En un sentido debe haberlo sido, pero como Dios tiene el poder de hacer cualquier cosa, esto le dio la necesidad de elegir. Tuvo que elegir la alternativa "correcta" entre muchas posibilidades.

Entonces, ¿cómo decidió? ¿Por mayoría de votos? ¿El mayor bien para el mayor número? ¿Hizo que el ángel Gabriel lanzara una moneda celestial? O, como algunos sugieren, ¿puso a los actores originales en el escenario, les deseó lo mejor y salió del teatro, prometiendo regresar en una fecha futura para ver qué había sido de ellos?

¡Por supuesto que no! En momentos de debilidad, la mayoría de nosotros puede haber temido fugazmente que este haya sido el caso. Pero, de hecho, sabemos que todas las cosas en nuestras vidas son enviadas por nuestro Padre amoroso para nuestro beneficio. Incluso cuando nos es difícil sentir o entender esto, lo sabemos. Cada momento de gozo, cada problema, cada nuevo día transcurre y concluye bajo la guía precisa de nuestro Salvador.

Toda esta preocupación por ti y por mí es parte del plan de nuestro Padre de hacernos a cada uno de nosotros de una manera única y hermosa, más y más como Jesús. En momentos de desconcierto y perplejidad, maravilla y preocupación, sabemos que todas las cosas obran en el plan de Dios para el bien de sus creyentes.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, por el aliento de tu boca llamaste a existencia el universo, y al hombre como lo más importante en tu creación. Enséñanos a llevar vidas dignas de ti y comprometidas con el Hijo que enviaste como nuestro Salvador. En su nombre oramos. Amén.

De The Lutheran Layman, enero de 1979, por Jane L. Fryar.

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Hay un rompecabezas con el título: "La capucha de Caperucita Roja".

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Bàn Tay Lạ Lùng Của Chúa

Bàn Tay Lạ Lùng Của Chúa

Đọc: Thi Thiên 31:1-8 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: I Sử ký 1-3; Giăng 5:25-47

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Con phó thác tâm linh con vào tay Chúa; Lạy Giê-hô-va là Đức Chúa Trời chân thật, Ngài đã cứu chuộc con. Thi Thiên 31:5

Hai mươi phút trước khi chuyến bay từ New York hạ cánh xuống San Antonio, kế hoạch bay phải thay đổi khi sự yên tĩnh nhường chỗ cho hỗn loạn. Một động cơ máy bay bị hư, mảnh vụn của động cơ đó đâm vào ô cửa sổ khiến áp suất trong khoang máy bay bị giảm. Thật buồn vì đã có vài hành khách bị thương và một người tử vong. Nếu phi công trong buồng lái không bình tĩnh để xử lý tình huống – nếu phi công đó không được huấn luyện giống như phi công chiến đấu trong Hải quân – thì mọi thứ có thể đã trở thành thảm kịch nặng nề hơn nữa. Dòng tít trên tờ báo địa phương ghi rằng: “Trong Bàn Tay Lạ Lùng.”

Trong Thi Thiên 31, Đa-vít đã bày tỏ rằng ông biết bàn tay chăm sóc lạ lùng của Chúa. Đó là lý do ông có thể dạn dĩ nói rằng: “Con phó thác tâm linh con vào tay Chúa” (c.5). Đa-vít tin rằng Chúa là Đấng đáng để ông phó thác mình ngay cả khi cuộc đời nhiều gian truân. Bởi vì Đa-vít bị kẻ thù rượt đuổi, nên cuộc sống thật khó khăn đối với ông. Dầu bị tấn công, nhưng ông vẫn luôn có niềm hy vọng. Giữa lúc phiền não, Đa-vít vẫn có thể thở nhẹ nhõm và vui mừng bởi vì ông tin cậy nơi Đấng thành tín và đầy lòng yêu thương (c.5-7).

Có lẽ bạn thấy cuộc sống mình gặp thử thách từ mọi phía, và thật khó để thấy điều gì đang ở phía trước. Giữa lúc hoang mang, bối rối và hỗn độn thì vẫn còn có một điều vô cùng chắc chắn: chúng ta luôn được an toàn trong sự gìn giữ của Chúa.

Lạy Cha, xin giúp con được khích lệ khi biết rằng Chúa Jêsus đã cầu nguyện bằng Thi Thiên 31:5 khi Ngài ở trên thập tự giá. Giữa lúc đau đớn và khổ nạn, Ngài đã phó thác sự sống mình vào trong tay Cha.

Bạn đã giao phó cuộc đời mình - cả trên đất và trong cõi đời đời - cho Chúa chưa? Bạn đang bày tỏ lòng tin cậy Chúa trong thuận cảnh và nghịch cảnh như thế nào?

bởi Arthur Jackson

© 2019 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Hai mươi phút trước khi chuyến bay từ New York hạ cánh xuống San Antonio, kế hoạch bay phải thay đổi khi sự yên tĩnh nhường chỗ cho hỗn loạn.