The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019

Coming Persecutions
Matthew 10:16-23

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 75

Thanksgiving for God’s Wondrous Deeds
To the leader: Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1  We give thanks to you, O God;
     we give thanks; your name is near.
   People tell of your wondrous deeds.

2  At the set time that I appoint
     I will judge with equity.
3  When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants,
     it is I who keep its pillars steady.   Selah
4  I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
     and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn;
5  do not lift up your horn on high,
     or speak with insolent neck.”

6  For not from the east or from the west
     and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;
7  but it is God who executes judgment,
     putting down one and lifting up another.
8  For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup
     with foaming wine, well mixed;
   he will pour a draught from it,
     and all the wicked of the earth
     shall drain it down to the dregs.
9  But I will rejoice forever;
     I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
     but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

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.”

Matthew 10:16-25

Coming Persecutions
10:16 “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

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
The Coming Persecutions, Matthew 10:16-23, is part of Jesus’ speech of commission to his disciples. Immediately preceding these verses, he had commissioned them to evangelize the Israelites with his authority. As soon as he did this, he moved to telling them of the persecutions they will be subjected to for him, before moving to a description of the world in light of their teaching.

The Morning Prayer for WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019

Wednesday morning prayer

Lord on this day of the week I recall the strength of the Trinity in my life. Thank you for the strands that hold me safe in the Father, that bring redemption and grace in the Son, and freedom and hope through the Holy Spirit. Thank you for this cord of strength. May I celebrate with the Three that encircle my life! And this day may I give out the love of the Father, the grace of the Son and the freedom of the Holy Spirit in all I do. Amen.

May Wednesday be a dwelling day,

Curled up on Abba's knee.

Following in the path of Christ,

With His Spirit I'm set free.

Let Wednesday always prompt my heart

To travel home to nest.

To feel the blessings of my faith

To know Your peace and rest.

Verse of the Day WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019

Proverbs 14:34 (NIV) Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.

Read all of Proverbs 14

Listen to Proverbs 14

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 - Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Oración por servicio a los demás

Hagan lo que hagan, trabajen de buena gana, como para el Señor y no como para nadie en este mundo.

~ Colosenses 3:23 (NVI)

Amante Dios, hoy queremos comenzar este nuevo día entregando nuestra vida en tus manos con el único deseo de ser útiles para ti.

Si me falta amor por los demás, te pido, Dios mío, que me des esa porción para poder servir al necesitado y verlos con ojos de amor como lo ves tú.

Quiero ser obediente a tu Palabra y ser de bendición para otros.

Purifica mi corazón y úsame, Señor.

Ayúdame a no pensar solo en mis necesidades, sino en las de los demás.

Quita de mí todo pensamiento contrario a tu voluntad y hazme sensible a la necesidad de las personas que me rodean.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por servicio a los demás

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, July 3, 2019

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

~ Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

Ages ago the prophet Jonah saw it happen. The population of the city of Nineveh (in the north of present day Iraq) repented from sin. A radical change came because he preached and God’s Spirit worked. Almost on the same spot in the city of Mosul (modern Nineveh), the climate has changed too.

After 2003, Mosul became a city with increasing violence. Car bombs, attacks and all kind of violence are normal in this old city. Civilians of whatever religion and police and soldiers have been targeted. In the beginning of 2010, there was a significant increase in violent attacks on Christians. In the month of February that year, eight were killed in just ten days. This all caused an exodus of Christians.

“Thousands of Christians have left our city…and that hurts,” shares twenty-one-year-old Dawud. “I saw a lot of my friends leaving too,” the young Iraqi adds. His family has been Christian for generations, as is the case with many Iraqi Christians.

Open Doors worker, Daniel, says that as far as he knows the number of Christians dramatically dropped in the second biggest city of the country. Before the fall of Saddam Hussein, the number in Mosul was estimated at two hundred thousand of the one and a half million inhabitants. “We believe the number is now far less than one hundred thousand, many of them not living in the city itself but in Christian villages around.”

“We started some years ago to pray for our city,” Dawud continues. “It started small with just our family, but soon there were more believers coming to the prayer meetings. Now we pray weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays from five till seven in the afternoon. Some fifty Christians in our city regularly participate,” he says. “Because of our prayer, the city started to change. The situation is different now. What I see now is that my generation doesn’t want to leave, we want to stay. This is God’s place for me. I’ll stay; I will never leave. And if I will be killed, I will be killed.”

“But,” he goes on, “the situation is much better now. We can go out as youth again, even in the evenings. We can go to our meetings without being afraid, we don’t feel insecure anymore.” His father, pastor of one of the churches in Mosul, confirms that the climate in the city improved after they started praying as a church. With a smile on his face he adds, “We even saw Muslims becoming followers of Jesus.”

RESPONSE: Today I will rejoice in the ability I have to take every issue I face to the Lord and trust Him for the answer.

PRAYER: Remember brothers and sisters who live in violent societies. Pray that fear will not drive them to leave.

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 - Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Living Beyond Broken Dreams

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Beth is one of my dearest friends. She had been married for 24 years when her husband walked away from their marriage. Beth is a very strong Christian and for five years put on a happy face telling everyone, including herself, “That’s OK. Jesus is enough.” She has two absolutely incredible children who love the Lord and both serve in some facet of ministry. And yet, I wondered if she had been the first person I had ever known who had skipped the grieving process that follows the devastation of divorce.

She was not.

Five years after the divorce, Beth and I were talking about some struggles she was facing in a new relationship.

“Beth, I don’t think you ever allowed yourself to grieve over your loss. I know your first husband betrayed you at the very core of what a marriage is supposed to be, but there is still a loss. There is grieving the loss that your children do not have the father they deserve, the loss of investing twenty-four years with a man who betrayed you, and the loss of the dream of what marriage could and should be like—what God intended from the beginning of time.”

Beth is just now beginning to grieve the many losses that accompanied her divorce and her two grown children, are in the process of grieving as well.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book, On Death and Dying, notes five stages of grief: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. But for us who have the hope of Jesus Christ, there is a sixth stage: RESURRECTION!

There is the assurance that God will take the death of a dream and resurrect it for a new purpose: His purpose. But we have to cooperate and place the shattered dream in His hand.

Grief is part of the healing process. I grieved that I did not grow up being the apple of my daddy’s eye, that I was not unconditionally loved, and that I did not get to hold my second child in my arms. Grieving the loss helped me to let it go. But after a time, I had to stop lamenting what was not, and rejoice in the blessing of what is. God had new plans for my life!

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV).

Just as God raised Jesus from the dead, He can raise our broken dreams from the dust.  Acceptance is not the end of the grieving process for those of us who know Jesus Christ. Resurrection is the end of grief and the beginning of a new dream, a new life, and a glorious future.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, thank you that for me, as a Christian, I don’t have to stop at mere acceptance when it comes to grief. There is more than acceptance…there is resurrection. You take the broken pieces of our lives and make a beautiful mosaic. Thank You for resurrecting my hopes and dreams and making my life much better than I had ever imagine.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Is there any area of your life where you have settled for acceptance?

What are your next steps for resurrection of a dream that died? Using it to help someone else? Making you stronger? Making you wiser? Drawing you closer to Jesus?

Compare the Moses who lost his dream when he was 40 (Exodus 2) and Moses whose dream was restored when he was 80 (Exodus 3). What made the difference? Who was in control in chapter 2? Who was in control in chapter 3?

More from the Girlfriends

I know talking about RESURRECTION as the final stage of grief sounds good, but I also know it’s hard. That’s why I wrote the book Take Hold of the Faith You Long For. The subtitle says it all: Let go, Move Forward, Live Bold. If you feel stuck in your faith or in your life, this book is for you. It’s time to let go of everything that holds you back and take hold of everything that God has already given you and put in you through Jesus Christ. It also includes a Bible study guide which is great for group study.

And for you married or hope to be married, check out the new The Praying Wives Club! Join women all around the world as we pray for our husbands.

Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
www.girlfriendsingod.com

Beth is one of my dearest friends. She had been married for 24 years when her husband walked away from their marriage.

LHM Daily Devotions - Bearing One Another's Burdens

"Bearing One Another's Burdens"

Jul. 3, 2019

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

~ Galatians 6:1-5 (ESV)

There's a scary little game you can play with yourself, if you are fool enough to try. Simply announce to yourself and the world at large that you have absolutely no problem with (fill in name of a specific temptation), and then sit back and wait. It's amazing how often that will end up being your worst temptation in the following week!

Paul knows the dangers of being an arrogant fool all too well, and he warns us about them. He says, "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). It's so easy to look at someone else who has fallen into some embarrassing sin or error and think, "Well, that would never happen to me." When I catch myself thinking this way, I stop it as fast as I can, and I shudder. I know I've just dodged a bullet. The way the world works, I probably would have fallen into that sin myself the next day!

Paul tells us what we should do when we see a brother or sister caught in some sin. Instead of being self-congratulatory, he says, we should "restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Being gentle with someone who has messed up is good for several reasons. It makes it easier for them to admit their need and to accept our help. It also makes it far more likely that they, in turn, will help us when we ourselves fall into sin or error. Who doesn't need that gentle help once in a while?

Paul calls it "bearing one another's burdens" and "fulfilling the law of Christ." This is a very good way to think about it, for that's exactly what Jesus did for us. When He saw us struggling under the weight of all our sin and shame and guilt, what did He do? Did He just walk on by? Did He point and laugh? Of course not. He came to us with gentleness. He took our sin and shame upon His own shoulders, bearing our burden. He carried our cross.

This is the law of Christ—that just as He did for us, so we should love one another. He has forgiven our sins and taken our shame away. Now we, too, can forgive and restore our brothers and sisters in a spirit of loving gentleness. We can carry their burdens, help them get to their feet again, bring them back to the reconciliation and peace that are theirs in Christ Jesus. Together we will share in His everlasting life, both now and in His kingdom forever.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to show mercy to the people around me who are struggling, and work through me to restore them. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever counseled a friend or family member about their behavior? What became of that?
• How can we "test" our own work to see if it's solid and God-pleasing?
• Have you ever had to help bear someone else's burdens? How so and for how long?

This Daily Devotion was 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 counseled a friend or family member about their behavior? What became of that?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 03 de Julio de 2019 - Sobrelleven los unos las cargas de los otros

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Sobrelleven los unos las cargas de los otros

03 de Julio de 2019

Hermanos, si alguno es sorprendido en alguna falta, ustedes, que son espirituales, restáurenlo con espíritu de mansedumbre. Piensa en ti mismo, no sea que también tú seas tentado. Sobrelleven los unos las cargas de los otros, y cumplan así la ley de Cristo. Porque el que se cree ser algo, y no es nada, a sí mismo se engaña. Así que, cada uno ponga a prueba su propia obra, y entonces tendrá motivo de jactarse, pero sólo respecto de sí mismo y no por otro; porque cada uno llevará su propia carga.

~ Gálatas 6:1-5 (RVC)

Hay un pequeño juego que puedes jugar contigo mismo... si eres lo suficientemente tonto como para intentarlo. Simplemente anúnciate a ti mismo y al mundo en general, que no tienes absolutamente ningún problema con: [agregar una tentación específica], y luego siéntate y espera. ¡Te asombrará ver que esto será tu peor tentación la semana siguiente!

Pablo conoce muy bien los peligros de ser un tonto arrogante, y nos advierte sobre ellos. Él dice: "Así que, el que crea estar firme, tenga cuidado de no caer" (1 Corintios 10:12). Es tan fácil mirar a otra persona que ha caído en algún pecado o error vergonzoso y pensar: "Eso nunca me pasaría a mí". Cuando me encuentro pensando de esta manera, me estremezco. Sé que acabo de esquivar una bala. ¡Es muy probable que yo misma hubiera caído en ese pecado al día siguiente!

Pablo nos dice qué debemos hacer cuando vemos a un hermano o hermana atrapados en algún pecado: "restáurenlo con espíritu de mansedumbre. Piensa en ti mismo, no sea que también tú seas tentado". Ser amable con alguien que ha cometido un error es bueno por varias razones. Se le hace más fácil admitir su necesidad y aceptar nuestra ayuda. También hace que sea mucho más probable que ellos, a su vez, nos ayuden cuando nosotros mismos caigamos en pecado o error. ¿Quién no necesita esa ayuda amable de vez en cuando?

Pablo lo llama "sobrellevar los unos las cargas de los otros" y "cumplir la ley de Cristo". Esta es una muy buena manera de pensar en ello, porque eso es exactamente lo que Jesús hizo por nosotros. Cuando nos vio luchando bajo el peso de nuestro pecado, vergüenza y culpa, ¿qué hizo? ¿Siguió de largo? ¿Se burló? Por supuesto que no. Él vino a nosotros con bondad, tomó nuestro pecado y vergüenza sobre sus hombros y cargó nuestra carga a la cruz.

Así debemos amarnos unos a otros. Él ha perdonado nuestros pecados y ha quitado nuestra vergüenza. Ahora nosotros también podemos perdonar y restaurar a nuestros hermanos en un espíritu de amor. Podemos llevar sus cargas, ayudarlos a levantarse de nuevo, traerlos de vuelta a la reconciliación y la paz que son suyas en Cristo Jesús.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, ayúdame a mostrar misericordia a las personas que están luchando, y obra a través de mí para restaurarlas. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Cómo podemos "probar" nuestro propio trabajo para ver si es sólido y agradable a Dios?
• ¿Alguna vez has tenido que ayudar a soportar las cargas de otro? ¿Cómo te resultó?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo podemos "probar" nuestro propio trabajo para ver si es sólido y agradable a Dios?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Livre-se do pecado

Livre-se do pecado


Leia: Josué 7:1-12
 | A Bíblia em um ano: Jó 25–27; Atos 12


…já não serei convosco, se não eliminardes do vosso meio a coisa roubada. v.12


O prazo de entrega de texto pairava sobre mim, e a discussão com o meu marido ainda girava em minha mente. Olhei para o cursor piscando, as pontas dos dedos no teclado. Ele também estava errado, Senhor.

A tela do computador ficou preta e franzi os cenhos. Não reconhecer meus erros estava mais do que dificultando o meu trabalho. Estava prejudicando o meu relacionamento com meu marido e meu Deus.

Peguei o celular, engoli o orgulho e pedi perdão. Saboreei a reconciliação quando o meu cônjuge se desculpou também, agradeci a Deus e terminei o artigo que devia, em tempo.

Os israelitas experimentaram a dor do pecado pessoal e a alegria da restauração. Josué advertiu o povo de Deus para não se enriquecerem na batalha de Jericó (Josué 6:18), mas Acã roubou os itens capturados e os escondeu em sua tenda (7:1). Somente após seu pecado ser exposto e tratado (vv.4-12), a nação reconciliou-se com seu Deus.

Como Acã, nem sempre reconhecemos como o fato de “esconder o pecado em nossa tenda” desvia o nosso coração de Deus e afeta os que nos rodeiam. Reconhecer Jesus como Senhor, admitir nosso pecado e buscar o perdão é a base para os relacionamentos saudáveis e fiéis com Deus e com os outros. Submetendo-nos diariamente ao nosso Criador e Sustentador, podemos servi-lo e desfrutar da Sua presença — juntos.

Deus pode purificar o nosso coração do pecado 
que destrói nossa intimidade com Ele e com os outros.

por Xochitl Dixon

© 2019 Ministérios Pão Diário
Deus pode purificar o nosso coração do pecado 
que destrói nossa intimidade com Ele e com os outros.