The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, July 11, 2019

Faith without Works Is Dead
James 2:14-26

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, July 11, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 82

A Plea for Justice
A Psalm of Asaph.
1  God has taken his place in the divine council;
     in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2  “How long will you judge unjustly
     and show partiality to the wicked?   Selah
3  Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
     maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
4  Rescue the weak and the needy;
     deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

5  They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
     they walk around in darkness;
     all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6  I say, “You are gods,
     children of the Most High, all of you;
7  nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
     and fall like any prince.”

8  Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
     for all the nations belong to you!

Amos 1:1—2:3

1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors
2 And he said:

   The Lord roars from Zion,
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
   the pastures of the shepherds wither,
     and the top of Carmel dries up.

3  Thus says the Lord:
   For three transgressions of Damascus,
     and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
   because they have threshed Gilead
     with threshing sledges of iron.
4  So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael,
     and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
5  I will break the gate bars of Damascus,
     and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,
   and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
     and the people of Aram shall go into exile to Kir,
   says the Lord.

6  Thus says the Lord:
   For three transgressions of Gaza,
     and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
   because they carried into exile entire communities,
     to hand them over to Edom.
7  So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza,
     fire that shall devour its strongholds.
8  I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod,
     and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
   I will turn my hand against Ekron,
     and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,
   says the Lord God.

9  Thus says the Lord:
   For three transgressions of Tyre,
     and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
   because they delivered entire communities over to Edom,
     and did not remember the covenant of kinship.
10 So I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre,
     fire that shall devour its strongholds.

11 Thus says the Lord:
   For three transgressions of Edom,
     and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
   because he pursued his brother with the sword
     and cast off all pity;
   he maintained his anger perpetually,
     and kept his wrath forever.
12 So I will send a fire on Teman,
     and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.

13 Thus says the Lord:
   For three transgressions of the Ammonites,
     and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
   because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead
     in order to enlarge their territory.
14 So I will kindle a fire against the wall of Rabbah,
     fire that shall devour its strongholds,
   with shouting on the day of battle,
     with a storm on the day of the whirlwind;
15 then their king shall go into exile,
     he and his officials together,
   says the Lord.

2:1 Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Moab,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;
because he burned to lime
    the bones of the king of Edom.
2 So I will send a fire on Moab,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,
and Moab shall die amid uproar,
    amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;
3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst,
    and will kill all its officials with him,
   says the Lord.

James 2:14-26

Faith without Works Is Dead
2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. 20 Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. 23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

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
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?

The Morning Prayer for THURSDAY, July 11, 2019

Thursday morning prayer

Lord on this day I remember that You go before me, so I pause to meditate on Your promises. Thank You Lord that You go with me, You lay a pathway, You watch over me like a shepherd. So I give You my fears, worries and anxieties. I lay all tension and stress at the foot of the cross. Thank You that You arose from the death, and that You bring life, freedom, hope and the promise of Heaven! Praise You that I am safe in Your presence. Amen.

May Thursday be a hope filled day,

That floods my fears with light,

A day that quiets all anxious thoughts

As I encounter Christ.

Let Thursday always prompt my heart

To stop and find Your peace,

And live upon the truth You give

My eyes to You I lift.

Verse of the Day THURSDAY, July 11, 2019

Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV) “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Read all of Jeremiah 32

Listen to Jeremiah 32

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 - Thursday, July 11, 2019

Semana de pacto con Dios: Mis oídos

La fe viene como resultado de oír el mensaje, y el mensaje que se oye es la palabra de Cristo.

~ Romanos 10:17 (NVI)

El oído es el órgano de la audición que nos permite percibir los sonidos.

Mientras analizamos en esta semana todos nuestros órganos, vemos que nuestros sentidos se crearon a la perfección. En lo personal, le he dado gracias a Dios por todos mis sentidos y, en especial, porque todos me funcionan. Esa es una bendición.

Sin embargo, no nos quedamos solo en las definiciones, sino que hemos hecho un paralelo con la parte espiritual. Así que, ahora, debemos pedirle a Dios que también nos guarde por completo los oídos.

¿Qué estamos escuchando? ¿Qué permitimos que llegue a nuestra mente? ¿Qué tipo de música elegimos? ¿La música que nos deprime o nos pone melancólicos? ¿O escuchamos música que nos edifica y reconforta nuestro espíritu? ¿Prestamos nuestros oídos para el chisme o prestamos los oídos para escuchar cosas que desagradan a Dios?

Hoy te recuerdo que el Señor también hace referencia a los que escuchemos.

Por ejemplo, dice que la fe viene por el oír la palabra de Dios.

En cuanto a esto, quiero enfatizarles algo a las mujeres, sobre todo las que están solas, que no presten sus oídos a hombres que solo quieren endulzar con palabras y que, si no estás bien fuerte en Dios, te pueden hacer flaquear. A las mujeres se les conquista por el oído.

Señor, hoy me comprometo a guardar mis oídos y honrarte a ti.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Mientras analizamos en esta semana todos nuestros órganos, vemos que nuestros sentidos se crearon a la perfección.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, July 11, 2019

EMPTINESS AND FILLING

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

~ Psalm 42:1 (NIV)

Ron Boyd-MacMillan writes in his epic volume, Faith That Endures: 

I remember interviewing a former Muslim extremist in Egypt. He had converted to Christ in his early twenties and led a Church for Muslim converts. This is illegal in Egypt, and the fellowship was betrayed to the police. Soon this young man found himself in prison. He was tortured. An electric cattle prod was pushed into his mouth. He was whipped and hung from the ceiling with his hands tied behind his back. But all this paled into insignificance compared to what other prisoners called “the experience.” He was pushed into a stone box, a cube about five feet square. No light. No latrine. And he was left there for a month, food being passed through a grate every few days. Most prisoners went mad as a result of “the experience”—but not him.

He found Christ there, and the words he used to describe his experience are still the most brilliant description of the process of how persecution actually delivers more of God:

“In great suffering you discover a different Jesus than you do in normal life. Normally we are able to hide from ourselves who we really are and what we are really like. The ego is well defended. But pain changes all that. Pain and suffering bring up to the surface all the weak points of your personality. You are too weak to mount the usual defenses, and you just have to gaze at what you are really like. I was a wreck in that cell. I was reduced to tears all the time. Crying, weeping, sobbing, and wailing in the never-changing utter darkness.

“I came face-to-face with how awful I really was. I saw all the horrible things I had done, all the horrible things I was. I kept seeing myself again and again. But just as I was about to collapse into complete despair and self-loathing—and probably die—an incredible realization burst into the cell like an exploding star. It was this: Jesus loved me even right then, as I sat in my own filth, weak, helpless and broken, empty and sinful. Even in that state, He loved me, and Christ rushed in and filled me, and the filling was so great because I was so empty.”[1]

RESPONSE: Today I realize that God can use persecution to draw people closer to Himself.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord that You fill us when we are truly empty. Help me not to hide my real condition from myself and before You.

1. Ron Boyd-MacMillan, Faith That Endures (Grand Rapids: Fleming Revell, 2006), p. 319-320.

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

Men's Devotional Bible - Thursday, July 11, 2019

A Glorious Preview

Exodus 34:29–35
Recommended Reading: Matthew 17:1–8; 2 Corinthians 3:7–18; Revelation 21:22—22:6

The lights in the theater dim and a deep, mysterious voice booms ominously through the speakers. On the screen, a sequence of scenes quickly establishes the setting, introduces the main characters and teases about the plot. Of course, you’re watching a preview for Hollywood’s next blockbuster flick.

However, since the film’s producers want you to plop down the bucks to watch the entire movie, they give you only a sketchy outline to pique your interest. So the preview suggests a lot more than it shows.

If a theatrical preview exists in the Bible, the episode about Moses’ radiant face provides a great teaser. We catch a glimpse of God’s glory, but the preview suggests a lot more than it actually shows. Instead of a detailed description, we only read that God’s glory made Moses’ face shine. Still, the effect was so powerful that it triggered fear in the Israelites, so much so that Moses had to cover his face.

God provided another preview of his glory in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ and the new covenant he established. The apostle Paul connects these two previews: “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?” (2 Corinthians 3:7–8).

Amazingly, the full picture of God’s glory still lies ahead. Even more incredibly, we’re not just audience members watching a preview. God gives us a starring role! “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Are you ready for your close-up?

To Take Away

• Do you long for God’s glory more than anything else? In what ways does your life show this to be true?
• What qualities and actions in Jesus’ life revealed God’s glory? How can you obtain a greater thirst for a “close-up” of God’s glory?
• Pray that God will show you smaller evidences of his glory in your everyday life.

The lights in the theater dim and a deep, mysterious voice booms ominously through the speakers. On the screen, a sequence of scenes quickly establishes the setting, introduces the main characters and teases about the plot.

LHM Daily Devotions - Asking the Right Question

"Asking the Right Question"

Jul. 11, 2019

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

~ Luke 10:25-28 (ESV)

Did you ever ask a question so messed up it not only wasn't right, it wasn't even wrong? That's what I see happening with the lawyer who decided to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asks, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Listen to that again: "What shall I do?" Or maybe this is the emphasis: "What shall I do?" Either way, this guy's all about good deeds, all about what he can achieve. He's not looking at what God gives—grace—he's interested in what he brings to the table. He's so messed up he's not even wrong.

Jesus knows this. But He goes ahead and allows the man to follow the argument to its logical conclusion. "What do you read in the Law?" "Well," the man says, "there's this thing to do and that thing to do." And Jesus says, "Fine. Do it, and you will live."

But that's not the end of the conversation, for either the lawyer or Jesus. The lawyer, poor fool, is intent on justifying himself, but Jesus knows he can't! No human being is going to justify himself or herself by keeping the Commandments. Every one of us has broken them. Jesus says, "Do this, and you will live"—well, sure. But that's the trap, isn't it? None of us can "do this!"

But Jesus is gracious. He goes on to tell a story about a Jewish man (much like the lawyer) who gets mugged and left for dead on the side of the road. But who will help him, since he cannot help himself? Only one man: a gracious, merciful, loving man who binds up his wounds, puts him on his own donkey, carries him to safety, nurses him all night, and pays for his care.

Sound like anybody you know? Of course, it does. This man, this good Samaritan, sounds like Jesus. He sounds like the Son of God, the Savior of the world, who found each of us —robbed, wounded, and lying half-dead as a result of the work of the devil.

Jesus did not pass us by. Nor did He demand that we rescue ourselves, doing as many good deeds as we could until we, somehow, made up for our own sin and restored ourselves to spiritual health. No, Jesus picked us up, bandaged our wounds, saw to our care, and restored our health. And He even did better than that: He gave up His life so we could know the joyful life of people who belong to God. And when He rose from the dead, He offered us that same everlasting life as a pure and gracious gift of love, to everyone who trusts in Him.

"What must I do to be saved?" was the question. Jesus answers it with His deeds. He says, "This is what I did to save you."

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your free, gracious care for us who had no claim on You, and still You love us anyway. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Can our occupational training impact the way we look at God?
• How deep in our psyche does the desire to satisfy God's righteous demands go, do you think?
• When the notion of "works righteousness" pops into your head, how do you combat it?

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).
Can our occupational training impact the way we look at God?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 11 de Julio de 2019 - La pregunta correcta

ALIMENTO DIARIO

La pregunta correcta

11 de Julio de 2019

En ese momento, un intérprete de la ley se levantó y, para poner a prueba a Jesús, dijo: «Maestro, ¿qué debo hacer para heredar la vida eterna?» Jesús le dijo: «¿Qué es lo que está escrito en la ley? ¿Qué lees allí?» El intérprete de la ley respondió: «Amarás al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, con toda tu alma, con todas tus fuerzas y con toda tu mente, y a tu prójimo como a ti mismo.» Jesús le dijo: «Has contestado correctamente. Haz esto, y vivirás.»

~ Lucas 10:25-28 (RVC)

¡Alguna vez hiciste una pregunta tan confusa que no solo no estaba bien, sino que ni siquiera estaba mal? Eso pasó con el abogado que decidió probar a Jesús. "Maestro", pregunta, "¿Qué debo hacer para heredar la vida eterna?" ¡Ouchi! Escucha otra vez: "¿Qué debo hacer?" O quizás el énfasis deba ser: "¿Qué debo yo hacer?" Sea como sea, todo se resume en las buenas acciones y no en la gracia que Dios da; solo está interesado en lo que él hace. Está tan confundido, ¡que ni siquiera está equivocado!

Y Jesús lo sabe. Pero sigue adelante y le permite que continúe con su argumento hasta llegar a una conclusión lógica. "¿Qué está escrito en la ley?". "Bueno", dice el hombre, "hay que hacer esto y aquello". Y Jesús le responde: "Bien. Hazlo, y vivirás ".

Pero ese no es el final de la conversación, ni para el abogado ni para Jesús. El abogado, pobre tonto, intenta justificarse a sí mismo, ¡pero Jesús sabe que no puede! Ningún ser humano se va a justificar a sí mismo al guardar los Mandamientos. Cada uno de nosotros los ha transgredido. Jesús dice: "Haz esto y vivirás", claro. Pero, ¡ninguno de nosotros puede "hacer esto!"

Pero Jesús es misericordioso. Entonces continúa, contándole la historia de un hombre judío (como el abogado) que es asaltado y abandonado por muerto a un lado del camino. ¿Quién lo va a ayudar, si él no puede ayudarse a sí mismo? Solo un hombre: un hombre bondadoso, misericordioso y amoroso que le limpia y cubre las heridas, lo pone en su burro, lo lleva a un lugar seguro, lo cuida toda la noche y paga para que lo sigan cuidando.

¿Suena como alguien que conoces? Por supuesto que sí. Ese hombre, ese buen samaritano, suena como Jesús. Suena como el Hijo de Dios, el Salvador del mundo que nos encontró a cada uno de nosotros asaltados, heridos y medio muertos por causa del diablo.

Jesús no nos pasó por alto. Tampoco nos dejó a que nos rescatemos a nosotros mismos haciendo tantas buenas obras como pudiéramos hasta que, de alguna manera, compensemos nuestro propio pecado y nos restauremos a nosotros mismos a la salud espiritual. No, Jesús nos recogió, vendó nuestras heridas, se ocupó de nuestro cuidado y restauró nuestra salud. Más aún: renunció a su vida para que pudiéramos conocer la vida de quienes pertenecen a Dios. Y cuando resucitó de entre los muertos, nos ofreció a todos los que confiamos en él esa misma vida eterna como un don de amor puro y bondadoso.

"¿Qué debo yo hacer para ser salvo?", fue la pregunta. Jesús responde: "Esto es lo que yo hice para salvarte".

ORACIÓN: Señor Jesús, gracias por cuidarnos y amarlos a pesar de no merecerlo. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Qué crees que debes hacer para satisfacer las demandas de la justicia de Dios?
• ¿Qué te resulta más difícil: amar a Dios con todo tu ser, o amar al prójimo como a ti mismo? ¿Por qué?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué crees que debes hacer para satisfacer las demandas de la justicia de Dios?

Хлеб наш насущный - Футбол и пастухи

Футбол и пастухи

Читать сейчас: Иоанна 10:11-15 | Библия за год: Псалтирь 1-3; Деяния 17:1-15

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«Я – Пастырь добрый. Пастырь добрый полагает жизнь свою за овец». — Иоанна 10:11

Интригующий момент английского футбола: перед началом каждого матча болельщики поют гимн своей команды. Песни бывают самые разные: от забавных («Рады всему») до причудливых («Вечно дую пузыри»). А гимном клуба West Bromwich Albion является Псалом 22. Слова этого Псалма помещены на стене их стадиона, провозглашая каждому, кто приходит посмотреть игру команды, о заботе великого и доброго Пастыреначальника.

В Псалме 22 Давид делает бессмертное заявление: «Господь – Пастырь мой» (Пс. 22:1). Много лет спустя евангелист Матфей описал, как «видя толпы народа, [Иисус] сжалился над ними, что они были изнурены и рассеяны, как овцы, не имеющие пастыря» (Мф. 9:36). А в Евангелии от Иоанна Господь говорит о любви и заботе к «овцам» Своего времени: «Я – Пастырь добрый. Пастырь добрый полагает жизнь свою за овец» (Ин. 10:11). Сострадание побуждало Иисуса общаться со множеством людей, откликаться на их нужды и в конечном итоге пожертвовать Собой ради них (и нас).

«Господь – Пастырь мой» – это намного больше, чем древняя поэзия или красивый девиз. Это уверенное заявление о том, что значит быть познанным и любимым великим Богом, а также спасенным Его Сыном.

В чем вы видели Божью заботу о вас? Кому вы можете сегодня о Нем рассказать?

Небесный Отец, какой удивительный дар – наш Пастырь! Помоги нам отвечать на Его голос и становиться ближе к Тебе.

автор: Билл Краудер

© 2019 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Интригующий момент английского футбола: перед началом каждого матча болельщики поют гимн своей команды. Песни бывают самые разные: от забавных («Рады всему») до причудливых («Вечно дую пузыри»).