The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, July 18, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, July 18, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 52

Judgment on the Deceitful
To the leader. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came to Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”
1  Why do you boast, O mighty one,
     of mischief done against the godly?
     All day long 2 you are plotting destruction.
   Your tongue is like a sharp razor,
     you worker of treachery.
3  You love evil more than good,
     and lying more than speaking the truth.   Selah
4  You love all words that devour,
     O deceitful tongue.

5  But God will break you down forever;
     he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
     he will uproot you from the land of the living.   Selah
6  The righteous will see, and fear,
     and will laugh at the evildoer, saying,
7  “See the one who would not take
     refuge in God,
   but trusted in abundant riches,
     and sought refuge in wealth!”

8  But I am like a green olive tree
     in the house of God.
   I trust in the steadfast love of God
     forever and ever.
9  I will thank you forever,
     because of what you have done.
   In the presence of the faithful
     I will proclaim your name, for it is good.

Amos 5:10-17

5:10 They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
     and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
11 Therefore because you trample on the poor
     and take from them levies of grain,
   you have built houses of hewn stone,
     but you shall not live in them;
   you have planted pleasant vineyards,
     but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your transgressions,
     and how great are your sins—
   you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
     and push aside the needy in the gate.
13 Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
     for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil,
     that you may live;
   and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
     just as you have said.
15 Hate evil and love good,
     and establish justice in the gate;
   it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
     will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:
   In all the squares there shall be wailing;
     and in all the streets they shall say, “Alas! alas!”
   They shall call the farmers to mourning,
     and those skilled in lamentation, to wailing;
17 in all the vineyards there shall be wailing,
     for I will pass through the midst of you,
   says the Lord.

Hebrews 5:1-6

5:1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,

   “You are my Son,
     today I have begotten you”;

6 as he says also in another place,

   “You are a priest forever,
     according to the order of Melchizedek.”

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
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf... And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God...

The Morning Prayer for THURSDAY, July 18, 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 for THURSDAY, July 18, 2019

Psalm 119:7 (NIV) I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

Read all of Psalm 119

Listen to Psalm 119

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 18, 2019

Oración por evitar las malas decisiones

En tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu; líbrame, Señor, Dios de la verdad.

~ Salmo 31:5 (NVI)

Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo, ¡santificado sea tu nombre! Señor, hoy venimos delante de ti porque reconocemos que muchas veces somos culpables de nuestro propio destino.

Tomamos decisiones equivocadas y ahora quizá estemos pagando las conse-cuencias.

Dios mío, sé que muchas veces me has puesto alarmas para que no haga cosas que sabes que me causarán dolor y yo no te he tenido en cuenta.

Te pido perdón y te suplico me des la oportunidad de evitar tomar malas decisiones. Hoy te prometo que te tendré presente en todo lo que haga para que me vaya bien. Gracias, mi Dios.

Entregamos el resto de este día en tus manos. Guárdanos de todo mal y peligro. Te lo pedimos en el nombre de Jesús, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo, ¡santificado sea tu nombre! Señor, hoy venimos delante de ti porque reconocemos que muchas veces somos culpables de nuestro propio destino.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, July 18, 2019

THE PURE IN HEART

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

~ Matthew 5:8 (NIV)

As our mourning to God begins the transforming process of our new life in Christ, so our lifestyle of purity amid the impure can become the beginning of reconciliation.

This Beatitude necessitates the strictest and most honest self-examination. We are to do everything with pure, unmixed motives. This demands the death of self and the springing to life of Christ within the heart.

So, blessed are those whose motives are unmixed and who operate in purity. They shall be given a vision of God Himself. As we draw closer to Him through purity, we shall see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly. Thus:

Blessed are those whose motives are absolutely pure and whose life is characterized by purity, for they will be able to see God.

The area of moral purity is one major concern of Muslims. Great stress is laid on modesty in dressing and purity of relationships between the sexes. But Christians seem so nonchalant about such issues. Is it because we do not care about purity? No. The difference is in our starting points. In the Muslim view, purity is from the “outside in.” For the follower of Jesus it must be from the “inside out.” Thus, Muslims seek to cleanse themselves knowing they are in need of cleansing, whereas we know Christ has already cleansed us.

But we tend to disregard the danger that dirt can pose to us and we become careless. What is important to realize is that a careless disregard for even the “appearance of evil” will lead people to wrong conclusions and cause them to stumble. It is not enough to say we are pure. We must be seen to be pure.

A co-worker in China was teaching a class of believers in which two antagonistic-looking groups of students sat across from each other, looking as if they were facing enemies. As he was sharing, some students started crying and others were repenting. He told them that if they needed to apologize to others, they should sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to work, and to move them, and to give them the courage to admit their wrongs to others. He said that God delights in pure hearted children, and He wants to use submissive, humble people. Everyone was hugging and crying. Everyone was confessing his or her sins to each other. The cleansing brought purity to their relationships.

RESPONSE: Today I will seek to live my life in true purity before God with good motives.

PRAYER: Lord, I can only live this way if I listen and respond positively to the reproving of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to be sensitive to purity issues.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Blessed are those whose motives are absolutely pure and whose life is characterized by purity, for they will be able to see God.

Men's Devotional Bible - Thursday, July 18, 2019

Bless the Blesser

Numbers 6:22–27
Recommended Reading: Psalm 80:1–19; Ephesians 1:3–14; 1 John 1:5–7

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

Not so much what moves someone to do something goofy, like wearing plaid knickers on the golf course or pouring ketchup on an otherwise perfectly good plate of scrambled eggs. Instead, you wonder what motivates a guy to bring coffee to a harried coworker during a normal workday or to take the kids out for dinner so his wife can enjoy an uninterrupted bubble bath. What causes someone to take an action that remains forever unknown to all but a few?

What motivated the person who carefully and skillfully etched the priestly blessing that would later be identified as Numbers 6:24–26 onto two small silver scrolls, each barely an inch long?

“The LORD bless you and keep you …”

Did this anonymous silversmith realize that he was recording the very words of Almighty God?

“The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you …”

Did he know that his work would survive thousands and thousands of years, until rediscovered one day in a burial cave in modern Jerusalem?

“The LORD turn his face toward you …”

Did this artisan know that what he inscribed on finger-sized scraps of silver would, in the 21st century, become the oldest known record of any written Scripture text?

“… and give you peace.”

And did he know that, as you read these words, you would need God’s blessing to provide heavenly light and grace and peace in your life this very day?

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

To Take Away

• What incites you to take small actions that benefit other people but seem to offer no reward for you?
• How have others shown kindness to you recently?
• In what specific ways has God blessed you, kept you and turned his face toward you during the past year? How can you pass on the blessing?

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

LHM Daily Devotions - Receiving Jesus' Gifts

"Receiving Jesus' Gifts"

Jul. 18, 2019

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

~ Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

When I was growing up, we had Thanksgiving every year at my grandmother's house. She would make a dozen pies, Southern green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, ham, hors d'oeuvres—the list went on and on. Nobody else was allowed to cook. The meal was her pride and joy.

But as she got into her 80s, my family got more and more concerned about the toll the cooking was taking on her. She wound up more exhausted every year. So my mother and I hatched a cunning plan. I would fly home for the holiday and spend the night before the holiday with my grandmother. With luck, I would be able to take over most of the heaviest chores that next morning under her direction.

It should have worked. But at six o'clock Thanksgiving morning, I woke to hear a muffled noise in the kitchen. Grandma was already up cooking (a row of finished pies and side dishes made it clear she'd been at it for hours). She wasn't going to let me get the better of her!

My family still laughs about this story. But her exhaustion was a very real concern for us. I suspect you have someone in your family like this, too—someone whose impulse to be hospitable, to serve, to make things run smoothly, sometimes gets the better of him or her. It might even be you. I know sometimes it's me.

It's so easy to lose track of the reason why we're working ourselves into exhaustion. Martha surely wanted to honor Jesus with her gifts. No doubt she had the best linens out, the finest plates, the freshest food. But in the midst of the chaos, she lost sight of her honored Guest! She lost sight of what He wanted to give to her: His peace, His teaching, His own company.

Jesus' gifts come first. We receive His gifts through Communion, through Bible reading, through worship, through preaching, through Baptism, through prayer. We receive them through the care of other Christians. And it's a wonderful thing when we can sit down for a minute to receive those gifts with our whole heart and attention—without checking our phones or our mental checklists because we're afraid of what's going undone. Truly, that is a gift from the Lord.

Jesus invites us to rest and listen to Him. He says to us, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Let's receive His gift of rest.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, please help me rest in You and receive the good gifts You want to give to me. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you ever feel preoccupied by things of minimal importance? How do you put things back into perspective?
• Do you think Martha was more interested in serving Jesus or coaching Mary on the particulars of domestic etiquette?
• How can we guard against majoring in the minors in our lives?

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).
Do you ever feel preoccupied by things of minimal importance?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 18 de Julio de 2019 - Los regalos de Jesús

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Los regalos de Jesús

18 de Julio de 2019

Mientras Jesús iba de camino entró en una aldea, y una mujer llamada Marta lo hospedó en su casa. Marta tenía una hermana que se llamaba María, la cual se sentó a los pies de Jesús para escuchar lo que él decía. Pero Marta, que estaba ocupada con muchos quehaceres, se acercó a Jesús y le dijo: «Señor, ¿no te importa que mi hermana me deje trabajar sola? ¡Dile que me ayude!» Jesús le respondió: «Marta, Marta, estás preocupada y aturdida con muchas cosas. Pero una sola cosa es necesaria. María ha escogido la mejor parte, y nadie se la quitará.»

~ Lucas 10:38-42 (RVC)

Cuando era niña, todos los años celebrábamos Acción de Gracias en la casa de mi abuela, que siempre hacía una docena de pasteles, frijoles, puré de papas, pavo con relleno, jamón, entremeses, y la lista seguía y seguía. Nadie más tenía permiso para cocinar. La comida era su orgullo y alegría.

Pero cuando llegó a los 80, mi familia comenzó a darse cuenta de cuánto le costaba hacer todo eso. Cada año que pasaba terminaba más agotada. Así que mi madre y yo tramamos un plan: yo volaría a casa y pasaría la noche anterior al día de Acción de Gracias con mi abuela. Con suerte, a la mañana siguiente podría encargarme de las tareas más pesadas, bajo su dirección.

Debería haber funcionado. Pero a las seis de la mañana del día de Acción de Gracias, me desperté para escuchar un ruido sordo en la cocina. La abuela ya estaba cocinando: una fila de pasteles y guarniciones dejaron en claro que había estado trabajando durante horas.

Mi familia todavía se ríe de esta historia. Pero su agotamiento fue una preocupación muy real para nosotros. Sospecho que tú también tienes a alguien así en tu familia: alguien cuyo impulso de ser hospitalario, de servir, de hacer que las cosas funcionen bien, a veces le supera. ¿O quizás seas tú mismo? Sé que a veces soy yo.

Es tan fácil perder de vista la razón por la cual nos agotamos. Marta seguramente quiso honrar a Jesús con sus regalos. Sin duda tenía las mejores sábanas, los mejores platos, la comida más fresca. ¡Pero, en medio del caos, había perdido de vista a su invitado de honor! Había perdido de vista lo que él quería regalarle: su paz, su enseñanza, su compañía.

Los regalos de Jesús siempre están primero. Los recibimos a través de la Comunión, de la lectura de la Biblia, de la adoración, de la predicación, del Bautismo, de la oración y también a través del cuidado de otros cristianos. Y es maravilloso cuando podemos sentarnos por un minuto para recibir esos regalos con todo nuestro corazón y atención, sin estar pendientes de nuestro celular o de las cosas que tenemos para hacer.

Jesús nos invita a descansar y escucharlo. Él nos dice: "Vengan a mí todos ustedes, los agotados de tanto trabajar, que yo los haré descansar. Lleven mi yugo sobre ustedes, y aprendan de mí, que soy manso y humilde de corazón, y hallarán descanso para su alma; porque mi yugo es fácil, y mi carga es liviana" (Mateo 11: 28-30). Recibamos Su regalo de descanso.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, ayúdame a descansar en ti y a recibir los regalos que tú tienes para darme. En Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Crees que Marta estaba más interesada en servir a Jesús o en entrenar a María en los quehaceres domésticos?
• ¿Cómo podemos evitar dedicar tiempo a las cosas menos importantes, para dedicarnos a las que realmente importan?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Crees que Marta estaba más interesada en servir a Jesús o en entrenar a María en los quehaceres domésticos?

Хлеб наш насущный - Помощь с мудростью

Помощь с мудростью

Читать сейчас: 1 Фессалоникийцам 5:12-15 | Библия за год: Псалтирь 19-21; Деяния 21:1-17

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Утешайте малодушных, поддерживайте слабых, будьте долготерпеливы ко всем. — 1 Фессалоникийцам 5:14

Я остановился на светофоре и увидел знакомого бродягу. Он снова стоял у дороги, держа в руках картонку с надписью: «Подайте на еду. Хоть сколько». Я вздохнул и отвернулся.

Некоторые люди притворяются, что находятся в нужде, а на самом деле они – мошенники. А другие по-настоящему нуждаются, но не могут победить вредные привычки. Сотрудники социальных служб говорят, что лучше жертвовать деньги в специальные фонды. Я проглотил комок в горле и проехал мимо. На душе было неприятно, но, думаю, я поступил мудро.

Бог повелевает нам: «Вразумляйте бесчинных, утешайте малодушных, поддерживайте слабых» (1 Фес. 5:14). Чтобы это исполнять, нужно знать, кто к какой категории относится. Если мы станем вразумлять слабого человека, то можем сломить его дух. Если поддерживаем малодушного, то можем развить в нем лень. Поэтому наилучшую помощь мы сможем оказать тем, кого хорошо знаем и можем судить об их нуждах.

Бог положил вам на сердце кому-то помочь? Замечательно! Приступайте к делу. Но сначала попросите его рассказать о своей проблеме и выслушайте. Помолившись, поступайте мудро, а не просто, чтобы почувствовать себя лучше. Если мы действительно ищем «добра и друг другу, и всем», то с большей готовностью будем «долготерпеливы ко всем», даже когда они совершают ошибки (1 Фес. 5:14-15).

Когда вам кто-то помог особенным образом? Что вы узнали о том, как лучше помогать другим?

Небесный Отец, дай мне способность мудро оказывать помощь.

автор: Майк Уитмер

© 2019 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Я остановился на светофоре и увидел знакомого бродягу. Он снова стоял у дороги, держа в руках картонку с надписью: «Подайте на еду. Хоть сколько». Я вздохнул и отвернулся.