The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, July 25, 2019

Hakeldama - The Field of Blood

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, July 25, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 85

Prayer for the Restoration of God’s Favor
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
1 Lord, you were favorable to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you pardoned all their sin.   Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.

4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
    so that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.

8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people,
    to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
    that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
    righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
    and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him,
    and will make a path for his steps.

Hosea 4:1-19

God Accuses Israel
4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel;
     for the Lord has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land.
   There is no faithfulness or loyalty,
     and no knowledge of God in the land.
2  Swearing, lying, and murder,
     and stealing and adultery break out;
     bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3  Therefore the land mourns,
     and all who live in it languish;
   together with the wild animals
     and the birds of the air,
     even the fish of the sea are perishing.

4  Yet let no one contend,
     and let none accuse,
     for with you is my contention, O priest.
5  You shall stumble by day;
     the prophet also shall stumble with you by night,
     and I will destroy your mother.
6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
     because you have rejected knowledge,
     I reject you from being a priest to me.
   And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
     I also will forget your children.

7  The more they increased,
     the more they sinned against me;
     they changed their glory into shame.
8  They feed on the sin of my people;
     they are greedy for their iniquity.
9  And it shall be like people, like priest;
     I will punish them for their ways,
     and repay them for their deeds.
10 They shall eat, but not be satisfied;
     they shall play the whore, but not multiply;
   because they have forsaken the Lord
     to devote themselves to 11 whoredom.

The Idolatry of Israel
   Wine and new wine
     take away the understanding.
12 My people consult a piece of wood,
     and their divining rod gives them oracles.
   For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
     and they have played the whore, forsaking their God.
13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains,
     and make offerings upon the hills,
   under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
     because their shade is good.

   Therefore your daughters play the whore,
     and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
     nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery;
   for the men themselves go aside with whores,
     and sacrifice with temple prostitutes;
   thus a people without understanding comes to ruin.

15 Though you play the whore, O Israel,
     do not let Judah become guilty.
   Do not enter into Gilgal,
     or go up to Beth-aven,
     and do not swear, “As the Lord lives.”
16 Like a stubborn heifer,
     Israel is stubborn;
   can the Lord now feed them
     like a lamb in a broad pasture?

17 Ephraim is joined to idols—
     let him alone.
18 When their drinking is ended, they indulge in sexual orgies;
     they love lewdness more than their glory.
19 A wind has wrapped them in its wings,
     and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.

Acts 1:15-20

1:15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16 “Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

   ‘Let his homestead become desolate,
     and let there be no one to live in it’;

and

   ‘Let another take his position of overseer.’

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 field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.

The Morning Prayer for THURSDAY, July 25, 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 25, 2019

Psalm 119:60 (NIV) I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

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 25, 2019

La intriga

Ahora que se han purificado obedeciendo a la verdad y tienen un amor sincero por sus hermanos, ámense de todo corazón los unos a los otros.

~ 1 Pedro 1:22, NVI

La intriga es una acción que se ejecuta con astucia y de manera oculta para conseguir un fin. A veces es una necesidad de conocer algo que está velado para nosotros. Por eso, se puede usar de manera positiva cuando sentimos que algo es bueno y nos interesa investigar o ir más allá de lo que sabemos.

La intriga también se puede usar mal cuando tenemos en nuestro corazón ese deseo erróneo de causar duda, incertidumbre, sembrar cizaña o dejar pensando a los demás en algo determinado.

Tú y yo podemos levantar intrigas contra alguien y sencillamente destruir su imagen o testimonio. ¡Tengamos mucho cuidado de cómo expresamos los que pensamos! Recuerda que no todo lo que pienses de alguien es real. Nosotros podemos tener un concepto muy equivocado de alguien, y si no nos damos la oportunidad de conocerle mejor, podremos juzgar e inclusive levantar falsos testimonios y mentir.

Ya aprendimos ayer lo dañina que es la mentira y lo que Dios piensa al respecto. Cada vez que pensemos algo malo de una persona, no la juzguemos y siempre démonos la oportunidad de conocerle.

Es normal que todo el mundo no te caiga bien, como tú tampoco le caerás bien a todo el resto de la gente. A pesar de eso, debemos distinguirnos como hijos de Dios y tener misericordia y amor por el prójimo.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
La intriga es una acción que se ejecuta con astucia y de manera oculta para conseguir un fin.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, July 25, 2019

THE OVERFLOW OF THE SPIRIT

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

~ Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Yesterday we looked at the martyrdom of Severino (Junie) Bagtasos in the southern Philippines and we are listening to his mother, after ten years’ time, explain what she has learned about the good that God’s Spirit has brought from the painful loss of her dear son. Purificacion Bagtasos exudes the warmth of a mother and the spirituality of a woman of God. One would not think she’d experienced every mother’s nightmare. She overflows with peace, courage and hope.

She says, “Through this tragedy, God paved the way for the distribution of the Kitab Injil [New Testament] in Jolo. A year after Junie’s death, I heard over the radio an Imam [Muslim religious leader] preaching using the Kitab Injil! What’s more amazing is that it is the Muslims themselves asking and distributing copies of the Kitab Injil, not the Christians!”

In 1986, thousands of Gideon Bibles were burned to ashes in Jolo. Ten years later and after Severino’s death, a revived interest in the Bible grew among the Muslims in the whole island.

She adds, “I remember during the wake of our son, the church was filled with Muslims for the first time. We even had to put in additional benches to accommodate those who were still coming. We took that opportunity to preach and declare Christ to them. One way or another the seed of the Gospel was planted in the hearts of all the Muslims gathered there. It will not return to the Lord void.”

And so it was that Severino accomplished in death what he may not have accomplished in life—to preach Jesus Christ to as many Muslims in Jolo as possible.

Secondly, Purificacion talks about vengeance. “We never filed a case because we know God will avenge us and that is where we stand. It also spared us from the long process and uncertainty of obtaining justice. God has seen what had happened and He knows my son’s murderer. I believe He will give us proper justice in His time.

“I feel compassion for them,” Purificacion adds as she turns her thoughts to the Muslims they are reaching. Muslims believe that if you kill an enemy of Allah on the first day of Ramadan, the act will ensure your passage to paradise. Perhaps blinded by this belief, Junie’s killer chose to commit the crime on the very day Ramadan started that year.

Purificacion never thought she’d outlive any of her children. She experienced dark and painful days. But she says, “The prayers and the letters of comfort sent by Christians around the world helped me and my family as we battled loneliness and depression over the loss of my son…We felt all the more encouraged to continue in the ministry God has entrusted to us.”

Purificacion and her husband expanded their ministry after their son’s death. They took over the Bible studies Severino used to teach. They felt empowered. She concludes, “I don’t remember feeling fear. Instead of fear, we were filled with courage.”

RESPONSE: Today I want my life to be so filled with God’s joy and peace that it will overflow to others.

PRAYER: Remember to pray for ongoing strength and courage for Purificacion and her family.

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 25, 2019

Jethro: The Practical Priest

Exodus 2:11—4:18

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

~ Exodus 18:5 (NIV)

Moses married a daughter of yours?

Yes. One day my seven daughters told me some men had forced them away from the well. We have such trouble over water rights in Midian! But an Egyptian man stood up for them. I knew right away that he was the man for one of my daughters.

You were a priest. But to the same God that Moses knew?

To God as best I knew him. How can anyone know more about God than what God reveals of himself? But Moses returned one day with the flocks, saying that Yahweh had made himself known as the one true God, in a burning bush! From that day on, it was no longer a matter of “God as we best know him.” It was a matter of serving either the God who makes himself known or serving the gods of our own conceiving.

Has there been a high point in your walk with God?

Moses brought the people to the same place where God had spoken to him. When I came to this mountain to visit, Moses told me all that the Lord had done. Then I knew that the Lord is greater than all other gods. Even though I am not myself an Israelite, I offered sacrifices to God here at this mountain. I knew we were in the presence of the God who wants all men to know him.

Cite an example of something Moses learned from you.

When I first arrived, the people came to Moses from morning to evening with their disputes, small and great, and he judged every case. It was more than any one man could handle, deciding all day about rights and vows and insults! I told him he must first teach the people the laws of God and then appoint men, truthful and just, to make judicial decisions. They would bring to Moses only the most difficult cases that they themselves were unable to decide. Moses saw that my advice was good. So in my own small way I taught Moses a better way to accomplish his goals.

Will you go now with Moses and his people?

No. It is back to Midian for me. To my flocks and daughters and the life I know. But I’ll be accompanied by the God I know and will pray only that in his perfect wisdom he will show us more and more of his beauty.

Back to the Future

• Are you growing in your understanding of who God is? Are you growing in your love for him? In what ways does your life show this to be true?
• What can you do to gain a deeper understanding of who God is?
• Why should you pursue a deeper understanding of God? Why does God want you to do so?

Read Jethro’s Story:

Read the rest of the story in Exodus 2:11—4:18.

Are you growing in your understanding of who God is?

LHM Daily Devotions - July 25, 2019 "What We Ask"

"What We Ask"

Jul. 25, 2019

And He (Jesus) said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

~ Luke 11:5-13 (ESV)

"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

What does Jesus mean?

I ask this question as I sit at my desk, just after hanging up the phone. My sister is dying. She may die tonight. I know, oh, I know, what I would ask God for. And He knows, too. I've asked Him already, a million times. I cannot help asking. He knows this. And I know He loves her. But she is still dying, and my prayers seem to be getting a clear "No."

I'm still going to ask.

So what does Jesus mean? Clearly, it is not "Ask for anything and God will have to give it to you, exactly as you wish it, when you wish it, in the way you wish it." Jesus Himself heard that divine "No" when He prayed for the cup of suffering to pass Him by. It didn't pass Him. It won't pass me.

But as I push and pull at the text, prying, scrabbling, trying to get some sense out of His words, I see this. Everyone who asks, receives. Yes, but what do they receive? Apparently, not the thing they ask for, not always. Yet they will receive something. And that something will be good: "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?"

I will not get what I am asking for—not unless an incredible miracle happens. And yet I will receive something—something good. My sister will receive something good. She is a child of God, a sinner redeemed by Jesus our Savior. He lay down His life for her. He will certainly give her life, and life that will last forever.

If not healing, something better. That is what we are promised. If not her continued life on earth, then certainly her life in the presence of Jesus in heaven. God will not give us something worse than what we ask for. We are trusting in Him.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, have mercy on us who are in great need, and answer our prayer in the best way-the way You will. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• How do you react when people ask something of you on the spur of the moment?
• Do you think all who ask, seek, and knock receive answers they can comprehend from God?
• How do we remain steadfast in our faith when we are in deep need of God's intervention, but nothing seems to be happening?

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).
How do you react when people ask something of you on the spur of the moment?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 25 de Julio de 2019 - Lo que pedimos

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Lo que pedimos

25 de Julio de 2019

"Supongamos que uno de ustedes tiene un amigo, y va a él a medianoche y le dice: 'Amigo, préstame tres panes, porque un amigo mío ha llegado de viaje a mi casa, y no tengo nada que ofrecerle;' y aquél, respondiendo desde adentro, le dice: 'No me molestes; la puerta ya está cerrada, y mis hijos y yo estamos acostados; no puedo levantarme para darte nada.' Les digo que aunque no se levante a darle algo por ser su amigo, no obstante, por su insistencia se levantará y le dará cuanto necesite. "Así que Yo les digo: pidan, y se les dará; busquen, y hallarán; llamen, y se les abrirá. Porque todo el que pide, recibe; y el que busca, halla; y al que llama, se le abrirá. O supongan que a uno de ustedes que es padre, su hijo le pide pan, ¿acaso le dará una piedra? O si le pide un pescado, ¿acaso le dará una serpiente en lugar del pescado? O si le pide un huevo, ¿acaso le dará un escorpión? Pues si ustedes siendo malos, saben dar buenas dádivas a sus hijos, ¿cuánto más su Padre celestial dará el Espíritu Santo a los que se lo pidan?"

~ Lucas 11: 5-13 (NBLH)

"Pidan, y se les dará; busquen, y hallarán; llamen, y se les abrirá. Porque todo el que pide, recibe; y el que busca, halla; y al que llama, se le abrirá." ¿Qué quiere decir Jesús?

Me hago esta pregunta cuando me siento en mi escritorio, justo después de colgar el teléfono. Mi hermana se está muriendo. Se puede morir esta noche. Bien sé lo que le pediría a Dios. Y él también lo sabe. Ya se lo he pedido un millón de veces. No puedo dejar de pedirle. Sé que la ama. Pero ella igual se está muriendo, y mis oraciones parecen estar recibiendo un claro "NO".

Aun así voy a pedir.

Entonces, ¿qué quiere decir Jesús? Claramente, no quiere decir: "Pide lo que sea y Dios te lo va a dar así como tú lo deseas, cuando lo deseas y de la manera que lo deseas". Jesús mismo escuchó ese "NO" divino cuando pidió librarse de la copa del sufrimiento. Pero no fue así. Ni con él. Ni lo será con mi hermana.

Aun así, sigo profundizando en el texto. Todo el que pide, recibe. Sí. Pero ¿qué recibe? Aparentemente, aunque no siempre reciba lo que pide, siempre recibe algo. Y ese algo siempre será bueno: "supongan que a uno de ustedes que es padre, su hijo le pide pan, ¿acaso le dará una piedra? O si le pide un pescado, ¿acaso le dará una serpiente en lugar del pescado? O si le pide un huevo, ¿acaso le dará un escorpión?"

Aunque no obtenga lo que estoy pidiendo, voy a recibir algo bueno. Y mi hermana también va a recibir algo bueno. Ella es hija de Dios, una pecadora redimida por Jesús, nuestro Salvador, quien dio su vida por ella. Él ciertamente le va a dar la vida que dura para siempre.

Dios nunca nos dará algo peor de lo que pedimos. Lo que él nos da siempre es lo mejor para nosotros. Vivamos confiando en él.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, ten piedad de nosotros y enséñalos a confiar en tu voluntad. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Crees que todos los que piden, buscan y llaman comprenden las respuestas que reciben de Dios?
• ¿Cómo te mantienes firme en la fe cuando te resulta difícil ver a Dios en medio de tus necesidades?

© 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 todos los que piden, buscan y llaman comprenden las respuestas que reciben de Dios?

Хлеб наш насущный - Последний вдох

Последний вдох

Читать сейчас: Псалом 38 | Библия за год: Псалтирь 36-38; Деяния 26

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Надежда моя – на Тебя. — Псалом 38:8

Внезапная смерть Бобби принесла в наш дом суровую реальность смерти и кратковременности жизни. Подруге моего детства было всего двадцать четыре года, когда авария на скользкой дороге оборвала ее жизнь. Бобби выросла в неблагополучной семье, но недавно с ней произошла долгожданная перемена. Она обратилась к Иисусу Христу! Почему ее новая жизнь закончилась так быстро?

Иногда жизнь кажется слишком короткой и полной горестей. В Псалме 38 Давид оплакивает собственные страдания и восклицает: «Скажи мне, Господи, кончину мою и число дней моих, какое оно, дабы я знал, какой век мой. Вот, Ты дал мне дни, как пяди, и век мой как ничто пред Тобою. Подлинно, совершенная суета – всякий человек живущий» (Пс. 38:5-6). Жизнь действительно коротка. Даже если мы проживем сто лет, это всего лишь капля в океане времени.

Но вместе с Давидом мы можем сказать Господу: «Надежда моя – на Тебя» (ст. 8). Мы можем поверить, что наша жизнь имеет смысл. Хотя тела изнашиваются, у верующих есть уверенность: «Если внешний наш человек и тлеет, то внутренний со дня на день обновляется» (2 Кор. 4:16-51). А однажды начнется прекрасная вечная жизнь с Ним. Мы знаем это, потому что Бог «дал нам залог Духа» (2 Кор. 5:5).

Как вас утешает знание, что Бог сделал для вас возможным участие в вечной жизни? Как подаренные мгновения побуждают вас использовать время наилучшим образом?

Благодарим, Господь, что эта жизнь – не все, что у нас есть! Для верующих в Тебя Ты приготовил вечность. Помоги нам проводить свое ограниченное время на земле в служении Тебе.

автор: Алисон Киед

© 2019 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Бобби выросла в неблагополучной семье, но недавно с ней произошла долгожданная перемена. Она обратилась к Иисусу Христу! Почему ее новая жизнь закончилась так быстро?