The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, July 29, 2019

Warnings against False Teachers

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, July 29, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 44

National Lament and Prayer for Help
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Maskil.
1  We have heard with our ears, O God,
     our ancestors have told us,
   what deeds you performed in their days,
     in the days of old:
2  you with your own hand drove out the nations,
     but them you planted;
   you afflicted the peoples,
     but them you set free;
3  for not by their own sword did they win the land,
     nor did their own arm give them victory;
   but your right hand, and your arm,
     and the light of your countenance,
     for you delighted in them.

4  You are my King and my God;
     you command victories for Jacob.
5  Through you we push down our foes;
     through your name we tread down our assailants.
6  For not in my bow do I trust,
     nor can my sword save me.
7  But you have saved us from our foes,
     and have put to confusion those who hate us.
8  In God we have boasted continually,
     and we will give thanks to your name forever.   Selah

9  Yet you have rejected us and abased us,
     and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You made us turn back from the foe,
     and our enemies have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter,
     and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
     demanding no high price for them.

13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
     the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
     a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
     and shame has covered my face
16 at the words of the taunters and revilers,
     at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

17 All this has come upon us,
     yet we have not forgotten you,
     or been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
     nor have our steps departed from your way,
19 yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals,
     and covered us with deep darkness.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
     or spread out our hands to a strange god,
21 would not God discover this?
     For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Because of you we are being killed all day long,
     and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
     Awake, do not cast us off forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
     Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For we sink down to the dust;
     our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up, come to our help.
     Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.

Hosea 2:14—3:5

2:14 Therefore, I will now allure her,
     and bring her into the wilderness,
     and speak tenderly to her.
15 From there I will give her her vineyards,
     and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
   There she shall respond as in the days of her youth,
     as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

16 On that day, says the Lord, you will call me, “My husband,” and no longer will you call me, “My Baal.” 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more. 18 I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. 20 I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.

21 On that day I will answer, says the Lord,
     I will answer the heavens
     and they shall answer the earth;
22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
     and they shall answer Jezreel;
23   and I will sow him for myself in the land.
   And I will have pity on Lo-ruhamah,
     and I will say to Lo-ammi, “You are my people”;
     and he shall say, “You are my God.”

Further Assurances of God’s Redeeming Love
3:1 The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine. 3 And I said to her, “You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the whore, you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you.” 4 For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

Colossians 2:16—3:1

2:16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

Warnings against False Teachers
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.

The New Life in Christ
3:1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

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
Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come.

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, July 29, 2019

Monday Morning Prayer

Lord,

Sometimes, Monday can be a hard day. Dreaded on Sunday and fled from on a Friday. Yet why Lord as Monday could be the beginning of a work adventure, the new challenge of a week filled with potential? So I pray you would help me to embrace this day.

Let it be a new day and a wonder day. Help me to see not the clouds but the sunrise, not the rain but the ripples of falling drops. Show me the joy of the embrace with loved ones, not the tensions and troubles. Monday need not be the grudge day to be endured but the fun day to be embraced.

This day, help me to turn my eyes towards your Kingdom, of love, hope and new beginnings. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, July 29, 2019

Psalm 119:93 (NIV) I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

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 - Monday, July 29, 2019

Nuevas oportunidades

Susténtame conforme a tu palabra, y viviré; y no quede yo avergonzado de mi esperanza.

~ Salmo 119:116, RV-60

En el transcurso de este libro hemos comprobado por los testimonios y los pasajes bíblicos que nuestro Padre es un Dios de oportunidades. A veces la gente nos frustra nuestros sueños. Incluso, los padres por error cortamos las alas de nuestros hijos. Muchos líderes también cortan los anhelos de sus discípulos y, en otros casos, hasta los cónyuges arruinan la vida de sus parejas. Sin embargo, la buena noticia es que no todo está perdido. Por el contrario, Dios nos está llamando a brindarnos más oportunidades con nuevo retos. Claro está, todo dependerá de nosotros si estamos alertas a los cambios que Él quiere en la vida de sus hijos.

Aunque pensemos que es imposible salir adelante, debemos tener presente que Dios está siempre dispuesto a darnos la salida. Nunca nos dejará solos y nos pondrá nuevos anhelos. El secreto es confiar en Él.

Pídele a Dios que resucite esos sueños que ya habías enterrado y empieza a visualizarte alcanzado esos logros. Ubícate en el futuro, mírate renovado y trabaja hacia ese blanco con la seguridad que alcanzarás tu meta. No importa la edad que tengas. Aunque para otros sea absurdo, recuerda que Dios es el que tiene la última palabra. Por lo tanto, Él es el que decide cuándo, cómo y dónde cumple ese anhelo de tu corazón.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Aunque pensemos que es imposible salir adelante, debemos tener presente que Dios está siempre dispuesto a darnos la salida.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, July 29, 2019

WHAT FORGIVENESS IS AND IS NOT

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

~ Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

To understand forgiveness we must realize what forgiveness is NOT:

· Forgiveness is not forgetting. Deep hurts can rarely be wiped out of one’s awareness.

· Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Reconciliation takes two persons, but an injured party can forgive an offender without reconciliation.

· Forgiveness is not condoning. Forgiveness does not necessarily excuse bad or hurtful behavior.

· Forgiveness is not dismissing. It involves taking the offense seriously, not passing it off as inconsequential or insignificant.

· Forgiveness is not a vague notion of ‘tolerance’. This is, at best, a low-grade parody of forgiveness. At worst, it’s a way of sweeping the real issues in life under the carpet.

· Forgiveness is not pardoning. A pardon is a legal transaction that releases an offender from the consequences of an action, such as a penalty.

Throughout the Old Testament we read that only God can forgive sins. We hear David exclaim, “He forgives all my sins…” (Psalm 103:3). We also see examples of human forgiveness—even in pain—like Joseph forgiving his brothers for selling him into slavery. Joseph gains true freedom. He then names his son Manasseh, “one who causes to be forgotten.”

In the New Testament we see Jesus, the Lamb of God, come into to the world to die for our sins. Through His shed blood we can once and for all receive ultimate forgiveness. This is the pure “gospel of grace.” This forgiveness is a gift. We do not deserve it but God, in His grace, reached out to provide forgiveness to a dying world.

Then we read in the verse above the impact of this on those of us who have received that forgiveness. Its ethical challenge parallels “love your enemies” and “pray for your persecutors.”

In the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God’s hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy. I simply forgive others and leave them to God.

RESPONSE: Today I will leave fairness and justice in God’s hands. I will obediently forgive others just as the Lord forgave me.

PRAYER: Lord, grant me the faith to trust You with the offenses committed against me. I will forgive.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
To understand forgiveness we must realize what forgiveness is NOT:

Women of the Bible - Monday, July 29, 2019

Huldah

Her name means: "Weasel"

Her character: Trusted by the king with a matter of great importance, she was a prophetess whose word ignited a significant religious reform.
Her sorrow: That God's people refused to respond to him with loving obedience, ignoring repeated warnings about the consequences of their unfaithfulness.
Her joy: As a prophetess, she was privileged to be a messenger of God.
Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chronicles 34:22-33


Her Story

She pressed the leather scroll against her breast, as though cradling a living being. The high priest, Hilkiah, and several other men of Jerusalem stood before her. King Josiah wanted to know—would the words of the Book of the Law, which Hilkiah had just discovered in the temple, come to pass?

Holding the scroll by its wooden handles, she unrolled it carefully and began reading:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength…. Fear the Lord your God, serve him only, and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 13-15).

"Cursed in the city and cursed in the country … sudden ruin because of what you have done … wasting disease … madness, blindness and confusion … an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations … because you did not obey the Lord your God" (cf. Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Though her voice was steady, Huldah's throat felt sore from the effort of speaking such words aloud, terrible threats that made her eyes well over, warnings that spawned vision upon vision from the past. In her mind, she watched as Judah's kings Ahaz and Manasseh sacrificed their sons to pagan deities. She saw the smoke of incense rising before pagan idols in the temple. She looked on as prophets were murdered, as diviners and sorcerers were honored, as kings bowed down to the stars and the people followed suit, prostituting themselves to false gods and spurning the advances of the Almighty. She saw the children of Israel marching in chains from the land of milk and honey. Her face flushed as a burning sensation rushed through her body and searing words spilled from her lips:

"This is what the Lord says: 'I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.' Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord: 'Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.' "

Huldah is one of only four women with an authentic prophetic ministry mentioned in the Old Testament (along with Miriam, Deborah, and Isaiah's wife). Though prophets like Jeremiah and Zephaniah were also active at the time, King Josiah consulted Huldah about the amazing discovery of the Book of the Law (material that probably forms the core of the book of Deuteronomy).

Beyond the brief scene imaginatively retold above, we know little of her story—only that God entrusted her with his word in a time of national crisis. A hundred years earlier, Judah had witnessed God's punishment of the northern kingdom. Faithless Israel had been led captive to Assyria, just as the prophets had warned. Huldah surely knew the sordid details. She could not have missed its frightening significance for Judah. She may also have endured part of Manasseh's fifty-five-year reign, the longest and worst of any king in Judah. Certainly, she would have been heartened by the recent reforms of King Josiah—his attempts to restore the temple though the people had all but forgotten God.

But her words of prophecy confirmed the king's fear. Judah was standing on a precipice. God was a jealous lover who blessed those who loved and obeyed him and cursed those who did not. Across the centuries, his slow anger was building to a fiery crescendo. Judah's infidelities had not gone unnoticed.

After Huldah's prophecy, Josiah led one of the greatest religious reforms in history, purging Judah and even parts of Israel of paganism. But the kings who followed him soon reversed course, leading the people astray once again. Thirty-five years after Huldah's prophecy, Judah was taken in chains to Babylon and all of its cities were destroyed.

The magnificent kingdom of David and Solomon had come to an end. But though every other nation captured by Assyria and Babylon ceased to exist, Israel still had a future. Chastened, it was never destroyed. Disciplined, it was never forsaken. All because God still loved his people.

The words of Isaiah, a prophet who preceded Huldah by a few decades, proclaimed a future day of restoration: "They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities…. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance" (Isaiah 61:4, 7).

Judgment and mercy, law and grace, punishment and salvation—these are the tensions that characterize the story of God's love affair with his people. Huldah was a woman who understood the paradox and who was not afraid to proclaim the truth, even to a king. Her words must have cost her, but she spoke them anyway. She cherished God's word in a time of spiritual crisis.

Her Promise

The story of Huldah and her words to the king illustrate the contrast between God's judgment and his mercy. He judges those who deserve his punishment, but he quickly forgives those who repent. In fact, he is eager to forgive, waiting only for us to come to him in repentance.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
Holding the scroll by its wooden handles, she unrolled it carefully and began reading:

LHM Daily Devotions - July 29, 2019 "Practice Praise"

"Practice Praise"

Jul. 29, 2019

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His Name! For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

~ Psalm 100:4-5 (ESV)

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise." That is what we do when we gather for worship. We receive the gifts of God, His Word, and Sacraments, and we respond. We respond with joyful thanks and praise for all He has done for us in Christ our Lord, and for all He does for us each day. In Psalm 100 the psalmist gives even more reasons for our praise: God made us; we are His. He is good and His steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever—the gifts of God overflow in our lives.

We, of course, are not the only ones, nor the first, to offer up our praise before the throne of God. When we enter His gates to worship, we are joining in praise that echoes back to the foundation of the world and will continue through eternity. At creation "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). The prophet Isaiah was given a vision of the Lord on His throne, attended by seraphim, calling out to one another their shouts of praise: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:3). The angels' praise of God's majesty spilled onto earth, into the fields around Bethlehem, on the night Jesus was born. The praise rebounds back from earth to heaven whenever a sinner repents—an event that causes the angels to rejoice (Luke 15:10).

When John is given a glimpse into heaven's throne room, he sees and hears the saints and angels—myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands" of angels—join every creature in heaven and on earth to cry out before God's throne: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" (see Revelation 5:11-13). On Sunday mornings and whenever we gather to worship, we blend our earthbound praise with the joy of heaven. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!" That is what we do when we worship together, and that is what we will do for all eternity. When Jesus returns on the Last Day, we will be raised up from death, transformed, and glorified, to join in the endless praise that surrounds God's throne. But for now, in worship, in song and service, we offer up daily praise to God, practicing for our place in the eternal chorus.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, bless our worship and accept our grateful praise for all of Your gifts, especially the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you generally feel grateful to God for your life and how it's going? Do you tell Him so?
• How does God's faithfulness play out in your life?
• When times are difficult, is there a way to see past your circumstances and still praise God? What does that look like in your life?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you generally feel grateful to God for your life and how it's going?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 29 de Julio de 2019 - Alabanzas y acciones de gracias

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Alabanzas y acciones de gracias

29 de Julio de 2019

Entremos por sus puertas y por sus atrios con alabanzas y con acción de gracias; ¡Alabémosle, bendigamos su nombre! ¡El Señor es bueno! ¡Su misericordia es eterna! ¡Su verdad permanece para siempre!

~ Salmo 100:4-5 (RVC)

"Entremos por sus puertas y por sus atrios con alabanzas y con acción de gracias". Eso hacemos cuando nos reunimos para adorar: recibimos los dones de Dios, su Palabra y Sacramentos, y respondemos con agradecimiento y alabanza por todo lo que Él ha hecho por nosotros en Cristo nuestro Señor y por todo lo que hace por nosotros cada día. En el Salmo 100, el salmista da aún más razones para nuestra alabanza: "¡El Señor es bueno! ¡Su misericordia es eterna!". Las bendiciones de Dios colman nuestra vida.

Por supuesto que no somos ni los primeros ni los únicos en ofrecer alabanzas ante el trono de Dios. Cuando entramos a sus puertas para adorar, nos unimos a la alabanza que se remonta a los comienzos del mundo y que continuará por la eternidad. En la creación "cantaban las estrellas del alba y los seres celestiales se regocijaban" (Job 38:7). Al profeta Isaías se le dio una visión del Señor en su trono, a la que asistieron serafines que gritaban unos a otros sus alabanzas: "¡Santo, santo, santo es el Señor de los ejércitos!" (Isaías 6:3a). La alabanza de los ángeles a la majestad de Dios se derramó en los campos alrededor de Belén la noche en que nació Jesús. Y la alabanza regresa de la tierra al cielo cada vez que un pecador se arrepiente, siendo motivo para que los ángeles se regocijen (Lucas 15:10).

Cuando a Juan le es dada una visión del trono del cielo, ve y escucha a "miríadas y miríadas" de ángeles que se unen a todas las criaturas en el cielo y en la tierra para clamar ante el trono de Dios: "Al que está sentado en el trono, y al Cordero, sean dadas la alabanza, la honra, la gloria y el poder, por los siglos de los siglos" (ver Apocalipsis 5:11-13). "Entremos por sus puertas y por sus atrios con alabanzas y con acción de gracias." Eso es lo que hacemos cuando adoramos juntos, y eso es lo que haremos por toda la eternidad. Cuando Jesús regrese seremos resucitados de la muerte, transformados y glorificados, para unirnos a la alabanza sin fin que rodea el trono de Dios.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, bendice nuestra adoración y acepta nuestra alabanza en agradecimiento por todos tus dones, especialmente el don de la salvación a través de Cristo Jesús nuestro Señor. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Cómo se manifiesta la fidelidad de Dios en tu vida?
• ¿De qué manera le demuestras a Dios, y a los demás, tu agradecimiento por su presencia constante en tu vida?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo se manifiesta la fidelidad de Dios en tu vida?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Tout cela pour rien

Tout cela pour rien

Lisez : Proverbes 7.10-27

La Bible en un an : Psaumes 49 – 50 ; Romains 1

Sa maison, c’est le chemin du séjour des morts ; il descend vers les demeures de la mort. V. 27

L’héroïnomanie ne pardonne pas. Comme ils tolèrent toujours mieux leur drogue, les héroïnomanes doivent sans cesse augmenter leurs doses pour obtenir les effets recherchés et en viennent vite à mettre ainsi leur vie en péril. Or, en apprenant que quelqu’un est mort d’avoir consommé une héroïne exceptionnellement forte, il se peut que leur première réaction ne soit pas d’avoir peur, mais de se demander : Où je pourrais bien en trouver ?

Lewis parle d’ailleurs de cette spirale descendante dans Tactique du diable, son récit imaginatif sur l’art de la tentation d’après un démon. On commence par un certain plaisir – si possible qui est agréable à Dieu – et on l’offre par un moyen qu’il interdit. Une fois que la personne y a goûté, on lui en donne de moins en moins tout en attisant sa convoitise. On « lui donne toujours plus soif d’un plaisir qui ne cesse de s’émousser » jusqu’à finir par « lui prendre son âme et ne rien lui donner en retour » (traduction libre).

Proverbes 7 compare ce cycle dévastateur à la tentation du péché sexuel. Le sexe est un bon cadeau de Dieu, mais si l’on cherche à en tirer du plaisir hors des liens du mariage, on est « comme le bœuf qui va à la boucherie » (V. 22). Des gens plus forts que nous se sont détruits en se procurant des plaisirs malsains, alors « [soyons] attentifs » et veillons à ce que notre « cœur ne se détourne pas vers les voies » du mal (V. 24,25). En évitant – par la force de Dieu – de céder à l’attrait du péché, nous pouvons trouver en lui la joie et le contentement véritables.

Résistons aux tentations.

par Mike Wittmer

© 2019 Ministères NPQ
L’héroïnomanie ne pardonne pas. Comme ils tolèrent toujours mieux leur drogue, les héroïnomanes doivent sans cesse augmenter leurs doses pour obtenir les effets recherchés et en viennent vite à mettre ainsi leur vie en péril.