The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, August 19, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, August 19, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 74

Plea for Help in Time of National Humiliation
A Maskil of Asaph.
1  O God, why do you cast us off forever?
     Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2  Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago,
     which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage.
     Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell.
3  Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;
     the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.

4  Your foes have roared within your holy place;
     they set up their emblems there.
5  At the upper entrance they hacked
     the wooden trellis with axes.
6  And then, with hatchets and hammers,
     they smashed all its carved work.
7  They set your sanctuary on fire;
     they desecrated the dwelling place of your name,
     bringing it to the ground.
8  They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;
     they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

9  We do not see our emblems;
     there is no longer any prophet,
     and there is no one among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
     Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand;
     why do you keep your hand in your bosom?

12 Yet God my King is from of old,
     working salvation in the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your might;
     you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
     you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You cut openings for springs and torrents;
     you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night;
     you established the luminaries and the sun.
17 You have fixed all the bounds of the earth;
     you made summer and winter.

18 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
     and an impious people reviles your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals;
     do not forget the life of your poor forever.

20 Have regard for your covenant,
     for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
21 Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame;
     let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, plead your cause;
     remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
     the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.

Isaiah 5:8-23

Social Injustice Denounced
5:8 Ah, you who join house to house,
     who add field to field,
   until there is room for no one but you,
     and you are left to live alone
     in the midst of the land!
9  The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing:
   Surely many houses shall be desolate,
     large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath,
     and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah.

11 Ah, you who rise early in the morning
     in pursuit of strong drink,
   who linger in the evening
     to be inflamed by wine,
12 whose feasts consist of lyre and harp,
     tambourine and flute and wine,
   but who do not regard the deeds of the Lord,
     or see the work of his hands!
13 Therefore my people go into exile without knowledge;
   their nobles are dying of hunger,
     and their multitude is parched with thirst.

14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite
     and opened its mouth beyond measure;
   the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude go down,
     her throng and all who exult in her.
15 People are bowed down, everyone is brought low,
     and the eyes of the haughty are humbled.
16 But the Lord of hosts is exalted by justice,
     and the Holy God shows himself holy by righteousness.
17 Then the lambs shall graze as in their pasture,
     fatlings and kids shall feed among the ruins.

18 Ah, you who drag iniquity along with cords of falsehood,
     who drag sin along as with cart ropes,
19 who say, “Let him make haste,
     let him speed his work
     that we may see it;
   let the plan of the Holy One of Israel hasten to fulfillment,
     that we may know it!”
20 Ah, you who call evil good
     and good evil,
   who put darkness for light
     and light for darkness,
   who put bitter for sweet
     and sweet for bitter!
21 Ah, you who are wise in your own eyes,
     and shrewd in your own sight!
22 Ah, you who are heroes in drinking wine
     and valiant at mixing drink,
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
     and deprive the innocent of their rights!

1 John 4:1-6

Testing the Spirits
4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

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
Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, August 19, 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, August 19, 2019

1 John 5:12 (NIV) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Read all of 1 John 5

Listen to 1 John 5

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, August 19, 2019

Palabras, palabras, palabras

En las muchas palabras no falta pecado; mas el que refrena sus labios es prudente.

~ Proverbios 10:19, RV-60

Tus palabras tienen más valor de lo que quizá te hayas imaginado. ¿Cuántas veces por palabras dichas sin pensar te has visto comprometido, atado y metido en problemas?

Hay un refrán popular que dice que las palabras se las lleva el viento. Yo diría que esto sucede en algunos casos. Por lo general, toda palabra que sale de tu boca toma una fuerza que va más allá de lo razonable. Por eso es tan importante que pensemos antes de hablar, que pensemos antes de dar nuestra palabra.

Dar nuestra palabra implica compromiso y a veces por emoción, o por las circunstancias, nos vemos comprometidos a aceptar negocios, llamados ministeriales e incluso relaciones que sabemos que no son la voluntad de Dios. Entonces, cuando queremos retractarnos de lo que dijimos, nos interpretan mal y una vez más se perjudica el testimonio.

Dos consejos en este día: Primero, piensa antes de hablar y comprometer tu palabra.

Segundo, debemos tener como prioridad consultarlo todo con nuestro Dios.

No hagas nada por pena. Es mejor ponerse rojo por un momento que rosado por el resto de tus días.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Tus palabras tienen más valor de lo que quizá te hayas imaginado. ¿Cuántas veces por palabras dichas sin pensar te has visto comprometido, atado y metido en problemas?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, August 19, 2019

PERSEVERANCE

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”

~ Hebrews 10:36-37 (NIV)

The greatest example of Christian perseverance for me is Sister Alice Yuan from China. Her pastor husband, Allen Yuan, was imprisoned for almost twenty-two years for refusing to join the government controlled church in the middle 1950’s. She says:

“When my husband Allen was sent to prison in April 1958, I was told that I would never see him again. I felt completely miserable and continually blamed God. The future looked so terribly bleak. I had the care of six children and my mother-in-law. I was only earning 80 cents a day. How could I keep my family alive on that?

“When it all became too much for me, one night I heard a voice: ‘My child, I have everything in My hands. These things come from Me.’ I replied, ‘If these things come from You, please protect me and my family. Do not allow me to dishonor Your name. I want to serve You and glorify Your name’

“Then I received peace in my heart. I was encouraged by Psalm 68:19, Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. In those difficult years, people let me down, but God never abandoned me. But he did put me through trials.

“The first trial was the struggle to survive. I was only earning 80 cents a day. How could we get by on that? But God took care of us, in the same way that he took care of Elijah. He promised to be my shepherd and provider.

“One evening, my mother-in-law said that there was no food anymore in the house. The next morning, at five to six there was a knock on the door. ‘Are you sister Alice?’ asked a woman in her sixties, whom I didn’t know. ‘God wanted me to give you this.’ She put a package in my hand and disappeared. When I opened the parcel I found there was rice in it and some other food and a banknote to the value of about four month’s salary of a professor! Praise the Lord. Where man comes to an end, God begins! This was only one of the many miracles which kept us alive all those years.”

Tomorrow we’ll conclude her story of faithfulness and perseverance as well as God’s miraculous care for His own.

RESPONSE: Today I will not complain about discomforts but thank God for all His blessings!

PRAYER: Lord, You desire faithfulness and perseverance. Help me develop these qualities in my life.

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

Women of the Bible - Monday, August 19, 2019

The Shulammite Woman

Her character: Hers is the only female voice that speaks directly and extensively to us in Scripture. Ruth's, Esther's, Hannah's, and Mary's voices, for instance, are all mediated through narration. The Shulammite woman boldly declares her longing and desire to be united to her lover in marriage.
Her sorrow: To have been separated from her beloved at times.
Her joy: To enjoy so passionate a love.
Key Scriptures: Song of Songs 1-8

Her Story

She was young, beautiful, and desirable. He was handsome, strong, and agile, a shepherd or a king who lavished strange praise upon his beloved: He compared the Shulamite woman's hair to a flock of goats running down a mountain slope, her nose to the tower of Lebanon, and her teeth ("each with its twin"!) to sheep that have just bathed. We smile at such images. But we are fascinated by this beautifully written collection of love songs. And though we know it is not merely some ancient Valentine's Day card, we are not quite certain what to make of it.

Unlike any other book in the Bible, the Song of Songs is full of erotic imagery. The Shulammite woman was as passionate as her lover, initiating contact with him, openly declaring her feelings. She yearned for kisses from his mouth, so in love that even his name smelled sweet to her. She wandered the city at night (or dreamt of wandering it) searching for him. She wished she could pass him off as her brother so that she could kiss him publicly without creating a scandal. Each declaration from her elicited a passionate response from her lover, who sang of her,

   Your stature is like that of the palm,
     and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
   I said, "I will climb the palm tree;
     I will take hold of its fruit."
   May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
     the fragrance of your breath like apples,
     and your mouth like the best wine.

— Song of Songs 7:7-9

Despite the ancient imagery, we get the message. The story of the Shulammite woman and her lover isn't properly a story, one with a clear narrative line, but a poetic expression of love in all its emotional ups and downs. The songs capture the desire, the anguish, the tension, and the ecstasy of love. But speakers and scenes shift so quickly that it can be difficult to understand. No wonder there have been so many different interpretations of the Song of Songs, more than any other book of the Hebrew Scriptures.

What makes this portion of Scripture even more enigmatic is that it never once mentions God. But if God has nothing to do with these love songs, how did this material ever make it into the canon of Scripture in the first place?

The Jews believed the book was not primarily about individual lovers but about God's love for his people Israel. Christians initially read it as a parable of Christ's love for the church and later as a parable of his love for the individual soul. Modern commentators tend to view it more literally, as an expression of the sacredness of married life, the fullest expression of love between a man and a woman. They praise its inclusion in the Bible because it celebrates marital love and the sexual expression of that love. Anyone inclined to believe the Bible teaches a negative view of sex should read this book of Scripture before drawing such a conclusion.

But who wrote these eloquent love songs? Some say various poets, while others say they were written by Solomon in praise of one of his many wives. Yet others have suggested they were written by a woman. Whatever the case, most admit that the poetry of the Song of Songs can be understood in more than one way. The story of the Shulammite, mysterious as it is, touches our longing to love and be loved.

Her Promise

God doesn't promise the Song of Songs kind of erotic, intimate, earthly love to everyone. He blesses many marriages with it, but it is not something everyone enjoys. However, he does promise to love his people with the same depth of love described here. That includes you. You are his treasured one, his beloved, and he delights in you just as these lovers delight in each other.

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.
She was young, beautiful, and desirable. He was handsome, strong, and agile.

LHM Daily Devotions - August 19, 2019 - You Shall Glorify Me

"You Shall Glorify Me"

Aug. 19, 2019

Our God comes; He does not keep silence; before Him is a devouring fire, around Him a mighty tempest. ... Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

~ Psalm 50:3, 14-15 (ESV)

Psalm 50 is not a gentle psalm. In it God comes to His people, a mighty storm swirling around Him and a devouring fire going before Him. This is the God who descended on Mount Sinai in cloud and fire and with a thundering voice. The terrified Israelites begged Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die" (Exodus 20:19b). Now, wrapped in fire and storm God comes to judge His people. He does not rebuke them for the sacrifices they bring. Those offerings, God says, "are continually before Me."

God does not need the birds and goats and bulls offered to Him; He certainly does not hunger for them. He is the Creator, and all beasts and birds already belong to Him. The Lord calls on His people to offer a different kind of sacrifice, a sacrifice of thanksgiving and prayer. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble," God says, "I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." He is the God who delivers and saves, and in that act of deliverance, He is glorified.

When the God who delivers and saves walked on earth, many people called on Him for deliverance. Ten lepers once cried out: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13b) Jesus looked on them in compassion. He sent them on their way to show themselves to the priests and, as they went, they were healed. Nine continued on their way, perhaps to offer the sacrifice required upon being cleansed of their disease. But one of the ten, a Samaritan, returned to Jesus with a different offering, the sacrifice of thanksgiving that God desires. "He fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks" (Luke 17:16a).

The Samaritan leper offered the sacrifice that glorified God. It is the sacrifice of praise that we offer now, the sacrifice of praise we will offer for all eternity to the Son of God—who was Himself the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Called by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, we know and believe that our God delivers and saves. We call on Him for forgiveness, for life and salvation and, for the sake of His Son, He delivers us, and we glorify His holy Name. It is the sacrifice He desires. "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies Me" (Psalm 50:23a).

THE PRAYER: Almighty God, accept our grateful praise for all of Your gifts, especially the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Have you seen God make Himself known in your life in some profound way?
• How do you acknowledge God's supreme power in your day-to-day life?
• Do you call out to God when things are desperate 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).
Have you seen God make Himself known in your life in some profound way?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 19 de Agosto de 2019 - Tú me honrarás

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Tú me honrarás

19 de Agosto de 2019

Nuestro Dios viene, pero no en silencio. Un fuego consumidor lo precede; una poderosa tempestad lo rodea.... Yo soy el Dios Altísimo; en vez de sacrificios, ofréceme alabanzas y cúmpleme todos los votos que me hagas. Invócame en el día de la angustia; yo te libraré, y tú me honrarás.

~ Salmo 50:3, 14-15 (RVC)

El Salmo 50 no es un salmo suave. En él, Dios se presenta a su pueblo como una tormenta poderosa con un fuego devorador que lo precede. Es el Dios que había descendido sobre el Monte Sinaí con una voz atronadora y ante el cual los israelitas aterrorizados le habían rogado a Moisés: "Si tú hablas con nosotros, te escucharemos; pero que no hable Dios con nosotros, porque tal vez moriremos" (Éxodo 20:19b). Ahora, una vez más envuelto en fuego y tormenta, Dios viene a juzgar a su pueblo.

Dios no necesita las aves, las cabras y los toros que le ofrecen. Ciertamente, no tiene hambre de ellos. Él es el Creador: todas las bestias y aves le pertenecen. El Señor llama a su pueblo a ofrecer un tipo diferente de sacrificio: un sacrificio de acción de gracias y oración. "Invócame en el día de la angustia", dice Dios, "yo te libraré, y tú me honrarás". Él es el Dios que libera y salva, y en ese acto de liberación, Él es honrado.

Cuando el Dios que libera y salva caminó sobre la tierra, muchas personas apelaron a él para ser salvados. Diez leprosos le gritaron: "¡Jesús, Maestro, ten compasión de nosotros!" (Lucas 17:13b). Jesús los miró con compasión, los envió a que fueran a mostrarse a los sacerdotes y, a medida que avanzaban, fueron sanados. Nueve continuaron su camino, tal vez para ofrecer el sacrificio requerido al ser limpiados de su enfermedad. Pero uno de los diez, un samaritano, regresó a Jesús con una ofrenda diferente: el sacrificio de acción de gracias que Dios desea, "y rostro en tierra se arrojó a los pies de Jesús y le dio las gracias" (Lucas 17:16a).

El samaritano leproso ofreció el sacrificio que glorificaba a Dios. Es el sacrificio de alabanza que ofrecemos ahora, el sacrificio de alabanza que ofreceremos por toda la eternidad al Hijo de Dios, quien fue el sacrificio perfecto por nuestros pecados. Llamados por el Espíritu Santo a través del Evangelio, sabemos y creemos que nuestro Dios libera y salva. Apelamos a Él por perdón, vida y salvación y, gracias a su Hijo, nos libera y honramos su santo nombre. Ese es el sacrificio que Él desea. "El que me ofrece alabanzas, me honra" (Salmo 50:23a).

ORACIÓN: Dios Todopoderoso, acepta nuestra alabanza por todas tus bendiciones, especialmente por la salvación a través de la fe. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:
¿Has visto a Dios darse a conocer en tu vida de una manera profunda?
¿Cómo reconoces el poder supremo de Dios en tu vida diaria?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Has visto a Dios darse a conocer en tu vida de una manera profunda?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Notre nouvelle demeure

Notre nouvelle demeure

Lisez : Apocalypse 22.1-5

La Bible en un an : Psaumes 103 – 104 ; 1 Corinthiens 2

Il n’y aura plus d’anathème. Le trône de Dieu et de l’Agneau sera dans la ville. V. 3

En tant que première immigrante à entrer aux États-Unis en passant par Ellis Island en 1892, Annie Moore a dû être folle de joie à l’idée d’avoir une nouvelle demeure et un nouveau départ. Des millions d’autres personnes y sont passées par la suite. Encore adolescente, Annie avait laissé derrière elle une vie difficile en Irlande pour en commencer une nouvelle. Munie d’un petit bagage à main, elle est arrivée en Amérique la tête pleine de rêves, d’espoirs et d’attentes quant à ce pays où tout était possible.

À combien plus forte raison nous, enfants de Dieu, serons ravis et émerveillés de voir « un nouveau ciel et une nouvelle terre » (AP 21.1). Nous entrerons dans ce que le livre de l’Apocalypse appelle « la ville sainte, la nouvelle Jérusalem » (V. 2). L’apôtre Jean utilise une image puissante pour décrire ce lieu exceptionnel : « [Un] fleuve d’eau de la vie, limpide comme du cristal, qui [sort] du trône de Dieu et de l’Agneau » (22.1). L’eau représente la vie et l’abondance, et elle aura Dieu même pour source éternelle. Jean ajoute : « Il n’y aura plus d’anathème » (V. 3). La relation pure et formidable que Dieu désirait entretenir avec les êtres humains sera alors entièrement restaurée.

Comme il est extraordinaire de savoir que Dieu, qui aime ses enfants et les a rachetés par la vie de son Fils, nous prépare une demeure aussi splendide – où il vivra avec nous et il sera notre Dieu (21.3) !

Dieu nous prépare au ciel une demeure où il habitera lui-même.

par Estera Pirosca Escobar

© 2019 Ministères NPQ
En tant que première immigrante à entrer aux États-Unis en passant par Ellis Island en 1892, Annie Moore a dû être folle de joie à l’idée d’avoir une nouvelle demeure et un nouveau départ.