The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, Sept 18, 2019

Peter denying Jesus Christ
Luke 22:54-62

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, September 18, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 94

God the Avenger of the Righteous
1  O Lord, you God of vengeance,
     you God of vengeance, shine forth!
2  Rise up, O judge of the earth;
     give to the proud what they deserve!
3  O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
     how long shall the wicked exult?

4  They pour out their arrogant words;
     all the evildoers boast.
5  They crush your people, O Lord,
     and afflict your heritage.
6  They kill the widow and the stranger,
     they murder the orphan,
7  and they say, “The Lord does not see;
     the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

8  Understand, O dullest of the people;
     fools, when will you be wise?
9  He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
   He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations,
   he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
     does he not chastise?
11   The Lord knows our thoughts,
     that they are but an empty breath.

12 Happy are those whom you discipline, O Lord,
     and whom you teach out of your law,
13 giving them respite from days of trouble,
     until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;
     he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous,
     and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?
     Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not been my help,
     my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”
     your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
     your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
     those who contrive mischief by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous,
     and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,
     and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will repay them for their iniquity
     and wipe them out for their wickedness;
     the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Jeremiah 14:1-10, 17-22

The Great Drought
14:1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

2  Judah mourns
     and her gates languish;
   they lie in gloom on the ground,
     and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3  Her nobles send their servants for water;
     they come to the cisterns,
   they find no water,
     they return with their vessels empty.
   They are ashamed and dismayed
     and cover their heads,
4  because the ground is cracked.
     Because there has been no rain on the land
   the farmers are dismayed;
     they cover their heads.
5  Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
     because there is no grass.
6  The wild asses stand on the bare heights,
     they pant for air like jackals;
   their eyes fail
     because there is no herbage.

7  Although our iniquities testify against us,
     act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
   our apostasies indeed are many,
     and we have sinned against you.
8  O hope of Israel,
     its savior in time of trouble,
   why should you be like a stranger in the land,
     like a traveler turning aside for the night?
9  Why should you be like someone confused,
     like a mighty warrior who cannot give help?
   Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
     and we are called by your name;
     do not forsake us!

10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
   Truly they have loved to wander,
     they have not restrained their feet;
   therefore the Lord does not accept them,
     now he will remember their iniquity
     and punish their sins.

17 You shall say to them this word:
   Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
     and let them not cease,
   for the virgin daughter—my people—is struck down with
   a crushing blow,
     with a very grievous wound.
18 If I go out into the field,
     look—those killed by the sword!
   And if I enter the city,
     look—those sick with famine!
   For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout
   the land,
     and have no knowledge.

The People Plead for Mercy
19 Have you completely rejected Judah?
     Does your heart loathe Zion?
   Why have you struck us down
     so that there is no healing for us?
   We look for peace, but find no good;
     for a time of healing, but there is terror instead.
20 We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
     the iniquity of our ancestors,
     for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, for your name’s sake;
     do not dishonor your glorious throne;
     remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Can any idols of the nations bring rain?
     Or can the heavens give showers?
   Is it not you, O Lord our God?
     We set our hope on you,
     for it is you who do all this.

Luke 22:31-33, 54-62
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
22:31 “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!”

Peter Denies Jesus
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55 When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

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
Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, Sept 18, 2019

The Daily Prayer

for WEDNESDAY, September 18, 2019

Teresa of Avila, a sixteenth-century Spanish mystic, wrote, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion is to look out to the world; yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; yours are the hands with which God is to bless people now.”

Lord, give us the audacity to live as though we believe our hands and feet are instruments of prayer. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, Sept 18, 2019

Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Read all of Philippians 2

Listen to Philippians 2

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 - Miércoles 18 de Septiembre de 2019

Personas que son como ángeles

Preocupémonos los unos por los otros, a fin de estimularnos al amor y a las buenas obras.

~ Hebreos 10:24 (NVI)

¿Has vivido la experiencia de conocer personas que parecen ángeles? ¿Personas que aparecen en momentos de nuestra vida que nos hacen decir que son como ángeles? Es decir, personas que nos ayudaron en una situación determinada. Es una gran experiencia encontrase en el camino con estos seres especiales con un corazón tan grande que nos conmueven. Por eso los llamo ángeles enviados por Dios a nuestra vida.

Trata de recordar a esa persona que en momentos de angustia y tribulación te ayudaron, te escucharon y te sacaron adelante. O quizá tú hayas sido ese ángel para otros y hoy Dios te honra.

Mi experiencia más cercana fue en una situación donde tenía pendiente una cuenta con mi abogada de inmigración y esa oficina decidió que no podían esperar más a que me pusiera al día y decidieron demandarme. Las cosas hubieran empeorado, pues una demanda podría afectarme mi salida y entrada a los Estados Unidos.

Como testimonio, te cuento que cuando los papeles llegaron al tribunal, allí había un angelito, una mujer que, cuando vio mi nombre, llamó a la emisora y pidió que no la identificaran. En su conversación con mi jefe, dijo: «Soy oyente de Claudia y necesito que le diga que sus papeles están aquí. Por eso, debe hablar con su abogada y pedirle que quite la demanda. Sé que le pueden dar una oportunidad». Para la gloria de Dios, eso fue lo que pasó. Me acerqué de nuevo a mi abogada, me dio la oportunidad y quitó la demanda.

¿Son ángeles o no estas personas? Dios permita que ella esté leyendo mi libro para decirle: «Dios te guarde y bendiga grandemente».

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¿Has vivido la experiencia de conocer personas que parecen ángeles?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, September 18, 2019

STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

~ Matthew 5:10-11 (NIV)

Jesus assures his followers there is blessing in suffering for what is right. This blessing may take the form of inner peace and joy. This is the meaning of the word translated “blessed” or “happy” in Jesus’ teaching called the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).

The New Testament writer, James, indicates that pressures are blessings in disguise and should be responded to with joyfulness (James 1:2-3). The MESSAGE paraphrase translates the verses this way: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.”

Helen Berhane was severely persecuted in Eritrea’s prison system because she would not deny her faith. No matter what they did, she refused to give in. She explains:

I told the chief, “I cannot abandon my faith. If you puncture a sack of grain, the only thing that pours out is the type of grain that was in the sack. It is the same with me. I can only say what is inside me; everything that is in my heart must come out of my mouth…The more you punish me, the stronger I will be. If you keep hammering on a nail’s head it just becomes harder to pull out of the wall…”

I could not understand how they expected me to stop believing; it was impossible for me. In fact, the guards were making their own situation worse, because people began to ask what was so special about this religion that Christians refused to give it up, and they also believed. Our suffering became a glory for our faith…I am convinced that the number of Christians has doubled or tripled since they closed the churches. So perhaps God is using this terrible situation for his glory.[1]

RESPONSE: Today I will stand for what is right because I know Jesus will be glorified and I will receive a blessing.

PRAYER: Ask God to give strength and courage to those around the world being pressured to deny their faith today.

1. Helen Berhane, Song of the Nightingale (Colorado Springs: Authentic Media, 2009), pp. 70-71.

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

LHM Daily Devotions - Sept 18, 2019 - Our Mediator

"Our Mediator"

Sep. 18, 2019

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

~ 1 Timothy 2:3-6 (ESV)

Have you ever used a mediator? If you came from a traditional Vietnamese culture, the answer would definitely be "yes." That's because pretty much every major decision that involves two parties also involves at least one mediator—though they aren't usually called that, of course!

Let me explain. Suppose you want to buy the car of a friend. You don't simply walk up to him and say, "Hey, I'd like to buy your car." Why? Because the two of you are friends, and if you did such a thing, he would feel obliged to sell it to you, whether or not he really wanted to. He could not tell you "no" to your face without showing you a huge amount of disrespect. That's the way that culture works. And so you would get your wish—the car—but you might also lose the friendship, because your friend would resent the way you put him on the spot and gave him no graceful way to say "no" to the deal.

So what is the right way to handle it, then? You find a mediator. You go to somebody who knows both of you—say, a mutual friend—and you say, "Hey, I'd really like to buy so-and-so's car. Do you think he'd be interested in selling it?" Your mutual friend would then act as a mediator. He would go to the car owner and say, "I think so-and-so would really like to buy your car if you were interested in selling it." Then the car owner could say "yes" or "no" to the mediator, who would then carry the message back to you. That way everybody gets a straight answer, and nobody has to deal with the embarrassment or pain of a face-to-face rejection.

You can see that this only works if there is a trusted mutual friend—a third person who knows and cares about both of you—and especially in the most important cases, a person who actually loves both of you and has a real stake in both of your lives. In the most high-stakes situations of all, this would be a relative. And that is exactly what we have in Jesus Christ.

You know very well the kind of mess we are in before God. By nature God is good, holy, just, merciful, loving, perfect, and all those good things. But we? Well, the best that can be said for us is that we are broken. We are not what God intended us to be. We are twisted and broken, people who fight a never-ending battle with the desire to do wrong, people who hurt others and even rebel against God Himself.

We need help. We need God's forgiveness, help, and transformation, specifically. But how can we even speak to Him, as far away as we are? We need a mediator. We need the closest kind of mediator—one who is kin to both of us.

And that is what we have—Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man. He has become our Savior and our Mediator, and He loves all of us. We are in the safest possible hands with Him. There is no chance of Him failing. Thanks be to God!

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to trust in You to represent me before God. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• When did you ever want something, but hesitate to ask directly?
• When have you used a friend or relative as a mediator?
• In what specific area right now would you like Jesus to mediate for you with God the Father?

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).
When did you ever want something, but hesitate to ask directly?

Devocional del CPTLN del 18 de Septiembre de 2019 - Nuestro mediador

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Nuestro mediador

18 de Septiembre de 2019

Porque esto es bueno y agradable delante de Dios nuestro Salvador, el cual quiere que todos los hombres sean salvos y lleguen a conocer la verdad. Porque hay un solo Dios, y un solo mediador entre Dios y los hombres, que es Jesucristo hombre, el cual se dio a sí mismo en rescate por todos, de lo cual se dio testimonio a su debido tiempo.

~ 1 Timoteo 2:3-6 (RVC)

¿Alguna vez has necesitado la ayuda de un mediador? Si vienes de una cultura vietnamita tradicional, la respuesta definitivamente sería "sí". Eso se debe a que, en esa cultura, casi todas las decisiones importantes que involucran a dos partes también involucran al menos a un mediador, ¡aunque por lo general no se les llama "mediador"!

 Déjame contarte. Supongamos que alguien de la cultura vietnamita quiere comprar el auto de un amigo. No sólo llega y le dice: "Oye, me gustaría comprar tu auto". Si hiciera eso, el dueño del auto se sentiría presionado a vendérselo, aunque no quisiera, por el hecho de que son amigos. No podría decirle que "no" en la cara a su amigo sin que esto fuera una gran falta de respeto. Así funciona esa cultura. La persona obtendría lo que quiere, el auto, pero también podría perder una amistad, porque su amigo se molestaría por la forma en que se le incomodó y no se le dio la oportunidad de decir que "no" al trato sin sentirse presionado.
Entonces, ¿cuál sería la forma correcta de manejar algo así? Habría que encontrar un mediador. Se acudiría a alguien que los conozca a ambos, por ejemplo, un amigo en común, y se le diría: "Oye, realmente me gustaría comprar el auto de fulano de tal. ¿Crees que estaría interesado en venderlo?". Entonces, el amigo en común haría de mediador. Él buscaría al dueño del automóvil y le diría: "Creo que a fulano de tal realmente le gustaría comprar tu automóvil, si te interesa venderlo". Así, el propietario del automóvil podría responder que "sí" o que "no" al mediador, quien luego entregaría el mensaje. De esa manera todos obtienen una respuesta sincera, y nadie tiene que lidiar con la vergüenza o el dolor de un rechazo en la cara.
Sin embargo, esto sólo funciona si se cuenta con un amigo mutuo de confianza, una tercera persona que los conozca y se preocupe por ambos. Especialmente en los casos más importantes, se necesita de una persona que realmente los ame a ambos y que tenga un interés real en ambas vidas. En situaciones de mayor riesgo, esa persona debe ser un pariente. Y tenemos justamente a un pariente en Jesucristo.
Sabemos muy bien el gran lío en el que estamos metidos con Dios. Por naturaleza Dios es bueno, santo, justo, misericordioso, amoroso, perfecto y todo lo bueno. ¿Pero nosotros? Bueno, lo mejor que se puede decir de nosotros es que ya no funcionamos bien. No somos lo que Dios quería que fuéramos. Estamos retorcidos y destrozados, lidiamos una batalla interminable con el deseo de hacer el mal, lastimamos a otros e incluso nos rebelamos contra Dios mismo.
Necesitamos ayuda. Necesitamos el perdón, la ayuda y la transformación de Dios, especialmente. Pero, ¿cómo podemos hablar con Él si estamos tan lejos por el gran lío? Necesitamos un mediador. Necesitamos el tipo de mediador más cercano, uno que sea pariente de los dos.
Y tenemos justamente a un pariente: Jesucristo, Hijo de Dios e Hijo del hombre. Él se ha convertido en nuestro Salvador y nuestro Mediador, y nos ama a todos. Estamos en las mejores manos con Él. No es posible que se equivoque. ¡Gracias a Dios!
ORACIÓN: Querido Señor Jesús, ayúdame a confiar en ti para representarme frente a Dios. Amén.
Dra. Kari Vo
Para reflexionar:

• ¿Alguna vez has necesitado a un amigo o pariente como mediador?
• ¿En cuál área específica de tu vida te gustaría que Jesús fuera el mediador entre tú y Dios?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez has necesitado a un amigo o pariente como mediador?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Observe o maestro

Observe o maestro

Leia: Hebreus 12:1-3
 | A Bíblia em um ano: Provérbios 30–31; 2 Coríntios 11:1-15


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…corramos, com perseverança, a carreira que nos está proposta, […] olhando firmemente para o Autor e Consumador da fé, Jesus… vv.1,2


O violinista de renome mundial, Joshua Bell, tem uma maneira incomum de liderar a orquestra que rege. Essa orquestra tem 44 membros. Em vez de conduzi-los com uma batuta, ele o faz, enquanto toca o seu Stradivarius com os outros violinistas. Bell afirmou: “Mesmo enquanto estou tocando, posso dar-lhes todos os tipos de orientação e sinais que acho que, nestas alturas, só eles entenderiam. Eles sabem por cada pequeno toque em meu violino, ou pelo levantar na minha sobrancelha, ou na maneira como manejo o arco. Eles sabem o som que eu estou procurando de toda a orquestra.”

Assim como os membros da orquestra observam Joshua Bell, a Bíblia nos instrui a mantermos os nossos olhos em Jesus, nosso Senhor. Depois de enumerar muitos heróis da fé em Hebreus 11, o escritor diz: “Portanto, também nós, visto que temos a rodear-nos tão grande nuvem de testemunhas, desembaraçando-nos de todo peso e do pecado que tenazmente nos assedia, corramos, com perseverança, a carreira que nos está proposta, olhando firmemente para o Autor e Consumador da fé, Jesus… “ (vv.1,2).

Jesus prometeu: “…E eis que estou convosco todos os dias até à consumação do século” (Mateus 28:20). Porque Ele é, temos o incrível privilégio de manter os olhos nele enquanto Ele conduz a música de nossa vida.

Olhemos para Jesus nosso Salvador à medida que Ele orienta a nossa vida.

por David C. McCasland

© 2019 Ministérios Pão Diário
O violinista de renome mundial, Joshua Bell, tem uma maneira incomum de liderar a orquestra que rege. Essa orquestra tem 44 membros. Em vez de conduzi-los com uma batuta, ele o faz, enquanto toca o seu Stradivarius com os outros violinistas.