The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, Sept 19, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, September 19, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 79:1-9

Plea for Mercy for Jerusalem
A Psalm of Asaph.
1  O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
     they have defiled your holy temple;
     they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2  They have given the bodies of your servants
     to the birds of the air for food,
     the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.
3  They have poured out their blood like water
     all around Jerusalem,
     and there was no one to bury them.
4  We have become a taunt to our neighbors,
     mocked and derided by those around us.

5  How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?
     Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
6  Pour out your anger on the nations
     that do not know you,
   and on the kingdoms
     that do not call on your name.
7  For they have devoured Jacob
     and laid waste his habitation.

8  Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;
     let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
     for we are brought very low.
9  Help us, O God of our salvation,
     for the glory of your name;
   deliver us, and forgive our sins,
     for your name’s sake.

Jeremiah 12:14-13:11

12:14 Thus says the Lord concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: I am about to pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again to their heritage and to their land, every one of them. 16 And then, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, “As the Lord lives,” as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 But if any nation will not listen, then I will completely uproot it and destroy it, says the Lord.

The Linen Loincloth
13:1 Thus said the Lord to me, “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth, and put it on your loins, but do not dip it in water.” 2 So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go now to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” 5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. 6 And after many days the Lord said to me, “Go now to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. But now the loincloth was ruined; it was good for nothing.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Thus says the Lord: Just so I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own will and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the loincloth clings to one’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, in order that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. But they would not listen.

Romans 3:1-8

3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much, in every way. For in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written,

   “So that you may be justified in your words,
     and prevail in your judging.”

5 But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my falsehood God’s truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!

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
Enjoyment of God's word and ordinances, is the chief happiness of a people. But God's promises are made only to believers; therefore the unbelief of some, or of many professors, cannot make this faithfulness of no effect. He will fulfil his promises to his people, and bring his threatened vengeance upon unbelievers.

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, Sept 19, 2019

The Daily Prayer

for THURSDAY, September 19, 2019

Oscar Romero, martyr of the church in El Salvador, said, “A church that suffers no persecution but enjoys the privileges and support of the things of the earth—beware!—is not the true church of Jesus Christ. A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are secured in their sinful state, betrays the gospel’s call.”

Lord, grant that in my earthly pilgrimage I may ever be supported by the love and prayer of your beloved community, and may know myself to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, Sept 19, 2019

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Read all of Ephesians 4

Listen to Ephesians 4

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 - Jueves 19 de Septiembre de 2019

Dios es nuestro mayor defensor

El que habita al abrigo del Altísimo morará bajo la sombra del Omnipotente.

~ Salmo 91:1 (RV-60)

En el Manual de Instrucciones, Dios nos dice que «abogado tenemos para con el Padre, a Jesucristo el justo» (1 Juan 2:1).

Sin embargo, para que esto sea así, debes creerle a Dios y tener tu fe puesta en Él, a fin de que veas este versículo hecho realidad en tu vida.

A cada momento vivimos situaciones donde decimos: «¿Quién podrá defenderme ahora?». Entonces comprobamos que solo Dios puede ayudarnos porque Él es omnipotente y omnipresente.

Creerle a Dios es un gran beneficio, pues aunque tal parece que esa situación que hoy vives es un callejón sin salida, Dios tiene la salida para todo problema. Él tiene la última palabra y es el que cambia los decretos de muerte a vida, de enfermedad a sanidad, de prisión a libertad, de culpable a inocente.

A Dios le interesa que nos vaya bien.

De modo que si quieres activar esa defensa a tu favor, debes dejar de luchar con tus propias fuerzas, debes dejar de pensar que te las sabes todas y rendirte por completo a Jesús.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
En el Manual de Instrucciones, Dios nos dice que «abogado tenemos para con el Padre, a Jesucristo el justo» (1 Juan 2:1).

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, Sept 19, 2019

TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK

If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

~ Luke 6:29 (NIV)

An Open Doors colleague shares the following incident from an SSTS seminar in Indonesia:

I remember standing in front of nearly 800 pastors on the island of Timor facing a serious dilemma. Most of the pastors were victims of attacks by Muslims on the island of Ambon. They had lost homes, churches and even family members during these attacks. They were hurt, devastated and needed answers to the challenges they faced.

As soon as I started preaching, one pastor stood up and interrupted me: “Must we accept the persecution from the Muslims or must we retaliate? We are tired of forgiving just to be attacked again. We believe it is time to defend the honor of God and retaliate. What must we do?”

I understood perfectly the challenges. I had met those who were attacked and I have seen the scars on the bodies of those who simply accepted it. I understood there was no easy answer. Then another pastor interrupted: “No, pastor, tell this brother he is wrong. The Bible tells us to accept our suffering. We will dishonor God if we retaliate. Seventy times seven we need to forgive. Isn’t this true?”

I looked at the pastors and replied, “The Bible is clear. You MUST retaliate!”

There was silence. I sensed the division. I could see the smiles on the faces of those who agreed and saw those who disagreed getting ready to leave the hall.

“Wait, brothers!” I intervened. “Before you leave, let me finish my sentence. Luke 6 teaches us clearly to retaliate, but in doing so, we need to choose our weapons. When someone curses you, you don’t just accept it. You retaliate by blessing him. When someone mistreats you and persecute you, you don’t just accept it. You retaliate by praying for him. When someone takes your cloak you retaliate by giving your undercoat. When someone slaps you in the face, don’t stand for it. Retaliate! Turn your other cheek.”

The burden of just accepting suffering was broken. They were satisfied.

RESPONSE: Today I will retaliate against attacks upon me using the spiritual weapons of Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, may I always remember how You want me to respond when others treat me badly.

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, Sept 19, 2019

On Track

1 Chronicles 23:24–32
Recommended Reading: Psalm 95:1–11; Matthew 6:5–15; Colossians 4:2–4

What if every driver decided to ignore the center yellow lines? Smash-ups would rival apocalyptic visions. Those colored splotches in the roadway keep us on track. They keep us safe.

In our spiritual journey, praise and thanksgiving are like a yellow line, keeping our hearts on track. But it doesn’t take much to veer off course, does it? Think about the Levites. They were set apart to offer thanks and praise to God every morning and every night, day in and day out, in a never-ending cycle (see 1 Chronicles 23:30). It was their job. Forced “thank yous.” Praise, praise, praise.

Imagine the temptations inherent in this routine. Did easy-to-repeat prayers take the place of petitions motivated by full hearts and genuine gratitude? Did their minds wander as the words bubbled out? “Hear me, O God. Here we go again.”

We’ve all heard of the doctor who’s in terrible physical condition or the plumber whose house has leaky pipes. When you do something for a living, as these people do, it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated to keep your own life in order. This is what it may have been like for the Levites as well.

Praise and thanks are key ingredients in a healthy relationship with God. We need them as much as we need fresh air. Praise isn’t just an outward gesture; it reveals what’s inside us—the attitude we have toward God. When we offer meaningful thanks, we acknowledge that God’s goodness deserves our recognition and awe. Every gift comes from his hand. Nothing we’ve done grants us the sun’s bright rising or peaceful slumber at night—it all comes from God’s good hand.

How do we make our delight in God genuine and true every day? Unlike the Levites, God doesn’t demand that we follow certain daily requirements. Maybe that makes the routine more difficult. We are responsible for taking the time to bow before him and offer our praise and thanks.

When we skip this routine, we become like those drivers who disregard the center line—a potential accident waiting to happen. But when we take the time to regularly focus on and praise the God who loves us, he helps us to stay on track.

To Take Away

• Spiritually, would you describe yourself as “on track” or as “an accident waiting to happen”? Why?
• Why does God want you to praise him?
• List several things in your life for which you can praise and thank God. How can you keep your prayers of praise and thanksgiving fresh?

Hear me, O God. Here we go again.

LHM Daily Devotions - Sept 19, 2019 - Loving the Lord with All Our Minds

"Loving the Lord with All Our Minds"

Sep. 19, 2019

(Jesus said) "The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness."

~ Luke 16:8a (ESV)

The parable of the dishonest manager shows us a man who is about to be dismissed because the rich man he works for has heard that he is doing a lousy job. This is usually the point where the security guards show up and escort the guy off the premises, right? But that doesn't happen in this story. Instead, the rich man gives him a day or two to tidy up his paperwork—and, sure enough, the manager finds a way to cushion his own fall.

With the authority he still has left, he calls in everybody who owes his master money. He slashes their debts drastically and sends them away grateful. Chances are they had no idea what was really going on. They probably thought the master was in a really good mood that day, to have ordered such a thing!

And of course, once the rich man found out, it was too late for him, the master, to do anything about it. The whole village was doubtless praising him for his generosity. Trying to roll back the debt forgiveness would have been a public relations nightmare. So the dishonest manager escaped his just fate—at least for a while. He doubtless became a sofa surfer for as long as the debtors' gratitude held out. And the master had to admire his cunning.

It's an entertaining story, true. But why would Jesus tell it? What can we learn from this story?

There's only one good thing in this manager—and that is the sheer speed with which he faced the facts of his situation, figured out what his options were, and came up with a plan for his future. In other words, the man had brains—and he used them. He did not waste time mooning around, dreaming about what might have been. He came up with a workable plan and implemented it—brilliantly.

It's a sad fact of life that, as Jesus put it, "the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light" (Luke 16:8b). How often have you seen disasters in the church that could have been prevented with a little common sense? How often are resources wasted, people offended, or huge amounts of work done—only to have to be re-done—because nobody thought through all the possible consequences?

Christians often excuse this kind of thing because "their hearts were in the right place." Well, that may be true, but we are called to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37b). Jesus Himself was no bumbler. He would not have survived to reach the cross at God's chosen time if He had not had the good sense to know exactly how to deal with the antagonistic authorities such as Herod and the high priests.

Paul reminds us that Jesus is not just God's love, but God's wisdom for us. He is the One who is the light of our minds and hearts. Let us follow the Lord our wisdom with true hearts and clear minds, trusting in Him to show us His way.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, open my mind to understand Your will. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you think God cares about thinking and common sense? Why or why not?
• How do you serve the Lord with your mind?
• What is one thing you could do that would help you to serve him better in this way?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you think God cares about thinking and common sense? Why or why not?

Devocional del CPTLN del 19 de Septiembre de 2019 - Amando a Dios con toda nuestra mente

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Amando a Dios con toda nuestra mente

19 de Septiembre de 2019

(Jesús dijo) "Y el amo elogió al mal mayordomo por haber actuado con tanta sagacidad..."

~ Lucas 16:8 (RVC)

La parábola del mayordomo deshonesto nos muestra a un hombre que está a punto de ser despedido porque el hombre rico para quien trabaja se enteró de que está haciendo un mal trabajo. Este es generalmente el momento en que los guardias de seguridad aparecen en la escena y escoltan al empleado fuera de las instalaciones, ¿verdad? Pero eso no sucede en esta historia. Para su sorpresa, el hombre rico le da uno o dos días para ordenar sus expedientes y, efectivamente, el mayordomo encuentra una manera de amortiguar su propia caída.

Con la autoridad que aún le quedaba, el mayordomo llamó a todos los que le debían dinero a su jefe. Entonces rebajó drásticamente sus deudas y ellos se fueron agradecidos. Lo más probable es que no tenían idea de lo que realmente estaba sucediendo ¡Seguramente pensaron que el hombre rico estaba de muy buen humor ese día y por eso había ordenado tal rebaja!

Y, por supuesto, una vez que el hombre rico se enteró de las rebajas, ya era demasiado tarde para hacer algo al respecto. Indudablemente, toda la aldea lo alababa por su generosidad. Intentar revertir la condonación de la deuda habría sido una pesadilla de relaciones públicas. Así que el mayordomo deshonesto escapó del destino que le esperaba, al menos por un tiempo. Sin duda se hizo popular, al menos mientras duró la gratitud de los deudores. Y el jefe tuvo que admirar su astucia.

Es una historia interesante, cierto. Pero, ¿ por qué la contaría Jesús? ¿Qué podemos aprender de ella?

En este mayordomo solo vemos algo bueno: la gran velocidad con que enfrentó la realidad de su situación, examinó cuáles eran sus opciones y se le ocurrió un plan para salvar su pellejo. En otras palabras, el hombre tenía cerebro, y lo usaba bien. No perdió el tiempo dando vueltas, pensando en el pasado. Se le ocurrió un plan viable y lo implementó de manera brillante.

Tristemente, como dijo Jesús, "en el trato con sus semejantes los hijos de este mundo son más sagaces que los hijos de la luz" (Lucas 16: 8b). ¿Con qué frecuencia has visto desastres en la iglesia que pudieron haberse evitado usando el sentido común? ¿Con qué frecuencia se desperdician recursos, se ofende a las personas o se realizan grandes cantidades de trabajo, solo para tener que volver a hacerlo todo, porque nadie pensó en todas las consecuencias posibles?

Los cristianos a menudo disculpamos este tipo de comportamiento porque pensamos que las personas "tenían buenas intenciones". Eso puede ser cierto, pero estamos llamados a amar al Señor nuestro Dios con todo nuestro corazón, y con toda nuestra alma, y con toda nuestra mente (Mateo 22: 37b). Jesús no era un tonto; no habría sobrevivido para ir a la cruz en el momento elegido por Dios si no hubiera tenido el sentido común de saber exactamente cómo lidiar con las autoridades antagónicas como Herodes y los sumos sacerdotes.

Pablo nos recuerda que Jesús no es solo el amor de Dios, sino la sabiduría de Dios para nosotros. Él es la luz de nuestras mentes y corazones. Sigamos a Jesús, nuestra sabiduría, con corazones sinceros y mentes claras, confiando que en Él nos mostrará el camino.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, abre mi mente para entender tu voluntad. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Crees que a Dios le importa nuestro pensamiento y sentido común? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?
• ¿Cómo sirves al Señor con tu mente?

© 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 a Dios le importa nuestro pensamiento y sentido común? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?

Хлеб наш насущный - Чувство ничтожности

Чувство ничтожности

Читать сейчас: Матфея 6:25-32 | Библия за год: Екклесиаста 1-3; 1 Коринфянам 10:19-33

Скачать MP3

Что есть человек, что Ты помнишь его, и сын человеческий, что Ты посещаешь его? — Псалом 8:5

Фильм Дэвида Лина «Лоуренс Аравийский» многие кинокритики считают одним из величайших фильмов всех времен. Видами бесконечных аравийских пустынь он оказал влияние на целое поколение режиссеров, включая обладателя «Оскара» Стивена Спилберга. «Когда я впервые увидел “Лоуренса”, он меня вдохновил, – сказал Спилберг. – Я почувствовал себя ничтожным. Он и сейчас заставляет чувствовать себя ничтожным. И это один из признаков его величия».

А мне чувство собственной незначительности внушает необъятность творения: когда я смотрю на океан, лечу над полярной шапкой или вглядываюсь в ночное небо, сверкающее миллиардом звезд. Если сотворенная Вселенная так огромна, то насколько более великим должен быть Создатель, Который Словом вызвал ее к бытию!

Божье величие и наше чувство незначительности описано Давидом в Псалме: «Что есть человек, что Ты помнишь его, и сын человеческий, что Ты посещаешь его?» (Пс. 8:5). Но Иисус говорит нам: «Взгляните на птиц небесных: они не сеют, и не жнут, и не собирают в житницы; и Отец ваш Небесный питает их. Вы не гораздо ли лучше их?» (Мф. 6:26).

Я могу чувствовать себя маленьким и ничтожным, но в глазах моего Небесного Отца я имею высокую ценность, в которой убеждаюсь каждый раз, когда смотрю на крест. Плата, которую Он был готов внести, чтобы вернуть меня в общение с Ним, – доказательство того, как Он ценит меня.

Какое чудо творения обращает ваше внимание на Бога? Как оно влияет на ваше понимание того, как сильно Создатель ценит вас?

Небесный Отец, помоги нам помнить о Твоем отношении к нам. Направь нас, чтобы найти свою истинную значимость в Тебе.

автор: Билл Краудер

© 2019 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Какое чудо творения обращает ваше внимание на Бога?