The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, October 29, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, October 29, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 87

(Glorious things are spoken of Zion)

The Joy of Living in Zion
Of the Korahites. A Psalm. A Song.
1  On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2    the Lord loves the gates of Zion
     more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3  Glorious things are spoken of you,
     O city of God.   Selah

4  Among those who know me I mention Rahab
         and Babylon;
     Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—
     “This one was born there,” they say.

5  And of Zion it shall be said,
     “This one and that one were born in it”;
     for the Most High himself will establish it.
6  The Lord records, as he registers the peoples,
     “This one was born there.”   Selah

7  Singers and dancers alike say,
     “All my springs are in you.”

Joel 3:9-16

(The valley of Jehoshaphat)

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat
9  Proclaim this among the nations:
   Prepare war,
     stir up the warriors.
   Let all the soldiers draw near,
     let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords,
     and your pruning hooks into spears;
     let the weakling say, “I am a warrior.”

11 Come quickly,
     all you nations all around,
     gather yourselves there.
   Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
12 Let the nations rouse themselves,
     and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat;
   for there I will sit to judge
     all the neighboring nations.

13 Put in the sickle,
     for the harvest is ripe.
   Go in, tread,
     for the wine press is full.
   The vats overflow,
     for their wickedness is great.

14 Multitudes, multitudes,
     in the valley of decision!
   For the day of the Lord is near
     in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon are darkened,
     and the stars withdraw their shining.

16 The Lord roars from Zion,
     and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
     and the heavens and the earth shake.
   But the Lord is a refuge for his people,
     a stronghold for the people of Israel.

1 Peter 5:1-11

(The unfading crown of glory)

Tending the Flock of God
5:1 Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you 2 to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly. 3 Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for

   “God opposes the proud,
     but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2019, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2018 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary
Psalm 87; Joel 3:9-16; 1 Peter 5:1-11

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, October 29, 2019

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, October 29, 2019

Clarence Jordan (1912—1969)

A son of the American South, Clarence Jordan was troubled by his people’s comfortable embrace of both Jesus and racism. After studying for a doctorate in New Testament at the Southern Baptist Seminary, Jordan and his family returned to Georgia in 1942 to start Koinonia Farm, an interracial community in the heart of the Jim Crow South. Greeted by Ku Klux Klan members who told him, “We don’t let the sun set on people like you around here,” Jordan smiled and replied, “Pleased to meet y’all. I’ve been waiting all my life to meet someone who could make the sun stand still.”

Clarence Jordan wrote, “Jesus has been so zealously worshiped, his deity so vehemently affirmed, his halo so brightly illumined, and his cross so beautifully polished that in the minds of many he no longer exists as a man. By thus glorifying him we more effectively rid ourselves of him than did those who tried to do so by crudely crucifying him.”

God, keep us from the temptation to so polish your image that those who most need your love feel too dirty to approach you. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, October 29, 2019

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Read all of Romans 12

Listen to Romans 12

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 - Martes 29 de Octubre de 2019

El amor hacia los enemigos

Amen a sus enemigos, hagan bien a quienes los odian, bendigan a quienes los maldicen, oren por quienes los maltratan.

— Lucas 6:27-28 (NVI)

El mandato de Dios de amar a los que nos han hecho daño y perdonar a los que nos ofenden, trae bendición a nuestra vida.

¿Te imaginas que aparte de perdonar debemos orar por ellos y bendecirlos? Ya sé lo que quizá estés pensando: «¿Pero cómo se le puede ocurrir a ella decir eso?». No te asombres, eso es lo que dejó estipulado el Señor Jesús. Así que, debes creerlo.

Cuando entramos en ese plan de obedecer a Dios, comienzas a recibir un cambio en tu ser, pues el odio y la falta de perdón crean raíces de amargura que hasta nos enferman. Es más, esto es lo que el rencor trae como resultado en el ser humano. Por eso Dios nos da la oportunidad de que conozcamos la verdad y luego nos hace libres.

Amar a los amigos es muy fácil, pero Dios quiere que apliquemos lo más difícil: Amar a los enemigos. De esta manera honraremos a Dios.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Amar a los amigos es muy fácil, pero Dios quiere que apliquemos lo más difícil: Amar a los enemigos.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, October 29, 2019

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

— Luke 14:27 (NIV)

Two days before the SSTS Seminar in a restricted Central Asia country, Pavel, a Christian leader discovered the garage he was using to store restricted (illegal) Christian literature in the tribal language was broken into by youths and over 2000 pieces of literature stolen. Ironically, police discovered the literature being distributed at a nearby school by the mischievous youths and traced the ownership of the literature to Pavel.

He was “invited” to come to the police station. There he discovered that the authorities were open to receiving a bribe of one month’s salary in exchange for having the remaining literature returned and the case closed. It was also suggested that because he was lacking the appropriate registration papers for being in this community, he should pay the money before the police “found some drugs in his home” and he be sent to jail for a longer period of time.

Pavel now had two choices: pay the bribe and redeem most of the stolen literature which had come into the country at great personal and emotional risk past many police checkpoints; or wait and see how God intervened to bring glory to His name even if it meant a fine or imprisonment. Pavel knew that to pay the bribe would open the door to a pattern of further blackmail, as the police would now own him as “their man.”

During the 3-day SSTS seminar, the group met with Pavel and his wife and prayed with them each morning before he went to the police station for further interrogation in the afternoons. Pavel had to make a decision by the third day. As he left for the police station he told the group, “This SSTS seminar has changed my entire thinking on this matter. I am not paying the bribe. I am choosing ‘the way of the cross.’”

Latest reports are that Pavel’s case was resolved without a bribe and he is still active in effective ministry in his country.

RESPONSE: Today I again choose to walk “the way of the cross” as I make my decisions and choices.

PRAYER: Lord, help me never to choose the easy way of the culture but to walk “the way of the cross!”

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 - October 29, 2019 - Exiting Tribulation

"Exiting Tribulation"

Oct. 29, 2019

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ... Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

—Revelation 7:9-10, 13-17 (ESV)

When I was a teenager, there was a spate of scary books about the end of the world. Some of them would give you nightmares, the way they talked about the suffering that was in store for Christians. Worst of all was the description of something called the "Great Tribulation," which seemed to be some sort of bloodbath of persecution, amped up to the highest degree.

Of course I was terrified. What if I was alive in those days? Would I be strong enough to suffer without breaking down and denying Jesus? I didn't know. It worried me.

But now when I read this passage, I see something different. You see, the first part of the passage seems to be describing the whole church of God, all believers through all time and space—not just a select few from the very end of world history. God calls them an innumerable multitude from throughout the world. Every one of them is dressed in white, waving palm branches and celebrating Jesus with all their might.

Who are these people? It seems clear that these people are us! These are all the people who ever have or ever will believe in Jesus—everyone who has "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." That's a fancy way of saying it's everyone who has ever sinned or ever done evil, but then God forgave them because Jesus died for them on the cross. Is that you? How about me? I think so.

And that means we are also the ones the angel refers to as "coming out of the great tribulation." It's not that every one of us will somehow be alive for the final battle of Armageddon; rather, it's that every one of us, great or small, young or old, knows what it means to suffer—to live in a world that is actively hostile to God's people. We all know what it means to be tempted to evil. We all know what it means to suffer harm or injustice. We've all had days so black we almost forget the memory of the sunrise.

That is our tribulation—and yet, the Bible says we are coming out of it! Not by our own power or might, but because the Holy Spirit is bringing us safely through. When the final Day comes, there we will be—clean and happy and celebrating Jesus with all our might. Because He is the reason why we can make it through the great tribulation of our lives—and all the little tribulations that come to us daily. He is the only reason. Because He is our Savior, and He keeps us safe in His hands forevermore.

THE PRAYER: Lord, let me trust in You through all the great and little sufferings of this world. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Name one kind of suffering you have right now—even if it is something quite small.
• What kinds of suffering scare you the most?
• When you worry about suffering, how do you find comfort in Jesus?

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).
Name one kind of suffering you have right now—even if it is something quite small.

CPTLN devocional del 29 de Octubre de 2019 - La gran tribulación de nuestras vidas

ALIMENTO DIARIO

La gran tribulación de nuestras vidas

29 de Octubre de 2019

Después de esto vi aparecer una gran multitud compuesta de todas las naciones, tribus, pueblos y lenguas. Era imposible saber su número. Estaban de pie ante el trono, en presencia del Cordero, y vestían ropas blancas; en sus manos llevaban ramas de palma, y a grandes voces gritaban: «La salvación proviene de nuestro Dios, que está sentado en el trono, y del Cordero.» Entonces uno de los ancianos me dijo: «Y estos que están vestidos de ropas blancas, ¿quiénes son? ¿De dónde vienen?» Yo le respondí: «Señor, tú lo sabes.» Entonces él me dijo: «Éstos han salido de la gran tribulación. Son los que han lavado y emblanquecido sus ropas en la sangre del Cordero. Por eso están delante del trono de Dios, y le rinden culto en su templo de día y de noche; y el que está sentado en el trono los protege con su presencia. No volverán a tener hambre ni sed, ni les hará daño el sol ni el calor los molestará, porque el Cordero que está en medio del trono los pastoreará y los llevará a fuentes de agua de vida, y Dios mismo secará de sus ojos toda lágrima.»

—Apocalipsis 7:9-10, 13-17 (RVC)

Cuando era adolescente, había una serie de libros de terror acerca del fin del mundo. Por la forma en que hablaban sobre el sufrimiento que les esperaba a los cristianos, algunos causaban pesadillas. Lo peor de todo era la descripción de algo que llamaban la "Gran Tribulación", que parecía ser una especie de persecución sangrienta de alto calibre.

Me aterrorizaba pensar qué me iba a pasar si todavía vivía cuando esto sucediera. Me preguntaba si sería lo suficientemente fuerte como para sufrir sin quebrarme y negar a Jesús. No lo sabía, y eso me preocupaba.

Pero ahora, cuando leo este pasaje, veo algo diferente. La primera parte del pasaje está describiendo a toda la iglesia de Dios, a todos los creyentes a través de todos los tiempos, no solo unos pocos seleccionados al final de la historia del mundo. Dios los describe como una multitud innumerable de todo el mundo. Cada uno de ellos está vestido de blanco, agitando ramas de palma y celebrando a Jesús con todas sus fuerzas.

¿Quiénes son esas personas? ¡Parece claro que somos nosotros! Somos todos los que hemos creído o algún día creerán en Jesús, todos los que "han lavado y emblanquecido sus ropas en la sangre del Cordero"... lo cual es una forma elegante de decir que son todos los que han pecado o hecho algo malo y que han sido perdonados por Dios porque Jesús murió por ellos en la cruz. ¿Serás tú? ¿Seré yo? Creo que sí.

Y eso significa que también somos los que "han salido de la gran tribulación". No es que cada uno de nosotros esté vivo cuando ocurra la batalla final del Armagedón; más bien, es que cada uno de nosotros, grandes o pequeños, jóvenes o viejos, sabemos lo que significa sufrir: vivir en un mundo que es activamente hostil contra el pueblo de Dios. Todos sabemos lo que significa ser tentados a hacer el mal. Todos sabemos lo que significa sufrir daños o injusticias. Todos hemos tenido días tan negros que casi olvidamos el recuerdo del amanecer.

Esa es nuestra tribulación y, sin embargo, ¡la Biblia dice que estamos saliendo de ella! No por nuestro propio poder o fuerza, sino por el poder del Espíritu Santo. Cuando llegue el día final estaremos limpios, felices y celebrando a Jesús con todas nuestras fuerzas. Porque Él es la razón por la que podemos conquistar la gran tribulación de nuestras vidas y todas las pequeñas tribulaciones que nos llegan a diario. Él es la única razón. Él es nuestro Salvador que nos mantiene a salvo en sus manos por siempre.

ORACIÓN: Señor, ayúdame confiar en ti en medio de todos los grandes y pequeños sufrimientos de este mundo. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿A qué clase de sufrimiento le tienes más miedo?
• ¿Cómo encuentras consuelo en Jesús en medio del sufrimiento?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿A qué clase de sufrimiento le tienes más miedo?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Un camino desconocido

Un camino desconocido

La escritura de hoy: Isaías 42:10-17

La Biblia en un año: Jeremías 18–19 2 Timoteo 3

Y guiaré a los ciegos por camino que no sabían, les haré andar por sendas que no habían conocido… (v. 16).

Me viene a la mente la década de 1960, cuando ministraba a estudiantes de la Universidad Stanford. Había sido alumno de educación física en ese lugar y me había divertido mucho, pero no quedó constancia de haberme destacado. Me sentía totalmente inepto para mi nuevo cargo. Casi todos los días, caminaba por el campus como un hombre ciego tanteando en la oscuridad, pidiéndole a Dios que me mostrara qué hacer. Un día, apareció de repente un estudiante y me pidió que liderara un estudio bíblico en su fraternidad. Y así empezó todo.

Dios no se para en un cruce de caminos e indica por dónde ir; Él es un guía, no un cartel informativo. El Señor camina con nosotros, guiándonos por senderos que nunca imaginamos. Lo único que tenemos que hacer es caminar a su lado.

El camino no será fácil; encontraremos terreno «escabroso». Pero Dios prometió: «cambiaré las tinieblas en luz, y […] no los desampararé» (Isaías 42:16). Está con nosotros todo el tiempo.

Pablo afirmó que Dios «es poderoso para hacer todas las cosas mucho más abundantemente de lo que pedimos o entendemos» (Efesios 3:20). Él puede planear y visualizar, pero su imaginación trasciende nuestros planes. No debemos aferrarnos a lo que anticipamos, sino ver lo que el Señor tiene en mente.

De:  David H. Roper

Reflexiona y ora

Señor, gracias por tus planes para mí. Ayúdame a seguir tu guía.

¿Cómo convirtió Dios tus tinieblas en luz? ¿Cuál ha sido tu mayor alegría al caminar con Él?

© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Me viene a la mente la década de 1960, cuando ministraba a estudiantes de la Universidad Stanford.