The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, October 30, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, October 30, 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 3:17-20

(The glorious future of Judah)

The Glorious Future of Judah
17 So you shall know that I, the Lord your God,
     dwell in Zion, my holy mountain.
   And Jerusalem shall be holy,
     and strangers shall never again pass through it.

18 In that day
   the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
     the hills shall flow with milk,
   and all the stream beds of Judah
     shall flow with water;
   a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord
     and water the Wadi Shittim.

19 Egypt shall become a desolation
     and Edom a desolate wilderness,
   because of the violence done to the people of Judah,
     in whose land they have shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah shall be inhabited forever,
     and Jerusalem to all generations.

Matthew 21:28-32

(Faith of tax collectors and prostitutes)

The Parable of the Two Sons
21:28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

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 3:17-20; Matthew 21:28-32

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, October 30, 2019

The Daily Prayer

WEDNESDAY, October 30, 2019

Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky said, “The world will be saved by beauty.”

Go before us, God, that we may follow in your steps. Go behind us, God, to steer us when we stray. Go beside us, God, as our strength and our joy for the journey. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, October 30, 2019

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Read all of Ephesians 2

Listen to Ephesians 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 30 de Octubre de 2019

Jesús y la limosna

Que sea tu limosna en secreto; y tu Padre que ve en lo secreto te recompensará en público.

— Mateo 6:4 (RV-60)

En este día veremos principios que Dios dejó establecidos a fin de que se cumplan al pie de la letra. Y juntos vamos a pedirle a nuestro Jesús que nos ilumine y nos permita entender, con palabras muy sencillas, lo que nos dejó en la Biblia. Lo que es más importante, una vez que los entendamos, que seamos capaces de aplicarlos para tener una vida en victoria.

La limosna o la ofrenda, como se le conoce en otras partes, debe ser algo que se entregue con mucha prudencia y no de una manera ruidosa y llamativa, pues Jesús mismo llama hipócritas a quienes lo hacen así. En realidad, esta clase de persona es la que se hace pasar por piadosa sin serlo. Por eso recuerda que la ofrenda es algo entre tú y Dios.

Tampoco llamemos la atención con nuestros actos de humanidad, porque lo que hacemos es como para Dios y no para los hombres. Nadie necesita saber lo que haces por los demás y menos en cuestión de dinero.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Nadie necesita saber lo que haces por los demás y menos en cuestión de dinero.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, October 30, 2019

WALKING BY FAITH

For we live by faith, not by sight.

— 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

Brother Wei from South-east Asia tells his story to a staff member of Open Doors. He is too shy to look at him directly. While he is speaking, he keeps his eyes lowered.

I'm forty-one years old and I'm a simple rice farmer. Twenty years ago, I became a Christian and in the past years, I've been in prison thirteen times because of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The last time I was in a notorious prison, surrounded by a moat. In order to torment the prisoners, we were given rice mixed with sand. There were no toilets - we just had to find a spot somewhere.

I was arrested because I believed in Jesus and because I was active as a preacher. The punishment for this "crime" was two and a half years in prison, but I could be released sooner if I renounced my faith.

The guards constantly tried to force me to deny my faith. I was to sign a form which stated that I had "voluntarily renounced my faith" and that I would "no longer attend meetings." I was bound hand and foot and beaten, but I refused to deny my faith. My fellow prisoners mocked me and swore at me. They called me the "Jesus man." I wasn't allowed a Bible, and if I was caught praying, I was beaten.

After my release, as a result of the abuse I was no longer able to walk fast or to run. Sometimes I could no longer find the words to describe something.

Once I was back in our village, I heard that we had to leave because we hadn't been granted permission to go on living there. We were not allocated any land to work, the children were no longer allowed to go to school and the hospital was no longer willing to help us. Then we left and went to another district, where we had to start over again.

When the Open Doors worker asked him how he had been able to endure all this persecution, Brother Wei said, “I don't trust in what eyes can see, but I’ve put my trust in the Eternal, the Lord Jesus.”

RESPONSE: Today I will persevere through the challenges that come my way with faith in the Eternal God.

PRAYER: Pray that all Christians being persecuted today will respond with this strong faith!

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 30, 2019 - Invisible?

"Invisible?"

Oct. 30, 2019

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.

—1 John 3:1-3 (ESV)

Do you ever feel like you're invisible?

We've all seen pictures of poor children or adults who are down and out on the streets. Sometimes the picture is of someone living hand-to-mouth in a Third World country. The weight of their poverty is truly oppressive. Sometimes, though, one sees—either through photographs or in real life—scenes like this in our country. Visualize homeless people in grubby clothes, crouching in front of some big city building. Observed and neglected by a procession of passersby, the destitute often elicit more ire than empathy. We wonder how they got this way and figure it was bad choices, bad upbringing, or just plain bad luck that got them the short end of the stick.

Oh well, what can we do? If we're feeling generous, we drop a bill or two into their hat. If we're in a hurry, we move on. Probably we'll move on.

How wonderful it is that our plight is not invisible to God! Slumped down in the corners of our lives, wearing filthy rags of sin and destitute by nature, God does not turn away. He doesn't casually glance our way, muse on how we got into our predicament, and shuffle along to something better—someone who's not so loaded down with "issues."

No, instead of scorning us, the Father stops and reaches down into our world. He even takes us to Himself and, rather than simply brush us off and send us on our way, He calls us into His family—warts, baggage, and all. Giving us Jesus, He has given us everything—the forgiveness of sins, a new life in His Son, and the blessed acceptance of being God's own children.

None of this we deserve, of course, but God has given it to us anyway: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." God lets us know that even though we may feel invisible to the world, He sees us clearly, and He knows we are so much more than our present circumstances or the sins we've committed.

We are not invisible to Him.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You saw us for who we are, and You didn't turn away. Instead, You take us as Your children through the saving blood of Jesus. Help us not to turn away from others. Thank You more than words can say. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you have a set reaction, typically, when you see somebody down and out on the street?
• How has God reached into your life and pulled you from the dumpster?
• How does knowing what God has done for you make you more empathetic and responsive toward others?

This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you have a set reaction, typically, when you see somebody down and out on the street?

CPTLN devocional del 30 de Octubre de 2019 - ¿Invisible?

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Invisible?

30 de Octubre de 2019

Miren cuánto nos ama el Padre, que nos ha concedido ser llamados hijos de Dios. Y lo somos. El mundo no nos conoce, porque no lo conoció a él. Amados, ahora somos hijos de Dios, y aún no se ha manifestado lo que hemos de ser. Pero sabemos que, cuando él se manifieste, seremos semejantes a él porque lo veremos tal como él es. Y todo aquel que tiene esta esperanza en él, se purifica a sí mismo, así como él es puro.

—1 Juan 3:1-3 (RVC)

¿Alguna vez has sentido como que eras invisible?

En algún momento, de alguna forma, todos nos hemos encontrado con personas pidiendo limosna, indigentes que andan deambulando por la ciudad sin un lugar fijo donde vivir, sin trabajo, sin posibilidades de llevar una vida productiva. Nos preguntamos cómo llegaron a estar así y fácilmente deducimos que fue como resultado de malas elecciones, mala educación o simplemente mala suerte. Si nos sentimos generosos, les damos algunas monedas. Pero si no, los ignoramos como si fueran invisibles. Probablemente, los ignoremos...

Ante Dios todos somos indigentes, mendigos sucios manchados por el pecado. Sin embargo, ¡nuestra situación no es invisible para Dios! Aun cuando estábamos deambulando por los rincones oscuros de nuestras vidas, vestidos con los trapos sucios del pecado, Dios eligió no alejarse. Él no nos miró de reojo y se puso a pensar en cómo llegamos a ese estado, ni se fue a buscar a alguien mejor, alguien que no estuviera tan cargado de "problemas".

No, en lugar de despreciarnos, el Padre se detiene y se adentra en nuestro mundo. Incluso nos acerca a sí mismo y, en lugar de simplemente ignorarnos y seguir su camino, nos llama a ser parte de su familia: con todas nuestras marcas de pecado. Al darnos a Jesús, nos ha dado todo: el perdón de los pecados, una nueva vida y la bendita aceptación de ser hijos de Dios.

No merecemos nada de esto, por supuesto, pero Dios nos lo ha dado de todos modos: "Miren cuánto nos ama el Padre, que nos ha concedido ser llamados hijos de Dios. Y lo somos". Dios nos hace saber que, aunque nos sintamos invisibles para el mundo, él nos ve claramente y sabe que somos mucho más que nuestras circunstancias actuales o los pecados que hemos cometido.

Para Dios no somos invisibles.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, gracias por vernos tal como somos y no ignorarnos, sino limpiarnos y adoptarnos como hijos tuyos a través de la sangre salvadora de Jesús. En su nombre. Amén.

Paul Schreiber

Para reflexionar:

• ¿De qué cosas te ha rescatado Dios?
• ¿De qué manera ha cambiado tu vida luego que Dios te rescató?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿De qué cosas te ha rescatado Dios?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Desvendando os mistérios

Desvendando os mistérios


Leia: Salmo 119:97-104
 | A Bíblia em um ano: Jeremias 20–21; 2 Timóteo 4


Baixe a versão MP3

Por meio dos teus preceitos, consigo entendimento; por isso, detesto todo caminho de falsidade. v.104


Sempre gostei da inteligência e da percepção do criador de Peanuts, Charles Schulz. Uma das ilustrações favoritas desenhadas por ele apareceu num livro sobre jovens na igreja. Mostra um jovem segurando a Bíblia e dizendo a um amigo no telefone: “Acho que dei o primeiro passo para desvendar os mistérios do Antigo Testamento… Estou começando a lê-lo!”

O Salmo 119 transborda com o desejo do escritor em entender e experimentar o poder da Palavra de Deus a cada dia. “Quanto amo a tua lei! É a minha meditação, todo o dia!” (v.97). Esta ávida perseguição conduz à crescente sabedoria, compreensão e obediência ao Senhor (vv.98-100).

A Bíblia não contém uma fórmula mágica para “desvendar os mistérios” em suas páginas. O processo é mais do que mental e requer uma reação ao que lemos. Embora algumas passagens possam permanecer intrigantes para nós, podemos aceitar as verdades que entendemos claramente e dizer ao Senhor: “Quão doces são as tuas palavras ao meu paladar! Mais que o mel à minha boca. Por meio dos teus preceitos, consigo entendimento; por isso, detesto todo caminho de falsidade” (vv.103,104).

Uma maravilhosa jornada de descoberta nos aguarda na Palavra de Deus.

Ao ler e seguirmos a Palavra de Deus iniciamos 
uma jornada diária de descobertas do Seu amor e poder.

por David C. McCasland

© 2019 Ministérios Pão Diário
Sempre gostei da inteligência e da percepção do criador de Peanuts, Charles Schulz. Uma das ilustrações favoritas desenhadas por ele apareceu num livro sobre jovens na igreja.