The Daily Lectionary for SATURDAY, November 16, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

SATURDAY, November 16, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Isaiah 12

(The Holy One in your midst)

Thanksgiving and Praise
1  You will say in that day:
   I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
     for though you were angry with me,
   your anger turned away,
     and you comforted me.

2  Surely God is my salvation;
     I will trust, and will not be afraid,
   for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
     he has become my salvation.

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:

   Give thanks to the Lord,
     call on his name;
   make known his deeds among the nations;
     proclaim that his name is exalted.

5  Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
     let this be known in all the earth.
6  Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
     for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 59:15b-21

(The redeemer comes to Zion)

15b The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
     that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
     and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
   so his own arm brought him victory,
     and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
     and a helmet of salvation on his head;
   he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
     and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle.
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay;
     wrath to his adversaries, requital to his enemies;
     to the coastlands he will render requital.
19 So those in the west shall fear the name of the Lord,
     and those in the east, his glory;
   for he will come like a pent-up stream
     that the wind of the Lord drives on.

20 And he will come to Zion as Redeemer,
     to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,
         says the Lord.

21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord: my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord, from now on and forever.

Luke 17:20-37

(The judgment coming)

The Coming of the Kingdom
17:20 Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”

22 Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30 —it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.” [36 “Two will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.”] 37 Then they asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

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 for SATURDAY, November 16, 2019
Isaiah 12; Isaiah 59:15b-21; Luke 17:20-37

The Daily Prayer for SATURDAY, November 16, 2019

The Daily Prayer

SATURDAY, November 16, 2019

Athenagoras of Athens said of the early church, “They charge us on two points: that we do not sacrifice and that we do not believe in the same gods as the State.”

Lord, keep us from following the gods of pride, stubbornness, vanity, sloth, greed, and comfort that beckon for our allegiance every day. You brought us through the night watches, you who neither slumber nor sleep. We pray to follow you along the path of generosity, humility, and love throughout this day. Amen.

Verse of the Day for SATURDAY, November 16, 2019

Psalm 119:18 (NIV)

   Open my eyes that I may see
     wonderful things in your law.

Read all of Psalm 119

Listen to Psalm 119

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 - Sábado 16 de Noviembre de 2019

Cambios adecuados

En su angustia clamaron al Señor, y él los sacó de su aflicción. Cambió la tempestad en suave brisa: se sosegaron las olas del mar.

—Salmo 107:28-29 (NVI)

¡Hay cambios de cambios! Unos los buscamos nosotros, otros se producen por circunstancias de la vida y los demás vienen de Dios con un propósito.

Cuando hacemos cambios sin pedir la dirección de Dios, es perjudicial porque nos apartamos de los planes que Él tiene para nosotros.

Muchas personas son muy inestables en toda la extensión de la palabra. Cambian de trabajo porque se molestaron con su jefe o porque se cansaron. Otros cambian de pareja como cambiar de zapatos, sin medir las consecuencias de cada una de estas decisiones. En realidad, no piensan que cada cambio que hacemos afecta a nuestros seres más queridos.

Ten presente que los cambios constantes en una persona muestran falta de estabilidad.

No están conformes ni felices con «nada».

Hay otro tipo de cambios debido a que nos obliga la vida: La muerte inesperada del cónyuge, una crisis financiera que provoca cambios radicales de vivienda y estilo de vida, un abandono repentino por tus padres, etc. Estos cambios son traumáticos en la vida de cualquier persona, y si a esto le sumas que no tienes una vida espiritual fortalecida, créeme que va a ser mucho más difícil.

Por eso, mis amigos, aprendamos de los errores y consultemos a papito Dios todos los cambios que consideremos. Entonces, cuando se presenten esas otras crisis con las que no contábamos, debemos tener presente que Dios cuida de sus hijos.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¡Hay cambios de cambios! Unos los buscamos nosotros, otros se producen por circunstancias de la vida y los demás vienen de Dios con un propósito.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Saturday, November 16, 2019

PAYING THE PRICE

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

—Ephesians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Martha was a young Chinese Christian engaged to be married but decided to postpone her marriage for two years to answer the call of God to deliver Bibles where they were urgently needed in her country. David Wang shares her story:

I recall meeting her once in the city of Xian. We had arranged to meet at 9 p.m., but she did not turn up until about 1 a.m. She was delayed because she had been delivering Bibles in a nearby village. But the local commune leaders discovered what she was doing. They beat her up, robbed her, and threw her on a deserted road. It was a miracle that she was able to make it to our appointment.

I noticed something was wrong with Martha. She was thin as a wire and her face was bloated. I asked, “What is the matter with you? Did they beat you up?”

“Oh, no,” she said, “I've had this problem for some time now.” Then she rolled up her pants to show me legs covered with stings and mosquito bites. As she traveled in the remote countryside of China, often she had to sleep in deserted huts or even out in the fields. She was literally eaten up by bugs and mosquitoes.

“Tomorrow we must go to a doctor,” I urged her.

“No, no,” she said, “I have to catch an early train tomorrow to go to Inner Mongolia. Where are the Bibles?” Her only concern was to get Bibles delivered!

In August 1983, Martha disappeared - as though she had just vanished into thin air. That was during China’s ‘Anti-Crime Campaign’ when many people were arrested and executed throughout China. We became concerned for Martha.

Later we got a letter from her through her friends. It was not really a letter - just a little piece of paper. She had been arrested and charged for distributing “superstitious materials” in the People’s Republic of China.

The little note read: “I don’t know what the penalty will be, but please pray for me.” She quoted Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:19-20. A few weeks later, we received word that twenty-four-year-old Martha had been executed. She paid the price.

RESPONSE: Today I will pay the price in serving Jesus in my area regardless of the risks.

PRAYER: Lord, Martha’s story humbles me. Help me love and serve You as much as she did.

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

The NIV Couples Devotional - Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Big Effect of Little Choices

Judges 16:1–21

Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.

—Judges 16:4 (NIV)

Samson seemed to have all the right stuff. An angel announced his birth and instructed his parents to raise him to live as a lifelong Nazirite, a person set apart by God. As a result of his standing, he was to abstain from grape products, have no contact with dead bodies and forego haircuts (see Numbers 6:1–8). Samson grew up with godly parents who loved him. He was given a life purpose—to begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines—and an incredible strength to help him achieve the task.

But Samson’s privileged beginnings didn’t automatically endow him with moral integrity. Over the course of his life, he deliberately participated in the things he and his parents had promised not to do. He ate honey from a lion’s carcass, violating his Nazirite vow in order to delight himself with something sweet (see Judges 14:8–9). Instead of being a great warrior against the Philistines, Samson’s crusades were often spurred by personal vendettas. And he had an insatiable appetite for Philistine women. Ultimately, one of those women, Delilah, learned the secret of Samson’s strength and traded that knowledge for a large sum of money.

Maybe you remember learning in church school that Samson was strong because he had long hair. Actually, Samson’s strength wasn’t in his hair but in his relationship with God. When his head was shaved, it was merely an outward indication of what he had already lost inside.

Ultimately Samson was unable to fully realize his potential or use the gifts God had given him. This is true of many of us. Though God has uniquely gifted us for his purpose, we are unable to live up to our potential because we continually fall victim to our sinful nature.

Samson didn’t turn toward sin in one grand decision. A lifetime of little choices resulted in Samson’s demise. Similarly, it isn’t the politician’s final bribe, but rather his early career decisions to bend the rules that lead to his downfall. It isn’t the public moral failing of the religious leader, but the many unconfessed sins that preceded it, that brings him down. It’s not the addiction, but the little indulgences that fed the addiction, that kills a family.

This principle also applies to our marriages. Most Christians don’t wake up one day and decide to throw their marriage and family away with one grand affair. The separation begins with participating in a bit of seemingly innocent flirting at work or sending an innocuous email to an old friend or confiding a bit of unhappiness with one’s spouse to a sympathetic friend.

Before making what appears to be a harmless decision, stop and evaluate the cost. Success is less about having the right stuff than it is about choosing the right way. A lot of little choices done God’s way will add up to a lifetime of purpose.

Jennifer Schuchmann

Let’s Talk

• Beginning with Samson’s birth in Judges 13, examine the decisions that Samson made in his life. Which ones led him to God? Which ones separated him from God?
• What were the costs Samson paid for his decisions?
• As a Nazirite, Samson had specific things that set him apart for God. What things set us apart for God? What sets our marriage apart as a Christian marriage?

Maybe you remember learning in church school that Samson was strong because he had long hair. Actually, Samson’s strength wasn’t in his hair but ...

LHM Daily Devotions - November 16, 2019 - Going Public

"Going Public"

Nov. 16, 2019

So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."

—Acts 4:18-20 (ESV)

Comedians are people who try to get you to laugh by saying funny things.

Over the years, I've run into many people who think they are comedians when it comes to their faith. One of the lines these imaginary comedians love to say goes something like this: "I don't have to go to church on Sunday. I know what I believe, and that's enough. After all, faith is a private matter between me and God, isn't it?"

I know they think they're being funny because, almost always, they say those words with a wink and a smile.

At first, when people said such things to me, I replied with a scowling, "Where did you get that idea? That's just about the silliest thing I've ever heard." My response was neither welcomed nor appreciated. More often than not it ended the conversation.

So now when people say their faith is a private matter, I agree with them and say, "You know, I've looked through the Bible, and I've found a number of people who agree with you."

When they say, "Really? Who?" I am free to share:

1. "Well, there was Moses. He didn't want to talk to Pharaoh about freeing God's people."

2. "Then there was Jonah. He didn't want to tell the folks of Nineveh about their sins."

3. "Then there were the disciples who, after Jesus' crucifixion, kept themselves locked away."

4. "There also were the Jewish leaders who told the apostles to keep their faith to themselves."

The reaction is usually something like this: "I didn't know that." All those folks thought their faith was a private thing.

The only problem with their thinking was God didn't agree. It's then I mention to the fellow who wants to keep his faith private, "Of course, you realize God shot down all of Moses' excuses and sent him to Egypt. And the Lord used a miracle to turn Jonah around to go and preach words of repentance. And the disciples were eventually given the Holy Spirit, and then they couldn't stop talking about Jesus. And when the Jewish leaders told them to be quiet, they said, "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."

The last thing I share is this: "My friend, you are a believer today because for 2,000 years people have shared Jesus' story. Through the ages, people around the world have conveyed their faith with others. I finish with, "But, of course, I could be wrong. Can you tell me where in the Bible you've heard the Lord say, 'Don't go and preach the Gospel' and 'Don't baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,' and 'Don't teach others all that I have commanded'?"

Naturally, they can't do that.

Blessings on you as you share Jesus' love today.

THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, bless the Good News I share with others about Your Son who died to redeem us. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• What's the funniest reason you've ever heard for someone not sharing their faith?
• Do you think people felt more compelled to share their faith in New Testament times than they do today? Why might this be so?
• What do you do to overcome your hesitancy to share your faith?

Excerpted from a message by Rev. Ken Klaus, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What's the funniest reason you've ever heard for someone not sharing their faith?

Хліб Наш Насущній - Татку, де ти?

Татку, де ти?

Читати: Повторення Закону 31:1-8 | Біблія за рік: Єзекіїля 3–4 ; Євреїв 11:20-40

Завантажити MP3

Господь, Він Той, що піде перед тобою, – не опустить тебе й не покине тебе, – не бійся й не лякайся. — Повторення Закону 31:8

Я під’їжджав до свого дому, як раптом мені у паніці зателефонувала дочка: “Татку! Де ти?” Я мав бути вдома о 6 годині, щоб відвезти її на тренування. Я прибув вчасно. Однак голос моєї дочки виказав брак довіри. Я рефлективно відповів: “Я тут. Чому ти мені не довіряєш?”

Однак, промовивши ці слова, я подумав: “Скільки разів це питання міг задати мені Небесний Отець?” У стресові моменти я також нетерплячий. Мені також важко довіряти і вірити у дотримання Богом Своїх обітниць. Отже, я вигукую: “Отче, де Ти?”

Під час стресу чи невизначеності я іноді сумніваюся у Божій присутності або навіть у Його доброті й цілях для мене. Ізраїльтяни також сумнівалися. В 31-му розділі книги Повторення Закону розповідається, як вони готувалися ввійти до Обіцяного Краю, знаючи, що їхнього вождя Мойсея з ними не буде. Мойсей намагався заспокоїти Божий народ, нагадуючи йому: “Господь, Він Той, що піде перед тобою, – не опустить тебе й не покине тебе, – не бійся й не лякайся” (в. 8).

Ця обітниця незмінної Божої присутності з нами залишається наріжним каменем нашої віри (див. Мт. 1:23; Євр. 13:5). У книзі Об’явлення 21:3 цими словами досягається кульмінація: “Оце оселя Бога з людьми, і Він житиме з ними!”

Де Бог? Він поруч із нами, завжди готовий почути наші молитви.

Які біблійні уривки нагадують вам про істинність Божої присутності? Виберіть один із них, напишіть його і розмістіть на видному місці, як нагадування про цю істину.

Отче, про Твою вірність дуже легко забути. Допоможи пам’ятати, що Ти завжди з нами, завжди присутній, завжди доступний.

Автор Адам Хольц

© 2019 Хліб Наш Насущні
Я під’їжджав до свого дому, як раптом мені у паніці зателефонувала дочка: “Татку! Де ти?”