The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, November 20, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, November 20, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 76

(God breaks the weapons of war)

Israel’s God—Judge of All the Earth
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1  In Judah God is known,
     his name is great in Israel.
2  His abode has been established in Salem,
     his dwelling place in Zion.
3  There he broke the flashing arrows,
     the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.   Selah

4  Glorious are you, more majestic
     than the everlasting mountains.
5  The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;
     they sank into sleep;
   none of the troops
     was able to lift a hand.
6  At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
     both rider and horse lay stunned.

7  But you indeed are awesome!
     Who can stand before you
     when once your anger is roused?
8  From the heavens you uttered judgment;
     the earth feared and was still
9  when God rose up to establish judgment,
     to save all the oppressed of the earth.                 Selah

10 Human wrath serves only to praise you,
     when you bind the last bit of your wrath around you.
11 Make vows to the Lord your God, and perform them;
     let all who are around him bring gifts
     to the one who is awesome,
12 who cuts off the spirit of princes,
     who inspires fear in the kings of the earth.

Isaiah 66:14-24

(The reign of God)

The Reign and Indignation of God
14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
     your bodies shall flourish like the grass;
   and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord
         is with his servants,
     and his indignation is against his enemies.
15 For the Lord will come in fire,
     and his chariots like the whirlwind,
   to pay back his anger in fury,
     and his rebuke in flames of fire.
16 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment,
     and by his sword, on all flesh;
     and those slain by the Lord shall be many.

17 Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the center, eating the flesh of pigs, vermin, and rodents, shall come to an end together, says the Lord.

18 For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud—which draw the bow—to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them as priests and as Levites, says the Lord.

22 For as the new heavens and the new earth,
     which I will make,
   shall remain before me, says the Lord;
     so shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 From new moon to new moon,
     and from sabbath to sabbath,
   all flesh shall come to worship before me,
   says the Lord.

24 And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Matthew 23:37—24:14

(The last things)

The Lament over Jerusalem
23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you, desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
24:1 As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Persecutions Foretold
9 “Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.

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 WEDNESDAY, November 20, 2019
Psalm 76; Isaiah 66:14-24; Matthew 23:37—24:14

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, November 20, 2019

The Daily Prayer

WEDNESDAY, November 20, 2019

Gregory of Nyssa wrote in the fourth century, “This is the most marvelous thing of all: how the same thing is both a standing still and a moving. I mean by this that the firmer and the more immovable someone remains in the Good, the more he progresses in the course of the virtues. It is like using the standing still as if it were a wing while the heart flies upward through its stability in the Good.”

Lord, to be rooted in place takes commitment to land, to people, to friends and family, to transients in our community, and to the plight of our neighborhoods. Being rooted is no easy task, but you demonstrated such rootedness in your incarnation. Give us courage to take up the hard task of knowing you while standing in place. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, November 20, 2019

Psalm 95:1-2 (NIV)

   Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
     let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
   Let us come before him with thanksgiving
     and extol him with music and song.

Read all of Psalm 95

Listen to Psalm 95

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 20 de Noviembre de 2019

Matrimonios con compromiso

Tengan todos en alta estima el matrimonio y la fidelidad conyugal, porque Dios juzgará a los adúlteros y a todos los que cometen inmoralidades sexuales.

—Hebreos 13:4 (NVI)

En estos últimos meses, Dios ha puesto en mi corazón un deseo muy grande de orar e interceder por los matrimonios. Tanto es así, que un día en la oración que hago al aire y en vivo por la radio, de repente sentí que debía interceder en ese momento por las parejas. Las palabras que salían de mi boca no eran mías, venían de parte de Dios.

En mi oración, les decía a todos que el corazón de Jesús estaba triste por los muchos divorcios y el dolor que se les causaba a los hijos. También instaba a los oyentes a no ser egoístas y a dejar de solucionar los problemas matrimoniales solo con el divorcio. Que fuéramos más conscientes de nuestros errores y defectos que los de nuestros cónyuges. Que empezáramos el cambio en nosotros en lugar de exigirlo en nuestras parejas. Por último, Dios puso en mí el clamor por ser firmes a la hora del matrimonio. Que había que dejar el interés de casarse sin motivos y haciendo pactos que se rompen al poco tiempo.

El matrimonio es una institución creada por Dios. Por lo tanto, es una decisión seria. Los que hemos tomado malas decisiones en cuanto a esto, pero que nos hemos arrepentido, no podemos cometer nunca más los mismos errores.

Si tú estás solo y en esa búsqueda de casarte, mi consejo es que esperes en Dios. Deja que Él te muestre con quién debes casarte y que sea en su tiempo perfecto.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
En estos últimos meses, Dios ha puesto en mi corazón un deseo muy grande de orar e interceder por los matrimonios. Tanto es así, que un día en la oración que hago al aire y en vivo por la radio, de repente sentí que debía interceder en ese momento por las parejas. Las palabras que salían de mi boca no eran mías, venían de parte de Dios.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, November 20, 2019

POURED OUT LIKE A DRINK OFFERING

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.

—2 Timothy 4:6 (NIV)

On the last day of an Open Doors seminar in South Africa, students shared how they thought the church should prepare for persecution. One man shared his son’s story and its impact:

It was at the time when the pupils rioted, burning schools, churches, shopping centers, town councilors’ houses and mercilessly attacking anyone whom they regarded as a ‘sell-out.’

Each morning his sturdy, neatly dressed, thirteen-year-old Christian son wound his way through the mounds of rubble towards school, amidst the mocking of other youths wandering the smoke-filled streets. Later he would walk home, while the teachers, frightened by the threatening mobs, locked themselves in their homes.

One particular morning, after the family devotions, his parents watched as he walked off to school. At the school grounds, a mob blocked the gate. He walked undeterred through the gate and greeted them with a nod and a friendly smile.

He was in the center of the mob when they closed in around him blocking any further progress. One older gang leader, tall and powerfully built, grabbed the strap of his school bag and pulled him to a standstill. He glared at him and growled, “As a Christian you have always been on time for school, never late, never missing a day. You have always been praised by those ‘sell-out’ teachers for knowing and doing your school work in spite of our revolutionary slogan, ‘liberation now, education later.’ Today, you will have to decide for our revolution or else.”

“I have decided to have nothing to do with your revolution,” the boy replied unwaveringly. He remembered what his father taught on compromise in times of persecution.

With a curse the bully pushed him backwards into the mob. Blows rained on him and he tried in vain to ward it off, then a knife flashed in the sun, a second, and a third. Hours later, a policeman knocked on the door of his parent’s home.

The father still lives in that house and preaches the love of Christ to the same community. Peace has returned to the township, but hardly a day passes without a passer-by, or a message scribbled on the garden wall, reminding him of that day.

The father says, “I greet them and smile at them in the hope that the testimony of my life and my willingness to forgive will eventually carry the light of Christ into their hearts, replacing the spirit of bitterness darkening their lives. I know by going back there to train the church leaders I am at risk of my life being ‘poured out like a drink offering’ just like the apostle Paul.”

RESPONSE: Today I will not live in fear nor compromise my faith no matter what Satan throws at me.

PRAYER: Pray for courage for those whose lives today may be poured out like a drink offering.

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 - November 20, 2019 - Let's Get Some Light in Here!

"Let's Get Some Light in Here!"

Nov. 20, 2019

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.

—Colossians 1:13-20 (ESV)

When I was a child reading, my mother would often come into the room, see what I was doing, and say, "Why are you reading in the dark? That's not enough light for your eyes! That's not good for you!" With a flick of a switch, she transferred me from the kingdom of darkness into a kingdom of light. Then she'd leave, muttering—until the next time I did it. (I was a slow learner.)

But this is very much what God has done for us, isn't it? Oh, not physically so much as spiritually. God saw that we were all of us sitting in darkness, lost without hope or joy or warmth or life. And because He loves us, He wasn't having that. He sent His Son Jesus to suffer, die, and rise for us, so that we could all of us be transferred into His marvelous light.

But as we rub our light-startled eyes, we should think: what kind of a light is it that we are sitting in? What is this Jesus like, who is the Light of the world, and our personal light through our daily lives also?

Paul explains for us. Boy, does he ever explain! This Jesus, he says, is not just our personal convenience—the One who forgives our sins and helps us with our daily problems, though He certainly does that. Jesus is much more. "He is the image of the invisible God," so that if we ever want to know what God the Father is like, we only have to look at Jesus. He takes the invisible and makes it plain to us.

But He is more than that. He is the One by whom all things were created, period—everything from angels to atoms and everything in between. He holds all those things together, moment by moment. It would all fly apart into nothingness if not for Him.

But there's more. Coming down to the human scale, Jesus is the head of the entire Christian church, which is His body. He leads us and protects us, and He is the One who went first into death and out the other side, into everlasting life. As His body, we will all follow Him. And He is the One who reconciled all things to Himself through His own death on the cross, cleansing us from sin and setting us free from evil. And not just us, but all things on earth or in heaven.

That is the light we have—Jesus Christ, Light of the world and of our lives as well. It's a lot to take in. And so often we forget about all that "god-ly" stuff, just as we forget about the roaring hydrogen furnaces and arching flares of the sun when we are sitting outside on a lovely day. It's okay for us to be loving and familiar with our Lord who loves us and comes close to us. But it's also great for us to step back once in a while and see exactly Who has given Himself to live in such an intimate way with us—our Lord Jesus, God of gods and Light of light.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to see more of who You really are—and rejoice in it. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you know anyone who is important or famous to other people, either locally or farther afield? Who?
• What is the difference between your experience of that person and other people's experience of him or her?
• How does it make you feel when you stop to think about the many other aspects of the Lord's life and work, apart from those in which you know Him best? Why?

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 know anyone who is important or famous to other people, either locally or farther afield? Who?

CPTLN devocional del 20 de Noviembre de 2019 - Un poco de luz

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Un poco de luz

20 de Noviembre de 2019

... nos ha librado del poder de la oscuridad y nos ha trasladado al reino de su amado Hijo, en quien tenemos redención por su sangre, el perdón de los pecados. Él es la imagen del Dios invisible, el primogénito de toda la creación. En él fue creado todo lo que hay en los cielos y en la tierra, todo lo visible y lo invisible; tronos, poderes, principados, o autoridades, todo fue creado por medio de él y para él. Él existía antes de todas las cosas, y por él se mantiene todo en orden. Él es la cabeza del cuerpo, que es la iglesia. Él es el principio, el primogénito de entre los muertos, para tener la preeminencia en todo, porque al Padre le agradó que en él habitara toda plenitud, y por medio de él reconciliar consigo todas las cosas, tanto las que están en la tierra como las que están en los cielos, haciendo la paz mediante la sangre de su cruz.

—Colosenses 1:13-20 (RVC)

Cuando era pequeña, a veces leía en la oscuridad. Mi madre a menudo entraba a mi habitación, veía lo que estaba haciendo y me decía: "¿Por qué estás leyendo en la oscuridad? ¡No hay suficiente luz para tus ojos! ¡Eso no es bueno!". Con solo pulsar un interruptor, ella me llevaba del reino de las tinieblas a un reino de luz. Luego se iba, murmurando, hasta la próxima vez que yo lo hacía de nuevo.

Eso es exactamente lo que Dios ha hecho por nosotros. No tanto física, sino espiritualmente. Dios vio que estábamos en la oscuridad perdidos, sin esperanza, ni alegría, ni calor, ni vida. Y porque nos ama, no se quedó de brazos cruzados. Él envió a su Hijo Jesús a sufrir, morir y resucitar por nosotros, para que podamos ser llevados a Su luz maravillosa.

Y mientras nos frotamos los ojos ante esa luz deslumbrante, pensamos: ¿de qué tipo de luz estamos hablando? ¿Cómo es este Jesús, la Luz del mundo y nuestra luz personal en nuestra vida diaria?

Pablo nos lo explica. Y lo hace muy bien. Éste Jesús, nos dice, no es solamente quien perdona nuestros pecados y nos ayuda con nuestros problemas diarios, aunque ciertamente lo hace. Jesús es mucho más que eso. "Él es la imagen del Dios invisible", de modo que si alguna vez queremos saber cómo es Dios el Padre, solo tenemos que mirar a Jesús. Él hace que lo invisible sea visiblemente claro para nosotros.

Pero todavía hay más. Él es Aquel por quien todas las cosas fueron creadas. Punto. Todo, desde los ángeles hasta los átomos y todo lo demás. Él mantiene todas esas cosas, momento a momento. Si no fuera por él, todo caería desastrosamente en la nada.

En la jerarquía humana, Jesús es la cabeza de toda la iglesia cristiana, que es su cuerpo. Él nos guía y nos protege y él es quien entró primero en la muerte y salió del otro lado, a la vida eterna. Somos su cuerpo, así que todos lo seguiremos allá también. Y él es quien reconcilió todas las cosas consigo mismo a través de su propia muerte en la cruz, limpiándonos del pecado y liberándonos del mal. Y no solo a nosotros, sino a todas las cosas en la tierra y en el cielo.

Esa es la luz que tenemos: Jesucristo, la luz del mundo y la luz de nuestras vidas también. Esto es mucho para asimilar. Y muy a menudo nos olvidamos de todas esas cosas "divinas", al igual que nos olvidamos de la capa de ozono y los rayos del sol cuando estamos sentados afuera en un hermoso día. Está bien que tengamos una relación cercana con nuestro Señor quien nos ama y se acerca a nosotros. Pero también es importante retroceder de vez en cuando y ver exactamente quién se ha entregado para vivir de una manera tan íntima con nosotros: nuestro Señor Jesús, Dios de dioses y Luz de luz.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor Jesús, ayúdame a ver más y más quién eres realmente y a regocijarme en ello. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Cómo te hace sentir cuando te pones a pensar en los muchos otros aspectos de la vida y obra del Señor, aparte de los que conoces? ¿Por qué?
• ¿Con quién puedes compartir hoy alguno de los aspectos de la vida y obra de Jesús?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo te hace sentir cuando te pones a pensar en los muchos otros aspectos de la vida y obra del Señor, aparte de los que conoces? ¿Por qué?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Entre na fila

Entre na fila


Leia: João 14:15-27
 | A Bíblia em um ano: Ezequiel 14–15; Tiago 2


Baixe a versão MP3

Deixo-vos a paz, a minha paz vos dou; não vo-la dou como a dá o mundo. Não se turbe o vosso coração, nem se atemorize. v.27


Nossa antiga cerejeira parecia estar morrendo, então chamei um agrônomo que a declarou: “indevidamente estressada” e precisando de cuidados imediatos. “Entre na fila,” minha esposa murmurou para a árvore, enquanto se afastava. Tinha sido uma semana daquelas!

Na verdade, todos nós temos semanas de ansiedade, cheia de preocupações sobre a nossa cultura à deriva, nossos filhos, casamento, empresas, finanças, saúde pessoal e bem-estar. No entanto, quando Jesus disse: “…a minha paz vos dou” (v.27), Ele nos assegurou de que podemos ter a paz, apesar das circunstâncias perturbadoras.

Os dias de Jesus estavam repletos de angústia e desordem: Ele estava rodeado de inimigos e era incompreendido por Sua família e amigos. Muitas vezes nem tinha onde reclinar a cabeça. No entanto, não havia vestígios de ansiedade ou irritabilidade em Seu comportamento. Ele possuía uma calma interior e tranquila. Esta é a paz que Ele nos concedeu — liberdade da ansiedade em relação ao passado, presente e futuro. A paz que Ele demonstrou; a Sua paz.

Em quaisquer circunstâncias, sejam elas terríveis ou triviais, podemos buscar a presença de Jesus em oração. A Ele, podemos apresentar nossos temores e medos. E Paulo ainda nos assegura que a paz de Deus virá e “…guardará o vosso coração e a vossa mente em Cristo Jesus” (Filipenses 4:7).

Em meio aos problemas, podemos encontrar a paz em Jesus.

por David H. Roper

© 2019 Ministérios Pão Diário
Tinha sido uma semana daquelas!