The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, November 25, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, November 25, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 117

(God’s faithfulness endures forever)

Universal Call to Worship
1  Praise the Lord, all you nations!
     Extol him, all you peoples!
2  For great is his steadfast love toward us,
     and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
   Praise the Lord!

Jeremiah 30:1-17

(Promised restoration)

Restoration Promised for Israel and Judah
30:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors and they shall take possession of it.

4 These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

5  Thus says the Lord:
   We have heard a cry of panic,
     of terror, and no peace.
6  Ask now, and see,
     can a man bear a child?
   Why then do I see every man
     with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor?
     Why has every face turned pale?
7  Alas! that day is so great
     there is none like it;
   it is a time of distress for Jacob;
     yet he shall be rescued from it.

8 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will break the yoke from off his neck, and I will burst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant of him. 9 But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

10 But as for you, have no fear, my servant Jacob,
         says the Lord,
     and do not be dismayed, O Israel;
   for I am going to save you from far away,
     and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
   Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
     and no one shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you;
   I will make an end of all the nations
     among which I scattered you,
     but of you I will not make an end.
   I will chastise you in just measure,
     and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

12 For thus says the Lord:
   Your hurt is incurable,
     your wound is grievous.
13 There is no one to uphold your cause,
     no medicine for your wound,
     no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
     they care nothing for you;
   for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,
     the punishment of a merciless foe,
   because your guilt is great,
     because your sins are so numerous.
15 Why do you cry out over your hurt?
     Your pain is incurable.
   Because your guilt is great,
     because your sins are so numerous,
     I have done these things to you.
16 Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured,
     and all your foes, every one of them,
         shall go into captivity;
   those who plunder you shall be plundered,
     and all who prey on you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you,
     and your wounds I will heal,
        says the Lord,
   because they have called you an outcast:
     “It is Zion; no one cares for her!”

Revelation 21:5-27

(God reigns in the holy city)

21:5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Vision of the New Jerusalem
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits by human measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall is built of jasper, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each of the gates is a single pearl, and the street of the city is pure gold, transparent as glass.

22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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 MONDAY, November 25, 2019
Psalm 117; Jeremiah 30:1-17; Revelation 21:5-27

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, November 25, 2019

The Daily Prayer

MONDAY, November 25, 2019

Twentieth-century mystic Simone Weil wrote, “Affliction compels us to recognize as real what we do not think possible.”

What would you teach us today in our trials, Lord? Make us receptive! Help us see your victory and compassion rather than look for easy answers to our troubles. So make us expectant, Lord, and patient. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, November 25, 2019

Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Read all of Colossians 3

Listen to Colossians 3

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 - Lunes 25 de Noviembre de 2019

Espera tu momento

Por tanto, digo: «El Señor es todo lo que tengo. ¡En él esperaré!».

—Lamentaciones 3:24 (NVI)

¡Qué difícil nos resulta esperar por cualquier cosa que deseamos que suceda!

La espera significa rendir nuestras fuerzas, nuestro tiempo y desarrollar la paciencia.

Dicen por ahí que «el que espera desespera», pero no se trata de eso. Se trata de ser sabios y saber que aunque ahora nos desesperamos, llegará ese momento tan anhelado.

Hoy mi motivación va mas allá de que logremos todo lo que esperamos. Sé que a veces resulta frustrante haber esperado tanto tiempo por algo para que se deshaga al final. Incluso, nos sucede con la persona que creíamos que sería nuestro cónyuge para toda la vida. Entonces pasa algo de repente y todo se acaba al instante.

Quizá nos parezca que tenemos un trabajo en el que estaremos por mucho tiempo y pensamos que somos los ideales para ciertas posiciones. Sin embargo, con el paso del tiempo los cambios nos llevan a salir de la compañía y los ideales pueden estar en peligro una vez más.

Recuerda, además, que nuestras malas decisiones alteran la estabilidad y pueden alejar lo que ya estaba cerca de parte de Dios. Por eso vale la pena esperar, pues Dios nos dará lo mejor de lo mejor.

Espera tu momento, que cuando llegue, Dios te sorprenderá.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Dicen por ahí que «el que espera desespera».

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, November 25, 2019

ASHAMED OF JESUS

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

—Luke 9:26 (NIV)

Young believers in the Lord in Muslim cultures often struggle with the issue of publicly declaring their new faith in Jesus. Shadiya is the youngest of five children in a Muslim family. At the age of eighteen she came in contact with a group of young people in the church of Pastor Jamil. During the summer of 2011, the church was visited by a group of other young Christians. During that time Shadiya decided to follow Jesus.

One day she forgot to hide her Bible and her younger brother found it. He asked his father about this striking book with a large cross prominent on the cover. Father was shocked. He soon found out that Shadiya brought the book into their house.

Initially dumbfounded by the hostile attitude of her father, Shadiya stood firm for what she believed. She admitted that she had become a Christian, that she received the Bible from some friends and that she no longer is a Muslim. Her father interpreted this as denying her identity. This, in his opinion, was a betrayal of the entire family and the Muslim community. In other words, the shame for the family was unbearable. So in her father’s eyes there was only one option; force Shadiya to deny her faith in Christ. “If you refuse to deny your new faith, you are no longer welcome in our home!” he yelled at her. Shadiya still held on to faith in Jesus.

The situation deteriorated even more after her father went to the mosque and shared the “apostasy” of his daughter with the local imam. They decided she had to deny her Christian faith openly and confess the Islamic faith in public. If she refused to do so, she would have to pay with her life. She would be stoned by the Muslim community.

She asked her apostate brother-in-law, Amir, for advice. He suggested that she do what they asked of her and remain a secret follower of Jesus. In her heart she could remain a believer in Christ, although she would openly deny her faith to save her life. Shadiya was not really convinced that this was the right thing to do and was full of doubt. In the end she followed the advice of Amir.

The prospect of becoming a martyr at the age of eighteen was now over but Shadiya remained doubtful about her decision. She and Amir asked Pastor Jamil what he thought about it.

“This could have been an opportunity for the whole family or the entire village to see God working in the life of an eighteen-year-old girl,” he replied. “It is a great challenge to deal with our fear; still we should rely on Jesus, rather than basing our choices on fear.”

The situation for Shadiya now seems less tense but the risk of escalation remains.

RESPONSE: Today I will not allow fear to control me…especially regarding the public declaration of my faith.

PRAYER: Pray for Shadiya and the people surrounding her. Ask our Father to further His kingdom through her and fellow-believers who are cautiously trying to help her to grow in faith.

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

Women of the Bible - Monday, November 25, 2019

The Widow with the Two Coins

Her character: Though extremely poor, she is one of the most greathearted people in the Bible. Just after warning his disciples to watch out for the teachers of the law, who devour widows' houses, Jesus caught sight of her in the temple. He may have called attention to her as a case in point.
Her sorrow: To be alone, without a husband to provide for her.
Her joy: To surrender herself to God completely, trusting him to act on her behalf.
Key Scriptures: Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4

Her Story

With Passover approaching, the temple was packed with worshipers from all over Israel. The previous Sunday, Jesus had created a sensation as he rode down the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem, mounted on a donkey. A large crowd had gathered, carpeting the road with palm branches and shouting: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest."

Some of the Pharisees, scandalized that Jesus was being hailed as Messiah, demanded, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Stung by his words, the teachers of the law began to plot how they could break the law by murdering him at their first opportunity.

Days later, after warning his disciples to watch out for the teachers of the law who preyed on widows for their money, Jesus sat opposite the temple treasury, in the Court of the Women. The place was crowded with people dropping their offerings in one of the thirteen trumpet-shaped receptacles that hung on the walls. But Jesus had eyes for only one of them. He watched as a widow deposited two small copper coins, less than a day's wages.

Quickly, he called to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

No one else would have noticed the woman. But Jesus, with eyes that penetrated both her circumstances and her heart, recognized the astonishing nature of her gift. Her gesture was a sign of complete abandonment to God.

Without faith, she wouldn't have offered her last penny, believing God would care for her better than she could care for herself. But there is yet another, more subtle aspect to Her Story. How easy it would have been for her to conclude that her gift was simply too meager to offer. What need had God for two copper coins anyway? Surely they meant more to her than they would to him. Somehow she must have had the grace to believe in the value of her small offering.

Maybe God, in a manner of speaking, did need what she had to offer. Perhaps her gesture consoled Jesus a short time before his passion and death. She had given everything she had to live on; soon, he would give his life.

The story of the widow and her two copper coins reminds us that God's kingdom works on entirely different principles than the kingdom of this world. In the divine economy, the size of the gift is of no consequence; what matters is the size of the giver's heart.

Her Promise

God's promise of provision is nowhere more evident than in this story of the widow who gave all she had. She had no one else to rely on—only God. That's true of us as well, isn't it? Regardless of our financial situation, whether we are financially well off or constantly skimming the bottom, we have no one else to rely on. Our true security is not in our belongings or our bank accounts, but in God alone. And he has promised to provide.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
Though extremely poor, she is one of the most greathearted people in the Bible.

LHM Daily Devotions - November 25, 2019 - Welcome!

"Welcome!"

Nov. 25, 2019

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!" Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!

—Psalm 122:1-2 (ESV)

"Let us go to the house of the LORD." When you hear that invitation, when the opportunity arises to go to God's house for worship, are you glad? We may be happy to hear and respond to the invitation for any number of reasons. Certainly, we come to the Lord's house in glad obedience to His command to remember and keep the Sabbath day holy. We observe Sunday as our day of rest and worship, adding to our joy with the weekly celebration of Jesus' resurrection. We may attend church out of habit, but it is a good habit to have, one we share with our Lord, who went to the synagogue each Sabbath "as was His custom" (Luke 4:16). Perhaps we enjoy the fellowship of worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we usually don't mind a little extra fellowship afterwards—with coffee and donuts. In worship and fellowship, we follow in the footsteps of the saints. Throughout the pages of Scripture, we read of the faithful who gathered to worship, and from the earliest days of the church, the followers of Christ gathered to devote themselves "to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42b).

All of the above are good reasons to be glad in the house of the Lord, but there is a greater reason and a greater gladness. When we gather for worship, our Host is there to meet us. After all, it is His house and, like every good host, God welcomes us into His presence. In the house of the Lord we hear the good news that our sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ Jesus. Can there be a greater reason for joy and gladness? Through holy Baptism, God welcomes new children—of all ages—into the household of faith. He sustains and nourishes us in faith as we listen to His Word. The Lord Jesus welcomes us as guests at His table, where He Himself is present in His body and blood. We bring our prayers and offerings to the Lord. Filled with gratitude for His gracious gifts, we join in songs of joyful praise.

Redeemed in Christ, we are, according to Scripture, not only in the house of the Lord, we are a house of the Lord. "Like living stones," we are "being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). We offer up to our God and Savior the sacrifices of a repentant heart, of prayer and praise, and our bodies as living sacrifices dedicated to His service all through the week—until we are glad to meet again for worship in the house of the Lord.

THE PRAYER: Our God and Savior, we are glad to be in Your house as we join our brothers and sisters to receive Your gifts and to offer up to You our sacrifice of praise. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do church-related activities take up a fair amount of your time? Is your involvement where you want it to be?
• How happy are you when you head off to church?
• Do you get something special from attending church that beats not going? What is it?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do church-related activities take up a fair amount of your time?

CPTLN devocional del 25 de Noviembre de 2019 - ¡Bienvenidos!

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¡Bienvenidos!

25 de Noviembre de 2019

Yo me alegro con los que me dicen: «Vamos a la casa del Señor.» Ya nuestros pies se dan prisa; ¡ya estamos, Jerusalén, ante tus puertas!

—Salmo 122:1-2 (RVC)

"Vamos a la casa del Señor". ¿Te alegra cuando alguien te invita a ir a la casa de Dios para adorarlo? Nos debe alegrar el recibir y el poder responder a esa invitación por varias razones. Ciertamente vamos a la casa del Señor en alegre obediencia a su mandamiento de recordar y santificar el día de reposo. Observamos el domingo como nuestro día de descanso y adoración, y esto aumenta nuestra alegría al celebrar cada semana la resurrección de Jesús. Quizá vamos a la iglesia por costumbre, pero esa es una buena costumbre que también tenía nuestro Señor, quien iba a la sinagoga cada sábado "como era su costumbre" (Lucas 4:16). Disfrutamos la comunión en adoración con nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, y también nos encanta un poco más de comunión después, con café y pan dulce. Así, en adoración y compañerismo, seguimos los pasos de los santos. A lo largo de las páginas de las Escrituras aprendemos acerca de los fieles que se reunían para adorar. Desde los primeros días de la iglesia, los seguidores de Cristo se reunían para dedicarse "a las enseñanzas de los apóstoles y en el mutuo compañerismo, en el partimiento del pan y en las oraciones" (Hechos 2:42b).

Todas esas son buenas razones para alegrarse en la casa del Señor, pero hay una razón y una alegría mayor. Cuando nos reunimos para adorar, ¡nuestro anfitrión está allí para recibirnos! Después de todo, es su casa y, como todo buen anfitrión, Dios nos recibe en su presencia. En la casa del Señor escuchamos las buenas noticias de que nuestros pecados son perdonados por la gracia de Cristo Jesús. ¿Puede haber una razón de alegría mayor que esa? A través del santo bautismo, Dios da la bienvenida a las personas de todas las edades a la familia de la fe. Y Él nos sostiene y nos alimenta con fe cuando escuchamos su Palabra. También, el Señor Jesús nos recibe como invitados en su mesa, donde él mismo está presente en su cuerpo y sangre. Y allí traemos nuestras oraciones y ofrendas al Señor. De esa forma, llenos de gratitud por sus bondadosos dones, nos unimos en alegres canciones de alabanza.

Según las Escrituras somos redimidos en Cristo y no solo vamos a la casa del Señor, sino que somos la casa del Señor: "como piedras vivas, sean edificados como casa espiritual y sacerdocio santo, para ofrecer sacrificios espirituales que Dios acepte por medio de Jesucristo" (1 Pedro 2:5). En su casa le ofrecemos a nuestro Dios y Salvador sacrificios de un corazón arrepentido, de oración y alabanza, y hasta nuestros propios cuerpos como sacrificios vivos dedicados a su servicio durante toda la semana. Nos alegra encontrarnos para adorar en la casa del Señor regularmente.

ORACIÓN: Nuestro Dios y Salvador, nos alegra estar en tu casa y unirnos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas para recibir tus dones y ofrecerte nuestro sacrificio de alabanza. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Qué experimentas cuando te diriges a la iglesia?
• ¿Qué perderías si no asistieras a la iglesia?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué experimentas cuando te diriges a la iglesia?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Le grand trésor de Dieu

Le grand trésor de Dieu

Lisez : 1 Pierre 2.4-10

La Bible en un an : Ézéchiel 24 – 26 ; 1 Pierre 2

Vous, au contraire, vous êtes […] un peuple acquis. V. 9

Imaginez une vaste salle du trône. Assis sur le trône se trouve un grand roi. Toutes sortes de gens, aux excellentes manières, l’entourent. Imaginez maintenant qu’un coffre repose aux pieds du roi. De temps à autre, le roi plonge la main dedans pour en fouiller le contenu. Qu’y a-t-il donc dans ce coffre ? Des joyaux, de l’or et des bijoux particulièrement au goût du roi. Ce coffre renferme son trésor, une collection qui lui procure une immense joie. Parvenez-vous à vous représenter la scène ?

Le mot hébreu segulah, rendu par « trésor », désigne « un bien spécial ». Or, cet équivalent apparaît dans l’Ancien Testament – Exode 19.5 ; Deutéronome 7.6 ; Psaume 135.4 –, où il désigne la nation d’Israël. Cette même image apparaît aussi dans le Nouveau Testament, sous la plume de l’apôtre Pierre. Celui-ci décrit « le peuple de Dieu », à savoir ceux qui « [ont] obtenu miséricorde » (1 PI 2.10), une précieuse collection qui transcende aujourd’hui la nation d’Israël. Autrement dit, Pierre parle de ceux qui croient en Jésus, tant Juifs que non-Juifs, comme d’« un peuple acquis » (V. 9) au sens d’un bien spécial.

Vous imaginez un peu ? Le grand et puissant Roi des cieux vous considère comme faisant partie de son immense trésor. Il vous a arraché des griffes du péché et de la mort. Il vous déclare sien. Il affirme à votre sujet : « J’aime celui-ci. Celui-ci est à moi. »

Les enfants de Dieu sont ses biens spéciaux.

par John Blase

© 2019 Ministères NPQ
Imaginez une vaste salle du trône. Assis sur le trône se trouve un grand roi. Toutes sortes de gens, aux excellentes manières, l’entourent. Imaginez maintenant qu’un coffre repose aux pieds du roi. De temps à autre, le roi plonge la main dedans pour en fouiller le contenu. Qu’y a-t-il donc dans ce coffre ?