The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, November 29, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, November 29, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 122

(Gladness in God’s house)

Song of Praise and Prayer for Jerusalem
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1  I was glad when they said to me,
     “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2  Our feet are standing
     within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3  Jerusalem—built as a city
     that is bound firmly together.
4  To it the tribes go up,
     the tribes of the Lord,
   as was decreed for Israel,
     to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5  For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
     the thrones of the house of David.

6  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
     “May they prosper who love you.
7  Peace be within your walls,
     and security within your towers.”
8  For the sake of my relatives and friends
     I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9  For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
     I will seek your good.

Genesis 6:1-10

(Humankind’s wickedness Noah’s righteousness)

The Wickedness of Humankind
6:1 When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created—people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.

Noah Pleases God
9 These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Hebrews 11:1-7

(Noah acts in faith)

The Meaning of Faith
11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.” 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

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 A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2019 was Year C. 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 FRIDAY, November 29, 2019
Psalm 122; Genesis 6:1-10; Hebrews 11:1-7

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, November 29, 2019

The Daily Prayer

FRIDAY, November 29, 2019

Dorothy Day (1897 — 1980)

Dorothy Day was born in Brooklyn in 1897. She worked as a journalist for radical newspapers in the 1920s and found most of her friends in the bohemian crowds that gathered in Greenwich Village. While living with a man she loved in 1926, she became pregnant and experienced a mysterious conversion to Jesus. As a Roman Catholic, she struggled to unite her personal faith with passion for social justice until she met Peter Maurin, with whom she founded the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933. Through hospitality houses in the city, agronomic universities on the land, and roundtable discussions for the clarification of thought, they aimed to “create a new society within the shell of the old,” offering American Christianity the witness of a new monasticism that combines piety and practice, charity and justice.

Dorothy Day said, “The greatest challenge of the day is how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us.”

Lord, you show us the same compassion and commitment that a mother has for her tiny child. Teach us to care so completely. Show us how to delight in serving with the same joy you show in nurturing your creation. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, November 29, 2019

Psalm 136:1, 26 (NIV)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
  His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
  His love endures forever.

Read all of Psalm 136

Listen to Psalm 136

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 - Viernes 29 de Noviembre de 2019

Oración por compromisos

Ten compasión de mí, oh Dios; ten compasión de mí, que en ti confío. A la sombra de tus alas me refugiaré.

—Salmo 57:1 (NVI)

Señor, mi Dios, buscamos tu rostro en este día dándote gracias por tus maravillas.

Gracias, Jesús, porque tú eres mayor que cualquier necesidad y que cualquier problema que pueda tener.

Ayúdame, Señor, a ser una persona de palabra, que mi «sí» sea sí y mi «no» sea no. No permitas, mi Dios, que vaya por el mundo creando falsas expectativas. Por eso, quita de mí toda soberbia y hazme una persona recta.

Te honro hoy y me comprometo a hacer cambios y a buscar tu rostro cada día.

Quiero ser un mejor compañero de trabajo, un buen líder, un excelente padre, el mejor de los cónyuges y el mejor de los hijos.

Además, Señor, anhelo amarte, servirte y entregarme a ti con todo mi corazón.

Pongo delante de ti este nuevo día y confío en tus promesas.

Bendice a mi familia y guárdanos de todo mal y peligro.

En el nombre de Jesús, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por compromisos

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, November 29, 2019

RESPONDING WITH PRAISE

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

The overflow of singing praises amid great difficulties has tremendous spiritual power. Paul and Silas set the biblical pattern in the prison in Philippi (Acts 16).

Helen Berhane spent almost three years in the shipping container prisons of Eritrea. In her book Song of the Nightingale, she shares about the first time she and other women were put in an old metal shipping container that was very hot and filled with fleas and lice:

Everyone was very despondent, and many of the women were angry. They asked me what we should do and I knew they were expecting me to say that we should shout or bang the container, to let our captors know that we were not going to tolerate this treatment. But I remembered… [reading] about how Christians, like nightingales, could not be prevented from singing even in captivity, and I suggested that we sing: “We should praise God in spite of the fleas, in spite of the lice, in spite of the heat. We should thank God despite our circumstances.” So I began to sing with them, and pray, and share the Word of God from memory.[1]

Pastor Ung Sophal sat in a filthy Cambodian prison badly beaten. His hands and feet were chained for five months. “Only my mouth was unchained,” he said.

“...So I sang to God in prison all the time. Another prisoner heard me singing through a small hole in the wall, so I taught him the song—a bit at a time. He passed it on and soon eight of us were singing.”

Archbishop Dominic Tang spent twenty-two years in prison in China for his faith. He reports:

“Besides my prayer and meditation, every day I sang some hymns in a soft voice: ‘Jesus I live for you; Jesus I die for you; Jesus I belong to you. Whether alive or dead I am for Jesus!’ This hymn was taught to me by a Protestant prisoner who lived in my cell.”[2]

RESPONSE: Today I will respond to all the challenges of life I face with praise and thankfulness.

PRAYER: Pray that all Christian prisoners around the world will also respond to their circumstances as those documented above.

1. Helen Berhane, Song of the Nightingale, ( Colorado Springs: Authentic Media, 2009), pp. 36-37.
2. Tony Lambert, The Resurrection of the Chinese Church (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1991), p 179.

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

Men of the Bible - Friday, November 29, 2019

Judas

His name means: "Praised"

His work: As one of the twelve disciples, Judas's responsibility was to act as the group's treasurer.
His character: John's gospel indicates that Judas, though chosen by Jesus, was a thief, a man who regularly helped himself to the community purse. Though he would have been on intimate terms with the Lord, he betrayed Jesus by handing him over to the religious authorities, who then had him condemned to death. The motives for his act of treachery have never been clear. His name always appears last in the list of Jesus' disciples.
His sorrow: Regretting his decision to hand Jesus over to the religious authorities, Judas hanged himself.
His triumph: He was a member of Jesus' inner circle.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 26:6-16; John 12:1-8; 13:1-30; 18:1-11

A Look at the Man

Under cover of darkness, Judas led a detachment of soldiers and Jewish officials to an olive grove on the other side of the Kidron Valley, the place where Jesus and his disciples had retired after the Passover meal. There he betrayed the Lord with a kiss, saying, "Greetings, Rabbi!" Then he watched as the soldiers bound Jesus and led him away.

If Judas intended his act of betrayal to be the spark that ignited the revolution, he must have been disappointed. There was no great uprising, no crowds clamoring for Jesus' release, no miracles from heaven to establish the Messiah on his throne. The next morning brought with it only the grim news that Jesus had been beaten, handed over to Pontius Pilate, and condemned to death. Suddenly Judas felt overwhelmed by a tide of grief so great it swept away his previous certainty. Flinging the thirty pieces of silver—blood money now—into the temple, he went out and hanged himself.

The story of Judas is one of the saddest and best known in Scripture. A man chosen by Jesus to become part of his inner circle, he was privy to God's wisdom, power, and love to an unprecedented degree. But Judas valued the privilege so little that he handed Jesus over to his enemies for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. Jesus himself commented on Judas's situation with a warning Judas failed to heed: "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Two thousand years later, Judas's name is still a synonym for betrayal. As one of the Twelve, Judas had been offered a place of honor in the kingdom Jesus promised to establish. But by serving his own vision rather than the Lord's vision, he became not an instrument of good but an instrument of evil in the story of salvation.

Reflect On: Romans 5:6–11
Praise God: For redemption and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Offer Thanks: For personal salvation and a community of believers to love and from whom to receive love.
Confess: Any tendency toward self-pity rather than true repentance.
Ask God: For a renewed love for his people and commitment to fellowship, transparency, and accountability. Ask him for the courage to speak the truth in love and the grace to receive the same.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
The story of Judas is one of the saddest and best known in Scripture. A man chosen by Jesus to become part of his inner circle, he was privy to God's wisdom, power, and love to an unprecedented degree.

LHM Daily Devotions - November 29, 2019 - Sanctuary

"Sanctuary"

Nov. 29, 2019

For the LORD spoke thus to me with His strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread."

—Isaiah 8:11-12 (ESV)

Some people so fear the number 13 that they actually develop an allergy to it. This psychosomatic reaction is termed "triskaidekaphobia."

Superstition goes back to times before Julius Caesar. He employed soothsayers to give him advice. They predicted future political trends "scientifically"—by reading pig entrails. Today's politicians consult public opinion polls, survey after survey, and any other method they can use to get their finger on the "pulse of the people."

A truly superstitious person would refuse to run for president in certain years under any circumstances. Consider these presidents and the years in which they were elected: Harrison, 1840. Lincoln, 1860. Garfield, 1880. McKinley, 1900. Harding, 1920. Roosevelt, 1940. Kennedy, 1960. They were elected at 20-year intervals, and each died in office. I wonder if psychologists have a name for the fear of being elected president in any year divisible by 20.

Superstitions often arise as the result of people trying to wrest control over seemingly unmanageable situations. The Black Death and polio were held in dreadful awe until sanitation and vaccinations against these diseases brought them under control.

Headlines about financial unstableness or political shenanigans in the halls of government or the threat of terrorism all give rise to fear and the superstitions that attend our worst nightmares. Satan must chuckle anytime we assume ourselves to be masterminding our lives. He surely delights in seeing us squirm as he tricks us into playing the "What if ...?" game about events beyond our immediate control.

Isaiah spoke to Israel at a time of upheaval and confusion. He told them, "For the LORD spoke thus to me with His strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 'Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken'" (Isaiah 8:11-15).

For those without Christ, losing control is a serious thing, putting their lives in the balance. As believers in Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, we have sanctuary. When misconceptions cloud our vision and troubling concerns seek to rob us of the peace God has given us through His Son, we have the knowledge that God's strong hand will be upon us, and with His strong Word He will give us courage and the strength to press on.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, when we are pressed on all sides by fears and irrational worries, draw us next to You, giving us the peace and sanctuary we have in Jesus. In His Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Are there things you are superstitious about? If so, do you care to share what your reasons are?
• Have you ever followed a crowd mentality and later asked yourself why it was you did that? What were your answers?
• How does Christ offer sanctuary against all the things that can upset and unsettle us?

From The Lutheran Layman, April 1980 issue, "Knock on Wood" by Jane Fryar. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Are there things you are superstitious about?

CPTLN devocional del 29 de Noviembre de 2019 - Santuario

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Santuario

29 de Noviembre de 2019

Ciertamente el Señor me habló con firmeza, y me dio instrucciones de no ir por el camino de este pueblo. Me dijo así: "No llamen ustedes conspiración a todo lo que este pueblo llama conspiración. No tengan miedo, ni teman lo que ellos temen".

—Isaías 8:11-12 (RVC)

Algunas personas temen tanto al número 13, que se vuelven alérgicos a él. Esa reacción psicosomática se denomina "triskaidekaphobia".

La superstición se remonta a tiempos anteriores a Julio César, quien empleó adivinos para que le aconsejaran. Esos adivinos predijeron "científicamente" tendencias políticas, leyendo entrañas de cerdos. Los políticos de hoy consultan encuestas de opinión pública y cualquier otro método disponible para conocer el "pulso de la gente".

Una persona realmente supersticiosa se negaría a postularse para presidente en determinados años. Pensemos en los siguientes presidentes y los años en que fueron elegidos: Harrison, 1840; Lincoln, 1860; Garfield, 1880; McKinley, 1900; Harding, 1920; Roosevelt, 1940; Kennedy, 1960. Todos ellos fueron elegidos a intervalos de 20 años, y todos murieron en el cargo. Me pregunto si los psicólogos tienen un nombre al miedo a ser elegido presidente en un año divisible por 20.

Las supersticiones a menudo surgen como resultado de personas que intentan controlar situaciones aparentemente inmanejables.

Los titulares sobre inestabilidad financiera o la amenaza del terrorismo dan lugar al miedo y las supersticiones que acompañan a nuestras peores pesadillas. Satanás debe reírse cada vez que creemos que estamos controlando nuestras vidas. Seguramente se deleita mientras nos engaña para que juguemos a "¿Qué pasaría si ...?" sobre eventos que están fuera de nuestro control inmediato.

Isaías habló con Israel en un momento de agitación y confusión, diciéndoles: "Ciertamente el Señor me habló con firmeza, y me dio instrucciones de no ir por el camino de este pueblo. Me dijo así: 'No llamen ustedes conspiración a todo lo que este pueblo llama conspiración. No tengan miedo, ni teman lo que ellos temen.'"

Santifiquen al Señor de los ejércitos, y sólo a él. Que él sea para ustedes la única razón de su temor. Hagan de él su santuario. Pero para las dos casas de Israel será una piedra de tropiezo, que los hará caer; y para los habitantes de Jerusalén les será una trampa, una red. Muchos de ellos tropezarán; y caerán y serán destrozados; y se enredarán y quedarán apresados" (Isaías 8:11-15).

Para quienes viven sin Cristo, perder el control es una cosa seria. Quienes creemos en el sacrificio de Jesús en nuestro nombre, tenemos santuario. Cuando los conceptos erróneos nublan nuestra visión y las preocupaciones buscan robarnos la paz que Dios nos ha dado a través de su Hijo, sabemos que la mano fuerte de Dios estará con nosotros y que, con su Palabra, Él nos dará coraje y fuerza para seguir adelante.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, cuando nos sentimos presionados por temores y preocupaciones irracionales, acércanos más a ti, recordándonos la paz y el santuario que tenemos en Jesús. En su nombre Amén.

The Lutheran Layman, abril de 1980, Jane Fryar

Para reflexionar:
¿Eres supersticioso? Si es así, ¿de qué cosas?
¿De qué manera es Cristo tu santuario ante las cosas que pueden perturbarte?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Eres supersticioso?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Chất Độc Hại

Chất Độc Hại

Đọc: Ê-sai 6:1–10 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Ê-xê-chi-ên 35–36; II Phi-e-rơ 1

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Đây, [than lửa đỏ] nầy đã chạm đến môi ngươi, lỗi ngươi đã được xóa rồi, tội ngươi được tha rồi. Ê-sai 6:7

Tiếng còi báo động ngày càng inh ỏi khi xe cứu hộ vượt qua xe của tôi. Ánh đèn nhấp nháy của nó lóe sáng qua kính chắn gió của xe tôi, rọi sáng dòng chữ “chất độc hại” được in ở bên hông xe tải. Sau đó, tôi được biết chiếc xe đó đang chạy thật nhanh đến phòng thí nghiệm khoa học, nơi thùng axit sunfuric hơn 1.500 lít đang bắt đầu rò rỉ. Nhân viên cứu hộ phải giải quyết ngay lập tức vì nó có khả năng làm hỏng bất cứ thứ gì nó tiếp xúc.

Khi nghĩ về câu chuyện này, tôi tự hỏi chuyện gì sẽ xảy ra nếu còi báo động vang lên mỗi khi một lời nói cay nghiệt hay chỉ trích thốt ra từ miệng tôi? Thật đáng buồn vì nó sẽ kêu to inh ỏi hơn cả tiếng ồn xung quanh nhà tôi.

Tiên tri Ê-sai cũng nhận biết như vậy về tội lỗi của mình. Khi nhìn thấy vinh quang của Chúa trong một khải tượng, ông nhận biết mình không xứng đáng. Ông nhận ra rằng ông là “người có môi ô uế”, sống giữa một dân có môi ô uế (Ês. 6:5). Những việc xảy ra tiếp theo cho tôi niềm hy vọng. Một thiên sứ đưa than lửa đỏ chạm vào môi ông và nói: “Lỗi ngươi đã được xóa rồi, tội ngươi được tha rồi” (c.7).

Chúng ta phải liên tục đưa ra những lựa chọn về lời nói – cả nói và viết. Liệu đó sẽ là những lời “nguy hại”, hay chúng ta sẽ để vinh quang Chúa tra xét và ân điển Ngài chữa lành để giúp chúng ta tôn vinh Ngài bằng mọi điều chúng ta bày tỏ?

Tại sao lời nói của chúng ta có tác động mạnh mẽ đến người khác? Bạn nghĩ Chúa muốn thay đổi lời nói của bạn như thế nào?

Lạy Chúa, xin giúp con nhận biết tác động của lời nói trên người khác. Xin dạy con cách khích lệ họ.

bởi Jennifer Benson Schuldt

© 2019 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Tiếng còi báo động ngày càng inh ỏi khi xe cứu hộ vượt qua xe của tôi. Ánh đèn nhấp nháy của nó lóe sáng qua kính chắn gió của xe tôi, rọi sáng dòng chữ “chất độc hại” được in ở bên hông xe tải.