The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, December 3, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, December 3, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 124

(We have escaped like a bird)

Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1  If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
     —let Israel now say—
2  if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
     when our enemies attacked us,
3  then they would have swallowed us up alive,
     when their anger was kindled against us;
4  then the flood would have swept us away,
     the torrent would have gone over us;
5  then over us would have gone
     the raging waters.

6  Blessed be the Lord,
     who has not given us
     as prey to their teeth.
7  We have escaped like a bird
     from the snare of the fowlers;
   the snare is broken,
     and we have escaped.

8  Our help is in the name of the Lord,
     who made heaven and earth.

Genesis 9:1-17

(Command to be fruitful; sign of the rainbow)

The Covenant with Noah
9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life.

6  Whoever sheds the blood of a human,
     by a human shall that person’s blood be shed;
   for in his own image
     God made humankind.

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Hebrews 11:32-40

(The heroes of faith)

11:32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

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 TUESDAY, December 3, 2019
Psalm 124; Genesis 9:1-17; Hebrews 11:32-40

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, December 3, 2019

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, December 3, 2019

Justin the Martyr wrote in the second century, “He called Abraham and commanded him to go out from the country where he was living. With this call he has roused us all, and now we have renounced all the things the world offers, even unto death.”

Hound us, Lord, with affection and conviction until we renounce all lesser things to follow you. Help us see that in giving up the fool’s gold of the world, we open ourselves to heavenly treasure that lasts forever. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, December 3, 2019

John 6:35 (NIV)

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Read all of John 6

Listen to John 6

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 - Martes 3 de Diciembre de 2019

Necesitamos cambiar

Dichosos los que guardan sus estatutos y de todo corazón lo buscan. Jamás hacen nada malo, sino que siguen los caminos de Dios.

—Salmo 119:2-3 (NVI)

Estamos viendo en estos días la necesidad que tenemos de rendir a Dios las actitudes, los pensamientos y los comportamientos a fin de tener libertad y bendición.

El Señor tuvo que quebrantarme en muchas esferas de mi vida con el propósito de hacerlas nuevas. Por ejemplo, el espíritu de infidelidad. Esto no significa que fuera una mujer así toda la vida. Sin embargo, mis continuos problemas emocionales y mis malas relaciones con mis ex esposos me llevaron a cometer terribles errores como un intento de aborto en mi juventud antes de conocer a Jesús. Aun conociendo a mi Dios, llegué a perderlo todo un día, y de una relación fuera del matrimonio nació mi tercera princesa.

Han sido muchas mis caídas y las consecuencias terribles. Solo por la misericordia de Dios volví a ganar credibilidad hasta con mis propias hijas, recuperar mi trabajo en la radio y, sobre todo, volver a ser feliz.

Dios me concedió los recursos para forjar una nueva vida que me tomó años de obediencia, e guardarme y dedicarme solo a mis hijas y al ministerio, además de cumplir pactos muy serios y radicales con Él.

Asimismo, tuve que reconocer que estaba enferma emocionalmente, y que si no cambiaba, seguiría perdiendo a las personas que amaba.

Por eso, mi amigo, te invito a que lleves cautiva tu vida a Jesús. Él es el único que te puede ayudar a hacer cambios para siempre y ser feliz.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
El Señor tuvo que quebrantarme en muchas esferas de mi vida con el propósito de hacerlas nuevas. Por ejemplo, el espíritu de infidelidad.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, December 3, 2019

MINISTRY FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

…to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

—Ephesians 4:12 (NIV)

Another function of the church is ministry. As Christians we need to be aware of the spiritual needs of others and sensitively seek to help them at every opportunity—both fellow-believers and non-believers. A word of encouragement or a small act of kindness may be the deciding factor in whether or not a struggling friend is able to stand against the enemy.

In a tribal area of northeast India, the poor Christians of one tribe made great sacrifices and took great risks to aid and encourage the new believers in another tribe after their leader, his wife and ten-year-old daughter were killed for their witness.

Ministry is demonstrating God’s love to others by meeting their needs and healing their hurts in the name of Jesus. Each time you reach out in love to others you are ministering to them. The church is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry.

A co-worker and his family were visiting in the southern part of the Ukraine. As they entered the hotel after a tiring day in the streets, their daughter came sobbing into their room. “I saw a man today begging for money. He had no legs and was sitting on a skateboard. He looked so poor and lonely.” The tears rolled down her cheeks. She truly felt compassion for a sight that they didn’t even notice.

“I think Jesus wants us to give him a Bible when we see him again,” she commented after they prayed together.

The following morning early, as they started their journey through the streets of Odessa, it wasn’t long before she saw him. They knew that there was a certain amount of risk involved in handing out Bibles in the streets and thus didn’t want to make it too obvious. He opened the Bible and slowly started paging through it. He reached down and took all the money in the handkerchief next to him and offered it to them.

They suddenly realized that he must be under the impression that they were selling the Bible on the black market and therefore the offer of all his savings. “Nyet, gift, gift,” and they pushed back his hand with the money. He took the Bible, pressed it against his chest and then tears started rolling down his cheeks. He opened the Bible spending several minutes reading and paging through a book that he had obviously heard about but had never seen. They left him with hearts overflowing with gratitude.

Jesus made ministry so simple. It can be as easy as offering a thirsty person a glass of water in His name!

RESPONSE: Today I will look for opportunities to minister to needy hearts in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I ask You to show me today those to whom I can minister in Your name.

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 - December 3, 2019 - SHOW US THE FATHER

"SHOW US THE FATHER"

Dec. 3, 2019

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ... No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known.

—John 1:14, 18 (ESV)

"Show us the Father," said one of Jesus' disciples on the night before He died. "That will be enough for us" (John 14:8). Leaving aside the jaw-dropping audacity of this—I mean, you don't ask for much, do you, Philip? Still, I can sympathize with what he asked. It's not that easy living with an invisible God. Sometimes I yearn to just "see" Him—to get rid of the confusion and fumbling that marks my faith life—to know Him the way He knows me.

To this request Jesus has the perfect answer. "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father... Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me!" (John 14:9b, 11a) Paul echoes this: "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15a).

That means that one of the reasons Jesus was born among us is so that we can see God—so that, as human beings, we can touch and see and handle and know what God is, in the context of our own lives (see 1 John 1:1-3). Do you want to know what God is like, and what He thinks of you? Look at the baby of Bethlehem. There is God in the flesh, come down to you. There He is—not in power or unreachable glory, but lying helpless in a manger made for animals.

But look further. There He is as a grown man, patiently teaching and healing and answering questions. There He is, providing wine for a couple's wedding, weeping for a friend who has died, talking to a woman with a bad reputation as if she were His equal. There He is—beaten, tortured, mocked, dying. And there He is—risen from the dead, and promising that same everlasting life to you for free—if only you will take it.

Here is God, up close and personal. Now we can know Him.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for making Yourself known to us! Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• How do you usually get to know someone—a new friend or neighbor?
• How do you get to know God?
• What is one thing you have recently learned (or relearned) about God's personality?

Advent Devotions were 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).
How do you usually get to know someone—a new friend or neighbor?

CPTLN devocional del 03 de Diciembre de 2019 - Muéstranos el Padre

ADVIENTO—NAVIDAD 2019

Muéstranos el Padre

03 de Diciembre de 2019

Y la Palabra se hizo carne, y habitó entre nosotros, y vimos su gloria (la gloria que corresponde al unigénito del Padre), llena de gracia y de verdad... A Dios nadie lo vio jamás; quien lo ha dado a conocer es el Hijo unigénito, que está en el seno del Padre.

—Juan 1:14, 18 (RVC)

"Muéstranos el Padre", dijo uno de los discípulos de Jesús la noche antes de que él muriera. "Con eso nos basta" (Juan 14:8).

Dejando a un lado la audacia de esta pregunta (no pides mucho, ¿verdad, Felipe?) puedo simpatizar con lo que pidió. No es tan fácil vivir con un Dios invisible. A veces anhelo simplemente "verlo", deshacerme de la confusión de mi vida de fe, conocerlo de la manera en que él me conoce.

Jesús tiene la respuesta perfecta a esta solicitud: "El que me ha visto a mí, ha visto al Padre... Créanme que yo estoy en el Padre, y que el Padre está en mí" (Juan 14:9b, 11a). Pablo reflexiona sobre estas palabras: "Él es la imagen del Dios invisible" (Colosenses 1:15a).

Eso significa que una de las razones por las cuales Jesús nació entre nosotros es para que podamos ver a Dios; para que, como seres humanos, podamos tocar, ver, y saber cómo es Dios en el contexto de nuestra propia vida (ver 1 Juan 1:1-3). ¿Quieres saber cómo es Dios y qué piensa de ti? Mira al niño de Belén. Ahí está el Dios encarnado, viniendo a ti. Ahí está, no en el poder o en la gloria inalcanzable, sino acostado indefenso en un pesebre hecho para animales.

Pero también mira más allá. Allá está como hombre adulto enseñando pacientemente, sanando y respondiendo preguntas. Allá está brindando el mejor vino para la boda de una pareja, llorando por un amigo que ha muerto, hablando con una mujer de mala reputación como si fuera su igual. Allá está golpeado, torturado, burlado, muriendo. Allá está resucitado de entre los muertos y prometiéndote esa misma vida eterna de forma gratuita, si tan solo lo recibes.

Aquí está Dios, cercano y personal. Ahora podemos conocerlo.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, ¡gracias por darte a conocer! En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Cómo llegas a conocer a Dios?
• ¿Qué has aprendido recientemente sobre Dios?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.
¿Cómo llegas a conocer a Dios?

Nuestro Pan Diario - El sobre perdido

El sobre perdido

La escritura de hoy: Mateo 6:19-21

La Biblia en un año: Ezequiel 45–46; 1 Juan 2

… haceos tesoros en el cielo, donde ni la polilla ni el orín corrompen, y donde ladrones no minan ni hurtan (v. 20).

Lo encontré cuando volvíamos a casa, después de visitar a nuestra familia que vivía lejos. Estaba cargando gasolina cuando vi un sobre grande y sucio en el suelo. Lo tomé, así como estaba, y miré lo que contenía. Para sorpresa mía, eran cien dólares.

Cien dólares que alguien había perdido y que quizá estaba buscando desesperadamente. Le di nuestro número de teléfono al empleado de la gasolinera, por si alguien regresaba a buscarlo. Pero nunca llamó nadie.

Alguien tenía ese dinero y lo perdió. Así suele ser con los tesoros terrenales. Pueden perderse, ser robados o incluso malgastados. Perderse por una mala inversión o en un mercado del que no tenemos control. Pero el tesoro celestial que tenemos en Jesús —una relación restaurada con Dios y la promesa de la vida eterna— es diferente. No podemos perderlo en una gasolinera ni en ninguna otra parte.

Por eso, Cristo nos dijo que almacenáramos «tesoros en el cielo» (Mateo 6:20). Y lo hacemos cuando nos volvemos «ricos en buenas obras» (1 Timoteo 6:18) y «ricos en fe» (Santiago 2:5), ayudando con amor a los demás y hablándoles de Jesús. Con la guía y el poder de Dios, almacenemos tesoros eternos mientras esperamos nuestro futuro también eterno con Él.

De:  Dave Branon

Reflexiona y ora

Querido Dios, gracias por todo lo que nos has dado en este mundo, pero ayúdanos a buscar tesoros eternos.

¿Qué puedes hacer esta semana que trascienda para la eternidad? ¿Cómo puedes invertir mejor tus bienes terrenales en la obra de Dios?

© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Lo encontré cuando volvíamos a casa, después de visitar a nuestra familia que vivía lejos. Estaba cargando gasolina cuando vi un sobre grande y sucio en el suelo. Lo tomé, así como estaba, y miré lo que contenía. Para sorpresa mía, eran ...