The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, April 16, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, April 16, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 16

Fullness of joy

1  Keep me safe, my God,
     for in you I take refuge.

2  I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
     apart from you I have no good thing.”
3  I say of the holy people who are in the land,
     “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4  Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
     I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
     or take up their names on my lips.

5  Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
     you make my lot secure.
6  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
     surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7  I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
     even at night my heart instructs me.
8  I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
     With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
     my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
     nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
     you will fill me with joy in your presence,
     with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Song of Songs 2:8-15

Arise for the winter is past

8  Listen! My beloved!
     Look! Here he comes,
   leaping across the mountains,
     bounding over the hills.
9  My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
     Look! There he stands behind our wall,
   gazing through the windows,
     peering through the lattice.
10 My beloved spoke and said to me,
     “Arise, my darling,
     my beautiful one, come with me.
11 See! The winter is past;
     the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
     the season of singing has come,
   the cooing of doves
     is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;
     the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
   Arise, come, my darling;
     my beautiful one, come with me.”

14 My dove in the clefts of the rock,
     in the hiding places on the mountainside,
   show me your face,
     let me hear your voice;
   for your voice is sweet,
     and your face is lovely.
15 Catch for us the foxes,
     the little foxes
   that ruin the vineyards,
     our vineyards that are in bloom.

Colossians 4:2-5

The new life in Christ

4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

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 Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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 what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, April 16, 2020
Psalm 16; Song of Solomon 2:8-15; Colossians 4:2-5

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, April 16, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, April 16, 2020

Therese of Lisieux, a nineteenth-century Carmelite who sought to follow Christ’s “little way,” wrote, “The only way to make rapid progress along the path of divine love is to remain very little and put all our trust in Almighty God.”

Lord, teach us to dwell in the corners and crevices, to find an abundance of your love in those pockets of our lives where the poverty of our abilities crowds out our pride and ego. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, April 16, 2020

Romans 13:8

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Read all of Romans 13

Listen to Romans 13

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 - Jueves 16 de abril de 2020

Día de testimonio

Cristo nos libertó para que vivamos en libertad. Por lo tanto, manténganse firmes y no se sometan nuevamente al yugo de esclavitud.

— Gálatas 5:1, NVI

Mientras escribía el devocional anterior, mi Dios, que es tan lindo, me permitió tener otra vivencia para que se las relatara a ustedes. No lo hago porque me sucediera a mí, sino para reconocer la grandeza de nuestro Padre. Y también para testificar que cuando en verdad decidimos entregar toda nuestra vida en sus manos, Él nos honra y nos bendice.

La historia que quiero contarles es de una chica que me llamó para decirme que desde hacía varios meses tenía pensado quitarse la vida debido a sus muchos problemas. Entonces, llamó a nuestro programa radial y, gracias a Dios, pudimos ayudarla, tranquilizarla y ubicarla de modo que recibiera el apoyo necesario.

Hoy, dándole las gracias a Dios, me llamó para decir que me escucha todos los días, que está tranquila, trabajando y que vive con su mami. Además, está asistiendo a un grupo de oración y apoyo, y en estos momentos espera con ilusión su tercer hijo. De las muchas cosas lindas que me contó, me llenó de alegría cuando dijo: «De lo que sí estoy segura por completo es que no vuelvo a las drogas. Dios me liberó y me quitó el deseo. Ahora, al mirar atrás, veo el tiempo que perdí no estando con mis hijas y el dinero que gasté en las drogas».

Las dos le dimos muchas gracias a Dios por este hermoso testimonio que, una vez más, nos muestra que no hay circunstancia que Él no pueda cambiar. Hoy es tu oportunidad.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Mientras escribía el devocional anterior, mi Dios, que es tan lindo, me permitió tener otra vivencia para que se las relatara a ustedes.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, April 16, 2020

THE SWORD CANNOT SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall…sword…?

— Romans 8:35g, NIV

The question asked is a personal one. Not “what” can separate us but “who”? The inference is our enemy, Satan, who tries every tactic he can garner to make us think we can be separated from Christ’s love. Today we look at his tactic of “sword” or violence.

Sister Pasqualita spoke at the “Mexico, I Love You” Congress. She had suffered severe ostracism in her small town in the very southern part of Mexico because she had become an evangelical. Other Christians had already been forcibly driven from the town.

One night a group of her persecutors surrounded her grass-roofed home setting it on fire. As she opened the door, someone fired a gun at her. A co-worker shares her story in his own words:

“When she was sharing her testimony she was crying. She said, ‘I thank the Lord that only twenty-one ammunition bits touched me.’ She had been shot all over her body and even in the neck. She was still able to run and fell into a hole where her persecutors couldn’t see her in the dark. She was losing blood quickly but some other townsfolk who appreciated her testimony somehow took her out through the mob to another nearby town’s clinic. She survived but three other family members in the house were murdered.

“She complained to the Lord saying, ‘Lord, why now that I’ve given you my life and my family am I suffering this way?’ The Lord reminded her of a song that she used to sing very often, ‘I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.’

“She continued, ‘Then I understood that when I decided to follow Jesus, it was in the midst of any situation, any persecution. My life now belonged to Him. I gained strength in that song. I am preaching again and I am encouraging the rest of the believers that when we decide to follow Jesus there is no turning back.’”

Today Pasqualita continues to be a strong Christian leader and teacher in her community and she still loves to sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.”

RESPONSE: I will live this day in the awareness that physical weapons and violence can never separate me from Christ’s love.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to react to any threats of intimidating weapons with complete confidence in Your love.

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

Men's Devotional Bible - Thursday, April 16, 2020

Blood on His Hands

Hebrews 10:19–39

Recommended Reading: Leviticus 16:1–34; Matthew 6:19–21; Romans 8:28–39; 1 John 1:1–4

The sacrifice of atonement involved lots of blood—that should be a clue for us as to its importance to God. Once a year the high priest entered the most sacred place on Earth to offer up to God the blood of an animal. As a result, according to the law, the people of Israel temporarily stood in right relationship before their Creator Father.

Those of us who grew up attending Sunday school sometimes have a misperception that the temple was a place like the church in which we grew up—typically clean, orderly and with a planned program for worship. Most people, dressed in their “Sunday best,” sat quietly during the service and then enjoyed refreshments afterward. But that’s not what the Israelites experienced. The temple was for them a place of slaughter, bloodletting and sacrifice.

To be sure, the sacrifice was a messy business—hearing the cries of the resistant animal; watching the priest execute the slaughter and spread the sacrificed animal’s blood on the altar; and then watching the carcasses being sliced, cut and burned in sacrifice to God. Yes, this was a visceral experience quite opposite of what we experience in worship today. Yet this brutal ritual represented God’s provision for Israel to become once again right with him.

We shouldn’t be surprised that God’s new, permanent arrangement for people to come to him also required blood on someone’s hands. Jesus’ blood stained many hands: those of Judas, the Jewish Pharisees, the Roman government—even Pilate, who tried in advance to wash the symbolic stains from his hands. But Jesus’ blood fell mostly on the hands of his own Father, the God who “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32).

Our sin separates us from God, makes us wrong before him. In turn, God’s sacrifice of his own son cancels our separation from God. The blood of his Son sets us right before the Father.

That’s the far-reaching extent of our Father’s love for us. He reaches out to us today with those same bloodstained hands. The permanent, atoning sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb, Jesus, permits us to “draw near to God” (Hebrews 10:22), to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess” (verse 23), to “spur one another on” (verse 24), to “not [give] up” and to “[encourage] one another” (verse 25).

To Take Away

• Take a few minutes to read Leviticus 16. Why do you think God required such elaborate ritual and detail for the sacrifice of atonement?
• According to Old Testament law, Israel needed to offer sacrifices to become right before God. In the New Testament Jesus becomes the final sacrifice for all. Why did God require a sacrifice at all?
• How does the thought that the Father “gave [Jesus] up for us all” (Romans 8:32) make you feel about God? Why? What effect does this have on your life?

Why do you think God required such elaborate ritual and detail for the sacrifice of atonement?

LHM Daily Devotions - April 16, 2020 - "Real Forgiveness"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Real Forgiveness"

April 16, 2020

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."

— John 20:19-23, ESV

"How can that man forgive my sins?" That's a question I've heard from several people, pointing at the pastor up front in the church. It's a good question. How can a mere man claim to forgive sins? Can I really breathe a sigh of relief after the words, "I forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"? Or is it just play-acting, wishful thinking?

The story we have today answers that question. Jesus has risen from the dead, and practically the first thing He does is to visit His disciples. Why? To hand over to them the great blessing He has won for all on the cross—the forgiveness of sins. He proves His identity by showing them the scars from that cross. And then Jesus commissions them.

He sends them out into the world, the same way the Father sent Jesus into the world. They will be Jesus' representatives and do His work, just as Jesus did the Father's work. And what is that work? Why, to forgive sins—to set people free—to heal their hearts and souls and bring them into the joyful freedom of the kingdom of God.

And so He breathes on them. You probably remember how God created Adam and breathed His own breath into him, and Adam became a living man. Now God is making something new; He is making not just one, but many people who will go out as living messengers of the living God. The symbolism here is based on a pun in Greek; the word for "breath" and the word for "spirit" are the same word. When Jesus gives them His breath, He gives them His Holy Spirit, to live in them and give them the power and authority to do what God wants—including forgiving sins. And that Spirit continues to live in us today—God Himself, inside us.

This is why you can be sure that when the pastor speaks those words of forgiveness, you are in fact truly forgiven. Jesus has promised. And you, too carry this awesome responsibility and privilege of forgiving sins, just as all Christians do. If you find yourself facing a frightened, shamed, and guilty person who is grieving over a sin he or she has committed, you can comfort them with the good news of Jesus. You can tell them that everyone who trusts in Jesus is forgiven, and that includes them. Your words will be just as true as the pastor's—because Jesus has promised.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for Your wonderful gift of forgiveness. Please comfort me with it, and help me to comfort others. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you feel when the pastor at your church announces forgiveness?

2. Have you ever had the privilege of announcing forgiveness yourself? Tell about it, if you wish and if you can do it without breaking confidentiality.

3. What do Jesus' scars mean to you?

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).
How do you feel when the pastor at your church announces forgiveness?

Devocional CPTLN del 16 de abril de 2020 - "Perdón verdadero"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Perdón verdadero

16 de Abril de 2020

La noche de ese mismo día, el primero de la semana, los discípulos estaban reunidos a puerta cerrada en un lugar, por miedo a los judíos. En eso llegó Jesús, se puso en medio y les dijo: «La paz sea con ustedes.» Y mientras les decía esto, les mostró sus manos y su costado. Y los discípulos se regocijaron al ver al Señor. Entonces Jesús les dijo una vez más: «La paz sea con ustedes. Así como el Padre me envió, también yo los envío a ustedes.» Y habiendo dicho esto, sopló y les dijo: «Reciban el Espíritu Santo. A quienes ustedes perdonen los pecados, les serán perdonados; y a quienes no se los perdonen, no les serán perdonados.

— Juan 20:19-23, RVC

"¿Cómo puede ese hombre perdonar mis pecados?" Esta es una pregunta que escuché de varias personas, refiriéndose al pastor de su iglesia, y es una buena pregunta. ¿Cómo puede un simple hombre perdonar pecados? ¿Puedo realmente dar un suspiro de alivio después de las palabras: "Te perdono todos tus pecados en el Nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo"? ¿O es solo una ilusión?

La historia que tenemos hoy responde a esa pregunta. Jesús ha resucitado de la muerte, y prácticamente lo primero que hace es visitar a sus discípulos. ¿Para qué? Para entregarles la gran bendición que ha ganado para todos en la cruz: el perdón de los pecados. Primero les prueba su identidad mostrándoles las cicatrices de esa cruz, y luego Jesús los comisiona, los envía al mundo de la misma manera que el Padre lo había enviado a él al mundo. Serán representantes de Jesús y harán su obra, tal como Jesús hizo la obra del Padre. ¿Cuál es esa obra? Perdonar pecados, liberando así a las personas, para sanar sus corazones y almas y llevarlos a la alegre libertad del reino de Dios.

Y luego Él sopla sobre ellos. Probablemente recuerdes cómo Dios, luego de crear a Adán, le sopló su aliento y Adán se convirtió en un hombre vivo. Ahora Dios está haciendo algo nuevo: está haciendo que muchas personas salgan como mensajeros del Dios viviente. El simbolismo aquí se basa en un juego de palabras en griego; la palabra para "aliento" y la palabra para "espíritu" son la misma palabra. Cuando Jesús les da su aliento, les da su Espíritu Santo para que viva en ellos y les dé el poder y la autoridad para hacer lo que Dios quiere, incluido el perdón de los pecados. Y ese Espíritu continúa viviendo en nosotros hoy: Dios mismo, dentro de nosotros.

Es por eso que puedes estar seguro de que, cuando el pastor pronuncia esas palabras de perdón, de hecho estás verdaderamente perdonado. Jesús lo ha prometido. Y tú también llevas esta increíble responsabilidad y privilegio de perdonar pecados, tal como lo hacen todos los cristianos. Si te encuentras frente a una persona asustada, avergonzada y culpable, afligida por un pecado que ha cometido, puedes consolarla con las buenas nuevas de Jesús. Puede decirles que todos los que confían en Jesús son perdonados, incluyéndola a ella. Tus palabras serán tan ciertas como las del pastor, porque Jesús así lo ha prometido.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, gracias por tu maravilloso regalo del perdón. Ayúdame a consolar a los demás así como tú me consuelas a mí. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Cómo te sientes cuando el pastor de tu iglesia anuncia el perdón?

* ¿Qué significan para ti las cicatrices de Jesús?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo te sientes cuando el pastor de tu iglesia anuncia el perdón?

Хлеб наш насущный - Голод по Божьему Слову

Голод по Божьему Слову

Читать сейчас: Иеремии 15:15-21 | Библия за год: 1 Царств 30-31; Луки 13:23-35

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Обретены слова Твои, и я съел их. И было слово Твое мне в радость и в веселье сердца моего.

— Иеремии 15:16

Недавно уверовавший во Христа мужчина очень хотел читать Библию. Однако в результате несчастного случая он потерял зрение и обе руки. Однажды ему рассказали о женщине, которая с помощью губ читала текст, набранный шрифтом Брайля. Он попытался сделать то же самое, но оказалось, что нервные окончания на его губах также пострадали и утратили чувствительность. Зато через некоторое время он обнаружил, что может различать символы Брайля языком! Бедняга был просто счастлив оттого, что нашел способ чтения Писания.

Радость и веселье наполнили сердце пророка Иеремии, когда он получил Божье Слово. «Обретены слова Твои, и я съел их. И было слово Твое мне в радость и в веселье сердца моего», – писал он (Иер. 15:16). В отличие от жителей Иудеи, которые «отвергли слово Господа» (Иер. 8:9), Иеремия был послушен ему и находил в нем утешение. К сожалению, это послушание привело к тому, что пророка тоже отвергли и несправедливо преследовали (Иер. 15:17).

Некоторые из нас, возможно, испытали что-то подобное. Мы с радостью читали Божье Слово, но послушание ему стало причиной страданий и отвержения людьми. Подобно Иеремии, мы можем принести наши переживания Богу. Он ответил Иеремии, повторив обещание, которое дал, когда призывал его на пророческое служение (Иер. 15:19-21; см. Иер. 1:18-19). Бог напомнил ему, что всегда поддерживает Своих слуг. Мы можем иметь ту же уверенность. Господь верен и никогда не оставит нас.

Когда чтение Писания доставляло вам «радость и веселье»? Что может пробудить ваш голод и жажду Бога и Его Слова?

Верный Господь, благодарю, что Ты говоришь со мной через слова Библии. Помоги мне непрестанно искать Тебя и быть послушным.

автор: По Фанг Чиа

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Недавно уверовавший во Христа мужчина очень хотел читать Библию. Однако в результате несчастного случая он потерял зрение и обе руки.