The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, May 21, 2020 - Ascension of the Lord

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, May 21, 2020 - Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47 or Psalm 93; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Acts 1:1-11
Jesus sends the apostles
1:1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Psalm 47
Praise to God who reigns
1  Clap your hands, all you nations;
     shout to God with cries of joy.

2  For the Lord Most High is awesome,
     the great King over all the earth.
3  He subdued nations under us,
     peoples under our feet.
4  He chose our inheritance for us,
     the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

5  God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
     the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
6  Sing praises to God, sing praises;
     sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7  For God is the King of all the earth;
     sing to him a psalm of praise.

8  God reigns over the nations;
     God is seated on his holy throne.
9  The nobles of the nations assemble
     as the people of the God of Abraham,
   for the kings of the earth belong to God;
     he is greatly exalted.

OR

Psalm 93
Praise to God who reigns
1  The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
     the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
     indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
2  Your throne was established long ago;
     you are from all eternity.

3  The seas have lifted up, Lord,
     the seas have lifted up their voice;
     the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4  Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
     mightier than the breakers of the sea—
     the Lord on high is mighty.

5  Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
     holiness adorns your house
     for endless days.

Ephesians 1:15-23
Seeing the risen and ascended Christ
1:15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Luke 24:44-53
Christ present in all times and places
24:44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

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, May 21, 2020 - Ascension of the Lord
Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47 or Psalm 93; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, May 21, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, May 21, 2020

Evelyn Underhill wrote, “Adoration, as it more deeply possesses us, inevitably leads on to self-offering. Charity is the live wire along which the power of God, indwelling our finite spirits, can and does act on other souls and other things, rescuing, healing, giving support, and light. Such secret intercessory prayer ought to penetrate and accompany all our active work. It is the supreme expression of spiritual life on earth. It moves from God to others through us, because we have ceased to be self-centered units, but are woven into the great fabric of praying souls, the ‘mystical body’ through which the work of Christ on earth goes on being done.”

Lord, give us true words to pray for one another. Burden our hearts with shared sorrows, and delight our spirits with mutual joy. Let genuine love provoke in us words of blessing and inform our intercessions. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, May 21, 2020

1 Corinthians 1:10

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 1

Listen to 1 Corinthians 1

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 21 de mayo de 2020

Otra oportunidad

Cuando estén orando, si tienen algo contra alguien, perdónenlo, para que también su Padre que está en el cielo les perdone a ustedes sus pecados.

— Marcos 11:25, NVI

Si Dios es un Dios de oportunidades, ¿por qué a nosotros a veces nos cuesta tanto darnos otra oportunidad y dársela a alguien que nos ha fallado?

Si lo vemos en el campo de las relaciones sentimentales, en el matrimonio, siempre vamos a tener dificultades. Sin embargo, ¿quién dijo que iba hacer fácil vivir con otra persona que tiene otras costumbres y otra manera de hacer las cosas?

Sé que muchas veces esos problemas en las relaciones se van agravando hasta llegar a la línea peligrosa de la falta de respeto. Entonces, como es natural, lo primero que aparece por allí en nuestra mente es el pensamiento de la separación o, lo que es peor, el divorcio.

En el ámbito de las relaciones de amigos, aparecen los errores que comenten otras personas con nosotros en el trabajo o muchas situaciones que se presentan en la vida.

Por lo tanto, debemos considerar siempre la posibilidad de brindar una oportunidad. Nada en la vida es perfecto y mucho menos en el ser humano. Recuerda que el único perfecto es DIOS.

Conozco de muchas personas que, aunque han reconocido que tienen problemas, han tomado la decisión de dejar atrás todo orgullo, perdonar y darse una nueva oportunidad.

Cuando amas y cuando ves que esa persona a la que quieres dejar hoy tiene cualidades y virtudes, puedes ampliar tu mirada y no enfocarte solo en la parte negativa. De ese modo, puedes colocar en una balanza tu relación y darte una oportunidad.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Si Dios es un Dios de oportunidades, ¿por qué a nosotros a veces nos cuesta tanto darnos otra oportunidad y dársela a alguien que nos ha fallado?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, May 21, 2020

PERSECUTION CAN HAPPEN HERE!

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

— 1 John 2:14b, NIV

Colleague Ron Boyd-MacMillan recounts an interesting experience in China:

There’s a house church in Beijing I like to take my friends to visit. The members are all young professionals, about twenty of them, and they meet in a huge, darkened, open-plan office at midnight once a week. It’s totally illegal. Some of them are quite high ranking members of the communist party. If their faith is discovered, it would end their careers…or worse.

At the beginning of each meeting, the leader goes around and asks each member this question—the most challenging question I’ve ever heard in church: What are your wounds for Christ this week?

On one occasion I had brought two pastor friends, and the same question—through translation—was put to each of them. They replied, “Oh, we are not wounded or persecuted, you see, we live in Britain, where we have religious freedom, and we are so grateful for that!”

This reply was greeted with uncomprehending silence by the Chinese house church. Then a young woman spoke up, and without a trace of irony asked, “You mean they don’t let the devil into Britain?”

The house church leader patiently explained to the visitors the biblical understanding of persecution. “In the Bible, to be persecuted means to be pursued by the enemies of Christ. When we become a Christian, his enemies become our enemies, and we are pitched into a battle with the world and the devil, and this fight will draw wounds. So it doesn’t matter whether you are in Beijing or Birmingham, the fight is the same, only the degree and type of suffering may differ. You’re going to get pursued…that’s persecution.”

“But we thought persecution was legal discrimination, or being put into jail for one’s faith” replied the pastors. The house church leader answered, “That’s the extreme tip of it. Look, we may not sit on the same thorn, but we all sit on the same branch.”

Still the pastors did not look convinced. Another Chinese member said, “If you don’t have wounds for Christ, how do you know you are alive in Christ? Wounds bring joy, because then you know you are making a difference.”

This struck a chord with the visitors. As preachers, they knew that nothing communicates like joy. That’s why persecuted churches are growing churches—they are alive in Christ, and they know it because they have wounds! So find the source of resistance to the gospel in your local area, and when you apply the gospel, watch the fight begin.

RESPONSE: Today I will accept negative reactions as a sign that I am making a difference in my community.

PRAYER: Lord, may I also experience the joy resulting from doing right and opposing evil in my sphere of influence.

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, May 21, 2020

Living in the Present

Exodus 16:11–21

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 8:16–18; Matthew 6:31–34; John 6:48–51

When you were a kid, did you ever wish you could see into the future? Most kids wonder what will happen to them as the years pass by and they grow older. Where will they go to school? Will they go to college? What about a career? Will they get married and have a family?

This kind of thinking doesn’t end when a person reaches adulthood. Singles wonder whether there’s a spouse for them out there somewhere. Parents dream about what their kids will grow up to be. College freshmen wonder about their eventual career path; older workers prepare for—or worry about—their retirement years.

Human nature compels us to look ahead with wonder. Dreams of the future make the drudgery of work today worthwhile. The anticipation of future events gets us up in the morning and forces us to plan for tomorrow. It’s what separates a man from his best friend, his dog.

The Israelites in today’s story were no different from us today. Faced with an uncertain future and an immediate need for food and water, they started grumbling. While they’d labored hard during their years of slavery, at least in Egypt they’d always had plenty of food and water. Now here they were, out in the desert, and they and their kids were hungry and thirsty. Put yourself in their place, and try to look at the situation from their perspective. Chances are you’d have had a few pointed questions for Moses as well.

God heard them, and responded by promising to provide for them. Those of us who attended Sunday school know the story well—each morning, flakes of bread appeared on the ground; in the evening, quail covered the camp. But they couldn’t hoard what they gathered, and they couldn’t store it. Moses instructed the Israelites to gather only what they needed for the day—no more, no less. Tough to do when you’re thinking about what the kids will eat for breakfast!

Why was limiting what they gathered important to God? Because the Israelites needed to understand what we all need to learn—that we can sustain a relationship with God only in the present.

Our past is nothing more than the story of how we got to where we are, and dwelling on it causes us to become stagnant and unsatisfied. We can’t find God by worrying or dreaming about the future, either, because that just makes us want to control whatever lies ahead.

Yes, we have concerns and hopes and dreams for the future. But this story tells us that we can live out our relationship with God only in the here and now. God longs for us to trust him every hour and every minute of today.

To Take Away

• What worries about the future do you need to place in God’s hands?
• What hinders you from developing your relationship with God today?
• Consider the fact that the present, while fleeting, is the testing ground for your faithfulness to God and his plan for your life. Then pray for the wisdom to make the right decisions and place your plans and concerns for the future in God’s good hands.

When you were a kid, did you ever wish you could see into the future?

LHM Daily Devotions May 21, 2020 - "Unexpected Love"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Unexpected Love"

May 21, 2020

When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ... I have manifested Your Name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word. Now they know that everything that You have given Me is from You. For I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. All mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them."

— John 17:1-4, 6-10 (ESV)

It's a strange thing to find out that someone has loved you for a long time—long before you ever realized it. I know it was this way when I finally realized my future husband was interested in me as more than an English tutor! I began to think back over our history together, looking for the clues I missed that showed that our lives were already beginning to be bound together.

Something like that is going on in our reading for today as well. It's the night before Jesus' death, and Jesus is settling everything He can before that happens. And He takes an entire chapter of the Bible to talk with His Father about us—the people who trust in Him, both then and now. We are His treasure, and He is asking the Father to guard us.

But the odd thing is, Jesus calls us "the people whom You gave Me out of the world. Yours they were, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word." If Jesus' words are true—and they have to be true, this is Jesus speaking!—then that means that, long before we ever knew Jesus' Name, we were already in God's hands. We were part of the gift He was giving to His Son, before we ourselves ever had a clue. We had a history with Him that goes back "before the foundation of the world" (see Ephesians 1:4).

This is how long God has loved you—from the beginning, and before the beginning. This is how long He planned to make you His child, through the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You have been on God's mind and on His heart for so long. You are treasured.

THE PRAYER: Lord, how can we love or thank You enough? Live in us and through us. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• 1. Have you ever been surprised to learn that someone else was thinking of you, or even loving you, when you didn't know it?
• 
  
• 2. How does it make you feel to know that God has loved you this long?
• 
  
• 3. How do you want to respond to that love? Can you think of a specific example?

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).
Have you ever been surprised to learn that someone else was thinking of you, or even loving you, when you didn't know it?

Devocional CPTLN del 21 de mayo de 2020 - Un amor inesperado

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Un amor inesperado

21 de Mayo de 2020

Jesús habló de estas cosas, y levantando los ojos al cielo, dijo: «Padre, la hora ha llegado; glorifica a tu Hijo, para que también tu Hijo te glorifique a ti; como le has dado potestad sobre toda la humanidad, para que dé vida eterna a todos los que le diste. Y ésta es la vida eterna: que te conozcan a ti, el único Dios verdadero, y a Jesucristo, a quien has enviado. Yo te he glorificado en la tierra; he acabado la obra que me diste que hiciera ... He manifestado tu nombre a aquellos que del mundo me diste; tuyos eran, y tú me los diste, y han obedecido tu palabra. Ahora han comprendido que todas las cosas que me has dado proceden de ti. Yo les he dado las palabras que me diste, y ellos las recibieron; y han comprendido en verdad que salí de ti, y han creído que tú me enviaste. Yo ruego por ellos. No ruego por el mundo, sino por los que me diste, porque son tuyos. Y todo lo mío es tuyo, y lo tuyo es mío; y he sido glorificado en ellos.

— Juan 17:1-4, 6-10 (RVC)

Es extraño descubrir que alguien te ha amado durante mucho tiempo, mucho antes de que te hayas dado cuenta. ¡Sé que fue así cuando finalmente me di cuenta de que mi futuro esposo estaba interesado en mí como algo más que su tutora de inglés! Comencé a pensar en nuestra historia juntos, buscando las pistas que mostraban que nuestras vidas ya estaban empezando a estar unidas.

Algo así está sucediendo también en nuestra lectura de hoy. Es la noche antes de la muerte de Jesús. Jesús está resolviendo todo lo que puede antes de que eso suceda, y toma un capítulo entero de la Biblia para hablar con su Padre sobre nosotros, quienes confiamos en él tanto en ese momento como ahora. Somos su tesoro y le está pidiendo al Padre que nos proteja.

Pero lo extraño es que Jesús nos llama "aquellos que del mundo me diste; tuyos eran, y tú me los diste, y han obedecido tu palabra". Si las palabras de Jesús son verdaderas (y ciertamente lo son, es Jesús quien las dice), entonces eso significa que, mucho antes de que supiéramos el nombre de Jesús, ya estábamos en las manos de Dios. Fuimos parte del regalo que le estaba dando a su Hijo antes de que nosotros tuviéramos una pista. Teníamos una historia con Él que se remonta a "antes de la fundación del mundo" (ver Efesios 1:4).

Ese es todo el tiempo que Dios te ha amado: desde el principio y antes del principio. Ese es el tiempo que planeó hacerte Su hijo a través de la vida, el sufrimiento, la muerte y la resurrección de Jesús. Has estado en la mente y el corazón de Dios desde siempre y para siempre. Eres su tesoro.

ORACIÓN: Señor, ¿cómo podemos amarte o agradecerte lo suficiente? Vive en nosotros y a través de nosotros. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Alguna vez te sorprendió saber que alguien pensaba en ti, o incluso que te amaba?

* ¿Cómo quieres responder al amor de Dios? ¿Puedes pensar en un ejemplo específico?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez te sorprendió saber que alguien pensaba en ti, o incluso que te amaba?

Хлеб наш насущный - Ангел из ножей

Ангел из ножей

Читать сейчас: Исаии 2:1-4 | Библия за год: 1 Паралипоменон 13-15; Иоанна 7:1-27

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Не поднимет народ на народ меча, и не будут более учиться воевать.

— Исаии 2:4

Когда в Великобритании возросло количество нападений с ножом, Британский центр металлоконструкций выступил с предложением. В сотрудничестве с местной полицией центр изготовил и разместил по всей стране двести ящиков, куда можно было добровольно сдать холодное оружие. В результате сдали анонимно 100 000 ножей, некоторые с кровью на лезвиях. Затем ножи были отправлены скульптору Альфи Брэдли, который затупил их, выгравировал на некоторых из них имена юных жертв, а также слова сожаления преступников. После этого все 100 000 ножей были соединены в «Ангела из ножей» – девятиметровую скульптуру с мерцающими стальными крыльями.

Стоя перед этим ангелом, я думал о том, сколько ранений и смертей было предотвращено благодаря его созданию. А еще я думал о новом небе и новой земле, которые видел Исаия (Ис. 65:17), где дети не будут умирать (ст. 20) или расти среди преступности и нищеты (ст. 22-23). Это место, где не будет ножевых ран, потому что все мечи будут перекованы для созидательных целей (Ис. 2:4).

Этот новый мир еще не наступил, но мы призваны молиться о нем и содействовать его приходу (Мф. 6:10). В некотором смысле «Ангел из ножей» – это отблеск обещанного Богом будущего. Мечи становятся плугами. Оружие – произведениями искусства. Какие новые проекты мы можем запустить, чтобы еще больше предвозвестить это будущее?

Что вдохновляет вас бороться со злом? Как вы можете сеять мир в своем окружении?

Господь Иисус, мы ждем времени, когда под Твоим господством в мире воцарится мир. Направляй нас Своим Духом, чтобы мы помогали окружающим увидеть наступление Твоего Царства.

автор: Шеридан Войси

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Когда в Великобритании возросло количество нападений с ножом, Британский центр металлоконструкций выступил с предложением.