The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, June 11, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, June 11, 2020

Psalm 100; Exodus 4:18-23; Hebrews 3:1-6

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 100

We are God’s people

1  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2    Worship the Lord with gladness;
     come before him with joyful songs.
3  Know that the Lord is God.
     It is he who made us, and we are his;
     we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving
     and his courts with praise;
     give thanks to him and praise his name.
5  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
     his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Exodus 4:18-23

Moses called to Egypt

4:18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”

Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”

Hebrews 3:1-6

Moses a servant Christ a son

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

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, June 11, 2020
Psalm 100; Exodus 4:18-23; Hebrews 3:1-6

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, June 11, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, June 11, 2020

A victim of the Holocaust, Anne Frank wrote, “I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right. In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.”

God, you alone are the judge of humankind, yet you call us to work toward justice. Help us make the judgments necessary for faithful living without becoming judgmental, that we may celebrate the mystery by which your justice is your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, June 11, 2020

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Read all of Psalm 46

Listen to Psalm 46

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 11 de junio de 2020

Semana de meditación:

¿Tu casa es un altar de adoración?

Llegaré entonces al altar de Dios, del Dios de mi alegría y mi deleite, y allí, oh Dios, mi Dios, te alabaré al son del arpa.

— Salmo 43:4 (NVI)

Hace unos meses, tuve la oportunidad de entrevistar a la señora Gloriana Montero, esposa de uno de los cantantes más queridos en el campo de la música cristiana y que ahora es copastor de la iglesia de Marcos Witt. En la entrevista hablamos de muchas cosas: su vida como soltera y los hechos que dieron lugar a su boda. Para los que conocen la vida de Danilo Montero, este costarricense es un adorador por excelencia. Se preocupa mucho por enseñar a buscar la presencia de Dios. Así que me llamó mucho la atención preguntarle cómo era su hogar, pues ya llevan casi dos años de casados. A lo que me respondió: «Mira, la convivencia siempre tiene algunas situaciones, pues existen diferencias».

Como es natural, Gloriana no entró en detalles. Sin embargo, me dijo que un día decidieron convertir su hogar en un «Altar de Adoración», a fin de que lo que tuvieran que pasar no empañara lo que vivirían allí para honrar a Dios. «En nuestro hogar», me dijo, «se adora constantemente y se tiene toda la libertad para orar». Sin duda, este matrimonio hace todo lo posible por darle esa ofrenda a Dios.

Esta idea me pareció tan hermosa, que me propuse, junto con mi esposo y mis princesas, que nuestro hogar fuera también un Altar de Adoración, donde se incluyera la búsqueda de Dios, la lectura de la Palabra en familia, la oración constante los unos por los otros. Además,

también nos propusimos inculcarles este estilo de vida a mis princesas.

¿Por qué no aceptas este reto y empiezas a hacer cambios con la ayuda de Dios?

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hace unos meses, tuve la oportunidad de entrevistar a la señora Gloriana Montero, esposa de uno de los cantantes más queridos en el campo de la música cristiana y que ahora es copastor de la iglesia de Marcos Witt.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, June 11, 2020

COMMUNICATION WITH GOD

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

— Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

Pastor He’s church in Vietnam grew from twenty-nine to over 5,000 in just a few years during the communist regime in the late 1970s. When asked the secret of this phenomenal church growth, Pastor Ha replied, “I have a very simple theology. When you have problems, pray! When you have more problems, pray more!” Every morning this church had a well-attended prayer meeting at six a.m. And the church grew and grew. Although they were constantly living under pressure, there was one scripture text chosen for the wall of their sanctuary, “In everything give thanks.”

And yet after his years of imprisonment, Pastor Ha said, “When I had my freedom, I worked with prayer sometimes in the background. In prison, I discovered that prayer is everything. It’s like a pilot using a checklist before he takes off. If he skips the first item, many lives might be in danger. The first item on our checklist should always be prayer. If we skip it, the whole mission is in jeopardy.”

Vietnamese Pastor Cuong also spent over six years in prison. He says this about prayer:

In my work I was so busy I had no time to pray. But in prison, I was thankful to God that He gave me time for prayer. I had about six hours of prayer every day. I had time to recall every member of my congregation to pray for them. Before that, although I served the church, I didn't have enough time to pray for them. I learned about the real presence of God in prayer there. When you kneel down and pray wholeheartedly with the Lord, you feel His answer right there.

All of the world's major religions emphasize prayer. The Buddhists repeat their prayers fervently, although they do not believe anyone is listening. The Hindus pray regularly, believing one of their many Hindu gods may be listening, but they do not really expect any response to their prayers. The Muslims pray five times a day. They believe that Allah is listening, but he will not alter his plans to meet their needs.

Devout Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims consider Christianity a prayerless faith because they rarely see Christians praying. Yet we believe—and know—we have a God who not only hears our prayers but also will answer them in mighty power!

RESPONSE: Today I recommit to spending time in communication—prayer—with my Lord.

PRAYER: Pray that all Christians in prison will experience God’s presence in a special way today.

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, June 11, 2020

Fear the Lord … But Don’t Be Afraid

Deuteronomy 10:12–22

Recommended Reading: Psalm 33:18–22; Hebrews 12:22–29; Revelation 1:9–18

In his autobiography, Blessings in Disguise, the late actor Alec Guinness wrote that as he was walking up Kingsway in the middle of an afternoon, he had an impulse to start running. He ran until he reached a little church. He’d never been there before, but he caught his breath and knelt to pray. For the next ten minutes he “was lost to the world.”

Guinness explained the compulsion as a “rather nonsensical gesture of love,” an outburst of thanksgiving. He ran to the church and fell on his knees in prayer not long after March 24, 1956, the day he had converted to Christianity after years of being an atheist.

Guinness, in a move reflective of the movement of the Holy Spirit in his life, learned in part what “fearing God” is all about. Although Scripture uses the word “fear,” God doesn’t want us to be afraid of him. Instead, he wants us to realize how magnificent, awe-inspiring and deserving of our worship he is.

Interestingly, knowing that God desires our worship also helps us understand just how special we are to him. This can lead us into a more active relationship with God. God always expresses his love in some kind of action toward us, and he desires that we return our loving expressions in action, as well as in trusting his leading and following his commands for our life.

God’s love, coupled with our sense of awe and reverence, leads us to action. It led Alec Guinness to run down the street and then fall on his knees in thanksgiving and adoration. Perhaps you’ve only recently come to know about God’s grace revealed through Jesus Christ. Perhaps you’ve been his devoted follower for years. Or perhaps you’re just looking for a fresh experience of God in your life. What actions will you take today to express your “fear of God”?

Don’t be afraid to go for it!

To Take Away

• Describe in your own words what it means to fear God.
• How does knowing that God desires our worship help us understand how special we are to him?
• What actions can you take to express your love to God?

The day he had converted to Christianity after years of being an atheist.

LHM Daily Devotions - June 11, 2020 - "Qualified for Jesus' Care"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Qualified for Jesus' Care"

June 11, 2020

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

— Matthew 9:35-38 (ESV)

Who deserves to be cared for? That's a question I spend a lot of time answering, whenever I help people fill out Medicare or Medicaid applications. Or maybe it's a Social Security form or a form for people who are trying to get disability accommodations at school or work. It's almost always a major headache to fill out these forms. They want to know everything: date of birth, diagnosis, specific details about pain, and exactly what people can or cannot do. Sometimes they also want to know how much money the person has.

And every time I help someone fill out these forms, I worry. I know the people; they are usually poor, often elderly, and they really need help. But I also know that if they don't meet every single specification on that form, they will not get help. They might be too old or too young. They might not be citizens. They might make a little too much money, or have too many or too few people in their families. Sometimes they're not dying fast enough!

That's why I find the Bible reading for today comforting. It says, "When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." "Harassed and helpless"—now that's a phrase I can relate to! I am definitely harassed and helpless a great deal of the time. So are the people I care for. And I suspect, so are you.

How do we qualify for Jesus' care and compassion? Simply by needing it. Jesus looks for no other qualifications in us. We need Him—and so He leaves behind His heavenly throne, and becomes a human baby, crying in a manger. We are harassed by the powers of evil, sin, and the devil—and so Jesus comes to fight for us, to win the war that none of us could win on our own. We are helpless—and so Jesus suffers and dies—and rises again—to give us everlasting life as God's own children. We are needy, and the Lord supplies all our needs from His own fullness, "grace upon grace" (John 1:16b). Jesus' care is for you.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for caring for me. Help me to care for others. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. When is the last time you felt harassed or helpless?

2. Do you expect people to meet certain standards to receive care? Why or why not?

3. Do you expect yourself to meet certain standards to receive God's care? Why or why not?

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).
When is the last time you felt harassed or helpless?

Devocional CPTLN del 11 de junio de 2020 - Calificado para el cuidado de Jesús

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Calificado para el cuidado de Jesús

11 de Junio de 2020

Jesús recorría todas las ciudades y las aldeas, y enseñaba en las sinagogas de ellos, predicaba el evangelio del reino y sanaba toda enfermedad y toda dolencia del pueblo. Al ver las multitudes, Jesús tuvo compasión de ellas porque estaban desamparadas y dispersas, como ovejas que no tienen pastor. Entonces dijo a sus discípulos: «Ciertamente, es mucha la mies, pero son pocos los segadores. Por tanto, pidan al Señor de la mies que envíe segadores a cosechar la mies.»

— Mateo 9:35-38 (RVC)

¿Quién merece ser atendido? Esta es una pregunta que respondo cada vez que ayudo a alguien a completar la solicitud de seguro médico, un formulario de Seguro Social, o una solicitud de trabajo. Casi siempre es un gran dolor de cabeza completar esos formularios, donde hacen todo tipo de preguntas.

Y cada vez que ayudo a alguien a completar estos formularios, me preocupo. Conozco a la gente. Por lo general son pobres, a menudo ancianos, y realmente necesitan ayuda. Pero también sé que si no cumplen con todas las especificaciones de ese formulario, no recibirán ayuda. Quizás son demasiado viejos, o quizás demasiado jóvenes. Quizás no tienen la ciudadanía. Quizás ganan demasiado dinero o tienen demasiadas o muy pocas personas en sus familias. ¡A veces no mueren lo suficientemente rápido!

Es por eso que la lectura de la Biblia para hoy es reconfortante. Dice: " Al ver las multitudes, Jesús tuvo compasión de ellas porque estaban desamparadas y dispersas, como ovejas que no tienen pastor". "Desamparadas e indefensas", ¡con esa frase me puedo identificar! Definitivamente estoy acosada e indefensa la mayor parte del tiempo. También lo son las personas que me importan. Y sospecho que tú también.

¿Cómo calificamos para el cuidado y la compasión de Jesús? Simplemente por necesitarlo. Jesús no busca otras calificaciones en nosotros. Como lo necesitamos, él deja atrás su trono celestial y nace en un humilde establo, llorando en un pesebre. Como somos hostigados por los poderes del mal, el pecado y el diablo, Jesús viene a luchar por nosotros, a ganar la guerra que ninguno de nosotros podría ganar por nuestra cuenta. Estamos indefensos, y por eso Jesús sufre, muere y resucita: para darnos la vida eterna como hijos de Dios. Estamos necesitados, y el Señor suple todas nuestras necesidades de su propia plenitud, "gracia sobre gracia" (Juan 1:16b). El cuidado de Jesús es para ti.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, gracias por cuidarme. Ayúdame a cuidar a los demás. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que te has sentido acosado o indefenso?

* ¿Crees que debes cumplir con ciertos requisitos para recibir los cuidados de Dios? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cuándo fue la última vez que te has sentido acosado o indefenso?

Хлеб наш насущный - Вид сверху

Вид сверху

Читать сейчас: Исаии 48:5-11, 17 | Библия за год: Ездры 1-2; Иоанна 19:23-42

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«Славы Моей не дам иному».

— Исаии 48:11

В 1970-х, когда Питер Уэлч был подростком, использование металлоискателя было для него всего лишь хобби. Но с 1990 года он начал водить людей со всего мира на поисковые экскурсии. Вместе они обнаружили тысячи металлических предметов: мечи, древние украшения, монеты. С помощью «Google Earth», компьютерной программы, основанной на спутниковых снимках, они выбирают подходящие для поисков участки в Великобритании. Программа показывает, где сотни лет назад могли располагаться дороги, здания и другие конструкции. Питер говорит: «Вид сверху открывает целый новый мир».

Божий народ во дни пророка Исаии тоже нуждался в «виде сверху». Люди гордились тем, что они народ Господа, но при этом были непослушны и не хотели отказываться от своих идолов. А у Бога был другой взгляд. Вопреки непокорности людей, Он обещал вернуть их из вавилонского плена. Почему? «Ради Себя Самого… Славы Моей не дам иному», – сказал Он (Ис. 48:11). Божий «вид сверху» показывает, что наша жизнь должна служить Его славе и целям. Первоочередное внимание нужно уделять Богу и Его намерениям, а также призывать других присоединиться к прославлению Его имени.

Если мы сделаем Божью славу своим главным приоритетом, перед нами откроется целый новый мир. Только Богу известно, что мы о Нем узнаем и что Он нам подарит. Но, несомненно, Он покажет нам самое лучшее и поведет нас по самому верному пути (ст. 17).

За что вы сегодня можете прославить Бога? Что вы можете сделать, чтобы Он возрастал в вашей жизни, а вы умалялись?

Боже, я хочу, чтобы главным в моей жизни был Ты, а не я. Научи меня и измени меня.

автор: Анн Ситас

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
…использование металлоискателя было для него всего лишь хобби.