The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, July 3, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, July 3, 2020

Psalm 145:8-14; Zechariah 2:6-13; Romans 7:7-20

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 145:8-14

God is full of compassion

8  The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
     slow to anger and rich in love.

9  The Lord is good to all;
     he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, Lord;
     your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom
     and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
     and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
     and your dominion endures through all generations.

   The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
     and faithful in all he does.
14 The Lord upholds all who fall
     and lifts up all who are bowed down.

Zechariah 2:6-13

Exiles are the apple of God’s eye

2:6 “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.

7 “Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!” 8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.

10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

Romans 7:7-20

Sin and the law kill us

7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

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 FRIDAY, July 3, 2020
Psalm 145:8-14; Zechariah 2:6-13; Romans 7:7-20

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, July 3, 2020

The Daily Prayer

FRIDAY, July 3, 2020

Twentieth-century Presbyterian theologian and writer Frederick Buechner has written, “The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you. There’s only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you’ll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.”

Lord, we pray for strength and trust in times of trouble. Equip us to be your hands and feet in the world. May we bring good news to all we meet this day, with our words and with our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, July 3, 2020

Proverbs 14:34

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.

Read all of Proverbs 14

Listen to Proverbs 14

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 03 de julio de 2020

Oración por servicio a los demás

Hagan lo que hagan, trabajen de buena gana, como para el Señor y no como para nadie en este mundo.

— Colosenses 3:23

Amante Dios, hoy queremos comenzar este nuevo día entregando nuestra vida en tus manos con el único deseo de ser útiles para ti.

Si me falta amor por los demás, te pido, Dios mío, que me des esa porción para poder servir al necesitado y verlos con ojos de amor como lo ves tú.

Quiero ser obediente a tu Palabra y ser de bendición para otros.

Purifica mi corazón y úsame, Señor.

Ayúdame a no pensar solo en mis necesidades, sino en las de los demás.

Quita de mí todo pensamiento contrario a tu voluntad y hazme sensible a la necesidad de las personas que me rodean.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por servicio a los demás

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, July 3, 2020

PRAY THAT GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

— Acts 4:29

In Acts chapter four, Peter and John have been released from prison after many threats from the authorities. They return to the church and report. The church goes to prayer. But the remarkable thing is that they do not pray for protection but for boldness. We know God was pleased with their request because after their prayer the place in which they were meeting was shaken. Filled with God’s Spirit they spoke the word of God boldly.

Four hundred Christian young people attended a three-day prayer conference in the mountains of northern Iraq in the summer of 2011. Six busses full of Christians came from violence-ravaged Baghdad. For the Christians from the south of Iraq, where persecution, kidnapping, and bombs are a daily reality, the conference was like refreshing water. For three days they didn’t have to worry and enjoyed being together with hundreds of other young believers in freedom. Christians from Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk, Basra, and other cities came to the Open Doors sponsored meetings.

Behind the podium hung a huge banner with the theme of the conference. As waters cover the sea, the glory of God will cover the earth.

“That is the dream of God for Iraq and this world,” said one the worship leaders, “and that should be our dream.” Referring to the difficulties in the country he continued, “Tell in the middle of trouble about your hope, about God’s dream. Know that in the middle of the heat, fruit ripens. God is preparing us for the harvest.”

Many times during the conference, speakers referred to the persecution in the country and in other parts of the Middle East. Some of the churches lost many members during the last few years in Iraq. Due to the violence, Christians fled from the south of Iraq to the north, the Kurdish region, or even to other countries. “Know that the church in Jerusalem was small too, but it changed the world,” the speaker encourages the young believers.

One of the pastors said, “With this Arab Spring we’re living in a very special time. We believe this is a historic conference. In the coming months, big things are going to happen in this region. Focus on God; focus on His kingdom and God will do the rest.”

Another speaker shared an experience from Egypt. “December 2010 and the beginning of January 2011 we had 40 days of fasting and prayer for Egypt in our church in Cairo. God said to us that what He was going to do would be awesome.” Everyone knows what happened after that in Egypt.

“That was God’s interference in history!” He expressed the way many Egyptian Christians saw the events of January 2011. “Ask for the impossible and it will happen,” he said. “Pray for His desire. Look what happened in Acts when the church had a hard time. They did not ask for their own protection, they asked to glorify God’s name.”

RESPONSE: Today I will pray that my circumstances and challenges will ultimately glorify God’s name.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for boldness You give Your church in the midst of threats and violence.

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, July 3, 2020

Naaman

His name means: "Pleasantness"

His work: Naaman was the commander of Syria's army.
His character: A brave man lauded for his military victories, his position would have guaranteed considerable respect in both Syria (known as Aram) and Israel. He would have been accustomed to getting his way, especially with social inferiors, which is what he may have considered Elisha and most everyone else in Israel. His no-nonsense approach made it difficult for him to follow Elisha's instructions.
His sorrow: Naaman suffered from leprosy, not the illness we call Hansen's Disease, but a skin disorder so serious that he left his country to seek healing in Israel.
His triumph: To have received not only the healing he asked for but a relationship with the one true God.
Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 5; Luke 4:27

A Look at the Man

Naaman, a man whose success as a military commander placed him close to the king of Syria, was faced with a choice. Listen to his wife's servant girl, to the lowly messenger of a prophet, and to one of his own servants, and obey. Or return home with his dignity intact but without the healing he longed for. It wasn't an easy choice for a proud man to make. Give up your sense of how things should go, of how people should treat you, of how you should conduct yourself for the chance—not the certainty—of being healed.

Naaman nearly made the mistake of cherishing his pride at the cost of the miracle he desired. Yet something inside him asserted itself, some hope that perhaps the prophet's crazy instructions were not as crazy as they seemed. So he took a chance, deciding to let go of his own ideas of how his healing should be accomplished, deciding to let go of his own perceptions of how the universe should be ordered.

Naaman's obedience would have felt uncomfortable. How much easier it would have been to play it safe and do what came naturally—to nurse his anger and preserve his dignity. Instead, Naaman did exactly as he was told, and his obedience opened his heart to a greater miracle than the one for which he longed. Instead of a proud man, he became a humble one. Instead of a man incapable of knowing God, he became a man who knew and celebrated the fact that in all the earth there is only one God, the God who loved him and made him whole.

Reflect On: 2 Kings 5:15–17
Praise God: For offering salvation as a free gift to all.
Offer Thanks: For God’s gift of salvation to you.
Confess: Any tendency you may have to think that God cannot or will not work in the lives of certain individuals, groups, or nations.
Ask God: To give you a heart as loving as his for those who are far from him.

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.
Naaman, a man whose success as a military commander placed him close to the king of Syria, was faced with a choice.

LHM Daily Devotions - July 3, 2020 - "Cubic Friends"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Cubic Friends"

July 3, 2020

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

— Proverbs 17:17

Have you ever seen a line drawing of a cube that shows all its sides so that it looks like you can see right through it? Of course, it's not actually a cube at all; it's merely a flat drawing positioned in such a way so as to project the illusion of three-dimensional depth.

Are your friendships growing three-dimensionally? Do they have depth? Or are they, like that cube on paper, flat and superficial, one dimensional? As we get older, we learn to rely on ourselves more. We find our fulfillment in our work or recreation or hobbies. But we have to be careful here. It's easy, even if we're naturally gregarious, to fall into a pattern of living in isolation.

Our Father created all His children to live interdependently with one another. The Bible is full of stories of powerful friendships and the impact they had on others: Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, Paul and Timothy. God worked through these friendships, bonding individuals together. Their concern for one another—and their love for God—added depth and dimension to their lives.
It's good to be in community with others.

The Christian faith has always been about deep, dimensional interactions and meeting needs. Luke tells us of the earliest Christians, "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42-47).

The early church in action must have been something to see! Bonded together in love for Jesus and an earnestness to live out His teachings, they lived in community. As they shared the Good News of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection with others—and their lives reflected His concerns—people were drawn to them, and their numbers increased. These were definitely some three-dimensional relationships!

Isn't that what we need today? We live in a world where people seem to be drifting further apart all the time, where our relationship base is a mile wide and an inch deep. Even those we fellowship with at church—our community of believers—are often seen only once a week, and maybe only a handful of times a month.

But as we come together, in person or otherwise, God can deepen our relationships as we encourage and lift each other up in Christ. Remember that Jonathan "strengthened his (David's) hand in God" (1 Samuel 23:16b). He encouraged David's faith. Our friendships, especially those in Christ, are meant to grow this dimension.

May God give each of us at least one cubic friend.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may we be good friends to those around us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you have some good friends? Is your "best friend" the person you've been friends with the longest?

2. How much of long-lasting friendship is born out of adversity? Have you had friendships forged stronger because of tough circumstances? Care to share?

3. What do you do to be the best friend you can be?

From The Lutheran Layman, September 1978 issue, "Cubic Friends" by Jane Fryar. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you have some good friends? Is your "best friend" the person you've been friends with the longest?

Devocional CPTLN del 03 de julio de 2020 - Amigos cúbicos

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Amigos cúbicos

03 de Julio de 2020

Gana más con un regaño quien es inteligente, que lo que gana el necio que recibe cien azotes.

— Proverbios 17:10

¿Alguna vez has visto un dibujo lineal de un cubo que muestra todos sus lados para que parezca que puedes ver a través de él? No es un cubo de verdad, sino un dibujo plano que proyecta la ilusión de profundidad tridimensional.

¿Están tus amistades creciendo tridimensionalmente? ¿Tienen profundidad? ¿O son planos, superficiales y unidimensionales como ese cubo sobre papel? A medida que envejecemos, aprendemos a confiar más en nosotros mismos. Encontramos satisfacción en nuestro trabajo, recreación o pasatiempos. Pero debemos tener cuidado. Es fácil, incluso si somos naturalmente gregarios, caer en un patrón de vida aislada.

Nuestro Padre creó a sus hijos para que vivan de manera interdependiente el uno con el otro. La Biblia está llena de historias de amistades poderosas y del impacto que tuvieron en otros: Rut y Noemí, David y Jonatán, Pablo y Timoteo. Dios obró a través de esas amistades, uniendo personas. Su preocupación mutua y su amor por Dios agregaron profundidad y dimensión a sus vidas.

Es bueno estar en comunidad con otros.

La fe cristiana siempre ha puesto énfasis en las interacciones profundas y dimensionales y en satisfacer necesidades. Lucas nos dice acerca de los primeros cristianos: "... se mantenían fieles a las enseñanzas de los apóstoles y en el mutuo compañerismo, en el partimiento del pan y en las oraciones. Al ver las muchas maravillas y señales que los apóstoles hacían, todos se llenaban de temor, y todos los que habían creído se mantenían unidos y lo compartían todo; vendían sus propiedades y posesiones, y todo lo compartían entre todos, según las necesidades de cada uno. Todos los días se reunían en el templo, y partían el pan en las casas, y comían juntos con alegría y sencillez de corazón, mientras alababan a Dios y brindaban ayuda a todo el pueblo. Y cada día el Señor añadía a la iglesia a los que habían de ser salvos" (Hechos 2:42-47).

¡La iglesia primitiva en acción debe haber sido algo digno de ser visto! Unidos en el amor por Jesús y un deseo comprometido de vivir sus enseñanzas, vivieron en comunidad. Cuando compartieron las Buenas Nuevas de la vida, muerte y resurrección de Jesús con otros, y sus vidas reflejaron sus preocupaciones, los demás se sintieron atraídos por ellos y su número aumentó. ¡Estas fueron, sin lugar a dudas, algunas relaciones tridimensionales!

¿No es esto lo que necesitamos hoy? Vivimos en un mundo donde las personas parecen estar cada vez más separadas, donde nuestra base de relaciones es de una milla de ancho y una pulgada de profundidad. Incluso aquellos con quienes tenemos comunión en la iglesia, nuestra comunidad de creyentes, a menudo se ven solo una vez a la semana, y tal vez solo unas pocas veces al mes.

Pero a medida que nos unimos, en persona o de otra manera, Dios puede profundizar nuestras relaciones al alentarnos y elevarnos mutuamente en Cristo. Recuerda que Jonatán "animó [a David] a no perder su confianza en Dios" (1 Samuel 23:16b). Nuestras amistades, especialmente nuestros hermanos en la fe, están destinadas a hacer crecer esta dimensión.

Que Dios nos dé a cada uno de nosotros al menos un amigo cúbico.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, ayúdanos a ser buenos amigos para quienes nos rodean. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

The Lutheran Layman, 1978, Jane Fryar

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Cuánto de la amistad duradera nace de la adversidad? ¿Has forjado amistades más fuertes debido a circunstancias difíciles?

* ¿Qué haces para ser el mejor amigo que puedes ser?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cuánto de la amistad duradera nace de la adversidad? ¿Has forjado amistades más fuertes debido a circunstancias difíciles?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Chỉ Một Tia Lửa

Chỉ Một Tia Lửa

Đọc: Gia-cơ 3:1–6 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Gióp 25–27; Công Vụ 12

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Cái lưỡi là một bộ phận nhỏ nhưng khoe khoang những việc lớn.

— Gia-cơ 3:5

“Chúng con đang ở trong thư viện và nhìn thấy ngọn lửa phía bên ngoài!” Con bé sợ hãi. Chúng tôi có thể nhận thấy điều đó qua giọng nói của con. Chúng tôi biết vì đó là giọng của con gái chúng tôi. Đồng thời, chúng tôi biết khuôn viên trường là nơi an toàn nhất đối với cháu và gần 3.000 sinh viên khác. Trận hỏa hoạn Woolsey 2018 lan nhanh hơn so với dự đoán của hầu hết các nhân viên cứu hỏa. Nhiệt độ và điều kiện thời tiết khô kỷ lục ở hẻm núi California, cùng với những cơn gió Santa Ana huyền thoại, là tất cả những gì tia lửa nhỏ cần để đốt cháy 393km2 diện tích đất, phá hủy hơn 1.600 công trình và làm ba người thiệt mạng. Trong các bức ảnh được chụp sau khi đám cháy được kiểm soát, đường bờ biển tươi tốt thường thấy nay giống như bề mặt cằn cỗi của mặt trăng.

Trong sách Gia-cơ, tác giả kể ra một số thứ nhỏ bé nhưng mạnh mẽ: hàm thiếc trong miệng ngựa và bánh lái của tàu (3:3-4). Và dù quen thuộc, những ví dụ này lại cách xa chúng ta. Nhưng sau đó, ông kể đến cái gần gũi hơn, thứ nhỏ bé mà mỗi con người sở hữu – đó là cái lưỡi. Và dù chương này đặc biệt viết cho những người làm thầy (c.1), nhưng cũng áp dụng rộng rãi cho mỗi chúng ta. Cái lưỡi tuy nhỏ nhưng có thể dẫn đến những hậu quả tai hại.

Cái lưỡi nhỏ bé thật có sức mạnh, nhưng Chúa vĩ đại của chúng ta quyền năng hơn. Sự giúp đỡ của Ngài mỗi ngày đem lại sức mạnh cầm giữ và hướng dẫn lời nói của chúng ta.

Lần gần đây nhất bạn không thể điều khiển lưỡi của mình là khi nào? Điều gì giúp bạn kiểm soát lời nói bằng sức của Chúa?

Lạy Chúa Jêsus, con đã từng bị tổn thương bởi lời nói. Và biết bao lần con nói những điều gây tổn thương hoặc đau đớn. Xin giúp con biết kiểm soát lưỡi của mình.

bởi John Blase

Chú Giải

Trong thư Gia-cơ, tác giả mô tả sự vô ích của việc tin đạo nhưng không thể kiềm giữ môi miệng mình (1:26), nhưng sau đó, ông nói thêm rằng không ai có thể quản trị cái lưỡi của mình (3:8). Gia-cơ muốn nói điều gì? Bởi vì ông đang viết thư với vai trò là đầy tớ của Đấng Christ (1:1), có thể ông đang nhớ lại những điều Chúa Jêsus đã nói khi Ngài nhắc nhở các lãnh đạo tôn giáo trong thời của Ngài rằng lời nói xuất phát từ những điều chất chứa trong lòng (Mat. 12:34). Chính tấm lòng của chúng ta, chứ không chỉ lời nói, cần được kiểm soát bởi Nguồn khôn ngoan vượt trổi hơn chính chúng ta. Ở cuối chương 3, tác giả so sánh sự khôn ngoan vị kỷ với sự khôn ngoan hiếu hòa, dịu dàng, nhường nhịn, thương xót và tốt lành – đó là sự khôn ngoan thiên thượng xuất phát từ tấm lòng, lời nói và hành động được Đức Thánh Linh thay đổi đời sống (3:17-18).

Mart DeHaan

© 2020 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
“Chúng con đang ở trong thư viện và nhìn thấy ngọn lửa phía bên ngoài!” Con bé sợ hãi. Chúng tôi có thể nhận thấy điều đó qua giọng nói của con.