The Daily Bible Readings for THURSDAY, September 3, 2020

The Daily Readings

THURSDAY, September 3, 2020

Psalm 149; Exodus 9:1-7; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today's Verse-of-the-Day: Isaiah 48:17

Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Today's Readings:

Psalm 149

Sing praise in the congregation

1 Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

Exodus 9:1-7

Another plague: Egypt’s animals die

9:1 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

3 Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

4 And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.

5 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.

6 And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Sinners warned but unrepentant

12:11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.

14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?

18 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

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, King James Version (KJV).

The Daily Bible Readings are selected from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, 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 Readings for THURSDAY, September 3, 2020
Psalm 149; Exodus 9:1-7; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 (KJV)

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, September 3, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, September 3, 2020

Alphonsus Liguori, eighteenth-century founder of the Redemptorists, wrote, “Persecutions are to the works of God what the frosts of the winter are to plants; far from destroying them, they help them to strike their roots deep in the soil and make them more full of life.”

Lord, where your church is weak through comfort, strengthen us through the necessary trials. Where your church is invisible through fear, make your word known through the boldness of prophets and through the courage of ordinary people like us. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, September 3, 2020, 2020

Isaiah 48:17

Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Read all of Isaiah 48

Listen to Isaiah 48

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV).

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — When a Fellow Christian Sins Against You

When a Fellow Christian Sins Against You

(Jesus said) "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

— Matthew 18:15-17

Matthew 18 isn't my all-time favorite chapter of the Bible. That's because Jesus tells us how to handle things when a fellow believer sins against us—and I really don't like confronting people, even gently. I'd rather run away and hide. It's just easier to stew about it—treasure up my resentment—complain to other people—well, you get the idea!

But Jesus isn't having that nonsense. He is very straightforward: "Go and talk privately to that person ... If that doesn't work, bring a couple of others who can bear witness to it ... and if that doesn't work, 'let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.'"

Oh, goody! says my sinful heart. You mean that, if he refuses to listen, I get to give up on him? I get to ignore him and treat him as some heathen outcast, the way the Jews treated the Gentiles and tax collectors? Because I'm totally up for that, Lord!

Ah, no. As a professor of mine, Dr. Holst, pointed out to us in Greek class long ago, "Think about it. How exactly did Jesus treat Gentiles and tax collectors? ... He loved them all the more."

My teacher was right. What did Jesus do to such people? I'll tell you: He died for them. He rose for them. He told them the good news of forgiveness of sins. He prayed for them. And He sent His church as missionaries to them.

You may have someone in your life who has sinned against you, who has hurt you, and has not repented. And you may have gone through all the Matthew 18 steps with them, and they still don't listen. What now?

Treat them as a non-Christian. That is, treat them with the same urgent love and concern and prayer that you would a person who has never heard or believed in the Gospel.

This doesn't mean that you pretend the sin never happened. That would be a lie. It doesn't mean that you have to act as if everything's fine, or put yourself or others in a dangerous position (for example, by accepting abuse or harm). All it means is that you refrain from hating them—that you pray for them—that you treat them as people for whom Christ died, who are in danger of spiritual death.

Ask the Lord to help you work out exactly what that means in your specific situation, and seek wise counsel if you are in doubt. It might mean sharing the Gospel with them all over again, as if they had never heard it. It might mean you yourself end up keeping a safe distance and praying for them while God sends someone else to reach them more directly. No matter. Whatever God leads you to do, it will be a response that is ultimately motivated by love—by a real concern for their wellbeing, a concern that echoes Jesus' own redeeming love.

Dear Lord, give me both wisdom and your own deep love for those who have sinned against me. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you usually do when someone sins against you?

2. Have you ever followed the Matthew 18 steps? (Don't break confidentiality in your answer.)

3. How do you love your enemies with both wisdom and mercy?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Matthew 18 isn't my all-time favorite chapter of the Bible. That's because Jesus tells us how to handle things when a fellow believer sins against us—and I really don't like confronting people, even gently.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — HELP IN INTERPRETING THE BIBLE

HELP IN INTERPRETING THE BIBLE

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.

— Hebrews 10:32

Our Open Doors colleague, Ron Boyd-MacMillan, shares the following insight from his teaching, “Why I Need to Encounter the Persecuted Church.”

Every pastor and Bible teacher works hard to understand the meaning of the scriptures. They learn biblical languages, look up concordances, and consult commentaries, all in the hope of shedding more light on the key questions of interpretation:

1. Who wrote this text and what did they mean by it?

2. Who initially read this text and what did they make of it?

All good interpretation begins with the tools that answer these two primary questions. We are taught that these tools lie in the realm of scholarship, and most pastors take to their studies and their libraries accordingly. But there is another vitally overlooked tool that gives a key to the meaning of the scriptures. The persecuted church of today represents the closest we can come to the original writers and readers of the scriptures. You see, most of the Bible was written by persecuted people for persecuted people. By interacting with them, we gain unique insights into the original meaning of the scriptures. We really need their help because what is obvious to a persecuted, biblical Christian is no longer obvious to us. We inhabit a completely different universe. We need the persecuted to remind us of what life was like for the original New Testament community. The persecuted enable us in some small way to recover the “original eyes” of the first writers and readers of scripture, and that can impact interpretation.

I remember a dear pastor from the West preaching about Jesus stilling the storm (Mark 4:35-41). His whole talk was on how Jesus could still the storms raging in our lives. He named storms like loneliness, misunderstanding, humiliation, persecution even. And he said, “Jesus can deliver you from every one of these storms, just like he did the disciples of old.”

He was about to go on when an old man stood up. He was from a Middle Eastern country and had seen much suffering. He said gently and respectfully, “My dear brother, if you had been persecuted you would know the primary meaning of this passage. The point of this story is not that Jesus takes the storm away, but that there is no need to fear the storm if Jesus is in the boat.” Everyone stared at him in silence. He added, “This passage is given to us for our comfort in the face of terrible storms, to know that Jesus is in the boat with us so that the storm will do us no harm.” So that persecuted Christian—because he was persecuted—knew the meaning of the passage better than the preacher, because he was one for whom the passage was written.

RESPONSE: Today I will read my Bible through the eyes and perspective of the persecuted.

PRAYER: Lord, may Your Word come alive as I interpret it with the help of the persecuted church.

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 — Samuel: The King-Maker

Samuel: The King-Maker

1 Samuel 1:1—28:25

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

— 1 Samuel 16:7

Samuel glanced at the seven men standing in the shade. They were impressive specimens. Any of Jesse’s sons could have been God’s choice. He was suddenly glad he didn’t have to choose. God had just warned him about the danger of judging from appearance. He smiled sadly, remembering how impressed he had been at first by Saul’s good looks.

Samuel looked around, puzzled. He’d run out of sons, and God hadn’t chosen any of them. What was God’s plan in this situation? Turning to Jesse, he inquired, “Are these it? No more sons?”

The old man slowly counted his sons, one by one. He appeared confused for a moment, then said, “Oh, there is one other. Didn’t even think of him. My youngest, David, is out in the fields with the sheep.” The rest of the sons didn’t understand why they had been summoned, but they grumbled over having to wait for the runt to show up. His place was at the bottom of the pecking order. Shepherding was a smelly, outdoors-in-all-weather, protecting-stupid-sheep chore. Each of them had done it only until the next brother was old enough. As the youngest, it was David’s permanent role. It didn’t bother them to assign him the task; it did bother them that he enjoyed it so much.

Soon David came running in, exuding the pungent scents of field and flock. The brothers looked on with shock as Samuel removed an oil horn from his robe and poured the contents on their little brother’s head. They couldn’t imagine a higher honor—or a more obvious waste. But even they had to admit that as the oil dripped from David’s hair and chin, a certain wild delight and spirit seemed to fill him. Samuel smiled, David laughed, and a chill went up his siblings’ spines.

As Samuel walked to Ramah, he remembered another little boy, left in the charge of a priest named Eli. He considered how upbringing shapes a man and how God uses even hardships and pain to prepare his servants. He wondered about David’s future. He remembered God’s unusual call in his own life, the unexpected voice in the night that Eli had identified for him as the Lord’s. The old priest had told him to answer, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). Samuel chuckled softly and began to pray, “Lord, I’m still trying to listen. I never thought back then that you would make me a king-maker. So what’s next?”

Back to the Future

• In what ways do you think God speaks to you?
• What have you learned about the dangers of judging people by outward appearances?
• How would you describe your attitude about God giving you directions?

The Story Continues …

To learn about Samuel’s background and see how God continued to work through him, read 1 Samuel 1:1—28:25.
In what ways do you think God speaks to you?

John Piper Devotional — The “I Will” of God

The “I Will” of God

Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.

— Zechariah 2:4–5

There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It’s often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible.

It’s usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have deadlines and that seem too big and too many.

As I look back over about 50 years of such periodic mornings, I am amazed how the Lord Jesus has preserved my life. And my ministry. The temptation to run away from the stress has never won out—not yet anyway. This is amazing. I worship him for it.

Instead of letting me sink into a paralysis of fear, or run to a mirage of greener grass, he has awakened a cry for help and then answered with a concrete promise.

Here’s an example. This is recent. I woke up feeling emotionally fragile. Weak. Vulnerable. I prayed: “Lord help me. I’m not even sure how to pray.”

An hour later I was reading in Zechariah, seeking the help I had cried out for. It came.

Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst (Zechariah 2:4–5).

There will be such prosperity and growth for the people of God that Jerusalem will not be able to be walled in anymore. “The multitude of people and livestock” will be so many that Jerusalem will be like many villages spreading out across the land without walls.

Prosperity is nice, but what about protection?

To which God says in Zechariah 2:5, “I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord.” Yes. That’s it. That is the promise. The “I will” of God. That is what I need.

And if it is true for the vulnerable villages of Jerusalem, it is true for me a child of God. God will be a “wall of fire all around me.” Yes. He will. He has been. And he will be.

And it gets better. Inside that fiery wall of protection, he says, “And I will be the glory in her midst.” God is never content to give us the protection of his fire; he will give us the pleasure of his presence.
There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It’s often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible.

Un dia a la Vez — La vanidad de la vida

La vanidad de la vida

Es don de Dios que todo hombre coma y beba, y goce el bien de toda su labor.

— Eclesiastés 3:13, RV-60

Muchas cosas en la vida son vanidad y nos hacen perder la orientación. Por ejemplo, el anhelo desmedido por las riquezas. La Biblia nos enseña que el amor al dinero también es vanidad.

Por eso, el verdadero convertido es el que deja a un lado el interés por las cosas materiales y se concentra en Dios que es el Dador de todo en este mundo. Una cosa es ser próspero y otra cosa es que tu vida la pongas a valer por lo que tienes… Cuanto tienes, cuanto vales.

El Manual de Instrucciones nos recuerda que no podemos creer que siempre seremos jóvenes, pues la juventud pasa de igual manera. Como salimos desnudos del vientre de nuestra madre, así volveremos sin nada.

Pidámosle a Dios que seamos capaces de mantener un equilibrio en la vida, que disfrutemos de sus bendiciones y que, de lo mucho o lo poco que tengamos, podamos darles a los demás.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Muchas cosas en la vida son vanidad y nos hacen perder la orientación. Por ejemplo, el anhelo desmedido por las riquezas.

Devocional CPTLN — Cuando un cristiano peca contra ti

Cuando un cristiano peca contra ti

Por tanto, si tu hermano peca contra ti, ve y repréndelo cuando él y tú estén solos. Si te hace caso, habrás ganado a tu hermano. Pero si no te hace caso, haz que te acompañen uno o dos más, para que todo lo que se diga conste en labios de dos o tres testigos. Si tampoco a ellos les hace caso, hazlo saber a la iglesia; y si tampoco a la iglesia le hace caso, ténganlo entonces por gentil y cobrador de impuestos.

— Mateo 18:15-17

Mateo 18 no es uno de mis capítulos favoritos de la Biblia. Aquí Jesús nos dice qué hacer cuando un hermano creyente peca contra nosotros, y a mí no me gusta confrontar a nadie, ni siquiera con amabilidad. Prefiero huir y esconderme. Es más fácil guardar mi resentimiento y quejarme con otras personas.

Pero Jesús no se anda con vueltas: "... repréndelo cuando él y tú estén solos... si no te hace caso, haz que te acompañen uno o dos más... y si tampoco a la iglesia le hace caso, ténganlo entonces por gentil y cobrador de impuestos".

¿Quiere decir que, si se niega a escucharme, puedo ignorarlo y tratarlo como un marginado pagano, como los judíos trataban a los gentiles y a los recaudadores de impuestos? ¡Porque estoy totalmente dispuesto a eso, Señor! ¡Es claro que no! Como un profesor nos dijo en la clase de griego hace mucho tiempo: "¿Cómo trató Jesús a los gentiles y a los recaudadores de impuestos? ... Los amó aún más". ¿De qué manera? Hablándoles sobre las buenas nuevas del perdón de los pecados, orando por ellos, enviándolos al mundo como misioneros y muriendo y resucitando por ellos.

Quizás alguien te ha lastimado y no se ha arrepentido. Y es posible que hayas seguido todos los pasos de Mateo 18, pero aun así no te escucha. ¿Qué hacer? Trátelo con el mismo amor, preocupación y oración con que tratarías a una persona que nunca ha escuchado o creído en el Evangelio.

Esto no significa que finjas que el pecado nunca sucedió. Eso sería una mentira. No significa que tengas que actuar como si todo estuviera bien o ponerte a ti mismo o los demás en una posición peligrosa (por ejemplo, aceptando abuso o daño). Lo que significa es que te abstengas de odiarlos, que ores por ellos, que los trates como personas por quienes Cristo murió que están en peligro de muerte espiritual.

Pídele al Señor que te ayude a descubrir lo que eso significa en su situación específica. Podría ser compartirle el Evangelio como si nunca lo hubiera oído, o podría significar orar por ellos desde la distancia mientras Dios envía a alguien a alcanzarlos de manera más directa. No importa. Cualquier cosa que Dios te lleve a hacer, será una respuesta motivada en última instancia por el amor, por una preocupación real por su bienestar, una preocupación que se hace eco del amor redentor del propio Jesús.

ORACIÓN: Amado Señor, dame tu sabiduría y tu amor profundo por aquellos que han pecado contra mí. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Qué haces cuando alguien peca contra ti?

* ¿Has seguido alguna vez los pasos de Mateo?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Mateo 18 no es uno de mis capítulos favoritos de la Biblia. Aquí Jesús nos dice qué hacer cuando un hermano creyente peca contra nosotros, y a mí no me gusta confrontar a nadie, ni siquiera con amabilidad.

Хлеб наш насущный — Нелогичные страхи

Нелогичные страхи

Читать сейчас: Исаии 49:14-19 | Библия за год: Псалтирь 139-141; Римлянам 13

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«Я не забуду тебя».

— Исаии 49:15

Я понимаю, что логики в этом нет, но когда мои родители умерли с интервалом в три месяца, мне было страшно, что они меня забудут. Да, их уже не было на земле, но именно это создавало у меня чувство какой-то особой неопределенности. Незамужняя девушка, я не знала, как дальше идти по жизни без них. Мне было очень одиноко. Я стала искать Бога.

Однажды утром я рассказала Ему о своем страхе и тоске (хотя Он и так все знал). В книге ежедневного чтения на этот день был текст из Книги пророка Исаии: «Забудет ли женщина грудное дитя свое?.. Но если бы и она забыла, то Я не забуду тебя» (Ис. 49:15). Бог заверял Свой народ, что Он его не забыл, и обещал вернуть его Себе через Своего Сына, Иисуса Христа. Эти слова послужили огромным утешением для меня. Хотя родителям не свойственно забывать своих детей, все же это возможно. Но Бог ни в коем случае не забудет нас! «Я начертал тебя на ладонях Моих», – сказал Он (ст. 16).

Божий ответ мог бы внушить мне еще больший страх. Но он принес мне покой. Он меня помнит. Это именно то, что мне было нужно. Так мне стала открываться истина, что Бог ко мне ближе, чем родители или вообще кто угодно. И Он знает, как помочь нам во всем, даже в победе над нелогичными страхами.

Какие страхи есть у вас? Как вы можете искать Божью помощь в их преодолении?

* * *

Посмотрите видео «Не бойся».

Небесный Отец, мои страхи и эмоции могут переполнять и подавлять меня. Спасибо, что Ты с удивительной добротой помогаешь мне с ними справляться.

автор: Анн Ситас

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Я понимаю, что логики в этом нет, но когда мои родители умерли с интервалом в три месяца, мне было страшно, что они меня забудут.