Tuesday, April 9, 2019

The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2019

A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
Luke 18:31-34

The Daily Lectionary
WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2019
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 20
Prayer for Victory
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1  The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
     The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2  May he send you help from the sanctuary,
     and give you support from Zion.
3  May he remember all your offerings,
     and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.    Selah

4  May he grant you your heart’s desire,
     and fulfill all your plans.
5  May we shout for joy over your victory,
     and in the name of our God set up our banners.
   May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6  Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
     he will answer him from his holy heaven
     with mighty victories by his right hand.
7  Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
     but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
8  They will collapse and fall,
     but we shall rise and stand upright.

9  Give victory to the king, O Lord;
     answer us when we call.

Habakkuk 3:2-15
The Prophet’s Prayer
3:2 O Lord, I have heard of your renown,
     and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work.
   In our own time revive it;
     in our own time make it known;
     in wrath may you remember mercy.
3  God came from Teman,
     the Holy One from Mount Paran.    Selah
   His glory covered the heavens,
     and the earth was full of his praise.
4  The brightness was like the sun;
     rays came forth from his hand,
     where his power lay hidden.
5  Before him went pestilence,
     and plague followed close behind.
6  He stopped and shook the earth;
     he looked and made the nations tremble.
   The eternal mountains were shattered;
     along his ancient pathways
     the everlasting hills sank low.
7  I saw the tents of Cushan under affliction;
     the tent-curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
8  Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord?
     Or your anger against the rivers,
     or your rage against the sea,
   when you drove your horses,
     your chariots to victory?
9  You brandished your naked bow,
     sated were the arrows at your command.    Selah
     You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you, and writhed;
     a torrent of water swept by;
   the deep gave forth its voice.
     The sun raised high its hands;
11 the moon stood still in its exalted place,
     at the light of your arrows speeding by,
     at the gleam of your flashing spear.
12 In fury you trod the earth,
     in anger you trampled nations.
13 You came forth to save your people,
     to save your anointed.
   You crushed the head of the wicked house,
     laying it bare from foundation to roof.    Selah
14 You pierced with their own arrows the head of his warriors,
     who came like a whirlwind to scatter us,
     gloating as if ready to devour the poor who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
     churning the mighty waters.

Luke 18:31-34
A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
18:31 Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. 33 After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again.” 34 But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2019, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2018 was Year B. 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 on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them ...

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2019


Romans 5:6-8 (NIV) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Read all of Romans 5

Listen to Romans 5

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 - La soledad es mala compañía

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2019/04/10

La soledad es mala compañía

Alma mía, en Dios solamente reposa, porque de él es mi esperanza. Él solamente es mi roca y mi salvación.
~ Salmo 62:5-6 (RV-60)

La soledad no es el mejor aliado de nadie, sino que es un senti-miento desagradable. Podría atreverme a decir que todos la hemos sentido en alguna etapa de nuestras vidas.

En Estados Unidos, donde vivo, es muy común vivir esa soledad de una manera prolongada, pues no todo el mundo tiene el privilegio de vivir aquí con sus familias y la soledad nos
golpea duro.

A mi llegada a este país, tuve la experiencia de no tener en el día alguien con quien hablar.

No salía a parte alguna porque todo me era desconocido y ni siquiera tenía transporte.

Así que pasaba horas de horas en un apartamentito compuesto de un cuarto grande, con una cocina diminuta, un baño, una cama… ¡y ya!

Fue una etapa dura, pero permitió que hoy valore y aprecie mucho lo que Dios me ha permitido hacer. Te puedo decir que son etapas que vivimos que nos ayudan a madurar, a crecer y a valorar lo que quizá nunca antes le diéramos importancia.

Sin embargo, cuando empecé mi caminar en Cristo, no volví a experimentar esa horrible sensación de soledad. A pesar de que he pasado momentos de crisis, ya veo las cosas de otra manera. Ahora puedo decir con franqueza que Dios es el único que llena todo vacío y es el que colma de felicidad nuestra vida.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
La soledad no es el mejor aliado de nadie, sino que es un senti-miento desagradable. Podría atreverme a decir que todos la hemos sentido en alguna etapa de nuestras vidas.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - GOD’S PROMISES ARE STRONGER THAN FEAR

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2019/04/10

GOD’S PROMISES ARE STRONGER THAN FEAR

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
~ Psalm 91:1-2 (NVI)

“Two days ago the police raided our house. They took away all the Bibles and Christian books that we had in the house,” says Lazar, a church leader in Uzbekistan. The roots of communism seem not to have withered yet. Uzbek Christians are balancing between fear of surveillance, intimidation and imprisonment and faith in God’s promises.

The penalty which Lazar may receive for possession of the “illegal books” he had in his house is a prison sentence of fifteen days or a hefty fine.

“I would prefer a prison sentence,” says Lazar. He knows comparable cases when fines equivalent to over a year’s salary were imposed. Leila, his wife seems bewildered by her husband’s response. “I don’t want you to go to prison,” she responds.

Lazar counters, “The Pharisees persecuted Jesus, but still He went on with His work. The evening after the raid, I read Psalm 91. God is my refuge and my strength. I can hide in Him. I don’t want to allow myself to be governed by fear, because that doesn’t help you at all. After my arrest, one of the neighbors telephoned me. ‘Lazar,’ he said, ‘we’ve packed our things and we’re ready to leave for Moscow. Should we go?’”

Lazar can understand this, but he resolutely teaches his church members to take a different approach. “We must oppose people who are sowing fear. God’s promises are stronger,” he emphasizes. “We have difficulties, but we believe that God is with us and that His promises are stronger than fear.”

Still this fear may suddenly take a grip on you if you’re in the middle of a situation of direct persecution. A few days later Lazar suddenly says, “I’m leaving the city tonight. My lawyer has advised us to take a break. It may be the case that another raid is conducted on our home. We can’t cope with this now and so we’re leaving. Please pray for me and my family.”

In the space of a few days Lazar struggles with the horribly hard hand of the regime and with the values of his faith. He’s balancing between fear and faith. Pray that the fear which the government is trying to sow shall not take root in his heart.

A few weeks later, Lazar reports that he and his family are back at home. But the problems are not over. Legal proceedings have been taken against him and he has been threatened with death by the authorities.

RESPONSE: Today I will boldly affirm that God is with me and His promises are stronger than fear!

PRAYER: Pray for Christians like Lazar and Leila who are on the teeter-totter between fear and faith. Pray that Satan’s tactic of fear will not take root in their hearts.

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

Girlfriends in God - I Wish I Could’ve Stopped It

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/today

I Wish I Could’ve Stopped It

Today’s Truth

He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
~ Psalm 66:9 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

Church camp helps young hearts feel held, healed, loved, and seen by an immortal, invisible God. It did for me as a teen and for my children as well. There’s just something special about cabins, games, songs and Christian community under a canopy of trees.

In the summer of 2012, our Smith kids had all gone off to church camp while Brad and I snuck away to a marriage retreat. As we headed into the first session, Brad got a call from the church camp informing us that Preston was being taken to the local urgent care facility. The camp director had announced that it was time to toast smores, and in his excitement to get there quickly from the creek, my son slipped on a wet rock and fell so fast the fall was caught with his jaw, splitting his chin open.

They headed to get x-rays and stitches immediately.

X-rays were taken and stitches were sewn.

Then bad went to worse as we found out Preston’s jaw was broken. Ughh!

Hours later we were back home in the office of a maxillofacial oral surgeon who specializes in repair of this type of injury. More comprehensive x-rays were taken, revealing Preston hadn’t just broken his jaw, but he’d broken it in three places, fractured his skull and was likely concussed.

AND… the doctor wasn’t sure if Preston would ever chew without pain again.

What?

All we could do was pray and wait. And cry. And pray more.

After seven hours of surgery my son was carted to a hospital room unconscious, with his very-swollen-head wrapped like a mummy. Oh, my heart. His jaw was completely reconstructed and wired shut for six weeks. Hundreds of blended meals later, the wires came off and range of motion exercises began, which eventually led to pain-free chewing. (We’re deeply grateful!)

It all turned out well in the end, but as a mama, I wish I could’ve kept Preston’s feet from slipping on that rock at church camp in the first place. It would’ve saved him so much pain. That’s probably why I feel so loved by God when I read a phrase like the one penned in Psalm 66:9: “He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.”

Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance. 

Sometimes I lose my balance. Even then God is faithful and compassionate.

Though we all slip at times, it’s comforting to know that the God who made every rocky road and slippery stone cares enough to extend His invisible hand to mine at times and in ways I’ll never know.

The devil wants us to feel wounded and alone.

God wants us to feel the healing warmth of His hand that catches ours in the slipping. 

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, Your hand is what I need... to hold me when I feel alone and to keep me from slipping on temptations and in the trials. I lose my balance, but You are stable. You are faithful. You are strong. Help me to stand firm in Your love today.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read Psalm 66. Note the way the psalmist used the practice of remembering to celebrate God and give Him the praise due His name.

Pause to thank God for some of the ways He’s shown Himself faithful in your life.

More from the Girlfriends

Scripture can be confusing. If you want to read and study the Bible, but don’t know where to start, this is for you! Girlfriends in God co-founder Gwen Smith has several online Bible Study options that will guide you on a personal journey with the Lord as you read, record, reflect on and respond to His Word. These studies will help you know what God says about tender topics like forgiveness, healing, fear, depression, relationships and hope. Each study can be done in the comfort of your home and in a time frame that fits with your personal schedule. Visit www.GwenSmith.net/BibleStudy to learn more.

PS.If you’d like some additional encouragement, listen to the GRACEOLOGIE with Gwen Smith podcast! Click here to listen on iTunes. Click here to listen on the website.

Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

https://girlfriendsingod.com/events/
There’s just something special about cabins, games, songs and Christian community under a canopy of trees.

LHM Daily Devotions - STANDING BY

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20190410

"STANDING BY"

Apr. 10, 2019

(Jesus said) "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels?"
~ Matthew 26:53 (ESV)

When we think about the people involved in Jesus' arrest, suffering, and death, we often forget the invisible ones—the ones behind the scenes watching. But Jesus reminds us when He says to Peter at His arrest, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" (Matthew 26:53-54)

Think of it. Twelve legions of angels, ready to be unleashed instantly at a single word from the Father. Roughly sixty thousand angels or more, every one of them eager, wishing, hoping to be allowed to intervene ... grieving, indignant as they saw what was being done to Jesus ... but all fully obedient to God's will, as difficult as it must have been to stand by.

It must be hard to be an angel. To know that you have the power to help, and yet have to stand by because God's will is being carried out in a slower, more terrible, and more glorious way than you could ever have imagined. To refrain from meddling, from taking over the life of someone else, even to make it better. To respect God-given free will, just as the Lord who made it does.

You may know this conflict if you are a parent, a teacher, a pastor or educator of any kind. Even for those of us who are not, there can be a terrible urge to rearrange our friends' lives for them—to "fix things for them"—because we "know better." And yet, without an invitation from the people themselves, or without a command from God, we cannot. We end up making things worse for the very people we love. How difficult it is!

Thank God that He is not under the same constraints. When He reaches into our lives to help and heal us, He does it right. He doesn't make things worse with His meddling. He knows when to respect the free will He created, and He knows when to respond to our cries for mercy. As He did in His best blessing to us—Jesus' life, suffering, death, and resurrection.

THE PRAYER: Thank You, Father, for caring for us in Your wisdom and mercy. Please keep us when we go through difficult times. Amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
  • When has it been difficult for you to stand by and watch something happen without helping?
  • Have you ever been glad later that you didn't intervene—and if so, in what situation and why?
  • Has there been a time in your own life when you wanted God to intervene—and were later glad He didn't do what you wanted?

Lenten Devotions were 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 has it been difficult for you to stand by and watch something happen without helping?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 10 de Abril de 2019 - A la espera


ALIMENTO DIARIO

A la espera

10 de Abril de 2019

¿No te parece que yo puedo orar a mi Padre, y que él puede mandarme ahora mismo más de doce legiones de ángeles?
~ Mateo 26:53 (RVC)

Cuando pensamos en las personas involucradas en el arresto, sufrimiento y muerte de Jesús, a menudo olvidamos a quienes están presentes sin ser vistos: doce legiones de ángeles prontas para la acción ante una sola palabra del Padre... alrededor de sesenta mil ángeles, cada uno de ellos esperando ansioso que se le permita intervenir. Todos ellos estaban afligidos e indignados al ver lo que le estaban haciendo a Jesús, pero aun así se mantenían completamente obedientes a la voluntad de Dios, por más difícil que fuera estar a la espera.

Debe ser difícil ser ángel: saber que se tiene el poder de ayudar y, sin embargo, tener que estar a la espera porque la voluntad de Dios se está llevando a cabo de una manera más lenta, más terrible y gloriosa de lo que jamás se podría haber imaginado. Tener que abstenerse de intervenir y de tomar el control de la vida de otra persona, por más que sea para mejorarla, y en cambio respetar el libre albedrío dado por Dios, tal como lo hace el Señor que lo creó.

Si eres padre o madre, maestro, pastor o educador, sabes de qué estoy hablando. Incluso quienes no lo somos a veces tenemos una terrible necesidad de reorganizar la vida de nuestros amigos porque "sabemos mejor". Y sin embargo, sin una invitación de la persona o una orden de Dios, no podemos. ¡Qué difícil es!

Gracias a Dios que él no está bajo las mismas restricciones. Cuando llega a ayudarnos y sanarnos, lo hace bien. Él no empeora las cosas con su intromisión, pues sabe cuándo respetar nuestro libre albedrío y cuándo responder a nuestros pedidos de misericordia... como lo hizo al darnos su mejor bendición: la vida, el sufrimiento, la muerte y la resurrección de su hijo Jesús.

ORACIÓN: Gracias, Padre, por cuidarnos con tu sabiduría y misericordia, especialmente cuando pasamos por tiempos difíciles. Amén.

PREGUNTAS DE REFLEXIÓN:
  • ¿Alguna vez te has alegrado por no haber intervenido, y si es así, en qué situación y por qué?
  • ¿Alguna vez has querido que Dios interviniera y después te alegraste de que no hiciera lo que tú querías?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez te has alegrado por no haber intervenido, y si es así, en qué situación y por qué?

Ministérios Pão Diário - O nosso melhor amigo


https://paodiario.org/2019/04/10/o-nosso-melhor-amigo%e2%80%a9/

O nosso melhor amigo



…aos que o receberam, aos que creem no seu nome, deu-lhes o poder de serem feitos filhos de Deus. João 1:12


Quando eu tinha 12 anos, nos mudamos para uma cidade no deserto. Após as aulas de ginástica naquele ar quente na nova escola, corríamos para o bebedouro. Sendo magrinho e bem novo para a série, às vezes eu era empurrado para fora da fila de espera para beber. Um dia, meu amigo José, que era grande e forte para a sua idade, viu isso, entrou na fila e estendeu seu braço forte para abrir o meu caminho, dizendo: “Ei, pessoal, deixem primeiro o James beber!”. Nunca mais tive problemas no bebedouro.

Jesus entendeu o que era enfrentar a suprema crueldade dos outros. A Bíblia nos diz: “Era desprezado e o mais rejeitado entre os homens…” (Isaías 53:3). Mas Jesus não era apenas uma vítima do sofrimento, Ele também se tornou o nosso Advogado. Ao dar Sua vida, Jesus abriu um “novo e vivo caminho” para termos um verdadeiro relacionamento com Deus (Hebreus 10:20). Ele fez por nós o que nunca poderíamos fazer por nós mesmos, oferecendo-nos o dom gratuito da salvação quando nos arrependemos de nossos pecados e confiamos nele.

Jesus é o melhor amigo que podemos ter. Ele disse: “…e o que vem a mim, de modo nenhum o lançarei fora” (JOÃO 6:37). Outros podem manter-nos à distância de um braço ou até mesmo empurrar- nos para longe de si, mas Deus abriu os Seus braços para nós por meio da cruz. Como o nosso Salvador é forte!

O dom gratuito de Deus para nós 
lhe custou muito caro.


© 2019 Ministérios Pão Diário
Quando eu tinha 12 anos, nos mudamos para uma cidade no deserto. Após as aulas de ginástica naquele ar quente na nova escola, corríamos para o bebedouro.