Monday, May 13, 2019

The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, May 14, 2019


The Daily Lectionary
TUESDAY, May 14, 2019
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 100
All Lands Summoned to Praise God
A Psalm of thanksgiving.
1  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2    Worship the Lord with gladness;
     come into his presence with singing.

3  Know that the Lord is God.
     It is he that made us, and we are his;
     we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
     and his courts with praise.
     Give thanks to him, bless his name.

5  For the Lord is good;
     his steadfast love endures forever,
     and his faithfulness to all generations.

Ezekiel 45:1-9
45:1 When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set aside for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, twenty-five thousand cubits long and twenty thousand cubits wide; it shall be holy throughout its entire extent. 2 Of this, a square plot of five hundred by five hundred cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. 3 In the holy district you shall measure off a section twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide, in which shall be the sanctuary, the most holy place. 4 It shall be a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the Lord to minister to him; and it shall be both a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Another section, twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand cubits wide, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their holding for cities to live in.

6 Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign as a holding for the city an area five thousand cubits wide, and twenty-five thousand cubits long; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

7 And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the holding of the city, alongside the holy district and the holding of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary 8 of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no longer oppress my people; but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.

9 Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and do what is just and right. Cease your evictions of my people, says the Lord God.

Acts 9:32-35
The Healing of Aeneas
9:32 Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And immediately he got up. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

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
“Jesus Christ heals you; get up”

Verse of the Day TUESDAY, May 14, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=Psalm%20139:13-14

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Read all of Psalm 139

Listen to Psalm 139

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 - Tuesday, May 14, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2019/05/14

Oración para dejar los reyes falsos

Dichoso el que pone su confianza en el Señor y no recurre a los idólatras ni a los que adoran dioses falsos.
~ Salmo 40:4 (NVI)

Qué maravilloso poder sellar con una oración, Dios mío, mi compromiso de entregar y desmontar reyes que había levantado y que estaban ocupando tu lugar.

Acudo a tu misericordia reconociendo que por mucho tiempo mi dios fue el dinero, mis hijos, mi trabajo, mi posición y mis pertenencias.

Hoy, Señor, destrono todas estas cosas o personas que me han alejado de ti. También te doy gracias porque me das la oportunidad de entregarlas hoy y reconocer que yo dependo de manera exclusiva de ti.

Hago hoy un pacto contigo de que nunca más volveré a poner mi mirada en personas o en cosas materiales, sino que apreciaré todo lo que me das día a día.

Hoy te declaro, Dios mío, «el Rey de mi corazón».

Cambia mi vida, Señor.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Qué maravilloso poder sellar con una oración.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, May 14, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2019/05/14
THE EXAMPLE OF MOTHERS

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

Dear Corrie ten Boom, a close friend of Brother Andrew’s in Holland, was well-known for her statement: “When God has a task to be done, he calls a man. When He has a DIFFICULT task to be done, he calls a woman!”

Motherhood is often one of those difficult tasks for women. I can remember how difficult it was for my own mother in the 1950’s to raise a family with four active, hungry boys on a total budget of twenty-five dollars a week. Yet she was such an example to us of sacrifice, commitment, and faithfulness. We knew she would give everything she had for us and our father.

The Apostle Paul reminded the Thessalonian church that the apostles could have become a burden to them but instead they treated the new growing church gently, like a mother caring for her little children, willing to give everything—even their lives.

Today mothers in the persecuted church continue to reflect the example of Jesus in sacrifice, commitment and faithfulness. I think of the wife of Santiago, a dynamic church pastor in one of Colombia’s deeply troubled areas. Santiago’s life is threatened because has an intense love for God’s people, and a deeply ingrained sense of justice. His strength comes from the Lord. But his second source of strength is his wife, Deborah, who stands by him no matter what.

Recently, she opened up her heart to a small group of visitors. “I feel a profound emptiness and fear that can only be mitigated by the Lord. Although many people claim that the war here has dwindled, I cannot agree because I still see what the people here go through. Just yesterday four people were murdered in our town, two of them very close to our church.”

At that point, the tears flooding Deborah’s eyes reveal one of the deepest fears of her heart. “I beg my Lord not to take Santiago away from us, as it would be an extremely painful blow. I remember having the doors locked, believing that at any moment they would come looking for Santiago to kill him. Every time he left for church, my children also waited for someone to arrive bearing the horrible news that he had been murdered. The children beg him, ‘Daddy, please quit the church. We know that people in the area are speaking badly of you, and you know that several other pastors have been murdered.’”

Deborah continues, “God changed our plans to leave. It is not His will that we run away, and our brothers and sisters would not allow us to do so either.” Then she pleads, “I request your prayers for the Lord to heal the wounds of my heart, to remove the fear, so that I can continue fighting. But, more importantly, that I will know how to pray according to His will.” Deborah’s deep devotion to her husband and children is obvious. She is also their tower of strength.

RESPONSE: Today I will honor mother and encourage other mothers I see struggling with life’s issues.

PRAYER: Father, bless Deborah today—and others like her—with courage, strength and faithfulness.

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 - Tuesday, May 14, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/2019/05/14

Hurt, Hope and Making It Through Life's Hard Times

Today’s Truth

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!.”
~ Psalm 42:5 (NLT)

Friend to Friend

The other day someone asked me about our infertility. It felt a bit like being asked about an old scar, one that has faded and become so familiar it feels more like a freckle.

This question was part of a radio interview; the host wanted to know what I would say to a woman in a similar situation. I paused for a very long time, reaching back into those memories like one might a trunk in the attic.

I pulled out a single memory like a brightly colored scarf. I held it up to the light and watched the dust drift down. The scene on it was a particular Christmas morning. We were visiting my in-laws and I felt certain I was pregnant. I jumped out of bed and practically skipped to the bathroom only to be devastated again. My husband found me and put his arms around me, my tears soaking his t-shirt.

I could sense the silence on the radio line. I cleared my throat. “Feel the hurt,” I said to the interviewer, “It is real. Cry the tears. Yell into the pillow. Be sad and mad and confused.”

Then I thought of another memory in my life, a morning curled up under the covers, Bible in my hand, coffee next to me. God took me to the third chapter of Genesis where Eve is called the mother of all living. I began to understand in that moment all women are mothers because all women bring life into the world in some way. I started to believe my story might be different than what I imagined—but it could still be good (and it is).

“Feel the hope,” I said to the interviewer, “It is real. Embrace the unexpected. Trust the story is still being written. Be curious and strong and brave.”

You may not have walked through infertility but if you are alive on this spinning earth then you know what it is to have trouble and heartbreak. You know what it is to be disappointed or discouraged or tired. I think in those moments we tend to choose one of the options above.

We ignore everything but the hurt.

Or we ignore everything but the hope.

We do this because we’re afraid. We think if we don’t hope then we can’t be disappointed. Or if we don’t hurt the pain can’t overcome us. We might have some mixed-up spiritual ideas—that God doesn’t like certain emotions (even though He created them all) or that pure suffering somehow brings Him more glory.

But the reality is hurt and hope are part of every hard experience. “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!” (Psalm 42:5).

Hurt reveals our emotions to us so we can heal. Hope gives us the strength to persevere through that process. The wound slowly transforms. Then one day someone asks us about it and we’re a bit startled because we suddenly realize what once felt like it might kill us has, in fact, taught us something about being fully alive.

We don’t have to be afraid of hurt.

We don’t have to be afraid to hope.

They are both part of what makes us who we are, part of our beauty and strength and scars.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, sometimes choosing to hold onto hope is a painful process. Remind me today that I don’t have to be afraid to hurt or afraid to hope. You are making all things new. You are the God who redeems and restores. I will trust in You as I choose to hope through the hard days.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Today, feel the hurt. And then feel the hope. Look back at one or two situations that felt hopeless and remember how God can bring good from even the hardest moments.

More from the Girlfriends

Holley Gerth is a bestselling author, encourager and life coach who loves empowering women to embrace who they are and become all God created them to be. Her new devotional Hope Your Heart Needs is filled with 52 encouraging reminders of how God cares for you.

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/
The other day someone asked me about our infertility. It felt a bit like being asked about an old scar, one that has faded and become so familiar it feels more like a freckle.

LHM Daily Devotions - Eww, Yuck!

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20190514

"Eww, Yuck!"

May 14, 2019

So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." But Peter began and explained it to them in order: "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' But I said, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has made clean, do not call common.' This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction."
~ Acts 11:2-12 (ESV)

Have you ever talked to a former missionary about food? My advice is "Just don't." They will gleefully describe to you the oddest, scariest, and most repulsive things you can imagine that they have eaten during their service—and they'll do it while you're having lunch. Eww, yuck!

Peter seems to have had much the same response to the vision God sent him at Joppa. While he was praying, he saw a vision of many different kinds of animals, and a voice told him to get up, kill one, and have a meal. Peter was disgusted. Eat a freshly killed animal—not even cooked? Eat an unclean animal, one that was forbidden to Jews to eat by their religious laws? No, thanks, was his answer. Or perhaps we could paraphrase it: "Eww, yuck!"

And then God said something cryptic: "What God has made clean, do not call common." Then the whole vision repeated itself two more times. Peter was left scratching his head. What was the point of that presentation?

Just then several men came to the front door, asking for Peter; they wanted him to go with them to preach the Gospel. Sounds good, right? But there was a catch. They were Gentiles—the kind of people Peter wasn't used to associating with, except possibly in the way of business. He certainly didn't visit their houses! Most Jews thought of Gentiles much the same way Peter thought of those animals in the vision: Eww, yuck!

If we are fair, we probably keep certain people under the same mental category. What about homeless people? Ex-offenders? People who are overweight? People who are excessively healthy? The mentally ill? Immigrants? Those from the opposite political party?

And yet it was these people to whom God sent Peter, saying, "What God has made clean, do not call common." Jesus made it abundantly clear to Peter that He had died and risen for these Gentiles also, and they, too, would receive the Holy Spirit and become part of the Christian church.

It's hard for us to overcome these kinds of feelings about one another. But God has mercy on us and gives us the Holy Spirit so that instead of recoiling or avoiding them, we can learn to love one another as those redeemed by Christ Jesus.

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, help me when I don't want to be around certain groups of people—You know which ones. Put Your own love in my heart so I can do Your will and love them as my brothers and sisters. Amen.

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 talked to a former missionary about food?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 14 de Mayo de 2019 - ¡Qué ásco!


ALIMENTO DIARIO

¡Qué ásco!

14 de Mayo de 2019

Así que cuando Pedro subió a Jerusalén, los que practicaban la circuncisión comenzaron a discutir con él. Le dijeron: "¿Por qué entraste en la casa de gente no judía, y comiste allí?" Pedro comenzó entonces a contarles detalladamente lo que había sucedido. Les dijo: "Mientras yo estaba orando en Jope, entré en éxtasis y tuve una visión. Vi que del cielo bajaba hacia mí un gran lienzo, atado por las cuatro puntas. Me fijé bien, y vi que allí había cuadrúpedos, fieras, reptiles y aves. Oí además una voz que me decía: "Pedro, levántate, mata y come." Yo respondí: "No, Señor, porque nunca he comido nada que sea común o impuro." Pero desde el cielo la voz me dijo la segunda vez: "Lo que Dios ha limpiado, no lo llames tú impuro." Esto se repitió tres veces, después de lo cual el lienzo fue llevado de nuevo al cielo. En ese momento llegaron a la casa donde yo estaba, tres hombres que desde Cesarea habían venido por mí. El Espíritu me dijo que no dudara y los acompañara.

¿Alguna vez has hablado con un ex misionero sobre comida? Mi consejo es: "No lo hagas." Te describirán con júbilo las cosas más extrañas, espantosas y repulsivas que puedas imaginar que hayan comido durante su ministerio... ¡y lo harán mientras almuerzas! Realmente, ¡un asco!

Parece que Pedro tuvo la misma respuesta a la visión que Dios le envió a Jope. Mientras oraba, tuvo una visión de muchos tipos diferentes de animales y una voz le dijo que se levantara, matara a uno de ellos y se lo comiera. Pedro estaba disgustado. ¿Comer un animal recién matado y ni siquiera cocinado? ¿Comer un animal inmundo, uno que los judíos tenían prohibido comer de acuerdo con sus leyes religiosas? No, gracias, fue su respuesta. O tal vez podríamos parafrasearlo: "¡Qué asco!"

Entonces Dios dijo algo enigmático: "Lo que Dios ha limpiado, no lo llames tú impuro". Y toda la visión se repitió dos veces más. Pedro se quedó rascándose la cabeza. ¿Qué quería decir?

En ese momento, varios hombres se acercaron a la puerta principal preguntando por Pedro: querían que fuera con ellos a predicar el evangelio. Suena bien, ¿verdad? Pero había algo más. Quienes fueron a buscar a Pedro eran gentiles, personas con las que Pedro no estaba acostumbrado a juntarse, excepto posiblemente en asuntos de negocios. ¡Ciertamente no visitaba sus casas! La mayoría de los judíos pensaba de los gentiles de la misma manera en que Pedro pensaba respecto de esos animales en la visión: ¡qué asco!

Si somos honestos, probablemente pensemos igual de algunas personas. ¿Los vagabundos? ¿Los ex delincuentes? ¿Los obesos? ¿Los enfermos mentales? ¿Los inmigrantes? ¿Los adictos? Sin embargo, fue a esas personas a quienes Dios envió a Pedro, diciéndole: "Lo que Dios ha limpiado, no lo llames tú impuro". Jesús le dejó muy en claro a Pedro que él había muerto y resucitado también por esos gentiles y que ellos también recibirían el Espíritu Santo y se convertirían en parte de la iglesia cristiana.

Es difícil para nosotros superar este tipo de sentimientos. Pero Dios tiene misericordia de nosotros y nos da el Espíritu Santo de modo que, en lugar de rechazarlos o evitarlos, podamos aprender a amarnos unos a otros como redimidos en Cristo Jesús.

ORACIÓN: Querido padre, ayúdame cuando no quiero acercarme a ciertas personas, tú sabes cuáles. Pon tu amor en mi corazón para que haga tu voluntad y las ame como hermanos en la fe. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

© 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 has hablado con un ex misionero sobre comida?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Una crítica amable

https://nuestropandiario.org/2019/05/una-cr%c3%adtica-amable/

Una crítica amable

Leer: Juan 4:7-15, 28-29 | La Biblia en un año: 2 Reyes 19–21 Juan 4:1-30

Pues la ley por medio de Moisés fue dada, pero la gracia y la verdad vinieron por medio de Jesucristo (Juan 1:17).

Durante una clase de pintura, el profesor —un artista profesional sumamente experimentado— evaluaba mi primer trabajo. En silencio y con una mano en el mentón, se paró frente a mi cuadro. Aquí viene —pensé—. Va a decir que es horrible.

Pero no lo hizo. Dijo que le gustaban la combinación de colores y la sensación de amplitud. Después mencionó que los árboles podían ser más brillantes y los bordes de la maleza más delicados. Tenía autoridad para evaluar mi obra según las reglas de la perspectiva y el color, pero su crítica fue veraz y amable.

Jesús, quien estaba perfectamente calificado para condenar a la gente por el pecado, no usó los Diez Mandamientos para aplastar a una mujer samaritana a la que conoció junto a un pozo de agua, sino que criticó amablemente su vida con unas pocas declaraciones. Como resultado, ella entendió que su búsqueda de satisfacción la había llevado a pecar. Entonces, Jesús se le reveló como la única fuente de satisfacción eterna (Juan 4:10-13).

La combinación de gracia y verdad que Jesús aplicó en aquella ocasión es lo que nosotros experimentamos en nuestra relación con Él (1:17). Su gracia impide que el pecado nos abrume, y su verdad previene que le quitemos importancia.

Invitemos a Jesús a mostrarnos dónde crecer para parecernos más a Él.
Señor, ayúdame a parecerme más a ti.
¿Cómo usa Dios la gracia y la verdad para señalar cosas en tu vida? ¿Qué áreas quiere que cambies para honrarlo mejor?


© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Aquí viene —pensé—. Va a decir que es horrible.