Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, August 30, 2019

1 Peter 4:7-11

The Daily Lectionary
FRIDAY, August 30, 2019
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 81:1, 10-16
God’s Appeal to Stubborn Israel
To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.
1  Sing aloud to God our strength;
     shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

10 I am the Lord your God,
     who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
     Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
     Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
     to follow their own counsels.
13 O that my people would listen to me,
     that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,
     and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
     and their doom would last forever.
16 I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
     and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Jeremiah 12:1-13
Jeremiah Complains to God
12:1 You will be in the right, O Lord,
     when I lay charges against you;
     but let me put my case to you.
   Why does the way of the guilty prosper?
     Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
2  You plant them, and they take root;
     they grow and bring forth fruit;
   you are near in their mouths
     yet far from their hearts.
3  But you, O Lord, know me;
     You see me and test me—my heart is with you.
   Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
     and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
4  How long will the land mourn,
     and the grass of every field wither?
   For the wickedness of those who live in it
     the animals and the birds are swept away,
     and because people said, “He is blind to our ways.”

God Replies to Jeremiah
5  If you have raced with foot-runners and they have wearied you,
     how will you compete with horses?
   And if in a safe land you fall down,
     how will you fare in the thickets of the Jordan?
6  For even your kinsfolk and your own family,
     even they have dealt treacherously with you;
     they are in full cry after you;
   do not believe them,
     though they speak friendly words to you.

7  I have forsaken my house,
     I have abandoned my heritage;
   I have given the beloved of my heart
     into the hands of her enemies.
8  My heritage has become to me
     like a lion in the forest;
   she has lifted up her voice against me—
     therefore I hate her.
9  Is the hyena greedy for my heritage at my command?
     Are the birds of prey all around her?
   Go, assemble all the wild animals;
     bring them to devour her.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard,
     they have trampled down my portion,
   they have made my pleasant portion
     a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it a desolation;
     desolate, it mourns to me.
   The whole land is made desolate,
     but no one lays it to heart.
12 Upon all the bare heights in the desert
     spoilers have come;
   for the sword of the Lord devours
     from one end of the land to the other;
     no one shall be safe.
13 They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns,
     they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.
   They shall be ashamed of their harvests
     because of the fierce anger of the Lord.

1 Peter 4:7-11
4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

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
The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.

The Morning Prayer for FRIDAY, August 30, 2019


Friday Morning Prayer
for August 30, 2019

In 1964, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ruby D. Robinson led the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in their campaign to be seated at the Democratic National Convention, saying that they and thousands of African-Americans like them were “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Listen to the words of Fannie Lou Hamer in the midst of the civil rights struggle: “We have to realize just how grave the problem is in the United States today, and I think the sixth chapter of Ephesians, the eleventh and twelfth verses help us to know what it is we are up against. It says, ‘Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ This is what I think about when I think of my own work in the fight for freedom.”

Sweet Lord, save us. Heal all that is broken in our lives, in our streets, and in our world. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, August 30, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=Ephesians%202:19

Ephesians 2:19 (NIV) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,

Read all of Ephesians 2

Listen to Ephesians 2

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 - Friday, August 30, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2019/08/30

Beneficios de la sanidad

Amado, yo deseo que tú seas prosperado en todas las cosas, y que tengas salud, así como prospera tu alma.

Estos días estamos aprendiendo lo importante y lo benéfico que es tener la sanidad del alma.

¿Sabías que muchas de las enfermedades son producto del rencor y la falta de perdón? Las heridas que han quedado abiertas nos mantienen frustrados y con raíces de amargura que con el paso del tiempo se manifiestan en enfermedades.

Tú deseas un hogar, unos hijos y una vida en paz y feliz. Por eso necesitas mirar hacia dentro y pedirle a Dios que te muestre esas partes de tu vida que necesitan sanidad y libertad. Te sentirás diferente cuando le permitas a que Dios obre en ti.

El Señor nos da promesas de libertad y de bendición. Lo que a veces sucede es que nosotros mismos detenemos esas promesas. Siéntete libre hoy y dile a Dios tu deseo de cambiar.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¿Sabías que muchas de las enfermedades son producto del rencor y la falta de perdón?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, August 30, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2019/08/30
REJOICE IN THE LORD

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!

We’ve been learning personal lessons from prison from Pastor Okuk Ojulu in Ethiopia as he shared them with Jim Cunningham.
He says, “The fourth lesson is to Rejoice in the Lord always in the prison.

“Prison means cutting off almost all your freedoms from the previous life. The devil is more pressing in the prison than anywhere in life, preaching negatives things to us. The most powerful tool for victory in our Christian lives in the midst of negatives is to preach positives to defeat the devil of negatives. In other words, it is to develop a positive attitude in a hostile situation like in the prison.

“In Philippians 3:1, it says, Rejoice in the Lord! Rejoicing in the Lord always enables us to approach the burning bush for a release from the prison. Let our prayer contain: “Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

“I hope this kind of prayer can discipline us, and help make us approach the Lord very closely in the burning bush—the very place where we can hear a distilled voice from Him for the deliverance of many in their misery. The burning bush does not burn us up, but it makes us remove our sandals when we approach it.”

Pastor Okok was released after three and a half years and God has rewarded his ministry, even his family. One of his daughters was chosen as Miss Ethiopia which paid for her education.

He continues to minister in freedom but with new perspectives based on his prison life.

Prison experiences are very personal and very impacting. I think that must be why I enjoy reading memoirs of Christians who have been in prison. They are so positive and uplifting compared to those of non-Christians.

I especially remember the prayer of a Christian brother who was in prison for years in Romania during the difficult years of the cold war. He prayed:

“Lord, I look forward to the great day I see you and your family in heaven. I look forward to seeing the great evangelists standing before you. I look forward to the day I see all the missionaries coming home rejoicing with their sheaves. I look forward to hearing all the great singers of the world praising you. I look forward to seeing the great preachers of the ages standing before you.

“But Lord, I have one special request. When that day comes, allow me to be there in the clothing of a prisoner. I want to praise you throughout eternity in my prisoner’s clothes to always remind me that I was a prisoner for you.”

RESPONSE: Today I will rejoice in the Lord in the face of all the negatives that Satan tries to throw at me.

PRAYER: Lord, You are worthy of my praise and joyfulness no matter what circumstances I am in.

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, August 30, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/men-of-the-bible/2019/08/30

Hosea

His name means: "Yahweh Has Delivered"

His work: Hosea was a prophet in Israel. Like other prophets, his charge was to call the people to repentance. However, he was also called to show them by his own life what it felt like to be a forgotten and yet merciful God.
His character: In obedience Hosea was willing to abandon his own dreams and marry a harlot. His love foreshadowed Christ's love for the church.
His sorrow: His unrepentant and unfaithful wife left him with their three children and a deep, aching hurt.
His triumph: Because of his selflessness and his willingness to forgive, his wife Gomer was restored.
Key Scriptures: Hosea 1-3

A Look at the Man

Telling stories is often the most powerful way to communicate truth, and speaking in parables was Jesus' method of choice. But sometimes in the Bible, God asked people not only to tell stories but to live them, to be the parable. This was the lot of Hosea.

The thought of falling in love with a prostitute is repugnant to any man. The thought of marrying her is even more revolting. But this is precisely what God ordered Hosea to do.

How can I love a woman who has "loved" so many? he must have wondered. How can I make a covenant with someone whose conduct deserves condemnation, not forgiveness?

But regardless of his questions, Hosea did exactly as the Lord told him. Hosea married a common harlot, a woman who knew nothing of virtue or faithfulness. As a learned man, Hosea knew that he could not reply to the Almighty's directive, "You don't know what you're asking me to do." He knew full well that God knew exactly what he was doing. As a prophet, Hosea had been called to preach repentance to God's people. He had tried to fill his message with the passion of the sovereign God, whose provision, love, and mercy had been scoffed at or ignored. These Jews were even worshiping other gods. The chosen people were playing the harlot.

Now, with this assignment, Hosea would come to understand what this felt like. His love would be poured out to a woman who by the laws of the time deserved nothing less than a public execution for her blatant transgressions. But God took Hosea and made him the fool—the lover of the undeserving, the keeper of the vows, and the redeemer of the repeat offender. And though the people could not see God, they saw in the life of this man a compelling example of divine love—bold and just, yet relentlessly merciful.

Reflect On: Hosea 3:1–3
Praise God: For his love for you.
Offer Thanks: For God’s relentless pursuit of his unfaithful and wayward children.
Confess: Your own sinfulness and your spirit of judgment rather than compassion for others.
Ask God: To fill you with Hosea’s kind of willingness to serve and his mercy and love.

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.
Telling stories is often the most powerful way to communicate truth, and speaking in parables was Jesus' method of choice. But sometimes in the Bible, God asked people not only to tell stories but to live them, to be the parable. This was the lot of Hosea.

LHM Daily Devotions August 30, 2019 - Giving Peace

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20190830

"Giving Peace"

Aug. 30, 2019

(Jesus said) "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
~ John 14:27 (ESV)

Peace! We want peace between nations, in our communities, among families, within ourselves. But in thinking of peace only as the absence of war, civil unrest, quarreling, and personal conflict, we can easily overlook a most important quality of true peace: its givingness.

Jesus said it was His peace He gives to us. It's a peace not of this world; it's a peace this world can never give. Take note of the verb He uses: "to give." Peace is a gift that can be passed from one to another. If parents stay calm in an emergency, their children will, too. When the teacher enters the classroom smiling, the students relax. If your manager handles a difficult situation calmly, the office remains at peace.

Peace gives peace!

The peace Christ gives also has this quality of givingness. As Christ gives His peace, it doesn't just sit there in the lives of believers. Rather, as we receive and experience God's peace, we share it—passing it along in word and action. It informs our actions, as it were. Knowing we have peace with God through Jesus' work on the cross, our lives reflect this. This then is witnessed by others who benefit from God's peace at work in our lives. Because Christ has given me His peace, I am at peace with myself and with others, because I know He is with me.

God demonstrated His peace with us when He sent Jesus into the flesh to be our Savior. He is our Peacemaker, our Intercessor before God. When the world weighs in heavy around us and peace seems far away, Jesus is here, and He is here for us. "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

With the peace of God at work in our lives, we can share it with others. When tempers flare, when situations are out of our control, when a disturbed world seems to be closing in, we can know the peace of God. And since it's from God, it goes beyond the fears the world can cause, as it both calms and protects us. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

Just how present and active is God's peace in your life? His peace for you is the same peace He wants others to know. It should compel us forward, as we declare through our lives in word and deed the wonderful message of God's love and transforming peace—a peace only He can give.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Giver of all true and lasting peace, grant us the gift of the Holy Spirit so our lives may reflect the peace we have through Your Son Jesus Christ. In His Name we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
  • How do your thoughts, words, and actions give God's peace to others?
  • Jesus gives us His peace: how does knowing that play out in your day-to-day life?
  • In tense situations, do you give peace? Are you a calming agent when emotions flare up?

This Daily Devotion was written by a contributing writer from Lutheran Hour Ministries. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
How do your thoughts, words, and actions give God's peace to others?

Devocional de la CPTLN del 30 de Agosto de 2019 - La paz de Dios


ALIMENTO DIARIO

La paz de Dios

30 de Agosto de 2019

[Jesús dijo:] La paz les dejo, mi paz les doy; yo no la doy como el mundo la da. No dejen que su corazón se turbe y tenga miedo.
~ Juan 14:27 (RVC)

¡Paz! Queremos paz entre las naciones, en nuestras comunidades, en la familia, en nosotros mismos. Pero al pensar en la paz solo como la ausencia de guerra, disturbios civiles, disputas y conflictos personales, podemos pasar por alto una cualidad muy importante de la verdadera paz: su entrega.

Jesús dijo que la paz que nos da es una paz que este mundo nunca puede dar. Tome nota del verbo que usa: "dar". La paz es un regalo que se puede pasar de uno a otro. Si los padres mantienen la calma en una emergencia, sus hijos también lo harán. Cuando el profesor entra al aula sonriendo, los alumnos se relajan. Si el jefe maneja una situación difícil con calma, la oficina permanece en paz.

¡La paz da paz! Cuando Cristo nos da su paz no se queda en nosotros, sino que a medida que la recibimos y experimentamos la compartimos en palabras y acciones. La paz se demuestra en nuestras acciones. Gracias a que Cristo me ha dado su paz estoy en paz conmigo mismo y con los demás, porque sé que él está conmigo.

Dios nos da su paz a través de Jesús, quien es nuestro pacificador e intercesor ante él. Cuando el mundo apremia y la paz parece estar muy lejos, Jesús está aquí por nosotros. "Estas cosas les he hablado para que en mí tengan paz. En el mundo tendrán aflicción; pero confíen, yo he vencido al mundo" (Juan 16:33).

Cuando los temperamentos estallan, cuando las situaciones se nos escapan de las manos, cuando un mundo perturbado parece estar cercándonos, podemos contar con la paz de Dios que va más allá de cualquier temor que el mundo nos puede causar. "Y que la paz de Dios, que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guarde sus corazones y sus pensamientos en Cristo Jesús" (Filipenses 4:7).

Dios quiere que todos conozcan esa paz. ¿Qué tan presente y activa es la paz de Dios en tu vida? ¿Suficiente como para motivarte a compartir el mensaje del amor de Dios y su paz transformadora con quienes te rodean?

ORACIÓN: Padre Celestial, dador de toda paz verdadera y duradera, concédenos el don del Espíritu Santo para que nuestras vidas reflejen la paz que tenemos por medio de tu Hijo Jesucristo. En su nombre oramos. Amén.

Para reflexionar:
  • ¿De qué maneras afecta tu vida el saber que Jesús te da su paz?
  • ¿Logras ser un agente de calma cuando las emociones estallan?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿De qué maneras afecta tu vida el saber que Jesús te da su paz?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Những Việc Vĩ Đại!

https://vietnamese-odb.org/2019/08/30/nhung-viec-vi-dai/

Những Việc Vĩ Đại!

Đọc: Thi Thiên 126 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Thi Thiên 129-131; I Cô-rinh-tô 11:1-16

Vậy, chúng ta sẽ nói gì về những việc nầy? Nếu Đức Chúa Trời đứng về phía chúng ta thì còn ai nghịch với chúng ta? Rô-ma 8:31

Ngày 9 tháng 11 năm 1989, thế giới kinh ngạc khi nghe tin Bức Tường Berlin sụp đổ. Bức tường chia cắt thành phố Berlin của nước Đức đã đổ xuống và thành phố bị chia cắt suốt 28 năm được thống nhất trở lại. Mặc dù trung tâm của niềm vui đó là nước Đức, nhưng cả thế giới đã cùng chia sẻ niềm hân hoan này. Một điều tuyệt vời đã xảy ra!

Khi dân Y-sơ-ra-ên trở về quê hương vào năm 538 TC sau khi bị lưu đày gần 70 năm, sự kiện quan trọng đó cũng vô cùng quan trọng. Thi Thiên 126 bắt đầu bằng việc nhìn lại thời điểm đầy vui mừng đó trong lịch sử dân Y-sơ-ra-ên. Sự kiện đó được thể hiện bằng tiếng cười, niềm hân hoan, ca hát vui mừng và sự công nhận của các nước rằng Chúa đã làm những việc vĩ đại cho dân Ngài (c.2). Và những người nhận sự giải cứu đầy thương xót của Chúa đã đáp lại thế nào? Những việc vĩ đại của Chúa đã khiến họ rất vui mừng (c.3). Hơn nữa, những việc Chúa làm trong quá khứ trở thành nền tảng cho những lời cầu nguyện mới mẻ cho hiện tại và niềm hy vọng tươi sáng cho tương lai (c.4-6).

Bạn và tôi chắc chắn dễ dàng nhìn thấy những điều vĩ đại Chúa làm trong kinh nghiệm của riêng mình, đặc biệt nếu chúng ta tin Đức Chúa Trời qua Con Ngài là Chúa Jêsus. Fanny Crosby, tác giả Thánh ca thế kỷ 19 đã nói lên điều này khi viết: “Ngài đã dạy những điều vĩ đại, Ngài đã làm những điều lớn lao, chúng con có được sự vui mừng lớn qua Chúa Jêsus Con Ngài”. Đúng vậy, vinh quang thuộc về Chúa, vì Ngài đã làm những điều vĩ đại!
Bạn đã kinh nghiệm Chúa làm những điều vĩ đại nào? Khi nghĩ về những điều đó, bạn được thêm lên đức tin và lòng trông cậy ra sao?
Những điều vĩ đại Chúa làm trong quá khứ khiến chúng ta vui mừng, sốt sắng cầu nguyện và hết lòng trông cậy.


© 2019 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Bạn đã kinh nghiệm Chúa làm những điều vĩ đại nào?