Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, Sept 16, 2019


The Daily Lectionary
MONDAY, September 16, 2019
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 94
God the Avenger of the Righteous
1  O Lord, you God of vengeance,
     you God of vengeance, shine forth!
2  Rise up, O judge of the earth;
     give to the proud what they deserve!
3  O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
     how long shall the wicked exult?

4  They pour out their arrogant words;
     all the evildoers boast.
5  They crush your people, O Lord,
     and afflict your heritage.
6  They kill the widow and the stranger,
     they murder the orphan,
7  and they say, “The Lord does not see;
     the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

8  Understand, O dullest of the people;
     fools, when will you be wise?
9  He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
   He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations,
   he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
     does he not chastise?
11   The Lord knows our thoughts,
     that they are but an empty breath.

12 Happy are those whom you discipline, O Lord,
     and whom you teach out of your law,
13 giving them respite from days of trouble,
     until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;
     he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous,
     and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?
     Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not been my help,
     my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”
     your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
     your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
     those who contrive mischief by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous,
     and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,
     and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will repay them for their iniquity
     and wipe them out for their wickedness;
     the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Jeremiah 5:1-17
The Utter Corruption of God’s People
5:1 Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
     look around and take note!
   Search its squares and see
     if you can find one person
   who acts justly
     and seeks truth—
   so that I may pardon Jerusalem.
2  Although they say, “As the Lord lives,”
     yet they swear falsely.
3  O Lord, do your eyes not look for truth?
   You have struck them,
     but they felt no anguish;
   you have consumed them,
     but they refused to take correction.
   They have made their faces harder than rock;
     they have refused to turn back.

4  Then I said, “These are only the poor,
     they have no sense;
   for they do not know the way of the Lord,
     the law of their God.
5  Let me go to the rich
     and speak to them;
   surely they know the way of the Lord,
     the law of their God.”
   But they all alike had broken the yoke,
     they had burst the bonds.

6  Therefore a lion from the forest shall kill them,
     a wolf from the desert shall destroy them.
   A leopard is watching against their cities;
     everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces—
   because their transgressions are many,
     their apostasies are great.

7  How can I pardon you?
     Your children have forsaken me,
     and have sworn by those who are no gods.
   When I fed them to the full,
     they committed adultery
     and trooped to the houses of prostitutes.
8  They were well-fed lusty stallions,
     each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
9  Shall I not punish them for these things?
       says the Lord;
     and shall I not bring retribution
     on a nation such as this?

10 Go up through her vine-rows and destroy,
     but do not make a full end;
    strip away her branches,
     for they are not the Lord’s.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
     have been utterly faithless to me,
       says the Lord.
12 They have spoken falsely of the Lord,
     and have said, “He will do nothing.
   No evil will come upon us,
     and we shall not see sword or famine.”
13 The prophets are nothing but wind,
     for the word is not in them.
   Thus shall it be done to them!

14 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts:
   Because they have spoken this word,
   I am now making my words in your mouth a fire,
     and this people wood, and the fire shall devour them.
15 I am going to bring upon you
     a nation from far away, O house of Israel,
       says the Lord.
   It is an enduring nation,
     it is an ancient nation,
   a nation whose language you do not know,
     nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their quiver is like an open tomb;
     all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They shall eat up your harvest and your food;
     they shall eat up your sons and your daughters;
   they shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
     they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
   they shall destroy with the sword
     your fortified cities in which you trust.

1 Timothy 1:18-20
1:18 I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 having faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith; 20 among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.

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
Paul writes in his letters to Timothy and warns about those who have turned away or deserted him!

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, Sept 16, 2019


The Daily Prayer
for MONDAY, September 16, 2019

Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, wrote, “The most wonderful thing is unity with Jesus and with the Father. In him we shall partake in God if we firmly resist and flee all the arrogant attacks of the prince of this world. Unity of prayer, unity of supplication, unity of mind, unity of expectancy in love and in blameless joy: this is Jesus Christ and there is nothing greater than he. Flock together, all of you, as to one temple of God, as to one altar, to one Jesus Christ, who proceeded from the one Father, who is in the one and returned to the one.”

Bind us to you, O Lord, even when we are tempted to fall away, so we might witness to your faithfulness in your Spirit’s power. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, Sept 16, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=James%203:13

James 3:13 (NIV) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Read all of James 3

Listen to James 3

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 - Monday, Sept 16, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2019/09/16

Ángeles a nuestro alrededor

Ningún mal habrá de sobrevenirte, ninguna calamidad llegará a tu hogar. Porque él ordenará que sus ángeles te cuiden en todos tus caminos.

Hablar de los ángeles son palabras mayores y la verdad es que no voy a entrar en ese tema de explicarte cómo son. Lo único que puedo decirte es que la Biblia registra más de cien versículos donde los ángeles tuvieron su aparición en diferentes momentos de la historia bíblica.

En el mundo actual, hay personas que dicen que han tenido experiencias con ángeles, que los han visto. Aunque yo no he visto ninguno, sí creo que Dios nos envía ángeles que nos protegen de todo mal y peligro.

En realidad, es importante que te acostumbres a orar y a pedirle a Dios que les ordene a sus ángeles que estén alrededor de nuestras casas, autos e hijos. En mi caso, confío en que a pesar de que no los veo, están siempre conmigo. Además, sé que en muchas ocasiones me han librado del peligro.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hablar de los ángeles son palabras mayores y la verdad es que no voy a entrar en ese tema de explicarte cómo son. Lo único que puedo decirte es que la Biblia registra más de cien versículos donde los ángeles tuvieron su aparición en diferentes momentos de la historia bíblica.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, Sept 16, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2019/09/16
LOVE’S SACRIFICE

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
~ John 15:13 (NIV)

Jesus says the ultimate test of true love is the willingness to die for others—especially your friends. Of course, He personally demonstrated this Himself in giving His life on the cross for you and me. And today He continues to call those who follow Him to make this sacrifice as well. This classic war zone missionary story illustrates the point:

The mortar rounds landed in an orphanage run by missionaries. The missionaries and one or two children were killed outright and several more children were wounded including one girl about eight years old.

The medical staff who arrived to help soon realized that the young girl was the most critically injured. Without quick action she would die from shock and loss of blood.

When explained to the other children that a blood transfusion was imperative, the request for a blood donor met with wide-eyed silence.

Then one small hand went up and a young boy volunteered. He was quickly laid on a pallet, his arm swabbed with alcohol, and the needle inserted into his vein.

Through the ordeal, he lay stiff and silent but continued to sob later turning into steady, silent crying. The medical team kept asking if it was hurting but he would shake his head and continue to cry.

After a while the boy stopped crying, opened his eyes and looked questioningly at the nurse who took the needle out of his arm. When she nodded, a look of great relief spread over his face.

The boy had all along thought he was dying. He misunderstood, thinking that he was to give ALL his blood so the other little girl could live. And she was his friend.

RESPONSE: Jesus calls me today to show sacrificial love—especially for those I consider friends.

PRAYER: Pray that this depth of love will become a reality in the church of Jesus Christ and in your life.

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

Women of the Bible - Monday, Sept 16, 2019

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/women-of-the-bible/2019/09/16

Anna

Her name means: "Favor" or "Grace"

Her character: Married for only seven years, she spent the long years of her widowhood fasting and praying in the temple, abandoning herself entirely to God. A prophetess, she was one of the first to bear witness to Jesus.
Her sorrow: As a widow, she would probably have been among the most vulnerable members of society, with no one to provide for her financially or to take care of her if her health failed.
Her joy: That her own eyes beheld the Messiah she had longed to see.
Key Scriptures: Luke 2:22-38

Her Story

A small bird darted past the Court of the Gentiles, flew up to the Women's Court, and then on to the Court of Israel (one of the inner courts of the temple, accessible only to Jewish men). Anna blinked as she watched the beating wings swerve into the sunlight and vanish. She wondered into which privileged corner of the temple the little bird had disappeared.

For most of her eighty-four years, she had been a widow who spent her days praying and fasting in the temple. Though Anna had walked past the outer court thousands of times, she never failed to notice the warning inscribed in its walls in both Greek and Latin: "No stranger is to enter within the balustrade round the temple and enclosure. Whoever is caught will be responsible to himself for his death, which will ensue." It was an awesome thing to come into the presence of the Holy One.

Though she could not echo the prayer of Jewish men, who praised God for creating them neither Gentiles nor women, she could at least be grateful for the privilege of ascending beyond the Court of the Gentiles to the Women's Court, where she would be that much closer to the Most Holy Place. Having done so, she bowed her head, rocking back and forth to the rhythm of her prayers (Psalm 84:1-3).

Suddenly a voice interrupted her recitation of the familiar psalm. Old Simeon, she saw, was holding a baby to his breast, pronouncing words that thrilled her soul: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

Like her, Simeon had lived for nothing but Israel's consolation. Though he had not seen, yet he had believed. Anna watched as the child's parents hung on the old man's words. Then he handed the infant back to his mother, this time speaking more softly: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Anna placed her arms gently around the young mother's shoulders and gazed at the sleeping infant. Words of thanksgiving spilled from her lips. Her heart felt buoyant, her hope unsinkable. More vividly than Jacob, who had dreamed of a ladder full of angels, or Moses, who had beheld a bush burning in the desert, she, Anna, a widow and prophetess from the tribe of Asher, had experienced the very presence of God. Her eyes had seen the promised child, whose brilliance would scatter the darkness and bring deliverance for all God's people.

Now she too felt like a sparrow soaring freely in the house of God. It no longer mattered that she was forbidden entry into the innermost courts of the temple. God himself was breaking down the dividing walls between Jew and Gentile, male and female, revealing himself to all who hungered for his presence. That day a child had transformed the Women's Court into the holiest place of all.

Scripture doesn't tell us whether Anna ever actually wished she were allowed to enter the innermost courts of the temple in Jerusalem. But her longing for God is obvious. Clearly, she was a woman with a great spiritual appetite, who abandoned her life to God and was rewarded by meeting Jesus and his parents just forty days after his birth, during the presentation in the temple.

Her Promise

Anna's life revolved around prayer and fasting in the temple. She evidently had no family, no home, no job. Instead, God was her family, the temple her home, and prayer her occupation. Though you may not have the freedom to spend every moment in prayer, as she did, you can be sure the time you do spend is never wasted. If you long to see your Savior, to experience his presence in your life, let Anna's devotion encourage you.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
A small bird darted past the Court of the Gentiles, flew up to the Women's Court, and then on to the Court of Israel (one of the inner courts of the temple, accessible only to Jewish men). Anna blinked as she watched the beating wings swerve into the sunlight and vanish. She wondered into which privileged corner of the temple the little bird had disappeared.

LHM Daily Devotions - Sept 16, 2019 - Raised Up

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20190916

"Raised Up"

Sep. 16, 2019

Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people.
~ Psalm 113:5-8 (ESV)

In some legends and fairy tales, the king on his throne, surrounded and sheltered by soldiers and court advisers, grows curious about the lives of his subjects. So one day the king lays aside his royal robes and dresses in ragged clothing. Avoiding his guards, the king slips out the back door of the palace (if the palaces has a back door) and walks, unrecognized, through the town. He sees how his people live and work and listens to their troubles. He learns lessons that hopefully will make him a better and wiser king.

According to the psalmist, the Lord is seated on His heavenly throne, looking far down on the heavens and earth over which He rules. In an account that is no legend or fairy tale, but the absolute Gospel truth, our Heavenly King laid aside His glory and descended to earth. He took on human flesh and was born among us, as one of us. The God-Man, Jesus Christ, did not just mingle with His subjects for a day or a few days or weeks. He lived and worked and healed and taught among His people for some 30 years. Then, at the appointed time, the King who had laid aside the glory of heaven was crowned, not with gold but with thorns, stripped of even His common, earthly garments and nailed to a cross. Jesus our King not only took onto Himself our human flesh, but He bore our sins in His own body on the cross. He suffered the penalty of death that we deserved for our sins and by His death and resurrection He lifted us up from the dust and ashes of sin and death.

Joined in Baptism to Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, we have been raised up "to sit with princes"—and princesses, our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Our God and Savior looked down on us with compassion and love. He left His throne and came to earth to live and die and rise to make us His own people, His royal priesthood, His holy nation. God made us alive together with Christ and "raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). Now, like our risen and reigning King, we can reach down and lift others up through faith in Christ so that they too might join in fellowship with us, now and for all eternity.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, by Your death and resurrection we have been raised up to new life as Your holy people. Lead us to be faithful witnesses for You and to serve others with compassion and love. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
  • How has God become like one of us?
  • Why would God care about lifting the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap?
  • The world is full of beat-down people. Does your heart go out to them? Are there human conditions or circumstances that move/touch your heart more than others?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
How has God become like one of us?

Devocional del CPTLN del 16 de Septiembre de 2019 -


ALIMENTO DIARIO

Levantados

16 de Septiembre de 2019

¿Quién como el Señor nuestro Dios? El Señor tiene su trono en las alturas, pero se digna inclinarse para ver lo que ocurre en el cielo y en la tierra. El Señor levanta de la nada al pobre, y saca del muladar al pordiosero, para darles a los dos un lugar entre los príncipes, entre los gobernantes de su pueblo.
~ Salmo 113:5-8 (RVC)

En algunas leyendas y cuentos de hadas, el rey en su trono, rodeado y protegido por soldados y asesores judiciales, siente curiosidad por la vida de sus súbditos. Entonces, un día, el rey deja a un lado sus túnicas reales y se viste con harapos. Evitando a sus guardias, el rey se desliza por la puerta trasera del palacio (sí los palacios tienen una puerta trasera) y camina, sin ser reconocido, por la ciudad. Él ve cómo vive y trabaja su gente y escucha sus problemas. Aprende lecciones que, con suerte, lo convertirán en un rey mejor y más sabio.

Según el salmista, el Señor está sentado en su trono celestial, mirando hacia abajo a los cielos y la tierra sobre los cuales Él gobierna. En un relato que no es una leyenda o un cuento de hadas, sino la verdad absoluta del Evangelio, nuestro Rey celestial dejó a un lado Su gloria y descendió a la tierra. Tomó en sí mismo carne humana, y nació entre nosotros como uno de nosotros. El Dios-Hombre, Jesucristo, no solo se mezcló con sus súbditos por un día o un par de días o semanas. Vivió, trabajó, curó y enseñó entre su pueblo durante unos 30 años. Luego, a la hora señalada, el Rey que había dejado a un lado la gloria del cielo fue coronado, no con oro sino con espinas, despojado incluso de sus vestiduras terrenales comunes y clavado en una cruz. Jesús nuestro Rey no solo tomó sobre sí nuestra carne humana, sino que llevó nuestros pecados en su propio cuerpo en la cruz. Sufrió la pena de muerte que merecíamos por nuestros pecados y, con su muerte y resurrección, nos levantó del polvo y las cenizas del pecado y la muerte.

Unidos en el bautismo a la muerte, sepultura y resurrección de Jesús, hemos sido levantados "para sentarnos con príncipes", y princesas, nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Cristo Jesús. Nuestro Dios y Salvador nos miró con compasión y amor. Él dejó su trono y vino a la tierra para vivir, morir y resucitar para hacernos su propio pueblo, su sacerdocio real, su nación santa. Dios nos dio vida junto con Cristo "y también junto con él nos resucitó, y asimismo nos sentó al lado de Cristo Jesús en los lugares celestiales" (Efesios 2:6). Ahora, como nuestro Rey resucitado y reinante, podemos alcanzar y levantar a otros a través de la fe en Cristo para que ellos también puedan unirse en comunión con nosotros, ahora y por toda la eternidad.

ORACIÓN: Señor Jesús, por tu muerte y resurrección hemos sido levantados y resucitados a una nueva vida como tu pueblo santo. Guíanos a ser testigos fieles de ti y a servir a los demás con compasión y amor. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:
  • ¿Por qué le importaría a Dios levantar a los pobres del polvo y a los necesitados del montón de cenizas?
  • El mundo está lleno de gente golpeada. ¿Tu corazón está con ellos? ¿Existen condiciones o circunstancias humanas que muevan / toquen tu corazón más que otras?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Por qué le importaría a Dios levantar a los pobres del polvo y a los necesitados del montón de cenizas?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Ne nourrissez pas les trolls

https://www.ministeresnpq.org/2019/09/16/ne-nourrissez-pas-les-trolls/

Ne nourrissez pas les trolls


[Rachetez] le temps. Que votre parole soit toujours accompagnée de grâce. Colossiens 4.5,6

Avez-vous déjà entendu l’expression « Ne nourrissez pas les trolls » ? Les « trolls » désignent un nouveau problème dans le monde numérique actuel : les usagers qui affichent des remarques délibérément incendiaires et blessantes sur les forums de discussion des médias d’actualités ou de réseaux sociaux. Or, faire fi de ces remarques – évitant ainsi de « nourrir » les trolls – leur rend la tâche difficile quand il s’agit de faire dérailler une conversation.

Bien entendu, ce n’est pas d’hier que nous tombons sur des gens qui ne cherchent pas sincèrement à entretenir une conversation productive. « Ne nourrissez pas les trolls » pourrait presque constituer un équivalent moderne de Proverbes 26.4, qui nous exhorte à éviter de discuter avec les arrogants et les gens obtus, ce qui risquerait de nous amener à nous abaisser à leur niveau.

Reste que… même le pire des entêtés a de la valeur aux yeux de Dieu, qui l’a créé à son image. Si nous sommes prompts à juger les gens, nous risquons de devenir nous-mêmes arrogants et sourds à la grâce de Dieu (voir MT 5.22). Cela expliquerait d’ailleurs en partie que Proverbes 26.5 offre la directive contraire. Nous devons dépendre de Dieu avec humilité et prière pour toujours savoir user d’amour (voir COL 4.5,6). Parfois, il faut parler ; d’autres fois, il est préférable de se taire. En toute situation, nous trouvons la paix dans le fait que le Dieu qui nous a adoptés alors que nous étions des impies (RO 5.6) agit puissamment en nous. Comptons donc sur sa sagesse dans nos efforts pour transmettre l’amour de Christ.

Demandons à Dieu de nous aider à discerner comment manifester de l’amour en diverses situations.


© 2019 Ministères NPQ
Avez-vous déjà entendu l’expression « Ne nourrissez pas les trolls » ? Les « trolls » désignent un nouveau problème dans le monde numérique actuel : les usagers qui affichent des remarques délibérément incendiaires et blessantes sur les forums de discussion des médias d’actualités ou de réseaux sociaux.