Sunday, March 1, 2020

The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, March 2, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-complementary/2020/03/02?version=NIV
Psalm 32; 1 Kings 19:1-8; Hebrews 2:10-18

The Daily Lectionary
MONDAY, March 2, 2020
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Mercy embraces us
1  Blessed is the one
     whose transgressions are forgiven,
     whose sins are covered.
2  Blessed is the one
     whose sin the Lord does not count against them
     and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3  When I kept silent,
     my bones wasted away
     through my groaning all day long.
4  For day and night
     your hand was heavy on me;
   my strength was sapped
     as in the heat of summer.

5  Then I acknowledged my sin to you
     and did not cover up my iniquity.
   I said, “I will confess
     my transgressions to the Lord.”
   And you forgave
     the guilt of my sin.

6  Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
     while you may be found;
   surely the rising of the mighty waters
     will not reach them.
7  You are my hiding place;
     you will protect me from trouble
     and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
     I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9  Do not be like the horse or the mule,
     which have no understanding
   but must be controlled by bit and bridle
     or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
     but the Lord’s unfailing love
     surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
     sing, all you who are upright in heart!

An angel feeds Elijah in the wilderness
19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

Christ goes before us in suffering
2:10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says,

   “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
     in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

13 And again,

   “I will put my trust in him.”

And again he says,

   “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Daily Lectionary is a three-year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2019 was Year C. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, March 2, 2020
Psalm 32; 1 Kings 19:1-8; Hebrews 2:10-18

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, March 2, 2020

https://www.amazon.com/Common-Prayer-Liturgy-Ordinary-Radicals/dp/0310326192
The Daily Prayer
MONDAY, March 2, 2020

Twentieth-century nun and philosopher Edith Stein asked, “Do you want to be totally united to the Crucified? If you are serious about this, you will be present, by the power of His Cross, at every front, at every place of sorrow, bringing to those who suffer, healing and salvation.”

Sometimes we don’t realize the intensity of the things for which we pray, Lord. Keep us courageously mindful that your way is laden with tears on the way to resurrection. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, March 2, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/03/02?version=NIV

Job 23:10-11
But he knows the way that I take;
  when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
My feet have closely followed his steps;
  I have kept to his way without turning aside.
Read all of Job 23

Listen to Job 23

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Lenten Prayer for MONDAY, March 2, 2020 - Monday of the First Week of Lent


40 Days of Lenten Prayers
Day 5 - Monday of the First Week of Lent

Loving God, you call us back to you with all of our hearts. I feel your call for me deep in my heart and I know you want me back as much as I want to return.

Please, Lord, give me the wisdom to know how to return. Make my journey back to you this Lent one of grace, forgiveness and gentle love. Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Lunes 02 de marzo de 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/03/02

La gran lección de la vida

El Señor está cerca de los quebrantados de corazón, y salva a los de espíritu abatido.

La posibilidad de conocerles a cada uno de ustedes y de escuchar sus historias, me ha dado un gran crecimiento. He visto que lo que he vivido no da ni al tobillo para lo que tienen que vivir día tras día hombres y mujeres en el mundo que están en esas horribles cárceles.

He visto de cerca el ambiente que se vive allí. Incluso, he notado la frialdad de las personas que trabajan en ese lugar y que no se conmueven ante el dolor de una madre.

No obstante, también he visto hombres y mujeres de Dios que, dejando sus familias y sus días de descanso, desempeñan el gran trabajo como «capellanes» al llevar a una sola voz la verdad de Dios a esas vidas que claman por perdón.

Gracias a cada uno de ustedes. Gracias a todos los que han dejando sus prejuicios que van a las cárceles llevando esperanza y amor a los que más lo necesitan. Me queda la enorme satisfacción de saber que hay mucho por hacer y que tú y yo podemos ser esas lámparas que se enciendan en esos lugares.

También aprendí que hoy esas personas están allá, pero a cualquiera de nosotros nos podría pasar. A cualquiera de nuestros jóvenes, esposos, esposas les podrían suceder.

En fin, no seamos indiferentes a la necesidad. Si Dios te ha inquietado a trabajar de cerca para los presos, no dejes pasar más tiempo y únete a la causa.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Si Dios te ha inquietado a trabajar de cerca para los presos, no dejes pasar más tiempo y únete a la causa.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, March 2, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/03/02
LIVING CHRIST IN THE FAMILY

All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about Grandfather,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.” So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?”

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening, the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days, he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy, godly home atmosphere, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives.

The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for their children’s future.

RESPONSE: Today I will purpose to live a life that exemplifies to everyone the love of Jesus…especially in my home.

PRAYER: Help me, Lord, to be a positive Christ-like impact on members of the younger generation.

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, March 2, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/women-of-the-bible/2020/03/02

The Mothers of Moses

Jochabed

Her name means: "The Lord Is Glory"

Her character: Her fierce love for her son, coupled with her faith, enabled her to act heroically in the midst of great oppression.
Her sorrow: To live in bondage as a slave.
Her joy: That God not only preserved the son she surrendered to him but that he restored her child to her.
Key Scriptures: Exodus 2:1-10; Hebrews 11:23

Pharaoh's Daughter

Her character: The Jewish people honor men and women whom they designate as "righteous Gentiles." These are people who, though nonbelievers, have assisted God's people in some significant way. Surely, Pharaoh's daughter should top the list of righteous Gentiles, courageously and compassionately delivering a child from death, a child who would one day act as Israel's great deliverer.
Her sorrow: That her adopted son, whom she had taken care of for forty years, had to flee his home in Egypt in order to escape Pharaoh's wrath.
Key Scriptures: Exodus 2:1-10

Their Story

Three hundred years after the death of the patriarch Joseph, a baby boy was born in Egypt, his lusty cries muffled by a woman's sobs. Jochebed's heart was a tangle of joy and fear. This son, his fingers forming a tiny fist against her breast, was so striking a child she hardly believed he was hers. Tenderly she raised the small hand to her mouth, pressing its warmth to her lips. Her gesture calmed them both. She could feel the stiffness in her back dissolving, her muscles relaxing as she watched the night shadows evaporate in the morning's light.

Slave though she was, she was yet a Levite, a woman who belonged to the God of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Rebekah, of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. She knew the stories. She believed the promises. God was faithful. Hadn't her people already grown as numerous as the sand of the sea, just as he said they would?

In fact, the Israelites were so numerous that the pharaohs feared they might one day welcome an invading army and betray the nation from within. Over time, the Egyptians had tightened their grip, finally enslaving the Israelites, until Pharaoh's paranoia produced an even greater evil—a command to murder each Hebrew male child emerging from the womb. But the Hebrew midwives feared God more than the king and refused to follow his orders, excusing themselves by claiming that Hebrew women were stronger than Egyptian women, giving birth before the midwives even arrived.

So Pharaoh commanded his soldiers to search out and smother every newborn male in the waters of the Nile. Jochebed could hear the screams of the mothers echoing regularly across the Hebrew camp as their children were torn from them. Her arms tightened around her own child as he slept quietly against her breast. This one, she vowed, would never be fodder for the Egyptian river god. She and her husband, Amram, would pray. They would plan. And they would trust God to help them.

For three months, as long as she dared, she hid the infant, managing to keep Miriam and three-year-old Aaron quiet about their new baby brother. Finally, she acted on an idea that had been growing in her mind. Pharaoh had commanded her to consign her son to the Nile River. All right then. Her own hands would put him into the water.

Remembering how God had spared the child Isaac on the mountain of sacrifice, she bent down and laid her son in a basket of papyrus, waterproofed with tar and pitch. Then, with a whispered prayer and a last caress, she wiped her eyes, begging God to preserve her baby from the crocodiles that swarmed the river.

She could not bear to watch as the child drifted away from her. Instead, young Miriam kept vigil, following at a distance to see what would become of him.

Soon Pharaoh's daughter arrived at the riverbank with some of her attendants. Spotting the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave girl to fetch it. As soon as she beheld the brown-eyed baby, she loved him. The river had brought her a child whom she would cherish as her own. She could not save all the innocent children, but she could spare one mother's son.

Was she surprised when a young slave girl, Miriam, approached, asking whether she could go after a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for her? Did she suspect the truth when Jochebed gathered the boy in her arms, this time as his nursemaid?

Whatever was in her mind, Pharaoh's daughter named the child Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water." For the next forty years, she educated him, a prince in the courts of Pharaoh himself.

God kept Moses safe in the midst of extraordinary evil and danger—first in crocodile-infested waters and then when he was growing up right under Pharaoh's nose. And he used the Egyptians to protect and educate him in ways that must have made Moses even more effective in his eventual role as his people's deliverer.

Year after year, Jochebed would surely have reflected on the marvelous faithfulness of God. Her ingenuity, courage, and faith should inspire even the most weak-kneed among us.

Two women—a slave and a princess—preserved the life of Israel's future deliverer and so preserved the entire Jewish race.

Their Promise

Moses' mother, Jochebed, had one thing in mind when hiding her son and leaving him in a basket in the river. Her goal was to preserve his life for one more day, one more hour, one more moment. She could not have known how God planned to work in her life or in the life of her son. Nor did she realize he was putting into place a divine plan to rescue his people from the very oppression she was resisting.

God's ways are beautiful in the extreme. He uses the devoted, intense love of a mother for her child to bring freedom to an entire race. Like Jochebed, our goal should be to hang on, trusting that God has his own purpose at work and that we and our children are part of it.

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.
Three hundred years after the death of the patriarch Joseph, a baby boy was born in Egypt, his lusty cries muffled by a woman's sobs.…

LHM Daily Devotions March 2, 2020 - SIGNS

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200302

"SIGNS"

Mar. 2, 2020

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee ... When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." ... Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." ... When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, (he said) "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.

When God called Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, He gave him the ability to do three signs so people would know God had sent him. Moses' stick could turn into a snake; his hand could turn leprous, and he could turn water into blood.

I don't know about you, but I am infinitely grateful that Jesus' first sign was a happy one!

I suppose it makes sense if you think about it. Moses was coming to speak to a king who refused to let his slaves go, in spite of plague after plague, disaster after disaster. It makes sense that the opening "signs" Moses gave would be ominous, scary, threatening. They were a foretaste of the things to come.

Jesus' first sign is also a foretaste of the things to come—both for Him and for us. The wine He made for this village wedding foreshadows the wine of the heavenly banquet in the kingdom of God. It is a sign of celebration to come.

But it is more than that. We can hardly avoid being reminded of the Communion wine—of Jesus' blood, shed for us on the cross. And so this sign reminds us of the price Jesus paid to free us from death and evil—and of the joy we have with Him as we share His resurrected, eternal life.

THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please bring many more people to celebrate with You at the heavenly banquet. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
  1. Do you like parties? Why or why not?
  2. Have you ever had to deal with a crisis at a celebration or party you planned?
  3. If God had told you to choose Jesus' first miracle, what would it have been, and why?

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).
Do you like parties? Why or why not?

Devocional CPTLN del 02 de marzo de 2020 - Señales


ALIMENTO DIARIO

Señales

02 de Marzo de 2020

También Jesús y sus discípulos fueron invitados a la boda. Cuando se terminó el vino, la madre de Jesús le dijo: "Ya no tienen vino." Jesús les dijo: "Llenen de agua estas tinajas." Y las llenaron hasta arriba. El catador probó el agua hecha vino... Entonces llamó al esposo, y le dijo: "...¡tú has reservado el buen vino hasta ahora!" Este principio de señales hizo Jesús en Caná de Galilea, y manifestó su gloria; y sus discípulos creyeron en él.

Cuando Dios llamó a Moisés para que sacara al pueblo de Israel de Egipto, le dio la capacidad de hacer tres señales para que el pueblo supiera que Dios lo había enviado: el bastón de Moisés podía convertirse en una serpiente; su mano podía volverse leprosa; y él podía convertir el agua en sangre.

No sé qué piensas tú, pero yo doy gracias porque la primera señal de Jesús trajo alegría.

Moisés iba a hablar con un rey que, a pesar de experimentar peste tras peste y desastre tras desastre, se negaba a dejar ir a sus esclavos. Tiene sentido que las "señales" iniciales que dio Moisés hayan sido siniestras, aterradoras y amenazantes. Eran un anticipo de las cosas por venir.

La primera señal de Jesús es también un anticipo de lo que vendrá, tanto para él como para nosotros. El vino que Jesús milagrosamente hizo para esa boda en Caná de Galilea anuncia el vino del banquete celestial en el reino de Dios. Es una señal de la celebración que vendrá.

Pero es más que eso. Difícilmente podemos evitar que el vino de la boda nos recuerde el vino de la Comunión, la sangre de Jesús, derramada por nosotros en la cruz. Y así, esta señal nos recuerda el precio que Jesús pagó para liberarnos de la muerte y el mal, y del gozo que tenemos con él al compartir su vida eterna y resucitada.

ORACIÓN: Querido Jesús, oramos para que muchas más personas lleguen a celebrar contigo en el banquete celestial. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:
  1. ¿Alguna vez has tenido que lidiar con una crisis en una celebración o fiesta?
  2. Si Dios te dijera que elijas el primer milagro de Jesús, ¿cuál sería y por qué?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez has tenido que lidiar con una crisis en una celebración o fiesta?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Un appel à partir

https://notrepainquotidien.org/2020/03/02/un-appel-a-partir/

Un appel à partir

Lisez : Matthieu 4.18-22
La Bible en un an : Nombres 26 – 28 ; Marc 8

Aussitôt, ils laissèrent les filets, et le suivirent.

Jeune femme, je m’imaginais mariée avec mon copain du lycée, jusqu’à ce que nous nous laissions. Mon avenir me semblait vide et je ne savais pas trop quoi faire de ma vie. J’ai fini par avoir le sentiment que Dieu m’appelait à le servir en servant les autres et je me suis inscrite dans un séminaire. Puis la réalité m’a rattrapée : j’allais devoir me déraciner, quitter mes amis et ma famille. Pour répondre à l’appel de Dieu, je devais partir.

Jésus longeait la mer de Galilée quand il a aperçu Pierre et son frère André en train de jeter leurs filets à l’eau, pour pêcher de quoi assurer leur subsistance. Il les a invités ainsi : « Suivez-moi, et je vous ferai pêcheurs d’hommes » (MT 4.19). Puis Jésus a vu deux autres pêcheurs, Jacques et son frère Jean, et leur a fait une même invitation (V. 21,22).

Lorsque ces disciples sont venus à Jésus, ils ont aussi laissé quelque chose derrière eux. Pierre et André « laissèrent les filets » (V. 22). Luc en parle ainsi : « Et, ayant ramené les barques à terre, ils laissèrent tout, et le suivirent » (LU 5.11). 

Tout appel à venir à Jésus inclut un appel à quitter quelque chose. Filets. Barque. Père. Amis. Demeure. Dieu nous appelle tous à entretenir une relation avec lui. Puis il nous appelle tous à le servir en servant les autres.
Dieu d’amour, aide-moi à comprendre ce à quoi je pourrais avoir à renoncer afin d’obéir à ton appel.
Nous devons être prêts à suivre Dieu où qu’il nous conduise, même s’il nous faut pour cela laisser derrière nous tout ce qui nous est familier.


© 2020 Ministères NPQ
Jeune femme, je m’imaginais mariée avec mon copain du lycée, jusqu’à ce que nous nous laissions.