Tuesday, March 17, 2020

The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-complementary/2020/03/18?version=NIV
Psalm 81; Jeremiah 2:4-13; John 7:14-31, 37-39

The Daily Lectionary
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

We drink from the rock
1  Sing for joy to God our strength;
     shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
2  Begin the music, strike the timbrel,
     play the melodious harp and lyre.

3  Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
     and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4  this is a decree for Israel,
     an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5  When God went out against Egypt,
     he established it as a statute for Joseph.

   I heard an unknown voice say:

6  “I removed the burden from their shoulders;
     their hands were set free from the basket.
7  In your distress you called and I rescued you,
     I answered you out of a thundercloud;
     I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8  Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
     if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9  You shall have no foreign god among you;
     you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
     who brought you up out of Egypt.
   Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;
     Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
     to follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,
     if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies
     and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
     and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
     with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

God the living water
4  Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
     all you clans of Israel.

5 This is what the Lord says:

   “What fault did your ancestors find in me,
     that they strayed so far from me?
   They followed worthless idols
     and became worthless themselves.
6  They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
     who brought us up out of Egypt
   and led us through the barren wilderness,
     through a land of deserts and ravines,
   a land of drought and utter darkness,
     a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7  I brought you into a fertile land
     to eat its fruit and rich produce.
   But you came and defiled my land
     and made my inheritance detestable.
8  The priests did not ask,
     ‘Where is the Lord?’
   Those who deal with the law did not know me;
     the leaders rebelled against me.
   The prophets prophesied by Baal,
     following worthless idols.

9  “Therefore I bring charges against you again,”
   declares the Lord.
     “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
     send to Kedar and observe closely;
     see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
     (Yet they are not gods at all.)
   But my people have exchanged their glorious God
     for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
     and shudder with great horror,”
   declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
   They have forsaken me,
     the spring of living water,
   and have dug their own cisterns,
     broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Drink of Jesus the Messiah
7:14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

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 WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020
Psalm 81; Jeremiah 2:4-13; John 7:14-31, 37-39

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020

https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/common-prayer-liturgy-for-ordinary-radicals/shane-claiborne/9780310326199/pd/326199?event=ESRCG
The Daily Prayer
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020

Cyril of Jerusalem (315—386)

Cyril lived in the fourth century. His gift to the church was his refusal to separate good doctrine from good living, insisting that orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxis (right living) must be married. He was accused of selling some gifts from the emperor and giving the money to the poor. Cyril was condemned and forced into exile. He died in 386 at the age of seventy. Of his thirty-five years as a bishop, nearly sixteen were spent in exile.

Cyril of Jerusalem said, “The way of godliness consists of these two parts, pious doctrines, and good works. Neither are the doctrines acceptable to God without good works nor does God accept works accomplished otherwise than as linked with pious doctrines.”

Lord, not only in the roar of a hard rain, but in the dousing, dipping, drenching of our baptism, call us to live into that new life that is your resurrection. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/03/18?version=NIV

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Read all of Romans 15

Listen to Romans 15

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 WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020 - Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent


40 Days of Lenten Prayers
Day 19 - Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

God, you love me as your own child.
May I bend my life and will toward you
so that I might accept your teaching and guidance.
I am so grateful for your support in my life,
now and in the eternal life you are preparing for me.
I beg for your help and Spirit in my life today.
Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Miércoles 18 de marzo de 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/03/18

Hay esperanza

Y ahora, Señor, ¿qué esperanza me queda? ¡Mi esperanza he puesto en ti!

Tal como le sucedió a Fredy, nuestro amigo del devocional de ayer, la vida lo sorprendió. De un día para otro, cambió su vida. Por robarlo recibió ese disparo que le cambió su condición física. Y a lo mejor esto te pasó a ti. Tienes una condición similar y quizá se deba a un accidente, una enfermedad o una incapacidad de nacimiento que cambió tu vida por completo.

¿Estamos preparados para afrontarlo? ¿Cómo sería nuestra reacción emocional? En la mayoría de los casos, estas grandes calamidades nos hacen más sensibles, nos motivan a buscar más de Dios, a pedirle ayuda y, por qué no, un milagro.

Por alguna razón que no tengo respuesta, Dios en algunos casos obra con milagros impresionantes. Sin embargo, en otra gran cantidad de ocasiones no hay sanidad física.

Conozco casos cercanos, incluso en mi familia, donde he podido ver que Dios ha dejado seres muy queridos para mí con sus limitaciones. A pesar de eso, sé también que no es casualidad que esas personitas a quienes quiero tanto Dios las haya levantando en lo espiritual de una manera única y hoy en día son grandes líderes. Su fe y sus testimonios han acercado a más de uno a los pies de Cristo.

A decir verdad, siempre hay esperanza. No sé cuál sea tu limitación, ni cuál fue esa situación que cambió tu vida para siempre, pero recuerda que Dios tiene un propósito con tu vida y serás de apoyo para otros que viven, o vivirán, lo mismo que tú y podrás ayudarles al testificarles del amor de Dios.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Tal como le sucedió a Fredy, nuestro amigo del devocional de ayer, la vida lo sorprendió.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, March 18, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/03/18
VISIONS OF JESUS - MESSIAH

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Some of Jesus’ disciples took time to come to a place where they recognized this very human being they followed was also God. Interestingly, in Matthew’s account of their journey with Jesus, it was the calming of the terrible storm that finally convinced them. Jesus later told His disciples that people who have not seen His miracles and still believe are even more blessed. But still today, many people need a supernatural revelation to trust Him.

Throughout the Muslim world come reports of people having dreams and visions of Jesus. In this way, He becomes real to them and further reading of scripture confirms His status as Messiah and Savior.

Hedayat is an Iranian youth who had always been a good Muslim and practiced the rituals required by his faith, but he had never considered the message of the Quran to be very positive. An Armenian Christian friend of Hedayat sometimes shared a little with Hedayat about the Christian faith of his family. He didn’t say too much, because he did not want to get in trouble for it. But one day he gave Hedayat a movie, warning him to watch it when he was alone.

Watching the movie did not convince Hedayat of the Christian faith, nor his dream afterward. He says, “I had prayed the prayer at the end of the video, and then I had this dream. I saw a man in my house, standing before me. I saw marks in his wrists and feet, and I just knew this must be Jesus.”

Hedayat recalls after that, he had felt very confused and did not want to accept any of this. He realized that especially his older brother might become furious if he accepted the Christian faith. So he decided to block any thoughts about this and cut the relationship with his Armenian friend.

Although the Armenian tried to get in touch many times, Hedayat always refused. Four years later the Armenian believer mustered up courage and went to the electronics shop where Hedayat worked. Walking up to his old friend, he shoved a small present over the counter.

“I will never forget you and will always pray for you,” the Christian said. Then he turned around and left the shop, leaving Hedayat astonished.

“From the size of the package, I thought it was a pocket-diary. But it turned out to be a New Testament,” Hedayat remembers. “At the moment I unpacked it, I felt anger coming up because he was chasing me with his Christianity! I put it away, but in the evening I became curious and wondered if I could discover if the Bible indeed was corrupted, as I was told.”

So Hedayat started reading Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After a few months, Hedayat contacted his Armenian friend at the phone number that was on a little note in the Bible. The Word of God had convinced him that there was no Mehdi coming, as Iranian Shias believe, but that it was Jesus the Messiah he should be expecting. Through his friend, he was soon welcomed into a house church and discipled.

RESPONSE: Today I will thank God for His Son revealed through His Word which is enough for me.

PRAYER: Pray for many more who see Jesus in dreams and visions to come to a place of acceptance.

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

LHM Daily Devotions March 18, 2020 - CAST OUT, BROUGHT NEAR

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200318

"CAST OUT, BROUGHT NEAR"

March 18, 2020

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you." He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped Him.

Yesterday we looked at the story of the blind man Jesus healed. His story didn't end with the healing, unfortunately. Because the whole thing happened on the Sabbath day, the Pharisees poked their noses in. They forced the man to give an account of his healing. And when they couldn't believe his story, they brought his parents in to testify.

The man's family was understandably scared. As John explains, "they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue" (John 9:22b). Faced with ex-communication, they chickened out. "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself" (John 9:20b-21).

How horrible, to be abandoned by your family! But the newly healed man had courage. He went on telling the truth about what Jesus did—and got kicked out.

Abandoned by family, abandoned by the church—these are things that should never happen to anybody. But they do happen, and to far too many people, even today. They may have happened to you. If so, you know the devastation.

Jesus did, too. And so the first thing He did when He heard about it was to search out the man and make sure he was okay. Notice—God Himself went looking for this man who had been abandoned and excommunicated. And when He found him, He brought him into a different kind of community—the community of the children of God, those who belong to Jesus and will never ever be abandoned by Him.

If you are facing abandonment, run to Jesus. He can help, and He will. His heart hurts for yours. Cling to Him with all your might. He lay down His life for you. You can be absolutely sure He will never let you go.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help those who are alone and abandoned, and bring them close to You. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
  1. Do you know anyone rejected by family or church?
  2. When, if ever, have you felt alone and outcast?
  3. How do you find help in the Lord during those times?

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 know anyone rejected by family or church?

Devocional CPTLN del 18 de marzo de 2020 - Expulsado y recibido de nuevo


ALIMENTO DIARIO

Expulsado y recibido de nuevo

18 de Marzo de 2020

Jesús supo que lo habían expulsado [al ciego], así que cuando lo halló le dijo: "¿Crees tú en el Hijo de Dios?" Él le respondió: "Señor, ¿y quién es, para que crea en él?" Jesús le dijo: "Pues ya lo has visto, y es el que habla contigo." Y él dijo: "Creo, Señor." Y lo adoró.

Ayer vimos la historia del ciego que Jesús sanó. Desafortunadamente, su historia no terminó con la curación. Debido a que todo sucedió en el día de reposo, los fariseos tuvieron que meter la nariz forzando al hombre a dar cuenta de su curación. Y como no podían creer su historia, llevaron a sus padres a testificar.

La familia del hombre estaba asustada. Dice Juan: "Tenían miedo de los judíos, pues éstos ya habían acordado expulsar de la sinagoga a quien confesara que Jesús era el Mesías" (v 22). Ante la excomunión, se acobardaron. "Sabemos que éste es nuestro hijo, y que nació ciego; lo que no sabemos es cómo es que ahora ve, y tampoco sabemos quién le abrió los ojos. Pero pregúntenle a él, que ya es mayor de edad y puede hablar por sí mismo" (vv 20-21).

¡Qué horrible ser abandonado por tus propios padres! Pero el recién sanado tenía coraje, por lo que continuó diciendo la verdad sobre lo que Jesús había hecho, y fue expulsado.

Ser abandonado por la familia o por la iglesia son cosas que nunca deberían pasarle a nadie. Pero suceden y a muchos, incluso hoy.

Jesús también lo vivió; por eso, lo primero que hizo cuando se enteró de lo que había pasado fue ir a buscar al hombre y asegurarse de que estaba bien. ¡Dios mismo fue a buscar a quien había sido abandonado y excomulgado! Y cuando lo encontró, lo llevó a la comunidad de los hijos de Dios, de los que pertenecen a Jesús y que nunca serán abandonados por él.

Si te enfrentas al abandono, corre hacia Jesús. Él puede ayudarte, y lo hará. Su corazón se duele por el tuyo. Aférrate a él con todas tus fuerzas. Él da su vida por ti. Puedes estar absolutamente seguro de que él nunca te dejará ir.

ORACIÓN: Señor Jesús, ayuda a los que están solos y abandonados y acércalos a ti. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:
  1. ¿Conoces a alguien rechazado por la familia o la iglesia?
  2. ¿Cuándo, si alguna vez, te has sentido solo y marginado?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Conoces a alguien rechazado por la familia o la iglesia?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Cartas para casa

https://paodiario.org/2020/03/18/cartas-para-casa/

Cartas para casa

Leia: Neemias 8:5-12 | A Bíblia em um ano: DEUTERONÔMIO 32–34; MARCOS 15:26-47

Liam o Livro da Lei de Deus […] explicavam com clareza o significado do que era lido…
— Neemias 8:8

Longe de casa e treinando para a Segunda Guerra Mundial, os recrutas usavam o humor e as cartas que recebiam e escreviam para lidar com os desafios que enfrentavam. Em uma carta, um jovem descreveu o processo de vacinação com admirável exagero: “Dois oficiais médicos nos caçaram com arpões, nos agarraram, nos pregaram ao chão e nos furaram os braços”.

No entanto, um soldado começou a perceber que o humor só lhe servia de apoio até certo ponto. Nessa altura, ele recebeu uma Bíblia. “Gostei muito e eu a leio toda as noites. Nunca imaginei que alguém poderia aprender tanto com ela”, escreveu.

Há muito tempo, os judeus voltaram para casa após anos de escravidão na Babilônia e descobriram que os seus problemas os acompanharam. Enquanto tentavam reconstruir os muros de Jerusalém, enfrentaram inimigos, fome e seu próprio pecado. Em meio aos problemas, se voltaram para a Palavra de Deus. Ficaram surpresos com o que aprenderam. Quando os sacerdotes liam o Livro da Lei de Deus, o povo chorava (v.9). No entanto, encontraram o consolo também. Neemias lhes disse: “Não fiquem tristes, pois a alegria do Senhor é sua força” (v.10).

Não precisamos esperar pelos problemas para ouvir a voz de Deus. Na Bíblia, aprendemos sobre Ele, Seu perdão e consolo. Lendo-a, seremos surpreendidos com o que o Espírito de Deus nos mostrará em suas páginas.
Senhor, obrigado por nos ensinares diariamente mais sobre ti.
A Bíblia nos ajuda a nos vermos como realmente somos e, também, a vermos o quanto Deus nos ama.


© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Longe de casa e treinando para a Segunda Guerra Mundial, os recrutas usavam o humor e as cartas que recebiam e escreviam para lidar com os desafios que enfrentavam.