Thursday, April 16, 2020

The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, April 17, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-complementary/2020/04/17?version=NIV

The Daily Lectionary
FRIDAY, April 17, 2020
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Fullness of joy
1  Keep me safe, my God,
     for in you I take refuge.

2  I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
     apart from you I have no good thing.”
3  I say of the holy people who are in the land,
     “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4  Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
     I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
     or take up their names on my lips.

5  Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
     you make my lot secure.
6  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
     surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7  I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
     even at night my heart instructs me.
8  I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
     With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
     my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
     nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
     you will fill me with joy in your presence,
     with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

The beloved in the garden
5:9 How is your beloved better than others,
     most beautiful of women?
   How is your beloved better than others,
     that you so charge us?

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
     outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is purest gold;
     his hair is wavy
     and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
     by the water streams,
   washed in milk,
     mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spice
     yielding perfume.
   His lips are like lilies
     dripping with myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold
     set with topaz.
   His body is like polished ivory
     decorated with lapis lazuli.
15 His legs are pillars of marble
     set on bases of pure gold.
   His appearance is like Lebanon,
     choice as its cedars.
16 His mouth is sweetness itself;
     he is altogether lovely.
   This is my beloved, this is my friend,
     daughters of Jerusalem.

6:1 Where has your beloved gone,
     most beautiful of women?
   Which way did your beloved turn,
     that we may look for him with you?

2  My beloved has gone down to his garden,
     to the beds of spices,
   to browse in the gardens
     and to gather lilies.
3  I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
     he browses among the lilies.

Witnesses to the risen Christ
15:1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

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 FRIDAY, April 17, 2020
Psalm 16; Song of Solomon 5:9—6:3; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, April 17, 2020

https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/common-prayer-liturgy-for-ordinary-radicals/shane-claiborne/9780310326199/pd/326199
The Daily Prayer
FRIDAY, April 17, 2020

On April 17, 1961, the CIA launched its Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s Communist government. When US President John F. Kennedy recognized this action of his own intelligence agency as an attempt to escalate the Cold War, he refused to send in US troops, saying that he would like to “splinter the CIA in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the wind.”

John Chrysostom, a fourth-century bishop of Constantinople, wrote, “Prayer is the light of the spirit, and the spirit, raised up to heaven by prayer, clings to God with the utmost tenderness. Like a child crying tearfully for its mother, it craves the milk that God provides. Prayer also stands before God as an honored ambassador. It gives joy to the spirit, peace to the heart. I speak of prayer, not words. It is the longing for God, love too deep for words, a gift not given by humans, but by God’s grace.”

Lord, we cup our hands to gather the pieces of heaven you shower upon us. Help us to open our hands with generous spirits and scatter your divine love in the darkest places. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, April 17, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/04/17?version=NIV

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 1

Listen to 1 Corinthians 1

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 - Viernes 17 de abril de 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/04/17

No vivas esclavo, declárate libre

Ahora bien, el Señor es el Espíritu; y donde está el Espíritu del Señor, allí hay libertad.

¿Cuántas personas que hoy leen este devocional se sienten atadas a los vicios?

Si es una atadura, es una esclavitud. Si lo sentimos cuando fuimos fumadores que queríamos un cigarrillo y nos desesperaba no tenerlo, no quiero ni imaginarme la ansiedad que produce que no tengas tu vicio y hasta dónde puedes llegar con tal de tenerlo.

Por eso es una atadura. Es una esclavitud. Así que Dios en este día quiere liberarte de cualquier vicio. No dudo que los grupos de ayuda sean excelentes. No obstante, si le pides perdón a Dios de corazón y le suplicas que te quite el deseo de drogarte, de beber, de estar en la pornografía o cualquier otra cosa, puedo declarar que muchos se liberarán hoy mismo y podrán testificar de manera milagrosa acerca del poder de Dios.

¡Anímate y acepta el reto de declararte libre!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¿Cuántas personas que hoy leen este devocional se sienten atadas a los vicios?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, April 17, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/04/17
THE ARMOR OF GOD

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

In the valley stood a ten-foot-tall giant, bellowing out threats against God’s people and mocking their God. “Send one man out to fight me,” he roared. “If I win, you will serve us. If he wins, we will be your slaves.”

If the physical presence of Goliath wasn’t daunting enough, the stakes for Israel were. It would be an all-or-nothing fight for the future of the people. On top of that, he mocked God. The fight would be a showdown between the giant’s pagan gods and the God of Israel.

Courageous David decided to face the monster. King Saul, looking at David’s physical disadvantage, insisted the young man take his armor. But David knew the spiritual battle was more crucial than the physical battle. Faith in God, not superior weaponry, would be his salvation. David stepped out in the name of God, and the giant fell.

Most of us are so focused on our physical circumstances that we fail to see the basic spiritual challenges before us. We spend our energies trying to make ends meet. We exhaust ourselves by constant activity. We are so distracted and frightened by what we see that we miss our chance to slay the giant. Instead, we find his foot on our neck.

Christian attempts to live victoriously in Christ when in a hostile environment could become frightening if we did not believe that God provides for us in every trial. The sovereign God of eternity knew every kind of attack the enemy would use before time began. And He has provided His spiritual armor—His Word, prayer and the Holy Spirit—so that we might be victorious when these attacks come against us. God has equipped you as a servant of Jesus Christ with these spiritual weapons, the resources you need to defeat the enemy and gain great victories for His kingdom.

Paul instructed Christian converts to put on the impenetrable armor of God—coverings God provides—so that we can stand victorious in every situation we face as we move forward confidently in the work God has called us to do. He also understood it to be a protective covering for the mind and spirit, ensuring that injuries to the body will not embitter or destroy the soul.

RESPONSE: Today I will take advantage of all the spiritual armor God provides for me to stand strong.

PRAYER: Help me Lord to not try and fight spiritual battles in my own strength but with the resources You freely provide.

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, April 17, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/men-of-the-bible/2020/04/17

Boaz

His name may mean: "In Strength"

His work: He was a wealthy landowner.
His character: Boaz was a capable and upright man, so touched by the loyalty and generosity of a young widow named Ruth that he responded to her with extraordinary generosity, playing the role of kinsman-redeemer for her and her mother-in-law, Naomi.
His triumph: To find a well-suited wife who blessed him with a son.
Key Scriptures: Ruth 2-4

A Look at the Man

Boaz was a good man going about his everyday work when God brought an unexpected blessing into his life. Evidently, he was someone of standing in Bethlehem, a man who may have been content with life the way it was. Nothing in the legal tradition of the time required him to show the degree of kindness he displayed toward Ruth, the young widow from Moab. Boaz went out of his way to act as her protector and provider while she worked in his fields.

But marrying this foreign-born woman was something altogether different, a commitment that would entitle her to a lifetime of his protection and provision. What's more, a firstborn son would not be considered his offspring but that of her first husband's. But when confronted with Ruth's request for marriage, Boaz responded in a way entirely consistent with his character, acting as though she were doing him the favor rather than the other way around.

As a result, Boaz was blessed with a wife who must have been a pleasure to live with and a son who would become the grandfather of King David. Boaz was the living embodiment of the person who heeds the counsel of Philippians 4:8-9: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…. And the God of peace will be with you."

The man who sought to be a blessing to a young woman in need is memorialized not only in the book of Ruth but also in the list of ancestors included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ contained in Matthew's gospel.

Reflect On: Ruth 2:12–19
Praise God: For rewarding the goodness of those who belong to him.
Offer Thanks: That God has given you the means by which to bless others.
Confess: Any selfishness in the way you approach your belongings.
Ask God: To increase your kindness and sensitivity toward others.

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.
Boaz was a good man going about his everyday work when God brought an unexpected blessing into his life.

LHM Daily Devotions April 17, 2020 - "Time Spent with God"

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200417

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Time Spent with God"

April 17, 2020

(The LORD said) "Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."

Some friends and I went fishing at a river.

After we had gathered to begin our trip, one of my friends requested that one of our party, a pastor friend, invoke the Name of the Lord. He requested we call upon the Lord to ask His protection for our trip.

With the respectful silence of everybody, the pastor did as he had been asked. We all wanted to get to fishing, but we felt it more important to ask God to be our unseen Friend, Guardian, and Leader on the trip.

To invoke the holy Name of God is to pray, praise, and thank Him in all situations. It is a joyful task Christians are encouraged and should be glad to do.

Of course, there are those of us who say we simply don't have the time to do as the Lord has asked.

The truth is if we are too busy to pray, we are too busy.

Now if you are saying, "Pastors don't have a clue as to the number of things we have to fit into our days, the ever-growing number of things which demand our attention."

Well, yes, a goodly share of clergy do understand.

Because we understand I'm providing a number of suggestions.

First, organize your schedule. And when you do, make sure you include some set-aside time for prayer.

Next, organize your priorities by keeping a written list of prayer commitments. Do your best to put your prayer life in a position where it's not always going to be a fund of minutes from which you can borrow to do other less-important and less-pressing matters.

Of course, we're not saying that God's people need to be tied to a specific format. The Scriptural command "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) is the directive that urges us on and the goal to which we aspire.

Even so, the thoughts offered here may be of help in making sure our prayers don't get lost and forgotten in an avalanche of stuff that never leaves us time to approach our Father in heaven. The reality is this. This is the one thing that needs to be done: we, as God's grateful people, should speak faithfully and regularly to our gracious Lord.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for the love of Jesus and the sacrifice He made so we might be saved, remain with us. Allow us to see Your blessings and give thanks. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1. Do you make time to regularly pray?

2. Do you think there are things God is just waiting to tell us—if only we would go to Him in prayer?

3. When have you experienced the power of prayer in your life?
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Egon M. Seibert who has served others through LHM's ministry center in Paraguay. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you make time to regularly pray?

Devocional CPTLN del 17 de abril de 2020 - "Tiempo pasado con Dios"


ALIMENTO DIARIO

Tiempo pasado con Dios

17 de Abril de 2020

[Dijo el Señor:] Clama a mí, y yo te responderé; te daré a conocer cosas grandes y maravillosas que tú no conoces.

Algunos amigos y yo nos íbamos a pescar a un río. Antes de comenzar nuestro viaje, uno de mis amigos le pidió a uno de los miembros del grupo, que era pastor, que invocara el Nombre del Señor para pedirle su protección para nuestro viaje. Con el respetuoso silencio de todos, el pastor hizo lo que le habían pedido. Todos queríamos ir a pescar, pero sentíamos que era más importante pedirle a Dios que fuera nuestro compañero, amigo y líder invisible en el viaje.

Invocar el santo Nombre de Dios es orar, alabar y agradecerle en todas las situaciones. Es una tarea alegre que se nos alienta a hacer y por la cual deberíamos estar contentos. Pero por supuesto que muchos pensamos que simplemente no tenemos tiempo para hacer lo que el Señor nos ha pedido. La verdad es, que si estamos demasiado ocupados para rezar, estamos demasiado ocupados.

Si eso te esta sucediendo a ti, a continuación hay algunas sugerencias que quizás puedan ayudarte.

Primero, organiza tu horario asegurándote de incluir un tiempo reservado para la oración.

Luego, organiza tus actividades según sus prioridades, manteniendo una lista escrita de motivos de oración. Haz todo lo que esté a tu alcance para no poner tu vida de oración al final de la lista, cuando tengas que robarle tiempo al tiempo para poder hacerlo.

Por supuesto que no estamos diciendo que los hijos de Dios necesiten estar atados a un formato específico de oración. El mandamiento bíblico de "orar sin cesar" (1 Tesalonicenses 5:17) es lo que nos insta hacerlo y la meta a la que aspiramos.

Aun así, las sugerencias aquí sugeridas pueden ser de ayuda para que nuestra vida de oración no se pierda o se olvide en medio de la avalancha de cosas que nunca nos deja tiempo para acercarnos a nuestro Padre en el cielo. Después de todo, es un gran privilegio poder hablar en todo momento y sobre todas las cosas con nuestro querido Padre celestial.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, por el amor de Jesús y el sacrificio que hizo para que podamos ser salvos, quédate con nosotros. Permítenos ver sus bendiciones y ser agradecidos. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Rev. Egon M. Seibert, colaborador de CPTLN Paraguay

Para reflexionar:
* ¿Crees que Dios está esperando que vayamos a Él en oración para decirnos ciertas cosas?

* ¿De qué manera o en qué momento has experimentado el poder de la oración en tu vida?
© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Crees que Dios está esperando que vayamos a Él en oración para decirnos ciertas cosas?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Có Thể Giúp Đỡ

https://vietnamese-odb.org/2020/04/17/co-the-giup-do/

Có Thể Giúp Đỡ

Đọc: Hê-bơ-rơ 2:14–18 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: II Sa-mu-ên 1-2; Lu-ca 14:1–24

Vì chính Ngài đã chịu khổ trong khi bị cám dỗ nên có thể giúp đỡ những ai bị cám dỗ.
— Hê-bơ-rơ 2:18

Joe là một nhân sự trong mục vụ chăm sóc những người gặp khủng hoảng tại một hội thánh ở New York, anh vừa trải qua đợt nghỉ kéo dài tám tuần, nhưng đó không phải là một kỳ nghỉ. Theo lời của anh, đó là “để một lần nữa sống giữa những người vô gia cư, để trở nên như họ, để nhớ cảm giác đói, mệt và bị lãng quên.” Lần đầu Joe sống trên đường phố là chín năm về trước khi anh từ Pittsburgh đến đây, chẳng có công việc hay nơi ở. Anh đã sống 13 ngày trên đường phố, hầu như không ăn và không ngủ gì nhiều. Đó là cách Chúa đã chuẩn bị anh cho nhiều thập niên cộng tác trong mục vụ giúp đỡ những người khó khăn.

Khi đến thế gian, Chúa Jêsus đã sống như những người mà Ngài đến để cứu. “Vì con cái thì cùng chung huyết nhục, nên chính Đức Chúa Jêsus cũng mang lấy huyết nhục giống như họ, để qua sự chết, Ngài tiêu diệt kẻ cầm quyền sự chết là ma quỷ” (Hê. 2:14). Từ khi giáng sinh đến khi chịu chết, Đấng Christ đã trải qua mọi kinh nghiệm của cuộc sống con người – ngoại trừ tội lỗi (4:15). Vì Ngài đã chiến thắng tội lỗi, nên Ngài có thể giúp đỡ khi chúng ta bị cám dỗ.

Và Chúa Jêsus không cần trải nghiệm lại những lo âu trần gian của chúng ta. Đấng cứu chúng ta vẫn gần gũi và vô cùng quan tâm đến chúng ta. Dù cuộc sống ra sao, hãy tin chắc rằng Đấng giải cứu chúng ta khỏi kẻ thù lớn nhất là ma quỷ (2:14), vẫn luôn sẵn sàng giúp đỡ những khi chúng ta cần nhất.
Bạn được khích lệ ra sao khi biết rằng Chúa Jêsus đã trở thành con người như chúng ta để hiểu và giúp đỡ chúng ta? Việc biết rằng Ngài thấu hiểu hoàn cảnh của chúng ta tạo nên sự khác biệt gì trong cuộc đời bạn lúc này?
Thưa Cha, xin giúp con nhớ rằng Ngài luôn sẵn sàng giúp đỡ con trong mọi lĩnh vực của cuộc đời.


© 2020 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Joe là một nhân sự trong mục vụ chăm sóc những người gặp khủng hoảng tại một hội thánh ở New York, anh vừa trải qua đợt nghỉ kéo dài tám tuần, nhưng đó không phải là một kỳ nghỉ. Theo lời của anh, đó là “để một lần nữa sống giữa những người vô gia cư, để trở nên như họ, để nhớ cảm giác đói, mệt và bị lãng quên.”