Tuesday, May 26, 2020

The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-complementary/2020/05/27?version=NIV

The Daily Lectionary
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020
Psalm 99; 1 Kings 8:54-65; John 3:31-36
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Priests and people praise God
1  The Lord reigns,
     let the nations tremble;
   he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
     let the earth shake.
2  Great is the Lord in Zion;
     he is exalted over all the nations.
3  Let them praise your great and awesome name—
     he is holy.

4  The King is mighty, he loves justice—
     you have established equity;
   in Jacob you have done
     what is just and right.
5  Exalt the Lord our God
     and worship at his footstool;
     he is holy.

6  Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
     Samuel was among those who called on his name;
   they called on the Lord
     and he answered them.
7  He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
     they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

8  Lord our God,
     you answered them;
   you were to Israel a forgiving God,
     though you punished their misdeeds.
9  Exalt the Lord our God
     and worship at his holy mountain,
     for the Lord our God is holy.

Solomon offers sacrifice
8:54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.

64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.

65 So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all.

The Son and the Father
3:31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

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, May 27, 2020
Psalm 99; 1 Kings 8:54-65; John 3:31-36

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020

https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/common-prayer-liturgy-for-ordinary-radicals/shane-claiborne/9780310326199/pd/326199
The Daily Prayer
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020

Rahab

Rahab’s story is found in the book of Joshua. Rahab was a prostitute who hid Hebrew spies in her home while they were on a reconnaissance mission in Jericho. Fearing the God of Israel more than her own king, Rahab agreed to help the spies if they would protect her and her family when God delivered her city to them. Though she is an unlikely saint, Rahab is remembered by the authors of Matthew, Hebrews, and James as a faithful witness and an ancestor of Jesus. Her story is a reminder that sinners make the best saints in God’s story.

In his Rule for monastic community, Benedict of Nursia wrote, “Any guest who happens to arrive at the monastery should be received just as we would receive Christ himself because he promised that on the last day he will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Proper respect should be shown to everyone while a special welcome is reserved for those who are of the household of our Christian faith and for pilgrims. As soon as the arrival of a guest is announced, the superior and members of the community should hurry to offer a welcome with warm-hearted courtesy. First of all, they should pray together so as to seal their encounter in the peace of Christ. Prayer should come first and then the kiss of peace, so to evade any delusions which the devil may contrive.”

Lord, you receive all of us sinners, asking only that we turn from death toward life. Today we choose life wherever we find a stranger and welcome her. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/05/27?version=NIV

Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Read all of Acts 20

Listen to Acts 20

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 - Miércoles 27 de mayo de 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/05/27

Semana de celebración: El nuevo día

¡Despierta, alma mía! ¡Despierten, arpa y lira! ¡Haré despertar al nuevo día!

Sé que después de esta semana de celebración tú y yo tendremos un corazón muy agradecido por Dios. Seremos capaces de recordar todo lo grande que es nuestro Padre y todo lo hermoso que es Él.

Hoy celebramos que tenemos un día más de vida, que a Dios le plació que nos levantáramos, que respiráramos, que hoy es una nueva oportunidad para reparar lo que se dañó, que hoy, como te lo he dicho otras veces, la misericordia de Dios es nueva. Celebramos que hoy puede ser el día en que alcancemos esos sueños o lleguemos por fin a la meta tan esperada.

Hoy es un nuevo día en el que nuestro Señor tiene preparada cosas hermosas. Recuerda que Él siempre quiere lo mejor para nosotros.

Ánimo, levántate con la expectativa de dejarte sorprender hoy por Dios.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy celebramos que tenemos un día más de vida.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, May 27, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/05/27
DEFEATING THE ENEMY’S ATTACKS

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Ung Sophal established eight house churches in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the surrounding provinces. He and his wife lost their third and youngest child during the Pol Pot genocide. After many close calls, he was separated from his wife and children and sent to work in the fields. During these very difficult times, he still was able to lead sixty-five people to Jesus and even water baptize them. God miraculously spared his life on numerous occasions.

When the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in 1979, Ung Sophal was able to return to Phnom Penh. It was now a ghost town. With a handful of other Christians, he started a house church, which grew from five members to six hundred in eight months.

That Christmas he invited some Christians to his home for a fellowship—including some Christian westerners working for aid organizations. Two weeks later he was arrested for this “illegal” activity and accused of holding a political meeting with CIA participation.

He was interrogated for days and beaten severely. When the interrogation proved profitless, he was left in prison for five months chained hand and foot. He lost seventy-five pounds and was very sick but he heard the Lord instruct him to fast and be silent for three days.

The authorities became alarmed at the end of his fast and took him to the hospital thinking he was dying. There he constantly heard the sounds of other people being tortured with electricity and being beaten and kicked. “Even without the beatings it was very hard,” he said, “I had a taste of hell, but God protected me.”

Ung Sophal was successfully treated by a Cuban doctor who was also a Christian (God has his people everywhere). One night when the electricity went out because of a tropical storm, the doctor helped Ung escape. Later he fled with his wife and children to Thailand and spent ten years ministering to other Cambodian exiles—the last five years as a widower.

In 1990, as restrictions against Christianity began to be eased in Cambodia, Ung made his first visit back to his homeland to encourage and teach the church. Word of his return spread quickly and three hundred people came to see him. He is eager for the task ahead. “I want to build my people,” he said. “God has a great work yet to do in Cambodia.”

RESPONSE: Today I will stand strong in Jesus’ strength no matter what Satan throws at me or against me.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for encouraging testimonies of faithful people like Ung Sophal. Continue to grow Your Church in Cambodia, I pray.

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 - May 27, 2020 - "One Gift for One Reason"

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200527

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"One Gift for One Reason"

May 27, 2020

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. ... But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. ... And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.'

Imagine the scene. You've got dozens of people cooped up in a house in Jerusalem, including the eleven disciples, the women who visited the tomb, Jesus' mother Mary, and any number of other hangers-on. They've all been together more or less since the resurrection (allowing some time for travel to Galilee and back). And now they are just waiting—waiting for Jesus to keep His promise and send the Holy Spirit.

But then the day came. And all of them, young or old, great or small, male or female, shared in the exact same gift. God made no divisions among His people. The sound of the wind filled the whole house, not just part of it. The "divided tongues" were like flames taken from a single fire and rested on every one of them. They all received the same Holy Spirit.

God makes no divisions among us today, either. If you are a believer in Jesus, you have received the Holy Spirit He promised us. Your sins are forgiven and your shame is taken away, because you belong to Jesus, who died and rose for you. It doesn't matter if you are a pastor or a layperson, rich and educated or poor and illiterate. You belong to God; you share in the Holy Spirit, and He will use you in the ways He has planned for your life.

And why would God do this? Peter explains. God did it so that "everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." God can use every Christian, even you, to share the Good News of Jesus with others. It doesn't matter if you feel like you don't know what to say. The Holy Spirit will deal with your heart and your tongue and teach you what to say. All He wants from you is a willing heart.

So try Him! Ask Him to send you someone who needs to know about Jesus. Ask the Spirit to show you exactly what you should do and say. If you're scared, tell the Spirit that, too. He is very gentle with us. And then wait and see what He does.

THE PRAYER: Lord Holy Spirit, please live in me and use me to bring others to Jesus. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1. How and when did you become a believer in Jesus?

2. How have you seen the Holy Spirit working in your life?

3. Have you ever talked to anybody about Jesus? What was it like?
This Daily Devotion was 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).
How and when did you become a believer in Jesus?

Devocional CPTLN del 27 de mayo de 2020 - Un regalo por una razón


ALIMENTO DIARIO

Un regalo por una razón

27 de Mayo de 2020

Cuando llegó el día de Pentecostés, todos ellos estaban juntos y en el mismo lugar. De repente, un estruendo como de un fuerte viento vino del cielo, y sopló y llenó toda la casa donde se encontraban. Entonces aparecieron unas lenguas como de fuego, que se repartieron y fueron a posarse sobre cada uno de ellos. Todos ellos fueron llenos del Espíritu Santo, y comenzaron a hablar en otras lenguas, según el Espíritu los llevaba a expresarse ... Entonces Pedro se puso de pie, junto con los otros once, y con potente voz dijo: «Varones judíos, y ustedes, habitantes todos de Jerusalén, sepan esto, y entiendan bien mis palabras. Contra lo que ustedes suponen, estos hombres no están borrachos, pues apenas son las nueve de la mañana. Más bien, esto es lo que dijo el profeta Joel: »Dios ha dicho: En los últimos días derramaré de mi Espíritu sobre toda la humanidad. Los hijos y las hijas de ustedes profetizarán; sus jóvenes tendrán visiones y sus ancianos tendrán sueños. En esos días derramaré de mi Espíritu sobre mis siervos y mis siervas, y también profetizarán ... Y todo el que invoque el nombre del Señor será salvo.

Imagina la escena. Tienes a docenas de personas encerradas en una casa en Jerusalén, incluidos los once discípulos, las mujeres que visitaron la tumba, la madre de Jesús, María, y muchos otros allegados. Todos han estado juntos más o menos desde la resurrección (permitiendo algo de tiempo para viajar a Galilea y de regreso). Y ahora están esperando: esperando que Jesús cumpla su promesa y envíe el Espíritu Santo.

Y entonces llega el día y todos, jóvenes y viejos, grandes y pequeños, hombres y mujeres, compartieron exactamente el mismo regalo. Dios no hizo divisiones entre su pueblo. El sonido del viento llenó toda la casa, no solo parte de ella. Las "lenguas divididas" eran como llamas tomadas de un solo fuego, y descansaban sobre cada uno de ellos. Todos recibieron el mismo Espíritu Santo.

Dios tampoco hace divisiones entre nosotros hoy. Si crees en Jesús, has recibido el Espíritu Santo que él prometió. Tus pecados son perdonados y tu vergüenza es quitada, porque perteneces a Jesús, quien murió y resucitó por ti. No importa si eres pastor o laico, rico y educado o pobre y analfabeto. Al pertenecer a Dios compartes en el Espíritu Santo, y Él te usará de la manera que ha planeado para tu vida.

¿Por qué Dios haría esto? Pedro lo explica. Dios lo hace para que 'todos los que invoquen el Nombre del Señor sean salvos'. Dios puede usar a cada cristiano, incluso a ti, para compartir las Buenas Nuevas de Jesús con otros. No importa si sientes que no sabes qué decir. El Espíritu Santo se encargará de que tu corazón y lengua sepan qué decir. Todo lo que quiere de ti es un corazón dispuesto.

¡Así que pruébalo! Pídele que te envíe a alguien que necesita saber acerca de Jesús. Pídele al Espíritu que te muestre exactamente lo que debes hacer y decir. Si tienes miedo, díselo al Espíritu también. luego espera y mira lo que hace.

ORACIÓN: Espíritu Santo, vive en mí y úsame para llevar a otros a Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:
* ¿De qué formas ves al Espíritu Santo trabajando en tu vida?

* ¿Alguna vez has hablado con alguien sobre Jesús? ¿Cómo te fue?
© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿De qué formas ves al Espíritu Santo trabajando en tu vida?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Testemunhando o amor de Deus

https://paodiario.org/2020/05/27/testemunhando-o-amor-de-deus

Testemunhando o amor de Deus

Escritura de hoje: Romanos 12:9-18
Bíblia em um ano: 2 Crônicas 1–3; João 10:1-23

…ajudem com prontidão. Estejam sempre dispostos a praticar a hospitalidade.
— Romanos 12:13

Meu marido saiu para uma viagem de um mês e, quase imediatamente, senti-me sobrecarregada com o meu trabalho, a casa e nossos filhos. O prazo para entregar um artigo. O cortador de grama quebrado. Meus filhos em férias e entediados. Como cuidaria de tudo sozinha?

Logo percebi que não estava só. Amigos da igreja vieram ajudar. Josué consertou o cortador de grama. João trouxe o almoço. Cássia me ajudou com as roupas. Ana levou meus filhos para brincar com os dela para que eu pudesse trabalhar. Deus agiu através de cada um desses amigos para me ajudar. Foram um retrato vivo do tipo de comunidade que Paulo descreve em Romanos 12. Eles amaram sinceramente (v.9), pensaram nas necessidades dos outros ao invés de somente nas próprias (v.10), compartilharam comigo quando precisei e demonstraram hospitalidade (v.13).

Por causa do amor que meus amigos demonstraram por mim, fiquei alegre “na esperança” e paciente “nas dificuldades” (v.12) mesmo em meio à aflição de fazer o papel de pai e mãe durante um mês. Meus irmãos em Cristo se tornaram o que um amigo chama de “cuidado de Deus por mim”. Eles me mostraram o tipo de amor sincero que devemos demonstrar a todos, especialmente àqueles em nossa comunidade da fé (Gálatas 6:10). Espero ser mais parecida com eles.

Por:  Amy Peterson

Refletir & Orar
Deus, obrigado por nos colocares em comunidades. Ajuda-me a cuidar das necessidades dos outros e a demonstrar hospitalidade.
Para quem, hoje, preciso ser “o cuidado de Deus”?

© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Meu marido saiu para uma viagem de um mês e, quase imediatamente, senti-me sobrecarregada…