Monday, August 3, 2020

The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, August 4, 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2020/08/04?version=NIV

The Daily Lectionary
TUESDAY, August 4, 2020
Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 32:3-21; Acts 2:37-47
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)
(Semicontinuous Reading Plan)

I shall see your face
1  Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
     listen to my cry.
   Hear my prayer—
     it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2  Let my vindication come from you;
     may your eyes see what is right.

3  Though you probe my heart,
     though you examine me at night and test me,
   you will find that I have planned no evil;
     my mouth has not transgressed.
4  Though people tried to bribe me,
     I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
5  My steps have held to your paths;
     my feet have not stumbled.

6  I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
     turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7  Show me the wonders of your great love,
     you who save by your right hand
     those who take refuge in you from their foes.

15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
     when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Jacob sends gifts to Esau
32:3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”

6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

The believers breaking bread
2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

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 TUESDAY, August 4, 2020
Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 32:3-21; Acts 2:37-47

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, August 4, 2020

https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/common-prayer-liturgy-for-ordinary-radicals/shane-claiborne/9780310326199/pd/326199
The Daily Prayer
TUESDAY, August 4, 2020

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “God has identified himself with the hungry, the sick, the naked, the homeless; hunger, not only for bread, but for love, for care, to be somebody to someone; nakedness, not of clothing only, but nakedness of that compassion that very few people give to the unknown; homelessness, not only for a shelter made of stone, but that homelessness that comes from having no one to call your own.”

God, we know that you never fail us. Even in our suffering and loneliness, help us to hear the whisper of your love. Be our refuge and shelter, and remind us over and over that we are your beloved children. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, August 4, 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/08/04?version=NIV

Jeremiah 33:2-3
This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Read all of Jeremiah 33

Listen to Jeremiah 33

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 - Martes 04 de agosto de 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/08/04
El cambio

No se amolden al mundo actual, sino sean transformados mediante la renovación de su mente.

La unción no cambia, lo que en verdad nos cambia es cuando renovamos nuestro carácter en Cristo. Es posible que alguien tenga un tremendo poder y ore por ti. Con todo, si no le entregas tu vida a Dios, no hay cambio, y si no hay cambio, no hay el verdadero carácter de Cristo.

Todos estamos en esa lucha, pues queremos dejar de fallarle a Dios y deseamos cambios radicales en nosotros. El cambio viene de adentro hacia fuera, ya que a Él le interesa transformarnos aunque a veces nos resulte doloroso.

Dios quiere que tengamos una nueva vida, pero antes debemos morir a lo que somos. Así que hay que morir para vivir. Puedo dar fe de que el cambio no viene todo en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. Sin duda, es un cambio hermoso el que Dios pone con su carácter, pues de repente lo que me gustaba hacer ya no me siento cómoda haciéndolo o por lo menos voy a pensarlo por la consecuencia.

El cambio es el mejor regalo que nos puede dar Dios. Nos da tantos beneficios que muchas veces me he dicho: «¿Por qué no te conocí antes, Señor? ¡De cuántas cosas me hubiera librado!». Si hubiera tenido antes a Dios, mis hijas no hubieran pasado por las muchas cosas a las que las expuse.

Entrega tu vida y cambia… es el mejor regalo para ti, después de la salvación.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Dios quiere que tengamos una nueva vida, pero antes debemos morir a lo que somos.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, August 4, 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/08/04
APPEALING TO LEGAL RIGHTS

As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”

The scriptures illustrate responses to persecution in three primary ways. On the one hand is the command of Jesus to flee when it occurs and on the other, the stalwart example of those who stayed and endured, persevering through the challenges. In between is the example of the Apostle Paul (whose life responses exhibited both extremes also). When arrested in a mob violence scene in Acts 22, he appeals to his legal rights for protection from a needless beating. In Acts 25, he escapes almost certain death at the hands of the Jews by appealing to Caesar, again a right of his citizenship.

Pastor Abdias Tovilla studied law in order to help his indigenous people of Chiapas in southern Mexico who have been expelled from their homes simply because of their evangelical faith. He is following the model of the Apostle Paul who used whatever means possible to stand up to persecution.

You could say Abdias Tovilla practices two vocations—law and grace. Ordained as a pastor of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico in 1981, Tovilla enrolled in the School of Law of the National Autonomous University of Chiapas the same year. He passed the bar exam in 1988 to become a licensed attorney and represent persecuted Christians. He resigned his pastorate in 1992 to be the Executive Secretary and Legal Advisor to the State Committee of Evangelical Defense for Chiapas (CEDECH), but is still a voting member of the Chiapas Presbyterian Synod and preaches on many Sundays at the invitation of local churches.

Abdias Tovilla has a concern for justice, especially for others. Dealing with injustice is also part of our Christian calling. Pastor Tovilla knows that those who speak out to denounce injustice are on the very front line of persecution themselves. He has gained some support from Mexico’s southernmost state Bishop who has appealed for an end to the violent and prolonged persecution of evangelical Christians by “traditionalist” Catholics. Bishop Felipe Arizmendi called for “no more expulsions nor divisions on the basis of religion” and asked that “there be no more destruction nor house-burnings, nor skirmishes, nor the shedding of blood due to religious, political, cultural or economic differences.”

Over the past 30 years, religious intolerance has triggered the forced expulsion of some 35,000 evangelicals from ancestral lands in Chamula and other districts. Despite the unrelenting pressure, evangelical Christianity has grown steadily throughout Chiapas. Today, thirty-five percent of the state population adheres to evangelicalism, according to census figures. Since the early 1980s, Open Doors has been working in Bible distribution, training, and community development with a vision to contribute to reconciliation in the area.

RESPONSE: Today I will speak out against injustice and discrimination of brothers wherever it occurs.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for brave brothers, like Abdias Tovilla, who stand for justice and truth.

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 - August 4, 2020 - "Whose Responsibility?"

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200804

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Whose Responsibility?"

August 4, 2020

"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'? ... Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this."

The first time I heard it, it made me laugh. Someone was complaining about a situation, and the other person lifted a shoulder, shrugged, and said, "Not my circus. Not my monkeys." He meant, of course, that it was none of his business. That area was under somebody else's authority, and so he didn't feel the need to fix the problems. He would leave that to the person in charge.

God is saying something similar to Job in our reading for today. He gives him a breathtaking tour of creation—the earth, the sea, the clouds, the deep places of the world—and challenges him: "Where were you, when I did all this? Can you do these things? Tell me, if you know all this."

Of course, Job can give no answer. It's not his circus, and it's not his monkeys. He can only be silent. And when God presses him, he says, "I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know" (Job 42:3b).

So far, so embarrassing. God has put Job firmly in his place. And yet there's good news here, and not just embarrassment. Because these things—all of creation, all that exists—these are God's circus, God's monkeys. They are under His authority, and where there are problems, He is in charge of fixing them.

What does that mean for us, then? It means that we can have peace, knowing that everything is in God's hands. He is not sleeping or unaware of the many and deep, deep problems that are in our world. He cares. He is watching, and taking action. We are not on our own.

But how can we know this? you might ask. We know it by His promises, but above all by His Son, Jesus Christ. Our God is an interventionist God. He cares about our problems so much He even entered our world as one of us, as a human being, to suffer, die, and rise again for our sake. He came as a Man to break the power of evil on the cross. He conquered death for all of us when He rose from the grave. This is not a God who says, "Deal with your problems by yourself." No, it is a God who says, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

These are God's monkeys, and this is His circus. He is in control, and He will save us.

THE PRAYER: Father, help me to trust in You when I am afraid. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1. Have you ever been tempted to take responsibility for more than you could handle?

2. What problems in the world frighten you? Name one or two.

3. When you are frightened, how do you find comfort and hope?
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).
Have you ever been tempted to take responsibility for more than you could handle?

Devocional CPTLN del 04 de agosto de 2020 - ¿Quién es responsable?


ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Quién es responsable?

04 de Agosto de 2020

¿Dónde estabas tú, cuando yo afirmé la tierra? Si en verdad sabes mucho, dímelo. Dime también, si lo sabes, ¿quién tomó sus medidas? ¿O quién la midió palmo a palmo? ¿Sobre qué están sentadas sus bases? ¿Quién puso su piedra angular mientras cantaban las estrellas del alba y los seres celestiales se regocijaban? »Cuando las aguas del mar se desbordaban, ¿quién les puso compuertas para controlarlas? Cuando yo cubrí el mar de nubes blancas, y lo envolví en una densa oscuridad, establecí para el mar este decreto que ponía límite a sus movimientos: "Podrás llegar hasta aquí, pero no más allá. Hasta aquí llegarán tus orgullosas olas."... ¿Has bajado alguna vez al fondo del mar? ¿Has recorrido los senderos del abismo? ¿Se te han revelado las puertas de la muerte? ¿Has visto el umbral del reino de las sombras? ¿Has calculado la extensión de la tierra? ¡Hazme saber si sabes todo esto!

La primera vez que lo escuché, me hizo reír. Alguien se quejaba de una situación, y la otra persona se encogió de hombros y dijo: "No es mi circo. No son mis monos", queriendo decir que no era asunto suyo. Ese área estaba bajo la autoridad de otra persona, por lo que no sentía la necesidad de solucionar esos problemas. Se los dejaría a la persona a cargo.

En nuestra lectura de hoy Dios le está diciendo algo similar a Job, ofreciéndole un recorrido impresionante por la creación: la tierra, el mar, las nubes, los lugares más profundos del mundo, y luego desafiándolo: ¿Dónde estabas tú... cuando hice todo esto? ¿Puedes hacer estas cosas? Hazme saber si sabes todo esto.

Por supuesto que Job no puede dar una respuesta. No es su circo, ni son sus monos. Él solo puede estar en silencio. Y cuando Dios lo presiona, dice: "Yo fui ese atrevido, que habló sin entender; ¡grandes son tus maravillas! ¡Son cosas que no alcanzo a comprender!" (Job 42:3b).

Hasta ahora, tan vergonzoso. Dios ha puesto a Job en su lugar. Y sin embargo, aquí no solo hay vergüenza, sino también buenas noticias. Porque estas cosas, toda la creación, todo lo que existe, son el circo de Dios, los monos de Dios que están bajo su autoridad, y donde hay problemas, él se encarga de solucionarlos.

¿Qué significa esto para nosotros? Significa que podemos tener paz, sabiendo que todo está en manos de Dios. Él no está durmiendo ni ignora los muchos y profundos problemas que hay en nuestro mundo. A él le importa. Él está mirando y actuando. No estamos solos.

¿Cómo podemos estar seguros de esto? Por sus promesas, pero sobre todo por su hijo Jesucristo. Nuestro Dios es un Dios intervencionista. Se preocupa tanto por nuestros problemas que incluso entró en nuestro mundo como uno de nosotros, como ser humano, para sufrir, morir y resucitar por nuestro bien. Él vino como hombre para romper el poder del mal en la cruz y conquistar la muerte para todos nosotros al levantarse de la tumba. Este no es un Dios que dice: "Maneja tus problemas por ti mismo". No, es un Dios que dice: " Vengan a mí todos ustedes, los agotados de tanto trabajar, que yo los haré descansar" (Mateo 11:28).

Este es el circo de Dios. Él tiene el control y nos salvará.

ORACIÓN: Padre, ayúdame a confiar en ti en toda circunstancia. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:
* ¿Qué problemas te asustan? Nombra uno o dos.

* Cuando tienes miedo, ¿dónde encuentras consuelo y esperanza?
© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué problemas te asustan? Nombra uno o dos.

Nuestro Pan Diario - La misericordia de Dios en acción

https://nuestropandiario.org/2020/08/04/la-misericordia-de-dios-en-accion

La misericordia de Dios en acción

La escritura de hoy: 1 Samuel 24:1-10
La Biblia en un año: Salmos 66–67; Romanos 7

Juzgue el Señor entre tú y yo…

Mi enojo se activó cuando una mujer me maltrató, me culpó y murmuró de mí. Yo quería que todos supieran lo que ella había hecho; que sufriera como yo por su comportamiento. Volaba de resentimiento, hasta que un dolor de cabeza me perforó las sienes. Pero cuando empecé a orar para que se me fuera el dolor, el Espíritu Santo me convenció de mi error. ¿Cómo podía buscar venganza mientras rogaba que Dios me aliviara? Si creía que Él me ayudaría, ¿por qué no confiaba en que se encargara de la otra situación? Le pedí al Señor que me ayudara a perdonar a la mujer y a actuar para reconciliarnos.

El salmista David entendía lo difícil que era confiar en Dios mientras enfrentaba un trato injusto. Aunque hizo todo lo mejor para ser un siervo amoroso, el rey Saúl sucumbió a los celos y quería matarlo (1 Samuel 24:1-2). David sufrió mientras Dios obraba y lo preparaba para asumir el trono, y prefirió honrar al Señor en lugar de vengarse (vv. 3-7). Hizo su parte para reconciliarse con Saúl y dejó los resultados en manos de Dios (vv. 8-22).

Cuando parece que los demás se salen con la suya, luchamos con la injusticia. Pero cuando la misericordia de Dios obra en nuestro corazón y en el de los demás, podemos perdonar como Él nos perdonó y ser bendecidos.

De:  Xochitl Dixon

Reflexiona y ora
Dios, ayúdame a confiar en que harás que la justicia prevalezca.
Cuando el pecado parece prevalecer, ¿cómo te ayuda saber que Dios tiene el control? ¿A quién necesitas perdonar y poner en las manos poderosas del Señor?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Mi enojo se activó cuando una mujer me maltrató, me culpó y murmuró de mí. Yo quería que todos supieran lo que ella había hecho; que sufriera como yo por su comportamiento.