Tuesday, December 1, 2020

The Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, December 2, 2020

 

The Daily Readings
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Psalm 79; Micah 5:1-5a; Luke 21:34-38
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.
Hebrews is addressed to Jewish Christians who were facing terrible persecution within their communities because of their confession of Christ. The author affirms that they are not following a different religion, but the completion of the true faith in the Lord. God has always spoken to His people through the prophets and other faithful individuals who have communicated His message. However, when it came to providing for and explaining the salvation He has given on the Cross, the Lord came Himself.

Today’s Readings:
Psalm 79
Prayer for deliverance
1 O god, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

5 How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.

11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
Commentary

God is complained to: whither should children go but to a Father able and willing to help them? See what a change sin made in the holy city, when the heathen were suffered to pour in upon them. God's own people defiled it by their sins, therefore he suffered their enemies to defile it by their insolence. They desired that God would be reconciled. Those who desire God's favour as better than life, cannot but dread his wrath as worse than death. In every affliction we should first beseech the Lord to cleanse away the guilt of our sins; then he will visit us with his tender mercies.

Those who persist in ignorance of God, and neglect of prayer, are the ungodly. How unrighteous soever men were, the Lord was righteous in permitting them to do what they did. Deliverances from trouble are mercies indeed, when grounded upon the pardon of sin; we should therefore be more earnest in prayer for the removal of our sins than for the removal of afflictions. They had no hopes but from God's mercies, his tender mercies. They plead no merit, they pretend to none, but, Help us for the glory of thy name; pardon us for thy name's sake. The Christian forgets not that he is often bound in the chain of his sins. The world to him is a prison; sentence of death is passed upon him, and he knows not how soon it may be executed. How fervently should he at all times pray, O let the sighing of a prisoner come before thee, according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die! How glorious will the day be, when, triumphant over sin and sorrow, the church beholds the adversary disarmed for ever! while that church shall, from age to age, sing the praises of her great Shepherd and Bishop, her King and her God.


Micah 5:1-5a
A promise of a shepherd
5:1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

5 And this man shall be the peace.
Commentary

Having showed how low the house of David would be brought, a prediction of the Messiah and his kingdom is added to encourage the faith of God's people. His existence from eternity as God, and his office as Mediator, are noticed. Here is foretold that Bethlehem should be his birthplace. Hence it was universally known among the Jews, Matthew 2:5. Christ's government shall be very happy for his subjects; they shall be safe and easy. Under the shadow of protection from the Assyrians, is a promise of protection to the gospel church and all believers, from the designs and attempts of the powers of darkness. Christ is our Peace as a Priest, making atonement for sin, and reconciling us to God; and he is our Peace as a King, conquering our enemies: hence our souls may dwell at ease in him.


Luke 21:34-38
Be alert for that day
21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.
Commentary

Christ tells his disciples to observe the signs of the times, which they might judge by. He charges them to look upon the ruin of the Jewish nation as near. Yet this race and family of Abraham shall not be rooted out; it shall survive as a nation, and be found as prophesied, when the Son of man shall be revealed. He cautions them against being secure and sensual. This command is given to all Christ's disciples, Take heed to yourselves, that ye be not overpowered by temptations, nor betrayed by your own corruptions. We cannot be safe, if we are carnally secure. Our danger is, lest the day of death and of judgment should come upon us when we are not prepared. Lest, when we are called to meet our Lord, that be the furthest from our thoughts, which ought to be nearest our hearts. For so it will come upon the most of men, who dwell upon the earth, and mind earthly things only, and have no converse with heaven. It will be a terror and a destruction to them. Here see what should be our aim, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all those things; that when the judgements of God are abroad, we may not be in the common calamity, or it may not be that to us which it is to others. Do you ask how you may be found worthy to stand before Christ at that day? Those who never yet sought Christ, let them now go unto him; those who never yet were humbled for their sins, let them now begin; those who have already begun, let them go forward and be kept humbled. Watch therefore, and pray always. Watch against sin; watch in every duty, and make the most of every opportunity to do good. Pray always: those shall be accounted worthy to live a life of praise in the other world, who live a life of prayer in this world. May we begin, employ, and conclude each day attending to Christ's word, obeying his precepts, and following his example, that whenever he comes we may be found watching.



The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV).

Commentaries from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible.

The Daily Bible Readings are selected from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, a three-year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year B. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2021, we will be in Year C. The year which ended at Advent 2020 was Year A. 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 Readings for Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Psalm 79; Micah 5:1-5a; Luke 21:34-38 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, December 2, 2020

 

Prayer of the Day
Wednesday, December 2, 2020


The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.
Psalm 118:24-26 (NIV)

Lord God, our hearts are full of praise and thanks for your promise. You comfort and help us with this promise every day, enabling us to hold true through all distress. Remember us in these times, and let the cry, "Hosanna," arise often in our hearts. Let a bright light shine out now as you once let it shine around the Lord Jesus, showing him as King and Savior. Protect us and bless us. Bless our land and all those appointed to govern. May your Spirit be with them so that they may carry out your will. For your will must be done and shall surely happen. In this we trust, and in this we hope. We praise you, O Lord our God. Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Amen.

Verse of the Day for Wednesday, December 2, 2020

 

Verse of the Day
Wednesday, December 2, 2020


Hebrews 1:1-2
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.
Hebrews is addressed to Jewish Christians who were facing terrible persecution within their communities because of their confession of Christ. The author affirms that they are not following a different religion, but the completion of the true faith in the Lord. God has always spoken to His people through the prophets and other faithful individuals who have communicated His message. However, when it came to providing for and explaining the salvation He has given on the Cross, the Lord came Himself.

Read all of Hebrews 1

Listen to Hebrews 1


The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Standing Strong Through the Storm — MINISTRY FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

 
MINISTRY FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

Another function of the church is ministry. As Christians, we need to be aware of the spiritual needs of others, and sensitively seek to help them at every opportunity—both fellow-believers and non-believers. A word of encouragement or a small act of kindness may be the deciding factor in whether or not a struggling friend is able to stand against the enemy.

In a tribal area of northeast India, the poor Christians of one tribe made great sacrifices and took great risks to aid and encourage the new believers in another tribe after their leader, his wife and ten-year-old daughter were killed for their witness.

Ministry is demonstrating God’s love to others by meeting their needs and healing their hurts in the name of Jesus. Each time you reach out in love to others, you are ministering to them. The church is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry.

A co-worker and his family were visiting in the southern part of the Ukraine. As they entered the hotel after a tiring day in the streets, their daughter came sobbing into their room. “I saw a man today, begging for money. He had no legs and was sitting on a skateboard. He looked so poor and lonely.” The tears rolled down her cheeks. She truly felt compassion for a sight that they didn’t even notice.

“I think Jesus wants us to give him a Bible when we see him again,” she commented after they prayed together.

The following morning early, as they started their journey through the streets of Odessa, it wasn’t long before she saw him. They knew that there was a certain amount of risk involved in handing out Bibles in the streets and thus didn’t want to make it too obvious. He opened the Bible and slowly started paging through it. He reached down and took all the money in the handkerchief next to him and offered it to them.

They suddenly realized that he must be under the impression that they were selling the Bible on the black market and, therefore, the offer of all his savings. “Nyet, gift, gift,” and they pushed back his hand with the money. He took the Bible, pressed it against his chest, and then tears started rolling down his cheeks. He opened the Bible spending several minutes reading and paging through a book that he had obviously heard about but had never seen. They left him with hearts overflowing with gratitude.

Jesus made ministry so simple. It can be as easy as offering a thirsty person a glass of water in His name!

RESPONSE: Today, I will look for opportunities to minister to needy hearts in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I ask You to show me today those to whom I can minister in Your name.


Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
As Christians, we need to be aware of the spiritual needs of others, and sensitively seek to help them at every opportunity—both fellow-believers and non-believers.

John Piper Devotional — Mary’s Magnificent God

 
Mary’s Magnificent God

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Mary sees clearly a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history; the most important three decades in all of time are about to begin.

And where is God? Occupying himself with two obscure, humble women—one old and barren (Elizabeth), one young and virginal (Mary). And Mary is so moved by this vision of God, the lover of the lowly, that she breaks out in song—a song that has come to be known as “the Magnificat” (Luke 1:46–55).

Mary and Elizabeth are wonderful heroines in Luke’s account. He loves the faith of these women. The thing that impresses him most, it appears, and the thing he wants to impress on Theophilus, his noble reader, is the lowliness and cheerful humility of Elizabeth and Mary.

Elizabeth says (Luke 1:43), “And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me?” And Mary says (Luke 1:48), “He has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”

The only people whose soul can truly magnify the Lord are people like Elizabeth and Mary—people who acknowledge their lowly estate and are overwhelmed by the condescension of the magnificent God.

Mary sees clearly a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history.

Un dia a la Vez — Cambios necesarios

 
Cambios necesarios

Guíame, pues eres mi roca y mi fortaleza, dirígeme por amor a tu nombre.

En esta época de Navidad se presentan dos fenómenos muy comunes: La primera, una culpabilidad por no haber hecho lo que nos propusimos; y la segunda, se nos fue un año más y no logramos lo que prometimos. Ahora, deseamos que llegue otra vez el 31 de diciembre y hacer nuevas promesas de cambio.

Dios quiere que seamos firmes y que no lleguemos a exponernos. La Biblia dice que no «hay nada escondido que no esté destinado a descubrirse» (Marcos 4:22). Además, entre cielo y tierra no hay nada oculto, pues tarde o temprano Dios sacará a la luz cualquier actitud o cualquier falta que cometamos.

Esto lo viví en carne propia. A decir verdad, no quiero enumerar tus faltas ni mucho menos, pero sí te quiero decir cuáles fueron esas esferas que Dios tuvo que moldear o transformar en mí.

Mi anhelo es que no llegues a tocar fondo como yo, sino que reconozcas tus debilidades y puedas rendirlas a Cristo.

Por lo tanto, debes ser radical a fin de que, si ves tu vida reflejada en la mía, comprendas que Dios nos cambia y nos da nuevas oportunidades.


Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
En esta época de Navidad se presentan dos fenómenos muy comunes: La primera, una culpabilidad por no haber hecho lo que nos propusimos; y la segunda, se nos fue un año más y no logramos lo que prometimos.

Ministérios Pão Diário — Um lugar seguro

 

Um lugar seguro

Escritura de hoje: Salmo 46
Bíblia em um ano: Ezequiel 42–44; 1 João 1

Deus é nosso refúgio e nossa força, sempre pronto a nos socorrer […]. Portanto, não temeremos…

Meus irmãos e eu fomos criados perto duma encosta arborizada que era uma paisagem fértil para a nossa imaginação. Balançando em cipós como Tarzan ou construindo casas na árvore como a Família Robinson, nós fingíamos que eram os cenários das histórias que líamos e dos filmes que assistíamos. Gostávamos de construir fortalezas e fingir que estávamos a salvo dos ataques. Anos depois, meus filhos construíram seus fortes com cobertores, lençóis e travesseiros para ter o seu “refúgio” contra os inimigos imaginários. Parece instintivo querermos um esconderijo onde nos sintamos seguros e protegidos.

Quando Davi, o cantor-poeta de Israel, buscou um refúgio, ele procurou somente Deus e afirmou: “Deus é nosso refúgio e nossa força, sempre pronto a nos socorrer em tempos de aflição. Portanto, não temeremos…”. Quando você considera as ameaças quase constantes que ele enfrentou, essas palavras revelam a maravilhosa confiança de Davi em Deus. Apesar das ameaças, ele sabia que a sua verdadeira segurança estava no Senhor.

Podemos confiar da mesma forma. Depositamos a nossa confiança todos os dias em Deus que promete jamais nos deixar ou abandonar (Hebreus 13:5). Embora vivamos em um mundo perigoso, nosso Deus nos dá paz e segurança, agora e para sempre. Ele é o nosso refúgio.


Por:  Bill Crowder

© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Balançando em cipós como Tarzan ou construindo casas na árvore como a Família Robinson.