The Daily Readings for TUESDAY, October 17, 2017

The Coming Persecution - Matthew 10:16-23

Daily Readings for
TUESDAY, October 17, 2017

Jeremiah 36:27-37:2

Now, after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which King Jehoiakim of Judah has burned. And concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah you shall say: Thus says the LORD, You have dared to burn this scroll, saying, Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it human beings and animals? Therefore thus says the LORD concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah: He shall have no one to sit upon the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity; I will bring on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the people of Judah, all the disasters with which I have threatened them-- but they would not listen. Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the secretary Baruch son of Neriah, who wrote on it at Jeremiah's dictation all the words of the scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned in the fire; and many similar words were added to them. Zedekiah son of Josiah, whom King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, succeeded Coniah son of Jehoiakim. But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD that he spoke through the prophet Jeremiah.

1 Corinthians 14:1-12

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? It is the same way with lifeless instruments that produce sound, such as the flute or the harp. If they do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is being played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves; if in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different kinds of sounds in the world, and nothing is without sound. If then I do not know the meaning of a sound, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.

Matthew 10:16-23

"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Morning Psalms

Psalm 5 Verba mea auribus
1   Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my meditation.
2   Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I make my prayer to you.
3   In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
4   For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot dwell with you.
5   Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; you hate all those who work wickedness.
6   You destroy those who speak lies; the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
7   But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8   Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness, because of those who lie in wait for me; make your way straight before me.
9   For there is no truth in their mouth; there is destruction in their heart;
10   Their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
11   Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall, because of their schemes.
12   Because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
13   But all who take refuge in you will be glad; they will sing out their joy for ever.
14   You will shelter them, so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
15   For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 6 Domine, ne in furore
1   LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath.
2   Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are racked.
3   My spirit shakes with terror; how long, O LORD, how long?
4   Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me for your mercy's sake.
5   For in death no one remembers you; and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6   I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
7   My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of all my enemies.
8   Depart from me, all evildoers, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9   The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer.
10   All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 10 Ut quid, Domine?
1   Why do you stand so far off, O LORD, and hide yourself in time of trouble?
2   The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor, but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
3   The wicked boast of their heart's desire; the covetous curse and revile the LORD.
4   The wicked are so proud that they care not for God; their only thought is, "God does not matter."
5   Their ways are devious at all times; your judgments are far above out of their sight; they defy all their enemies.
6   They say in their heart, "I shall not be shaken; no harm shall happen to me ever."
7   Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
8   They lurk in ambush in public squares and in secret places they murder the innocent; they spy out the helpless.
9   They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert; they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly; they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
10   The innocent are broken and humbled before them; the helpless fall before their power.
11   They say in their heart, "God has forgotten; he hides his face; he will never notice."
12   Rise up, O LORD; lift up your hand, O God; do not forget the afflicted.
13   Why should the wicked revile God? why should they say in their heart, "You do not care"?
14   Surely, you behold trouble and misery; you see it and take it into your own hand.
15   The helpless commit themselves to you, for you are the helper of orphans.
16   Break the power of the wicked and evil; search out their wickedness until you find none.
17   The LORD is King for ever and ever; the ungodly shall perish from his land.
18   The LORD will hear the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19   To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.

Psalm 11 In Domino confido
1   In the LORD have I taken refuge; how then can you say to me, "Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2   For see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string, to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3   When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
4   The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven.
5   His eyes behold the inhabited world; his piercing eye weighs our worth.
6   The LORD weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, but those who delight in violence he abhors.
7   Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur; a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8   For the LORD is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds; and the just shall see his face.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.