Monday, October 31, 2022

The Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, November 1, 2022

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2019/11/05?version=NRSV

The Daily Bible Readings
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Psalm 142; Habakkuk 3:1-16; Jude 5-21
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

(The righteous will surround me)
Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors
A Maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A Prayer.
1  With my voice I cry to the Lord;
     with my voice I make supplication to the Lord.
2  I pour out my complaint before him;
     I tell my trouble before him.
3  When my spirit is faint,
     you know my way.

   In the path where I walk
     they have hidden a trap for me.
4  Look on my right hand and see—
     there is no one who takes notice of me;
   no refuge remains to me;
     no one cares for me.

5  I cry to you, O Lord;
     I say, “You are my refuge,
     my portion in the land of the living.”
6  Give heed to my cry,
     for I am brought very low.

   Save me from my persecutors,
     for they are too strong for me.
7  Bring me out of prison,
     so that I may give thanks to your name.
   The righteous will surround me,
     for you will deal bountifully with me.

(A prophet prays)
3:1 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk according to Shigionoth.

The Prophet’s Prayer
2  O Lord, I have heard of your renown,
     and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work.
   In our own time revive it;
     in our own time make it known;
     in wrath may you remember mercy.
3  God came from Teman,
     the Holy One from Mount Paran.   Selah
   His glory covered the heavens,
     and the earth was full of his praise.
4  The brightness was like the sun;
     rays came forth from his hand,
     where his power lay hidden.
5  Before him went pestilence,
     and plague followed close behind.
6  He stopped and shook the earth;
     he looked and made the nations tremble.
   The eternal mountains were shattered;
     along his ancient pathways
     the everlasting hills sank low.
7  I saw the tents of Cushan under affliction;
     the tent-curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
8    Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord?
     Or your anger against the rivers,
     or your rage against the sea,
   when you drove your horses,
     your chariots to victory?
9  You brandished your naked bow,
     sated were the arrows at your command.   Selah
     You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you, and writhed;
     a torrent of water swept by;
   the deep gave forth its voice.
     The sun raised high its hands;
11 the moon stood still in its exalted place,
     at the light of your arrows speeding by,
     at the gleam of your flashing spear.
12 In fury you trod the earth,
     in anger you trampled nations.
13 You came forth to save your people,
     to save your anointed.
   You crushed the head of the wicked house,
     laying it bare from foundation to roof.   Selah
14 You pierced with their own arrows the head of his
         warriors,
     who came like a whirlwind to scatter us,
     gloating as if ready to devour the poor who were in
         hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
     churning the mighty waters.

16 I hear, and I tremble within;
     my lips quiver at the sound.
   Rottenness enters into my bones,
     and my steps tremble beneath me.
   I wait quietly for the day of calamity
     to come upon the people who attack us.

(Warning against sinners)
Judgment on False Teachers
5 Now I desire to remind you, though you are fully informed, that the Lord, who once for all saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

8 Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct. 11 Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain, and abandon themselves to Balaam’s error for the sake of gain, and perish in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are blemishes on your love-feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.

14 It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage.

Warnings and Exhortations
17 But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” 19 It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. 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 on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Psalm 142; Habakkuk 3:1-16; Jude 5-21

The Morning Prayer for Tuesday, November 1, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Tuesday, November 1, 2022


Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

Dear Father in heaven, we seek you and your kingdom. We gather to hear your Word so that we may receive strength for our own lives and for all our relationships with others. We want to stand firm, believing that in everything great and small your will is being done and that we may yet experience a new coming of your glory on earth. Then earthly concerns will no longer torment us and wear us out, but heavenly things may surround us and everything become new in accordance with your good, merciful, and perfect will. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Tuesday, November 1, 2022

 


Verse of the Day
Tuesday, November 1, 2022


Ephesians 1:18
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.
There is a big difference between having the blessings of God and actually enjoying them. We experience the riches of the Lord’s grace by learning what blessings He has provided for us and then laying hold of them by faith.

Read all of Ephesians Chapter 1

Listen to Ephesians Chapter 1


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Sunday, October 30, 2022

The Daily Bible Readings for Monday, October 31, 2022

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2019/11/04?version=NRSV

The Daily Bible Readings
Monday, October 31, 2022
Psalm 142; Habakkuk 2:12-20; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

(The righteous will surround me)
Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors
A Maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A Prayer.
1  With my voice I cry to the Lord;
     with my voice I make supplication to the Lord.
2  I pour out my complaint before him;
     I tell my trouble before him.
3  When my spirit is faint,
     you know my way.

   In the path where I walk
     they have hidden a trap for me.
4  Look on my right hand and see—
     there is no one who takes notice of me;
   no refuge remains to me;
     no one cares for me.

5  I cry to you, O Lord;
     I say, “You are my refuge,
     my portion in the land of the living.”
6  Give heed to my cry,
     for I am brought very low.

   Save me from my persecutors,
     for they are too strong for me.
7  Bring me out of prison,
     so that I may give thanks to your name.
   The righteous will surround me,
     for you will deal bountifully with me.

(Knowledge of the glory of God)
12 “Alas for you who build a town by bloodshed,
     and found a city on iniquity!”
13 Is it not from the Lord of hosts
     that peoples labor only to feed the flames,
     and nations weary themselves for nothing?
14 But the earth will be filled
     with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
     as the waters cover the sea.

15 “Alas for you who make your neighbors drink,
     pouring out your wrath until they are drunk,
     in order to gaze on their nakedness!”
16 You will be sated with contempt instead of glory.
     Drink, you yourself, and stagger!
   The cup in the Lord’s right hand
     will come around to you,
     and shame will come upon your glory!
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you;
     the destruction of the animals will terrify you—
   because of human bloodshed and violence to the earth,
     to cities and all who live in them.

18 What use is an idol
     once its maker has shaped it—
     a cast image, a teacher of lies?
   For its maker trusts in what has been made,
     though the product is only an idol that cannot speak!
19 Alas for you who say to the wood, “Wake up!”
     to silent stone, “Rouse yourself!”
     Can it teach?
   See, it is gold and silver plated,
     and there is no breath in it at all.

20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
     let all the earth keep silence before him!

(Drive out the wicked)
Sexual Immorality Must Be Judged
5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons— 10 not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? 13 God will judge those outside. “Drive out the wicked person from among you.”

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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. 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 on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Bible Readings for Monday, October 31, 2022
Psalm 142; Habakkuk 2:12-20; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

The Morning Prayer for Monday, October 31, 2022

 


The Morning Prayer
Monday, October 31, 2022


Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever." When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 118:4–6 (NIV)

Lord our God, dear Father in heaven, we thank you. How often you rescue us from all fear and distress! How often you hear and answer us! Grant that our hearts may always be eager and joyful because you answer us. There is nothing else for us in this world; you are our one hope, our only hope. You alone can help our times, help the nations, help each person. Nothing else matters to us. Lord our God, for the rest of our life on earth you alone are our help, our comfort, and our strength. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Monday, October 31, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Monday, October 31, 2022


1 Peter 5:8-9
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
We must never forget that we are in a spiritual war—with an enemy who is looking for weaknesses. We should never give him a foothold. Regardless of how well things may seem to be going for us, we must always keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ—obedient to His commands and faithful to His purposes (Eph. 6:10–17).

Read all of First Peter Chapter 5

Listen to First Peter Chapter 5


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Saturday, October 29, 2022

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, October 30, 2022

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2019/11/03?version=NRSV

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers
Sunday, October 30, 2022 — 21st Sunday after Pentecost
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10
[Ordinary 31, Proper 26]
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Reformation and Reconciliation

Opening Prayer


Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come to Him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to Him.
For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.
He holds in His hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
The sea belongs to Him, for He made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
Come, let us worship & bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
for He is our God.
We are the people He watches over,
the flock under His care.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)
Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Call to Confession
We confess we have strayed away from your Word. We cry out to you, O God.

We confess that we have allowed the worries of this world to drive us away from your vision for our lives. We cry out to you, O God.

We confess that there is strife and contention all around us. We cry out to you, O God.

We confess that we are powerless and have taken our focus off your Word, that we have not allowed your Word to work in our lives, yet we continue to cry out to you in times of trouble and need. Grant understanding and wisdom that we may see your vision and apply it in our lives. Hear our prayer O God and Call us back to you.

Assurance of God’s Love
The scripture tell us that God’s love will find us no matter how far away we are from the word. Just like Jesus found Zacchaeus hiding in a tree, God will find us and bring us home. God has no respect of persons, it does not matter what we have done wrong, we still belong to God. We have the assurance, God will rescue us. This is the good news of the Gospel!


First Reading
(The righteous live by faith)
1:1 The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.

The Prophet’s Complaint
2  O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
     and you will not listen?
   Or cry to you “Violence!”
     and you will not save?
3  Why do you make me see wrongdoing
     and look at trouble?
   Destruction and violence are before me;
     strife and contention arise.
4  So the law becomes slack
     and justice never prevails.
   The wicked surround the righteous—
     therefore judgment comes forth perverted.
[...]
God’s Reply to the Prophet’s Complaint
1  I will stand at my watchpost,
     and station myself on the rampart;
   I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
     and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
2  Then the Lord answered me and said:
   Write the vision;
     make it plain on tablets,
     so that a runner may read it.
3  For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
     it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
   If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
     it will surely come, it will not delay.
4  Look at the proud!
     Their spirit is not right in them,
     but the righteous live by their faith.


The Psalm
(Grant me understanding)
137 You are righteous, O Lord,
       and your judgments are right.
138 You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
       and in all faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me
       because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well tried,
       and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
       yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
       and your law is the truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
       but your commandments are my delight.
144 Your decrees are righteous forever;
       give me understanding that I may live.


Second Reading
(Faith and love amid adversity)
Salutation
1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving
3 We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.
[...]
11 To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.


The Gospel
(Zacchaeus climbs high to see Jesus)
Jesus and Zacchaeus
19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”


Here ends the Lessons
 
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer


In the name of the Father and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God of love and mercy,
You call us to be your people,
You gift us with Your abundant grace.
Make us a holy people,
radiating the fullness of your love.
Form us into a community of people who care,
expressing Your compassion.
Remind us day after day of our baptismal call
to serve with joy and courage.
Teach us how to grow in wisdom and grace
and joy in Your presence.
Through Jesus and Your Spirit,
we make this prayer. Amen.

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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of ChThe Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, October 30, 2022
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10rist in the USA, and used by permission.

The Sunday Lectionary Readings
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, October 30, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Sunday, October 30, 2022


Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 117 (NIV)

Lord our God, we thank you that we may come to you and that our spirits can reach out for your help and your comfort. May we draw strength from communion with you, our Father. May we realize more fully that we are your children, truly your children, who throughout our pilgrimage are allowed to know you as our refuge and our help. Remember our world, and grant that many hearts awaken and turn to you, looking to you in all the fear and need which sweep over many people in our time. Let your Spirit be revealed to our hearts in quiet, bringing many experiences from you, O Lord our God, and from your kingdom. Protect us every day in the many lands throughout the earth. For the nations are yours; they shall receive life and blessing from you, and at last your kingdom will be revealed in all the world, to the eternal glory of your name. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Sunday, October 30, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Sunday, October 30, 2022


Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
If our salvation were dependent upon our actions—if we could be redeemed by doing good works, keeping the commandments, and refraining from sin—we would always be in danger of losing it whenever we stumbled. However, because salvation is a gift given to us freely—and not in exchange for anything we can do—it is completely secure. Our salvation therefore magnifies the awesome love and grace of God alone, since He blesses us not because of our merit but because of His goodness.

Read all of Ephesians Chapter 2

Listen to Ephesians Chapter 2


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Travel the World from Home — King David’s Palace, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, & The Tower Of David

 
The Holy Land:
Connecting the Land with Its Stories
King David’s Palace, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, & The Tower Of David
 Episode 1 - Season 1

In episode 1, Jack Beck takes us to the center of the Holy Land, Jerusalem. From the Tower of David to Hezekiah’s Tunnel to the excavation site of King David’s Palace, experience this ancient capital city and its connection to the Bible.
 
 
Season 1 — Episode 1 | King David’s Palace, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, & The Tower Of David

Friday, October 28, 2022

The Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, October 29, 2022

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2019/11/02?version=NRSV

The Daily Bible Readings
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Psalm 119:137-144; Habakkuk 2:5-11; John 8:39-47
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

(Grant me understanding)
137 You are righteous, O Lord,
       and your judgments are right.
138 You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
       and in all faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me
       because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well tried,
       and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
       yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
       and your law is the truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
       but your commandments are my delight.
144 Your decrees are righteous forever;
       give me understanding that I may live.

(Those who heap up what is not theirs)
5  Moreover, wealth is treacherous;
     the arrogant do not endure.
   They open their throats wide as Sheol;
     like Death they never have enough.
   They gather all nations for themselves,
     and collect all peoples as their own.

The Woes of the Wicked
6 Shall not everyone taunt such people and, with mocking riddles, say about them,

   “Alas for you who heap up what is not your own!”
     How long will you load yourselves with goods taken in pledge?
7  Will not your own creditors suddenly rise,
     and those who make you tremble wake up?
     Then you will be booty for them.
8  Because you have plundered many nations,
     all that survive of the peoples shall plunder you—
   because of human bloodshed, and violence to the earth,
     to cities and all who live in them.

9  “Alas for you who get evil gain for your house,
     setting your nest on high
     to be safe from the reach of harm!”
10 You have devised shame for your house
     by cutting off many peoples;
     you have forfeited your life.
11 The very stones will cry out from the wall,
     and the plaster will respond from the woodwork.

(True children of Abraham)
Jesus and Abraham
8:39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, 40 but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. 44 You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”

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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. 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 on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, October 29, 2022
Psalm 119:137-144; Habakkuk 2:5-11; John 8:39-47

The Morning Prayer for Saturday, October 29, 2022

 


The Morning Prayer
Saturday, October 29, 2022


Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.

Dear Father in heaven, how lovingly you have thought of us! How much good you let us experience again and again! So our hearts are happy, and we go to rest this night full of joy and thanks because we are your children. Our thanks and joy shall be our service to you day and night. More than this you do not ask, and in this we will be faithful. We want to be joyful and to be glad for our lives. Even when we face dark hours, O Lord our God, we are filled with hope that brings us joy for the future as well as for the present, with assurance that your salvation is coming. We rejoice in what you give us already today. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Saturday, October 29, 2022

 



Verse of the Day
Saturday, October 29, 2022


Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Many people accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and never learn how to live a life that honors Him. But Paul encourages us to turn ourselves over to God each day, lay our wills on the altar before Him, and ask Him to use us for His glory and the good of His people. In full trust and worship, we commit to obeying Him, knowing that the Lord knows how best to lead us—no matter what happens.

Read all of Romans Chapter 12

Listen to Romans Chapter 12


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

The Daily Bible Readings for Friday, October 28, 2022

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2019/11/01?version=NRSV

The Daily Bible Readings
Friday, October 28, 2022
Psalm 119:137-144; Habakkuk 1:5-17; 2 Peter 1:1-11
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

(Grant me understanding)
137 You are righteous, O Lord,
       and your judgments are right.
138 You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
       and in all faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me
       because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well tried,
       and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
       yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
       and your law is the truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
       but your commandments are my delight.
144 Your decrees are righteous forever;
       give me understanding that I may live.

(The wicked swallow the righteous)
5  Look at the nations, and see!
     Be astonished! Be astounded!
   For a work is being done in your days
     that you would not believe if you were told.
6  For I am rousing the Chaldeans,
     that fierce and impetuous nation,
   who march through the breadth of the earth
     to seize dwellings not their own.
7  Dread and fearsome are they;
     their justice and dignity proceed from themselves.
8  Their horses are swifter than leopards,
     more menacing than wolves at dusk;
     their horses charge.
   Their horsemen come from far away;
     they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
9  They all come for violence,
     with faces pressing forward;
     they gather captives like sand.
10 At kings they scoff,
     and of rulers they make sport.
   They laugh at every fortress,
     and heap up earth to take it.
11 Then they sweep by like the wind;
     they transgress and become guilty;
     their own might is their god!

12 Are you not from of old,
     O Lord my God, my Holy One?
     You shall not die.
   O Lord, you have marked them for judgment;
     and you, O Rock, have established them for
         punishment.
13 Your eyes are too pure to behold evil,
     and you cannot look on wrongdoing;
   why do you look on the treacherous,
     and are silent when the wicked swallow
     those more righteous than they?
14 You have made people like the fish of the sea,
     like crawling things that have no ruler.

15 The enemy brings all of them up with a hook;
     he drags them out with his net,
   he gathers them in his seine;
     so he rejoices and exults.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
     and makes offerings to his seine;
   for by them his portion is lavish,
     and his food is rich.
17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net,
     and destroying nations without mercy?

(Participants of the divine nature)
Salutation
1:1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

The Christian’s Call and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. 8 For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. 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 on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Bible Readings for Friday, October 28, 2022
Psalm 119:137-144; Habakkuk 1:5-17; 2 Peter 1:1-11

The Morning Prayer for Friday, October 28, 2022

 


The Morning Prayer
Friday, October 28, 2022


Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Dear Father in heaven, we want to praise you together and to thank you with all our hearts for your goodness and your deliverance from our many needs. Accept our thanks, and help us go on our way with ever joyful hearts. Make us ready for whatever you have prepared for us, your children. Bless us in our individual lives and bless us in our community. Let your Spirit shed its rays into all places to comfort people's hearts and to restore and strengthen their faith. May your name be praised forevermore. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Friday, October 28, 2022

 


Verse of the Day
Friday, October 28, 2022


1 Peter 1:24-25
For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.
This quotation is from the Greek version of Isaiah 40:6b–8, a text that in Isaiah refers to human frailty versus the certainty of God’s promise of redemption, using images drawn from the hot desert wind’s withering the vegetation in its path. Peter is not the only New Testament writer to use this passage (cf. James 1:10–11), and it fits well in this context. While their experience of life under persecution might be that “the grass withers and the flowers fall,” it is really their pagan persecutors who “are like grass,” while they have been born of “the word of the Lord [that] stands forever. ” In an insecure world they have security through the power of the gospel.

Read all of First Peter Chapter 1

Listen to First Peter Chapter 1


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

The Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, October 27, 2022

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2019/10/31?version=NRSV

The Daily Bible Readings
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Psalm 119:137-144; Jeremiah 33:14-26; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

(Grant me understanding)
137 You are righteous, O Lord,
       and your judgments are right.
138 You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
       and in all faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me
       because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well tried,
       and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
       yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
       and your law is the truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
       but your commandments are my delight.
144 Your decrees are righteous forever;
       give me understanding that I may live.

(The righteous Branch)
The Righteous Branch and the Covenant with David
33:14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

17 For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 and the levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to make grain offerings, and to make sacrifices for all time.

19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 Thus says the Lord: If any of you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their appointed time, 21 only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken, so that he would not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with my ministers the Levites. 22 Just as the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will increase the offspring of my servant David, and the Levites who minister to me.

23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 Have you not observed how these people say, “The two families that the Lord chose have been rejected by him,” and how they hold my people in such contempt that they no longer regard them as a nation? 25 Thus says the Lord: Only if I had not established my covenant with day and night and the ordinances of heaven and earth, 26 would I reject the offspring of Jacob and of my servant David and not choose any of his descendants as rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes, and will have mercy upon them.

(Faith of tax collectors and prostitutes)
Salutation
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Thanksgiving after Affliction
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. 6 If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

8 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, 11 as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

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 New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2022, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2021 was Year B. 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 on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, October 27, 2022
Psalm 119:137-144; Jeremiah 33:14-26; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11