(Psalm 141)
I call to you, Lord; help me now!
Listen to me when I call to you.
Receive my prayer as incense,
my uplifted hands as an evening sacrifice.
Lord, place a guard at my mouth,
a sentry at the door of my lips.
Keep me from wanting to do wrong
and from joining evil men in their wickedness.
May I never take part in their feasts.
A good man may punish me and rebuke me
in kindness,
But I will never accept honor from evil men,
because I am always praying against their evil deeds.
When their rulers are thrown down from rocky cliffs,
the people will admit that my words were true.
Like wood that is split and chopped into bits,
so their bones are scattered at the edge of the grave.
But I keep trusting in you, my Sovereign Lord.
I seek protection; don’t let me die!
Protect me from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those evildoers.
May the wicked fall into their own traps
while I go by unharmed.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
23.3 Christ Feed Us For Liberty
(Galatians 5:1-6)
Freedom is what we have – Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.
Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, it means that Christ is of no use to you at all. Once more I warn any man who allows himself to be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the whole Law. Those of you who try to be put right with God by obeying the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ. You are outside God’s grace. As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God’s Spirit working through our faith. For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love.
Freedom is what we have – Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.
Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, it means that Christ is of no use to you at all. Once more I warn any man who allows himself to be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the whole Law. Those of you who try to be put right with God by obeying the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ. You are outside God’s grace. As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God’s Spirit working through our faith. For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love.
23.2 Freedom Of The Children Of God
(Romans 8:14-17)
Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father” God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory.
Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father” God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory.
23.1 Years of Liberty
(Leviticus 25:8-10)
Count seven times seven years, a total of forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement, send a man to blow a trumpet throughout the whole land. In this way you shall set the fiftieth year apart and proclaim freedom to all the inhabitants of the land. During this year all property that has been sold shall be restored to the original owner or his descendants, and anyone who has been sold as a slave shall return to his family.
Count seven times seven years, a total of forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement, send a man to blow a trumpet throughout the whole land. In this way you shall set the fiftieth year apart and proclaim freedom to all the inhabitants of the land. During this year all property that has been sold shall be restored to the original owner or his descendants, and anyone who has been sold as a slave shall return to his family.
Friday, November 13, 2009
22.5 Sincere Prayer
(Psalm 69:30-36)
I will praise God with song;
I will proclaim his greatness by giving him thanks.
This will please the Lord more than offering him cattle,
more than sacrificing a full-grown bull.
When the oppressed see this, they will be glad;
those who worship God will be encouraged.
The Lord listens to those in need
and does not forget his people in prison.
Praise God, O heaven and earth,
seas and all creatures in them.
He will save Jerusalem and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there and possess the land;
the descendants of his servants will inherit it
and those who love him will live there.
I will praise God with song;
I will proclaim his greatness by giving him thanks.
This will please the Lord more than offering him cattle,
more than sacrificing a full-grown bull.
When the oppressed see this, they will be glad;
those who worship God will be encouraged.
The Lord listens to those in need
and does not forget his people in prison.
Praise God, O heaven and earth,
seas and all creatures in them.
He will save Jerusalem and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there and possess the land;
the descendants of his servants will inherit it
and those who love him will live there.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
22.4 What Counts Is Not Circumcision But God’s Commandments
(1 Corinthians 7:17-19)
Each one should go on living according to the Lord’s gift to him, and as he was when God called him. This is the rule I teach in all the churches. If a circumcised man has accepted God’s call, he should not try to remove the marks of circumcision; if an uncircumcised man has accepted God’s call, he should not get circumcised. For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God’s commandments.
Each one should go on living according to the Lord’s gift to him, and as he was when God called him. This is the rule I teach in all the churches. If a circumcised man has accepted God’s call, he should not try to remove the marks of circumcision; if an uncircumcised man has accepted God’s call, he should not get circumcised. For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God’s commandments.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
22.3 Against Lip Service
(Matthew 15-6b-9)
In this way you disregard God’s command, in order to follow your own teaching. You hypocrites! How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you!
‘These people says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me. It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach man-made rules as though they were my laws!’
In this way you disregard God’s command, in order to follow your own teaching. You hypocrites! How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you!
‘These people says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me. It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach man-made rules as though they were my laws!’
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
22.2 Sacrifice Without Respect
(Malachi 1:6-14)
The Lord Almighty says to the priests, “A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. I am your father – why don’t you honor me? I am your master – why don’t you respect me? You despise me, and yet you ask, ‘How have we despised you?’ This is how – by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we failed to respect you?’. I will tell you- by showing contempt for my altar. When you bring a blind or sick or lame animal to sacrifice to me, do you think there’s nothing wrong with that? Try giving an animal like that to the governor! Would he be pleased with you or grant you any favors?”
Now, you priests, try asking God to be good to us. He will not answer your prayer, and it will be your fault. The Lord Almighty says, “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so as to prevent you from lighting useless fire on my altar. I am not pleased with you; I will not accept the offerings you bring me. People from one end of the world to the other honor me. Everywhere they burn incense to me and offer acceptable sacrifices. All of them honor me! But you dishonor me when you say that my altar is worthless and when you offer on it food that you despise. You say, ‘How tired we are of all this!’ and you turn up your nose at me. As your offering to me you bring a stolen animal or one that is lame or sick. Do you think I will accept that from you? A curse on the cheater who sacrifices a worthless animal to me, when he has in his flock a good animal that he promised to give me! For I am a great king, and people of all nations fear me.”
The Lord Almighty says to the priests, “A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. I am your father – why don’t you honor me? I am your master – why don’t you respect me? You despise me, and yet you ask, ‘How have we despised you?’ This is how – by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we failed to respect you?’. I will tell you- by showing contempt for my altar. When you bring a blind or sick or lame animal to sacrifice to me, do you think there’s nothing wrong with that? Try giving an animal like that to the governor! Would he be pleased with you or grant you any favors?”
Now, you priests, try asking God to be good to us. He will not answer your prayer, and it will be your fault. The Lord Almighty says, “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so as to prevent you from lighting useless fire on my altar. I am not pleased with you; I will not accept the offerings you bring me. People from one end of the world to the other honor me. Everywhere they burn incense to me and offer acceptable sacrifices. All of them honor me! But you dishonor me when you say that my altar is worthless and when you offer on it food that you despise. You say, ‘How tired we are of all this!’ and you turn up your nose at me. As your offering to me you bring a stolen animal or one that is lame or sick. Do you think I will accept that from you? A curse on the cheater who sacrifices a worthless animal to me, when he has in his flock a good animal that he promised to give me! For I am a great king, and people of all nations fear me.”
Friday, November 6, 2009
22.1 Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice
(1 Samuel 15:22-23)
Samuel said, “Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him. Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king.”
Samuel said, “Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him. Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king.”
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
21.5 Praise The Lord Who Gives Food
(Psalm 111)
Praise the Lord!
With all my heart I will thank the Lord
in the assembly of his people.
How wonderful are the things the Lord does!
All who are delighted with them
want to understand them.
All he does is full of honor and majesty;
his righteousness is eternal.
The Lord does not let us forget his wonderful actions;
he is merciful.
He provides food for those who have reverence for him;
he never forgets his covenant.
He has shown his power to his people
by giving them the lands of foreigners.
In all he does he is faithful and righteousness.
He set his people free and made an eternal
covenant with them.
Holy and mighty is he!
The way to become wise is to have reverence for the Lord;
he gives sound judgment to all who obey
his commands.
He is to be praised forever.
Praise the Lord!
With all my heart I will thank the Lord
in the assembly of his people.
How wonderful are the things the Lord does!
All who are delighted with them
want to understand them.
All he does is full of honor and majesty;
his righteousness is eternal.
The Lord does not let us forget his wonderful actions;
he is merciful.
He provides food for those who have reverence for him;
he never forgets his covenant.
He has shown his power to his people
by giving them the lands of foreigners.
In all he does he is faithful and righteousness.
He set his people free and made an eternal
covenant with them.
Holy and mighty is he!
The way to become wise is to have reverence for the Lord;
he gives sound judgment to all who obey
his commands.
He is to be praised forever.
Monday, November 2, 2009
21.4 Give Food To The Hungry
(James 2:14-17)
My brothers, what good is it for someone to say that he has faith if his actions do not prove it? Can that faith save him? Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to then, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!” – if you don’t give them the necessities of life? So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
My brothers, what good is it for someone to say that he has faith if his actions do not prove it? Can that faith save him? Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to then, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!” – if you don’t give them the necessities of life? So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
21.3 Be Happy If You Have Enough To Eat
(1 Timothy 6:7-10)
What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing! So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.
What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing! So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.
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