Read the Bible in a Year

Each day, we'll post passages so that you can read the Bible in one year. This is part of The Colossians 13:16 Project, sponsored by Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia. You're invited to worship with us Sundays, at 11:00 a.m. or Saturdays, at 6:30 p.m. You may also want to consider joining one our adult Bible Studies: Thursdays at 12:00 noon and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We also have a full range of programs for children. If you want more information about the church, check out the other blogs. And please feel free to leave any comments.

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Monday, December 28, 2015

Bible Readings for December 28, 2015


Today our passages are Zechariah 12:1–13:9; Revelation 19:1-21; Psalm 147:1-20; and Proverbs 31:1-7 The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal. 

Zechariah 12-13:9 (Contemporary English Version)

Zechariah 12

Victory for Jerusalem
 1This is a message from the LORD about Israel:    I am the LORD! I stretched out the heavens; I put the earth on its foundations and gave breath to humans. 2I have decided that Jerusalem will become a bowl of wine that makes the neighboring nations drunk. And when Jerusalem is attacked, Judah will also be attacked. [a] 3But I will turn Jerusalem into a heavy stone that crushes anyone who tries to lift it. When all nations on earth surround Jerusalem, 4I will make every horse panic and every rider confused. But at the same time, I will watch over Judah. 5Then every clan in Judah will realize that I, the LORD All-Powerful, am their God, and that I am the source of their strength.
    6At that time I will let the clans of Judah be like a ball of fire in a wood pile or a fiery torch in a hay stack. Then Judah will send the surrounding nations up in smoke. And once again the city of Jerusalem will be filled with people.
    7But I will first give victory to Judah, so the kingdom of David and the city of Jerusalem in all of their glory won't be thought of more highly than Judah itself. 8I, the LORD God, will protect Jerusalem. Even the weakest person there will be as strong as David, and David's kingdom will rule as though my very own angel were its leader. 9I am determined to wipe out every nation that attacks Jerusalem.
   
Mourning for the One Pierced with a Spear
 10I, the LORD, will make the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem feel deep sorrow and pray when they see the one they pierced with a spear. They will mourn and weep for him, as parents weep over the death of their only child or their first-born. 11On that day the people of Jerusalem will mourn as much as everyone did for Hadad Rimmon [b] on the flatlands near Megiddo. 12Everyone of each family in the land will mourn, and the men will mourn separately from the women. This includes those from the family of David, and the families of Nathan, 13Levi, Shimei, [c] 14and all other families as well.

Zechariah 13

Getting Rid of Idols and False Prophets
 1In the future there will be a fountain, where David's descendants and the people of Jerusalem can wash away their sin and guilt.     2The LORD All-Powerful says:
   When that time comes, I will get rid of every idol in the country, and they will be forgotten forever. I will also do away with their prophets and those evil spirits that control them. 3If any such prophets ever appear again, their own parents must warn them that they will die for telling lies in my name--the name of the LORD. If those prophets don't stop speaking, their parents must then kill them with a sword.
    4Those prophets will be ashamed of their so-called visions, and they won't deceive anyone by dressing like a true prophet. 5Instead, they will say, "I'm no prophet. I've been a farmer all my life." [d] 6And if any of them are asked why they are wounded, [e] they will answer, "It happened at the house of some friends."
A Wounded Shepherd and Scattered Sheep
 7The LORD All-Powerful said:    My sword, wake up! Attack
   my shepherd and friend.
   Strike down the shepherd!
   Scatter the little sheep,
   and I will destroy them.
    8Nowhere in the land
   will more than a third of them
   be left alive.
    9Then I will purify them
   and put them to the test,
   just as gold and silver
   are purified and tested.
   They will pray in my name,
   and I will answer them.
   I will say, "You are my people,"
   and they will reply,
   "You, LORD, are our God!"
   
Footnotes:
  1. Zechariah 12:2 Judah. . . attacked: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. Zechariah 12:11 Hadad Rimmon: Not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament.
  3. Zechariah 12:13 Shimei: A descendant of Gershon son of Levi (see Numbers 3.18).
  4. Zechariah 13:5 I've. . . my life: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. Zechariah 13:6 wounded: Probably from slashing themselves in the worship of a false god (see 1 Kings 18.28).

Revelation 19:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 19

 1After this, I heard what sounded like a lot of voices in heaven, and they were shouting,    "Praise the Lord!
   To our God belongs
   the glorious power to save,
    2because his judgments
   are honest and fair.
   That filthy prostitute
   ruined the earth
   with shameful deeds.
   But God has judged her
   and made her pay
   the price
   for murdering
   his servants."
    3Then the crowd shouted,
   "Praise the Lord!
   Smoke will never stop rising
   from her burning body."
    4After this, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures all knelt before the throne of God and worshiped him. They said, "Amen! Praise the Lord!"
   
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
 5From the throne a voice said,    "If you worship
   and fear our God,
   give praise to him,
   no matter who you are."
    6Then I heard what seemed to be a large crowd that sounded like a roaring flood and loud thunder all mixed together. They were saying,
   "Praise the Lord!
   Our Lord God All-Powerful
   now rules as king.
    7So we will be glad and happy
   and give him praise.
   The wedding day of the Lamb
   is here,
   and his bride is ready.
    8She will be given
   a wedding dress
   made of pure
   and shining linen.
   This linen stands for
   the good things
   God's people have done."
    9Then the angel told me, "Put this in writing. God will bless everyone who is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." The angel also said, "These things that God has said are true."
    10I knelt at the feet of the angel and began to worship him. But the angel said, "Don't do that! I am a servant, just like you and everyone else who tells about Jesus. Don't worship anyone but God. Everyone who tells about Jesus does it by the power of the Spirit."
   
The Rider on the White Horse
 11I looked and saw that heaven was open, and a white horse was there. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he is always fair when he judges or goes to war. 12He had eyes like flames of fire, and he was wearing a lot of crowns. His name was written on him, but he was the only one who knew what the name meant.     13The rider wore a robe that was covered with [a] blood, and he was known as "The Word of God." 14He was followed by armies from heaven that rode on horses and were dressed in pure white linen. 15From his mouth a sharp sword went out to attack the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod and will show the fierce anger of God All-Powerful by trampling the grapes in the pit where wine is made. 16On the part of the robe that covered his thigh was written, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." 17I then saw an angel standing on the sun, and he shouted to all the birds flying in the sky, "Come and join in God's great feast! 18You can eat the flesh of kings, rulers, leaders, horses, riders, free people, slaves, important people, and everyone else."
    19I also saw the beast and all kings of the earth come together. They fought against the rider on the white horse and against his army. 20But the beast was captured and so was the false prophet. This is the same prophet who had worked miracles for the beast, so that he could fool everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped the idol. The beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into a lake of burning sulfur. 21But the rest of their army was killed by the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse. Then birds stuffed themselves on the dead bodies.
   
Footnotes:
  1. Revelation 19:13 covered with: Some manuscripts have "sprinkled with."

Psalm 147:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 147

Sing and Praise the LORD
 1Shout praises to the LORD!    Our God is kind,
   and it is right and good
   to sing praises to him.
    2The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem
   and brings the people of Israel
   back home again.
    3He renews our hopes
   and heals our bodies.
    4He decided how many stars
   there would be in the sky
   and gave each one a name.
    5Our LORD is great and powerful!
   He understands everything.
    6The LORD helps the poor,
   but he smears the wicked
   in the dirt.
    7Celebrate and sing!
   Play your harps
   for the LORD our God.
    8He fills the sky with clouds
   and sends rain to the earth,
   so that the hills
   will be green with grass.
    9He provides food for cattle
   and for the young ravens,
   when they cry out.
    10The LORD doesn't care about
   the strength of horses
   or powerful armies.
    11The LORD is pleased only
   with those who worship him
   and trust his love.
    12Everyone in Jerusalem,
   come and praise
   the LORD your God!
    13He makes your city gates strong
   and blesses your people
   by giving them children.
    14God lets you live in peace,
   and he gives you
   the very best wheat.
    15As soon as God speaks,
   the earth obeys.
    16He covers the ground with snow
   like a blanket of wool,
   and he scatters frost
   like ashes on the ground.
    17God sends down hailstones
   like chips of rocks.
   Who can stand the cold?
    18At his command the ice melts,
   the wind blows,
   and streams begin to flow.
    19God gave his laws and teachings
   to the descendants of Jacob,
   the nation of Israel.
    20But he has not given his laws
   to any other nation.
   Shout praises to the LORD!

Proverbs 31:1-7 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 31

What King Lemuel's Mother Taught Him
 1These are the sayings    that King Lemuel of Massa
   was taught by his mother.
    2My son Lemuel, you were born
   in answer to my prayers,
   so listen carefully.
    3Don't waste your life
   chasing after women!
   This has ruined many kings.
    4Kings and leaders
   should not get drunk
   or even want to drink.
    5Drinking makes you forget
   your responsibilities,
   and you mistreat the poor.
    6Beer and wine are only
   for the dying
   or for those
   who have lost all hope.
    7Let them drink
   and forget
   how poor and miserable
   they feel.

Verse of the Day
“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28
Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.
 
FDR in 1933.jpg
Thought for the Day
Commonly known as FDR, was an American statesman and political leader who served as the President of the United States 1933-1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote, “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”
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