A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.

Bible Readings for June 29, 2019

Today our passages are 2 Kings 15:1–16:20; Acts 19:13-41; Psalm 147:1-20; and Proverbs 18:4-5. 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 by using the link below. 

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2 Kings 15-16:20 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Kings 15

King Azariah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 26.1-23)

 ¹Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah in Jeroboam's twenty-seventh year as king of Israel. ²He was only sixteen years old when he became king, and he ruled fifty-two years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jecoliah.     ³Azariah obeyed the LORD by doing right, as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴But Azariah did not destroy the local shrines, ^[a] and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices. ⁵The LORD punished Azariah with leprosy ^[b] for the rest of his life. He wasn't allowed to live in the royal palace, so his son Jotham lived there and ruled in his place. ⁶Everything else Azariah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ⁷Azariah died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Jotham then became king.     

King Zechariah of Israel

 ⁸Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah's rule in Judah, but he ruled only six months from Samaria. ⁹Like his ancestors, Zechariah disobeyed the LORD by following the evil ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ¹⁰Shallum son of Jabesh plotted against Zechariah and killed him in public. ^[c] Shallum then became king. ^11-12So the LORD had kept his promise to Jehu that the next four kings of Israel would come from his family. ^[d] Everything else Zechariah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.     

King Shallum of Israel

 ¹³Shallum became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of Azariah's ^[e] rule in Judah. But only one month after Shallum became king, ^14-16Menahem son of Gadi came to Samaria from Tirzah and killed him. Menahem then became king. The town of Tiphsah would not surrender to him, so he destroyed it and all the surrounding towns as far as Tirzah. He killed everyone living in Tiphsah, and with his sword he even ripped open pregnant women. Everything else Shallum did while he was king, including his plot against Zechariah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.     

King Menahem of Israel

 ¹⁷Menahem became king of Israel in Azariah's thirty-ninth year as king of Judah, and he ruled Israel ten years from Samaria. ¹⁸He constantly disobeyed the LORD by following the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ¹⁹During Menahem's rule, King Tiglath Pileser ^[f] of Assyria invaded Israel. He agreed to help Menahem keep control of his kingdom, if Menahem would pay him over thirty tons of silver. ²⁰So Menahem ordered every rich person in Israel to give him at least one pound of silver, and he gave it all to Tiglath Pileser, who stopped his attack and left Israel. ²¹Everything else Menahem did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ²²Menahem died, and his son Pekahiah became king.     

King Pekahiah of Israel

 ²³Pekahiah became king of Israel in the fiftieth year of Azariah's rule in Judah, and he ruled two years from Samaria. ²⁴He disobeyed the LORD and caused the Israelites to sin, just as Jeroboam son of Nebat had done.     ²⁵Pekah son of Remaliah was Pekahiah's chief officer, but he made plans to kill the king. So he and fifty men from Gilead broke into the strongest part of the palace in Samaria and murdered Pekahiah, together with Argob and Arieh. ^[g] Pekah then became king. ²⁶Everything else Pekahiah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.     

King Pekah of Israel

 ²⁷Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Azariah's fifty-second year as king of Judah, and he ruled twenty years from Samaria. ²⁸He disobeyed the LORD and followed the evil example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ²⁹During Pekah's rule, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria marched into Israel. He captured the territories of Gilead and Galilee, including the towns of Ijon, Abel-Bethmaacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor, as well as the entire territory of Naphtali. Then he took Israelites from those regions to Assyria as prisoners. ^[h] ³⁰In the twentieth year of Jotham's rule in Judah, Hoshea son of Elah plotted against Pekah and murdered him. Hoshea then became king of Israel.
    ³¹Everything else Pekah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.     

King Jotham of Judah

(2 Chronicles 27.1-9)

 ³²Jotham son of Azariah ^[i] became king of Judah in the second year of Pekah's rule in Israel. ³³Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled sixteen years from Jerusalem. His mother Jerusha was the daughter of Zadok. ³⁴Jotham followed the example of his father by obeying the LORD and doing right. ³⁵It was Jotham who rebuilt the Upper Gate that led into the court around the LORD's temple. But the local shrines were not destroyed, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.     ³⁶Everything else Jotham did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ³⁷During his rule, the LORD let King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel start attacking Judah. ³⁸Jotham died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Ahaz became king.
    

2 Kings 16

King Ahaz of Judah

(2 Chronicles 28.1-27)

 ¹Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah in the seventeenth year of Pekah's rule in Israel. ²He was twenty years old at the time, and he ruled from Jerusalem for sixteen years.    Ahaz wasn't like his ancestor David. Instead, he disobeyed the LORD ³and was even more sinful than the kings of Israel. He sacrificed his own son, which was a disgusting custom of the nations that the LORD had forced out of Israel. ⁴Ahaz offered sacrifices at the local shrines, as well as on every hill and in the shade of large trees.
    ^5-6While Ahaz was ruling Judah, the king of Edom recaptured the town of Elath from Judah and forced out the people of Judah. Edomites ^[j] then moved into Elath, and they still live there. About the same time, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel marched to Jerusalem and attacked, but they could not capture it.
    ⁷Ahaz sent a message to King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria that said, "Your Majesty, King Rezin and King Pekah are attacking me, your loyal servant. Please come and rescue me." ⁸Along with the message, Ahaz sent silver and gold from the LORD's temple and from the palace treasury as a gift for the Assyrian king.
    ⁹As soon as Tiglath Pileser received the message, he and his troops marched to Syria. He captured the capital city of Damascus, then he took the people living there to the town of Kir as prisoners and killed King Rezin. ^[k] ¹⁰Later, Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser. And while Ahaz was there, he saw an altar and sent a model of it back to Uriah the priest, along with the plans for building one. ¹¹Uriah followed the plans and built an altar exactly like the one in Damascus, finishing it just before Ahaz came back.
    ¹²When Ahaz returned, he went to see the altar and to offer sacrifices on it. He walked up to the altar ¹³and poured wine over it. Then he offered sacrifices to please the LORD, to give him thanks, and to ask for his blessings. ^[l] ¹⁴After that, he had the bronze altar moved aside, ^[m] so his new altar would be right in front of the LORD's temple. ¹⁵He told Uriah the priest: From now on, the morning and evening sacrifices as well as all gifts of grain and wine are to be offered on this altar. The sacrifices for the people and for the king must also be offered here. Sprinkle the blood from all the sacrifices on it, but leave the bronze altar for me to use for prayer and finding out what God wants me to do.
    ¹⁶Uriah did everything Ahaz told him.
    ¹⁷Ahaz also had the side panels and the small bowls taken off the movable stands in the LORD's temple. He had the large bronze bowl, called the Sea, removed from the bronze bulls on which it rested and had it placed on a stand made of stone. ¹⁸He took down the special tent that was used for worship on the Sabbath ^[n] and closed up the private entrance that the kings of Judah used for going into the temple. He did all these things to please Tiglath Pileser. ¹⁹Everything else Ahaz did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²⁰Ahaz died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, ^[o] and his son Hezekiah became king. 

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 15:4 local shrines: See the note at 12.3.
2. 2 Kings 15:5 leprosy: See the note at 5.1.
3. 2 Kings 15:10 in public: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation "in Ibleam."
4. 2 Kings 15:11 So the LORD. . . family: See 10.28-31.
5. 2 Kings 15:13 Azariah's: The Hebrew text has "Uzziah's," another spelling of the name.
6. 2 Kings 15:19 Tiglath Pileser: The Hebrew text has "Pul," another name for Tiglath Pileser, who ruled Assyria from 745 to 727 B.C.
7. 2 Kings 15:25 together with Argob and Arieh: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. 2 Kings 15:29 prisoners: The events in this verse probably took place around 733 B.C.
9. 2 Kings 15:32 Azariah: See the note at 15.13.
10. 2 Kings 16:5 the king of Edom. . . Edomites: The Hebrew text has "King Rezin of Syria. . . Syrians"; in Hebrew, there is only one letter difference between "Edom" and "Aram," which is the usual Hebrew name for Syria in the Bible (see also 2 Chronicles 28.17).
11. 2 Kings 16:9 King Rezin: This probably took place around 734 B.C., before the events in 15.29.
12. 2 Kings 16:13 offered. . . blessings: In traditional translations, these sacrifices are usually called "whole burnt offerings," "grain offerings," and "peace offerings." These are described in Leviticus 1--3.
13. 2 Kings 16:14 aside: Hebrew "to the north."
14. 2 Kings 16:18 the special tent. . . Sabbath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
15. 2 Kings 16:20 Jerusalem: See the note at 8.24.

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Acts 19:13-41 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³Some Jewish men started going around trying to force out evil spirits by using the name of the Lord Jesus. They said to the spirits, "Come out in the name of that same Jesus that Paul preaches about!"
    ¹⁴Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this, ¹⁵when an evil spirit said to them, "I know Jesus! And I have heard about Paul. But who are you?" ¹⁶Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised.
    ¹⁷When the Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus heard about this, they were so frightened that they praised the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁸Many who were followers now started telling everyone about the evil things they had been doing. ¹⁹Some who had been practicing witchcraft even brought their books and burned them in public. These books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins. ²⁰So the Lord's message spread and became even more powerful.     

The Riot in Ephesus

 ²¹After all of this had happened, Paul decided ^[a] to visit Macedonia and Achaia on his way to Jerusalem. Paul had said, "From there I will go on to Rome." ²²So he sent his two helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia. But he stayed on in Asia for a while.     ²³At that time there was serious trouble because of the Lord's Way. ^[b] ²⁴A silversmith named Demetrius had a business that made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis. Those who worked for him earned a lot of money. ²⁵Demetrius brought together everyone who was in the same business and said:
   Friends, you know that we make a good living at this. ²⁶But you have surely seen and heard how this man Paul is upsetting a lot of people, not only in Ephesus, but almost everywhere in Asia. He claims that the gods we humans make are not really gods at all. ²⁷Everyone will start saying terrible things about our business. They will stop respecting the temple of the goddess Artemis, who is worshiped in Asia and all over the world. Our great goddess will be forgotten!
    ²⁸When the workers heard this, they got angry and started shouting, "Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!" ²⁹Soon the whole city was in a riot, and some men grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, who had come from Macedonia with Paul. Then everyone in the crowd rushed to the place where the town meetings were held.
    ³⁰Paul wanted to go out and speak to the people, but the Lord's followers would not let him. ³¹A few of the local officials were friendly to Paul, and they sent someone to warn him not to go.
    ³²Some of the people in the meeting were shouting one thing, and others were shouting something else. Everyone was completely confused, and most of them did not even know why they were there.
    ³³Several of the Jewish leaders pushed a man named Alexander to the front of the crowd and started telling him what to say. He motioned with his hand and tried to explain what was going on. ³⁴But when the crowd saw that he was Jewish, they all shouted for two hours, "Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!"
    ³⁵Finally, a town official made the crowd be quiet. Then he said:
   People of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that our city is the center for worshiping the great goddess Artemis? Who doesn't know that her image which fell from heaven is right here? ³⁶No one can deny this, and so you should calm down and not do anything foolish. ³⁷You have brought men in here who have not robbed temples or spoken against our goddess.
    ³⁸If Demetrius and his workers have a case against these men, we have courts and judges. Let them take their complaints there. ³⁹But if you want to do more than that, the matter will have to be brought before the city council. ⁴⁰We could easily be accused of starting a riot today. There is no excuse for it! We cannot even give a reason for this uproar.
    ⁴¹After saying this, he told the people to leave.
    

Footnotes:

1. Acts 19:21 Paul decided: Or "Paul was led by the Holy Spirit."
2. Acts 19:23 the Lord's Way: See the note at 9.2.

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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! 

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Proverbs 18:4-5 (Contemporary English Version)

⁴Words of wisdom
   are a stream
   that flows
   from a deep fountain.
    ⁵It's wrong to favor the guilty
   and keep the innocent
   from getting justice. 

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Verse of the Day

“You, LORD, will always treat me with kindness. Your love never fails. You have made us what we are. Don't give up on us now!” - Psalm 138:8 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

French writer, poet, aristocrat, journalist and pioneering aviator, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote, “Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”

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A Joke for Today

Teacher: Johnny, give me a sentence starting with "I".

Little Johnny: I is...

Teacher: No, Little Johnny. Always say "I am."

Little Johnny: All right. I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.

A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on Matthew 16:25 - If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Bible Readings for June 28, 2019

Today our passages are 2 Kings 13:1–14:29; Acts 18:23–19:12; Psalm 146:1-10; and Proverbs 18:2-3. 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 by using the link below. 

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2 Kings 13-14:29 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Kings 13

King Jehoahaz of Israel

 ¹Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in the twenty-third year of Joash's rule in Judah. Jehoahaz ruled seventeen years from Samaria ²and disobeyed the LORD by doing wrong. He never stopped following the example of Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ³The LORD was angry at the Israelites, so he let King Hazael of Syria and his son Benhadad rule over them for a long time. ⁴Jehoahaz prayed to the LORD for help, and the LORD saw how terribly Hazael was treating the Israelites. He answered Jehoahaz ⁵by sending Israel a leader who rescued them from the Syrians, ^[a] and the Israelites lived in peace as they had before. ^6-7But Hazael had defeated Israel's army so badly that Jehoahaz had only ten chariots, fifty cavalry troops, and ten thousand regular soldiers left in his army. The Israelites kept sinning and following the example of Jeroboam's family. They did not tear down the sacred poles ^[b] that had been set up in Samaria for the worship of the goddess Asherah. ⁸Everything else Jehoahaz did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ⁹Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoash became king.     

King Jehoash of Israel

 ¹⁰Jehoash became king of Israel in the thirty-seventh year of Joash's rule in Judah, and he ruled sixteen years from Samaria. ¹¹He disobeyed the LORD by doing just like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ¹²Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his war against King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ¹³Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.     

Elisha the Prophet Dies

 ¹⁴Some time before the death of King Jehoash, Elisha the prophet was very sick and about to die. Jehoash went in and stood beside him, crying. He said, "Master, what will Israel's chariots and cavalry be able to do without you?" ^[c] ^15-16"Grab a bow and some arrows," Elisha told him, "and hold them in your hand." Jehoash grabbed the bow and arrows and held them. Elisha placed his hand on the king's hand ¹⁷and said, "Open the window facing east." When it was open, Elisha shouted, "Now shoot!" Jehoash shot an arrow and Elisha said, "That arrow is a sign that the LORD will help you completely defeat the Syrian army at Aphek."     ¹⁸Elisha said, "Pick up the arrows and hit the ground with them." Jehoash grabbed the arrows and hit the ground three times, then stopped. ¹⁹Elisha became angry at the king and exclaimed, "If you had struck it five or six times, you would completely wipe out the Syrians. Now you will defeat them only three times."
    ²⁰Elisha died and was buried.
   Every year in the spring, Moab's leaders sent raiding parties into Israel. ²¹Once, while some Israelites were burying a man's body, they saw a group of Moabites. The Israelites quickly threw the body into Elisha's tomb and ran away. As soon as the man's body touched the bones of Elisha, the man came back to life and stood up.     

Israel Defeats Syria

 ²²Israel was under the power of King Hazael of Syria during the entire rule of Jehoahaz. ²³But the LORD was kind to the Israelites and showed them mercy because of his solemn agreement with their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, he has never turned his back on them or let them be completely destroyed.     ²⁴Hazael died, and his son Benhadad then became king of Syria. ²⁵King Jehoash of Israel attacked and defeated the Syrian army three times. He took back from Benhadad all the towns Hazael had captured in battle from his father Jehoahaz.
    

2 Kings 14

King Amaziah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 25.1-24)

 ¹Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah in the second year of Jehoash's rule in Israel. ²Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled twenty-nine years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jehoaddin.     ³Amaziah followed the example of his father Joash by obeying the LORD and doing right. But he was not as faithful as his ancestor David. ⁴Amaziah did not destroy the local shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.
    ⁵As soon as Amaziah had control of Judah, he arrested and killed the officers who had murdered his father. ⁶But the children of those officers were not killed. The LORD had commanded in the Law of Moses that only the people who sinned were to be punished, not their parents or children. ^[d] ⁷While Amaziah was king, he killed ten thousand Edomite soldiers in Salt Valley. He captured the town of Sela and renamed it Joktheel, which is still its name.
    ⁸One day, Amaziah sent a message to King Jehoash of Israel: "Come out and face me in battle!"
    ⁹Jehoash sent back this reply:
   Once upon a time, a small thornbush in Lebanon announced that his son was going to marry the daughter of a large cedar tree. But a wild animal came along and trampled the small bush.
    ¹⁰Amaziah, you think you're so powerful because you defeated Edom. Go ahead and celebrate--but stay at home. If you cause any trouble, both you and your kingdom of Judah will be destroyed.
    ¹¹But Amaziah refused to listen. So Jehoash and his troops marched to the town of Beth-Shemesh in Judah to attack Amaziah and his troops. ¹²During the battle, Judah's army was crushed. Every soldier from Judah ran back home, ¹³and Jehoash captured Amaziah.
   Jehoash then marched to Jerusalem and broke down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to Corner Gate, a section about six hundred feet long. ¹⁴He took the gold and silver, as well as everything of value from the LORD's temple and the king's treasury. He took hostages, then returned to Samaria.
    ¹⁵Everything else Jehoash did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he defeated King Amaziah of Judah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ¹⁶Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria beside the other Israelite kings. His son Jeroboam then became king.
    ¹⁷Fifteen years after Jehoash died, ^18-20some people in Jerusalem plotted against Amaziah. He was able to escape to the town of Lachish, but another group of people caught him and killed him there. His body was taken back to Jerusalem on horseback and buried beside his ancestors.
   Everything else Amaziah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²¹After his death the people of Judah made his son Azariah king, even though he was only sixteen at the time. ²²Azariah was the one who later recaptured and rebuilt the town of Elath.     

King Jeroboam the Second of Israel

 ²³Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in the fifteenth year of Amaziah's rule in Judah. Jeroboam ruled forty-one years from Samaria. ²⁴He disobeyed the LORD by following the evil example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.     ²⁵Jeroboam extended the boundaries of Israel from Lebo-Hamath in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, just as the LORD had promised his servant Jonah son of Amittai, who was a prophet from Gath-Hepher. ²⁶The LORD helped Jeroboam do this because he had seen how terribly the Israelites were suffering, whether slave or free, and no one was left to help them. ²⁷And since the LORD had promised that he would not let Israel be completely destroyed, he helped Jeroboam rescue them.
    ²⁸Everything else Jeroboam did while he was king, including his brave deeds and how he recaptured the towns of Damascus and Hamath, ^[e] is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ²⁹Jeroboam died and was buried, and his son Zechariah became king. 

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 13:5 by sending. . . the Syrians: The name of this leader is not given, but it may refer to Elisha the prophet, King Jehoash of Israel, or his son King Jeroboam.
2. 2 Kings 13:6 sacred poles: Or "trees," used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility.
3. 2 Kings 13:14 Master. . . without you: Or "Master, you were like chariots and cavalry for Israel!"
4. 2 Kings 14:6 The LORD had commanded. . . children: See Deuteronomy 24.16.
5. 2 Kings 14:28 how he recaptured. . . Hamath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Acts 18:23-19:12 (Contemporary English Version)

²³After staying there for a while, he left and visited several places in Galatia and Phrygia. He helped the followers there to become stronger in their faith.     

Apollos in Ephesus

 ²⁴A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos had been born in the city of Alexandria. He was a very good speaker and knew a lot about the Scriptures. ²⁵He also knew much about the Lord's Way, ^[a] and he spoke about it with great excitement. What he taught about Jesus was right, but all he knew was John's message about baptism. ²⁶Apollos started speaking bravely in the Jewish meeting place. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better.     ²⁷Apollos decided to travel through Achaia. So the Lord's followers wrote letters, encouraging the followers there to welcome him. After Apollos arrived in Achaia, he was a great help to everyone who had put their faith in the Lord Jesus because of God's kindness. ²⁸He got into fierce arguments with the Jewish people, and in public he used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.
    

Acts 19

Paul in Ephesus

 ¹While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord's followers. ²He asked them, "When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?"    "No!" they answered. "We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit."
    ³"Then why were you baptized?" Paul asked.
   They answered, "Because of what John taught." ^[b] ⁴Paul replied, "John baptized people so that they would turn to God. But he also told them that someone else was coming, and that they should put their faith in him. Jesus is the one that John was talking about." ⁵After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and they spoke unknown languages and prophesied. ⁷There were about twelve men in this group.
    ⁸For three months Paul went to the Jewish meeting place and talked bravely with the people about God's kingdom. He tried to win them over, ⁹but some of them were stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone they said terrible things about God's Way. Paul left and took the followers with him to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. He spoke there every day ¹⁰for two years, until every Jew and Gentile ^[c] in Asia had heard the Lord's message. 

The Sons of Sceva

 ¹¹God gave Paul the power to work great miracles. ¹²People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul's body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All of the sick people were healed, and the evil spirits went out.     

Footnotes:

1. Acts 18:25 the Lord's Way: See the note at 9.2.
2. Acts 19:3 Then why were you baptized?. . . Because of what John taught: Or "In whose name were you baptized?. . . We were baptized in John's name."
3. Acts 19:10 Gentile(s): The text has "Greek(s)" (see the note at 14.1).

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Psalm 146:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 146

Shout Praises to the LORD

 ¹Shout praises to the LORD!    With all that I am,
   I will shout his praises.
    ²I will sing
   and praise
   the LORD God
   for as long as I live.
    ³You can't depend on anyone,
   not even a great leader.
    ⁴Once they die and are buried,
   that will be the end
   of all their plans.
    ⁵The LORD God of Jacob blesses
   everyone
   who trusts him
   and depends on him.
    ⁶God made heaven and earth;
   he created the sea
   and everything else.
   God always keeps his word.
    ⁷He gives justice to the poor
   and food to the hungry.
   The LORD sets prisoners free
    ⁸and heals blind eyes.
   He gives a helping hand
   to everyone who falls.
   The LORD loves good people
    ⁹and looks after strangers.
   He defends the rights
   of orphans and widows,
   but destroys the wicked.
    ¹⁰The LORD God of Zion
   will rule forever!
   Shout praises to the LORD!

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Proverbs 18:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)

²Fools have no desire to learn;
   they would much rather
   give their own opinion.
    ³Wrongdoing leads to shame
   and disgrace.

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Verse of the Day

“The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” - 2 Peter 3:9 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Delta blues guitarist and singer, David “Honeyboy” Edwards wrote, “The blues is nothing but a story... The verses which are sung in the blues is a true story, what people are doing... what they all went through. It's not just a song, see?”

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A Joke for Today 

Juan comes up to the Mexican border on his bicycle. He's got two large bags over his shoulders.

The guard stops him and says, "What's in the bags?"

"Sand," answered Juan.

The guard says, "We'll just see about that, get off the bike." The guard takes the bags and rips them apart; he empties them out and finds nothing in them but sand.

He detains Juan overnight and has the sand analyzed, only to discover that there is nothing but pure sand in the bags.

The guard releases Juan, puts the sand into new bags, hefts them onto the man''s shoulders, and lets him cross the border.

A week later, the same thing happens. The guard asks, "What have you got?"

"Sand," says Juan.

The guard does his thorough examination and discovers that the bags contain nothing but sand.

He gives the sand back to Juan, and Juan crosses the border on his bicycle.

This sequence of events if repeated every day for three years. Finally, Juan doesn't show up one day and the guard meets him in a Cantina in Mexico.

"Hey, Buddy," says the guard, "I know you are smuggling something. It's driving me crazy. It's all I think about. I can't sleep. Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?"

Juan sips his beer and says, "Bicycles."

A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on Leviticus 19:18 - Stop being angry and don't try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.

Bible Readings for June 27, 2019

Today our passages are 2 Kings 10:32–12:21; Acts 18:1-22; Psalm 145:1-21; and Proverbs 18:1. 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 by using the link below. 

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2 Kings 10:32-12:21 (Contemporary English Version)

Jehu Dies

 ³²In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael of Syria defeated the Israelites and took control ³³of the regions of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan River and north of the town of Aroer near the Arnon River. This was the land where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh had once lived.     ³⁴Everything else Jehu did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ³⁵Jehu died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz became king. ³⁶Jehu had ruled Israel twenty-eight years from Samaria.
    

2 Kings 11

Queen Athaliah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 22.10-12)

 ¹As soon as Athaliah heard that her son King Ahaziah was dead, she decided to kill any relative who could possibly become king. She would have done that, ²but Jehosheba rescued Joash son of Ahaziah just as he was about to be murdered. Jehosheba, who was Jehoram's ^[a] daughter and Ahaziah's half sister, hid her nephew Joash and his personal servant in a bedroom in the LORD's temple where he was safe from Athaliah. ³Joash hid in the temple with Jehosheba ^[b] for six years while Athaliah ruled as queen of Judah.

Jehoiada Makes Joash King of Judah

(2 Chronicles 23.1-21)

 ⁴Joash son of Ahaziah had hidden in the LORD's temple six years. Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest sent for the commanders of the king's special bodyguards ^[c] and the commanders of the palace guards. They met him at the temple, and he asked them to make a promise in the name of the LORD. Then he brought out Joash ⁵and said to them: Here's what I want you to do. Three of your guard units will be on duty on the Sabbath. I want one unit to guard the palace. ⁶Another unit will guard Sur Gate, and the third unit will guard the palace gate and relieve the palace guards.     ⁷The other two guard units are supposed to be off duty on the Sabbath. But I want both of them to stay here at the temple and protect King Joash. ⁸Make sure they follow him wherever he goes, and have them keep their swords ready to kill anyone who tries to get near him.
    ⁹The commanders followed Jehoiada's orders. Each one called together his guards--those coming on duty and those going off duty. ¹⁰Jehoiada brought out the swords and shields that had belonged to King David and gave them to the commanders. ¹¹Then they gave the weapons to their guards, who took their positions around the temple and the altar to protect Joash on every side.
    ¹²Jehoiada brought Joash outside, where he placed the crown on his head and gave him a copy of instructions for ruling the nation. Olive oil was poured on his head to show that he was now king, while the crowd clapped and shouted, "Long live the king!"
    ¹³Queen Athaliah heard the crowd and went to the temple. ¹⁴There she saw Joash standing by one of the columns, which was the usual place for the king. The singers ^[d] and the trumpet players were standing next to him, and the people were celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes in anger and shouted, "You betrayed me, you traitors!" ¹⁵Right away, Jehoiada said to the army commanders, "Kill her! But don't do it anywhere near the LORD's temple. Take her out in front of the troops and kill anyone who is with her!" ¹⁶So the commanders dragged her to the gate where horses are led into the palace, and they killed her there.
    ¹⁷Jehoiada the priest asked King Joash and the people to promise that they would be faithful to each other and to the LORD. ¹⁸Then the crowd went to the temple built to honor Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal right in front of the altars.
   After Jehoiada had placed guards around the LORD's temple, ¹⁹he called together all the commanders, the king's special bodyguards, ^[e] the palace guards, and the people. They led Joash from the temple, through the Guards' Gate, and into the palace. He took his place on the throne and became king of Judah. ²⁰Everyone celebrated because Athaliah had been killed and Jerusalem was peaceful again. ²¹Joash was only seven years old when this happened. 

2 Kings 12

King Joash of Judah

(2 Chronicles 24.1-16)

 ¹Joash ^[f] became king of Judah in Jehu's seventh year as king of Israel, and he ruled forty years from Jerusalem. His mother Zibiah was from the town of Beersheba. ²Jehoiada the priest taught Joash what was right, and so for the rest of his life Joash obeyed the LORD. ³But even Joash did not destroy the local shrines, ^[g] and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices. ⁴One day, Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money that has been given to the LORD's temple, whether from taxes or gifts, ⁵and use it to repair the temple. You priests can contribute your own money too." ^[h] ⁶But the priests never started repairing the temple. So in the twenty-third year of his rule, ⁷Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and said, "Why aren't you using the money to repair the temple? Don't take any more money for yourselves. It is only to be used to pay for the repairs." ⁸The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money or be in charge of the temple repairs.     ⁹Jehoiada found a wooden box; he cut a hole in the top of it and set it on the right side of the altar where people went into the temple. Whenever someone gave money to the temple, the priests guarding the entrance would put it into this box. ¹⁰When the box was full of money, the king's secretary and the chief priest would count the money and put it in bags. ¹¹Then they would give it to the men supervising the repairs to the temple. Some of the money was used to pay the builders, the woodworkers, ¹²the stonecutters, and the men who built the walls. And some was used to buy wood and stone and to pay any other costs for repairing the temple.
    ¹³While the repairs were being made, the money that was given to the temple was not used to make silver bowls, lamp snuffers, small sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or anything gold or silver for the temple. ¹⁴It went only to pay for repairs. ¹⁵The men in charge were honest, so no one had to keep track of the money.
    ¹⁶The fines that had to be paid along with the sacrifices to make things right and the sacrifices for sin did not go to the temple. This money belonged only to the priests.
    ¹⁷About the same time, King Hazael of Syria attacked the town of Gath and captured it. Next, he decided to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁸So Joash collected everything he and his ancestors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah had dedicated to the LORD, as well as the gold in the storage rooms in the temple and palace. He sent it all to Hazael as a gift, and when Hazael received it, he ordered his troops to leave Jerusalem.
    ¹⁹Everything else Joash did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ^20-21At the end of his rule, some of his officers rebelled against him. Jozabad ^[i] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him in a building where the land was filled in on the east side of Jerusalem, ^[j] near the road to Silla. Joash was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, ^[k] and his son Amaziah became king. 

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 11:2 Jehoram's: The Hebrew text has "Joram's," another spelling of the name.
2. 2 Kings 11:3 Jehosheba: Jehosheba was the wife of Jehoiada the priest (see 2 Chronicles 22.11), which is why she could hide Joash in one of the private bedrooms used only by the priests.
3. 2 Kings 11:4 the king's special bodyguards: The Hebrew text has "the Carites," who were probably foreign soldiers hired to serve as royal bodyguards.
4. 2 Kings 11:14 singers: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "commanders."
5. 2 Kings 11:19 the king's special bodyguards: See the note at verse 4.
6. 2 Kings 12:1 Joash: The Hebrew text has "Jehoash," another spelling of the name.
7. 2 Kings 12:3 local shrines: The Hebrew text has "high places," which were local places to worship God or foreign gods.
8. 2 Kings 12:5 You priests. . . money too: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. 2 Kings 12:20 Jozabad: Some manuscripts of the Hebrew text; other manuscripts "Jozacar."
10. 2 Kings 12:20 where. . . Jerusalem: The Hebrew text has "on the Millo," which probably refers to a landfill to strengthen and extend the hill where the city was built.
11. 2 Kings 12:20 Jerusalem: See the note at 8.24.

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Acts 18:1-22 (Contemporary English Version)

Acts 18

Paul in Corinth

 ¹Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, ²where he met Aquila, a Jewish man from Pontus. Not long before this, Aquila had come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to leave Rome. ^[a]Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla ³and found out that they were tent makers. Paul was a tent maker too. So he stayed with them, and they worked together. ⁴Every Sabbath, Paul went to the Jewish meeting place. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles ^[b] and tried to win them over. ⁵But after Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah. ⁶Finally, they turned against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes ^[c] and told them, "Whatever happens to you will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles." ⁷Paul then moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the Jewish meeting place. ⁸Crispus was the leader of the meeting place. He and everyone in his family put their faith in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were baptized.     ⁹One night, Paul had a vision, and in it the Lord said, "Don't be afraid to keep on preaching. Don't stop! ¹⁰I am with you, and you won't be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me." ¹¹Paul stayed on in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching God's message to the people.
    ¹²While Gallio was governor of Achaia, some of the Jewish leaders got together and grabbed Paul. They brought him into court ¹³and said, "This man is trying to make our people worship God in a way that is against our Law!"
    ¹⁴Even before Paul could speak, Gallio said, "If you were charging this man with a crime or some other wrong, I would have to listen to you. ¹⁵But since this concerns only words, names, and your own law, you will have to take care of it. I refuse to judge such matters." ¹⁶Then he sent them out of the court. ¹⁷The crowd grabbed Sosthenes, the Jewish leader, and beat him up in front of the court. But none of this mattered to Gallio.     

Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

 ¹⁸After Paul had stayed for a while with the Lord's followers in Corinth, he told them good-by and sailed on to Syria with Aquila and Priscilla. But before he left, he had his head shaved ^[d] at Cenchreae because he had made a promise to God. ¹⁹The three of them arrived in Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He then went into the Jewish meeting place to talk with the people there. ²⁰They asked him to stay longer, but he refused. ²¹He told them good-by and said, "If God lets me, I will come back."     ²²Paul sailed to Caesarea, where he greeted the church. Then he went on to Antioch. 

Footnotes:

1. Acts 18:2 Emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jewish people to leave Rome: Probably A.D. 49, though it may have been A.D. 41.
2. Acts 18:4 Gentiles: Here the word is "Greeks." But see the note at 14.1.
3. Acts 18:6 shook the dust from his clothes: This means the same as shaking dust from the feet (see the note at 13.51).
4. Acts 18:18 he had his head shaved: Paul had promised to be a "Nazirite" for a while. This meant that for the time of the promise, he could not cut his hair or drink wine. When the time was over, he would have to cut his hair and offer a sacrifice to God.

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Psalm 145:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 145

(By David for praise.)

The LORD Is Kind and Merciful

 ¹I will praise you,    my God and King,
   and always honor your name.
    ²I will praise you each day
   and always honor your name.
    ³You are wonderful, LORD,
   and you deserve all praise,
   because you are much greater
   than anyone can understand.
    ⁴Each generation will announce
   to the next
   your wonderful
   and powerful deeds.
    ⁵I will keep thinking about
   your marvelous glory
   and your mighty miracles. ^[a] ⁶Everyone will talk about
   your fearsome deeds,
   and I will tell all nations
   how great you are.
    ⁷They will celebrate and sing
   about your matchless mercy
   and your power to save.
    ⁸You are merciful, LORD!
   You are kind and patient
   and always loving.
    ⁹You are good to everyone,
   and you take care
   of all your creation.
    ¹⁰All creation will thank you,
   and your loyal people
   will praise you.
    ¹¹They will tell about
   your marvelous kingdom
   and your power.
    ¹²Then everyone will know about
   the mighty things you do
   and your glorious kingdom.
    ¹³Your kingdom will never end,
   and you will rule forever.
   Our LORD, you keep your word
   and do everything you say. ^[b] ¹⁴When someone stumbles or falls,
   you give a helping hand.
    ¹⁵Everyone depends on you,
   and when the time is right,
   you provide them with food.
    ¹⁶By your own hand
   you satisfy
   the desires of all who live.
    ¹⁷Our LORD, everything you do
   is kind and thoughtful,
    ¹⁸and you are near to everyone
   whose prayers are sincere.
    ¹⁹You satisfy the desires
   of all your worshipers,
   and you come to save them
   when they ask for help.
    ²⁰You take care of everyone
   who loves you,
   but you destroy the wicked.
    ²¹I will praise you, LORD,
   and everyone will respect
   your holy name forever.
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 145:5 and. . . miracles: One Hebrew manuscript and two ancient translations have " as others tell about your mighty miracles."
2. Psalm 145:13 Our. . . say: These words are found in one Hebrew manuscript and two ancient translations.

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Proverbs 18:1 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 18

It's Wrong to Favor the Guilty

 ¹It's selfish and stupid    to think only of yourself
   and to sneer at people
   who have sense. ^[a] 

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 18:1 sense: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 1.

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Verse of the Day

 

“If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” - Matthew 16:25 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American actress, director and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, Antoinette Perry wrote, “Should l go on playing bridge and dining, going in the same old monotonous circle? It's easy that way, but it's a sort of suicide, too.”

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A Joke for Today 

An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution. "You don't want to try these techniques at home."

"Why not?" asked somebody from the audience.

"I watched my wife's routine at breakfast for years," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her, 'Hon, why don't you try carrying several things at once?'"

"Did it save time?" the person in the audience asked.

"Actually, yes," replied the expert. "It used to take her 20 minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in seven."