Bible Readings for February 12, 2019

Today our passages are Exodus 34:1–35:9; Matthew 27:15-31; Psalm 33:12-22; and Proverbs 9:1-6. The readings are 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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Exodus 34-35:9 (Contemporary English Version)

Exodus 34

The Second Set of Commandments

(Deuteronomy 10.1-5)

 ¹One day the LORD said to Moses, " Cut two flat stones like the first ones I made, and I will write on them the same commandments that were on the two you broke. ²Be ready tomorrow morning to come up Mount Sinai and meet me at the top. ³No one is to come with you or to be on the mountain at all. Don't even let the sheep and cattle graze at the foot of the mountain." ⁴So Moses cut two flat stones like the first ones, and early the next morning he carried them to the top of Mount Sinai, just as the LORD had commanded.     ⁵The LORD God came down in a cloud and stood beside Moses there on the mountain. God spoke his holy name, " the LORD." ^[a] ⁶Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, " I am the LORD God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. ⁷I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren." ⁸Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. ⁹He prayed, " LORD, if you really are pleased with me, I pray that you will go with us. It is true that these people are sinful and rebellious, but forgive our sin and let us be your people."
    

A Promise and Its Demands

(Exodus 23.14-19; Deuteronomy 7.1-5; 16.1-17)

 ¹⁰The LORD said:    I promise to perform miracles for you that have never been seen anywhere on earth. Neighboring nations will stand in fear and know that I was the one who did these marvelous things. ¹¹I will force out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, but you must do what I command you today. ¹²Don't make treaties with any of those people. If you do, it will be like falling into a trap. ¹³Instead, you must destroy their altars and tear down the sacred poles ^[b] they use in the worship of the goddess Asherah. ¹⁴I demand your complete loyalty--you must not worship any other god! ¹⁵Don't make treaties with the people there, or you will soon find yourselves worshiping their gods and taking part in their sacrificial meals. ¹⁶Your men will even marry their women and be influenced to worship their gods. ¹⁷Don't make metal images of gods.
    ¹⁸Don't fail to observe the Festival of Thin Bread in the month of Abib. ^[c] Obey me and eat bread without yeast for seven days during Abib, because that is the month you left Egypt. ¹⁹The first-born males of your families and of your flocks and herds belong to me.
    ²⁰You can save the life of a first-born donkey ^[d] by sacrificing a lamb; if you don't, you must break the donkey's neck. You must save every first-born son. Bring an offering every time you come to worship.
    ²¹Do your work in six days and rest on the seventh day, even during the seasons for plowing and harvesting. ²²Celebrate the Harvest Festival ^[e] each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters ^[f] each autumn when you pick your fruit. ²³Your men must come to worship me three times a year, because I am the LORD God of Israel. ²⁴I will force the nations out of your land and enlarge your borders. Then no one will try to take your property when you come to worship me these three times each year.
    ²⁵When you sacrifice an animal on the altar, don't offer bread made with yeast. And don't save any part of the Passover meal for the next day.
    ²⁶I am the LORD your God, and you must bring the first part of your harvest to the place of worship.
   Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
    ²⁷The LORD told Moses to put these laws in writing, as part of his agreement with Israel. ²⁸Moses stayed on the mountain with the LORD for forty days and nights, without eating or drinking. And he wrote down the Ten Commandments, the most important part of God's agreement with his people.
    

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai

 ²⁹Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the Ten Commandments. His face was shining brightly because the LORD had been speaking to him. But Moses did not know at first that his face was shining. ³⁰When Aaron and the others looked at Moses, they saw that his face was shining, and they were afraid to go near him. ³¹Moses called out for Aaron and the leaders to come to him, and he spoke with them. ³²Then the rest of the people of Israel gathered around Moses, and he gave them the laws that the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.     ³³The face of Moses kept shining, and after he had spoken with the people, he covered his face with a veil. ³⁴Moses would always remove the veil when he went into the sacred tent to speak with the LORD. And when he came out, he would tell the people everything the LORD had told him to say. ³⁵They could see that his face was still shining. So after he had spoken with them, he would put the veil back on and leave it on until the next time he went to speak with the LORD.
    

Exodus 35

Laws for the Sabbath

 ¹Moses called together the people of Israel and told them that the LORD had said:     ²You have six days in which to do your work. But the seventh day must be dedicated to me, your LORD, as a day of rest. Whoever works on the Sabbath will be put to death. ³Don't even build a cooking fire at home on the Sabbath.
    

Offerings for the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 25.1-9; 35.10-19)

 ⁴Moses told the people of Israel that the LORD had said:     ⁵I would welcome an offering from anyone who wants to give something. You may bring gold, silver, or bronze; ⁶blue, purple, or red wool; fine linen; goat hair; ⁷tanned ram skin or fine leather; acacia wood; ⁸olive oil for the lamp; sweet-smelling spices for the oil of dedication and for the incense; or ⁹onyx ^[g] stones or other gems for the sacred vest and breastpiece. 

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 34:5 the LORD: See the note at 3.14,15.
2. Exodus 34:13 sacred poles: Or " trees," used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility.
3. Exodus 34:18 Abib: See the note at 12.2.
4. Exodus 34:20 donkey: See the note at 13.13.
5. Exodus 34:22 Harvest Festival: See the note at 23.16.
6. Exodus 34:22 Festival of Shelters: See the note at 23.16.
7. Exodus 35:9 onyx: See the note at 25.7.

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Matthew 27:15-31 (Contemporary English Version)

The Death Sentence

(Mark 15.6-15; Luke 23.13-26; John 18.39--19.16)

 ¹⁵During Passover the governor always freed a prisoner chosen by the people. ¹⁶At that time a well-known terrorist named Jesus Barabbas ^[a] was in jail. ¹⁷So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them, "Which prisoner do you want me to set free? Do you want Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" ¹⁸Pilate knew that the leaders had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous. ¹⁹While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man. I have had nightmares because of him."     ²⁰But the chief priests and the leaders convinced the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed. ²¹Pilate asked the crowd again, "Which of these two men do you want me to set free?"
   "Barabbas!" they replied.
    ²²Pilate asked them, "What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?"
   They all yelled, "Nail him to a cross!"
    ²³Pilate answered, "But what crime has he done?"
   "Nail him to a cross!" they yelled even louder.
    ²⁴Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do and that the people were starting to riot. So he took some water and washed his hands ^[b] in front of them and said, "I won't have anything to do with killing this man. You are the ones doing it!" ²⁵Everyone answered, "We and our own families will take the blame for his death!"
    ²⁶Pilate set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.
    

Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

(Mark 15.16-21; John 19.2,3)

 ²⁷The governor's soldiers led Jesus into the fortress ^[c] and brought together the rest of the troops. ²⁸They stripped off Jesus' clothes and put a scarlet robe ^[d] on him. ²⁹They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, "Hey, you king of the Jews!" ³⁰Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Mark 15.22-32; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)

 ³¹When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. 

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 27:16 Jesus Barabbas: Here and in verse 17 many manuscripts have "Barabbas."
2. Matthew 27:24 washed his hands: To show that he was innocent.
3. Matthew 27:27 fortress: The place where the Roman governor stayed. It was probably at Herod's palace west of Jerusalem, though it may have been Fortress Antonia north of the temple, where the Roman troops were stationed.
4. Matthew 27:28 scarlet robe: This was probably a Roman soldier's robe.

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Psalm 33:12-22 (Contemporary English Version)

¹²The LORD blesses each nation
   that worships only him.
   He blesses his chosen ones.
    ¹³The LORD looks at the world
    ¹⁴from his throne in heaven,
   and he watches us all.
    ¹⁵The LORD gave us each a mind,
   and nothing we do
   can be hidden from him.
    ¹⁶Mighty armies alone
   cannot win wars for a king;
   great strength by itself
   cannot keep a soldier safe.
    ¹⁷In war the strength of a horse
   cannot be trusted
   to take you to safety.
    ¹⁸But the LORD watches over
   all
   who honor him
   and trust his kindness.
    ¹⁹He protects them from death
   and starvation.
    ²⁰We depend on you, LORD,
   to help and protect us.
    ²¹You make our hearts glad
   because we trust you,
   the only God.
    ²²Be kind and bless us!
   We depend on you.

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Proverbs 9:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 9

Wisdom Gives a Feast

 ¹Wisdom has built her house    with its seven columns.
    ²She has prepared the meat
   and set out the wine.
   Her feast is ready.
    ³She has sent her servant women
   to announce her invitation
   from the highest hills:
    ⁴"Everyone who is ignorant
   or foolish is invited!
    ⁵All of you are welcome
   to my meat and wine.
    ⁶If you want to live,
   give up your foolishness
   and let understanding
   guide your steps."

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Verse of the Day

“Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.” - 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day 

English naturalist, geologist and biologist, Charles Darwin wrote, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”

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A Joke for Today

A man is driving down the road and his car breaks down near a monastery. 

He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke down. Do you think I could stay the night?" 

The monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, and even fix his car. As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. A sound unlike anything he's ever heard before. The Sirens that nearly seduced Odysseus into crashing his ship comes to his mind. He doesn't sleep that night. 
He tosses and turns trying to figure out what could possibly be making such a seductive sound. The next morning, he asks the monks what the sound was, but they say, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk."Distraught, the man is forced to leave. 

Years later, after never being able to forget that sound, the man goes back to the monastery and pleads for the answer again. 

The monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk." 

The man says, "If the only way I can find out what is making that beautiful sound is to become a monk, then please, make me a monk." 

The monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us how many blades of grass there are and the exact number of grains of sand. When you find these answers, you will have become a monk."

The man sets about his task .

After years of searching he returns as a gray-haired old man and knocks on the door of the monastery. A monk answers. He is taken before a gathering of all the monks. 

"In my quest to find what makes that beautiful sound, I traveled the earth and have found what you asked for: By design, the world is in a state of perpetual change. Only God knows what you ask. All a man can know is himself, and only then if he is honest and reflective and willing to strip away self deception."

The monks reply, "Congratulations. You have become a monk. We shall now show you the way to the mystery of the sacred sound."

The monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says,"The sound is beyond that door."

The monks give him the key, and he opens the door. Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man is given the key to the stone door and he opens it, only to find a door made of ruby. And so it went that he needed keys to doors of emerald, pearl and diamond.

Finally, they come to a door made of solid gold. The sound has become very clear and definite. The monks say, "This is the last key to the last door."

The man is apprehensive to no end. His life's wish is behind that door!

With trembling hands, he unlocks the door, turns the knob, and slowly pushes the door open. Falling to his knees, he is utterly amazed to discover the source of that haunting and seductive sound...

But, of course, I can't tell you what it is because you're not a monk.

Bible Readings for July 13, 2014

Today our passages are 1 Chronicles 15:1–16:36; Romans 1:18-32; Psalm 10:1-15; and Proverbs 19:6-7. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you missed a day, you can find all the readings at our blog, The Bible in a Year.

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1 Chronicles 15-16:36 (The Message)

1 Chronicles 15

David Worships

 ^1-2 After David built houses for himself in the City of David, he cleared a place for the Chest and pitched a tent for it. Then David gave orders: "No one carries the Chest of God except the Levites; God designated them and them only to carry the Chest of God and be available full time for service in the work of worship."  ^3-10 David then called everyone in Israel to assemble in Jerusalem to bring up the Chest of God to its specially prepared place. David also called in the family of Aaron and the Levites. From the family of Kohath, Uriel the head with 120 relatives; from the family of Merari, Asaiah the head with 220 relatives; from the family of Gershon, Joel the head with 130 relatives; from the family of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the head with 200 relatives; from the family of Hebron, Eliel the head with 80 relatives; from the family of Uzziel, Amminadab the head with 112 relatives.
 ^11-13 Then David called in Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab the Levites. He said, "You are responsible for the Levitical families; now consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, and bring up the Chest of the God of Israel to the place I have set aside for it. The first time we did this, you Levites did not carry it properly, and God exploded in anger at us because we didn't make proper preparation and follow instructions."
 ^14-15 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the Chest of the God of Israel. The Levites carried the Chest of God exactly as Moses, instructed by God, commanded—carried it with poles on their shoulders, careful not to touch it with their hands.
 ¹⁶ David ordered the heads of the Levites to assign their relatives to sing in the choir, accompanied by a well-equipped marching band, and fill the air with joyful sound.
 ^17-18 The Levites assigned Heman son of Joel, and from his family, Asaph son of Berekiah, then Ethan son of Kushaiah from the family of Merari, and after them in the second rank their brothers Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel as security guards.
 ^19-22 The members of the choir and marching band were: Heman, Asaph, and Ethan with bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with lyres carrying the melody; Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah with harps filling in the harmony; Kenaniah, the Levite in charge of music, a very gifted musician, was music director.
 ^23-24 Berekiah and Elkanah were porters for the Chest. The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew the trumpets before the Chest of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also porters for the Chest.
 ^25-28 Now they were ready. David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands started out to get the Chest of the Covenant of God and bring it up from the house of Obed-Edom. And they went rejoicing. Because God helped the Levites, strengthening them as they carried the Chest of the Covenant of God, they paused to worship by sacrificing seven bulls and seven rams. They were all dressed in elegant linen—David, the Levites carrying the Chest, the choir and band, and Kenaniah who was directing the music. David also wore a linen prayer shawl (called an ephod). On they came, all Israel on parade bringing up the Chest of the Covenant of God, shouting and cheering, playing every kind of brass and percussion and string instrument.
 ²⁹ When the Chest of the Covenant of God entered the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, was watching from a window. When she saw King David dancing ecstatically she was filled with contempt.

1 Chronicles 16

 ^1-3 They brought the Chest of God and placed it right in the center of the tent that David had pitched for it; then they worshiped by presenting burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. When David had completed the offerings of worship, he blessed the people in the name of God. Then he passed around to every one there, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a slice of barbecue, and a raisin cake.  ^4-6 Then David assigned some of the Levites to the Chest of God to lead worship—to intercede, give thanks, and praise the God of Israel. Asaph was in charge; under him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, who played the musical instruments. Asaph was on percussion. The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets before the Chest of the Covenant of God at set times through the day.
 ⁷ That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to God, led by Asaph and his company.
 ^8-19 Thank God! Call out his Name!
      Tell the whole world who he is and what he's done!
   Sing to him! Play songs for him!
      Broadcast all his wonders!
   Revel in his holy Name,
      God-seekers, be jubilant!
   Study God and his strength,
      seek his presence day and night;
   Remember all the wonders he performed,
      the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth.
   Seed of Israel his servant!
      Children of Jacob, his first choice!
   He is God, our God;
      wherever you go you come on his judgments and decisions.
   He keeps his commitments across thousands
      of generations, the covenant he commanded,
   The same one he made with Abraham,
      the very one he swore to Isaac;
   He posted it in big block letters to Jacob,
      this eternal covenant with Israel:
   "I give you the land of Canaan,
      this is your inheritance;
   Even though you're not much to look at,
      a few straggling strangers."
 ^20-22 They wandered from country to country,
      camped out in one kingdom after another;
   But he didn't let anyone push them around,
      he stood up for them against bully-kings:
   "Don't you dare touch my anointed ones,
      don't lay a hand on my prophets."
 ^23-27 Sing to God, everyone and everything!
      Get out his salvation news every day!
   Publish his glory among the godless nations,
      his wonders to all races and religions.
   And why? Because God is great—well worth praising!
      No god or goddess comes close in honor.
   All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense,
      but God made the cosmos!
   Splendor and majesty flow out of him,
      strength and joy fill his place.
 ^28-29 Shout Bravo! to God, families of the peoples,
      in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo!
   Shout Bravo! to his famous Name,
      lift high an offering and enter his presence!
   Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness!
 ^30-33 God is serious business, take him seriously;
      he's put the earth in place and it's not moving.
   So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant,
      and pass the word among the nations, "God reigns!"
   Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow,
      let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters;
   Then the trees in the forest will add their applause
      to all who are pleased and present before God
      —he's on his way to set things right!
 ^34-36 Give thanks to God—he is good
      and his love never quits.
   Say, "Save us, Savior God,
      round us up and get us out of these godless places,
   So we can give thanks to your holy Name,
      and bask in your life of praise."
   Blessed be God, the God of Israel,
      from everlasting to everlasting.
    Then everybody said, "Yes! Amen!" and "Praise God!"

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Romans 1:18-32 (The Message)

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

 ^18-23But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.  ^24-25So God said, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you get." It wasn't long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!
 ^26-27Worse followed. Refusing to know God, they soon didn't know how to be human either—women didn't know how to be women, men didn't know how to be men. Sexually confused, they abused and defiled one another, women with women, men with men—all lust, no love. And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it—emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches.
 ^28-32Since they didn't bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating. Look at them: mean-spirited, venomous, fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when they get in the way. Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. And it's not as if they don't know better. They know perfectly well they're spitting in God's face. And they don't care—worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!

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Psalm 10:1-15 (The Message)

Psalm 10

    God, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?
   Full of hot air, the wicked
      are hot on the trail of the poor.
   Trip them up, tangle them up
      in their fine-tuned plots.

 ^3-4 The wicked are windbags,
      the swindlers have foul breath.
   The wicked snub God,
      their noses stuck high in the air.
   Their graffiti are scrawled on the walls:
      "Catch us if you can!" "God is dead."

 ^5-6 They care nothing for what you think;
      if you get in their way, they blow you off.
   They live (they think) a charmed life:
      "We can't go wrong. This is our lucky year!"

 ^7-8 They carry a mouthful of hexes,
      their tongues spit venom like adders.
   They hide behind ordinary people,
      then pounce on their victims.

 ⁹ They mark the luckless,
      then wait like a hunter in a blind;
   When the poor wretch wanders too close,
      they stab him in the back.

 ^10-11 The hapless fool is kicked to the ground,
      the unlucky victim is brutally axed.
   He thinks God has dumped him,
      he's sure that God is indifferent to his plight.

 ^12-13 Time to get up, God—get moving.
      The luckless think they're Godforsaken.
   They wonder why the wicked scorn God
      and get away with it,
   Why the wicked are so cocksure
      they'll never come up for audit.

 ¹⁴ But you know all about it—
      the contempt, the abuse.
   I dare to believe that the luckless
      will get lucky someday in you.
   You won't let them down:
      orphans won't be orphans forever.

 ^15-16 Break the wicked right arms,
      break all the evil left arms.
   Search and destroy
      every sign of crime.
   God's grace and order wins;
      godlessness loses.

 

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Proverbs 19:6-7 (The Message)

 ⁶ Lots of people flock around a generous person;
   everyone's a friend to the philanthropist.

 ⁷ When you're down on your luck, even your family avoids you—
   yes, even your best friends wish you'd get lost.
If they see you coming, they look the other way—
   out of sight, out of mind.

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Verse of the Day

“Then God gave Christ the highest place and honored his name above all others. So at the name of Jesus everyone will bow down, those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And to the glory of God the Father everyone will openly agree, "Jesus Christ is Lord!” - Philippians 2:9-11

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

English naturalist and geologist, Charles Darwin wrote, “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”