Bible Readings for August 7, 2017

Today our passages are Ezra 5:1–6:22; 1 Corinthians 3:5-23; Psalm 29:1-11; and Proverbs 20:26-27. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Ezra 5-6:22 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezra 5

 ¹Then the LORD God of Israel told the prophets Haggai and Zechariah ^[a] to speak in his name to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. And they did. ²So Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the priest urged the people to start working on the temple again, and God's prophets encouraged them. ³Governor Tattenai of Western Province and his assistant Shethar Bozenai got together with some of their officials. Then they went to Jerusalem and said to the people, "Who told you to rebuild this temple? ⁴Give us the names of the workers!"     ⁵But God was looking after the Jewish leaders. So the governor and his group decided not to make the people stop working on the temple until they could report to Darius and get his advice.
    ⁶Governor Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and their advisors sent a report to Darius, ⁷which said:
   King Darius, we wish you the best! ⁸We went to Judah, where the temple of the great God is being built with huge stones and wooden beams set in the walls. Everyone is working hard, and the building is going up fast.
    ⁹We asked those in charge to tell us who gave them permission to rebuild the temple. ¹⁰We also asked for the names of their leaders, so that we could write them down for you.
    ¹¹They claimed to be servants of the God who rules heaven and earth. And they said they were rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago by one of Israel's greatest kings. ^[b] ¹²We were told that their people had made God angry, and he let them be captured by Nebuchadnezzar, ^[c] the Babylonian king ^[d] who took them away as captives to Babylonia. Nebuchadnezzar tore down their temple, ^13-15took its gold and silver articles, and put them in the temple of his own god in Babylon. They also said that during the first year Cyrus was king of Babylonia, ^[e] he gave orders for God's temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem where it had stood before. So Cyrus appointed Sheshbazzar governor of Judah and sent these gold and silver articles for him to put in the temple. ¹⁶Sheshbazzar then went to Jerusalem and laid the foundation for the temple, and the work is still going on. ¹⁷Your Majesty, please have someone look up the old records in Babylonia and find out if King Cyrus really did give orders to rebuild God's temple in Jerusalem. We will do whatever you think we should.
   

Ezra 6

King Cyrus' Order Is Rediscovered

 ¹King Darius ordered someone to go through the old records kept in Babylonia. ²Finally, a scroll ^[f] was found in Ecbatana, the capital of Media Province, and it said: This official record will show ³that in the first year Cyrus was king, he gave orders to rebuild God's temple in Jerusalem, so that sacrifices and offerings could be presented there. ^[g] It is to be built ninety feet high and ninety feet wide, ⁴with one ^[h] row of wooden beams for each three rows of large stones. The royal treasury will pay for everything. ⁵Then return to their proper places the gold and silver things that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple and brought to Babylonia.

King Darius Orders the Work To Continue

 ⁶King Darius sent this message:    Governor Tattenai of Western Province and Shethar Bozenai, you and your advisors must stay away from the temple. ⁷Let the Jewish governor and leaders rebuild it where it stood before. And stop slowing them down!
    ⁸Starting right now, I am ordering you to help the leaders by paying their expenses from the tax money collected in Western Province. ⁹And don't fail to let the priests in Jerusalem have whatever they need each day so they can offer sacrifices to the God of heaven. Give them young bulls, rams, sheep, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil. ¹⁰I want them to be able to offer pleasing sacrifices to God and to pray for me and my family.
    ¹¹If any of you don't obey this order, a wooden beam will be taken from your house and sharpened on one end. Then it will be driven through your body, ^[i] and your house will be torn down and turned into a garbage dump. ¹²I ask the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem to destroy any king or nation who tries either to change what I have said or to tear down his temple. I, Darius, give these orders, and I expect them to be followed carefully.

The Temple Is Dedicated

 ¹³Governor Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and their advisors carefully obeyed King Darius. ¹⁴With great success the Jewish leaders continued working on the temple, while Haggai and Zechariah encouraged them by their preaching. And so, the temple was completed at the command of the God of Israel and by the orders of kings Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes of Persia. ^[j] ¹⁵On the third day of the month of Adar ^[k] in the sixth year of the rule of Darius, ^[l] the temple was finished. ¹⁶The people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and everyone else who had returned from exile were happy and celebrated as they dedicated God's temple. ¹⁷One hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs were offered as sacrifices at the dedication. Also twelve goats were sacrificed as sin offerings for the twelve tribes of Israel. ¹⁸Then the priests and Levites were assigned their duties in God's temple in Jerusalem, according to the instructions Moses had written.    

The Passover

 ¹⁹Everyone who had returned from exile celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. ^[m] ²⁰The priests and Levites had gone through a ceremony to make themselves acceptable to lead in worship. Then some of them killed Passover lambs for those who had returned, including the other priests and themselves. ²¹The sacrifices were eaten by the Israelites who had returned and by the neighboring people who had given up the sinful customs of other nations in order to worship the LORD God of Israel. ²²For seven days they celebrated the Festival of Thin Bread. Everyone was happy because the LORD God of Israel had made sure that the king of Assyria ^[n] would be kind to them and help them build the temple.

Footnotes:

1. Ezra 5:1 Zechariah: Aramaic "Zechariah son of Iddo."
2. Ezra 5:11 one of Israel's greatest kings: Solomon (ruled from about 970 to 931 B.C.).
3. Ezra 5:12 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 1.7.
4. Ezra 5:12 the Babylonian king: Aramaic "the Babylonian king from Chaldea," but Chaldea is another name for Babylonia.
5. Ezra 5:13 Cyrus was king of Babylonia: King Cyrus of Persia became king of Babylonia when the Persians conquered the city of Babylon in 539 B.C.
6. Ezra 6:2 scroll: A roll of paper or special leather used for writing on.
7. Ezra 6:3 so that. . . there: One possible meaning for the difficult Aramaic text.
8. Ezra 6:4 one: One possible meaning for the difficult Aramaic text.
9. Ezra 6:11 driven through your body: A well-known punishment in the ancient Near East.
10. Ezra 6:14 Artaxerxes of Persia: See the note at 4.7.
11. Ezra 6:15 Adar: The twelfth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-February to about mid-March.
12. Ezra 6:15 sixth year. . . Darius: 515 B.C.
13. Ezra 6:19 the first month: Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-March to mid-April.
14. Ezra 6:22 king of Assyria: Meaning the king of Persia, because Assyria was now part of the Persian Empire.

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1 Corinthians 3:5-23 (Contemporary English Version)

⁵Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. ⁶I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. ⁷What matters isn't those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow. ⁸The one who plants is just as important as the one who waters. And each one will be paid for what they do. ⁹Apollos and I work together for God, and you are God's garden and God's building.
   

Only One Foundation

 ¹⁰God was kind and let me become an expert builder. I laid a foundation on which others have built. But we must each be careful how we build, ¹¹because Christ is the only foundation. ^12-13Whatever we build on that foundation will be tested by fire on the day of judgment. Then everyone will find out if we have used gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and straw. ¹⁴We will be rewarded if our building is left standing. ¹⁵But if it is destroyed by the fire, we will lose everything. Yet we ourselves will be saved, like someone escaping from flames.     ¹⁶All of you surely know that you are God's temple and that his Spirit lives in you. ¹⁷Together you are God's holy temple, and God will destroy anyone who destroys his temple.
    ¹⁸Don't fool yourselves! If any of you think you are wise in the things of this world, you will have to become foolish before you can be truly wise. ¹⁹This is because God considers the wisdom of this world to be foolish. It is just as the Scriptures say, "God catches the wise when they try to outsmart him." ²⁰The Scriptures also say, "The Lord knows that the plans made by wise people are useless." ^21-22So stop bragging about what anyone has done. Paul and Apollos and Peter ^[a] all belong to you. In fact, everything is yours, including the world, life, death, the present, and the future. Everything belongs to you, ²³and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 3:21 Peter: See the note at 1.12.

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Psalm 29:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 29

(A psalm by David.)

The Voice of the LORD in a Storm

 ¹All of you angels ^[a] in heaven, honor the glory and power    of the LORD!
    ²Honor the wonderful name
   of the LORD,
   and worship the LORD
   most holy and glorious. ^[b] ³The voice of the LORD
   echoes over the oceans.
   The glorious LORD God
   thunders
   above the roar
   of the raging sea,
    ⁴and his voice is mighty
   and marvelous.
    ⁵The voice of the LORD
   destroys the cedar trees;
   the LORD shatters cedars
   on Mount Lebanon.
    ⁶God makes Mount Lebanon
   skip like a calf
   and Mount Hermon
   jump like a wild ox.
    ⁷The voice of the LORD
   makes lightning flash
    ⁸and the desert tremble.
   And because of the LORD,
   the desert near Kadesh
   shivers and shakes.
    ⁹The voice of the LORD
   makes deer give birth
   before their time. ^[c] Forests are stripped of leaves,
   and the temple is filled
   with shouts of praise.
    ¹⁰The LORD rules on his throne,
   king of the flood ^[d] forever. ¹¹Pray that our LORD
   will make us strong
   and give us peace.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 29:1 angels: Or " supernatural beings" or " gods."
2. Psalm 29:2 most. . . glorious: Or " in his holy place" or " and wear your glorious clothes."
3. Psalm 29:9 makes. . . time: Or " twists the oak trees around."
4. Psalm 29:10 king of the flood: In ancient times the people of Israel believed that a mighty ocean surrounded all of creation, and that God could release the water to flood the earth.

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Proverbs 20:26-27 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁶A wise ruler severely punishes
   every criminal.
    ²⁷Our inner thoughts are a lamp
   from the LORD,
   and they search our hearts.

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Verse of the Day

“[The LORD Is Our Judge]The LORD is our judge and our ruler; the LORD is our king and will keep us safe.” - Isaiah 33:22

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American author, storyteller, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality, Garrison Keillor wrote, “When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word. What is the last word, then? Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things: through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals and sweet corn and flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids — all the places where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through. Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.”

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A Joke for Today

During his physical, the doctor asked the patient about his daily activity level

He described a typical day this way: 'Well, yesterday afternoon, I waded along the edge of a lake, drank eight beers, escaped from wild dogs in the heavy brush, jumped away from an aggressive rattlesnake, marched up and down several rocky hills, stood in a patch of poison ivy, crawled out of quicksand and took four leaks behind big trees.' Inspired by the story, the doctor said, 'You must be one heck of an outdoors man!' 'NAH,' he replied, 'I'm just a horrible golfer.'

Bible Readings for May 5, 2017

Today our passages are Judges 21:1–Ruth 1:22; John 4:4-42; Psalm 105:1-15; and Proverbs 14:25. 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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Judges 21 - Ruth 1:22 (Contemporary English Version)

Ruth 1

Ruth Is Loyal to Naomi

 ^1-2Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the tribe of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} And while they were there, ³Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons. ⁴Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later, ⁵Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.     ^6-7When Naomi heard that the LORD had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there, ⁸Naomi said to them, "Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you have always been kind to me. I pray that the LORD will be just as kind to you. ⁹May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own."
   Naomi kissed them. They cried ¹⁰and said, "We want to go with you and live among your people."
    ¹¹But she replied, "My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry? ^{[b<="">] 12}You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons, ¹³would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the LORD has turned against me." ^{[c<="">] 14}They cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth held on to her. ¹⁵Naomi then said to Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?"
    ¹⁶Ruth answered,
   "Please don't tell me
   to leave you
   and return home!
   I will go where you go,
   I will live where you live;
   your people will be my people,
   your God will be my God.
    ¹⁷I will die where you die
   and be buried beside you.
   May the LORD punish me
   if we are ever separated,
   even by death!" ^{[d<="">] 18}When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.
    ¹⁹They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, "Can this really be Naomi?"
    ²⁰Then she told them, "Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, ^[e<="">] because God has made my life bitter. ²¹I had everything when I left, but the LORD has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?" ²²The barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem.
   

Judges 21

Wives for the Men of Benjamin

 ¹When the Israelites had met at Mizpah before the war with Benjamin, ^[f<="">] they had made this sacred promise: " None of us will ever let our daughters marry any man from Benjamin."     ²After the war with Benjamin, the Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel and sat there until sunset. They cried loudly and bitterly
    ³and prayed, " Our LORD, you are the God of Israel. Why did you let this happen? Now one of our tribes is almost gone."
    ⁴Early the next morning, the Israelites built an altar and offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing. ^{[g<="">]
    5}Then they asked each other, " Did any of the tribes of Israel fail to come to the place of worship? We made a sacred promise that anyone who didn't come to the meeting at Mizpah would be put to death."
    ⁶The Israelites were sad about what had happened to the Benjamin tribe, and they said, " One of our tribes was almost wiped out.
    ⁷Only a few men of Benjamin weren't killed in the war. We need to get wives for them, so the tribe won't completely disappear. But how can we do that, after promising in the LORD's name that we wouldn't let them marry any of our daughters?"
    ^8-9Again the Israelites asked, " Did any of the tribes stay away from the meeting at Mizpah?"
   After asking around, they discovered that no one had come from Jabesh in Gilead.
    ^10-11So they sent twelve thousand warriors with these orders: " Attack Jabesh in Gilead and kill everyone, except the women who have never been married."
    ¹²The warriors attacked Jabesh in Gilead, and returned to their camp in Canaan ^[h<="">] with four hundred young women.
    ¹³The Israelites met and sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock, telling them that the Israelites were willing to make peace with them.
    ¹⁴So the men of Benjamin came back from Rimmon Rock, and the Israelites let them marry the young women from Jabesh. But there weren't enough women.
    ¹⁵The Israelites were very sad, because the LORD had almost wiped out one of their tribes.
    ¹⁶Then their national leaders said:
   All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left?
    ¹⁷If they don't have children, one of the Israelite tribes will die out.
    ¹⁸But we can't let the men of Benjamin marry any of our daughters. We made a sacred promise not to do that, and if we break our promise, we will be under our own curse.
    ¹⁹Then someone suggested, " What about the LORD's Festival that takes place each year in Shiloh? It's held north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and just east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem."
    ²⁰The leaders told the men of Benjamin who still did not have wives:
   Go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards near the festival.
    ²¹Wait there for the young women of Shiloh to come out and perform their dances. Then rush out and grab one of the young women, then take her home as your wife.
    ²²If the fathers or brothers of these women complain about this, we'll say, " Be kind enough to let those men keep your daughter. After all, we couldn't get enough wives for all the men of Benjamin in the battle at Jabesh. And because you didn't give them permission to marry your daughters, you won't be under the curse we earlier agreed on. ^{[i<="">]
    23}The men of Benjamin went to Shiloh and hid in the vineyards. The young women soon started dancing, and each man grabbed one of them and carried her off. Then the men of Benjamin went back to their own land and rebuilt their towns and started living in them again.
    ²⁴Afterwards, the rest of the Israelites returned to their homes and families.
   

Israel Was Not Ruled by a King

 ²⁵In those days Israel wasn't ruled by a king, and everyone did what they thought was right.    

Footnotes:

1. Ruth 1:1 Moab: The people of Moab worshiped idols and were usually enemies of the people of Israel.
2. Ruth 1:11 for you to marry: When a married man died and left no children, it was the custom for one of his brothers to marry his widow. Any children they had would then be thought of as those of the dead man, so that his family name would live on.
3. Ruth 1:13 Life. . . me: Or "I'm sorry that the LORD has turned against me and made life so hard for you."
4. Ruth 1:17 even by death: Or "by anything but death."
5. Ruth 1:20 Mara: In Hebrew "Naomi" means "pleasant," and "Mara" means "bitter."
6. Judges 21:1 the Israelites. . . Benjamin: See 20.1-3.
7. Judges 21:4 sacrifices. . . blessing: See the note at 20.26-28.
8. Judges 21:12 in Canaan: Jabesh was in Gilead, across the Jordan River from the land of Canaan.
9. Judges 21:22 on: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 22.

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John 4:4-42 (Contemporary English Version)

⁴This time he had to go through Samaria, ⁵and on his way he came to the town of Sychar. It was near the field that Jacob had long ago given to his son Joseph. ^6-8The well that Jacob had dug was still there, and Jesus sat down beside it because he was tired from traveling. It was noon, and after Jesus' disciples had gone into town to buy some food, a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well.
   Jesus asked her, "Would you please give me a drink of water?"
    ⁹"You are a Jew," she replied, "and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink of water when Jews and Samaritans won't have anything to do with each other?" ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 10}Jesus answered, "You don't know what God wants to give you, and you don't know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would ask me for the water that gives life."
    ¹¹"Sir," the woman said, "you don't even have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this life-giving water? ¹²Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us, and his family and animals got water from it. Are you greater than Jacob?"
    ¹³Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. ¹⁴But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life."
    ¹⁵The woman replied, "Sir, please give me a drink of that water! Then I won't get thirsty and have to come to this well again."
    ¹⁶Jesus told her, "Go and bring your husband."
    ^17-18The woman answered, "I don't have a husband."
   "That's right," Jesus replied, "you're telling the truth. You don't have a husband. You have already been married five times, and the man you are now living with isn't your husband."
    ¹⁹The woman said, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰My ancestors worshiped on this mountain, ^[b<="">] but you Jews say Jerusalem is the only place to worship." ²¹Jesus said to her:
   Believe me, the time is coming when you won't worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans don't really know the one you worship. But we Jews do know the God we worship, and by using us, God will save the world. ²³But a time is coming, and it is already here! Even now the true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship him. ²⁴God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth.
    ²⁵The woman said, "I know that the Messiah will come. He is the one we call Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
    ²⁶"I am that one," Jesus told her, "and I am speaking to you now."
    ²⁷The disciples returned about this time and were surprised to find Jesus talking with a woman. But none of them asked him what he wanted or why he was talking with her.
    ²⁸The woman left her water jar and ran back into town. She said to the people, ²⁹"Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! Could he be the Messiah?" ³⁰Everyone in town went out to see Jesus.
    ³¹While this was happening, Jesus' disciples were saying to him, "Teacher, please eat something."
    ³²But Jesus told them, "I have food that you don't know anything about."
    ³³His disciples started asking each other, "Has someone brought him something to eat?"
    ³⁴Jesus said:
   My food is to do what God wants! He is the one who sent me, and I must finish the work that he gave me to do. ³⁵You may say that there are still four months until harvest time. But I tell you to look, and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready to harvest.
    ³⁶Even now the harvest workers are receiving their reward by gathering a harvest that brings eternal life. Then everyone who planted the seed and everyone who harvests the crop will celebrate together. ³⁷So the saying proves true, "Some plant the seed, and others harvest the crop." ³⁸I am sending you to harvest crops in fields where others have done all the hard work.
    ³⁹A lot of Samaritans in that town put their faith in Jesus because the woman had said, "This man told me everything I have ever done." ⁴⁰They came and asked him to stay in their town, and he stayed on for two days.
    ⁴¹Many more Samaritans put their faith in Jesus because of what they heard him say. ⁴²They told the woman, "We no longer have faith in Jesus just because of what you told us. We have heard him ourselves, and we are certain that he is the Savior of the world!"
   

Footnotes:

1. John 4:9 won't have anything to do with each other: Or " won't use the same cups." The Samaritans lived in the land between Judea and Galilee. They worshiped God differently from the Jews and did not get along with them.
2. John 4:20 this mountain: Mount Gerizim, near the city of Shechem.

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Psalm 105:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 105

The LORD Can Be Trusted

 ¹Praise the LORD    and pray in his name!
   Tell everyone
   what he has done.
    ²Sing praises to the LORD!
   Tell about his miracles.
    ³Celebrate and worship
   his holy name
   with all your heart.
    ⁴Trust the LORD
   and his mighty power.
    ⁵Remember his miracles
   and all his wonders
   and his fair decisions.
    ⁶You belong to the family
   of Abraham, his servant;
   you are his chosen ones,
   the descendants of Jacob.
    ⁷The LORD is our God,
   bringing justice
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁸He will never forget
   his agreement or his promises,
   not in thousands of years.
    ⁹God made an eternal promise
    ¹⁰to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
    ¹¹when he said, "I'll give you
   the land of Canaan."
    ¹²At the time there were
   only a few of us,
   and we were homeless.
    ¹³We wandered from nation
   to nation,
   from one country
   to another.
    ¹⁴God did not let anyone
   mistreat our people.
   Instead he protected us
   by punishing rulers
    ¹⁵and telling them,
   "Don't touch my chosen leaders
   or harm my prophets!"

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Proverbs 14:25 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁵An honest witness
   can save your life,
   but liars can't be trusted.

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Verse for the Day

“Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” - Philippians 4:6-7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American author, storyteller, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality, Garrison Keillor wrote, “Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.”

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A Joke for the Day

A priest, a minister, and a rabbi want to see who’s best at his job. So each one goes into the woods, finds a bear, and attempts to convert it. Later, they all get together. The priest begins: “When I found the bear, I read to him from the catechism and sprinkled him with holy water. Next week is his first Communion.”

“I found a bear by the stream,” says the minister, “and preached God’s holy Word. The bear was so mesmerized that he let me baptize him.”

They both look down at the rabbi, who is lying on a gurney in a body cast. “Looking back,” he says, “maybe I shouldn’t have started with the circumcision.”

Bible Readings for August 7, 2016

Today our passages are Ezra 5:1–6:22; 1 Corinthians 3:5-23; Psalm 29:1-11; and Proverbs 20:26-27. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.  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.

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Ezra 5-6:22 (The Message)

Ezra 5

 ^1-2Meanwhile the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the authority of the God of Israel who ruled them. And so Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak started again, rebuilding The Temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were right there helping them.  ^3-4 Tattenai was governor of the land beyond the Euphrates at this time. Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates came to the Israelites and asked, "Who issued you a permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?" Then we told them the names of the men responsible for this construction work.
 ⁵ But God had his eye on the leaders of the Jews, and the work wasn't stopped until a report could reach Darius and an official reply be returned.
 ^6-7 Tattenai, governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates—the officials of that land—sent a letter to Darius the king. This is what they wrote to him:
    To Darius the king. Peace and blessing!
 ⁸ We want to report to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to The Temple of the great God that is being rebuilt with large stones. Timbers are being fitted into the walls; the work is going on with great energy and in good time.
 ^9-10 We asked the leaders, "Who issued you the permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?" We also asked for their names so we could pass them on to you and have a record of the men at the head of the construction work.
 ^11-12 This is what they told us: "We are servants of the God of the heavens and the earth. We are rebuilding The Temple that was built a long time ago. A great king of Israel built it, the entire structure. But our ancestors made the God of the heavens really angry and he turned them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who knocked this Temple down and took the people to Babylon in exile.
 ^13-16 "But when Cyrus became king of Babylon, in his first year he issued a building permit to rebuild this Temple of God. He also gave back the gold and silver vessels of The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had carted off and put in the Babylon temple. Cyrus the king removed them from the temple of Babylon and turned them over to Sheshbazzar, the man he had appointed governor. He told him, 'Take these vessels and place them in The Temple of Jerusalem and rebuild The Temple of God on its original site.' And Sheshbazzar did it. He laid the foundation of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. It has been under construction ever since but it is not yet finished." ¹⁷ So now, if it please the king, look up the records in the royal archives in Babylon and see if it is indeed a fact that Cyrus the king issued an official building permit authorizing the rebuilding of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. And then send the king's ruling on this matter to us.

Ezra 6

 ^1-3 So King Darius ordered a search through the records in the archives in Babylon. Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of Ecbatana over in the province of Media, with this writing on it:
Memorandum     In his first year as king, Cyrus issued an official decree regarding The Temple of God in Jerusalem, as follows:
 ^3-5 The Temple where sacrifices are offered is to be rebuilt on new foundations. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide with three courses of large stones topped with one course of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal bank. The gold and silver vessels from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar carried to Babylon are to be returned to The Temple at Jerusalem, each to its proper place; place them in The Temple of God.
 ^6-7 Now listen, Tattenai governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, associates, and all officials of that land: Stay out of their way. Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone so they can work on that Temple of God as they rebuild it.
 ^8-10 I hereby give official orders on how you are to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God:
   1.All construction costs are to be paid to these men from the royal bank out of the taxes coming in from the land beyond the Euphrates. And pay them on time, without delays.
   2.Whatever is required for their worship—young bulls, rams, and lambs for Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God-of-Heaven; and whatever wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil the priests of Jerusalem request—is to be given to them daily without delay so that they may make sacrifices to the God-of-Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
 ^11-12 I've issued an official decree that anyone who violates this order is to be impaled on a timber torn out of his own house, and the house itself made a manure pit. And may the God who put his Name on that place wipe out any king or people who dares to defy this decree and destroy The Temple of God at Jerusalem.
   I, Darius, have issued an official decree. Carry it out precisely and promptly.
 ¹³ Tattenai governor of the land across the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates did it: They carried out the decree of Darius precisely and promptly.

The Building Completed:

    "Exuberantly Celebrated the Dedication"
^14-15 So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.  ^16-18 And then the Israelites celebrated—priests, Levites, every last exile, exuberantly celebrated the dedication of The Temple of God. At the dedication of this Temple of God they sacrificed a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs—and, as an Absolution-Offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They placed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their places for the service of God at Jerusalem—all as written out in the Book of Moses.

¹⁹ On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.
 ²⁰ All the priests and Levites had purified themselves—all, no exceptions. They were all ritually clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for the exiles, their brother priests, and themselves.
 ^21-22 Then the Israelites who had returned from exile, along with everyone who had removed themselves from the defilements of the nations to join them and seek God, the God of Israel, ate the Passover. With great joy they celebrated the Feast of Unraised Bread for seven days. God had plunged them into a sea of joy; he had changed the mind of the king of Assyria to back them in rebuilding The Temple of God, the God of Israel.

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1 Corinthians 3:5-23 (The Message)

 ^5-9Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working.
 ^9-15Or, to put it another way, you are God's house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you'll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won't get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn't, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won't be torn out; you'll survive—but just barely.
 ^16-17You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.
 ^18-20Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God's fool—that's the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It's written in Scripture,

   He exposes the chicanery of the chic.
   The Master sees through the smoke screens
      of the know-it-alls.
 ^21-23I don't want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift—Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future—all of it is yours, and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God.

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Psalm 29:1-11 (The Message)

Psalm 29

A David Psalm

 ^1-2 Bravo, God, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, "Encore!"
   In awe before the glory,
      in awe before God's visible power.
   Stand at attention!
      Dress your best to honor him!

 ³ God thunders across the waters,
   Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
   God, across the flood waters.

 ⁴ God's thunder tympanic,
   God's thunder symphonic.

 ⁵ God's thunder smashes cedars,
   God topples the northern cedars.

 ⁶ The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
   The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

 ^7-8 God's thunder spits fire.
   God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
   He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

 ⁹ God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing
   A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
   We fall to our knees—we call out, "Glory!"

 ¹⁰ Above the floodwaters is God's throne
      from which his power flows,
      from which he rules the world.

 ¹¹ God makes his people strong.
   God gives his people peace.

 

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Proverbs 20:26-27 (The Message)

 ²⁶ After careful scrutiny, a wise leader
   makes a clean sweep of rebels and dolts.

 ²⁷ God is in charge of human life,
   watching and examining us inside and out.

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Verse of the Day
“[The LORD Is Our Judge]The LORD is our judge and our ruler; the LORD is our king and will keep us safe.” - Isaiah 33:22

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality, Garrison Keillor wrote, "Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known."

Bible Readings for April 4, 2015

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 26:1–27:26; Luke 10:38–11:13; Psalm 76:1-12; and Proverbs 12:15-17. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Deuteronomy 26-27:26 (Contemporary English Version)

Deuteronomy 26

Give the LORD the First Part of Your Harvest

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹The LORD is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down, ²and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped, ³and tell the priest, " Long ago the LORD our God promised our ancestors that he would give us this land. And today, I thank him for keeping his promise and giving me a share of the land."     ⁴The priest will take the basket and set it in front of the LORD's altar. ⁵Then, standing there in front of the place of worship, you must pray:
   My ancestor was homeless,
   an Aramean who went to live
   in Egypt.
   There were only a few
   in his family then,
   but they became great
   and powerful,
   a nation of many people.
    ⁶The Egyptians were cruel
   and had no pity on us.
   They mistreated our people
   and forced us into slavery.
    ⁷We called out for help
   to you,
   the LORD God
   of our ancestors.
   You heard our cries;
   you knew we were in trouble
   and abused.
    ⁸Then you terrified the Egyptians
   with your mighty miracles
   and rescued us from Egypt.
    ⁹You brought us here
   and gave us this land
   rich with milk and honey.
    ¹⁰Now, LORD, I bring to you
   the best of the crops
   that you have given me.
   After you say these things, place the basket in front of the LORD's altar and bow down to worship him.
    ¹¹Then you and your family must celebrate by eating a meal at the place of worship to thank the LORD your God for giving you such a good harvest. And remember to invite the Levites and the foreigners who live in your town.
   

Ten Percent of the Harvest

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹²Every year you are to give ten percent of your harvest to the LORD. ^[a] But every third year, ^[b] this ten percent must be given to the poor who live in your town, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. That way, they will have enough to eat. ¹³Then you must pray: Our LORD and our God, you have said that ten percent of my harvest is sacred. I have obeyed your command and given this to the poor, including the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.     ¹⁴I have not eaten any of this sacred food while I was in mourning; in fact, I never touched it when I was unclean. ^[c] And none of it has been offered as a sacrifice to the spirits of the dead. I have done everything exactly as you commanded. ¹⁵Our LORD, look down from your temple in heaven and bless your people Israel. You promised our ancestors that you would give us this land rich with milk and honey, and you have kept your promise.
   

The LORD Is Your God, and You Are His People

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁶Today the LORD your God has commanded you to obey these laws and teachings with all your heart and soul.     ¹⁷In response, you have agreed that the LORD will be your God, that you will obey all his laws and teachings, and that you will listen when he speaks to you.
    ¹⁸Since you have agreed to obey the LORD, he has agreed that you will be his people and that you will belong to him, just as he promised. ¹⁹The LORD created all nations, but he will make you more famous than any of them, and you will receive more praise and honor. You will belong only to the LORD your God, just as he promised.
   

Deuteronomy 27

Build an Altar on Mount Ebal

 ¹Moses stood together with the leaders and told the people of Israel:    Obey all the laws and teachings that I am giving you today. ^2-4Soon you will enter the land that the LORD your God is giving to you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped, and he has promised that this land is rich with milk and honey.
   After you cross the Jordan River, go to Mount Ebal. Set up large slabs of stone, then cover them with white plaster and write on them a copy of these laws.
    ⁵At this same place, build an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD your God. But don't use stones that have been cut with iron tools. ⁶Look for stones that can be used without being cut. Then offer sacrifices to please the LORD, ^[d] burning them completely on the altar. ⁷Next, offer sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing, ^[e] and serve the meat at a sacred meal where you will celebrate in honor of the LORD. ⁸Don't forget to write out a copy of these laws on the stone slabs that you are going to set up. Make sure that the writing is easy to read.
   

Curses on Those Who Disobey

 ⁹Moses stood together with the priests ^[f] and said, " Israel, be quiet and listen to me! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God. ^{[g] 10}So you must obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you." ¹¹That same day, Moses gave them the following instructions:     ^12-13After you cross the Jordan River, you will go to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. ^[h] The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Ephraim, Manasseh, ^[i] and Benjamin will go up on Mount Gerizim, where they will bless the people of Israel. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali will go up on Mount Ebal where they will agree to the curses. ^14-26The people of the Levi tribe will speak each curse in a loud voice, then the rest of the people ^[j] will agree to that curse by saying, " Amen!" Here are the curses: We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who makes an idol or worships idols, even secretly. The LORD is disgusted with idols.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on all who do not show respect for their father and mother.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who moves the rocks that mark property lines.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who tells blind people to go the wrong way.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who keeps the poor from getting justice, whether these poor are foreigners, widows, or orphans.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his father's wife; that man has shown no respect for his father's marriage.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who has sex with an animal.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his sister or his half sister or his mother-in-law.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who commits murder, even when there are no witnesses to the crime.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who accepts money to murder an innocent victim.
   We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who refuses to obey his laws.
   And so, to each of these curses, the people will answer, " Amen!"
   

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 26:12 Every year. . . LORD: See 14.22-29.
2. Deuteronomy 26:12 every third year: Probably the third and sixth years of the seven-year cycle described in 15.1-11 and Leviticus 25.1-7.
3. Deuteronomy 26:14 in mourning. . . unclean: Touching a dead body made a person unclean and unfit to worship God. Ten percent of the harvest belonged to God, and was not to be touched by an unclean person.
4. Deuteronomy 27:6 sacrifices to please the LORD: See the note at 12.5-19.
5. Deuteronomy 27:7 sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing: These sacrifices have traditionally been called " peace offerings" or " offerings of well-being." A main purpose was to ask for the LORD's blessing, and so in the CEV they are sometimes called " sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing."
6. Deuteronomy 27:9 priests: See the note at 17.8-12.
7. Deuteronomy 27:9 Today you have become the people of the LORD your God: As a result of the agreement that the LORD had made with them, recorded in 26.16-19.
8. Deuteronomy 27:12 Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal: These mountains were separated by a valley.
9. Deuteronomy 27:12 Ephraim, Manasseh: The Hebrew text has " Joseph" ; the descendants of Joseph formed the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
10. Deuteronomy 27:14 the rest of the people: Or " all the people who are standing on Mount Ebal."

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Luke 10:38-11:13 (Contemporary English Version)

Martha and Mary

 ³⁸The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. ⁴⁰Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!"     ⁴¹The Lord answered, "Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, ⁴²but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her."
   

Luke 11

Prayer

(Matthew 6.9-13; 7.7-11)

 ¹When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray."     ²So Jesus told them, "Pray in this way:
   `Father, help us
   to honor your name.
   Come and set up
   your kingdom.
    ³Give us each day
   the food we need. ^{[a] 4}Forgive our sins,
   as we forgive everyone
   who has done wrong to us.
   And keep us
   from being tempted.' "
    ⁵Then Jesus went on to say:
   Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, "Let me borrow three loaves of bread. ⁶A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat." ⁷And suppose your friend answers, "Don't bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something."
    ⁸He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.
    ⁹So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. ¹¹Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? ¹²Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? ¹³As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.
   

Footnotes:

1. Luke 11:3 the food we need: Or " food for today" or " food for the coming day."

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Psalm 76:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 76

(A song and a psalm for the music leader. Use stringed instruments.)

God Always Wins

 ¹You, our God,    are famous in Judah
   and honored in Israel.
    ²Your home is on Mount Zion
   in the city of peace.
    ³There you destroyed
   fiery arrows, shields, swords,
   and all the other weapons.
    ⁴You are more glorious than
   the eternal mountains. ^{[a] 5}Brave warriors were robbed
   of what they had taken,
   and now they lie dead,
   unable to lift an arm.
    ⁶God of Jacob, when you roar,
   enemy chariots and horses
   drop dead in their tracks.
    ⁷Our God, you are fearsome,
   and no one can oppose you
   when you are angry.
    ⁸From heaven you announced
   your decisions as judge!
   And all who live on this earth
   were terrified and silent
    ⁹when you took over as judge,
   ready to rescue
   everyone in need.
    ¹⁰Even the most angry people
   will praise you
   when you are furious. ^{[b] 11}Everyone, make your promises
   to the LORD your God
   and do what you promise.
   The LORD is fearsome,
   and all of his servants
   should bring him gifts.
    ¹²God destroys the courage
   of rulers and kings
   and makes cowards of them.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 76:4 the eternal mountains: One ancient translation; Hebrew " the mountains of victims (of wild animals)."
2. Psalm 76:10 furious: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.

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Proverbs 12:15-17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁵Fools think they know
   what is best,
   but a sensible person
   listens to advice.
    ¹⁶Losing your temper is foolish;
   ignoring an insult is smart.
    ¹⁷An honest person
   tells the truth in court,
   but a dishonest person
   tells nothing but lies.

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Verse of the Day

“Christ sacrificed his life's blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. God has great wisdom and understanding,” - Ephesians 1:7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality, Garrison Keillor wrote, “Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.”