The Bible in a Year: Ray Kroc

Read the Bible in a Year

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

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Showing posts with label Ray Kroc. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Bible Readings for February 9, 2016

Today our passages are Exodus 29:1–30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; and Proverbs 8:14-26. 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.

Exodus 29-30:10 (The Message)

Exodus 29

Consecration of Priests

^1-4 "This is the ceremony for consecrating them as priests. Take a young bull and two rams, healthy and without defects. Using fine wheat flour but no yeast make bread and cakes mixed with oil and wafers spread with oil. Place them in a basket and carry them along with the bull and the two rams. Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. ^5-9 "Then take the vestments and dress Aaron in the tunic, the robe of the Ephod, the Ephod, and the Breastpiece, belting the Ephod on him with the embroidered waistband. Set the turban on his head and place the sacred crown on the turban. Then take the anointing oil and pour it on his head, anointing him. Then bring his sons, put tunics on them and gird them with sashes, both Aaron and his sons, and set hats on them. Their priesthood is upheld by law and is permanent.
^9-14 "This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons: Bring the bull to the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons will place their hands on the head of the bull. Then you will slaughter the bull in the presence of God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Take some of the bull's blood and smear it on the horns of the Altar with your finger; pour the rest of the blood on the base of the Altar. Next take all the fat that covers the innards, fat from around the liver and the two kidneys, and burn it on the Altar. But the flesh of the bull, including its hide and dung, you will burn up outside the camp. It is an Absolution-Offering.
^15-18 "Then take one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the head of the ram. Slaughter the ram and take its blood and throw it against the Altar, all around. Cut the ram into pieces; wash its innards and legs, then gather the pieces and its head and burn the whole ram on the Altar. It is a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God, a pleasant fragrance, an offering by fire to God.
^19-21 "Then take the second ram. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the ram's head. Slaughter the ram. Take some of its blood and rub it on Aaron's right earlobe and on the right earlobes of his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the rest of the blood against all sides of the Altar. Then take some of the blood that is on the Altar, mix it with some of the anointing oil, and splash it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes so that Aaron and his clothes and his sons and his sons' clothes will be made holy.
^22-23 "Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh: this is the ordination ram. Also take one loaf of bread, an oil cake, and a wafer from the breadbasket that is in the presence of God.
^24-25 "Place all of these in the open hands of Aaron and his sons who will wave them before God, a Wave-Offering. Then take them from their hands and burn them on the Altar with the Whole-Burnt-Offering—a pleasing fragrance before God, a gift to God.
²⁶ "Now take the breast from Aaron's ordination ram and wave it before God, a Wave-Offering. That will be your portion.
^27-28 "Consecrate the Wave-Offering breast and the thigh that was held up. These are the parts of the ordination ram that are for Aaron and his sons. Aaron and his sons are always to get this offering from the Israelites; the Israelites are to make this offering regularly from their Peace-Offerings.
^29-30 "Aaron's sacred garments are to be handed down to his descendants so they can be anointed and ordained in them. The son who succeeds him as priest is to wear them for seven days and enter the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place.
^31-34 "Take the ordination ram and boil the meat in the Holy Place. At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons will eat the boiled ram and the bread that is in the basket. Atoned by these offerings, ordained and consecrated by them, they are the only ones who are to eat them. No outsiders are to eat them; they're holy. Anything from the ordination ram or from the bread that is left over until morning you are to burn up. Don't eat it; it's holy.
^35-37 "Do everything for the ordination of Aaron and his sons exactly as I've commanded you throughout the seven days. Offer a bull as an Absolution-Offering for atonement each day. Offer it on the Altar when you make atonement for it: Anoint and consecrate it. Make atonement for the Altar and consecrate it for seven days; the Altar will become soaked in holiness—anyone who so much as touches the Altar will become holy.
^38-41 "This is what you are to offer on the Altar: two year-old lambs each and every day, one lamb in the morning and the second lamb at evening. With the sacrifice of the first lamb offer two quarts of fine flour with a quart of virgin olive oil, plus a quart of wine for a Drink-Offering. The sacrifice of the second lamb, the one at evening, is also to be accompanied by the same Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering of the morning sacrifice to give a pleasing fragrance, a gift to God.
^42-46 "This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before God, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That's where I'll meet you; that's where I'll speak with you; that's where I'll meet the Israelites, at the place made holy by my Glory. I'll make the Tent of Meeting and the Altar holy. I'll make Aaron and his sons holy in order to serve me as priests. I'll move in and live with the Israelites. I'll be their God. They'll realize that I am their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am God, your God."

Exodus 30

The Altar of Incense

^1-5 "Make an Altar for burning incense. Construct it from acacia wood, one and one-half feet square and three feet high with its horns of one piece with it. Cover it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and make a gold molding around it with two rings of gold beneath the molding. Place the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried. Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold. ^6-10 "Place the Altar in front of the curtain that hides the Chest of The Testimony, in front of the Atonement-Cover that is over The Testimony where I will meet you. Aaron will burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he polishes the lamps, and again in the evening as he prepares the lamps for lighting, so that there will always be incense burning before God, generation after generation. But don't burn on this Altar any unholy incense or Whole-Burnt-Offering or Grain-Offering. And don't pour out Drink-Offerings on it. Once a year Aaron is to purify the Altar horns. Using the blood of the Absolution-Offering of atonement, he is to make this atonement every year down through the generations. It is most holy to God."

Matthew 26:14-46 (The Message)

^14-16That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, "What will you give me if I hand him over to you?" They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.

The Traitor

¹⁷On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?"

^18-19He said, "Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, 'The Teacher says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.'" The disciples followed Jesus' instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal.

^20-21After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, "I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators."

²²They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, "It isn't me, is it, Master?"

^23-24Jesus answered, "The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!"

²⁵Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"

Jesus said, "Don't play games with me, Judas."

The Bread and the Cup

^26-29During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:

   Take, eat.
   This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:

   Drink this, all of you.
   This is my blood,
   God's new covenant poured out for many people
      for the forgiveness of sins.
"I'll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I'll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father."

³⁰They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.

Gethsemane

^31-32Then Jesus told them, "Before the night's over, you're going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says,

I'll strike the shepherd;
helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee."

³³Peter broke in, "Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won't."

³⁴"Don't be so sure," Jesus said. "This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times."

³⁵Peter protested, "Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you." All the others said the same thing.

^36-38Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me."

³⁹Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"

^40-41When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."

⁴²He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."

^43-44When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.

^45-46When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here."

Psalm 31:19-24 (The Message)

^19-22 What a stack of blessing you have piled up
      for those who worship you,
   Ready and waiting for all who run to you
      to escape an unkind world.
   You hide them safely away
      from the opposition.
   As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces,
      you silence the poisonous gossip.
   Blessed God!
      His love is the wonder of the world.
   Trapped by a siege, I panicked.
      "Out of sight, out of mind," I said.
   But you heard me say it,
      you heard and listened.

²³ Love God, all you saints;
      God takes care of all who stay close to him,
   But he pays back in full
      those arrogant enough to go it alone.

²⁴ Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up.
      Expect God to get here soon.

Proverbs 8:14-26 (The Message)

^12-21 "I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;
   Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.
The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
   whose ways I hate with a passion—
   pride and arrogance and crooked talk.
Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;
   I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.
With my help, leaders rule,
   and lawmakers legislate fairly;
With my help, governors govern,
   along with all in legitimate authority.
I love those who love me;
   those who look for me find me.
Wealth and Glory accompany me—
   also substantial Honor and a Good Name.
My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;
   the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.
You can find me on Righteous Road—that's where I walk—
   at the intersection of Justice Avenue,
Handing out life to those who love me,
   filling their arms with life—armloads of life!

^22-31 "God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
   before he did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
   well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
   yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
   I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons,
   and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
   I was there.
When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
   built the vast vault of Heaven,
   and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When he drew a boundary for Sea,
   posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth's Foundations,
   I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
   always enjoying his company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
   happily celebrating the human family.

Verse of the Day

“[When Christ Returns]My dear friends, we always have good reason to thank God for you, because your faith in God and your love for each other keep growing all the time.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American businessman of Czech origin, Ray Kroc wrote, “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”

Friday, June 19, 2015

Bible Readings for June 19, 2015

Today our passages are 1 Kings 20:1– 21:29; Acts 12:24–13:15; Psalm 137:1-9; and Proverbs 17:16. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

1 Kings 20-21:29 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Kings 20

Syria Attacks Israel

¹King Benhadad of Syria ^[a] called his army together. He was joined by thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots, and together they marched to Samaria and attacked. ²Benhadad sent a messenger to tell King Ahab of Israel, ³"Ahab, give me your silver and gold, your wives, ^[b] and your strongest sons!" ⁴"Your Majesty," Ahab replied, "everything I have is yours, including me."     ⁵Later, Benhadad sent another messenger to say to Ahab, "I already told you to give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your children. ⁶But tomorrow at this time, I will send my officials into your city to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will take everything else that you ^[c] own." ⁷Ahab called a meeting with the leaders of Israel and said, "Benhadad is causing real trouble. He told me to give him my wives and children, as well as my silver and gold. And I agreed."
    ⁸"Don't listen to him!" they answered. "You don't have to do what he says."
    ⁹So Ahab sent someone to tell Benhadad, "Your Majesty, I'll give you my silver and gold, and even my wives and children. But I won't let you have anything else."
   When Benhadad got his answer, ¹⁰he replied, "I'll completely destroy Samaria! There won't even be enough of it left for my soldiers to carry back in their hands. If I don't do it, I pray that the gods will punish me terribly."
    ¹¹Ahab then answered, "Benhadad, don't brag before the fighting even begins. Wait and see if you live through it."
    ¹²Meanwhile, Benhadad and the other kings had been drinking in their tents. But when Ahab's reply came, he ordered his soldiers to prepare to attack Samaria, and they all got ready.
    ¹³At that very moment, a prophet ran up to Ahab and said, "You can see that Benhadad's army is very strong. But the LORD has promised to help you defeat them today. Then you will know that the LORD is in control."
    ¹⁴"Who will fight the battle?" Ahab asked.
   The prophet answered, "The young bodyguards who serve the district officials."
   "But who will lead them into battle?" Ahab asked.
   "You will!" the prophet replied.
    ¹⁵So Ahab called together the two hundred thirty-two young soldiers and the seven thousand troops in Israel's army, and he got them ready to fight the Syrians.

Israel Defeats the Syrians

^16-17At noon, King Ahab and his Israelite army marched out of Samaria, with the young soldiers in front.    King Benhadad of Syria and the thirty-two kings with him were drunk when the scouts he had sent out ran up to his tent, shouting, "We just now saw soldiers marching out of Samaria!"
    ¹⁸"Take them alive!" Benhadad ordered. "I don't care if they have come out to fight or to surrender."
    ¹⁹The young soldiers led Israel's troops into battle, ²⁰and each of them attacked and killed an enemy soldier. The rest of the Syrian army turned and ran, and the Israelites went after them. Benhadad and some others escaped on horses, ²¹but Ahab and his soldiers followed them and captured ^[d] their horses and chariots. Ahab and Israel's army crushed the Syrians.
    ²²Later, the prophet ^[e] went back and warned Ahab, "Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans."

Syria Attacks Israel Again

²³Meanwhile, Benhadad's officials went to him and explained:    Israel's gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel's army in the hills, and that's why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there's no way we can lose.
    ²⁴Here's what you should do. First, get rid of those thirty-two kings and put army commanders in their places. ²⁵Then get more soldiers, horses, and chariots, so your army will be as strong as it was before. We'll fight Israel's army on flat land and wipe them out.
   Benhadad agreed and did what they suggested.
    ²⁶In the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel. ²⁷The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats.
    ²⁸The prophet went to Ahab and said, "The Syrians think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the LORD is in control."
    ²⁹For seven days the two armies stayed in their camps, facing each other. Then on the seventh day the fighting broke out, and before sunset the Israelites had killed one hundred thousand Syrian troops. ³⁰The rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed twenty-seven thousand of them.
   Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house. ³¹His officials said, "Your Majesty, we've heard that Israel's kings keep their agreements. We will wrap sackcloth around our waists, put ropes around our heads, and ask Ahab to let you live."
    ³²They dressed in sackcloth and put ropes on their heads, then they went to Ahab and said, "Your servant Benhadad asks you to let him live."
   "Is he still alive?" Ahab asked. "Benhadad is like a brother to me."
    ³³Benhadad's officials were trying to figure out what Ahab was thinking, and when he said "brother," they quickly replied, "You're right! You and Benhadad are like brothers."
   "Go get him," Ahab said.
   When Benhadad came out, Ahab had him climb up into his chariot.
    ³⁴Benhadad said, "I'll give back the towns my father took from your father. And you can have shops in Damascus, just as my father had in Samaria."
   Ahab replied, "If you do these things, I'll let you go free." Then they signed a peace treaty, and Ahab let Benhadad go.

A Prophet Condemns Ahab

³⁵About this time the LORD commanded a prophet to say to a friend, "Hit me!" But the friend refused, ³⁶and the prophet told him, "You disobeyed the LORD, and as soon as you walk away, a lion will kill you." The friend left, and suddenly a lion killed him.     ³⁷The prophet found someone else and said, "Hit me!" So this man beat him up.
    ³⁸The prophet left and put a bandage over his face to disguise himself. Then he went and stood beside the road, waiting for Ahab to pass by.
    ³⁹When Ahab went by, the prophet shouted, "Your Majesty, right in the heat of battle, someone brought a prisoner to me and told me to guard him. He said if the prisoner got away, I would either be killed or forced to pay seventy-five pounds of silver. ⁴⁰But I got busy doing other things, and the prisoner escaped."
   Ahab answered, "You will be punished just as you have said."
    ⁴¹The man quickly tore the bandage off his face, and Ahab saw that he was one of the prophets. ⁴²The prophet said, "The LORD told you to kill Benhadad, but you let him go. Now you will die in his place, and your people will die in place of his people."
    ⁴³Ahab went back to Samaria, angry and depressed.

1 Kings 21

Jezebel Has Naboth Killed

¹Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel near King Ahab's palace.     ²One day, Ahab said, "Naboth, your vineyard is near my palace. Give it to me so I can turn it into a vegetable garden. I'll give you a better vineyard or pay whatever you want for yours."
    ³Naboth answered, "This vineyard has always been in my family. I won't let you have it."
    ⁴So Ahab went home, angry and depressed because of what Naboth had told him. He lay on his bed, just staring at the wall and refusing to eat a thing.
    ⁵Jezebel his wife came in and asked, "What's wrong? Why won't you eat?"
    ⁶"I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or to let me give him a better one," Ahab replied. "And he told me I couldn't have it."
    ⁷"Aren't you the king of Israel?" Jezebel asked. "Get out of bed and eat something! Don't worry, I'll get Naboth's vineyard for you."
    ^8-10Jezebel wrote a letter to each of the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. In the letters she said:
   Call everyone together and tell them to go without eating ^[f] today. When they come together, give Naboth a seat at the front. Have two liars sit across from him and swear that Naboth has cursed God and the king. Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death! She signed Ahab's name to the letters and sealed them with his seal. Then she sent them to the town leaders.
    ¹¹After receiving her letters, they did exactly what she had asked. ¹²They told the people that it was a day to go without eating, and when they all came together, they seated Naboth at the front. ¹³The two liars came in and sat across from Naboth. Then they accused him of cursing God and the king, so the people dragged Naboth outside and stoned him to death.
    ¹⁴The leaders of Jezreel sent a message back to Jezebel that said, "Naboth is dead."
    ¹⁵As soon as Jezebel got their message, she told Ahab, "Now you can have the vineyard Naboth refused to sell. He's dead." ¹⁶Ahab got up and went to take over the vineyard.

Elijah Condemns Ahab

¹⁷The LORD said to Elijah the prophet, ¹⁸"King Ahab of Israel is in Naboth's vineyard right now, taking it over. ¹⁹Go tell him that I say, `Ahab, you murdered Naboth and took his property. And so, in the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, they will lick up your blood.' "    When Elijah found him, ²⁰Ahab said, "So, my enemy, you found me at last."
   Elijah answered:
   Yes, I did! Ahab, you have managed to do everything the LORD hates. ²¹Now you will be punished. You and every man and boy in your family will die, whether slave or free. ²²Your whole family will be wiped out, just like the families of King Jeroboam and King Baasha. You've made the LORD very angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.
    ²³And as for Jezebel, dogs will eat her body there in Jezreel. ²⁴Dogs will also eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country.
    ^25-29When Ahab heard this, he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth day and night. He was depressed and refused to eat.
   Some time later, the LORD said, "Elijah, do you see how sorry Ahab is for what he did? I won't punish his family while he is still alive. I'll wait until his son is king."
   No one was more determined than Ahab to disobey the LORD. And Jezebel encouraged him. Worst of all, he had worshiped idols, just as the Amorites ^[g] had done before the LORD forced them out of the land and gave it to Israel.

Footnotes:

1 Kings 20:1 King Benhadad of Syria: This is probably not the same Benhadad mentioned in 15.18-21.
1 Kings 20:3 wives: Having more than one wife was allowed in those times.
1 Kings 20:6 you: Hebrew; three ancient translations "they."
1 Kings 20:21 captured: One ancient translation; Hebrew "attacked."
1 Kings 20:22 the prophet: See verse 13.
1 Kings 21:8 to go without eating: People sometimes came together to worship and to go without eating to show that they were sorry for their sins.
1 Kings 21:25 Amorites: A name sometimes used of the people who lived in Palestine before the Israelites.

Acts 12:24-13:15 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁴God's message kept spreading. ²⁵And after Barnabas and Saul had done the work they were sent to do, they went back to Jerusalem ^[a] with John, whose other name was Mark.

Acts 13

Barnabas and Saul Are Chosen and Sent

¹The church at Antioch had several prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon, also called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who was Herod's ^[b] close friend, and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and going without eating, ^[c] the Holy Spirit told them, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have chosen them." ³Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them on their way.

Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus

⁴After Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus. ⁵They arrived at Salamis and began to preach God's message in the Jewish meeting places. They also had John ^[d] as a helper. ⁶Barnabas and Saul went all the way to the city of Paphos on the other end of the island, where they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus. He practiced witchcraft and was a false prophet. ⁷He also worked for Sergius Paulus, who was very smart and was the governor of the island. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God's message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul. ⁸But Bar-Jesus, whose other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.     ⁹Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas ¹⁰and said, "You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? ¹¹The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while."
   Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand. ¹²When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

¹³Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John ^[e] left them and went back to Jerusalem. ¹⁴The rest of them went on from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia. Then on the Sabbath they went to the Jewish meeting place and sat down. ¹⁵After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, ^[f] the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, "Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it."

Footnotes:

Acts 12:25 went back to Jerusalem: Some manuscripts have "left Jerusalem," and others have "went to Antioch."
Acts 13:1 Herod's: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
Acts 13:2 going without eating: The Jews often went without eating as a way of showing how much they loved God. This is also called "fasting."
Acts 13:5 John: Whose other name was Mark (see 12.12,25).
Acts 13:13 John: Whose other name was Mark (see 12.12,25).
Acts 13:15 the Law and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.

Psalm 137:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 137

A Prayer for Revenge

¹Beside the rivers of Babylon    we thought about Jerusalem,
   and we sat down and cried.
    ²We hung our small harps
   on the willow ^[a] trees. ³Our enemies had brought us here
   as their prisoners,
   and now they wanted us to sing
   and entertain them.
   They insulted us and shouted,
   "Sing about Zion!"
    ⁴Here in a foreign land,
   how can we sing
   about the LORD?
    ⁵Jerusalem, if I forget you,
   let my right hand go limp.
    ⁶Let my tongue stick
   to the roof of my mouth,
   if I don't think about you
   above all else.
    ⁷Our LORD, punish the Edomites!
   Because the day Jerusalem fell,
   they shouted,
   "Completely destroy the city!
   Tear down every building!"
    ⁸Babylon, you are doomed!
   I pray the Lord's blessings
   on anyone who punishes you
   for what you did to us.
    ⁹May the Lord bless everyone
   who beats your children
   against the rocks!

Footnotes:

Psalm 137:2 willow: Or " poplar."

Proverbs 17:16 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶Why should fools have money
for an education
when they refuse to learn?

Verse of the Day

“A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. He made the church holy by the power of his word, and he made it pure by washing it with water.” - Ephesians 5:25-26

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American businessman, Ray Kroc wrote, “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Bible Readings for February 9, 2014

Today our passages are Exodus 29:1–30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; and Proverbs 8:14-26. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

Exodus 29-30:10 (The Message)

Exodus 29

Consecration of Priests

Exodus 30

The Altar of Incense

Matthew 26:14-46 (The Message)

The Traitor

¹⁷On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?"

²²They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, "It isn't me, is it, Master?"

²⁵Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"

Jesus said, "Don't play games with me, Judas."

The Bread and the Cup

³⁰They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.

Gethsemane

³³Peter broke in, "Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won't."

³⁴"Don't be so sure," Jesus said. "This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times."

³⁵Peter protested, "Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you." All the others said the same thing.

³⁹Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"

⁴²He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."

Psalm 31:19-24 (The Message)

Proverbs 8:14-26 (The Message)

Verse of the Day

“[When Christ Returns]My dear friends, we always have good reason to thank God for you, because your faith in God and your love for each other keep growing all the time.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

Thought for the Day

American businessman of Czech origin, Ray Kroc wrote, “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”