Bible Readings for November 4, 2017

Today our passages are Ezekiel 10:1–11:25; Hebrews 6:1-20; Psalm 105:16-36; and Proverbs 27:1-2.   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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Ezekiel 10-11:25 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 10

The LORD's Glory Leaves the Temple

 ¹I saw the dome that was above the four winged creatures, ^a] and on it was the sapphire ^b] throne. ^c] 2The LORD said to the man in the linen robe, "Walk among the four wheels beside the creatures and pick up as many hot coals as you can carry. Then scatter them over the city of Jerusalem." I watched him as he followed the LORD's instructions. ³The winged creatures were standing south of the temple when the man walked among them. A cloud filled the inner courtyard, ⁴and the brightness of the LORD's glory moved from above the creatures and stopped at the entrance of the temple. The entire temple was filled with his glory, and the courtyard was dazzling bright. ⁵The sound of the creatures' wings was as loud as the voice of God All-Powerful and could even be heard in the outer courtyard.    ⁶The man in the robe was now standing beside a wheel. ⁷One of the four creatures reached its hand into the fire among them and gave him some of the hot coals. The man took the coals and left.
    ⁸I noticed again that each of the four winged creatures had what looked like human hands under their wings, ⁹and I saw the four wheels near the creatures. These wheels were shining like chrysolite. ^d] 10Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it, ^e] 11so that they could move in any direction without turning. The wheels moved together whenever the creatures moved. ¹²I also noticed that the wheels and the creatures' bodies, including their backs, their hands, and their wings, were covered with eyes. ¹³And I heard a voice calling these "the wheels that spin." ¹⁴Each of the winged creatures had four faces: the face of a bull, ^f] the face of a human, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle. ^15-17These were the same creatures I had seen near the Chebar River. They controlled when and where the wheels moved--the wheels went wherever the creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels stayed beside them. ¹⁸Then I watched the brightness of the LORD's glory move from the entrance of the temple and stop above the winged creatures. ¹⁹They spread their wings and flew into the air with the wheels at their side. They stopped at the east gate of the temple, and the LORD's glory was above them.
    ²⁰I knew for sure that these were the same creatures I had seen beneath the LORD's glory near the Chebar River. ^21-22They had four wings with hands beneath them, and they had the same four faces as those near the River. Each creature moved straight ahead without turning.
   

Ezekiel 11

Ezekiel Condemns Jerusalem's Wicked Leaders

 ¹The LORD's Spirit ^g] lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw twenty-five men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. ²The LORD said, "Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. ³They say things like, `Let's build more houses. ^h] This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.' ^i]4So, Ezekiel, condemn them!" ⁵The LORD's Spirit took control of me and told me to tell these leaders:   I, the LORD God, know what you leaders are saying. ⁶You have murdered so many people that the city is filled with dead bodies! ⁷This city is indeed a cooking pot, but the bodies of those you killed are the meat. And so I will force you to leave Jerusalem, ⁸and I'll send armies to attack you, just as you fear. ⁹Then you will be captured and punished by foreign enemies. ^j] 10You will be killed in your own country, but not before you realize that I, the LORD, have done these things. ¹¹You leaders claim to be meat in a cooking pot, but you won't be protected by this city. No, you will die at the border of Israel. ¹²You will realize that while you were following the laws of nearby nations, you were disobeying my laws and teachings. And I am the LORD!
    ¹³Before I finished speaking, Pelatiah dropped dead. I bowed down and cried out, "Please, LORD God, don't kill everyone left in Israel."
   

A Promise of Hope

 ¹⁴The LORD replied:    ¹⁵Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in Jerusalem claim that you and the other Israelites who were taken to Babylonia are too far away to worship me. They also claim that the land of Israel now belongs only to them. ¹⁶But here is what I want you to tell the Israelites in Babylonia:
   It's true that I, the LORD God, have forced you out of your own country and made you live among foreign nations. But for now, I will be with you wherever you are, so that you can worship me. ¹⁷And someday, I will gather you from the nations where you are scattered and let you live in Israel again. ¹⁸When that happens, I want you to clear the land of all disgusting idols. ¹⁹Then I will take away your stubbornness and make you eager to be completely faithful to me. You will want to obey me ²⁰and all my laws and teachings. You will be my people, and I will be your God. ²¹But those who worship idols will be punished and get what they deserve. I, the LORD God, have spoken.
   

The LORD's Glory Leaves Jerusalem

 ²²After the LORD had finished speaking, the winged creatures spread their wings and flew into the air, and the wheels were beside them. The brightness of the LORD's glory above them ²³left Jerusalem and stopped at a hill east of the city.    ²⁴Then in my vision, the LORD's Spirit ^k] lifted me up and carried me back to the other exiles in Babylonia. The vision faded away, ²⁵and I told them everything the LORD had shown me.

Footnotes:

1. Ezekiel 10:1 winged creatures: See the note at 9.3.
2. Ezekiel 10:1 sapphire: See the note at 1.26.
3. Ezekiel 10:1 dome. . . creatures. . . throne: See 1.22-26.
4. Ezekiel 10:9 chrysolite: See the note at 1.16.
5. Ezekiel 10:10 a second wheel that cut through the middle of it: See the note at 1.16.
6. Ezekiel 10:14 a bull: The Hebrew text has "a winged creature," but see 1.10.
7. Ezekiel 11:1 The LORD's Spirit: Or "A wind."
8. Ezekiel 11:3 Let's. . . houses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9. Ezekiel 11:3 the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire: These leaders were trying to convince the people of Jerusalem that they were secure, and that their future was bright.
10. Ezekiel 11:9 foreign enemies: That is, the Babylonians.
11. Ezekiel 11:24 the LORD's Spirit: See the note at 11.1.

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Hebrews 6:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 6

 ¹We must try to become mature and start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught about Christ. We shouldn't need to keep talking about why we ought to turn from deeds that bring death and why we ought to have faith in God. ²And we shouldn't need to keep teaching about baptisms ^a] or about the laying on of hands ^b] or about people being raised from death and the future judgment. ³Let's grow up, if God is willing. ^4-6But what about people who turn away after they have already seen the light and have received the gift from heaven and have shared in the Holy Spirit? What about those who turn away after they have received the good message of God and the powers of the future world? There is no way to bring them back. What they are doing is the same as nailing the Son of God to a cross and insulting him in public!    ⁷A field is useful to farmers, if there is enough rain to make good crops grow. In fact, God will bless that field. ⁸But land that produces only thornbushes is worthless. It is likely to fall under God's curse, and in the end it will be set on fire.
    ⁹My friends, we are talking this way. But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are being saved. ¹⁰God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won't forget the love you have shown his people. ¹¹We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is. ¹²Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them.
   

God's Promise Is Sure

 ¹³No one is greater than God. So he made a promise in his own name when he said to Abraham, ¹⁴"I, the Lord, will bless you with many descendants!" ¹⁵Then after Abraham had been very patient, he was given what God had promised. ¹⁶When anyone wants to settle an argument, they make a vow by using the name of someone or something greater than themselves. ¹⁷So when God wanted to prove for certain that his promise to his people could not be broken, he made a vow. ¹⁸God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed.   We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. ¹⁹This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain ^c] and into the most holy place. ²⁰Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek. ^d]

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 6:2 baptisms: Or "ceremonies of washing."
2. Hebrews 6:2 laying on of hands: This was a ceremony in which church leaders and others put their hands on people to show that those people were chosen to do some special kind of work.
3. Hebrews 6:19 behind the curtain: In the tent that was used for worship, a curtain separated the "holy place" from the "most holy place," which only the high priest could enter.
4. Hebrews 6:20 Melchizedek: See the note at 5.6.

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Psalm 105:16-36 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶God kept crops from growing
   until food was scarce
   everywhere in the land.
    ¹⁷But he had already sent Joseph,
   sold as a slave into Egypt,
    ¹⁸with chains of iron
   around his legs and neck.
    ¹⁹Joseph remained a slave
   until his own words
   had come true,
   and the LORD had finished
   testing him.
    ²⁰Then the king of Egypt
   set Joseph free
    ²¹and put him in charge
   of everything he owned.
    ²²Joseph was in command
   of the officials,
   and he taught the leaders
   how to use wisdom.
    ²³Jacob and his family
   came
   and settled in Egypt
   as foreigners.
    ²⁴They were the LORD's people,
   so he let them grow stronger
   than their enemies.
    ²⁵They served the LORD,
   and he made the Egyptians plan
   hateful things against them.
    ²⁶God sent his servant Moses.
   He also chose and sent Aaron
    ²⁷to his people in Egypt,
   and they worked miracles
   and wonders there.
    ²⁸Moses and Aaron obeyed God,
   and he sent darkness
   to cover Egypt.
    ²⁹God turned their rivers
   into streams of blood,
   and the fish all died.
    ³⁰Frogs were everywhere,
   even in the royal palace.
    ³¹When God gave the command,
   flies and gnats
   swarmed all around.
    ³²In place of rain,
   God sent hailstones
   and flashes of lightning.
    ³³He destroyed their grapevines
   and their fig trees,
   and he made splinters
   of all the other trees.
    ³⁴God gave the command,
   and more grasshoppers came
   than could be counted.
    ³⁵They ate every green plant
   and all the crops that grew
   in the land of Egypt.
    ³⁶Then God took the life
   of every first-born son.

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Proverbs 27:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 27

Don't Brag about Tomorrow

 ¹Don't brag about tomorrow!   Each day brings
   its own surprises.
    ²Don't brag about yourself--
   let others praise you.

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Verse of the Day

“He makes us worthy to be the servants of his new agreement that comes from the Holy Spirit and not from a written Law. After all, the Law brings death, but the Spirit brings life.” - 2 Corinthians 3:6

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Stage and motion picture actor, vaudeville performer, American cowboy, humorist, newspaper columnist, and social commentator, Will Rogers wrote, “If you ever injected truth into politics you'd have no politics … Humanity is not yet ready for either real truth or real harmony.”

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A Joke for Today

 

Patient 1: “Why did you run away from the operation table?”

Patient 2: “The nurse was repeatedly saying ‘don’t get nervous’, ‘don’t be afraid’, ‘be strong’, ‘this is a small operation only’, things like that.”

Patient 1: “So what was wrong in that? Why were you so afraid?”

Patient 2: “She was talking to the surgeon!”

Bible Readings for October 31, 2016

Today our passages are Lamentations 4:1–5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; and Proverbs 26:23. 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 by using the link below.

 

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Lamentations 4-5:22 (The Message)

Lamentations 4

Waking Up with Nothing

 ¹ Oh, oh, oh...
How gold is treated like dirt,
   the finest gold thrown out with the garbage,
Priceless jewels scattered all over,
   jewels loose in the gutters.  ²And the people of Zion, once prized,
   far surpassing their weight in gold,
Are now treated like cheap pottery,
   like everyday pots and bowls mass-produced by a potter.
 ³Even wild jackals nurture their babies,
   give them their breasts to suckle.
But my people have turned cruel to their babies,
   like an ostrich in the wilderness.
 ⁴Babies have nothing to drink.
   Their tongues stick to the roofs of their mouths.
Little children ask for bread
   but no one gives them so much as a crust.
 ⁵People used to the finest cuisine
   forage for food in the streets.
People used to the latest in fashions
   pick through the trash for something to wear.
 ⁶The evil guilt of my dear people
   was worse than the sin of Sodom—
The city was destroyed in a flash,
   and no one around to help.
 ⁷The splendid and sacred nobles
   once glowed with health.
Their bodies were robust and ruddy,
   their beards like carved stone.
 ⁸But now they are smeared with soot,
   unrecognizable in the street,
Their bones sticking out,
   their skin dried out like old leather.
 ⁹Better to have been killed in battle
   than killed by starvation.
Better to have died of battle wounds
   than to slowly starve to death.
 ¹⁰Nice and kindly women
   boiled their own children for supper.
This was the only food in town
   when my dear people were broken.
 ¹¹God let all his anger loose, held nothing back.
   He poured out his raging wrath.
He set a fire in Zion
   that burned it to the ground.
 ¹²The kings of the earth couldn't believe it.
   World rulers were in shock,
Watching old enemies march in big as you please,
   right through Jerusalem's gates.
 ¹³Because of the sins of her prophets
   and the evil of her priests,
Who exploited good and trusting people,
   robbing them of their lives,
 ¹⁴These prophets and priests blindly grope their way through the streets,
   grimy and stained from their dirty lives,
Wasted by their wasted lives,
   shuffling from fatigue, dressed in rags.
 ¹⁵People yell at them, "Get out of here, dirty old men!
   Get lost, don't touch us, don't infect us!"
They have to leave town. They wander off.
   Nobody wants them to stay here.
Everyone knows, wherever they wander,
   that they've been kicked out of their own hometown.
 ¹⁶God himself scattered them.
   No longer does he look out for them.
He has nothing to do with the priests;
   he cares nothing for the elders.
 ¹⁷We watched and watched,
   wore our eyes out looking for help. And nothing.
We mounted our lookouts and looked
   for the help that never showed up.
 ¹⁸They tracked us down, those hunters.
   It wasn't safe to go out in the street.
Our end was near, our days numbered.
   We were doomed.
 ¹⁹They came after us faster than eagles in flight,
   pressed us hard in the mountains, ambushed us in the desert.
 ²⁰Our king, our life's breath, the anointed of God,
   was caught in their traps—
Our king under whose protection
   we always said we'd live.
 ²¹Celebrate while you can, O Edom!
   Live it up in Uz!
For it won't be long before you drink this cup, too.
   You'll find out what it's like to drink God's wrath,
Get drunk on God's wrath
   and wake up with nothing, stripped naked.
 ²²And that's it for you, Zion. The punishment's complete.
   You won't have to go through this exile again.
But Edom, your time is coming:
   He'll punish your evil life, put all your sins on display.

Lamentations 5

Give Us a Fresh Start

 ^1-22 "Remember, God, all we've been through. Study our plight, the black mark we've made in history.
Our precious land has been given to outsiders,
   our homes to strangers.
Orphans we are, not a father in sight,
   and our mothers no better than widows.
We have to pay to drink our own water.
   Even our firewood comes at a price.
We're nothing but slaves, bullied and bowed,
   worn out and without any rest.
We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt
   just to get something to eat.
Our parents sinned and are no more,
   and now we're paying for the wrongs they did.
Slaves rule over us;
   there's no escape from their grip.
We risk our lives to gather food
   in the bandit-infested desert.
Our skin has turned black as an oven,
   dried out like old leather from the famine.
Our wives were raped in the streets in Zion,
   and our virgins in the cities of Judah.
They hanged our princes by their hands,
   dishonored our elders.
Strapping young men were put to women's work,
   mere boys forced to do men's work.
The city gate is empty of wise elders.
   Music from the young is heard no more.
All the joy is gone from our hearts.
   Our dances have turned into dirges.
The crown of glory has toppled from our head.
   Woe! Woe! Would that we'd never sinned!
Because of all this we're heartsick;
   we can't see through the tears.
On Mount Zion, wrecked and ruined,
   jackals pace and prowl.
And yet, God, you're sovereign still,
   your throne intact and eternal.
So why do you keep forgetting us?
   Why dump us and leave us like this?
Bring us back to you, God—we're ready to come back.
   Give us a fresh start.
As it is, you've cruelly disowned us.
   You've been so very angry with us."

 

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Hebrews 2:1-18 (The Message)

Hebrews 2

 ^1-4It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

The Salvation Pioneer

 ^5-9God didn't put angels in charge of this business of salvation that we're dealing with here. It says in Scripture,

   What is man and woman that you bother with them;
      why take a second look their way?
   You made them not quite as high as angels,
      bright with Eden's dawn light;
   Then you put them in charge
      of your entire handcrafted world.
When God put them in charge of everything, nothing was excluded. But we don't see it yet, don't see everything under human jurisdiction. What we do see is Jesus, made "not quite as high as angels," and then, through the experience of death, crowned so much higher than any angel, with a glory "bright with Eden's dawn light." In that death, by God's grace, he fully experienced death in every person's place.  ^10-13It makes good sense that the God who got everything started and keeps everything going now completes the work by making the Salvation Pioneer perfect through suffering as he leads all these people to glory. Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn't hesitate to treat them as family, saying,
   I'll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters, all I know
      about you;
   I'll join them in worship and praise to you.
Again, he puts himself in the same family circle when he says,
   Even I live by placing my trust in God.
And yet again,
   I'm here with the children God gave me.
 ^14-15Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it's logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil's hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.
 ^16-18It's obvious, of course, that he didn't go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That's why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people's sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

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Psalm 103:1-22 (The Message)

Psalm 103

A David Psalm

 ^1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!
   O my soul, bless God,
      don't forget a single blessing!

 ^3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
      He heals your diseases—every one.
      He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
      He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
      He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
      He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.

 ^6-18 God makes everything come out right;
      he puts victims back on their feet.
   He showed Moses how he went about his work,
      opened up his plans to all Israel.
   God is sheer mercy and grace;
      not easily angered, he's rich in love.
   He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
      nor hold grudges forever.
   He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
      nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
   As high as heaven is over the earth,
      so strong is his love to those who fear him.
   And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
      he has separated us from our sins.
   As parents feel for their children,
      God feels for those who fear him.
   He knows us inside and out,
      keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
   Men and women don't live very long;
      like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
   But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
      leaving nothing to show they were here.
   God's love, though, is ever and always,
      eternally present to all who fear him,
   Making everything right for them and their children
      as they follow his Covenant ways
      and remember to do whatever he said.

 ^19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
      he rules over us all. He's the King!
   So bless God, you angels,
      ready and able to fly at his bidding,
      quick to hear and do what he says.
   Bless God, all you armies of angels,
      alert to respond to whatever he wills.
   Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
      everything and everyone made by God.    And you, O my soul, bless God!

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Proverbs 26:23 (The Message)

 ²³ Smooth talk from an evil heart
   is like glaze on cracked pottery.

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Verse of the Day

“Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord's followers are suffering just as you are.” - 1 Peter 5:8-9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Stage and motion picture actor, vaudeville performer, American cowboy, humorist, newspaper columnist, and social commentator, Will Rogers wrote, “I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”

Bible Readings for May 28, 2016

Today our passages are 2 Samuel 13:1-39; John 17:1-26; Psalm 119:81-96; and Proverbs 16:6-7. 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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2 Samuel 13:1-39 (The Message)

2 Samuel 13

^1-4 Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David's son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David's son, was in love with her. Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar to the point of making himself sick over her. She was a virgin, so he couldn't see how he could get his hands on her. Amnon had a good friend, Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was exceptionally streetwise. He said to Amnon, "Why are you moping around like this, day after day—you, the son of the king! Tell me what's eating at you." "In a word, Tamar," said Amnon. "My brother Absalom's sister. I'm in love with her."
⁵ "Here's what you do," said Jonadab. "Go to bed and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to visit you, say, 'Have my sister Tamar come and prepare some supper for me here where I can watch her and she can feed me.'"
⁶ So Amnon took to his bed and acted sick. When the king came to visit, Amnon said, "Would you do me a favor? Have my sister Tamar come and make some nourishing dumplings here where I can watch her and be fed by her."
⁷ David sent word to Tamar who was home at the time: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare a meal for him."
^8-9 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. She took dough, kneaded it, formed it into dumplings, and cooked them while he watched from his bed. But when she took the cooking pot and served him, he wouldn't eat.
^9-11 Amnon said, "Clear everyone out of the house," and they all cleared out. Then he said to Tamar, "Bring the food into my bedroom, where we can eat in privacy." She took the nourishing dumplings she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she got ready to feed him, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, sister!"
^12-13 "No, brother!" she said, "Don't hurt me! This kind of thing isn't done in Israel! Don't do this terrible thing! Where could I ever show my face? And you—you'll be out on the street in disgrace. Oh, please! Speak to the king—he'll let you marry me."
¹⁴ But he wouldn't listen. Being much stronger than she, he raped her.
¹⁵ No sooner had Amnon raped her than he hated her—an immense hatred. The hatred that he felt for her was greater than the love he'd had for her. "Get up," he said, "and get out!"
^16-18 "Oh no, brother," she said. "Please! This is an even worse evil than what you just did to me!"
But he wouldn't listen to her. He called for his valet. "Get rid of this woman. Get her out of my sight! And lock the door after her." The valet threw her out and locked the door behind her.
^18-19 She was wearing a long-sleeved gown. (That's how virgin princesses used to dress from early adolescence on.) Tamar poured ashes on her head, then she ripped the long-sleeved gown, held her head in her hands, and walked away, sobbing as she went.
²⁰ Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has your brother Amnon had his way with you? Now, my dear sister, let's keep it quiet—a family matter. He is, after all, your brother. Don't take this so hard." Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's home, bitter and desolate.
^21-22 King David heard the whole story and was enraged, but he didn't discipline Amnon. David doted on him because he was his firstborn. Absalom quit speaking to Amnon—not a word, whether good or bad—because he hated him for violating his sister Tamar.
^23-24 Two years went by. One day Absalom threw a sheep-shearing party in Baal Hazor in the vicinity of Ephraim and invited all the king's sons. He also went to the king and invited him. "Look, I'm throwing a sheep-shearing party. Come, and bring your servants."
²⁵ But the king said, "No, son—not this time, and not the whole household. We'd just be a burden to you." Absalom pushed, but David wouldn't budge. But he did give him his blessing.
^26-27 Then Absalom said, "Well, if you won't come, at least let my brother Amnon come."
"And why," said the king, "should he go with you?" But Absalom was so insistent that he gave in and let Amnon and all the rest of the king's sons go.
²⁸ Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. Then he instructed his servants, "Look sharp, now. When Amnon is well into the sauce and feeling no pain, and I give the order 'Strike Amnon,' kill him. And don't be afraid—I'm the one giving the command. Courage! You can do it!"
^29-31 Absalom's servants did to Amnon exactly what their master ordered. All the king's sons got out as fast as they could, jumped on their mules, and rode off. While they were still on the road, a rumor came to the king: "Absalom just killed all the king's sons—not one is left!" The king stood up, ripped his clothes to shreds, and threw himself on the floor. All his servants who were standing around at the time did the same.
^32-33 Just then, Jonadab, his brother Shimeah's son, stepped up. "My master must not think that all the young men, the king's sons, are dead. Only Amnon is dead. This happened because of Absalom's outrage since the day that Amnon violated his sister Tamar. So my master, the king, mustn't make things worse than they are, thinking that all your sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead."
³⁴ Absalom fled.
Just then the sentry on duty looked up and saw a cloud of dust on the road from Horonaim alongside the mountain. He came and told the king, "I've just seen a bunch of men on the Horonaim road, coming around the mountain."
^35-37 Then Jonadab exclaimed to the king, "See! It's the king's sons coming, just as I said!" He had no sooner said the words than the king's sons burst in—loud laments and weeping! The king joined in, along with all the servants—loud weeping, many tears. David mourned the death of his son a long time.
^37-39 When Absalom fled, he went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. He was there three years. The king finally gave up trying to get back at Absalom. He had come to terms with Amnon's death.

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John 17:1-26 (The Message)

John 17

Jesus' Prayer for His Followers

^1-5 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:
Father, it's time.
Display the bright splendor of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor,
The very splendor I had in your presence
Before there was a world. ^6-12I spelled out your character in detail
To the men and women you gave me.
They were yours in the first place;
Then you gave them to me,
And they have now done what you said.
They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt,
That everything you gave me is firsthand from you,
For the message you gave me, I gave them;
And they took it, and were convinced
That I came from you.
They believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I'm not praying for the God-rejecting world
But for those you gave me,
For they are yours by right.
Everything mine is yours, and yours mine,
And my life is on display in them.
For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world;
They'll continue in the world
While I return to you.
Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life
That you conferred as a gift through me,
So they can be one heart and mind
As we are one heart and mind.
As long as I was with them, I guarded them
In the pursuit of the life you gave through me;
I even posted a night watch.
And not one of them got away,
Except for the rebel bent on destruction
(the exception that proved the rule of Scripture).
^13-19Now I'm returning to you.
I'm saying these things in the world's hearing
So my people can experience
My joy completed in them.
I gave them your word;
The godless world hated them because of it,
Because they didn't join the world's ways,
Just as I didn't join the world's ways.
I'm not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth.
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,
I give them a mission in the world.
I'm consecrating myself for their sakes
So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission.
^20-23I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me.
^24-26Father, I want those you gave me
To be with me, right where I am,
So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me,
Having loved me
Long before there ever was a world.
Righteous Father, the world has never known you,
But I have known you, and these disciples know
That you sent me on this mission.
I have made your very being known to them—
Who you are and what you do—
And continue to make it known,
So that your love for me
Might be in them
Exactly as I am in them.

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Psalm 119:81-96 (The Message)

81-88 I’m homesick—longing for your salvation;

    I’m waiting for your word of hope.

My eyes grow heavy watching for some sign of your promise;

    how long must I wait for your comfort?

There’s smoke in my eyes—they burn and water,

    but I keep a steady gaze on the instructions you post.

How long do I have to put up with all this?

    How long till you haul my tormentors into court?

The arrogant godless try to throw me off track,

    ignorant as they are of God and his ways.

Everything you command is a sure thing,

    but they harass me with lies. Help!

They’ve pushed and pushed—they never let up—

    but I haven’t relaxed my grip on your counsel.

In your great love revive me

    so I can alertly obey your every word.

89-96 What you say goes, God,

    and stays, as permanent as the heavens.

Your truth never goes out of fashion;

    it’s as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up.

Your Word and truth are dependable as ever;

    that’s what you ordered—you set the earth going.

If your revelation hadn’t delighted me so,

    I would have given up when the hard times came.

But I’ll never forget the advice you gave me;

    you saved my life with those wise words.

Save me! I’m all yours.

    I look high and low for your words of wisdom.

The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me,

    but I’m only concerned with your plans for me.

I see the limits to everything human,

    but the horizons can’t contain your commands!

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Proverbs 16:6-7 (The Message)

⁶ Guilt is banished through love and truth;
Fear-of-God deflects evil.

⁷ When God approves of your life,
even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.

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Verse of the Day
“When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad.” - Romans 12:15

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, newspaper columnist, social commentator, and stage and motion picture actor, Will Rogers wrote, “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”

Bible Readings for December 14, 2014

Today our passages are Jonah 1:1–4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; and Proverbs 29:26-27. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Jonah 1-4:11 (The Message)

Jonah 1

Running Away from God

 ^1-2 One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." ³ But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get.  ^4-6 But God sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering.
    The ship was about to break into pieces. The sailors were terrified. They called out in desperation to their gods. They threw everything they were carrying overboard to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship to take a nap. He was sound asleep. The captain came to him and said, "What's this? Sleeping! Get up! Pray to your god! Maybe your god will see we're in trouble and rescue us."
 ⁷ Then the sailors said to one another, "Let's get to the bottom of this. Let's draw straws to identify the culprit on this ship who's responsible for this disaster."
    So they drew straws. Jonah got the short straw.
 ⁸ Then they grilled him: "Confess. Why this disaster? What is your work? Where do you come from? What country? What family?"
 ⁹ He told them, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship God, the God of heaven who made sea and land."
 ¹⁰ At that, the men were frightened, really frightened, and said, "What on earth have you done!" As Jonah talked, the sailors realized that he was running away from God.
 ¹¹ They said to him, "What are we going to do with you—to get rid of this storm?" By this time the sea was wild, totally out of control.
 ¹² Jonah said, "Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It's all my fault. I'm the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you'll get rid of the storm."
 ¹³ But no. The men tried rowing back to shore. They made no headway. The storm only got worse and worse, wild and raging.
 ¹⁴ Then they prayed to God, "O God! Don't let us drown because of this man's life, and don't blame us for his death. You are God. Do what you think is best."
 ¹⁵ They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down.
 ¹⁶ The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows.
 ¹⁷ Then God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish's belly three days and nights.

Jonah 2

At the Bottom of the Sea

 ^1-9 Then Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish. He prayed:    "In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God.
   He answered me.
From the belly of the grave I cried, 'Help!'
   You heard my cry.
You threw me into ocean's depths,
   into a watery grave,
With ocean waves, ocean breakers
   crashing over me.
I said, 'I've been thrown away,
   thrown out, out of your sight.
I'll never again lay eyes
   on your Holy Temple.'
Ocean gripped me by the throat.
   The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight.
My head was all tangled in seaweed
   at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root.
I was as far down as a body can go,
   and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever—
Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive,
   O God, my God!
When my life was slipping away,
   I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
   made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
   walk away from their only true love.
But I'm worshiping you, God,
   calling out in thanksgiving!
And I'll do what I promised I'd do!
   Salvation belongs to God!"
 ¹⁰ Then God spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore.

Jonah 3

Maybe God Will Change His Mind

 ^1-2 Next, God spoke to Jonah a second time: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." ³ This time Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying God's orders to the letter.     Nineveh was a big city, very big—it took three days to walk across it.
 ⁴ Jonah entered the city, went one day's walk and preached, "In forty days Nineveh will be smashed."
 ⁵The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it—rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers.
 ^6-9 When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up off his throne, threw down his royal robes, dressed in burlap, and sat down in the dirt. Then he issued a public proclamation throughout Nineveh, authorized by him and his leaders: "Not one drop of water, not one bite of food for man, woman, or animal, including your herds and flocks! Dress them all, both people and animals, in burlap, and send up a cry for help to God. Everyone must turn around, turn back from an evil life and the violent ways that stain their hands. Who knows? Maybe God will turn around and change his mind about us, quit being angry with us and let us live!"
 ¹⁰ God saw what they had done, that they had turned away from their evil lives. He did change his mind about them. What he said he would do to them he didn't do.

Jonah 4

"I Knew This Was Going to Happen!"

 ^1-2 J onah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God, "God! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That's why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!

"I Knew This Was Going to Happen!"

 ^1-2 Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God, "God! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That's why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!  ⁴God said, "What do you have to be angry about?"
 ⁵But Jonah just left. He went out of the city to the east and sat down in a sulk. He put together a makeshift shelter of leafy branches and sat there in the shade to see what would happen to the city.
 ⁶God arranged for a broad-leafed tree to spring up. It grew over Jonah to cool him off and get him out of his angry sulk. Jonah was pleased and enjoyed the shade. Life was looking up.
 ^7-8But then God sent a worm. By dawn of the next day, the worm had bored into the shade tree and it withered away. The sun came up and God sent a hot, blistering wind from the east. The sun beat down on Jonah's head and he started to faint. He prayed to die: "I'm better off dead!"
 ⁹Then God said to Jonah, "What right do you have to get angry about this shade tree?"
   Jonah said, "Plenty of right. It's made me angry enough to die!"
 ^10-11God said, "What's this? How is it that you can change your feelings from pleasure to anger overnight about a mere shade tree that you did nothing to get? You neither planted nor watered it. It grew up one night and died the next night. So, why can't I likewise change what I feel about Nineveh from anger to pleasure, this big city of more than 120,000 childlike people who don't yet know right from wrong, to say nothing of all the innocent animals?"

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Revelation 5:1-14 (The Message)

Revelation 5

The Lion Is a Lamb

 ^1-2I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One Seated on the Throne. It was written on both sides, fastened with seven seals. I also saw a powerful Angel, calling out in a voice like thunder, "Is there anyone who can open the scroll, who can break its seals?"  ³There was no one—no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld—able to break open the scroll and read it.
 ^4-5I wept and wept and wept that no one was found able to open the scroll, able to read it. One of the Elders said, "Don't weep. Look—the Lion from Tribe Judah, the Root of David's Tree, has conquered. He can open the scroll, can rip through the seven seals."
 ^6-10So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals, and Elders, was a Lamb, slaughtered but standing tall. Seven horns he had, and seven eyes, the Seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. He came to the One Seated on the Throne and took the scroll from his right hand. The moment he took the scroll, the Four Animals and Twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Each had a harp and each had a bowl, a gold bowl filled with incense, the prayers of God's holy people. And they sang a new song:

   Worthy! Take the scroll, open its seals.
   Slain! Paying in blood, you bought men and women,
   Bought them back from all over the earth,
   Bought them back for God.
   Then you made them a Kingdom, Priests for our God,
   Priest-kings to rule over the earth.
 ^11-14I looked again. I heard a company of Angels around the Throne, the Animals, and the Elders—ten thousand times ten thousand their number, thousand after thousand after thousand in full song:

   The slain Lamb is worthy!
   Take the power, the wealth, the wisdom, the strength!
   Take the honor, the glory, the blessing!
Then I heard every creature in Heaven and earth, in underworld and sea, join in, all voices in all places, singing:

   To the One on the Throne! To the Lamb!
   The blessing, the honor, the glory, the strength,
   For age after age after age.
The Four Animals called out, "Oh, Yes!" The Elders fell to their knees and worshiped.

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Psalm 133:1-3 (The Message)

Psalm 133

A Pilgrim Song of David

 ^1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!
   It's like costly anointing oil
      flowing down head and beard,
   Flowing down Aaron's beard,
      flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
   It's like the dew on Mount Hermon
      flowing down the slopes of Zion.
   Yes, that's where God commands the blessing,
      ordains eternal life.

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Proverbs 29:26-27 (The Message)

 ²⁶ Everyone tries to get help from the leader,
   but only God will give us justice.

 ²⁷ Good people can't stand the sight of deliberate evil;
   the wicked can't stand the sight of well-chosen goodness.

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Verse of the Day

“[An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus]One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. The angel greeted Mary and said, "You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.” - Luke 1:26-28

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social commentator and motion picture actor, Will Rogers wrote, “You’ve got to go out on a limb sometimes because that’s where the fruit is.”