A Thought from the Word - A 15 second thought based on Philippians 4:8

Bible Readings for January 26, 2016

Today our passages are Exodus 2:11–3:22; Matthew 17:10-27; Psalm 22:1-18; and Proverbs 5:7-14. 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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Exodus 2:11-3:22 (The Message)

 ^11-12 Time passed. Moses grew up. One day he went and saw his brothers, saw all that hard labor. Then he saw an Egyptian hit a Hebrew—one of his relatives! He looked this way and then that; when he realized there was no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.
 ¹³ The next day he went out there again. Two Hebrew men were fighting. He spoke to the man who started it: "Why are you hitting your neighbor?"
 ¹⁴ The man shot back: "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?"
   Then Moses panicked: "Word's gotten out—people know about this."

¹⁵ Pharaoh heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses got away to the land of Midian. He sat down by a well.
 ^16-17 The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, filling the troughs and watering their father's sheep. When some shepherds came and chased the girls off, Moses came to their rescue and helped them water their sheep.
 ¹⁸ When they got home to their father, Reuel, he said, "That didn't take long. Why are you back so soon?"
 ¹⁹ "An Egyptian," they said, "rescued us from a bunch of shepherds. Why, he even drew water for us and watered the sheep."
 ²⁰ He said, "So where is he? Why did you leave him behind? Invite him so he can have something to eat with us."
 ^21-22 Moses agreed to settle down there with the man, who then gave his daughter Zipporah (Bird) to him for his wife. She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom (Sojourner), saying, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign country."

²³ Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God:
 ²⁴ God listened to their groanings.
   God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
 ²⁵ God saw what was going on with Israel.
   God understood.

Exodus 3

 ^1-2 Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up.  ³ Moses said, "What's going on here? I can't believe this! Amazing! Why doesn't the bush burn up?"
 ⁴ God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
   He said, "Yes? I'm right here!"
 ⁵ God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground."
 ⁶ Then he said, "I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob."
   Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.
 ^7-8 God said, "I've taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I've heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
 ^9-10 "The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I've seen for myself how cruelly they're being treated by the Egyptians. It's time for you to go back: I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt."
 ¹¹ Moses answered God, "But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
 ¹² "I'll be with you," God said. "And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain."
 ¹³ Then Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, 'The God of your fathers sent me to you'; and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What do I tell them?"
 ¹⁴ God said to Moses, "I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, 'I-AM sent me to you.'"
 ¹⁵ God continued with Moses: "This is what you're to say to the Israelites: 'God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.' This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known.
 ^16-17 "Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, 'God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I've looked into what's being done to you in Egypt, and I've determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey."'
 ¹⁸ "Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: 'God, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship God—our God.'
 ^19-22 "I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless forced to, so I'll intervene and hit Egypt where it hurts—oh, my miracles will send them reeling!—after which they'll be glad to send you off. I'll see to it that this people get a hearty send-off by the Egyptians—when you leave, you won't leave empty-handed! Each woman will ask her neighbor and any guests in her house for objects of silver and gold, for jewelry and extra clothes; you'll put them on your sons and daughters. Oh, you'll clean the Egyptians out!"

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Matthew 17:10-27 (The Message)

 ¹⁰The disciples, meanwhile, were asking questions. "Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?"

 ^11-13Jesus answered, "Elijah does come and get everything ready. I'm telling you, Elijah has already come but they didn't know him when they saw him. They treated him like dirt, the same way they are about to treat the Son of Man." That's when the disciples realized that all along he had been talking about John the Baptizer.

With a Mere Kernel of Faith

 ^14-16At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting people. As they approached, a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, "Master, have mercy on my son. He goes out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he is pitched into the fire, other times into the river. I brought him to your disciples, but they could do nothing for him."

 ^17-18Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well.

 ¹⁹When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, "Why couldn't we throw it out?"

 ²⁰"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle."

 ^22-23As they were regrouping in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him—and three days later he will be raised alive." The disciples felt terrible.

 ²⁴When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay taxes?"

 ²⁵Peter said, "Of course."

   But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. "Simon, what do you think? When a king levies taxes, who pays—his children or his subjects?"

 ^26-27He answered, "His subjects."

   Jesus said, "Then the children get off free, right? But so we don't upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you'll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us."

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Psalm 22:1-18 (The Message)

Psalm 22

A David Psalm

 ^1-2 God, God...my God! Why did you dump me
      miles from nowhere?
   Doubled up with pain, I call to God
      all the day long. No answer. Nothing.
   I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.

 ^3-5 And you! Are you indifferent, above it all,
      leaning back on the cushions of Israel's praise?
   We know you were there for our parents:
      they cried for your help and you gave it;
      they trusted and lived a good life.

 ^6-8 And here I am, a nothing—an earthworm,
      something to step on, to squash.
   Everyone pokes fun at me;
      they make faces at me, they shake their heads:
   "Let's see how God handles this one;
      since God likes him so much, let him help him!"

 ^9-11 And to think you were midwife at my birth,
      setting me at my mother's breasts!
   When I left the womb you cradled me;
      since the moment of birth you've been my God.
   Then you moved far away
      and trouble moved in next door.
   I need a neighbor.

 ^12-13 Herds of bulls come at me,
      the raging bulls stampede,
   Horns lowered, nostrils flaring,
      like a herd of buffalo on the move.

 ^14-15 I'm a bucket kicked over and spilled,
      every joint in my body has been pulled apart.
   My heart is a blob
      of melted wax in my gut.
   I'm dry as a bone,
      my tongue black and swollen.
   They have laid me out for burial
      in the dirt.

 ^16-18 Now packs of wild dogs come at me;
      thugs gang up on me.
   They pin me down hand and foot,
      and lock me in a cage—a bag
   Of bones in a cage, stared at
      by every passerby.
   They take my wallet and the shirt off my back,
      and then throw dice for my clothes.

 

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Proverbs 5:7-14 (The Message)

 ^7-14 So, my friend, listen closely;
   don't treat my words casually.
Keep your distance from such a woman;
   absolutely stay out of her neighborhood.
You don't want to squander your wonderful life,
   to waste your precious life among the hardhearted.
Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you?
   Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you?
You don't want to end your life full of regrets,
   nothing but sin and bones,
Saying, "Oh, why didn't I do what they told me?
   Why did I reject a disciplined life?
Why didn't I listen to my mentors,
   or take my teachers seriously?
My life is ruined!
   I haven't one blessed thing to show for my life!"

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Verse of the Day

“Be humble in the Lord's presence, and he will honor you.” - James 4:10

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century, Jean de La Fontaine wrote, “Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.”

A Thought from the Word - A 15-second thought based on Galatians 6:1

Bible Readings for January 25, 2016

Today our passages are Genesis 50:1 – Exodus 2:10; Matthew 16:13–17:9; Psalm 21:1-13; and Proverbs 5:1-6. 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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Genesis 50 - Exodus 2:10 (The Message)

Genesis 50

 ¹ Joseph threw himself on his father, wept over him, and kissed him.
^2-3 Joseph then instructed the physicians in his employ to embalm his father. The physicians embalmed Israel. The embalming took forty days, the period required for embalming. There was public mourning by the Egyptians for seventy days.
 ^4-5 When the period of mourning was completed, Joseph petitioned Pharaoh's court: "If you have reason to think kindly of me, present Pharaoh with my request: My father made me swear, saying, 'I am ready to die. Bury me in the grave plot that I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.' Please give me leave to go up and bury my father. Then I'll come back."
 ⁶ Pharaoh said, "Certainly. Go and bury your father as he made you promise under oath."
 ^7-9 So Joseph left to bury his father. And all the high-ranking officials from Pharaoh's court went with him, all the dignitaries of Egypt, joining Joseph's family—his brothers and his father's family. Their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen. Chariots and horsemen accompanied them. It was a huge funeral procession.
 ¹⁰ Arriving at the Atad Threshing Floor just across the Jordan River, they stopped for a period of mourning, letting their grief out in loud and lengthy lament. For seven days, Joseph engaged in these funeral rites for his father.
 ¹¹ When the Canaanites who lived in that area saw the grief being poured out at the Atad Threshing Floor, they said, "Look how deeply the Egyptians are mourning." That is how the site at the Jordan got the name Abel Mizraim (Egyptian Lament).
 ^12-13 Jacob's sons continued to carry out his instructions to the letter. They took him on into Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.

^14-15 After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him. After the funeral, Joseph's brothers talked among themselves: "What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?"
 ^16-17 So they sent Joseph a message, "Before his death, your father gave this command: Tell Joseph, 'Forgive your brothers' sin—all that wrongdoing. They did treat you very badly.' Will you do it? Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father's God?"
   When Joseph received their message, he wept.
 ¹⁸ Then the brothers went in person to him, threw themselves on the ground before him and said, "We'll be your slaves."
 ^19-21 Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children." He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.
 ^22-23 Joseph continued to live in Egypt with his father's family. Joseph lived 110 years. He lived to see Ephraim's sons into the third generation. The sons of Makir, Manasseh's son, were also recognized as Joseph's.
 ²⁴ At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, "I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
 ²⁵ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel promise under oath, "When God makes his visitation, make sure you take my bones with you as you leave here."
 ²⁶ Joseph died at the age of 110 years. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.

Exodus 1

 ^1-5 These are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt with Jacob, each bringing his family members: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,    Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
   Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
   Seventy persons in all generated by Jacob's seed. Joseph was already in Egypt.
 ^6-7 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers—that whole generation. But the children of Israel kept on reproducing. They were very prolific—a population explosion in their own right—and the land was filled with them.

"A New King . . . Who Didn't Know Joseph"

^8-10 A new king came to power in Egypt who didn't know Joseph. He spoke to his people in alarm, "There are way too many of these Israelites for us to handle. We've got to do something: Let's devise a plan to contain them, lest if there's a war they should join our enemies, or just walk off and leave us."  ^11-14 So they organized them into work-gangs and put them to hard labor under gang-foremen. They built the storage cities Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. But the harder the Egyptians worked them the more children the Israelites had—children everywhere! The Egyptians got so they couldn't stand the Israelites and treated them worse than ever, crushing them with slave labor. They made them miserable with hard labor—making bricks and mortar and back-breaking work in the fields. They piled on the work, crushing them under the cruel workload.
 ^15-16 The king of Egypt had a talk with the two Hebrew midwives; one was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. He said, "When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the sex of the baby. If it's a boy, kill him; if it's a girl, let her live."
 ^17-18 But the midwives had far too much respect for God and didn't do what the king of Egypt ordered; they let the boy babies live. The king of Egypt called in the midwives. "Why didn't you obey my orders? You've let those babies live!"
 ¹⁹ The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women aren't like the Egyptian women; they're vigorous. Before the midwife can get there, they've already had the baby."
 ^20-21 God was pleased with the midwives. The people continued to increase in number—a very strong people. And because the midwives honored God, God gave them families of their own.
 ²² So Pharaoh issued a general order to all his people: "Every boy that is born, drown him in the Nile. But let the girls live."

Exodus 2

Moses

 ^1-3 A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. When she couldn't hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile.  ^4-6 The baby's older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh's daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it. She opened it and saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. She said, "This must be one of the Hebrew babies."
 ⁷ Then his sister was before her: "Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?"
 ⁸ Pharaoh's daughter said, "Yes. Go." The girl went and called the child's mother.
 ⁹ Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me. I'll pay you." The woman took the child and nursed him.
 ¹⁰ After the child was weaned, she presented him to Pharaoh's daughter who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses (Pulled-Out), saying, "I pulled him out of the water."

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Matthew 16:13-17:9 (The Message)

Son of Man, Son of God

 ¹³When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?"

 ¹⁴They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

 ¹⁵He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?"

 ¹⁶Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

 ^17-18Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

 ¹⁹"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."

 ²⁰He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.

You're Not in the Driver's Seat

 ^21-22Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, "Impossible, Master! That can never be!"

 ²³But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works."

 ^24-26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

 ^27-28"Don't be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You'll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn't pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory."

Matthew 17

Sunlight Poured from His Face

 ^1-3 Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him.

 ⁴Peter broke in, "Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?"

 ⁵While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him."

 ^6-8When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. "Don't be afraid." When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.

 ⁹Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't breathe a word of what you've seen. After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk."

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Psalm 21:1-13 (The Message)

Psalm 21

A David Psalm

 ^1-7Your strength, God, is the king's strength. Helped, he's hollering Hosannas.
   You gave him exactly what he wanted;
      you didn't hold back.
   You filled his arms with gifts;
      you gave him a right royal welcome.
   He wanted a good life; you gave it to him,
      and then made it a long life as a bonus.
   You lifted him high and bright as a cumulus cloud,
      then dressed him in rainbow colors.
   You pile blessings on him;
      you make him glad when you smile.
   Is it any wonder the king loves God?
      that he's sticking with the Best?

 ^8-12 With a fistful of enemies in one hand
      and a fistful of haters in the other,
   You radiate with such brilliance
      that they cringe as before a furnace.
   Now the furnace swallows them whole,
      the fire eats them alive!
   You purge the earth of their progeny,
      you wipe the slate clean.
   All their evil schemes, the plots they cook up,
      have fizzled—every one.
   You sent them packing;
      they couldn't face you.

 ¹³ Show your strength, God, so no one can miss it.
      We are out singing the good news!

 

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Proverbs 5:1-6 (The Message)

Proverbs 5

Nothing but Sin and Bones

 ^1-2 Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom; listen very closely to the way I see it.
Then you'll acquire a taste for good sense;
   what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.

 ^3-6 The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet,
   her soft words are oh so smooth.
But it won't be long before she's gravel in your mouth,
   a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart.
She's dancing down the primrose path to Death;
   she's headed straight for Hell and taking you with her.
She hasn't a clue about Real Life,
   about who she is or where she's going.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.” - Philippians 4:8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English writer and one of the foremost modernists of the twentieth century, Virginia Woolf wrote, “Once you begin to take yourself seriously as a leader or as a follower, as a modern or as a conservative, then you become a self-conscious, biting, and scratching little animal whose work is not of the slightest value or importance to anybody.”

A Thought from the Word - A 15-second thought based on James 1:5

Bible Readings for January 24, 2016

Today our passages are Genesis 48:1–49:33; Matthew 15:29–16:12; Psalm 20:1-9; and Proverbs 4:20-27. 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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Genesis 48-49:33 (The Message)

Genesis 48

 ^1-2 Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob. When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come," he roused himself and sat up in bed.  ^3-7 Jacob said to Joseph, "The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said, 'I'm going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I'll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.' I'm adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon. But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance. I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem."
 ⁸ Just then Jacob noticed Joseph's sons and said, "Who are these?"
 ^9-11 Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place."
   "Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them." Israel's eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them and then said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!"
 ^12-16 Joseph took them from Israel's knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground. Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel's right, and stood them before him. But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. Then he blessed them:

   The God before whom walked
      my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
   The God who has been my shepherd
      all my life long to this very day,
   The Angel who delivered me from every evil,
      Bless the boys.
   May my name be echoed in their lives,
      and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers,
   And may they grow
      covering the Earth with their children.
 ^17-18 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's, saying, "That's the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head."
 ^19-20 But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son; but I know what I'm doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations." Then he blessed them both:

      Israel will use your names to give blessings:
       May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.
   In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
 ^21-22 Israel then said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers. As for me, I'm presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow."

Genesis 49

 ¹ Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather around. I want to tell you what you can expect in the days to come."

 ² Come together, listen sons of Jacob,
      listen to Israel your father.

 ^3-4 Reuben, you're my firstborn,
      my strength, first proof of my manhood,
      at the top in honor and at the top in power,
   But like a bucket of water spilled,
      you'll be at the top no more,
   Because you climbed into your father's marriage bed,
      mounting that couch, and you defiled it.

 ^5-6 Simeon and Levi are two of a kind,
      ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
   I don't want anything to do with their vendettas,
      want no part in their bitter feuds;
   They kill men in fits of temper,
      slash oxen on a whim.

 ⁷ A curse on their uncontrolled anger,
      on their indiscriminate wrath.
   I'll throw them out with the trash;
      I'll shred and scatter them like confetti throughout Israel.

 ^8-12 You, Judah, your brothers will praise you:
      Your fingers on your enemies' throat,
      while your brothers honor you.
   You're a lion's cub, Judah,
      home fresh from the kill, my son.
   Look at him, crouched like a lion, king of beasts;
      who dares mess with him?
   The scepter shall not leave Judah;
      he'll keep a firm grip on the command staff
   Until the ultimate ruler comes
      and the nations obey him.
   He'll tie up his donkey to the grapevine,
      his purebred prize to a sturdy branch.
   He will wash his shirt in wine
      and his cloak in the blood of grapes,
   His eyes will be darker than wine,
      his teeth whiter than milk.

 ¹³ Zebulun settles down on the seashore;
      he's a safe harbor for ships,
      right alongside Sidon.

 ^14-15 Issachar is one tough donkey
      crouching between the corrals;
   When he saw how good the place was,
      how pleasant the country,
   He gave up his freedom
      and went to work as a slave.

 ^16-17 Dan will handle matters of justice for his people;
      he will hold his own just fine among the tribes of Israel.
   Dan is only a small snake in the grass,
      a lethal serpent in ambush by the road
   When he strikes a horse in the heel,
      and brings its huge rider crashing down.

 ¹⁸ I wait in hope
      for your salvation, God.

 ¹⁹ Gad will be attacked by bandits,
      but he will trip them up.

 ²⁰ Asher will become famous for rich foods,
      candies and sweets fit for kings.

 ^21-26 Naphtali is a deer running free
      that gives birth to lovely fawns.
   Joseph is a wild donkey,
      a wild donkey by a spring,
      spirited donkeys on a hill.
   The archers with malice attacked,
      shooting their hate-tipped arrows;
   But he held steady under fire,
      his bow firm, his arms limber,
   With the backing of the Champion of Jacob,
      the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
   The God of your father—may he help you!
      And may The Strong God—may he give you his blessings,
   Blessings tumbling out of the skies,
      blessings bursting up from the Earth—
      blessings of breasts and womb.
   May the blessings of your father
      exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains,
      surpass the delights of the eternal hills;
   May they rest on the head of Joseph,
      on the brow of the one consecrated among his brothers.

 ²⁷ Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
      all morning he gorges on his kill,
      at evening divides up what's left over.  ²⁸ All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing.

^29-32 Then he instructed them: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial plot. Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there; Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there; I also buried Leah there. The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites."
 ³³ Jacob finished instructing his sons, pulled his feet into bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

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Matthew 15:29-16:12 (The Message)

 ^29-31After Jesus returned, he walked along Lake Galilee and then climbed a mountain and took his place, ready to receive visitors. They came, tons of them, bringing along the paraplegic, the blind, the maimed, the mute—all sorts of people in need—and more or less threw them down at Jesus' feet to see what he would do with them. He healed them. When the people saw the mutes speaking, the maimed healthy, the paraplegics walking around, the blind looking around, they were astonished and let everyone know that God was blazingly alive among them.

 ³²But Jesus wasn't finished with them. He called his disciples and said, "I hurt for these people. For three days now they've been with me, and now they have nothing to eat. I can't send them away without a meal—they'd probably collapse on the road."

 ³³His disciples said, "But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?"

 ^34-39Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?"

   "Seven loaves," they said, "plus a few fish." At that, Jesus directed the people to sit down. He took the seven loaves and the fish. After giving thanks, he divided it up and gave it to the people. Everyone ate. They had all they wanted. It took seven large baskets to collect the leftovers. Over four thousand people ate their fill at that meal. After Jesus sent them away, he climbed in the boat and crossed over to the Magadan hills.

Matthew 16

Some Bad Yeast

 ^1-4 Some Pharisees and Sadducees were on him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, "You have a saying that goes, 'Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.' You find it easy enough to forecast the weather—why can't you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you'll get is the Jonah sign." Then he turned on his heel and walked away.

 ^5-6On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring along bread. In the meantime, Jesus said to them, "Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast."

 ^7-12Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in whispers what to do. Jesus knew what they were doing and said, "Why all these worried whispers about forgetting the bread? Runt believers! Haven't you caught on yet? Don't you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? Or the seven loaves that fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? Haven't you realized yet that bread isn't the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast." Then they got it: that he wasn't concerned about eating, but teaching—the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of teaching.

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Psalm 20:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 20

A David Psalm

 ^1-4 God answer you on the day you crash, The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm's reach,
   Send reinforcements from Holy Hill,
   Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies,
   Exclaim over your offerings,
   Celebrate your sacrifices,
   Give you what your heart desires,
   Accomplish your plans.

 ⁵ When you win, we plan to raise the roof
      and lead the parade with our banners.
   May all your wishes come true!

 ⁶ That clinches it—help's coming,
      an answer's on the way,
      everything's going to work out.

 ^7-8 See those people polishing their chariots,
      and those others grooming their horses?
      But we're making garlands for God our God.
   The chariots will rust,
      those horses pull up lame—
      and we'll be on our feet, standing tall.

 ⁹ Make the king a winner, God;
      the day we call, give us your answer.

 

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Proverbs 4:20-27 (The Message)

Learn It by Heart

 ^20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
   tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
   Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
   body and soul, they're bursting with health.

 ^23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
   that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
   avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
   ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
   and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
   leave evil in the dust.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself.” - Galatians 6:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American abolitionist and author. She came from a famous religious family and is best known for her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote, “The past, the present and the future are really one: they are today.”

Bible Readings for January 23, 2016

Today our passages are Genesis 46:1–47:31; Matthew 15:1-28; Psalm 19:1-14; and Proverbs 4:14-19. 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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Genesis 46-47:31 (The Message)

Genesis 46

 ¹ So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.  ² God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: "Jacob! Jacob!"
   "Yes?" he said. "I'm listening."
 ^3-4 God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there. I'll go with you down to Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes."
 ^5-7 Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel's sons loaded their father and their little ones and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They arrived in Egypt with the livestock and the wealth they had accumulated in Canaan. Jacob brought everyone in his family with him—sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters. Everyone.
 ⁸ These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who went to Egypt:
   Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.
 ⁹ Reuben's sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
 ¹⁰ Simeon's sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
 ¹¹ Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
 ¹² Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
 ¹³ Issachar's sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.
 ¹⁴ Zebulun's sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
 ¹⁵ These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered thirty-three.
 ¹⁶ Gad's sons: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
 ¹⁷ Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah, and Beriah's sons, Heber and Malkiel.
 ¹⁸ These are the children that Zilpah, the maid that Laban gave to his daughter Leah, bore to Jacob—sixteen of them.
 ^19-21 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his marriage to Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. They were born to him in Egypt. Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
 ²² These are the children born to Jacob through Rachel—fourteen.
 ²³ Dan's son: Hushim.
 ²⁴ Naphtali's sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
 ²⁵ These are the children born to Jacob through Bilhah, the maid Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven.
 ^26-27 Summing up, all those who went down to Egypt with Jacob—his own children, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six. Counting in the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who ended up in Egypt numbered seventy.

^28-29 Jacob sent Judah on ahead to get directions to Goshen from Joseph. When they got to Goshen, Joseph gave orders for his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. The moment Joseph saw him, he threw himself on his neck and wept. He wept a long time.
 ³⁰ Israel said to Joseph, "I'm ready to die. I've looked into your face—you are indeed alive."
 ^31-34 Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father's family. "I'll go and tell Pharaoh, 'My brothers and my father's family, all of whom lived in Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they've always made their living by raising livestock. And they've brought their flocks and herds with them, along with everything else they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks what kind of work you do, tell him, 'Your servants have always kept livestock for as long as we can remember—we and our parents also.' That way he'll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen—for Egyptians look down on anyone who is a shepherd."

Genesis 47

 ¹ Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, "My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen."  ^2-3 He had taken five of his brothers with him and introduced them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked them, "What kind of work do you do?"
 ^3-4 "Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were. We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?"
 ^5-6 Pharaoh looked at Joseph. "So, your father and brothers have arrived—a reunion! Egypt welcomes them. Settle your father and brothers on the choicest land—yes, give them Goshen. And if you know any among them that are especially good at their work, put them in charge of my own livestock."
 ^7-8 Next Joseph brought his father Jacob in and introduced him to Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How old are you?"
 ^9-10 Jacob answered Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are 130—a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.
 ^11-12 Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land—it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)—just as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph took good care of them—his father and brothers and all his father's family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything.

^13-15 The time eventually came when there was no food anywhere. The famine was very bad. Egypt and Canaan alike were devastated by the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan to pay for the distribution of food. He banked the money in Pharaoh's palace. When the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians came to Joseph. "Food! Give us food! Are you going to watch us die right in front of you? The money is all gone."
 ^16-17 Joseph said, "Bring your livestock. I'll trade you food for livestock since your money's run out." So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.
 ^18-19 When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, "Master, it's no secret to you that we're broke: our money's gone and we've traded you all our livestock. We've nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We'll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive."
 ^20-21 So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land—the famine was that bad. That's how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other.
 ²² Joseph made an exception for the priests. He didn't buy their land because they received a fixed salary from Pharaoh and were able to live off of that salary. So they didn't need to sell their land.
 ^23-24 Joseph then announced to the people: "Here's how things stand: I've bought you and your land for Pharaoh. In exchange I'm giving you seed so you can plant the ground. When the crops are harvested, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and keep four-fifths for yourselves, for seed for yourselves and your families—you're going to be able to feed your children!"
 ²⁵ They said, "You've saved our lives! Master, we're grateful and glad to be slaves to Pharaoh."
 ²⁶ Joseph decreed a land law in Egypt that is still in effect, A Fifth Goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests' lands were not owned by Pharaoh.

^27-28 And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people. Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years. In all, he lived 147 years.
 ^29-30 When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, "Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you're loyal and true to me to the end. Don't bury me in Egypt. When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them."
   "I will," he said. "I'll do what you've asked."
 ³¹ Israel said, "Promise me." Joseph promised.
   Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed.

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Matthew 15:1-28 (The Message)

Matthew 15

What Pollutes Your Life

 ^1-2 After that, Pharisees and religion scholars came to Jesus all the way from Jerusalem, criticizing, "Why do your disciples play fast and loose with the rules?"

 ^3-9But Jesus put it right back on them. "Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with God's commands? God clearly says, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.' But you weasel around that by saying, 'Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I've given to God.' That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God's command by your rules. Frauds! Isaiah's prophecy of you hit the bull's-eye:

   These people make a big show of saying the right thing,
      but their heart isn't in it.
   They act like they're worshiping me,
      but they don't mean it.
   They just use me as a cover
      for teaching whatever suits their fancy."

 ^10-11He then called the crowd together and said, "Listen, and take this to heart. It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up."

 ¹²Later his disciples came and told him, "Did you know how upset the Pharisees were when they heard what you said?"

 ^13-14Jesus shrugged it off. "Every tree that wasn't planted by my Father in heaven will be pulled up by its roots. Forget them. They are blind men leading blind men. When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch."

 ¹⁵Peter said, "I don't get it. Put it in plain language."

 ^16-20Jesus replied, "You, too? Are you being willfully stupid? Don't you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. That's what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands—that's neither here nor there."

Healing the People

 ^21-22From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, "Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit."

 ²³Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, "Now she's bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She's driving us crazy."

 ²⁴Jesus refused, telling them, "I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel."

 ²⁵Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. "Master, help me."

 ²⁶He said, "It's not right to take bread out of children's mouths and throw it to dogs."

 ²⁷She was quick: "You're right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master's table."

 ²⁸Jesus gave in. "Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!" Right then her daughter became well.

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Psalm 19:1-14 (The Message)

Psalm 19

A David Psalm

 ^1-2 God's glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
   Madame Day holds classes every morning,
      Professor Night lectures each evening.

 ^3-4 Their words aren't heard,
      their voices aren't recorded,
   But their silence fills the earth:
      unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

 ^4-5 God makes a huge dome
      for the sun—a superdome!
   The morning sun's a new husband
      leaping from his honeymoon bed,
   The daybreaking sun an athlete
      racing to the tape.

 ⁶ That's how God's Word vaults across the skies
      from sunrise to sunset,
   Melting ice, scorching deserts,
      warming hearts to faith.

 ^7-9 The revelation of God is whole
      and pulls our lives together.
   The signposts of God are clear
      and point out the right road.
   The life-maps of God are right,
      showing the way to joy.
   The directions of God are plain
      and easy on the eyes.
   God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
      with a lifetime guarantee.
   The decisions of God are accurate
      down to the nth degree.

 ¹⁰ God's Word is better than a diamond,
      better than a diamond set between emeralds.
   You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,
      better than red, ripe strawberries.

 ^11-14 There's more: God's Word warns us of danger
      and directs us to hidden treasure.
   Otherwise how will we find our way?
      Or know when we play the fool?
   Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
      Keep me from stupid sins,
      from thinking I can take over your work;
   Then I can start this day sun-washed,
      scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
   These are the words in my mouth;
      these are what I chew on and pray.
   Accept them when I place them
      on the morning altar,
   O God, my Altar-Rock,
      God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

 

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Proverbs 4:14-19 (The Message)

 ^10-15 Dear friend, take my advice;
   it will add years to your life.
I'm writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way,
   I'm drawing a map to Righteous Road.
I don't want you ending up in blind alleys,
   or wasting time making wrong turns.
Hold tight to good advice; don't relax your grip.
   Guard it well—your life is at stake!
Don't take Wicked Bypass;
   don't so much as set foot on that road.
Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth.
   Make a detour and be on your way.

 ^16-17 Evil people are restless
   unless they're making trouble;
They can't get a good night's sleep
   unless they've made life miserable for somebody.
Perversity is their food and drink,
   violence their drug of choice.

 ^18-19 The ways of right-living people glow with light;
   the longer they live, the brighter they shine.
But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker—
   travelers can't see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.

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Verse of the Day

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking.” - James 1:5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Canadian educator and "hierarchiologist", best known to the general public for the formulation of the Peter Principle, Laurence J. Peter wrote, “Expert: a man who makes three correct guesses consecutively.”