My Daily Scripture

Daily Bible Reading for Saturday, 26 May 2007

2007-05-26T10:05:00.000+07:00

Jesus and the Other Disciple

Peter turned around and saw behind him that other disciple, whom Jesus loved -- the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the meal and had asked, "Lord, who is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

Jesus answered him, "If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!"

So a report spread among the followers of Jesus that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die; he said, "If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you?"

He is the disciple who spoke of these things, the one who also wrote them down; and we know that what he said is true.

Conclusion

Now, there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written.

- John 201:20-25

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Daily Bible Reading for Friday, 25 May 2007

2007-05-25T08:22:00.000+07:00

Jesus and Peter

After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?"

"Yes, Lord," he answered, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Take care of my lambs." A second time Jesus said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

"Yes, Lord," he answered, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, Take care of my sheep." A third time Jesus said, Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" and so he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!"

Jesus said to him, "Take care of my sheep. I am telling you the truth: when you were young, you used to get ready and go anywhere you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and take you where you don't want to go." (In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.) Then Jesus said to him, "Follow me!"

- John 21:15-19

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Daily Bible Reading for Wednesday, 23 May 2007

2007-05-23T06:49:00.000+07:00

Paul's Fare Speech to the Elders of Ephesus

"So keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock which the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he made his own through the blood of his Son. I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them. Watch, then, and remember that with many tears, day and night, I taught every one of you for three years.

"And now I commend you to the care of God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the blessings God has for all his people. I have not wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that I have worked with these hands of mine to provide everything that my companions and I have needed. I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, 'There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.'"

When Paul finished, he knelt down with them and prayed. They were all crying as they hugged him and kissed him good-bye. They were especially sad because he had said that they would never see him again. And so they went with him to the ship.

- Acts 20:28-38

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 6 March 2007

2007-03-07T06:58:00.000+07:00

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and spoke to them privately, as they walked along. "Listen," he told them, "we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life."

A Mother's Request

Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, bowed before him, and asked him for a favor.

"What do you want?" Jesus asked her.

She answered, "Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King."

"You don't know what you are asking for," Jesus answered the sons. "Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?"

"We can," they answered.

"You will indeed drink from my cup," Jesus told them, "but I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them."

When the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. So Jesus called them all together and said, "You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the salve of the others -- like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people."

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 5 March 2007

2007-03-05T08:24:00.000+07:00

Judging Others

Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.

Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands -- all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.

- Luke 6:36-38

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 27 February 2007

2007-02-27T07:27:00.001+07:00

Teaching about Prayer

"When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

'Our Father in heaven:
May your holy name be honored;
may your kingdom come;
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need.
Forgive us the wrongs we have done.
as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing,
but keep us safe from the Evil One.

"If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done."

- Matthew 6:7-15

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 26 February 2007

2007-02-26T07:15:00.000+07:00

Laws of Holiness and Justice

The Lord told Moses to say to the community of Israel, "Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

"Do not steal or cheat or lie. Do not make a promise in my name if you do not intend to keep it; that brings disgrace on my name. I am the Lord your God.

"Do not rob or take advantage of anyone. Do not hold back the wages of someone you have hired, not even for one night. Do not curse the deaf or put something in front of the blind so as to make them stumble over it. Obey me; I am the Lord your God.

"Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases; do not show favoritism to the poor or fear the rich. Do not spread lies about anyone, and when someone is on trial for his life, speak out if your testimony can help him. I am the Lord.

"Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them. Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord."

- Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T08:07:00.000+07:00

The Temptation of Jesus

Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.

The Devil said to him, "If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn into bread."

But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Human beings cannot live on bread alone.'"

Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. "I will give you all the power and all this wealth," the Devil told him." It has been all handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me."

Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!'"

Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here. For the scripture says, 'God will order his angels to take good care of you.' It also says, 'They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.'"

But Jesus answered, "The Scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while.

- Luke 4:1-13

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 24 February 2007

2007-02-24T07:37:00.000+07:00

"When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

"If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses."

The Reward for Keeping the Sabbath.

The Lord says, "If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly on that day, then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honored all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken."

- Isaiah 58:9-14

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 23 February 2007

2007-02-23T07:15:00.000+07:00

True Fasting

The Lord says, "Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins! They worship me everyday, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me."

The people ask, "Why should we fast if the Lord never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?"

The Lord says to them, "The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that?

"The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes tho those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

"Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond."

- Isaiah 58:1-9

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 22 February 2007

2007-02-22T06:16:00.000+07:00

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus went to the territory near the town of Caesarea Philippie, where he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

"Some say John the Baptist," they answered. "others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet."

"What about you?" he asked them. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

"Good for you, Simon son of John!" answered Jesus. "For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven. And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."

- Matthew 16:13-19

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 21 February 2007

2007-02-21T08:19:00.000+07:00

Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. Hear what God says:

"When the time came for me to show you favor,
I heard you;
When the day arrived for me to save you,
I helped you."

Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!

- 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 20 February 2007

2007-02-20T08:17:00.000+07:00

Jesus Speaks Again About His Death

Jesus and his disciples left that place and went on through Galilee, Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples: "The Son of Man will be handed over to those who will kill him. Three days later, however, he will rise to life."

But they did not understand what this teaching meant, and they were afraid to ask him.

Who is the Greatest?

They came to Capernaum, and after going indoors Jesus asked his disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?"

But they would not answer him, because on the road they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all." Then he took a child and had him stand in front of them. He put his arms around him and said to them, "Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me."

- Mark 9:30-37

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 19 February 2007

2007-02-19T06:46:00.001+07:00

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit

When they joined the rest of the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some teachers of the law arguing with them. When the people saw Jesus, they were greatly surprised, and ran to him and greeted him. Jesus asked the disciples, "What are you arguing with them about?"

A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, because he has an evil spirit in him and cannot talk. Whenever the spirit attacks him, it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grits his teeth, and becomes stiff all over. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they could not."

Jesus said to them, "How unbelieving you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me!" They brought him to Jesus.

As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit, so that he fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. How long has he been like this?" Jesus asked the father.

"Ever since he was a child," he replied. "Many times the evil spirit has tried to kill him by throwing him in the fire and into water. Have pity on us and help us, if you possibly can!"

"Yes," said Jesus, "if you yourself can! Everything is possible for the person who has faith."

The father at once cried out, "I do have faith, but not enough. Help me have more!"

Jesus noticed that the crowd was closing in on them, so he gave a command to the evil spirit. "Deaf and dumb spirit," he said, "I order you to come out of the boy and never go into him again!"

The spirit screamed, threw the boy into a bad fit, and came out. The boy looked like a corpse, and everyone said, "He is dead!" But Jesus took the boy by the hand and helped him rise, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive the spirit out?"

"Only prayer can drive this kind out," answered Jesus; "nothing else can."

- Mark 9:14-29

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 18 February 2007

2007-02-18T08:47:00.001+07:00

Love for Enemies

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back. Do for others just what you want them to do for you.

"If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that! And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount! NO! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful just as your father is merciful.

Judging Others

"Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you. Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands -- all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you."

- Luke 6:27-38

Sunday, 18 February

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 17 February 2007

2007-02-17T09:09:00.000+07:00

The Transfiguration

Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and JOhn, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus, and his clothes became shining white -- whiter than anyone in the world could wash them. Then the three disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, "Teacher, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He and the others were so frightened that he did not know what to say.

Then a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my own dear Son -- listen to him!" They took a quick look around but did not see anyone else; only Jesus was with them.

As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has risen from death."

They obeyed his order, but among themselves they started discussing the matter, "What does this 'rising from death' mean?" And they asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the Law say Elijah has to come first?"

His answer was, "Elijah is indeed coming first in order to get everything ready. Yet why do the scriptures say that the Son of Man will suffer much and be rejected? I tell you, however, that Elijah has already come and that people treated him just as they pleased, as the Scriptures say about him."

- Mark 9:2-13

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 16 February 2007

2007-02-16T07:46:00.000+07:00

Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him. "If any of you want to come with me," he told them, "you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for me and for the gospel, you will save it. Do you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! There is nothing you can give to regain your life. If you are ashamed of me and of my teaching in this godless and wicked day, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

And he went on to say, "I tell you, there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power."

- Mark 8:34-9:1

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 15 February 2007

2007-02-15T08:09:00.000+07:00

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Then Jesus and his disciples went away to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Tell me, who do people say I am?"

"Some say that you are John the Baptist," they answered; "others say that you are Elijah, while others say that you are one of the prophets."

"What about you?" he asked them. "Who do you say I am?"

Peter answered, "You are the Messiah."

Then Jesus ordered them, "Do not tell anyone about me."

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: "The Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief of priests, and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death, but three days later he will rise to life." He made this very clear to them. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But Jesus turned around, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter. "Get away from me, Satan," he said. "Your thoughts don't come from God but from human nature!"

- Mark 8:27-33

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 14 February 2007

2007-02-14T08:06:00.000+07:00

The End of the Flood

After forty days Noah opened a window and sent out a raven. It did not come back, but kept flying around until the water was completely gone. Meanwhile, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had gone down, but since the water still covered all the land, the dove did not find a place to light. It flew back to the boat, and Noah reached out and took it in. He waited another seven days and sent out the dove again. It returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water had gone down. Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove once more; this time it did not come back.

When Noah was 601 years old, on the first day of the first month, the water was gone. Noah removed the covering of the boat, looked around, and saw that the ground was getting dry.

Noah Offers a Sacrifice

Noah built an altar to the Lord; he took one of each kind of ritually clean animal and bird, and burned them whole as a sacrifice on the altar. The odor of the sacrifice pleased the Lord, and he said to himself, "Never again will I put the earth under a curse because of what people do; I know that from the time they are young their thoughts are evil. Never again will I destroy all living beings, as I have done this time. As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.

- Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 13 February 2007

2007-02-13T07:52:00.001+07:00

The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

The disciples had forgotten to bring enough bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. "Take care," Jesus warned them, "and be on your guard against the yeast of the pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

They started discussing among themselves: "He says this because we don't have any bread."

Jesus knew what they were saying, so he asked them, "Why are you discussing about not having any bread? Don't you know or understand yet? Are your minds so dull? You have eyes -- can't you see? You have ears -- can't you hear? Don't you remember when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand people? How many baskets full of leftover places did you take up?"

"Twelve," they answered.

"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand people,"asked Jesus, "how many baskets full of left-over pieces did you take up?"

"Seven," they answered.

"And you still don't understand?" he asked them.

- Mark 8:14-21

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 12 February 2007

2007-02-12T07:26:00.000+07:00

The Pharisees Ask for a Miracle

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and started to argue with him. They wanted to trap him, so they asked him to perform a miracle to show that God approved of him. But Jesus gave a deep groan and said, "Why do the people of this day ask for a miracle? No, I tell you! No such proof will be given to these people!" He left them, got back into the boat and started across to the other side of the lake.

- Mark 8:11-13

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 11 February 2007

2007-02-11T09:44:00.000+07:00

Our Resurrection

Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.

But the truth is that Christ had been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.

- 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 10 February 2007

2007-02-10T08:22:00.000+07:00

That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?"

He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked."

"Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?"

The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it."

The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?"

She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it."

God pronounces Judgment

Then the Lord God said to the snake, "you will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."

And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him."

And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again."

Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all human beings. And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them.

Adam and eve Are Sent Out of the Garden

Then the Lord God said, "Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad. They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever." So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden and made them cultivate the soil from which they had been formed. Then at the east side of the garden he put living creatures and a flaming sword which turned in all directions. This was to keep anyone from coming near the tree that gives life.

- Genesis 3:9-24

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 9 February 2007

2007-02-09T07:18:00.000+07:00

Human Disobedience

Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"

"We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die."

The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad."

The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband and he also ate it. As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves.

That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees.

- Genesis 3:1-8

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 8 February 2007

2007-02-08T09:26:00.000+07:00

A Woman's Faith

Then Jesus left and went away to the territory near the city of Tyre. He went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not stay hidden. A woman, whose daughter had an evil spirit in her, heard about Jesus and came to him at once and fell at his feet. The woman was a Gentile, born in the region of Phoenicia in Syria. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus answered, "Let us first feed the children. It isn't right to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."

"Sir," she answered, "even the dogs under the table eat the children's leftovers!"

So Jesus said to her, "Because of that answer, go back home, where you will find that the demon has gone out of your daughter!"

She went home and found her child lying on the bed; the demon had indeed gone out of her.

- Mark 7:24-30

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 7 February 2007

2007-02-07T07:36:00.000+07:00

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

Then Jesus called the crowd to him once more and said to them, "Listen to me all of you, and understand. There is nothing that goes into you from the outside which can make you ritually unclean. Rather, it is what comes out of you that makes you unclean."

When he left the crowd and went into the house, his disciples asked him to explain this saying. "You are no more intelligent than the others," Jesus said to them. "Don't you understand? Nothing that goes into you from the outside can really make you unclean, because it does not go into your heart but into your stomach and then goes on out of the body." (In saying this, Jesus declared that all foods are fit to be eaten.)

And he went on to say, "It is what comes out of you that makes you unclean. For from the inside, from your heart, come the evil ideas which lead you to do immoral things, to rob, kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride, and folly -- all these evil things come from inside you and make you unclean.

- Mark 7:14-23

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 6 February 2007

2007-02-06T06:36:00.000+07:00

The Teaching of the Ancestors

Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their food with hands that were ritually unclean -- that is, they had not washed them in the way the Pharisees said people should.

(For the Pharisees, as well as the rest of the Jews, follow the teaching they received from their ancestors: they do not eat unless they wash their hands in the proper way; nor do they eat anything that comes from the market unless they wash it first. And they follow many other rules which they have received, such as the proper way to wash cups, pots, copper bowls, and beds.)

So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, "Why is it that your disciples do not follow the teaching handed down by our ancestors, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?"

Jesus answered them, "How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you! You are hypocrites, just as he wrote:

'Those people, says God, honor me with their words,
but their heart is really far away from me.
It is no use for them to worship me,
because they teach human rules
as though they were my laws!'

"You put aside God's command and obey human teachings."

And Jesus continued, "You have a clever way of rejecting God's law in order to uphold your own teaching. For Moses commanded, 'Respect your father and your mother,' and, 'If you curse your father or your mother, you are to be put to death.' But you teach that if people have something they could use to help their father or mother, but say, "This is Corban' (which means, it belongs to God), they are excused from helping their father or mother. In this way the teaching you pass on to others cancels out the word of God. And there are many other things like this that you do."

- Mark 7:1-13

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 5 February 2007

2007-02-05T07:14:00.000+07:00

The Story of Creation

In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. Then God commanded, "Let there be light" -- and light appeared. God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came -- that was the first day.

Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" -- and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came -- that was the second day.

Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" -- and it was done. He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" -- and it was done. So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. Evening passed and morning came -- that was the third day.

Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" -- and it was done. So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. Evening passed and morning came -- that was the fourth day.

- Genesis 1:1-19

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 4 February 2007

2007-02-04T07:44:00.000+07:00

The Resurrection of Christ

And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it -- unless it was for nothing that you believed.

I passed on to you what I received which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles.

Last of all he appeared also to me -- even though I am like someone whose faith was abnormal. For I am the least of all the apostles -- I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church. But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace the he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God's grace working with me. So then, whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach, and this is what you believe.

- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 3 February 2007

2007-02-03T09:02:00.000+07:00

Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.

Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.

Closing Prayer

God has raised from death our Lord Jesus, who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep as the result of his blood, by which the eternal covenant is sealed. May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will, and may he, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases him. And to Christ be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

- Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 2 February 2007

2007-02-02T08:58:00.000+07:00

Jesus is Presented in the Temple

The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: "Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord." They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.

At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah. Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required, Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

"Now, Lord, you have kept your promise,
and you may let your servant go in peace.
With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles
and bring glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, "This child is chosen by God for the destruction and salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart."

There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying. That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

The Return to Nazareth

When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

- Luke 2:22-40

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 1 February 2007

2007-02-01T07:47:00.000+07:00

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples

Then Jesus went to the villages around there, teaching the people. He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits and ordered them, "Don't take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick -- no bread, no beggar's bag, no money in your pockets. Wear sandals, but don't carry an extra shirt." He also told them, "Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place. If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!"

So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. They drove out many demons, and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 31 January 2007

2007-01-31T07:45:00.000+07:00

For in your struggle against sin you have not yet had to resist to the point of being killed. Have you forgotten the encouraging words which God speaks to you as his children?

"My child, pay attention when the Lord corrects you,
and do not be discouraged when he rebukes you.
Because the Lord corrects everyone he loves,
and punishes everyone he accepts as a child."

Endure what you suffer as being a father's punishment; your suffering shows that God is treating you as his children. Was there ever a child who was not punished by his father?

When we are punished, it seems to us at the time something to make us sad, not glad. Later, however, those who have been disciplined by such punishment reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life.

Instructions and Warnings

Lift up your tired hands, then, and strengthen your trembling knees! Keep walking on straight paths, so that the lame foot may not be disabled, but instead be healed.

Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison.

- Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15

Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 30 January 2007

2007-01-30T08:47:00.000+07:00

God Our Father

As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne.

Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up. For in your struggle against sin you have not yet had to resist to the point of being killed.

- Hebrews 12:1-4

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 29 January 2007

2007-01-29T09:31:00.001+07:00

Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephtah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. Through faith women received their dead relatives back to life.

Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of shepp or goats -- poor, persecuted, and mistreated. The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.

What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised, because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.

- Hebrews 11:32-40

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 26 January 2007

2007-01-26T09:04:00.000+07:00

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, sent to proclaim the promised life which we have in union with Christ Jesus --

To Timothy, my dear son:

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

Thanksgiving and Encouragement

I give thanks to God, whom I serve with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did. I thank him as I remember you always in my prayers night and day. I remember your tears, and I want to see you very much, so that I may be filled with joy. I remember the sincere faith you have, the kind of faith that your grandmother Lois and your Mother Eunice also had. I am sure that you have it also. For this reason I remind you to keep alive the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For the Spirit that god has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.

Do not be ashamed, then, of witnessing for our Lord; neither be ashamed of me, a prisoner for Christ's sake. Instead, take your part in suffering for the Good News, as God gives you the strength for it.

- 2 Timothy 1:1-8

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 25 January 2006

2007-01-25T07:56:00.000+07:00

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as are all of you who are here today. I persecuted to the death the people who followed this Way. I arrested men and women and threw them into prison. The High Priest sand the whole Council can prove that I am telling the truth. I received from them letters written to fellow Jews in Damascus, so I went there to arrest these people and bring them back in chains to Jerusalem to be punished.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

"As I was traveling and coming near Damascus, about midday a bright light from the sky flashed suddenly around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute,' he said to me. The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me. I asked, 'What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that God has determined for you to do.' I was blind because of the bright light, and so my companions took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.

"In that city was a man named Ananias, a religious man who obeyed our Law and was highly respected by all the Jews living there. He came to me, stood by me, and said, 'Brother Saul, see again!' At that very moment I saw again and looked at him. He said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see his righteous Servant, and to hear him speaking with his own voice. For you will be a witness for him to tell everyone what you have seen and heard. And now, why wait any longer? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by praying to him.'"

- Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22

He said to them, "Go throughout the whole world and preach the Gospel to all people. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Believers will be given the power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in my name; they will speak in strange tongues; if they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be harmed; they will place their hands on sick people, and these will get well."

- Mark 16:15-18

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 24 January 2006

2007-01-24T07:44:00.000+07:00

The Parable of the Sower

Again Jesus began to teach beside Lake Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was out in the water, and the crowd stood on the shore at the water's edge. He used parables to teach them many things, saying to them:

"Listen! Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep. Then, when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants, and they didn't bear grain. But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants sprouted, grew, and bore grain; some had thirty grains, others sixty, and others one hundred."

And Jesus concluded, "Listen, then, if you have ears!"

The Purpose of the Parables

When Jesus was alone, some of those who had heard him came to him with the twelve disciples and asked him to explain the parables. "you have been given the secret of the Kingdom of God," Jesus answered. "But the others, who are on the outside, hear all things by means of parables, so that,

"'They may look and look, yet not see;
they may listen and listen, yet not understand.
For if they did, they would turn to God,
and he would forgive them.'"

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Then Jesus asked them, "Don't you understand this parable? How, then, will you ever understand any parable? The sower sows God's message. Some people are like the seeds that fall along the path; as soon as they hear the message, Satan comes and takes it away. Other people are like the seeds that fall on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the message, they receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. Other people are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the ones who hear the message, but the worries about this life, the love for riches, and all other kinds of desires crowd in and choke the message, and they don't bear fruit. But other people are like seeds sown in good soil. They hear the message, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred."

- Mark 4:1-20

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 23 January 2006

2007-01-23T08:22:00.000+07:00

The Jewish Law is not a full and faithful model of the real things; it is only a faint outline of the good things to come. The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God? If the people worshiping God had really been purified from their sins, they would not feel guilty of sin any more, and all sacrifices would stop. As it is, however, the sacrifices serve year after year to remind people of their sins. For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins.

For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God:

"You do not want sacrifices and offerings,
but you have prepared a body for me.
You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar
or with sacrifices to take away sins.
Then I said, 'Here I am, to do your will, O God,
just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.'"

First he said, "You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins." He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law. Then he said, "Here I am, O God, to do your will." So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place. Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.

- Hebrews 10:1-10

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside the house and sent in a message, asking for him. A crowd was sitting around Jesus, and they said to him, "Look, your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, and they want you."

Jesus answered, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" He looked at the people sitting around him and said, "Look! Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does what God wants is my brother, my sister, my mother."

- Mark 3:31-35

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 22 January 2006

2007-01-22T07:29:00.001+07:00

Jesus and Beelzebul

Some teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem were saying, "He has Beelzebul in him! It is the chief of the demons who gives him the power to drive them out."

So Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a country divides itself into groups which fight each other, that country will fall apart. If a family divides itself into groups which fight each other, that family will fall apart. So if Satan's kingdom divides into groups, it cannot last, but will fall apart and come to an end.

"No one can break into a strong man's house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house.

"I assure you that people can be forgiven all their sins and all the evil things they may say. But whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, because he has committed an eternal sin." (Jesus said this because some people were saying, "He has an evil spirit in him.")

- Mark 3:22-30

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 21 January 2006

2007-01-21T09:08:00.000+07:00

God the Supreme King

The Lord is king, and the people tremble. He sits on his throne above the winged creatures, and the earth shakes. The Lord is mighty in Zion; he is supreme over all the nations. Everyone will praise his great and majestic name. Holy is he!

Mighty king, you love what is right; you have established justice in Israel; you have brought righteousness and fairness. Praise the Lord our God; worship before his throne! Holy is he!

Moses and Aaron were his priests and Samuel was one who prayed to him; they called to the Lord, and he answered them.

- Psalms 98:1-6

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.

Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children -- this was his pleasure and purpose. Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son!

- Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 20 January 2006

2007-01-20T09:15:00.000+07:00

A tent was put up, the outer one, which was called the Holy Place. In it were the lampstand and the table with the bread offered to God. Behind the second curtain was the tent called the Most Holy Place.

But Christ has already come as the High Priest of the good things that are already here. The tent in which he serves is greater and more perfect; it is not a tent made by human hands, that is, it is not a part of this created world.

When Christ went through the tent and entered once and for all into the Most Holy Place, he did not take the blood of goats and bulls to offer as a sacrifice; rather, he took his own blood and obtained eternal salvation for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and this purifies them by taking away their ritual impurity. Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify our consciences from useless rituals, so that we may serve the living God.

- Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14

The Lord, the Most High is to be feared; he is a great king, ruling over all the world. He gave us victory over the peoples; he made us rule over the nations.

Sing praise to God; sing praise to our king! God is king over all the world; praise him with songs!

God sits on his sacred throne; he rules over the nations. The rulers of the nations assemble with the people of the God of Abraham. More powerful than all armies is he; he rules supreme.

- Psalms 47:2-3, 6-9

Then Jesus went home. Again such a large crowd gathered that Jesus and his disciples had no time to eat. When his family heard about it, they set out to take charge of him, because people were saying, "He's gone mad!"

- Mark 3:20-21

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 19 January 2007

2007-01-19T08:08:00.000+07:00

But now, Jesus has been given priestly work which is superior to theirs, just as the covenant which he arranged between God and his people is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.

If there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, there would have been no need for a second one. But God finds fault with his people when he says,

"The days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt.
They were not faithful to the covenant I made with them,
and so I paid no attention to them.
Now, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel
in the days to come, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
None of them will have to teach their friends
or tell their neighbors, 'Know the Lord.'
For they will all follow me,
from the least to the greatest.
I will forgive their sins
and will no longer remember their wrongs."

By speaking of a new covenant, God has made the first one old; and anything that becomes old and worn out will soon disappear.

- Hebrews 8:6-13

I am listening to what the Lord God is saying; he promises peace to us, his own people, if we do not go back to our foolish ways.

Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace. Human loyalty will reach up from the earth, and God's righteousness will look down from heaven. The Lord will make us prosperous, and our land will produce rich harvests. Righteousness will go before the Lord and prepare the path for him.

- Psalms 85:8, 10-13

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

Then Jesus went up a hill and called to himself the men he wanted. They came to him, and he chose twelve, whom he named apostles. "I have chosen you to be with me," he told them. "I will also send you out to preach, and you will have authority to drive out demons."

These are the twelve he chose: Simon (Jesus gave him the name Peter); James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee (Jesus gave them the name Boanerges, which means "Men of Thunder"); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Patriot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

- Mark 3:13-19

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 18 January 2007

2007-01-18T08:18:00.000+07:00

Jesus Our High Priest

And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him, because he lives forever to plead with God for them.

Jesus, then, is the High Priest that meets our needs. He is holy; he has no fault or sin in him; he has been set apart from sinners and raised above the heavens. He is not like the other high priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day for his own sins first and then for the sins of the people. He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself. The Law of Moses appoints men who are imperfect to be high priests; but God's promise made with the vow, which came later than the Law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

The whole point of what we are saying is that we have such a High Priest, who sits at the right of the throne of the Divine Majesty in heaven. He serves as high priest in the Most Holy Place, that is, in the real tent which was put up by the Lord, not by human hands.

Every high priest is appointed to present offerings and animal sacrifices to God, and so our High Priest must also have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer the gifts required by the Jewish Law. The work they do as priests is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. It is the same as it was with Moses. When he was about to build the Sacred Tent, God told him, "Be sure to make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain." But now, Jesus has been given priestly work which is superior to theirs, just as the covenant which he arranged between God and his people is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.

- Hebrews 7:25-8:6

Listen, my people, and I will speak: I will testify against you, Israel. I am God, your God. I do not reprimand you because of your sacrifices and the burnt offerings you always bring me. And yet I do not need bulls from your farms or goats from your flocks; all the animals in the forest are mine and the cattle on thousands of hills.

You refuse to let me correct you; you reject my commands.

- Psalms 50:7-10, 17

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 17 January 2007

2007-01-17T07:18:00.000+07:00

The Priest Melchizedek

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. As Abraham was coming back from the battle in which he defeated the four kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him, and Abraham gave him one tenth of all he had taken. (The first meaning of Melchizedek's name is "King of Righteousness"; and because he was king of Salem, his name also means "King of Peace.") There is no record of Melchizedek's father or mother or any of his ancestors; no record of his birth or his death. He is like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever.

The matter becomes even plainer; a different priest has appeared, who is like Melchizedek. He was made a priest, not by human rules and regulations, but through the power of a life which has no end. For the scripture says, "You will be a priest forever in the priestly order of Melchizedek."

- Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17

The Lord and His Chosen King

The Lord said to my lord, "Sit here at my right side until I put your enemies under your feet." From Zion the Lord will extend your royal power. "Rule over your enemies," he says. On the day you fight your enemies, your people will volunteer. Like the dew of early morning your young men will come to you on sacred hills.

The Lord made a solemn promise and will not take it back: "You will be a priest forever in the priestly order of Melchizedek."

- Psalms 110:1-4

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 16 January 2007

2007-01-16T07:20:00.000+07:00

- Hebrews 6:10-20

God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to other Christians. Our great desire is that each of you keep up your eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true. We do not want you to become lazy, but to be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised.

God's sure promise

When God made his promise to Abraham, he made a vow to do what he had promised. Since there was no one greater than himself, he used his own name when he made his vow. He said, "I promise you that I will bless you and give you many descendants." Abraham was patient, and so he received what God had promised. When we make a vow, we use the name of someone greater than ourselves, and the vow settles all arguments. To those who were to receive what he promised, God wanted to make it very clear that he would never change his purpose; so he added his vow to the promise. There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie. So we who have found safety with him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us. We have this hope as an anchor for our lives. It is safe and sure, and goes through the curtain of the heavenly temple into the inner sanctuary. On our behalf Jesus has gone in there before us and has become a high priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.

- Psalms 111:1-5, 9-10c

The Question about the Sabbath

Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. As his disciples walked along with him, they began to pick the heads of wheat. So the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do that on the Sabbath!"

Jesus answered, "Have you never read what David did that time when he needed something to eat? He and his men were hungry, so he went into the house of God and ate the bread offered to God. This happened when Abiathar was the High Priest. According to our law only the priests may eat this bread -- but David ate it and even gave it to his men."

And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

- Mark 2:23-28 *

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 15 January 2007

2007-01-15T06:00:00.000+07:00

Jesus the Great High Priest

Every high priest is chosen from his fellow-men and appointed to serve God on their behalf, to offer sacrifices and offerings for sins. Since he himself is weak in many ways, he is able to be gentle with those who are ignorant and make mistakes. And because he is himself weak, he must offer sacrifices not only for the sins of the people but also for his own sins. No one chooses for himself the honor of being a high priest. It is only by God's call that a man is made a high priest - just as Aaron was.

In the same way, Christ did not take upon himself the honor of being a high priest. Instead, God said to him,

"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father."

He also said in another place,

"You will be a priest forever,
in the priestly order of Melchizedek."

In his life on earth Jesus made his prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save him from death. Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him. But even though he was God's Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient. When he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him, and God declared him to be high priest in the priestly order of Melchizedek.

- Hebrews 5:1-10

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 14 January 2007

2007-01-14T11:02:00.000+07:00

God Will Rescue Jerusalem

Jerusalem, be strong and great again!
Holy city of God, clothe yourself with splendor!
The heathen will never enter your gates again.
Shake yourself free, Jerusalem!
Rise from the dust and sit on your throne!
Undo the chains that bind you, captive people of Zion!

The Sovereign Lord says to his people, "When you became slaves, no money was paid for you; in the same way nothing will be paid to set you free. When you went to live in Egypt as foreigners, you did so of your own free will; Assyria, however, took you away by force and paid nothing for you. And now in Babylonia the same thing has happened; you are captives, and nothing was paid for you. Those who rule over you boast and brag and constantly show contempt for me."

- Isaiah 52:1-5

God the Supreme King

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord, all the world!
Sing to the Lord and praise him!
Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.
Proclaim his glory to the nations.

Praise the Lord, all people on earth;
praise his glory and might.
Praise the Lord's glorious name;
bring an offering and come into his Temple.
Bow down before the Holy one when he appears;
tremble before him, all the earth!

- Psalms 96:1-3, 7-10

Christ Our Helper

I am writing this to you, my children, so that you will not sin: but if anyone does sin, we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf -- Jesus Christ, the righteous one. And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.

If we obey God's commands, then are sure that we know him. If we say that we know him, but do not obey his commands, we are liars and there is no truth in us. But if we obey his word, we are the ones whose love for God has really been made perfect. This is how we can be sure that we are in union with God. If we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Christ did.

The New Command

My dear friends, this command I am writing you is not new; it is the old command, the one you have had from the very beginning. The old command is the message you have already heard. However, the command I now write you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ an also in you. For the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining.

If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour. If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us that will cause someone else to sin. But if we hate others, we are in the darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind.

- John 2:1-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 13 January 2007

2007-01-13T08:40:00.000+07:00

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. There is nothing that can be hid from God; everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before his eyes. And it is to him that we must all give an account of ourselves.

Jesus the Great High Priest

Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we professs. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God -- Jesus, the son of God. Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.

- Hebrews 4:12-16

The Law of the Lord

The laws of the Lord are right,
and those who obey them are happy.
The commands of the Lord are just
and give understanding to the mind.
Reverence for the Lord is good;
it will continue forever.
The judgments of the Lord are just;
they are always fair.
They are more desirable than the finest gold;
they are sweeter than the purest honey.

- Psalms 19:8-10

Jesus Calls Levi

Jesus went back again to the shore of Lake Galilee. A crowd came to him, and he started teaching them. As he walked along, he saw a tax collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him.

Later on Jesus was having a meal in Levi's house. A large number of tax collectors and other outcasts was following Jesus, and many of them joined him and his disciples at the table. Some teachers of the Law, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with these outcasts and tax collectors, so they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such people?"

Jesus heard them and answered, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts."

- Mark 2:13-17

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 12 January 2007

2007-01-12T06:03:00.000+07:00

Now, God has offered us the promise that we may receive that rest he spoke about. Let us take care, then, that none of you will be found to have failed to receive that promised rest. For we have heard the Good News, just as they did. They heard the message, but it did them no good, because when they heard it, they did not accept it with faith. We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said,

"I was angry and made a solemn promise:
'They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!'"

He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world. For somewhere in the Scriptures this is said about the seventh day: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work." This same matter is spoken of again: "They will never enter that land where I would have given them rest."

Let us, then, do our best to receive that rest, so that no one of us will fail as they did because of their lack of faith.

- Hebrews 4:1-5, 11

...things we have heard and known,
things that our ancestors told us.
We will not keep them from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the Lord's power and his great deeds
and the wonderful things he has done.

...so that the next generagion might learn them
and in turn should tell their children.
In this way they also will put their trust in God
and not forget what he has done,
but always obey his commandments.
They will not be like their ancestors,
a rebellious and disobedient people,
whose trust in God was never firm
and who did not remain faithful to him.

- Psalms 78:3, 4, 6c-8

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home. So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat. Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven."

Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves, "How does he dare talk like this? This is blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!"

At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, "Why do you think such things? Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'? I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!"

While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

- Mark 2:1-12

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 11 January 2007

2007-01-11T05:30:00.000+07:00

A Rest for God's People

So then, as the Holy Spirit says,

"If you hear God's voice today,
do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God,
as they were that day in the desert when they put him to the test.
There they put me to the test and tried me, says God,
although they had seen what I did for forty years.
And so I was angry with those people and said,
"They are always disloyal and refuse to obey my commands.'
I was angry and made a solemn promise:
They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!'"

My friends, be careful that none of you have a heart so evil and unbelieving that you will turn away from the living God. Instead, in order that none of you be deceived by sin and become stubborn, you must help one another everyday, as long as the word "Today" in the scripture applies to us. For we are all partners with Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at the beginning.

- Hebrews 3:7-14

Come, let us bow down and worship him;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
He is our God;
we are the people he cares for,
the flock for which he provides.

Listen today to what he says:
"Don't be stubborn, as your ancestors were at Meribah,
as they were that day in the Desert at Massah.
There they put me to the test and tried me,
although they had seen what I did for them.
For forty years I was disgusted with those people.
I said, 'How disloyal they are!
They refuse to obey my commands.'
I was angry and made a solemn promise:
'You will never enter the land
where I would have given you rest.'"

- Psalms 95:6-11

Jesus Heals a Man

A man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to Jesus, knelt down, and begged him for help. "If you want to," he said, "you can make me clean."

Jesus was filled with pity, and reached out and touched him. "I do want to," he answered. "Be clean!" At once the disease left the man, and he was clean. Then Jesus spoke sternly to him and sent him away at once, after saying to him, "Listen, don't tell anyone about this. But go straight to the priest and let him examine you; then in order to prove to everyone that you are cured, offer the sacrifice that Moses ordered."

But the man went away and began to spread the news everywhere. Indeed he talked so much that Jesus could not go into a town publicly. Instead, he stayed out in lonely places, and people came to him from everywhere.

- Mark 1:40-45

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 10 January 2007

2007-01-10T07:55:00.000+07:00

Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the devil, who has the power over death, and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. For it is clear that it is not the angels that he helps. Instead, he helps the descendants of Abraham. This means that he had to become like his people in every way, in order to be their faithful and merciful HIgh Priest in his service to God, so that the people's sins would be forgiven. And now he can help those who are tempted because he himself was tempted and suffered.

- Hebrews 2:14-18

Jesus Heals Many People
Jesus and his disciples, including James and John, left the synagogue and went straight to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and as soon as Jesus arrived, he was told about her. He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to wait on them.

After the sun had set and evening had come, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had demons. All the people of the town gathered in front of the house. Jesus healed many who were sick with all kinds of diseases and drove out many demons. He wold not let the demons say anything, because they knew who he was.

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed. But Simon and his companions went out searching for him, and when they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you."

But Jesus answered, "We must go on to the other villages around here. I have to preach in them also, because that is why I came."

So he traveled all over Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons.

- Mark 1:29-39

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 9 January 2007

2007-01-09T06:54:00.000+07:00

A Man With an Evil Spirit

Jesus and his disciples came to the town of Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn't like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority.

Just then a man with an evil spirit came into the synagogue and screamed, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are -- you are God's holy messenger!"

Jesus ordered the spirit, "Be quiet, and come out of the man!"

The evil spirit shook the man hard, gave a loud scream, and came out of him. The people were all so amazed that they started saying to one another, "What is this? Is it some kind of new teaching? This man has authority to give orders to the evil spirits, and they obey him!"

And so the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the province of Galilee.

- Mark 1:21-28

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 8 January 2007

2007-01-08T07:46:00.000+07:00

The Lord's Servant

The Lord says,

"Here is my servant, whom I strengthen --
the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased.
I have filled him with my Spirit,
and he will bring justice to every nation.
He will not shout or raise his voice
or make loud speeches in the streets.
He will not break off a bent read
nor put out a flickered lamp.
He will bring lasting justice to all.
He will not lose hope or courage;
he will establish justice on the earth.
Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching.

"I, the Lord have called you and given you power
to see that justice is done on earth.
Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples;
through you I will bring light to the nations.
You will open the eyes of the blind
and set free those who sit in dark prisons."

- Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7

People's hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah. So John said to all of them, "I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

After all the people had been baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you."

- Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 7 January 2007

2007-01-07T09:14:00.000+07:00

Visitors from the East

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the time when Herod was king. Soon afterward, some men who studied the stars came from the East to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard about this, he was very upset, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the law and asked them, "Where will the Messiah be born?"

"In the town of Bethlehem in Judea," they answered. "For this is what the prophet wrote:

'Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
you are by no means the least of the leading cities of Judah;
for from you will come a leader
who will guide my people Israel.'"

So Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: "Go and make a careful search for the child; and when you find him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship him."

And so they left, and on their way they saw the same star they had seen in the East. When they saw it, how happy they were, what joy was theirs! It went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him.

Then they returned to their country by another road, since God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

- Matthew 2:1-12

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 6 January 2007

2007-01-06T08:48:00.000+07:00

The Witness About Jesus Christ

Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the one who came with the water of his baptism and the blood of his death. He came not only with the water, but with both the water and the blood. And the Spirit himself testifies that this is true, because the Spirit is truth. There are three witnesses: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and all three give the same testimony. We believe human testimony; but God's testimony is much stronger, and he has given testimony about his Son. So those who believe in the Son of God have this testimony in their own heart; but those who do not believe have made a liar oh mi, because they have not believed what God has said about his son. The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

- 1 John 5:5-13

The Baptism of Jesus

He announced to the people, "The man who will come after me is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to bend down and untie his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Not long afterward Jesus came from Nazareth in the province of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, he saw heaven opening and the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you."

- Mark 1:7-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 5 January 2007

2007-01-05T07:58:00.000+07:00

Love One Another

The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another. We must not be like Cain; he belonged to the Evil One and murdered his own brother Abel. Why did Cain murder him? Because the things he himself did were wrong, and the things his brother did were right.

So do not be surprised, my friends, if the people of the world hate you. We know that we have left death and come over into life; we know it because we love others. Those who do not love are still under the power of death. Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them. This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

This, then, is how we will know that we belong to the truth; this is how we will be confident in God's presence. If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything. And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence.

- 1 John 3:11-21

A Hymn of Praise

Sing to the Lord, all the world!
Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with happy songs!

Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock.

Enter the Temple gates with thanksgiving; go into its courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise him.

The Lord is good; and his love is eternal and his faithfulness lasts forever.

- Psalms 100:1-5

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come with me!" (Philip was from Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter lived.) Philip found Nathanael who told him, "We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the book of the Law and whom the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

"Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Nathanael asked.

"Come and see," answered Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him, "Here is a real Israelite; there is nothing false in him!"

Nathanael asked him, "How do you know me?"

Jesus answered, "I saw you when you were under the fig tree before Philip called you."

"Teacher," answered Nathanael, "you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

Jesus said, "Do you believe just because I told you I saw you when you were under the fig tree? You will see much greater things than this!" And he said to them, "I am telling you the truth: you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 4 January 2007

2007-01-04T06:21:00.000+07:00

Let no one deceive you, my children! Whoever does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. Whoever continues to sin belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.

Those who are children of God do not continue to sin, for God's very nature is in them; and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin. Here is the clear difference between God's children and the Devil's children: those who do not do what is right or do not love others are not God's children.

- 1 John 3:7-10

God the Ruler of the World

Sing a new song to the Lord; he has done wonderful things!
By his own power and holy strength he has won the victory.

Roar, sea, and every creature in you; sing; earth and all who live on you.
Clap your hands, you rivers; you hills, sing together with joy before the Lord, because he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the peoples of the world with justice and fairness.

- Psalms 98:1, 7-9

The First Disciples of Jesus

The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples, when he saw Jesus walking by. "There is the Lamb of God!" he said.

The two disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus. Jesus turned, "What are you looking for?"

They answered, "Where do you live, Rabbi?" (This word means "Teacher.")

"Come and see," he answered. (It was then about four o'clock in the afternoon.) So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him.

One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. At once he found his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah." (This word means "Christ.") Then he took Simon to Jesus.

- John 1:35-42

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Daily Bible Reading for Wednesday, 3 January 2007

2007-01-03T10:32:00.000+07:00

Children of God

You know that Christ is righteous; you should know, then, that everyone who does what is right is God's child.

See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great -- and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us; it has not known God. My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure.

Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God's law, because sin is a breaking of the Law. You know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him.

- 1 John 2:29-3:6

The Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'A man is coming after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.' I did not know who he would be, but I came baptizing with water in order to make him known to the people of Israel."

And John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and stay on him. I still did not know that he was the one, but God, who sent me to baptize with water, had said to me, 'You will see the Spirit come down and stay on a man; he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen it," said John, "and I tell you that he is the Son of God."

- John 1:29-34

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Daily Bible Reading for Tuesday, 2 January 2007

2007-01-02T07:44:00.000+07:00

Who, then, is the liar? It is those who say that Jesus is not the Messiah. Such people are the Enemy of Christ -- they reject both the Father and the Son. For those who reject the Son reject also the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also.

Be sure, then, to keep in your hearts the message you heard from the beginning. If you keep that message, then you will always live in union with the Son and the Father. And this is what Christ himself promised to give us -- eternal life.

I am writing this to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But as for you, Christ has poured our his Spirit on you. As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you. For his Spirit teaches you about everything, and what he teaches is true, not false. Obey the Spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.

Yes, my children, remain in union with him, so that when he appears we may be full of courage and need not hide in shame from him on the Day he comes.

- 1 John 2:22-28

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Daily Bible Reading for New Year, Monday, 1 January 2007

2007-01-01T10:05:00.000+07:00

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

- Luke 2:16-21

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 31 December 2006

2006-12-31T10:28:00.000+07:00

Children of God

See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children -- and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us; it has not known God. My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is.

And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence. We receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. Those who obey God's commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.

- 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you."

He answered them, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand his answer.

So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.

- Luke 2:41-52

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 30 December 2006

2006-12-30T07:08:00.000+07:00

I write to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.

I write to you, my children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.

Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father. Everything that belongs to the world -- what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are proud of -- none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world. The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

- 1 John 2:12-17

There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying. That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

- Luke 2:36-40

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 29 December 2006

2006-12-29T07:17:00.000+07:00

If we obey God's commands, then we are sure that we know him. If we say that we know him, but do not obey his commands, we are liars and there is no truth in us. But if we obey his word, we are the ones whose love for God has really been made perfect. This is how we can be sure that we are in union with God: if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.

The New Command

My dear friends, this command I am writing you is not new; it is the old command, the one you have had from the very beginning. The old command is the message you have already heard. However, the command I now write you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ and also in you. For the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining.

If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour. If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us that will cause someone else to sin. But if we hate others, we are in the darkness, we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind.

- 1 John 2:3-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 28 December 2006

2006-12-28T07:56:00.000+07:00

God is Light

Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. But if we live in the light -- just as he is in the light -- then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and his word is not in us.

I am writing this to you, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf -- Jesus Christ, the righteous one. And sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.

- 1 John 1:5-2:2

The Escape to Egypt

After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, "Herod will be looking for the child in order to kill him. So get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you to leave."

Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left during the night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod died. This was done to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, "I called my Son out of Egypt."

The Killing of the Children

When Herod realized that the visitors from the East had tricked him, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years old and younger -- this was done in accordance with what he had learned from the visitors about the time when the star had appeared.

In this way what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true:

"A sound is heard in Ramah,
the sound of bitter weeping.
Rachel is crying for her children;
she refuses to be comforted,
for they are dead."

- Matthew 2:13-18

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 27 December 2006

2006-12-27T16:14:00.000+07:00

The Empty Tomb

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and saw the linen clothes but he did not go in. Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth which had been around Jesus' head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed.

- John 20:1-8

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 26 December 2006

2006-12-26T20:09:00.000+07:00

Coming Persecutions

"Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues. For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles. When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say. For the words you will speak will not be yours; they come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

"People will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved."

- Matthew 10:17-22

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, Christmas Day, 25 December 2006

2006-12-25T20:08:00.000+07:00

The Birth of Jesus

At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.

Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage with him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger -- there was no room for them to stay in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angels said to them, "Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David's town your Savir was born -- Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!"

- Luke 2:1-14

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 24 December 2006

2006-12-24T20:06:00.000+07:00

For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God:

"You do not want sacrifices and offerings,
but you have prepared a body for me.
You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar
or with sacrifices to take away sins.
Then I said, 'Here I am,to do your will, O God,
just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.'"

First he said, "You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins." He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law. Then he said, "Here I am, O God, to do your will." So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place. Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.

- Hebrews 10:5-10

Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak:

"Fellow Israelites and all Gentiles here who worship God: hear me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people a great nation during the time they lived as foreigners in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt by his great power.

"After removing him, God made David their king. This is what God said about him: 'I have found that David son of Jesse is the kind of man I like, a man who will do all I want him to do.' It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Savior of the people of Israel as he had promised. Before Jesus began his work, John preached to all the people of Israel that they should turn from their sins and be baptized. And as John was about to finish his mission, he said to the people, 'Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. But listen! He is coming after me, and I am not good enough to take his sandals off his feet.'"

- Acts 13:16-17, 22-25

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 23 December 2006

2006-12-23T07:16:00.000+07:00

The Lord Almighty answers, "I will send my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger you long to see will come and proclaim my covenant."

But who will be able to endure the day when he comes? Who will be able to survive when he appears? He will be like strong soap, like a fire that refines metal. He will come to judge like one who refines and purifies silver. As a metalworker refines silver and gold, so the Lord's messenger will purify the priests, so that they will bring to the Lord the right kind of offerings. Then the offerings which the people of Judah and jerusalem bring to the Lord will be pleasing to him, as they used to be in the past.

- Malachi 3:1-4

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 22 December 2006

2006-12-22T07:16:00.000+07:00

Mary's Song of Praise

Mary said,

"My heart praises the Lord;
my soul is glad because of God my Savior,
for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!

From now on all people will call me happy,
because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.

His name is holy;
from one generation to another
he shows mercy to those who honor him.

He has stretched out his mighty arm
and scattered the proud with all their plans.

He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away with empty hands.

He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
and he has come to the help of his servant israel.

He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham
and to all his descendants forever!"

Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.

- Luke 1:46-56

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 21 December 2006

2006-12-21T06:31:00.000+07:00

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said in a loud voice, "You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you bear! Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? For as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!"

- Luke 1:39-45

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 20 December 2006

2006-12-20T06:13:00.000+07:00

The Sign of Immanuel

The Lord sent another message to Ahaz: "Ask the Lord your God to give you a sign. It can be from deep in the world of the dead or from high up in heaven."

Ahaz answered, "I will not ask for a sign. I refuse to put the Lord to the test."

To that Isaiah replied, "Listen, now, descendants of King David. It's bad enough for you to wear out the patience of people -- do you have to wear out God's patience too? Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman who is pregnant will have a son and will name him 'Immanuel.'"

- Isaiah 7:10-14

The Great King

The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord;
the earth and all who live on it are his.
He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth
and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

Who has the right to go up the Lord's hill?
Who may enter his holy Temple?
Those who are pure in act and in thougth,
who do not worship idols or make false promises.
The Lord will bless them and save them;
God will declare them innocent.
Such are the people who come to God,
who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

- Psalms 24:1-6

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 19 December 2006

2006-12-19T10:38:00.000+07:00

Be my secure shelter and a strong fortress to protect me;
you are my refuge and defense.

My God, rescue me from wicked people,
from the power of cruel and evil people.
Sovereign Lord, I put my hope in you;
I have trusted in you since I was young.
I have relied on you all my life;
you have protected me since the day I was born.
I will always praise you.

My life has been an example to many,
because you have been my strong defender.

I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will proclaim your goodness, yours alone.

You have taught me ever since I was young,
and I still tell of your wonderful acts."

- Psalms 71:3-7, 16-17

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 18 December 2006

2006-12-18T07:06:00.000+07:00

The Birth of Jesus Christ

This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spriit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus -- because he will save his people from their sins."

Now all this happened in order to make true what the Lord had said through the prophet, "A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel" (which means, "God is with us").

So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to. But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her son. And Joseph named him Jesus.

- Matthew 1:18-25

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 17 December 2006

2006-12-17T09:54:00.000+07:00

May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!

Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4:4-7

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 16 December 2006

2006-12-16T22:31:00.000+07:00

As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of man has been raised from death."

When the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"

"Elijah is indeed coming first," answered Jesus, "and he will get everything ready. But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased. In the same way they will also mistreat the Son of Man."

Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

- Matthew 17:9-13

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 15 December 2006

2006-12-15T22:24:00.000+07:00

The Lord's Plan for His People

The holy God of Israel, the Lord who saves you, says:
"I am the Lord your God,
the one who wants to teach you for your own good
and direct you in the way you should go.

"If only you had listened to my commands!
Then blessings would have flowed for you
like a stream that never goes dry.
Victory would have come to you
like the waves that roll on the shore.
Your descendants would be as numerous as grains of sand,
and I would have made sure that they were never destroyed."

- Isaiah 48:17-19

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 14 December 2006

2006-12-14T22:05:00.000+07:00

"I am the Lord your God; I strengthen you and tell you, 'Do not be afraid; I will help you.'"

The Lord says, "Small and weak as you are, Israel, don't be afraid; I will help you.
I, the holy God of Israel, am the one who saves you.
I will make you like a threshing board,
with spikes that are new and sharp.
You will thresh mountains and destroy them;
hills will crumble into dust.
You will toss them in the air;
the wind will carry them off,
and they will be scattered by the storm.
Then you will be happy because I am your God;
you will praise me, the holy God of Israel.

"When my people in their need look for water,
when their throats are dry with thirst,
then I, the Lord, will answer their prayer;
I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.
I will make rivers flow among barren hills
and springs of water run in the valleys.
Iwill turn the desert into pools of water
and the dry land into flowing springs.
I will make cedars grow in the desert,
and acacias and myrtles and olive trees.
Forests will grow in barren land,
forests of pine and juniper and cypress.
People will see this and know
that I, the Lord, have done it.
They will come to understand
that Israel's holy God has made it happen."

- Isaiah 41:13-20

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 13 December 2006

2006-12-13T07:43:00.000+07:00

To whom can the holy God be compared?
Is there anyone else like him?
Look up at the sky!
Who created the stars you see?
The one who leads them out like an army,
he knows how many there are and calls each one by name!
His power is so great -- not one of them is ever missing!

Israel, why then do you complain that the Lord doesn't know your troubles or care if you suffer injustice?
Don't you know? Haven't you heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God;
he created all the world.
He never grows tired or weary.
No one understands his thoughts.
He strengthens those who are weak and tired.
Even those who are young grow weak;
young people can fall exhausted.
But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak.

- Isaiah 40:25-31

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 12 December 2006

2006-12-12T08:33:00.000+07:00

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

What do you think a man does who has one hundred sheep and one of them gets lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hillside and go and look for the lost sheep. When he finds it, I tell you, he feels far happier over this one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. In just the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of these little ones to be lost.

- Matthew 18:12-14

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 11 December 2006

2006-12-11T09:55:00.000+07:00

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were sitting there who had come from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a bed, and they tried to carry him into the house and put him in front of Jesus. Because of the crowd, however, they could find no way to take him in. So they carried him up on the roof, made an opening in the tiles, and let him down on his bed into the middle of the group in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, "Your sins are forgiven, my friend."

The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who speaks such blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!"

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Why do you think such things? Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, pick up your bed, and go home!" At once the man got up in front of them all, took the bed he had been lying on, and went home, praising. God. They were all completely amazed! Full of fear, they praised God, saying, "What marvelous things we have seen today!"

- Luke 5:17-26

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 10 December 2006

2006-12-10T09:47:00.000+07:00

The Preaching of John the Baptist

It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was ruler of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias was ruler of Abilene, and Annas and Caiaphas were high Priests. A that time the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. So John went throughout the whole territory of the Jordan River, preaching, "Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and god will forgive your sins." As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

"Someone is shouting in the desert:
'Get the road ready for the Lord; make a straight path for him to travel!
Every valley must be filled up, every hill and mountain leveled off.
The winding roads must be made straight, and the rough paths made smooth.
The whole human race will see God's salvation!'"

- Luke 3:1-6

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 9 December 2006

2006-12-09T09:40:00.000+07:00

Jesus Has Pity for the People

Jesus went around visiting all towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues, preached the Good News about the Kingdom, and healed people with every kind of disease and sickness. As he saw the crowds, his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were worried and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. So he said to his disciples, "The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest."

The Mission of the Twelve Apostles

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness.

These twelve men were sent out by Jesus with the following instructions: "Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns. Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go and preach, 'The Kingdom of heaven is near!' Heal the sick, bring the dead back to live, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid."

- Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5-8

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 8 December 2006

2006-12-08T07:54:00.000+07:00

Shining as Lights in the World

So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be innocent and pure as God's perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky, as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.

Perhaps my life's blood is to be poured out like an offering on the sacrifice that your faith offers to God. If that is so, I am glad and share my joy with you all. In the same way, you too must be glad and share your joy with me.

Philippians 2:12-18

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 7 December 2006

2006-12-07T07:34:00.000+07:00

Jesus answered, "I assure you that if you believe and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I have done to this fig tree. And not only this, but you will even be able to say to this hill, 'Get up and throw yourself in the sea', and it will. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Jesus answered them, "I will ask you just one question, and if you give me an answer, I will tell you what right I have to do these things. Where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?"

They started to argue among themselves, "What shall we say? If we answer, 'From God,' he will say to us, 'Why, then, did you not believe John?' But if we say, 'From human beings,' we are afraid of what the people might do, because they are all convinced that John was a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."

And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things."

- Matthew 7:21-22, 24-27

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 6 December 2006

2006-12-06T09:20:00.000+07:00

The Lord Our Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.
He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths, as he has promised.
Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me.
Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me.

You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim.
I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live.

- Psalms 23:1-6

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 5 December 2006

2006-12-05T08:56:00.000+07:00

Jesus Rejoices

At that time Jesus was filled with joy by the Holy Spirit and said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth! I thank you because you have shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned. Yes, Father, this was how you were pleased to have it happen.

"My Father has given me all things. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said to them privately, "How fortunate you are to see the things you see! I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, but they could not, and to hear what you hear, but they did not."

- Luke 10:21-24

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 4 December 2006

2006-12-04T08:35:00.000+07:00

Jesus Heals a Roman Officer's Servant

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman officer met him and begged for help: "Sir, my servant is sick in bed at home, unable to move and suffering terribly."

"I will go and make him well," Jesus said.

"Oh no, sir," answered the officer. "I do not deserve to have you come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I, too, am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and I order that one, 'Come!' and he comes; and I order my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it.

When Jesus heard this, he was surprised and said to the people following him, "I tell you, I have never found anyone in Israel with faith like this. I assure you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 8:5-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 3 December 2006

2006-12-03T05:35:00.000+07:00

The Coming of the Son of Man

"There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near."

- Luke 21:25-28

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 2 December 2006

2006-12-02T01:07:00.000+07:00

The angel also showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, and coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing down the middle of the city's street. On each side of the river was the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year, once each month; and its leaves are for the healing of the nations. Nothing that is under God's curse will be found in the city.

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. There will be no more night, and they will not need lamps or sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light, and they will rule as kings forever and ever.

Then the angel said to me, "These words are true and can be trusted. And the Lord God, who gives his Spirit to the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen very soon."

"Listen!" says Jesus. "I am coming soon! Happy are those who obey the prophetic words in this book!"

- Revelation 22:1-7

The Need to Watch

"Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth. Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man."

- Luke 21:34-36

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 1 December 2006

2006-12-01T01:04:00.000+07:00

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

Then Jesus told them this parable, "Think of the fig tree and all the other trees. When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come.

"Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

- Luke 21:29-33

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 30 November 2006

2006-11-30T08:50:00.000+07:00

Salvation is for All

If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. The scripture says, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed." This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him. As the scripture says, "Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved."

But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, "How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!" But not all have accepted the Good news. Isaiah himself said, "Lord, who believed our message?" So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

But I ask: Is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did -- for as the scripture says:

"The sound of their voice went out to all the world; their words reached the ends of the earth."

- Romans 10:9-18

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 29 November 2006

2006-11-29T08:54:00.000+07:00

Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in synagogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for my sake. This will be your chance to tell the Good News. Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves, because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say. You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends; and some of you will be put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a single hair from your heads will be lost. Stand firm, and you will save yourselves.

- Luke 21:12-19 *

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 28 November 2006

2006-11-28T06:09:00.000+07:00

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple

Some of the disciples were talking about the Temple, how beautiful it looked with its fine stones and the gifts offered to God. Jesus said, "All this you see -- the time will come when not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one will be thrown down."

Troubles and Persecutions

"Teacher," they asked, "when will this be? And what will happen in order to show that the time has come for it to take place?"

Jesus said, "Watch out; don't be fooled. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, 'I am he!' and "The time has come!" But don't follow them. Don't be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions; such things must happen first, but they do not mean that the end is near."

He went on to say, "Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be terrible earthquakes, faminees, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky."

- Luke 21:5-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 27 November 2006

2006-11-27T06:39:00.000+07:00

The Great King

The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his. He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

Who has the right to go up the Lord's hill? Who may enter his holy Temple? Those who are pure in act and in thought, who do not worship idols or make false promises. The Lord will bless them and save them; God will declare them innocent. Such are the people who come to God, who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

- Psalms 24:1-6

The Widow's Offering

Jesus looked around and saw rich people dropping their gifts in the Temple Treasury, and he also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins. He said, "I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all of the others. For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on."

- Luke 21:1-4

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 26 November 2006

2006-11-26T12:19:00.000+07:00

Greetings to the Seven Churches

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first to be raised from death and who is also the ruler of the kings of the world.

He loves us, and by his sacrificial death he has freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father. To Jesus Christ be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

Look, he is coming on the clouds! Everyone will see him, including those who pierced him. All peoples on earth will mourn over him. So shall it be!

"I am the first and the last," says the Lord God Almighty, who is, who was, and who is to come."

- Revelation 1:5-8

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 25 November 2006

2006-11-25T01:33:00.000+07:00

Praise the Lord, my protector! He trains me for battle and prepares me for war. He is my protector and defender, my shelter and savior, in whom I trust for safety. He subdues the nations under me.

We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow.

I will sing you a new song, O God; I will play the harp and sing to you. You give victory to kings and rescue your servant David.

- Psalms 144:1, 2, 9, 10

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 24 November 2006

2006-11-24T01:30:00.000+07:00

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law

As all the people listened to him, Jesus said to his disciples, "Be on your guard against the teachers of the Law, who likes to walk around in their long robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplace; who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts; who take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers! Their punishment will be all the worse!"

- Luke 19:45-48

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 23 November 2006

2006-11-23T08:09:00.000+07:00

A Hymn of Praise

Praise the Lord!

Sing a new song to the Lord; praise him in the assembly of his faithful people! Be glad, Israel, because of your Creator; rejoice, people of Zion, because of your king! Praise his name with dancing; play drums and harps in praise of him. The Lord takes pleasure in his people; he honors the humble with victory. Let God's people rejoice in their triumph and sing joyfully all night long. Let them shout aloud as they praise God, to punish the nations as God has commanded. This is the victory of God's people.

Praise the Lord!

- Psalms 149:1-6, 9

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