Tag: Bible Reading

Morning Reading: Acts 10.9-23 NLT – made clean by God

Reading: Acts 10:9-23 NLT

The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry.

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But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.

Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

“No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean. ”

But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean?

Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate, they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.

Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”

So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.”

So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

Prayer:Lord Jesus – Forgive my tendency to rely on religious rules and traditions rather than a living relationship with you. Holy Spirit – Break into my slumber with visions of freedom and deliverance. Heavenly Father – May your Kingdom come in me and through me. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “I Am Free” – Newsboys
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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Galatians 5.1, 13-18 NLT – free to serve

Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-18 NLT

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So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Prayer: Holy Spirit – Reign in me… win the war between my sinful nature and my new nature given to me by Christ Jesus. Make my good intentions a reality… and bring forth your good fruit in me – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness and self control – that I might honor you in all things. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Break every chain” – Jesus Culture
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Morning Reading: Acts 10.1-8 NLT – angel vision

Reading: Acts 10:1-8 NLT In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.

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Vision of Cornelius the Centurion
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621-1674)

One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.

And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”

As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.

Prayer: Lord God – Give me a generous heart… and make me a God-fearing person of prayer. Help me to listen more than I speak… and give me a spirit of willing obedience. I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “I will run to you” – Hillsong _________________________

Morning Reading: Acts 9.32-43 NLT – power healing

Reading: Acts 9:32-43 NLT

Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda.

There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.

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There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas ). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room.

But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”

So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them.

But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.

The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.

Prayer: Heavenly Father – In my fast paced, on-the-go life… help me to slow down to “smell the flowers” as it were. Give me an openness to the people and events taking place around me. Holy Spirit – Speak your word of wisdom or knowledge to me so that I can understand what you want me to do. Lord Jesus – Give life and healing to those who come to you through faith. Hear their cries of desperation and distress… and grant them the desires of their hearts. For your name’s sake, amen.

Spiritual Song: “Sing to Jesus” – Fernando Ortega
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Morning Reading: Acts 9.26-31 NLT – believers grow in numbers

Reading: Acts 9:26-31 NLT

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!

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Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.

When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.

The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.

Prayer: Holy Spirit – Encourage believers in Jesus Christ all around the world. Heavenly Father – Drive out our fears with an overwhelming sense of your perfect love for us. Lord Jesus – Give us your heart… a heart of service and sacrifice. In all things, may we honor you. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “This Is Our God” – Hillsong
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