Tag: Bible Reading

Morning Reading: Luke 12.1-11 (NLT) – full disclosure

Reading: Luke 12.1-11 (NLT)

Cover up exposed - Margaret+AspinallMeanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

“I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

“And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.”

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit – Chase away the darkness in us and around us. Expose all things to the Light of heaven – the secrets, the cover-ups, the evil words whispered in the darkness behind closed doors. Open it all to the scrutiny of heaven. Forgive us and cleanse us – make our hearts whiter than snow. And give us a holy boldness to tell others that Jesus is our Savior and Lord. In His name I ask it. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Holy Spirit Rain Down” – Hillsong (YouTube)

Morning Reading: Luke 11.37-54 (NLT) – six sorrows

Reading: Luke 11.37-54 (NLT)

As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy — full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.

“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

papal-conclave-005“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.”

“Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”

“Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. What sorrow awaits you! For you build monuments for the prophets your own ancestors killed long ago. But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments! This is what God in his wisdom said about you: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’

“As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world — from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation.

“What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”

As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions. They wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him.

Prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139.23-24) I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Search me, O God” – J. Edwin Orr (1936)

Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free.

I praise You, Lord, for cleansing me from sin; Fulfill Your Word and make me pure within. Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame; Grant my desire to magnify Your name.

Lord, take my life, for I would live for You; Fill my poor heart with Your great love so true. Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride; I now surrender; Lord, in me abide.

O Holy Spirit, revival comes from You; Send a revival, my own heart renew. Your Word declares You will supply our need; For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.

Morning Reading: Luke 11.33-36 NLT – light and bright

Reading: Luke 11.33-36 NLT

“No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.

eyes_wide_open_1280x800“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father – Shine the light of your love in me and through me. Drive away all my fear and darkness and make me a radiant reflection of your light in this dark world. I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Let Your Light Shine” – Bethany Dillon (YouTube)

Morning Reading: Luke 11:29-32 NLT – turn or burn

Reading: Luke 11:29-32 NLT

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Jonah waiting for Nineveh’s Destruction

As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.

“The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

“The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father – you made us a little lower than the angels and gave us freedom to love you – totally, completely, with abandon. But we have gone our own way – looking for love in all the wrong places. Still, you haven’t abandoned us, and desire that none should perish – no, not one. Lord Jesus –  sent from the Father to show us true Love – you suffered cruel torture and death so that we might be set free from our captivity to sin and death – once again, to live and love you with abandon. Holy Spirit – you set before us today life and death, heaven and hell – and, once again, you call us to cry out to Jesus and “choose life.” Forgive us and set us free – truly free – to love you with all our heart soul mind and strength. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “There is No Other Name” – Robin Mark (YouTube)

There is no other name / By which man can be saved / There is no other Name under Heaven / There is rest for my soul And the wounded made whole / And the captives set free and Forgiven

There is no other name / By which man can be saved / There is no other Name
Under Heaven / There is rest for my soul And the wounded made whole / And the captives set free and Forgiven

Such love as I’ve never known / I’ve found in the grace that Flowed to me / In my unrighteousness / This is why my heart and soul / And tongue confess

Morning Reading: Luke 11:14-28 NLT – Kingdom signs

Reading: Luke 11:14-28 NLT

One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed, but some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

Kingdom-of-GodHe knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”

As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”

Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – Give me the heart… mind… authority… and power of Kingdom citizenship. May I live in the reality of your rule and reign in this present evil age… even as I look forward to the totality of your rule and reign in the glorious age to come. Help me to be a doer of your Word… and not a hearer only. For your name’s sake. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Let Your Kingdom Come” (Hillsong YouTube)

Joy of my days, You are my strength / Here I am sheltered in Your hand / Light of the dawn, power of the sea / Deep in Your heart, You carry me

Song of my heart, breath of my soul / You are my reason and my all / Lord of the earth, fire of the stars / Jesus my life is where You are

May our worship be Your throne / For the praise of Your glory forever / In this holy place / Let Your will be done

May Your praise be lifted up / Let us join with the praises of heaven / To the ends of the earth / Let Your kingdom come