Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Psalm 51
Psalm 51 (New International Version)
Psalm 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [a] ; you teach [b] me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [a] ; you teach [b] me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Revelation 5
Revelation 5 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 5
The Scroll and the Lamb
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign[b] on the earth."
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation 5
The Scroll and the Lamb
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign[b] on the earth."
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Matthew Chapters 6 to 7 NLT
Matthew 6
1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds
publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your
Father in heaven.
2 When you give to someone in need, don’t
do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call
attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received
all the reward they will ever get.
3 But when you give to someone in need,
don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
4 Give your gifts in private, and your
Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the
hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues
where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they
will ever get.
6 But when you pray, go away by yourself,
shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father,
who sees everything, will reward you.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on
as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely
by repeating their words again and again.
8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows
exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your
will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins, as we have
forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against
you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your
Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it
obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so
people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the
only reward they will ever get.
17 But when you fast, comb your hair and
wash your face.
18 Then no one will notice that you are
fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father,
who sees everything, will reward you.
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth,
where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and
steal.
20 Store your treasures in heaven, where
moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
21 Wherever your treasure is, there the
desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light
for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.
23 But when your eye is bad, your whole
body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually
darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you
will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the
other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry
about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes
to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or
harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t
you far more valuable to him than they are?
27 Can all your worries add a single moment
to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look
at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their
clothing,
29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not
dressed as beautifully as they are.
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for
wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will
certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things,
saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
32 These things dominate the thoughts of
unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else,
and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 7
1 “Do not judge others, and you will not
be judged.
2 For you will be treated as you treat
others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be
judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in your
friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
4 How can you think of saying to your
friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see
past the log in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in
your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your
friend’s eye.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who
are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then
turn and attack you.
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive
what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the
door will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks, receives.
Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a
loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?
10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give
them a snake? Of course not!
11 So if you sinful people know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good
gifts to those who ask him.
12 “Do to others whatever you would like
them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the
prophets.
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only
through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for
the many who choose that way.
14 But the gateway to life is very narrow
and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets who come
disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
16 You can identify them by their fruit,
that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs
from thistles?
17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a
bad tree produces bad fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and
a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
19 So every tree that does not produce good
fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by
its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me,
‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the
will of my Father in heaven will enter.
22 On judgment day many will say to me,
‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and
performed many miracles in your name.’
23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get
away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and
follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
25 Though the rain comes in torrents and
the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse
because it is built on bedrock.
26 But anyone who hears my teaching and
doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
27 When the rains and floods come and the
winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these
things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 for he taught with real authority—quite
unlike their teachers of religious law.
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