Devotions: Ps 89; 94, 97, 99; Isa 63:1-14; 1 Tim 1:1-2:8; Mk 11:1-26
Lord, I will sing of Your love forever—though my voice is scratchy and quavering these days. I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations. Let the heavens praise God, and the earth echo forth our allegiance to the Holy One. God rules nature; His throne sits on a foundation of righteousness and justice; grace, steadfast love and faithfulness go before Him. He has established His testimony through the offspring of Abraham and of David. He keeps His covenant, though mortals have been inconstant in our response to God's saving initiatives. Lord, don't hide Yourself from us; let Your love be expressed to our benefit. Shine forth, Holy Lord. Abase Your enemies, who crush and exploit Your people. Blessed are those God chastens, for this expresses His engagement and care; He will not forsake His own people. Lord, the cares of my heart are many, but Your consolations cheer my soul. YHWH is my Stronghold, the Rock of my refuge. Let all the earth, all God's people, rejoice before our awesome God. Idol-worshipers are put to shame, but the Zion of God is made glad. Light dawns for the righteous; joy springs up for the upright in heart. Give thanks to God's holy name! Mighty King, lover of justice, You have established equity and we worship at Your footstool. Let us extol YHWH our God and worship, for YHWH our God is holy!
God's Messiah comes, garments stained red from the wine press of the grapes of God's wrath. God's wrath and redemption have come. In victory, we will speak of God's steadfast love; we will praise Him for all He has done for us. He has become our Savior; He took our afflictions on Himself; in His love and pity, He has redeemed us and carried us along. God leads His hardhearted, foolish people toward wisdom and love and righteousness. God is our Father, though we act like spiritual orphans far too often.
Paul wrote to Timothy: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Messiah Hesus our Lord. Timothy, my son in the faith, stay in Ephesus, to confront false teachers and to encourage people not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies. Rather, train them in love, issuing from pure hearts and good consciences and sincere faith. By swerving away from these fundamentals, certain persons have wandered into vain discussion; they want to teach the law, but they don't understand what they are talking about. We know that the law is good, if used lawfully. The Torah is laid down for the disobedient and lawless, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for patricides and matricides and homicides, immoral persons, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else opposes sound doctdrine. All this accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. I thank the Messiah Jesus our Lord, Who has given me strength for this work, because He judged me faithful by appointing me to His service, though formerly I blasphemed and persecuted and insulted Him. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in the Messiah Jesus. This saying is true and worthy to be accepted: the Messiah Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy so that in me, the foremost sinner, Jesus the Messiah might display His perfect patience, making me an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen! So, this is my charge to you, Timothy, my son, in harmony with the prophetic utterances which pointed to you: that inspired by them you may wage the good warfare, sustaining faith and a good conscience. For by rejecting conscience, certain persons have shipwrecked their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Now then: first, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings, for all who are in high positions—that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives, godly and respectful in every way. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all mortals to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. There is one God, one Mediator between God and man, the man Messiah Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all. Testimony concerning this was given at the proper time. I was appointed a preacher and an apostle for just this purpose; I am telling the truth, not lying: a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
When Jesus and His followers approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives; and Jesus sent two of His followers, saying, 'Go into the village across from you, and immediately as you enter, you'll come upon a colt tied, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone asks what you are doing, tell them, "The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately."' The disciples did as they were instructed, and responded as Jesus had directed when they were questions. So the owners let the colt go with the disciples. They brought the colt, and several placed their garments across its back, and Jesus sat on the colt. Many who went before and followed Him cried out, 'Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! And blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!' Jesus entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple. When He had looked around at everything, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve, for it was already late. The next day, as they came in from Bethany, Jesus was hungry. In the distance, he spied a fig tree in leaf, and He went to see if He could find any fruit on it. He found nothing but leaves; it was not the season for the tree to bear figs. Still, Jesus said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.' His disciples heard all this. When they came to Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple; He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He would not let anyone carry anything through the temple. He instructed, saying, 'It is written, isn't it, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations". But you have made it a den of brigands.' And the chief priests and scribes heard this and sought a way to destroy Jesus, because they were afraid of him, since the multitude were astonished at His teaching. When evening came, Jesus and His party left the city. As they returned again the next morning, they noticed that the fig tree Jesus had cursed was withered away to its roots. Peter remembered what had happened, and said to Jesus, 'Master, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.' And Jesus answered, 'Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you: whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father who is in heaven also may forgive you your trespasses.'
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