Friday and Saturday, June 5 and 6, 2015
Devotions: Ps 40, 51, 54, 55, 139; Deut 26:1-11 and 29:2-15; 2 Cor 8:16-9:15; Lk 18:9-30
When I wait patiently, YHWH always responds. He lifts me out of the mire and puts me on solid ground; He takes away my complaints and puts a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Blessed are all who invest their trust in YHWH. God has given me an open ear, and a voice to speak of His grace and goodness. Lord, let me not hide Your salvation in my heart, but speak it abroad to all who will listen. Let Your steadfast love and faithfulness for4ever preserve me. Put my adversaries to shame, and lift up all who seek to know and obey You. Have mercy, Lord; I have this wracking cough and burning eyes; blot out my transgressions and cleanse me thoroughly, I pray I know You want integrity; fill me with Your light, truth, joy and gladness. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and upright spirit within me. Open my lips to voice Your praise; I offer you my broken spirit and contrite heart. Help me, Lord! I will praise You with every breath I take. Ease my anguished heart; I cast my burden on the Lord, and He will sustain me. Yes, Lord: I will trust in You alone. For You Are my Maker; You know me thoroughly; Your knowledge far exceeds my capacity to comprehend. Cleanse me of any wickedness, and purify me to be a clean vessel for Your word and Your Spirit.
Moses taught the Israelites: When you have come into the land YHWH is giving you, bring the firstfruits of your crops to the place He shows you. God's priest will set your offering before the Lord at His altar. You will say this: 'My ancestor was a wandering Aramean; he sojourned in Egypt, and became a great nation there. We were afflicted by the Egyptians, cruelly enslaved and mistreated. We cried out to YHWH our God, and he brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, and established us in this land, flowing with milk and honey. I have brought this fruit of the good land to You, O Lord.' Moses gathered the Israelites, and told them, 'YHWH has delivered you from bondage, and for forty years, I have led you at His bidding. But you still lack understanding, insight and obedience. Think: for forty years, your sandals have not worn out; for forty years in a trackless desert God has provided food and water for this great assembly. He led you to conquer the kingdoms of Sihon and Og. So now, keep His covenant, that it may be well with you! Today, you all stand before our holy God; keep His covenant, sworn to you as to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His covenant extends to all your unborn progeny to come.
Paul wrote: Thanks be to God, Who puts concern for all into the heart of each disciple. We take our mission as from God, a great gift we are administering. I know you join in this mission by your giving. I'm sending brothers to collect what you have gathered. This encourages and challenges every other community of believers, and also affirms the authority of us apostles. This is the point: sowing and reaping vary together--sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow generously, reap generously. Each believer should give whatever they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver! You can't outgive God, and He has plenty for everyone. The One Who supplies seed for the sower and bread for the eater will supply and multiply your resources; He will increased the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which also generates thanksgiving to God. Under the test of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, and by your generous contribution, you stimulate others to long for you and pray for you because they can see the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!
Jesus told this parable: Two men, a Pharisee and a tax collector, went up to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee stood before the altar and prayed, "God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or this tax collector. I fast twice weekly and tithe all that I receive." But the tax collector stood far from the altar and would not even lift his eyes toward heaven. He best his breast and said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Now, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted.' People were bringing even infants to Jesus so that He might touch them; seeing this, the disciples rebuked the people bringing their children. But Jesus called out, 'Let the children come to Me and do not hinder them. For to such belongs the kingdom of God. I tell you truly, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' A community leader asked Jesus, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus answered him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments--no adultery, no murder, no theft, no false witnessing, and honor your parents.' The man said, 'I have kept all these since my childhood.' And Jesus, hearing him, answered, 'You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow Me.' Hearing this, the man's countenance fell, for he was very rich. Looking at him, Jesus said to the disciples nearby, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' The hearers replied 'Then who can be saved?' Jesus said, 'What is impossible with mortals is possible with God.' Peter said, 'Look: we have left our homes and followed You.' And Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you: no one who has left house or spouse or siblings or parents or children for the sake of God's kingdom will fail to receive manifold more in this lifetime, and in the age to come, eternal life.'
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