Psalm 130 and James 1:16–25

PSALM 130

¹   Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
²       Lord, hear my voice!
     Let your ears be attentive
          to the voice of my supplications!

³   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
          Lord, who could stand?
⁴   But there is forgiveness with you,
          so that you may be revered.

⁵   I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
          and in his word I hope;
⁶   my soul waits for the Lord
          more than those who watch for the morning,
          more than those who watch for the morning.

⁷   O Israel, hope in the LORD!
          For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
          and with him is great power to redeem.
⁸   It is he who will redeem Israel
          from all its iniquities.

_________________________________

JAMES 1:16–27

¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved.

¹⁷Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ¹⁸In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

¹⁹You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. ²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

²²But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; ²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act - they will be blessed in their doing.

Psalm 36 and Joel 2:21-27

PSALM 36
1   Transgression speaks to the wicked
          deep in their hearts;
     there is no fear of God
          before their eyes.
2   For they flatter themselves in their own eyes
          that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3   The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;
          they have ceased to act wisely and do good.
4   They plot mischief while on their beds;
          they are set on a way that is not good;
          they do not reject evil.

5   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
          your faithfulness to the clouds.
6   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
          your judgments are like the great deep;
          you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.

7   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
          All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8   They feast on the abundance of your house,
          and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9   For with you is the fountain of life;
          in your light we see light.

10  O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
          and your salvation to the upright of heart!
11  Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
          or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12  There the evildoers lie prostrate;
          they are thrust down, unable to rise.

___________________________________________________________________

JOEL 2:21–27
21 Do not fear, O soil;
     be glad and rejoice,
     for the LORD has done great things!
22 Do not fear, you animals of the field,
     for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit,
     the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 O children of Zion, be glad
     and rejoice in the LORD your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
     he has poured down for you abundant rain,
     the early and the later rain, as before.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain,
     the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will repay you for the years
     that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
     my great army, which I sent against you.

26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
     and praise the name of the LORD your God,
     who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
     and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Joel 2:12–19 and Luke 15:1–10

JOEL 2:12–19

12 Yet even now, says the LORD,
     return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13     rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
     for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
     and relents from punishing.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
     and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
     for the LORD, your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
     sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16     gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
     assemble the aged;
gather the children,
     even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
     and the bride her canopy.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar
     let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD,
     and do not make your heritage a mockery,
     a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
     'Where is their God?'"

18 Then the LORD became jealous for his land,
     and had pity on his people.
19 In response to his people the LORD said:
I am sending you
     grain, wine, and oil,
     and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you

a mockery among the nations

____________________________________________________________________

LUKE 15:1–10
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3 So he told them this parable: 4 "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

8 "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Psalm 123 and Revelation 19:5-10

PSALM 123

¹   To you I lift up my eyes, 
          O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 
²   As the eyes of servants 
          look to the hand of their master, 
     as the eyes of a maid 
          to the hand of her mistress, 
     so our eyes look to the LORD our God, 
          until he has mercy upon us.

³   Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, 
          for we have had more than enough of contempt. 
⁴   Our soul has had more than its fill 
          of the scorn of those who are at ease, 

          of the contempt of the proud.

_______________________________________________________

REVELATION 19:5-10

⁵And from the throne came a voice saying, 
     "Praise our God, 
          all you his servants, 
     and all who fear him, 
          small and great." 
⁶Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, 
     "Hallelujah! 
     For the Lord our God 
          the Almighty reigns. 
⁷   Let us rejoice and exult 
          and give him the glory, 
     for the marriage of the Lamb has come, 
          and his bride has made herself ready; 
⁸   to her it has been granted to be clothed 
          with fine linen, bright and pure" — 
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

 

⁹And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are true words of God." ¹⁰Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Psalm 135 and Luke 14:12-24

PSALM 135
1   Praise the LORD!
          Praise the name of the LORD;
          give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2   you that stand in the house of the LORD,
          in the courts of the house of our God.
3   Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
          sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4   For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
          Israel as his own possession.

5   For I know that the LORD is great;
          our Lord is above all gods.
6   Whatever the LORD pleases he does,
          in heaven and on earth,
          in the seas and all deeps.
7   He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
          he makes lightnings for the rain
          and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

8   He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
          both human beings and animals;
9   he sent signs and wonders
          into your midst, O Egypt,
          against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10  He struck down many nations
          and killed mighty kings —
11  Sihon, king of the Amorites,
          and Og, king of Bashan,
          and all the kingdoms of Canaan —
12  and gave their land as a heritage,
          a heritage to his people Israel.

13  Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
          your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14  For the LORD will vindicate his people,
          and have compassion on his servants.

15  The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
          the work of human hands.
16  They have mouths, but they do not speak;
          they have eyes, but they do not see;
17  they have ears, but they do not hear,
          and there is no breath in their mouths.
18  Those who make them
          and all who trust them
          shall become like them.

19  O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
          O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20  O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
          You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21  Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
          he who resides in Jerusalem.
     Praise the LORD!

__________________________________________________________________

LUKE 14:12–24

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." 

15 One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17 At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' 19 Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' 20 Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 22 And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room." 23 Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

Psalm 51 and Psalm 142

PSALM 51

¹   Have mercy on me, O God, 
          according to your steadfast love; 
     according to your abundant mercy 
          blot out my transgressions. 
²   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 
          and cleanse me from my sin.

³   For I know my transgressions, 
          and my sin is ever before me. 
⁴   Against you, you alone, have I sinned, 
          and done what is evil in your sight, 
     so that you are justified in your sentence 
          and blameless when you pass judgment. 

⁵   Indeed, I was born guilty, 
          a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶   You desire truth in the inward being; 
          therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 
⁷   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; 
          wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
⁸   Let me hear joy and gladness; 
          let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 
⁹   Hide your face from my sins, 
          and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God, 
          and put a new and right spirit within me. 
¹¹  Do not cast me away from your presence, 
          and do not take your holy spirit from me. 
¹²  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, 
          and sustain in me a willing spirit.

¹³  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 
          and sinners will return to you. 
¹⁴  Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, 
          O God of my salvation, 
          and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵  O Lord, open my lips, 
          and my mouth will declare your praise. 
¹⁶  For you have no delight in sacrifice; 
          if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. 
¹⁷  The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; 
          a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸  Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; 
          rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 
¹⁹  then you will delight in right sacrifices, 
          in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; 
          then bulls will be offered on your altar.

_______________________________________________________

PSALM 142

¹   With my voice I cry to the LORD; 
          with my voice I make supplication to the LORD. 
²   I pour out my complaint before him; 
          I tell my trouble before him. 
³   When my spirit is faint, 
          you know my way.

     In the path where I walk 
          they have hidden a trap for me. 
⁴   Look on my right hand and see — 
          there is no one who takes notice of me; 
     no refuge remains to me; 
          no one cares for me.

⁵   I cry to you, O LORD; 
          I say, “You are my refuge, 
          my portion in the land of the living.” 
⁶   Give heed to my cry, 
          for I am brought very low.

     Save me from my persecutors, 
          for they are too strong for me. 
⁷   Bring me out of prison, 
          so that I may give thanks to your name. 
     The righteous will surround me, 
          for you will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 97 and Luke 13:18–30

PSALM 97 
1   The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;
          let the many coastlands be glad!
2   Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
          righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3   Fire goes before him,
          and consumes his adversaries on every side.
4   His lightnings light up the world;
          the earth sees and trembles.
5   The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
          before the Lord of all the earth.

6   The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
          and all the peoples behold his glory.
7   All worshipers of images are put to shame,
          those who make their boast in worthless idols;
          all gods bow down before him.
8   Zion hears and is glad,
          and the towns of Judah rejoice,
          because of your judgments, O God.
9   For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
          you are exalted far above all gods.

10  The LORD loves those who hate evil;
          he guards the lives of his faithful;
          he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11  Light dawns for the righteous,
          and joy for the upright in heart.
12  Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
          and give thanks to his holy name!

_________________________________________________________________

LUKE 13:18–30

18 He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." 

 

20 And again he said, "To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." 

 

22 Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then in reply he will say to you, 'I do not know where you come from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, 'I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!' 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. 29 Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."