2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2

[5:16]From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. [17]So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! [18]All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; [19]that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. [20]So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [21]For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

[6:1]As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. [2]For he says,   
    "At an acceptable time I have listened to you,   
         and on a day of salvation I have helped you."   
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

Isaiah 62:6-7, 10-12

[6]   Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,   
         I have posted sentinels;   
    all day and all night   
         they shall never be silent.   
    You who remind the LORD,   
         take no rest,   
[7]   and give him no rest   
         until he establishes Jerusalem   
         and makes it renowned throughout the earth.

[10]  Go through, go through the gates,   
         prepare the way for the people;   
    build up, build up the highway,   
         clear it of stones,   
         lift up an ensign over the peoples.   
[11]  The LORD has proclaimed   
         to the end of the earth:   
    Say to daughter Zion,   
         "See, your salvation comes;   
    his reward is with him,   
         and his recompense before him."   
[12]  They shall be called, "The Holy People,   
         The Redeemed of the LORD";   
    and you shall be called, "Sought Out,   
         A City Not Forsaken."

Isaiah 12:1-6

[1]   You will say in that day:   
    I will give thanks to you, O LORD,   
         for though you were angry with me,   
    your anger turned away,   
         and you comforted me.

[2]   Surely God is my salvation;   
         I will trust, and will not be afraid,   
    for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might;   
         he has become my salvation.

[3]With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. [4]And you will
say in that   
day:   
    Give thanks to the LORD,   
         call on his name;   
    make known his deeds among the nations;   
         proclaim that his name is exalted.

[5]   Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;   
         let this be known in all the earth.   
[6]   Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,   
         for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 49:13-23

[13]  Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;  

          break forth, O mountains, into singing!  

     For the LORD has comforted his people,  

          and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

[14]  But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me,  

          my Lord has forgotten me."  

[15]  Can a woman forget her nursing child,  

          or show no compassion for the child of her womb?  

     Even these may forget,  

          yet I will not forget you.  

[16]  See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;  

          your walls are continually before me.  

[17]  Your builders outdo your destroyers,  

          and those who laid you waste go away from you.  

[18]  Lift up your eyes all around and see;  

          they all gather, they come to you.  

     As I live, says the LORD,  

          you shall put all of them on like an ornament,  

          and like a bride you shall bind them on.

[19]  Surely your waste and your desolate places  

          and your devastated land --  

     surely now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,  

          and those who swallowed you up will be far away.  

[20]  The children born in the time of your bereavement  

          will yet say in your hearing:  

     "The place is too crowded for me;  

          make room for me to settle."  

[21]  Then you will say in your heart,  

          "Who has borne me these?  

     I was bereaved and barren,  

          exiled and put away --  

          so who has reared these?  

     I was left all alone --  

          where then have these come from?"

[22]  Thus says the Lord GOD:  

     I will soon lift up my hand to the nations,  

          and raise my signal to the peoples;  

     and they shall bring your sons in their bosom,  

          and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.  

[23]  Kings shall be your foster fathers,  

          and their queens your nursing mothers.  

     With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,  

          and lick the dust of your feet.  

     Then you will know that I am the LORD;  

          those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.

Psalm 34

[1]   I will bless the LORD at all times;  

          his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  

[2]   My soul makes its boast in the LORD;  

          let the humble hear and be glad.  

[3]   O magnify the LORD with me,  

          and let us exalt his name together.  

[4]   I sought the LORD, and he answered me,  

          and delivered me from all my fears.  

[5]   Look to him, and be radiant;  

          so your faces shall never be ashamed.  

[6]   This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,  

          and was saved from every trouble.  

[7]   The angel of the LORD encamps  

          around those who fear him, and delivers them.  

[8]   O taste and see that the LORD is good;  

          happy are those who take refuge in him.  

[9]   O fear the LORD, you his holy ones,  

          for those who fear him have no want.  

[10]  The young lions suffer want and hunger,  

          but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

[11]  Come, O children, listen to me;  

          I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  

[12]  Which of you desires life,  

          and covets many days to enjoy good?  

[13]  Keep your tongue from evil,  

          and your lips from speaking deceit.  

[14]  Depart from evil, and do good;  

          seek peace, and pursue it.

[15]  The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,  

          and his ears are open to their cry.  

[16]  The face of the LORD is against evildoers,  

          to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.  

[17]  When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears,  

          and rescues them from all their troubles.  

[18]  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,  

          and saves the crushed in spirit.

[19]  Many are the afflictions of the righteous,  

          but the LORD rescues them from them all.  

[20]  He keeps all their bones;  

          not one of them will be broken.  

[21]  Evil brings death to the wicked,  

          and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.  

[22]  The LORD redeems the life of his servants;  

          none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

   

Psalm 116

[1]   I love the LORD, because he has heard   
         my voice and my supplications.   
[2]   Because he inclined his ear to me,   
         therefore I will call on him as long as I live.   
[3]   The snares of death encompassed me;   
         the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;   
         I suffered distress and anguish.   
[4]   Then I called on the name of the LORD:   
         "O LORD, I pray, save my life!"

[5]   Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;   
         our God is merciful.   
[6]   The LORD protects the simple;   
         when I was brought low, he saved me.   
[7]   Return, O my soul, to your rest,   
         for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

[8]   For you have delivered my soul from death,   
         my eyes from tears,   
         my feet from stumbling.   
[9]   I walk before the LORD   
         in the land of the living.   
[10]  I kept my faith, even when I said,   
         "I am greatly afflicted";   
[11]  I said in my consternation,   
         "Everyone is a liar."

[12]  What shall I return to the LORD   
         for all his bounty to me?   
[13]   I will lift up the cup of salvation   
         and call on the name of the LORD,   
[14]  I will pay my vows to the LORD   
         in the presence of all his people.   
[15]  Precious in the sight of the LORD   
         is the death of his faithful ones.   
[16]  O LORD, I am your servant;   
         I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.   
         You have loosed my bonds.   
[17]  I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice   
         and call on the name of the LORD.   
[18]  I will pay my vows to the LORD   
         in the presence of all his people,   
[19]  in the courts of the house of the LORD,   
         in your midst, O Jerusalem.   
    Praise the LORD!

 

Luke 2:1-20

[1]In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. [2]This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3]All went to their own towns to be registered. [4]Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. [5]He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. [6]While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. [7]And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

[8] In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9]Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [10]But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see -- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: [11]to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. [12]This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."
[13]And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,   
[14]  "Glory to God in the highest heaven,   
         and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

[15]When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." [16]So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. [17]When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; [18]and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. [19]But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. [20]The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.