November 1st
This is what the Lord Almighty says...
Judge fairly and honestly and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, or poor people. Do not make evil plans to harm each other. Your ancestors would not listen to this message. They turned stubbornly away, shrugged their shoulders and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath from the Lord came upon them. "Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to Me", says the Lord. "But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. The land that had been so pleasant became a desert."
¤ "Come now, let us reason together", says the Lord. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. If you are willing and obedient, I can help you, and you shall eat the good of the land. But if you keep rebelling and refusing to listen, you shall be devoured by the enemy. I, the Lord, have spoken".
¤ There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. ¤ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ¤ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. ¤ Go into all the world and teach this good news to everyone, everywhere. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
¤ Don't you know that those who do wickedly will have no share in the kingdom of God? Don't be under any illusion; neither those who indulge in sexual sin nor those who are idolaters, neither adulterers, homosexuals or those submitting to them, neither thieves nor the greedy, neither drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will have a share in the kingdom of God.— There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God... You were bought with a price! Honor God with your body.
Zechariah 7:9-14 Isaiah 1:18-20 Romans 8:1 Galatians 3:27, 28
1st Corinthians 12:13 Mark 16:15,16 1st Corinthians 6:9-11, 20
November 2nd
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Have you forgotten the word of encouragement that addresses you as children? "My child, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes those whom He accepts as his children." Endure hardship and discipline! Remember that God is treating you as His own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children after all. Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever?
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best. But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in His holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong. Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the grace of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison...
See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."
Hebrews 12:4-15, 25-29
November 3rd
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever any type of trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.
For when your faith is tested, perseverance has a chance to grow. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.
God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his/her own evil desire, they are dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.
Do not be deceived; whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, He never changes or casts shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, and we, out of all creation, became His choice possession.
Dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. For your anger can never make things right in God's sight. So get rid of all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls. And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to.
James 1:2-22
November 4th
If you do not obey God's message, you are only fooling yourself.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what is says is like a person who looks at their natural reflection in the mirror and, after looking at themselves, go away and immediately forget what they look like. But if you are the person who looks intently into God's perfect law—the law that sets you free—and if you do what it says and do not forget what you heard, then God will bless you in whatever you do.
If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are deceiving your own heart and your particular religion is useless. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father is this: That we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and keep ourselves from the corruption that is in the world.
¤ As believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not favor some people more than others. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "sit on the floor by my feet", have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with the wrong motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters; Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him? And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into the courts? Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law, save one point, is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws. For the same God who said, "Do not commit adultery", also said, "Do not commit murder." So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery. So whatever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over His judgement against you.
James 1:22-27 James 2:1-13
November 5th
What is the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions?
That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed", but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that does not show itself through actions is not faith at all—it is dead and useless. But, someone will always say, "Some people have faith; others have good works." But I say, "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith through my works." Do you believe that there is one God? Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder!
You foolish people, do you want evidence that faith without works is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete through what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness", and he was called the friend of God. You can see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and then sent them off in a different and safe direction? Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good works.
¤ You are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that He has done. The Scriptures say, "Once you were nobody. Now you are God's people. At one time no one had pity on you. Now God has treated you with kindness." Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on the earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those earthly desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgement, they will honor God through having to tell the truth about the good things they saw you do.
James 2:14-26 1st Peter 2:9-12
November 6th
Not many of you should presume to be teachers of God's truth, for those who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he/she says, they are a perfect person, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual; of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace will raise a harvest of righteousness.
¤ No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him. God's children cannot keep on being sinful because His life-giving power lives in them and makes them His children, so that they cannot keep on sinning.
James 3:1-18 1st John 3:9, 10
November 7th
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your own desires that battle within you?
You want something but you don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter into mourning for your sins, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. Do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. There is only One lawgiver and One judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it's here for a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
¤ Dear friends, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil proves that they do not know God.
James 4:1-17 3rd John 11
November 8th
Listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.
Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you. ¤ What sorrows await you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now.
¤ Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, or you will be judged. The judge is standing at the door! As an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, do not swear an oath—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No" be no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? They should call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
¤ You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created.
James 5:1-6 Luke 6:24 James 5:7-18 Revelation 4:11
November 9th
If one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
¤ All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by His boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for His children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in His mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting Him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for awhile...
So don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God—who chose you to be His children—is holy. For He himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy." And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when He judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as foreigners here on earth. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless lamb of God. God chose Him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, He was sent to earth for all to see. And He did this for you.
Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, for you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.
James 5:19, 20 1st Peter 1:3-6, 14-25
November 10th
May grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through this He has given us His very great and precious promises, that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture ever came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
2nd Peter 1:2-21
November 11th
I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire.
This will be their argument: "Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness, but He is patient with us, not willing for anyone to perish, but that everyone should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of unlearned, lawless men and fall from your own secure positions. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2nd Peter 3:3-18
November 12th
While I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
¤ If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ¤ For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered His people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these He kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgement on the great day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. The visible remains of those cities of the plain serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" Yet these mere men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them. Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed by Korah's rebellion. These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are worldly persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Jude 3 2nd Corinthians 4:3 Jude 4-19
November 13th
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man and woman was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made by Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, to them He gave the right to become the children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning Him, "He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me." From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only who is at the Father's side, has made Him known.
¤ 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. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 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."
...In a loud voice they sang, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
John 1:1-18 Revelation 5:1-5, 12
November 14th
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world.
Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God, but whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work. ¤ Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
¤ To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him... "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
¤ And now, this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor My name, says the Lord Almighty, I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor Me. Because of you I will rebuke your descendants... For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction—because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble...
Another thing you do: You flood the Lord's altar with tears. You weep and wail because He no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, "Why?" It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are His. And why one? Because He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. "I hate divorce," says the Lord God, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment." So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.
2nd John 7-11 Jude 21 Revelation 1:5-8 Malachi 2:1-3, 7, 8, 13-16
November 15th
I am John, your brother...
In Jesus we are partners in suffering and in the kingdom and in patient endurance. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and speaking about Jesus. It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast. It said, "Write down what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was one like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest. His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were bright like flames of fire. His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice thundered like many ocean waves. He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth. And His face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand upon me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living One who died. Look! I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen later." ¤ This is the disciple who saw these events and recorded them here. And we all know that his account of these things is accurate. And I suppose that if all the other things Jesus did were written down, the whole world could not contain the books.
¤ The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 1:9-19 John 21:24, 25 Revelation 22:17-20
November 16th
This is what the Lord says...
Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve. Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.
A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away from You will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the one I praise. They keep saying to me, "Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled!" I have not run away from being Your shepherd; You know I have not urged You to send disaster. But let my persecutors be put to shame, yet keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. Yes, bring on the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction.
¤ Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Do its cool waters from distant sources ever cease to flow? Yet My people have forgotten Me; they burn incense to worthless idols, which make them stumble in their ways and in the ancient paths. They have walked in bypaths and on roads not built up. Their land will be laid waste, an object of lasting scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads. Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their disaster.
Jeremiah 17:5-18 Jeremiah 18:14-17
November 17th
"Whoever can be trusted with very little, can also be trusted with very much...
Whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Now the Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. So He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.
¤ At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure. All things have been committed to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
¤ God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in Him is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth welcomes the light, because it may be seen plainly that what he does is being done through God.
¤ ...Save yourselves from this corrupt generation. ¤ Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit... Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Luke 16:10-15 Matthew 11:25-30 John 3:16-21 Acts 2:40 Acts 2:38, 41, 47
November 18th
Here is My servant, whom I have chosen...
The one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out, until He leads justice to victory. And in His name will be the hope of all the world.
¤ While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with Him and His disciples, for there were many disreputable people who followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?" On hearing this Jesus said to them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do. I have not come to call those who think they are already good enough, but to call sinners to repentance."
¤ The crowd asked John the baptist, "What should we do?" John replied, "If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry." Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?" "Show your honesty," he replied. "Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to." "What should we do?" asked some soldiers. John replied, "Don't extort money, and don't accuse people of things that you know they did not do. And be content with your pay." Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the One. John answered their questions by saying, "I baptize with water; but One is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be His slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
¤ Jesus asked, "What will you think if you see Me, the Son of Man, return to heaven again? It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accounts for nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you; they are Spirit and they are life. But some of you do not believe Me... That is what I meant when I said that no one can come to Me unless it is granted by My Father." At this point many of His disciples turned away and followed Him no more. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, "Do you also want to go away?" Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Only You have the words of eternal life."
Matthew 12:18-21 Mark 2:15-17 Luke 3:10-16 John 6:62-68
November 19th
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth...
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
¤ A large crowd followed and pressed around Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from all her suffering.
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched My clothes?" "You see the people crowding against You," His disciples answered, "and yet You can ask, 'Who touched Me?' " But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He then said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
¤ One day Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed along, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are going to drown!" He got up from His place and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and there was a calm. "Where is you faith?" He asked His disciples. And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey His voice!"
Matthew 10:34-39 Mark 5:24-34 Luke 8:22-25
November 20th
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.
As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll containing the messages of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. Unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim that the time of the Lord's favor has come." Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
Then He said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." All who were there spoke well of Him and were amazed by the gracious words that fell from His lips. "How can this be?" they asked. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" Then He said, "Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' I tell you the truth," He continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them were cleansed, save Naaman the Syrian."
When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed Him and took Him to the edge of the hill on which the city was built. They intended to push Him over the cliff, but He slipped away through the crowd and left them, going on His way. Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at His teaching, for His word was with authority.
¤ I have come in My Father's name, and you do not welcome Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will welcome him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. No, your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you had believed Moses, you would have believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?
Luke 4:16-32 John 5:43-47
November 21st
As Jesus was walking along, two blind men began following Him and shouting, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"
When He had gone indoors, the blind men came to Him, and He asked them, "Do you believe I can make you see?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. Then He touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done for you." And suddenly their sight was restored. Jesus then sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about this." But they went out and spread the news about Him all over that region. While they were going out, a man who was demon possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!"
¤ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. When He heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was passing by him, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and stood still, then commanded him to be called. So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! Get on your feet! He is calling you!" Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want Me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you." And instantly the blind man could see! Then he followed Jesus along the road.
¤ Early the next morning Jesus went alone out into the wilderness. The crowds searched everywhere for Him, and when they finally found Him, they begged Him not to leave them. But He replied, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God in other places, too, because that is why I was sent." So He continued to travel around, preaching in the synagogues throughout Judea.
¤ He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned"... Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.
Matthew 9:27-33 Mark 10:46-52 Luke 5:42-44 Mark 16:15, 16, 20
November 22nd
Despite all the miraculous signs He had done, most of the people did not believe in Him.
This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: "Lord, who has believed our message? To whom will the Lord reveal His saving power?" But the people couldn't believe, for as Isaiah also said, "The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts—so their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and let Me heal them." Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he made this prediction, because he was given a vision of the Messiah's glory. On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the Jewish leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they did not come out in the open with it. They feared that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in Me, he does not believe in Me only, but in the One who sent me. When he looks at Me, he sees the One who sent Me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness. As for the person who hears My words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words, and that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
¤ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds with Him answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." Then Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it into a den of thieves.' "
Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"
"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise?' "
John 12:37-50 Matthew 21:10-16
November 23rd
An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside Him. Then He said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. Therefore, whoever is least among you all—he is the greatest."
¤ The Lord then appointed seventy-two others and sent them out two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves."
¤ As Jesus was leaving the temple one day, one of His disciples said, "Teacher, look at these tremendous buildings! Look at the massive stones in the walls!" Jesus replied, "These magnificent buildings will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another." Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives across the valley from the temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked Him, "When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to show us when all this will be fulfilled?" Jesus replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, because many will come in My name, claiming to be some type of Messiah. They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, and famines. But all this will only be the beginning of the horrors to come."
¤ The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape. ¤ The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise to return, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sakes. He is not willing for any of us to perish, and is allowing the existing time for everyone to repent. But, again, the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the elements in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be burned up.
Luke 9:46-48 Luke 10:1-3 Mark 13:1-8 1st Thessalonians 5:2, 3 2nd Peter 3:9, 10
November 24th
As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. "Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call Me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' " "Teacher," he answered, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," He said, "go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
¤ Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him? And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's royal command found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if you pay special attention to the rich, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
¤ The wicked go to bed rich but wake up to find that their wealth is gone. Terror overwhelms them, and they are blown away in the storms of the night. The east wind carries them away, and they are gone. It sweeps them away. It whirls down on them without mercy. They struggle to flee from its power. It claps its hands in derision and hisses them out of their place.
¤ The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall. ¤ A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.
¤ Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro. He bustles about, but only in vain. He heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You. Save me from all my transgressions, and do not make me the scorn of fools.
Mark 10:17-23 James 2:5-9 Job 27:19-23 Proverbs 18:11 & 28:11 Psalm 39:6-8
November 25th
Will one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let him who accuses God answer Him!
¤ Then Job replied to the Lord, "I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You. You ask, 'Who is it that questions My wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I. And I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me. You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' I had heard about You before, but now I have seen with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."
¤ I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But You desire honesty from the heart, so You can teach me to be wise in my inmost being. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; You have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don't keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You. Then I will teach Your ways to sinners, and they will return to You.
¤ What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place where the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow. ¤ Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Job 40:2 Job 42:1-6 Psalm 51:5-13 Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14
November 26th
"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord...
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword."
¤ Because of the Lord's great mercy, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. His mercy is new every morning; great is His faithfulness. ¤ He has removed our rebellious acts as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children; tender and compassionate to those who respect Him.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance, therefore, I will wait for Him!" The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him. So it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for the young to submit to the yoke of His discipline. Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord's demands. Let them bury their face in the dust—there may yet be hope. Let them turn the other cheek to those who would strike them. Let them accept the insults of their enemies. For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever; though He brings sorrow, He also shows compassion according to the greatness of His mercy. For He does not willing bring grief to the children of men.
¤ "What?" you ask. "Doesn't the child pay for the parents sins?" No! For if the child does what is right and keeps My laws, that child will surely live. The one who sins is the one who dies. The child will not be punished for the parent's sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child's sins. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey My laws and do what is just and right, then they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done. Do you think that I, the Sovereign Lord, like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn form their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their right ways and start acting in the detestable ways of the wicked, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All of their previous goodness will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.
Isaiah 1:18-20 Lamentations 3:22-33 Psalm 103:12, 13 Ezekiel 18:19-24
November 27th
Great crowds of people were following Jesus...
Turning to them, He said, "If you want to be My follower you must love Me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple. And you cannot be My disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me. But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to complete the project? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!'
Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of ten thousand is strong enough to defeat the twenty thousand soldiers who are marching against him? If he is not able, then while the enemy is still far away, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace. So, no one can become My disciple without giving up everything for Me. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for fertilizer. It is thrown away. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
¤ Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent Me, and from finishing His work. Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, 'One person plants and someone else harvests.' And it is true. I am sending you to harvest where you did not plant; others have already done the hard planting, and you will reap the benefits of their labor."
¤ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must put aside your selfish ambitions, shoulder your cross, and follow Me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for Me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul? For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of My Father with His angels and will judge all people according to their deeds."
Luke 14:25-35 John 4:34-38 Matthew 16:24-28
November 28th
I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf is welcoming Me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trust in Me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around their neck. ¤ Let the children come to Me. Don't stop them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the kingdom of God.
¤ My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One who pleases God completely. He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins, but the sins of all the world. And how can we be sure that we belong to Him? By obeying His commandments. If someone says, "I belong to God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. But those who obey God's word really do love Him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.
¤ Jesus said, "My light will shine out for you just a little while longer. Walk in the light while you can, so that you will not stumble when the darkness falls. If you walk in the darkness, you cannot see where you are going. Believe in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of light."
¤ Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. "Honor your father and your mother" is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, "so that you will live well and have a long life." And fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master. ¤ Discipline your children properly, and they will give you happiness and peace of mind.
Matthew 18:3-6 Mark 10:14, 15 1st John 2:1-6 John 12:35, 36 Ephesians 6:1-4 Proverbs 29:17
November 29th
God saw all the He had made, and it was very good.
When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens there was no shrub of the field that had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but fountains came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. The Lord God then formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man that He had formed.
¤ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that you are always thinking of him, this mere mortal that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
¤ The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, and night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world!
...The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making the wise simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. Reverence for the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous...
Who can discern all the sins lurking within his heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep Your servant also from deliberate sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Genesis 1:31 Genesis 2:4-8 Psalm 8:3-9 Psalm 19:1-4, 7-9, 12-14
November 30th
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the measuring line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for Joy? ...Have you commanded the morning since your days began? And caused the dawn to know its place? ...Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place? ...Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion? ...Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?
¤ "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "That I will send a famine on the land. Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. ¤ With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him. He has withdrawn Himself from them.
¤ Destruction comes; they will seek peace, but there shall be none."
¤ With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the Most High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God!
¤ "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," says the Lord of hosts, "that will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name, the Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings. And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the souls of your feet on the day that I do this," says the Lord of hosts. ¤ "Surely I am coming quickly."
Job 38:4-7, 12, 19, 31, 36 Amos 8:11, 12 Hosea 5:6 Ezekiel 7:25 Micah 6:6-8 Malachi 4:1-3 Revelation 22:20
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