Thursday 10 April 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Thursday 10 April 2008  
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Exodus 20:1-21

Then God spoke all these words:

 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before* me.

 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or
that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or
worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing
children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth
generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the
thousandth generation* of those who love me and keep my commandments.

 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for
the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall
labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the
Lord your God; you shall not do any work-you, your son or your daughter,
your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your
towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed
the sabbath day and consecrated it.

 Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in
the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

 You shall not murder.*

 You shall not commit adultery.

 You shall not steal.

 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

 You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your
neighbour's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything
that belongs to your neighbour.

 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of
the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid* and trembled
and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we
will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.' Moses said
to the people, 'Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and
to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.' Then the people
stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where
God was.
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Colossians 1:24-2:7

I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am
completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his
body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God's
commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully
known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and
generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose
to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory
of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he
whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom,
so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and
struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.

For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those
in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their
hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all
the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's
mystery, that is, Christ himself,* in whom are hidden all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. I am saying this so that no one may deceive you
with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with
you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your
faith in Christ.
 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live
your lives* in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the
faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
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Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he
was famished. The tempter came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.' But he answered,
'It is written,
"One does not live by bread alone,
   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." '

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle
of the temple, saying to him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself
down; for it is written,
"He will command his angels concerning you",
   and "On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone." ' 
Jesus said to him, 'Again it is written, "Do not put the Lord your God
to the test." '

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all
the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, 'All
these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.' Jesus said
to him, 'Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
"Worship the Lord your God,
   and serve only him." ' 
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 37:1-18

Psalm 37:1-18

Do not fret because of the wicked;
   do not be envious of wrongdoers, 
for they will soon fade like the grass,
   and wither like the green herb. 


Trust in the Lord, and do good;
   so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. 
Take delight in the Lord,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart. 


Commit your way to the Lord;
   trust in him, and he will act. 
He will make your vindication shine like the light,
   and the justice of your cause like the noonday. 


Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
   do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
   over those who carry out evil devices. 


Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
   Do not fret-it leads only to evil. 
For the wicked shall be cut off,
   but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 


Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
   though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there. 
But the meek shall inherit the land,
   and delight in abundant prosperity. 


The wicked plot against the righteous,
   and gnash their teeth at them; 
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
   for he sees that their day is coming. 


The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
   to bring down the poor and needy,
   to kill those who walk uprightly; 
their sword shall enter their own heart,
   and their bows shall be broken. 


Better is a little that the righteous person has
   than the abundance of many wicked. 
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
   but the Lord upholds the righteous. 


The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
   and their heritage will abide for ever;
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 37:19-42

Psalm 37:19-42

they are not put to shame in evil times,
   in the days of famine they have abundance. 


But the wicked perish,
   and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
   they vanish-like smoke they vanish away. 


The wicked borrow, and do not pay back,
   but the righteous are generous and keep giving; 
for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
   but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 


Our steps* are made firm by the Lord,
   when he delights in our* way; 
though we stumble,* we* shall not fall headlong,
   for the Lord holds us* by the hand. 


I have been young, and now am old,
   yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
   or their children begging bread. 
They are ever giving liberally and lending,
   and their children become a blessing. 


Depart from evil, and do good;
   so you shall abide for ever. 
For the Lord loves justice;
   he will not forsake his faithful ones. 


The righteous shall be kept safe for ever,
   but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 
The righteous shall inherit the land,
   and live in it for ever. 


The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
   and their tongues speak justice. 
The law of their God is in their hearts;
   their steps do not slip. 


The wicked watch for the righteous,
   and seek to kill them. 
The Lord will not abandon them to their power,
   or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial. 


Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way,
   and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
   you will look on the destruction of the wicked. 


I have seen the wicked oppressing,
   and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.* 
Again I* passed by, and they were no more;
   though I sought them, they could not be found. 


Mark the blameless, and behold the upright,
   for there is posterity for the peaceable. 
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
   the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off. 


The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
   he is their refuge in the time of trouble. 
The Lord helps them and rescues them;
   he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them,
   because they take refuge in him.
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