Friday 18 April 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Friday 18 April 2008
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Exodus 34:18-35

You shall keep the festival of unleavened bread. For seven days you
shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in
the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt. 
19 All that first opens the womb is mine, all your male* livestock, the
firstborn of cow and sheep. 20The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem
with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All
the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem.
No one shall appear before me empty-handed. 
21 For six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest;
even in ploughing time and in harvest time you shall rest. 22You shall
observe the festival of weeks, the first fruits of wheat harvest, and
the festival of ingathering at the turn of the year. 23Three times in
the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God, the God of
Israel. 24For I will cast out nations before you, and enlarge your
borders; no one shall covet your land when you go up to appear before
the Lord your God three times in the year. 
25 You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven, and the
sacrifice of the festival of the passover shall not be left until the
morning. 
26 The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring to the
house of the Lord your God.
You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. 
27 The Lord said to Moses: Write these words; in accordance with these
words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. 28He was there
with the Lord for forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor
drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the
ten commandments.* 
The Shining Face of Moses29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came
down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant* in his
hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had
been talking with God. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses,
the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.
31But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the
congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32Afterwards
all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that
the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33When Moses had finished
speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; 34but whenever Moses went
in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until
he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had
been commanded, 35the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the
skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face
again, until he went in to speak with him. 
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1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone
in Athens; 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in
proclaiming* the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for
the sake of your faith, 3so that no one would be shaken by these
persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are
destined for. 4In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand
that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know. 5For
this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about
your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and
that our labour had been in vain. 
Timothy's Encouraging Report6 But Timothy has just now come to us from
you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has
told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us-just
as we long to see you. 7For this reason, brothers and sisters,* during
all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you
through your faith. 8For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in
the Lord. 9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy
that we feel before our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most
earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is
lacking in your faith. 
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way
to you. 12And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one
another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13And may he so
strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our
God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 
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Matthew 5:27-37

'You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery." 28But
I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you
to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one
of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.* 30And
if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it
is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body
to go into hell.* 
Concerning Divorce31 'It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let
him give her a certificate of divorce." 32But I say to you that anyone
who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to
commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 
Concerning Oaths33 'Again, you have heard that it was said to those of
ancient times, "You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you
have made to the Lord." 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either
by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his
footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And
do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37Let your word be "Yes, Yes" or "No, No"; anything more than this comes
from the evil one.*
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 40, 54

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
   he inclined to me and heard my cry. 
2He drew me up from the desolate pit,*
   out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
   making my steps secure. 
3He put a new song in my mouth,
   a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
   and put their trust in the Lord. 


4Happy are those who make
   the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
   to those who go astray after false gods. 
5You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
   your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
   none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
   they would be more than can be counted. 


6Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
   but you have given me an open ear.*
Burnt-offering and sin-offering
   you have not required. 
7Then I said, 'Here I am;
   in the scroll of the book it is written of me.* 
8I delight to do your will, O my God;
   your law is within my heart.' 


9I have told the glad news of deliverance
   in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
   as you know, O Lord. 
10I have not hidden your saving help within my heart,
   I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
   from the great congregation. 


11Do not, O Lord, withhold
   your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
   keep me safe for ever. 
12For evils have encompassed me
   without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
   until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails me. 


13Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
   O Lord, make haste to help me. 
14Let all those be put to shame and confusion
   who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonour
   who desire my hurt. 
15Let those be appalled because of their shame
   who say to me, 'Aha, Aha!' 


16But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
   say continually, 'Great is the Lord!' 
17As for me, I am poor and needy,
   but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   do not delay, O my God.


Psalm 54

Save me, O God, by your name,
   and vindicate me by your might. 
2Hear my prayer, O God;
   give ear to the words of my mouth. 


3For the insolent have risen against me,
   the ruthless seek my life;
   they do not set God before them.
          Selah 


4But surely, God is my helper;
   the Lord is the upholder of* my life. 
5He will repay my enemies for their evil.
   In your faithfulness, put an end to them. 


6With a freewill-offering I will sacrifice to you;
   I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. 
7For he has delivered me from every trouble,
   and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 51

Psalm 51

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


3For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me. 
4Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement. 
5Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me. 


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


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


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


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


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