Sunday 20 December 2009<br />
DAILY LECTIONARY<br />
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Email Evangelism, forward to a friend: http://www.dailylectionary.org<br />
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Genesis 3:8-15<br />
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They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ The Lord God said to the serpent,<br />
‘Because you have done this,<br />
cursed are you among all animals<br />
and among all wild creatures;<br />
upon your belly you shall go,<br />
and dust you shall eat<br />
all the days of your life. <br />
I will put enmity between you and the woman,<br />
and between your offspring and hers;<br />
he will strike your head,<br />
and you will strike his heel.’<br />
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Revelation 12:1-10<br />
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A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule* all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.<br />
And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.<br />
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Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,<br />
‘Now have come the salvation and the power<br />
and the kingdom of our God<br />
and the authority of his Messiah,*<br />
for the accuser of our comrades* has been thrown down,<br />
who accuses them day and night before our God.<br />
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John 3:16-21<br />
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‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.<br />
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‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’<br />
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 24, 29<br />
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Psalm 24<br />
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The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,<br />
the world, and those who live in it; <br />
for he has founded it on the seas,<br />
and established it on the rivers. <br />
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Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?<br />
And who shall stand in his holy place? <br />
Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,<br />
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,<br />
and do not swear deceitfully. <br />
They will receive blessing from the Lord,<br />
and vindication from the God of their salvation. <br />
Such is the company of those who seek him,<br />
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.*<br />
Selah <br />
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Lift up your heads, O gates!<br />
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!<br />
that the King of glory may come in. <br />
Who is the King of glory?<br />
The Lord, strong and mighty,<br />
the Lord, mighty in battle. <br />
Lift up your heads, O gates!<br />
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!<br />
that the King of glory may come in. <br />
Who is this King of glory?<br />
The Lord of hosts,<br />
he is the King of glory.<br />
Selah<br />
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Psalm 29<br />
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Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,*<br />
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. <br />
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;<br />
worship the Lord in holy splendour. <br />
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The voice of the Lord is over the waters;<br />
the God of glory thunders,<br />
the Lord, over mighty waters. <br />
The voice of the Lord is powerful;<br />
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. <br />
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The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;<br />
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. <br />
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,<br />
and Sirion like a young wild ox. <br />
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The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. <br />
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;<br />
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. <br />
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The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,*<br />
and strips the forest bare;<br />
and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’ <br />
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The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;<br />
the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever. <br />
May the Lord give strength to his people!<br />
May the Lord bless his people with peace!<br />
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 8, 84<br />
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Psalm 8<br />
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O Lord, our Sovereign,<br />
how majestic is your name in all the earth! <br />
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You have set your glory above the heavens. <br />
Out of the mouths of babes and infants<br />
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,<br />
to silence the enemy and the avenger. <br />
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When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,<br />
the moon and the stars that you have established; <br />
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,<br />
mortals* that you care for them? <br />
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Yet you have made them a little lower than God,*<br />
and crowned them with glory and honour. <br />
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;<br />
you have put all things under their feet, <br />
all sheep and oxen,<br />
and also the beasts of the field, <br />
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,<br />
whatever passes along the paths of the seas. <br />
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O Lord, our Sovereign,<br />
how majestic is your name in all the earth!<br />
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Psalm 84<br />
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How lovely is your dwelling place,<br />
O Lord of hosts! <br />
My soul longs, indeed it faints<br />
for the courts of the Lord;<br />
my heart and my flesh sing for joy<br />
to the living God. <br />
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Even the sparrow finds a home,<br />
and the swallow a nest for herself,<br />
where she may lay her young,<br />
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,<br />
my King and my God. <br />
Happy are those who live in your house,<br />
ever singing your praise.<br />
Selah <br />
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Happy are those whose strength is in you,<br />
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.* <br />
As they go through the valley of Baca<br />
they make it a place of springs;<br />
the early rain also covers it with pools. <br />
They go from strength to strength;<br />
the God of gods will be seen in Zion. <br />
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O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;<br />
give ear, O God of Jacob!<br />
Selah <br />
Behold our shield, O God;<br />
look on the face of your anointed. <br />
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For a day in your courts is better<br />
than a thousand elsewhere.<br />
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God<br />
than live in the tents of wickedness. <br />
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;<br />
he bestows favour and honour.<br />
No good thing does the Lord withhold<br />
from those who walk uprightly. <br />
O Lord of hosts,<br />
happy is everyone who trusts in you.<br />
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