Thursday 24 June 2010<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><!--StartFragment-->
<p class="MsoNormal">DAILY LECTIONARY</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Email Evangelism, forward to a friend: http://www.dailylectionary.org</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Numbers 17:1-11<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites, and get twelve staffs from them, one for each ancestral house, from all the leaders of their ancestral houses. Write each man’s name on his staff, and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each ancestral house. Place them in the tent of meeting before the covenant,* where I meet with you. And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout; thus I will put a stop to the complaints of the Israelites that they continually make against you. Moses spoke to the Israelites; and all their leaders gave him staffs, one for each leader, according to their ancestral houses, twelve staffs; and the staff of Aaron was among theirs. So Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant.*</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When Moses went into the tent of the covenant* on the next day, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted. It put forth buds, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites; and they looked, and each man took his staff. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Put back the staff of Aaron before the covenant,* to be kept as a warning to rebels, so that you may make an end of their complaints against me, or else they will die.’ Moses did so; just as the Lord commanded him, so he did.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Romans 5:1-11</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we* have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access* to this grace in which we stand; and we* boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we* also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.* For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Matthew 20:17-28</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’* They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Morning Psalms: Psalm 105:1-22</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 105:1-22</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>make known his deeds among the peoples.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sing to him, sing praises to him;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>tell of all his wonderful works.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Glory in his holy name;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Seek the Lord and his strength;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>seek his presence continually.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Remember the wonderful works he has done,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>his miracles, and the judgements he has uttered,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">O offspring of his servant Abraham,*</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>children of Jacob, his chosen ones.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">He is the Lord our God;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>his judgements are in all the earth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He is mindful of his covenant for ever,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">the covenant that he made with Abraham,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>his sworn promise to Isaac,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>to Israel as an everlasting covenant,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>as your portion for an inheritance.’</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When they were few in number,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>of little account, and strangers in it,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">wandering from nation to nation,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>from one kingdom to another people,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">he allowed no one to oppress them;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>he rebuked kings on their account,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">saying, ‘Do not touch my anointed ones;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>do my prophets no harm.’</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">When he summoned famine against the land,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and broke every staff of bread,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">he had sent a man ahead of them,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Joseph, who was sold as a slave.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His feet were hurt with fetters,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>his neck was put in a collar of iron;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">until what he had said came to pass,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>the word of the Lord kept testing him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The king sent and released him;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>the ruler of the peoples set him free.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He made him lord of his house,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and ruler of all his possessions,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">to instruct* his officials at his pleasure,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and to teach his elders wisdom.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Evening Psalms: Psalm 105:23-45</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 105:23-45</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Then Israel came to Egypt;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And the Lord made his people very fruitful,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and made them stronger than their foes,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>to deal craftily with his servants.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">He sent his servant Moses,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and Aaron whom he had chosen.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They performed his signs among them,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and miracles in the land of Ham.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He sent darkness, and made the land dark;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>they rebelled* against his words.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He turned their waters into blood,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and caused their fish to die.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Their land swarmed with frogs,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>even in the chambers of their kings.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and gnats throughout their country.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He gave them hail for rain,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and lightning that flashed through their land.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He struck their vines and fig trees,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and shattered the trees of their country.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He spoke, and the locusts came,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and young locusts without number;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">they devoured all the vegetation in their land,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and ate up the fruit of their ground.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He struck down all the firstborn in their land,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>the first issue of all their strength.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Then he brought Israel* out with silver and gold,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Egypt was glad when they departed,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>for dread of them had fallen upon it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He spread a cloud for a covering,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and fire to give light by night.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They asked, and he brought quails,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and gave them food from heaven in abundance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He opened the rock, and water gushed out;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>it flowed through the desert like a river.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For he remembered his holy promise,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and Abraham, his servant.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">So he brought his people out with joy,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>his chosen ones with singing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He gave them the lands of the nations,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">that they might keep his statutes</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and observe his laws.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Praise the Lord!</p>
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