AME Zion Universal Reading March 17th, 2024

Sunday School Zoom Link

1 Peter 3:8–17 (NLT): All Christians

8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life

and see many happy days,

keep your tongue from speaking evil

and your lips from telling lies.

11 Turn away from evil and do good.

Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,

and his ears are open to their prayers.

But the Lord turns his face

against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Doing Good

13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

Monday

2 Timothy 4:1–8 (NLT):

I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

Tuesday

Psalm 67:1–7 (NLT): 1 May God be merciful and bless us.

May his face smile with favor on us.

Interlude

2 May your ways be known throughout the earth,

your saving power among people everywhere.

3 May the nations praise you, O God.

Yes, may all the nations praise you.

4 Let the whole world sing for joy,

because you govern the nations with justice

and guide the people of the whole world.

Interlude

5 May the nations praise you, O God.

Yes, may all the nations praise you.

6 Then the earth will yield its harvests,

and God, our God, will richly bless us.

7 Yes, God will bless us,

and people all over the world will fear him.

Wednesday

Mark 5:1–20 (NLT): Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

Thursday

Acts 9:10–22 (NLT):

10 Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied.

11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”

13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”

21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”

22 Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

Friday

Isaiah 1:16–20 (NLT):

16 Wash yourselves and be clean!

Get your sins out of my sight.

Give up your evil ways.

17 Learn to do good.

Seek justice.

Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans.

Fight for the rights of widows.

18 “Come now, let’s settle this,”

says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

I will make them as white as snow.

Though they are red like crimson,

I will make them as white as wool.

19 If you will only obey me,

you will have plenty to eat.

20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen,

you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Saturday

1 Peter 2:4–12 (NLT): Living Stones for God’s House

4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,

chosen for great honor,

and anyone who trusts in him

will never be disgraced.”

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.”

8 And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,

the rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;

now you are God’s people.

Once you received no mercy;

now you have received God’s mercy.”

11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

AME Zion Universal Reading March 10th, 2024

Sunday School Zoom Link

Vayak'hel

First Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 35

1Moses called the whole community of the children of Israel to assemble, and he said to them: "These are the things that the Lord commanded to make.2Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have sanctity, a day of complete rest to the Lord; whoever performs work thereon [on this day] shall be put to death.3You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwelling places on the Sabbath day."4And Moses spoke to the entire community of the children of Israel, saying: "This is the word that the Lord has commanded to say:5'Take from yourselves an offering for the Lord; every generous hearted person shall bring it, [namely] the Lord's offering: gold, silver, and copper;6and blue, purple, and crimson wool; and linen and goat hair;7and ram skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood;8and oil for lighting, and spices for the anointing oil and for the incense;9and shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen.10And every wise hearted person among you shall come and make everything that the Lord has commanded:11The Mishkan, its tent and its cover, its clasps and its planks, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;12the ark and its poles, the ark cover and the screening dividing curtain;13the table and its poles and all its implements, and the showbread;14and the menorah for lighting and its implements and its lamps, and the oil for lighting;15and the altar for incense and its poles, and the anointing oil and the incense and the screen of the entrance for the entrance of the Mishkan;16the altar for the burnt offering, its copper grating, its poles and all its implements, the washstand and its base;17the hangings of the courtyard, its pillars, and its sockets, and the screen of the gate of the courtyard;18the pegs of the Mishkan and the pegs of the courtyard, and their ropes;19the meshwork garments to serve in the Holy, the holy garments for Aaron the Kohen [Gadol], and the garments of his sons [in which] to serve [as kohanim].' "20The entire community departed from before Moses.21Every man whose heart uplifted him came, and everyone whose spirit inspired him to generosity brought the offering of the Lord for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.22The men came with the women; every generous hearted person brought bracelets and earrings and rings and buckles, all kinds of golden objects, and every man who waved a waving of gold to the Lord.23And every man with whom was found blue, purple, or crimson wool, linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red or tachash skins, brought them.24Everyone who set aside an offering of silver or copper brought the offering for the Lord, and everyone with whom acacia wood was found for any work of the service, brought it.25And every wise hearted woman spun with her hands, and they brought spun material: blue, purple, and crimson wool, and linen.26And all the women whose hearts uplifted them with wisdom, spun the goat hair.27And the princes brought the shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen;28and the spice and the oil for lighting and for the anointing oil, and for the incense.29Every man and woman whose heart inspired them to generosity to bring for all the work that the Lord had commanded to make, through Moses, the children of Israel brought a gift for the Lord

2 Corinthians 13:1–10 (NLT): Paul’s Final Advice

This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”). 2 I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them.

3 I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you. 4 Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.

5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 6 As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.

7 We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority. 8 For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. 9 We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.

10 I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.

Second Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 35

30Moses said to the children of Israel: "See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.31He has imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, and with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship32to do master weaving, to work with gold, silver, and copper,33with the craft of stones for setting and with the craft of wood, to work with every [manner of] thoughtful work.34And He put into his heart [the ability] to teach, both him and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.35He imbued them with wisdom of the heart, to do all sorts of work of a craftsman and a master worker and an embroiderer with blue, purple, and crimson wool, and linen and [of] weavers, those who do every [manner of] work, and master weavers.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 36

1Bezalel and Oholiab and every wise hearted man into whom God had imbued wisdom and insight to know how to do, shall do all the work of the service of the Holy, according to all that the Lord has commanded."2And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every wise hearted man into whose heart the Lord had given wisdom, everyone whose heart lifted him up to approach the work to do it.3So they took from before Moses all the offering[s] that the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the Holy, and they brought him more gifts every morning.4Then all the wise men who were doing the work of the Holy came, each one from his work, which they had been doing.5And they spoke to Moses, saying: "The people are bringing very much, more than is enough for the labor of the articles which the Lord had commanded to do."6So Moses commanded, and they announced in the camp, saying: "Let no man or woman do any more work for the offering for the Holy." So the people stopped bringing.7And the work was sufficient for them for all the work, to do it and to leave over.8Then all the wise hearted people of the performers of the work made the Mishkan out of ten curtains [consisting] of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool. A cherubim design, the work of a master weaver he made them.9The length of one curtain [was] twenty eight cubits, and the width of one curtain [was] four cubits the same measure for all the curtains.10And he joined five of these curtains to one another, and [the other] five curtains he [also] joined to one another.11And he made loops of blue wool on the edge of one curtain [that is] at the edge of the [first] set, and he did the same on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set.12He made fifty loops on [the edge of] one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set; the loops corresponded to one another.13And he made fifty golden clasps, and he fastened the curtains to one another with the clasps; so the Mishkan became one.14And [then] he made curtains of goat hair for a tent over the Mishkan; he made them eleven curtains.15The length of one curtain [was] thirty cubits, and the width of one curtain was four cubits; the same measure for the eleven curtains.16And he joined the five curtains by themselves, and the [other] six curtains by themselves.17And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the [first] set, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the [outermost] curtain of the second set.18And he made fifty copper clasps to fasten the tent together so that it became one.19And he made a covering for the tent, of ram skins dyed red and a covering of tachash skins above.20And he made the planks for the Mishkan of acacia wood, upright.21Ten cubits [was] the length of each plank, and a cubit and a half [was] the width of each plank.22Each plank had two square pegs, rung like, one even with the other; so did he make for all the planks of the Mishkan.23And he made the planks for the Mishkan, twenty planks for the southern side.24And he made forty silver sockets under the twenty planks; two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs, and two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs.25And for the second side of the Mishkan on the northern side he made twenty planks.26And their forty silver sockets: two sockets under one plank and two sockets under one plank.27And for the western end of the Mishkan he made six planks.28And he made two planks at the corners of the Mishkan at the end.29And they were matched evenly from below, and together they matched at its top, [to be put] into the one ring; so did he make for both of them; for the two corners.30And there were eight planks and their silver sockets, sixteen sockets two sockets [under one plank and] two sockets under one plank.31And he made bars of acacia wood, five for the planks of one side of the Mishkan,32and five bars for the planks of the second side of the Mishkan, and five bars for the planks of the [rear] side of the Mishkan, on the westward end.33And he made the middle bar to penetrate in the midst of the planks from one end to the other end.34And he overlaid the planks with gold, and their rings he made of gold as holders for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold.35And he made the dividing curtain of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen; the work of a master weaver he made it, in a [woven] cherubim design.36And he made for it four pillars of acacia wood, and he overlaid them with gold, their hooks [were] gold, and he cast for them four silver sockets.37And he made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen the work of an embroiderer,38and its five pillars and their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold, and their five sockets were copper.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 37

1Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.2And he overlaid it with pure gold from inside and from outside, and he made for it a golden crown all around.3And he cast four golden rings for it upon its four corners, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side.4And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.5And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark.6And he made an ark cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.7And he made two golden cherubim he made them of hammered work, from the two ends of the ark cover,8one cherub from the one end and the other cherub from the other end; from the ark cover he made the cherubim from its two ends.9The cherubim had their wings spread upwards, shielding the ark cover with their wings, with their faces toward one another; [turned] toward the ark cover were the faces of the cherubim.10And he made a table of acacia wood two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.11He overlaid it with pure gold, and he made for it a golden crown all around.12And he made for it a frame a handbreadth [wide] all around, and he made a golden crown for its frame all around.13And he cast for it four golden rings, and he placed the rings on the four corners that are on its four legs.14The rings were opposite the frame [as] holders for the poles [with which] to carry the table.15And he made the poles of acacia wood, and he overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.16And he made the implements that are on the table: its forms, its spoons, its half pipes, and its supports with which it will be covered of pure gold.

Monday

James 1:2–12 (NLT): Faith and Endurance

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Third Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 37

17And he made the menorah of pure gold; of hammered work he made the menorah, its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers were [all one piece] with it.18And six branches coming out of its sides: three menorah branches from its one side and three menorah branches from its second side.19Three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower, and three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.20And on [the stem of] the menorah [were] four decorated goblets, its knobs and its flowers.21And a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it; [so] for the six branches that come out of it.22Their knobs and their branches were [all one piece] with it; all of it [was] one hammered mass of pure gold.23And he made its lamps seven, and its tongs and its scoops of pure gold.24He made it of a talent of pure gold, and all its implements.25And he made the incense altar out of acacia wood, one cubit long and one cubit wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were [one piece] with it.26And he overlaid it with pure gold, [on] its top, its walls all around, and its horns; and he made for it a golden crown all around.27And he made two golden rings for it underneath its crown on its two corners, on its two sides, as holders for poles with which to carry it.28He made the poles out of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.29And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense after the art of a perfumer.

Tuesday

James 1:13–18 (NLT):

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Fourth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 38

1And he made the altar for the burnt offerings of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; [the altar was] square, and it [was] three cubits high.2And he made its horns on its four corners; its horns were [all one piece] from it, and he overlaid it with copper.3And he made all the implements of the altar, the pots, and the shovels and the sprinkling basins and the flesh hooks and the [fire] pans; he made all its implements of copper.4And he made for the altar a copper grating of netting work, beneath its ledge from below, until its middle.5And he cast four rings on the four ends of the copper grating, holders for the poles.6And he made the poles of acacia wood, and he overlaid them with copper.7And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar with which to carry it; he made it hollow, out of boards.8And he made the washstand of copper and its base of copper from the mirrors of the women who had set up the legions, who congregated at the entrance of the tent of meeting.9And he made the courtyard on the southern side [there were] hangings for the courtyard of twisted fine linen, one hundred cubits.10And their pillars [were] twenty and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.11And for the northern end one hundred cubits, their pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.12And for the western side, hangings fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.13And for the eastern end, fifty cubits.14The hangings on the shoulder [were] fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.15And on the second shoulder on either side of the gate of the courtyard, [there were] hangings of fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.16All the hangings of the courtyard all around were of twisted fine linen.17And the sockets for the pillars were copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver, and the overlay of their tops was silver, and they were banded with silver, all the pillars of the courtyard.18And the screen of the gate of the courtyard was the work of an embroiderer, [made] of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen, twenty cubits long, and its height in the width was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the courtyard.19And their pillars [were] four and their sockets four, of copper, their hooks silver, and the overlay of their tops and their bands were silver.20And all the pegs of the Mishkan and of the courtyard all around [were] copper.21These are the numbers of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony, which were counted at Moses' command; [this was] the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the Kohen.22Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, had made all that the Lord had commanded Moses.23With him was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman and master weaver, and an embroiderer in blue, purple, and crimson wool and in linen.24All the gold that had been used for the work in all the work of the Holy the gold of the waving was twenty nine talents, seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the holy shekel.25The silver of the community numbers was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy five shekels, according to the holy shekel.26One bekka per head; [that is,] half a shekel according to the holy shekel for each one who goes through the counting, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred three thousand, five hundred and fifty [people].27One hundred talents of the silver were used for casting the sockets of the Holy and the sockets of the dividing curtain; one hundred sockets out of one hundred talents, one talent for each socket.28And out of the one thousand seven hundred and seventy five [shekels] he made hooks for the pillars, and he covered their tops and banded them.29The copper of the waving was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels.30From that he made the sockets of the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the copper altar, the copper grating upon it, and all the implements of the altar,31and the sockets of the courtyard all around and the sockets of the gate to the courtyard, all the pegs of the Mishkan and all the pegs of the courtyard all around.

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 39

1And out of the blue, purple, and crimson wool they made the meshwork garments to serve in the Holy, and they made Aaron's holy garments, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Wednesday

Psalm 139:1–12 (NLT):

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

Fifth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 392And he made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen.3They hammered out the sheets of gold and cut threads [from them] to work [the gold] into the blue wool, into the purple wool, into the crimson wool, and into the fine linen, the work of a master weaver.4They made connecting shoulder straps for it at both its ends, it was entirely connected.5And its decorative band, which is above it, [emanated] from it, of the same work: gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen as the Lord had commanded Moses.6And they prepared the shoham stones, enclosed in gold settings, engraved [similar to] the engravings of a seal, with the names of the sons of Israel.7And he put them upon the shoulder straps of the ephod [as] stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.8He made the choshen, the work of a master weaver like the work of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen.9It was square [and] they made the choshen doubled its length one span and its width one span, doubled.10And they filled into it four rows of stones. One row: odem, pitdah, and bareketh, the one row.11And the second row: nofech, sappir, and yahalom.12And the third row: leshem, shevo, and achlamah.13And the fourth row: tarshish, shoham, and yashpheh; enclosed in gold settings in their fillings.14And the stones were for the names of the sons of Israel twelve, corresponding to their names; [similar to] the engravings of a seal, every one according to his name, for the twelve tribes.15For the choshen they made chains at the edges, of cable work, of pure gold.16They made two golden settings and two golden rings, and they placed the two rings on the two ends of the choshen.17And they placed the two golden cables on the two rings, at the ends of the choshen.18And the two ends of the two cables they placed upon the two settings, and they placed them upon the shoulder straps of the ephod, on its front part.19And they made two golden rings and placed them on the two ends of the choshen, on its edge that faced the inner side of the ephod.20And they made two golden rings and placed them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod, from below, toward its front, adjacent to its seam, above the band of the ephod.21And they fastened the choshen by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue wool, so that it could be upon the band of the ephod, so that the choshen would not move off the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Thursday

Psalm 139:13–24 (NLT):

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

Get out of my life, you murderers!

20 They blaspheme you;

your enemies misuse your name.

21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?

Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Sixth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 39

22And he made the robe of the ephod, the work of a weaver, completely of blue wool.23And the opening of the robe was turned inward like the opening of a coat of armor; its opening had a border around it so that it should not be torn.24And they made on the bottom hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson wool, twisted.25And they made bells of pure gold, and they placed the bells in the midst of the pomegranates all around on the bottom hem of the robe, in the midst of the pomegranates.26A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around on the bottom hem of the robe, to serve as the Lord had commanded Moses.27And they made the linen tunics, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and for his sons,28and the cap of linen, and the glorious high hats of linen, and the linen pants of twisted fine linen,29and the sash of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool, of embroidery work as the Lord had commanded Moses.30And they made the showplate, the holy crown, of pure gold, and they inscribed upon it an inscription like the engravings of a seal: "Holy to the Lord."31And they placed upon it a cord of blue wool to place over the cap, from above as the Lord had commanded Moses.32All the work of the Mishkan of the Tent of Meeting was completed; the children of Israel had done [it]; according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so they had done.33Now they brought the Mishkan to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings its clasps, its planks, its bars, its pillars and its sockets,34the covering of rams' skins dyed red, the covering of tachash skins, and the screening dividing curtain,35the Ark of the Testimony and its poles and the ark cover,36the table, all its implements and the showbread,37the pure menorah, its lamps, the lamps to be set in order and all its implements, and the oil for the lighting,38the golden altar, the anointing oil and the incense, and the screen of the entrance to the tent,39the copper altar and its copper grating, its poles and all its implements, the washstand and its base,40the hangings of the courtyard, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and its pegs, and all the implements for the service of the Mishkan, of the Tent of Meeting,41the meshwork garments for the service in the Holy, the holy garments for Aaron the Kohen [Gadol] and his sons' garments for serving [as kohanim].42In accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel do all the work.43Moses saw the entire work, and lo! they had done it-as the Lord had commanded, so had they done. So Moses blessed them.

Friday

2 Corinthians 11:21–33 (NLT):

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

Sixth Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 39

22And he made the robe of the ephod, the work of a weaver, completely of blue wool.23And the opening of the robe was turned inward like the opening of a coat of armor; its opening had a border around it so that it should not be torn.24And they made on the bottom hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson wool, twisted.25And they made bells of pure gold, and they placed the bells in the midst of the pomegranates all around on the bottom hem of the robe, in the midst of the pomegranates.26A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around on the bottom hem of the robe, to serve as the Lord had commanded Moses.27And they made the linen tunics, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and for his sons,28and the cap of linen, and the glorious high hats of linen, and the linen pants of twisted fine linen,29and the sash of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool, of embroidery work as the Lord had commanded Moses.30And they made the showplate, the holy crown, of pure gold, and they inscribed upon it an inscription like the engravings of a seal: "Holy to the Lord."31And they placed upon it a cord of blue wool to place over the cap, from above as the Lord had commanded Moses.32All the work of the Mishkan of the Tent of Meeting was completed; the children of Israel had done [it]; according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so they had done.33Now they brought the Mishkan to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings its clasps, its planks, its bars, its pillars and its sockets,34the covering of rams' skins dyed red, the covering of tachash skins, and the screening dividing curtain,35the Ark of the Testimony and its poles and the ark cover,36the table, all its implements and the showbread,37the pure menorah, its lamps, the lamps to be set in order and all its implements, and the oil for the lighting,38the golden altar, the anointing oil and the incense, and the screen of the entrance to the tent,39the copper altar and its copper grating, its poles and all its implements, the washstand and its base,40the hangings of the courtyard, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and its pegs, and all the implements for the service of the Mishkan, of the Tent of Meeting,41the meshwork garments for the service in the Holy, the holy garments for Aaron the Kohen [Gadol] and his sons' garments for serving [as kohanim].42In accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel do all the work.43Moses saw the entire work, and lo! they had done it-as the Lord had commanded, so had they done. So Moses blessed them.

Saturday

2 Corinthians 12:1–10 (NLT): Paul’s Vision and His Thorn in the Flesh

This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. 3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

5 That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Maftir Portion

Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 12

1The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,2This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year.3Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying, "On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household.4But if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor who is nearest to his house shall take [one] according to the number of people, each one according to one's ability to eat, shall you be counted for the lamb.5You shall have a perfect male lamb in its [first] year; you may take it either from the sheep or from the goats.6And you shall keep it for inspection until the fourteenth day of this month, and the entire congregation of the community of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon.7And they shall take [some] of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they will eat it.8And on this night, they shall eat the flesh, roasted over the fire, and unleavened cakes; with bitter herbs they shall eat it.9You shall not eat it rare or boiled in water, except roasted over the fire its head with its legs and with its innards.10And you shall not leave over any of it until morning, and whatever is left over of it until morning, you shall burn in fire.11And this is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste it is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord.12I will pass through the land of Egypt on this night, and I will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and upon all the gods of Egypt will I wreak judgments I, the Lord.13And the blood will be for you for a sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood and skip over you, and there will be no plague to destroy [you] when I smite the [people of the] land of Egypt.14And this day shall be for you as a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a festival for the Lord; throughout your generations, you shall celebrate it as an everlasting statute.15For seven days you shall eat unleavened cakes, but on the preceding day you shall clear away all leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leaven from the first day until the seventh day that soul shall be cut off from Israel.16And on the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; no work may be performed on them, but what is eaten by any soul that alone may be performed for you.17And you shall watch over the unleavened cakes, for on this very day I have taken your legions out of the land of Egypt, and you shall observe this day throughout your generations, [as] an everlasting statute.18In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, you shall eat unleavened cakes, until the twenty first day of the month in the evening.19For seven days, leavening shall not be found in your houses, for whoever eats leavening that soul shall be cut off from the community of Israel, both among the strangers and the native born of the land.20You shall not eat any leavening; throughout all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened cakes."

Haftarah

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) Chapter 45

18So says the Lord God: In the first month, on the first of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish, and you shall purify the sanctuary.19And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering and put it on the doorpost of the House, and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar and on the doorpost of the gate of the Inner Court.20And so shall you do on seven [days] in the month, because of mistaken and simple-minded men, and expiate the House.21In the first, on the fourteenth day of the month, shall you have the Passover, a festival of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.22And the prince shall make on that day for himself and for all the people of Israel a bull for a sin-offering.23On the seven days of the Festival he shall make a burnt-offering to the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams without blemish daily for seven days, and a sin offering, a he-goat daily.24And a meal-offering, he shall make an ephah for a bull and an ephah for a ram, and for each ephah one hin of oil.25In the seventh [month] on the fifteenth day of the month on the Festival, he shall do the same for seven days, a similar sin offering, a similar burnt-offering, a similar meal-offering and similar oil.

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) Chapter 46

1So says the Lord God: The gate of the Inner Court that faces toward the east shall remain closed the six working days, but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the New Moon it shall be opened.2And the prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate without, and he shall stand at the doorpost of the gate, and the priests shall offer his burnt-offering and his peace-offering, and he shall prostrate himself at the threshold of the gate, and go out, but the gate shall not be closed until the evening.3And the people of the land shall [also] prostrate themselves at the entrance of that gate on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons, before the Lord.4And the burnt-offering which the prince offers to the Lord; On the Sabbath shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish.5And as a meal-offering: one ephah for the ram; and for the lambs, a meal-offering as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.6But on the New Moon; a young bull without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, without blemish are they to be.7And an ephah for the bull and an ephah for the ram he shall bring as a meal-offering, but for the lambs as much as he can afford, and of oil a hin to an ephah.8And whenever the prince goes in, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gate, and by the same way shall he go out.9But when the people of the land come before the Lord on the times fixed for meeting, he who enters by way of the north gate to prostrate himself shall go out by way of the south gate, and he that enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate; he shall not return by way of the gate whereby he came in, but he shall go out by that which is opposite it.10The prince also [then] enters among them when they go in, and when they go out, they [the prince and the people together] go out.11And on the Festivals and on the times fixed for meeting, the meal-offering shall consist of an ephah for a bull and an ephah for a ram, but for the lambs a gift which is in accordance with his means, and oil, a hin to an ephah.12And when the prince brings a free will-offering, a burnt-offering or a peace- offering as a free will-offering to the Lord, one shall then open for him the gate that faces east, and he shall bring his burnt-offering and his peace-offering as he does on the Sabbath day, and after he has gone out, one shall close the gate.13And a lamb of the first year, without blemish shall you bring as a burnt-offering daily to the Lord, every morning shall you bring it.14And as a meal-offering you shall bring for it every morning a sixth of an ephah and a third of a hin of oil to stir [with] the fine flour; a meal-offering to the Lord, according to the perpetual ordinance.15Thus shall they bring the lamb and the meal-offering and the oil every morning, a continual burnt offering.

AME Zion Universal Reading March 3rd, 2024

Sunday School Zoom Link

Jude 17–25 (NLT): A Call to Remain Faithful

17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. 18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

A Prayer of Praise

24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Monday

1 Corinthians 15:1–15 (NLT): The Resurrection of Christ

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.

Tuesday

Numbers 16:12–34 (NLT):

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you! 13 Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? 14 What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men? We will not come.”

15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.” 16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the Lord. Aaron will also be here. 17 You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the Lord. Aaron will also bring his incense burner.”

18 So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron. 19 Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to the whole community, 20 and the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!”

22 But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”

23 And the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25 So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel. 26 “Quick!” he told the people. “Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.” 27 So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones.

28 And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own. 29 If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the Lord.”

31 He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. 33 So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel. 34 All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. “The earth will swallow us, too!” they cried.

Wednesday

Genesis 18:20–25 (NLT):

20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”

22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

Thursday

1 Peter 2:13–25 (NLT): Respecting People in Authority

13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.

Slaves

18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

22 He never sinned,

nor ever deceived anyone.

23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,

nor threaten revenge when he suffered.

He left his case in the hands of God,

who always judges fairly.

24 He personally carried our sins

in his body on the cross

so that we can be dead to sin

and live for what is right.

By his wounds

you are healed.

25 Once you were like sheep

who wandered away.

But now you have turned to your Shepherd,

the Guardian of your souls.

Friday

Genesis 5:18–24 (NLT):

18 When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 20 Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.

21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived 365 years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.

Saturday

Jude 3–16 (NLT): The Danger of False Teachers

3 Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. 6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. 7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.

8 In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. 9 But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.) 10 But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11 What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. 13 They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.

14 Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones 15 to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

16 These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.