Healing In the Harvest

Revelation 14:14–20 (NLT):

The Harvest of the Earth

14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

15 Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” 16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.

17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.

Numbers 25:1–18 (NLT):

Moab Seduces Israel

While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. 2 These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. 3 In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.

4 The Lord issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the Lord in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.”

5 So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

6 Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear 8 and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, 9 but not before 24,000 people had died.

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger. 12 Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him. 13 In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me.”

14 The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon. 15 The woman’s name was Cozbi; she was the daughter of Zur, the leader of a Midianite clan.

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, 17 “Attack the Midianites and destroy them, 18 because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor.”

Esther 1:10–22 (NLT):

Queen Vashti Deposed

10 On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas—11 to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. 12 But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger.

13 He immediately consulted with his wise advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. 14 The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan—seven nobles of Persia and Media. They met with the king regularly and held the highest positions in the empire.

15 “What must be done to Queen Vashti?” the king demanded. “What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king’s orders, properly sent through his eunuchs?”

16 Memucan answered the king and his nobles, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. 17 Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. 18 Before this day is out, the wives of all the king’s nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger.

19 “So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from the presence of King Xerxes, and that the king should choose another queen more worthy than she. 20 When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!”

21 The king and his nobles thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan’s counsel. 22 He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.

Leviticus 13:1–46

Serious Skin Diseases

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons. 3 The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.

4 “But if the affected area of the skin is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has not changed and the problem has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine the person for seven more days. 6 On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has faded and has not spread, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. It was only a rash. The person’s clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. 7 But if the rash continues to spread after the person has been examined by the priest and has been pronounced clean, the infected person must return to be examined again. 8 If the priest finds that the rash has spread, he must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is indeed a skin disease.

9 “Anyone who develops a serious skin disease must go to the priest for an examination. 10 If the priest finds a white swelling on the skin, and some hair on the spot has turned white, and there is an open sore in the affected area, 11 it is a chronic skin disease, and the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. In such cases the person need not be quarantined, for it is obvious that the skin is defiled by the disease.

12 “Now suppose the disease has spread all over the person’s skin, covering the body from head to foot. 13 When the priest examines the infected person and finds that the disease covers the entire body, he will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. Since the skin has turned completely white, the person is clean. 14 But if any open sores appear, the infected person will be pronounced ceremonially unclean. 15 The priest must make this pronouncement as soon as he sees an open sore, since open sores indicate the presence of a skin disease. 16 However, if the open sores heal and turn white like the rest of the skin, the person must return to the priest 17 for another examination. If the affected areas have indeed turned white, the priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean by declaring, ‘You are clean!’

18 “If anyone has a boil on the skin that has started to heal, 19 but a white swelling or a reddish white spot develops in its place, that person must go to the priest to be examined. 20 If the priest examines it and finds it to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair in the affected area has turned white, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. The boil has become a serious skin disease. 21 But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the person for seven days. 22 If during that time the affected area spreads on the skin, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, because it is a serious disease. 23 But if the area grows no larger and does not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil, and the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean.

24 “If anyone has suffered a burn on the skin and the burned area changes color, becoming either reddish white or shiny white, 25 the priest must examine it. If he finds that the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, a skin disease has broken out in the burn. The priest must then pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease. 26 But if the priest finds no white hair on the affected area and the problem appears to be no more than skin-deep and has faded, the priest must quarantine the infected person for seven days. 27 On the seventh day the priest must examine the person again. If the affected area has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce that person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease. 28 But if the affected area has not changed or spread on the skin and has faded, it is simply a swelling from the burn. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean, for it is only the scar from the burn.

29 “If anyone, either a man or woman, has a sore on the head or chin, 30 the priest must examine it. If he finds it is more than skin-deep and has fine yellow hair on it, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean. It is a scabby sore of the head or chin. 31 If the priest examines the scabby sore and finds that it is only skin-deep but there is no black hair on it, he must quarantine the person for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest must examine the sore again. If he finds that the scabby sore has not spread, and there is no yellow hair on it, and it appears to be only skin-deep, 33 the person must shave off all hair except the hair on the affected area. Then the priest must quarantine the person for another seven days. 34 On the seventh day he will examine the sore again. If it has not spread and appears to be no more than skin-deep, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. The person’s clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. 35 But if the scabby sore begins to spread after the person is pronounced clean, 36 the priest must do another examination. If he finds that the sore has spread, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair. The infected person is ceremonially unclean. 37 But if the color of the scabby sore does not change and black hair has grown on it, it has healed. The priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean.

38 “If anyone, either a man or woman, has shiny white patches on the skin, 39 the priest must examine the affected area. If he finds that the shiny patches are only pale white, this is a harmless skin rash, and the person is ceremonially clean.

40 “If a man loses his hair and his head becomes bald, he is still ceremonially clean. 41 And if he loses hair on his forehead, he simply has a bald forehead; he is still clean. 42 However, if a reddish white sore appears on the bald area on top of his head or on his forehead, this is a skin disease. 43 The priest must examine him, and if he finds swelling around the reddish white sore anywhere on the man’s head and it looks like a skin disease, 44 the man is indeed infected with a skin disease and is unclean. The priest must pronounce him ceremonially unclean because of the sore on his head.

45 “Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouth and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp.

Luke 17:1–19 (NLT):

Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

6 The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!

7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’ ”

Ten Healed of Leprosy

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

AME Zion Universal Reading July 4th 2021

First Portion

Numbers Chapter 25

10The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:11Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal.12Therefore, say, "I hereby give him My covenant of peace.13It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an eternal covenant of kehunah, because he was zealous for his God and atoned for the children of Israel."14The name of the Israelite man who was killed, who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, the chieftain of the Simeonite paternal house.15And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a national leader of a paternal house in Midian.16The Lord spoke to Moses saying:17Distress the Midianites, and you shall smite them.18For they distress you with their plots which they contrived against you in the incident of Peor and in the incident of Cozbi their sister, the daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was slain on the day of the plague [that had come] because of Peor.

Numbers Chapter 26

1It was after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen, saying:2Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and upwards, following their fathers' houses, all that are fit to go out to war in Israel.3Moses and Eleazar the kohen spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:4"From the age of twenty and upward, as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel who had come out of Egypt."

Sunday

Leviticus 13:45–46 (NLT):

45 “Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouth and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp.

Luke 17:11–19 (NLT): Ten Healed of Leprosy

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

Second Portion

Numbers Chapter 26

5Reuben, Israel's firstborn: The descendants of Reuben were: the family of the Hanochites from Hanoch; the family of the Paluites from Palu,6the family of the Hezronites from Hezron, and the family of the Carmites from Carmi.7These were the families of the Reubenites, and they numbered forty three thousand, seven hundred and thirty.8The sons of Palu were Eliab.9The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram they are Dathan and Abiram, the chosen of the congregation who incited against Moses and Aaron in the assembly of Korah, when they incited against the Lord.10And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and Korah, when that assembly died, and when fire destroyed two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign.11Korah's sons, however, did not die.12The descendants of Simeon according to their families: the family of the Nemuelites from Nemuel, the family of the Jaminites from Jamin, the family of the Jachinites from Jachin,13the family of the Zerahites from Zerah, the family of the Shaulites from Shaul.14These were the families of the Simeonites twenty two thousand and two hundred.15The descendants of Gad according to their families: the family of the Zefonites from Zefon, the family of the Haggites from Haggi, the family of the Shunites from Shuni,16the family of the Oznites from Ozni, the family of the Erites from Eri,17the family of the Arodites from Arod, the family of the Arelites from Areli.18These were families of Gad according to those of them counted, forty thousand and five hundred.19The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.20The descendants of Judah according to their families: the family of the Shelanites from Shelah, the family of the Perezites from Perez, the family of the Zerahites from Zerah.21The descendants of Perez were: the family of the Hezronites from Hezron, the family of the Hamulites from Hamul.22These were the families of Judah according to those of them counted, seventy six thousand and five hundred.23The descendants of Issachar according to their families: the family of the Tolaites from Tola, the family of the Punites from Puvah,24the family of the Jashubites from Jashub, the family of the Shimronites from Shimron.25These were the families of Issachar according to those of them counted: sixty four thousand and three hundred.26The descendants of Zebulun according to their families: the family of the Sardites from Sered, the family of the Elonites from Elon, the family of the Jahleelites from Jahleel.27These were the families of Zebulun according to those of them counted, sixty thousand and five hundred.28The descendants of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.29The descendants of Manasseh: the family of the Machirites from Machir and Machir's son was Gilead; the family of the Gileadites from Gilead.30These were the family of the descendants of Gilead: The family of the Iezerites from Iezer, the family of the Helekites from Helek,31the family of the Asrielites from Asriel, the family of the Shechemites from Shechem,32the family of the Shemidaites from Shemida, the family of the Hepherites from Hepher.33Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters, and the names of Zelophehad's daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.34These were families of Manasseh, and those of them counted were fifty two thousand and seven hundred.35These were the descendants of Ephraim according to their families: the family of the Shuthalhites from Shuthelah, the family of the Bachrites from Becher, the family of the Tahanites from Tahan.36And these were the descendants of Shuthelah: the family of the Eranites from Eran.37These were the families of the descendants of Ephraim according to those of them counted, thirty two thousand and five hundred; these were the descendants of Joseph according to their families.38The descendants of Benjamin according to their families: the family of the Belaites from Bela, the family of the Ashbelites from Ashbel, the family of the Ahiramites from Ahiram,39the family of the Shuphamites from Shupham, the family of the Huphamites from Hupham.40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman; the family of the Ardites [from Ard], the family of the Naamites from Naaman.41These were the descendants of Benjamin according to their families, and those of them counted were forty five thousand and six hundred.42The descendants of Dan according to their families: the family of the Shuhamites from Shuham. These were the families of Dan.43All the Shuhamite families according to those of them counted, were sixty four thousand and four hundred.44The descendants of Asher according to their families: the family of Jimnah from Jimnah, the family of the Ishvites from Ishvi, the family of the Beriites from Beriah.45The descendants of Beriah: the family of the Heberites from Heber, the family of the Malchielites from Malchiel.46The name of Asher's daughter was Serah.47These were the families of the descendants of Asher according to those of them counted, fifty three thousand and four hundred.48The descendants of Naphtali according to their families: the family of the Jahzeelites from Jahzeel, the family of the Gunites from Guni.49The family of the Jezerites from Jezer, the family of the Shillemites from Shillem.50These were the families of Naphtali according to their families, and those of them counted were forty five thousand and four hundred.51These are those counted of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

Monday

Isaiah 56:1–9 (NLT): Blessings for All Nations

This is what the Lord says:

“Be just and fair to all.

Do what is right and good,

for I am coming soon to rescue you

and to display my righteousness among you.

2 Blessed are all those

who are careful to do this.

Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest

and keep themselves from doing wrong.

3 “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say,

‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’

And don’t let the eunuchs say,

‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’

4 For this is what the Lord says:

I will bless those eunuchs

who keep my Sabbath days holy

and who choose to do what pleases me

and commit their lives to me.

5 I will give them—within the walls of my house—

a memorial and a name

far greater than sons and daughters could give.

For the name I give them is an everlasting one.

It will never disappear!

6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord,

who serve him and love his name,

who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,

and who hold fast to my covenant.

7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem

and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.

I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,

because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

8 For the Sovereign Lord,

who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says:

I will bring others, too,

besides my people Israel.”

Sinful Leaders Condemned

Third Portion

Numbers Chapter 26

52The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:53You shall apportion the Land among these as an inheritance, in accordance with the number of names.54To the large [tribe] you shall give a larger inheritance and to a smaller tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance, each person shall be given an inheritance according to his number.55Only through lot shall the Land be apportioned; they shall inherit it according to the names of their fathers' tribes.56The inheritance shall be apportioned between the numerous and the few, according to lot.57These were the numbers of the Levites according to their families: the family of the Gershonites from Gershon, the family of the Kohathites from Kohath, the family of the Merarites from Merari.58These were the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites and Kehat begot Amram.59The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, whom [her mother] had borne to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram, Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.60Born to Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.61Nadab and Abihu died when they offered up an unauthorized fire before the Lord.62And those counted of them were twenty three thousand, every male aged one month and upward, for they were not counted among the children of Israel, since no inheritance was given them among the children of Israel.63This was the census of Moses and Eleazar the kohen, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.64Among these there was no man who had been [included] in the census of Moses and Aaron when they counted the children of Israel in the Sinai desert.65For the Lord had said to them, "They shall surely die in the desert," and no one was left of them but Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Numbers Chapter 27

1The daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came forward, and his daughters' names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.2They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the kohen and before the chieftains and the entire congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, saying,3"Our father died in the desert, but he was not in the assembly that banded together against the Lord in Korah's assembly, but he died for his own sin, and he had no sons.4Why should our father's name be eliminated from his family because he had no son? Give us a portion along with our father's brothers. "5So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

Tuesday

Ruth 4:3–6 (NLT):

3 And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”

The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.”

5 Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”

6 “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”

Ruth 4:13–16 (NLT): The Descendants of Boaz

13 So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. 15 May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”

16 Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own.

Fourth Portion

Numbers Chapter 27

6The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:7Zelophehad's daughters speak justly. You shall certainly give them a portion of inheritance along with their father's brothers, and you shall transfer their father's inheritance to them.8Speak to the children of Israel saying: If a man dies and has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.9If he has no daughter, you shall give over his inheritance to his brothers.10If he has no brothers, you shall give over his inheritance to his father's brothers.11If his father has no brothers, you shall give over his inheritance to the kinsman closest to him in his family, who shall inherit it. This shall remain a decreed statute, as the Lord commanded Moses.12The Lord said to Moses, "Go up to this mount Abarim and look at the land that I have given to the children of Israel.13And when you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered.14Because you disobeyed My command in the desert of Zin when the congregation quarreled, [when you were] to sanctify Me through the water before their eyes; these were the waters of dispute at Kadesh, in the desert of Zin.15Moses spoke to the Lord, saying:16"Let the Lord, the God of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,17who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd."18The Lord said to Moses, "Take for yourself Joshua the son of Nun, a man of spirit, and you shall lay your hand upon him.19And you shall present him before Eleazar the kohen and before the entire congregation, and you shall command him in their presence.20You shall bestow some of your majesty upon him so that all the congregation of the children of Israel will take heed.21He shall stand before Eleazar the kohen and seek [counsel from] him through the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. By his word they shall go, and by his word they shall come; he and all Israel with him, and the entire congregation."22Moses did as the Lord had commanded him, and he took Joshua and presented him before Eleazar the kohen and before the entire congregation.23He laid his hands upon him and commanded him, in accordance with what the Lord had spoken to Moses.

Wednesday

Leviticus 13:1–8 (NLT): Serious Skin Diseases

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons. 3 The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.

4 “But if the affected area of the skin is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has not changed and the problem has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine the person for seven more days. 6 On the seventh day the priest will make another examination. If he finds the affected area has faded and has not spread, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean. It was only a rash. The person’s clothing must be washed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. 7 But if the rash continues to spread after the person has been examined by the priest and has been pronounced clean, the infected person must return to be examined again. 8 If the priest finds that the rash has spread, he must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is indeed a skin disease.

Fifth Portion

Numbers Chapter 28

1The Lord spoke to: Moses, saying:2Command the children of Israel and say to them: My offering, My food for My fire offerings, a spirit of satisfaction for Me, you shall take care to offer to Me at its appointed time.3And you shall say to them: This is the fire offering which you shall offer to the Lord: two unblemished lambs in their first year each day as a continual burnt offering.4The one lamb you shall offer up in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon.5And one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of crushed [olive] oil.6A continual burnt offering, as the one offered up at Mount Sinai, for a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord.7Its libation shall be one quarter of a hin for each lamb, to be poured on the holy [altar] as a libation of strong wine to the Lord.8And the second lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon. You shall offer it up with the same meal offering and libation as the morning [sacrifice], a fire offering with a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord.9And on the Sabbath day, two unblemished lambs in the first year, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a meal offering, mixed with oil, and its libation.10[This is] the burnt offering of each Sabbath on its Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation.11And on the beginning of your months, you shall offer up a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.12Three tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a meal offering, mixed with oil for each bull, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a meal offering, mixed with oil for each ram.13And one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a meal offering for each lamb. A burnt offering with a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord.14And their libations: a half of a hin for each bull, a third of a hin for each ram, and a quarter of a hin for each lamb wine; this is the burnt offering of each new month in its month, throughout the months of the year.15And one young male goat for a sin offering to the Lord; it shall be offered up in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation.

Thursday

2 Kings 7:3–11 (NLT): Outcasts Visit the Enemy Camp

3 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. 4 “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.”

5 So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another. 7 So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives.

8 When the men with leprosy arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. 9 Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace.”

10 So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. “We went out to the Aramean camp,” they said, “and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there wasn’t a single person around!” 11 Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace.

Sixth Portion

Numbers Chapter 28

16In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, [you shall offer up] a Passover offering to the Lord.17On the fifteenth day of this month, a festival [begins]; you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days.18On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall not perform any mundane work.19You shall offer up a fire offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year they shall be unblemished for you.20Their meal offerings [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull and two tenths for the ram you shall offer up.21And you shall offer up one tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs.22And one young male goat for a sin offering to atone for you.23You shall offer these up besides the morning burnt offering which is offered as a continual burnt offering.24Like these, you shall offer up daily for seven days, food of the fire offering, a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord; you shall offer up this in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation.25The seventh day shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work.26On the day of the first fruits, when you offer up a new meal offering to the Lord, on your festival of Weeks; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall not perform any mundane work.27You shall offer up a burnt offering with a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year.28Their meal offerings [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull and two tenths for the ram.29One tenth for each lamb, for all seven lambs.30One young male goat to atone for you.31You shall offer this up besides the continual burnt offering and its meal offering they shall be unblemished for you, as well as their libations.

Numbers Chapter 29

1And in the seventh month, on the first day, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. It shall be a day of shofar sounding for you.2You shall offer up a burnt offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.3And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram.4And one tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs.5And one young male goat as a sin offering, to atone for you.6[This is] besides the burnt offering of the new month and its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, and their libations as prescribed for them, as a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord.7And on the tenth day of this seventh month, there shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict your souls. You shall not perform any work.8You shall offer up a burnt offering to the Lord, [for] a spirit of satisfaction: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year; they shall [all] be unblemished.9And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram.10One tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs.11A young male goat for a sin offering, besides the atonement sin offering and the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and their libations.

Friday

John 4:39–42 (NLT): Many Samaritans Believe

39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” 40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Seventh Portion

Numbers Chapter 29

12And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work, and you shall celebrate a festival to the Lord for seven days.13You shall offer up a burnt offering, a fire offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in the first year; they shall [all] be unblemished.14And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths for each bull for the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each ram for the two rams.15And one tenth for each lamb, for the fourteen lambs.16And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libation.17And on the second day, twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.18And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.19And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and their libations.20And on the third day, eleven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.21And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.22And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.23And on the fourth day, ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.24Their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.25And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.26And on the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.27And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.28And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libation.29And on the sixth day, eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.30And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.31And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libations.32And on the seventh day, seven bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.33And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed for them.34One young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libation.35The eighth day shall be a time of restriction for you; you shall not perform any mundane work.36You shall offer up a burnt offering, a fire offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.37Their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.38And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.39These you shall offer up for the Lord on your festivals, besides your vows and voluntary offerings, for your burnt offerings, for your meal offerings, for your libations, and for your peace offerings.

Numbers Chapter 30

1Moses spoke to the children of Israel in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Saturday

Luke 17:1–10 (NLT): Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

6 The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!

7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’ ”

Maftir Portion

Numbers Chapter 29

35The eighth day shall be a time of restriction for you; you shall not perform any mundane work.36You shall offer up a burnt offering, a fire offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.37Their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.38And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.39These you shall offer up for the Lord on your festivals, besides your vows and voluntary offerings, for your burnt offerings, for your meal offerings, for your libations, and for your peace offerings.Numbers Chapter 30 1Moses spoke to the children of Israel in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Haftarah

Jeremiah Chapter 1

1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.2To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.3And he was in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of eleven years of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.4And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:5When I had not yet formed you in the womb, I knew you, and when you had not yet emerged from the womb, I had appointed you; a prophet to the nations I made you.6And I said, "Alas, O Lord God! Behold, I know not to speak for I am a youth.7And the Lord said to me; Say not, "I am a youth," for wherever I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.8Fear them not, for I am with you to save you, says the Lord.9And the Lord stretched out His hand and reached my mouth, and the Lord said to me; Behold, I have placed My words in your mouth.10Behold, I have appointed you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to crush, and to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.11And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree."12And the Lord said to me; You have seen well, for I hasten My word to accomplish it.13And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What do you see? And I said, "I see a bubbling pot, whose foam is toward the north."14And the Lord said to me; From the north the misfortune will break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.15For, behold I am summoning all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord, and they will come and place, each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem and against all its walls around and against all the cities of Judah.16And I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their evil, that they left Me and offered up burnt-offerings to other gods and they prostrated themselves to the work of their hands.17And you shall gird your loins and arise and speak to them all that I command you; be not dismayed by them, lest I break you before them.18And I, behold I have made you today into a fortified city and into an iron pillar, and into copper walls against the entire land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.19And they shall fight against you but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you says the Lord, to save you.

Jeremiah Chapter 2

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:2Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: so said the Lord: I remember to you the lovingkindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me in the desert, in a land not sown.3Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His grain; all who eat him shall be guilty, evil shall befall them, says the Lord.

What is Below The Waters…

Sunday School Zoom Link

AME Zion Universal Reading

Matthew 14:13–21 (NLT):

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. 14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

18 “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

Numbers 22:21–41 (NLT):

Balaam and His Donkey

21 So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, 23 Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. 27 This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.

28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.

29 “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”

30 “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”

“No,” Balaam admitted.

31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.

32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. 33 Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”

34 Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”

35 But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials. 36 When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.

37 “Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?”

38 Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.” 39 Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth, 40 where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.

Numbers 24:9–25 (NLT):

9 Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down;

like a lioness, who dares to arouse her?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel,

and cursed is everyone who curses you.”

10 King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. 11 Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward.”

12 Balaam told Balak, “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? I said, 13 ‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.’ I told you that I could say only what the Lord says! 14 Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”

Balaam’s Final Messages

15 This is the message Balaam delivered:

“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,

the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,

16 the message of one who hears the words of God,

who has knowledge from the Most High,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who bows down with eyes wide open:

17 I see him, but not here and now.

I perceive him, but far in the distant future.

A star will rise from Jacob;

a scepter will emerge from Israel.

It will crush the heads of Moab’s people,

cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.

18 Edom will be taken over,

and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered,

while Israel marches on in triumph.

19 A ruler will rise in Jacob

who will destroy the survivors of Ir.”

20 Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message:

“Amalek was the greatest of nations,

but its destiny is destruction!”

21 Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message:

“Your home is secure;

your nest is set in the rocks.

22 But the Kenites will be destroyed

when Assyria takes you captive.”

23 Balaam concluded his messages by saying:

“Alas, who can survive

unless God has willed it?

24 Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus;

they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber,

but they, too, will be utterly destroyed.”

25 Then Balaam left and returned home, and Balak also went on his way.

John 12:37–50 (NLT):

The Unbelief of the People

37 But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. 38 This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:

“Lord, who has believed our message?

To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”

39 But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,

40 “The Lord has blinded their eyes

and hardened their hearts—

so that their eyes cannot see,

and their hearts cannot understand,

and they cannot turn to me

and have me heal them.”

41 Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. 42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. 47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. 48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. 49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

John 15:1–17 (NLT):

Jesus, the True Vine

1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.

2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.