Month: February 2024

A Psalm of Asaph

“The Lord, the Mighty One, is God, and He has spoken; He has summoned humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets. From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in His glorious radiance. Our God approaches, and He is not silent. Fire devours everything in His way, and a great storm rages around Him. He calls on the heavens above and earth below to witness the judgment of His people. Bring my faithful people to Me – those who made a covenant with Me by giving sacrifices: Then let the heavens proclaim His justice, for God himself will be the judge.” (vv. 1-6, NLT)

“Again a message came to me from the Lord: ‘Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’ Tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it. No give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’

‘There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel. For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill My thread of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord has spoken!'” (vv 21-25, NLT)

“Then this message came to me from the Lord. ‘Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem are talking abut you and your relatives and all the people of Israel who are in exile. They are saying, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord, so now He has given their land to us!’

‘Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.

When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey My decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be My people and I will be their God. But s for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.!'” (vv. 14-21, NLT)

“Then the Lord thundered, ‘Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!’ Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. with them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar.

The glory of the Lord of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case. He said to him,’Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because the detestable sins being committed in their city.’

Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, ‘Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all- old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple.’ So they began by killing the seventy leaders.” (vv 1-6, NLT)

“When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Carpernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

‘In the land of Zebulum and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.’

From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘ Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”’ (vv. 12-17, NLT)

“Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart I meet with his godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them. Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes us to remember His wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our Lord! He gives food to those who fear Him; He always remembers His covenant. He has shown His great power to His people by giving them the lands of other nations. All He does is just and good, and all His commandments are trustworthy.

He has paid a full ransom for His own people. He has guaranteed His covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name He has! Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey His commandments will grown in vision.

Praise Him forever!”

“Let all that I am praise the Lord: with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives my sins and hals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles’s!

The Lord is gives righteousness and just to all who are treated fairly. He revealed His character to Moses and His deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” (vv. 1-8, NLT)

“The voice said to me, “Son of man, eat what I am giving you -eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.’ So I opened my. mouth, and He fed me the scroll. ‘Fill you stomach with this,’ He said. And then when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Then He said, ‘Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! But the people of Israel won’t listen to you, anymore than they listen to Me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as a rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.’

Then He added, ‘Son of man, let all My words sink in deep into your own heart first. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says! Do this whether they listen or not.’

Then the Spirit lifted me up and I heart a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the Glory of The Lord be praised in His place!) It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them.

The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong. Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles in Tel-abib, beside the Kebar River. I was overwhelmed and sat among them for seven days.” (vv. 1-15, NLT)

“”Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak to you. The spirit came into me as He spoke, and He set me on my feet. I listened carefully to His words.”Son of man,” He said,” I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me to this very day. They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But am sending you to say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says! And whether they listen or refuse to listen – for remember, they are rebels – at least they will know they will have had a prophet among them. ‘

“Son of man, do not fear them or their words, Don’t be afraid even though their threats surround you like nettles and briers and stinging scorpions. Do not be dismayed, by their dark scowls, even though they are rebels. You must give t hem my messages whether they listen or not. But they won’t listen for they are completely rebellious.! Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not joint them in their rebellion. Open you mouth and eat what I give you.”

Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, which He unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow and pronouncements of doom.”