Month: June 2017

The Substantial Manifestation of Jesus Is Most Important

I Corinthians

What if I gave away all
    that I owned
and let myself
    be burned alive?[a]
I would gain nothing,
    unless I loved others.
4 Love is kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful,
    proud, or 5 rude.
Love isn’t selfish
    or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
    of wrongs that others do.
6 Love rejoices in the truth,
    but not in evil.
7 Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
    and trusting.
8 Love never fails!

Isaiah

You’re sinful and brutal.
7 You hurry off to do wrong
    or murder innocent victims.
All you think about is sin;
you leave ruin and destruction
    wherever you go.
8 You don’t know how
to live in peace
    or to be fair with others.
The roads you make are crooked;
your followers cannot find peace. Continue reading “The Substantial Manifestation of Jesus Is Most Important”

Jesus Forgave the Disciples Who Rejected Him

Amos 2

Israel, the Amorites[c] were there
    when you entered Canaan.
They were tall as cedars
    and strong as oaks.
But I wiped them out—
I destroyed their branches
    and their roots.
10 I had rescued you from Egypt,
and for forty years I had led you
    through the desert.
Then I gave you the land
    of the Amorites.

11 I chose some of you
to be prophets
    and others to be Nazirites.[d]
People of Israel,
you know this is true.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!
12 But you commanded the prophets
    not to speak their message,
and you pressured the Nazirites
    into drinking wine.

Jeremiah 10

But you, Israel’s God,
    created all things,
and you chose Israel
    to be your very own.
Your name is the Lord
    All-Powerful.

Continue reading “Jesus Forgave the Disciples Who Rejected Him”

The Indescribable Heart of Jesus

Jonah 2

2 From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God:

2 When I was in trouble, Lord,
I prayed to you,
    and you listened to me.
From deep in the world
    of the dead,
I begged for your help,
    and you answered my prayer.

3 You threw me down
    to the bottom of the sea.
The water was churning
    all around;
I was completely covered
    by your mighty waves.
4 I thought I was swept away
    from your sight,
never again to see
    your holy temple.

5 I was almost drowned
by the swirling waters
    that surrounded me.
Seaweed had wrapped
    around my head.
6 I had sunk down below
    the underwater mountains;
I knew that forever,
    I would be a prisoner there.

But, you, Lord God,
    rescued me from that pit.
7 When my life was slipping away,
    I remembered you—
and in your holy temple
    you heard my prayer.

8 All who worship worthless idols
turn from the God
    who offers them mercy.
9 But with shouts of praise,
I will offer a sacrifice
    to you, my Lord.
I will keep my promise,
because you are the one
    with power to save.

10 The Lord commanded the fish to vomit up Jonah on the shore. And it did.

Psalm 45

7You love justice and hate evil.
    And so, your God chose you
    and made you happier
    than any of your friends.

Continue reading “The Indescribable Heart of Jesus”

Jesus’ Agonizing Heart

Matthew 2

13 After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Hurry and take the child and his mother to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him.”

14 That night, Joseph got up and took his wife and the child to Egypt, 15 where they stayed until Herod died. So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “I called my son out of Egypt.”

Isaiah

Tell those who obey God,
“You’re very fortunate—
    you will be rewarded
    for what you have done.”
11 Tell those who disobey,
“You’re in big trouble—
    what you did to others
    will come back to you.”
12 Though you are God’s people,
you are ruled and abused
    by women and children.
You are confused by leaders
who guide you
    down the wrong path.

Continue reading “Jesus’ Agonizing Heart”

The Chosen People of Israel Opposed Jesus

Hosea 9

17 Israel, you disobeyed my God.
Now he will force you to roam
    from nation to nation.

Song of Solomon

You are in the garden
with friends all around.
    Let me hear your voice!

She Speaks:

14 Hurry to me, my darling!
Run faster than a deer
    to mountains of spices.

Continue reading “The Chosen People of Israel Opposed Jesus”