Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4

UNITY IN THE BODY

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

 7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift* through the generosity of Christ.8 That is why the Scriptures say,

"When he ascended to the heights,
  he led a crowd of captives
  and gave gifts to his people."*

9 Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.*10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

  11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

  14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

LIVING AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT

17 With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

  20 But that isn't what you learned about Christ.21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

  25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.26 And "don't sin by letting anger control you."* Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

  28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

  30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,* guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

  31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29

1 Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
  will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
  But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

3 The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
  but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.

4 A just king gives stability to his nation,
  but one who demands bribes destroys it.

5 To flatter friends
  is to lay a trap for their feet.

6 Evil people are trapped by sin,
  but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.

7 The godly care about the rights of the poor;
  the wicked don't care at all.

8 Mockers can get a whole town agitated,
  but the wise will calm anger.

9 If a wise person takes a fool to court,
  there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.

10 The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,
  but the upright seek to help them.*

11 Fools vent their anger,
  but the wise quietly hold it back.

12 If a ruler pays attention to liars,
  all his advisers will be wicked.

13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common—
  the LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.

14 If a king judges the poor fairly,
  his throne will last forever.

15 To discipline a child produces wisdom,
  but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.

16 When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,
  but the godly will live to see their downfall.

17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind
  and will make your heart glad.

18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
  But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

19 Words alone will not discipline a servant;
  the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.

20 There is more hope for a fool
  than for someone who speaks without thinking.

21 A servant pampered from childhood
  will become a rebel.

22 An angry person starts fights;
  a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

23 Pride ends in humiliation,
  while humility brings honor.

24 If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.
  You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.

25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap,
  but trusting the LORD means safety.

26 Many seek the ruler's favor,
  but justice comes from the LORD.

27 The righteous despise the unjust;
  the wicked despise the godly.

II John

II John

GREETINGS

1 This letter is from John, the elder.*
  I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children,* whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth—2 because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

  3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

LIVE IN THE TRUTH

4 How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.

  5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends,* that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning.6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

  7 I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came* in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.8 Watch out that you do not lose what we* have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward.9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

  10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don't invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement.11 Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.

CONCLUSION

12 I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.

  13 Greetings from the children of your sister,* chosen by God.

Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27

1 Don't brag about tomorrow,
  since you don't know what the day will bring.

2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—
  a stranger, not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
  but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.

4 Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,
  but jealousy is even more dangerous.

5 An open rebuke
  is better than hidden love!

6 Wounds from a sincere friend
  are better than many kisses from an enemy.

7 A person who is full refuses honey,
  but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.

8 A person who strays from home
  is like a bird that strays from its nest.

9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend
  is as sweet as perfume and incense.

10 Never abandon a friend—   either yours or your father's.
When disaster strikes, you won't have to ask your brother for assistance.
  It's better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away.

11 Be wise, my child,* and make my heart glad.
  Then I will be able to answer my critics.

12 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
  The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

13 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger's debt.
  Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.*

14 A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning
  will be taken as a curse!

15 A quarrelsome wife is as annoying
  as constant dripping on a rainy day.
16 Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind
  or trying to hold something with greased hands.

17 As iron sharpens iron,
  so a friend sharpens a friend.

18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit,
  so workers who protect their employer's interests will be rewarded.

19 As a face is reflected in water,
  so the heart reflects the real person.

20 Just as Death and Destruction* are never satisfied,
  so human desire is never satisfied.

21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
  but a person is tested by being praised.*

22 You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,
  even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.

23 Know the state of your flocks,
and put your heart into caring for your herds,
24 for riches don't last forever,
and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
25 After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears
 and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,
  and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27 And you will have enough goats' milk for yourself,
  your family, and your servant girls.

Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24

1 Don't envy evil people
  or desire their company.
2 For their hearts plot violence,
  and their words always stir up trouble.

3 A house is built by wisdom
  and becomes strong through good sense.
4 Through knowledge its rooms are filled
  with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

5 The wise are mightier than the strong,*
  and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.
6 So don't go to war without wise guidance;
  victory depends on having many advisers.

7 Wisdom is too lofty for fools.
  Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say.

8 A person who plans evil
  will get a reputation as a troublemaker.
9 The schemes of a fool are sinful;
  everyone detests a mocker.

10 If you fail under pressure,
  your strength is too small.

11 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
  save them as they stagger to their death.
12 Don't excuse yourself by saying, "Look, we didn't know."
  For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
  He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

13 My child,* eat honey, for it is good,
  and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste.
14 In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.
  If you find it, you will have a bright future,
  and your hopes will not be cut short.

15 Don't wait in ambush at the home of the godly,
  and don't raid the house where the godly live.
16 The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
  But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

17 Don't rejoice when your enemies fall;
  don't be happy when they stumble.
18 For the LORD will be displeased with you
  and will turn his anger away from them.

19 Don't fret because of evildoers;
  don't envy the wicked.
20 For evil people have no future;
  the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

21 My child, fear the LORD and the king.
Don't associate with rebels,
22   for disaster will hit them suddenly.
Who knows what punishment will come
  from the LORD and the king?

MORE SAYINGS OF THE WISE

23 Here are some further sayings of the wise:

It is wrong to show favoritism when passing judgment.
24 A judge who says to the wicked, "You are innocent,"
  will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations.
25 But it will go well for those who convict the guilty;
  rich blessings will be showered on them.

26 An honest answer
  is like a kiss of friendship.

27 Do your planning and prepare your fields
  before building your house.

28 Don't testify against your neighbors without cause;
  don't lie about them.
29 And don't say, "Now I can pay them back for what they've done to me!
  I'll get even with them!"

30 I walked by the field of a lazy person,
  the vineyard of one with no common sense.
31 I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.
  It was covered with weeds,
  and its walls were broken down.
32 Then, as I looked and thought about it,
  I learned this lesson:
33 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
  a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
  scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Daniel 9

Daniel 9

DANIEL'S PRAYER FOR HIS PEOPLE

1 It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians.*2 During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the LORD, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.*3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

  4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:

"O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.5 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.6 We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.

  7 "Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you.8 O LORD, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.9 But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.10 We have not obeyed the LORD our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets.11 All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice.

 "So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin.12 You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened in Jerusalem.13 Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth.14 Therefore, the LORD has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The LORD our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him.

  15 "O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness.16 In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.

  17 "O our God, hear your servant's prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.

  18 "O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.

  19 "O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name."

GABRIEL'S MESSAGE ABOUT THE ANOINTED ONE

20 I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain.21 As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice.22 He explained to me, "Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding.23 The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

  24 "A period of seventy sets of seven* has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.*25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven* will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One*—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses,* despite the perilous times.

  26 "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven,* the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven,* but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds,* he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration,* until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."

Daniel 6

Daniel 6

DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN

1 *Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province.2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king's interests.3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel's great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

  4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.5 So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion."

  6 So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, "Long live King Darius!7 We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.8 And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked."9 So King Darius signed the law.

  10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.11 Then the officials went together to Daniel's house and found him praying and asking for God's help.12 So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. "Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?"
  "Yes," the king replied, "that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked."

  13 Then they told the king, "That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day."

  14 Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.

  15 In the evening the men went together to the king and said, "Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed."

  16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, "May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you."

  17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel.18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn't sleep at all that night.

  19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions' den.20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?"

  21 Daniel answered, "Long live the king!22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty."

  23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

  24 Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.

  25 Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:

"Peace and prosperity to you!

  26 "I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.

For he is the living God,
  and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
  and his rule will never end.
27 He rescues and saves his people;
  he performs miraculous signs and wonders
  in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
  from the power of the lions."

  28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.*

Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22

1 Choose a good reputation over great riches;
  being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.

2 The rich and poor have this in common:
  The LORD made them both.

3 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
  The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

4 True humility and fear of the LORD
  lead to riches, honor, and long life.

5 Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
  whoever values life will avoid it.

6 Direct your children onto the right path,
  and when they are older, they will not leave it.

7 Just as the rich rule the poor,
  so the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster,
  and their reign of terror will come to an end.*

9 Blessed are those who are generous,
  because they feed the poor.

10 Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too.
  Quarrels and insults will disappear.

11 Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech
  will have the king as a friend.

12 The LORD preserves those with knowledge,
  but he ruins the plans of the treacherous.

13 The lazy person claims, "There's a lion out there!
  If I go outside, I might be killed!"

14 The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap;
  those who make the LORD angry will fall into it.

15 A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness,
  but physical discipline will drive it far away.

16 A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor
  or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.

SAYINGS OF THE WISE

17 Listen to the words of the wise;
  apply your heart to my instruction.

18 For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
  and always ready on your lips.

19 I am teaching you today—yes, you—
  so you will trust in the LORD.

20 I have written thirty sayings* for you,
  filled with advice and knowledge.

21 In this way, you may know the truth
  and take an accurate report to those who sent you.

22 Don't rob the poor just because you can,
  or exploit the needy in court.
23 For the LORD is their defender.
  He will ruin anyone who ruins them.

24 Don't befriend angry people
  or associate with hot-tempered people,
25 or you will learn to be like them
  and endanger your soul.

26 Don't agree to guarantee another person's debt
  or put up security for someone else.
27 If you can't pay it,
  even your bed will be snatched from under you.

28 Don't cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers
  set up by previous generations.

29 Do you see any truly competent workers?
  They will serve kings
  rather than working for ordinary people.

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2

He Tore Down the Wall

1-6 It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

11-13 But don’t take any of this for granted. It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God’s ways had no idea of any of this, didn’t know the first thing about the way God works, hadn’t the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God’s covenants and promises in Israel, hadn’t a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.

14-15 The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

16-18 Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

19-22 That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Romans 7

Romans 7

Torn Between One Way and Another

1-3You shouldn’t have any trouble understanding this, friends, for you know all the ins and outs of the law—how it works and how its power touches only the living. For instance, a wife is legally tied to her husband while he lives, but if he dies, she’s free. If she lives with another man while her husband is living, she’s obviously an adulteress. But if he dies, she is quite free to marry another man in good conscience, with no one’s disapproval.4-6So, my friends, this is something like what has taken place with you. When Christ died he took that entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to “marry” a resurrection life and bear “offspring” of faith for God. For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in. And this made us all the more rebellious. In the end, all we had to show for it was miscarriages and stillbirths. But now that we’re no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we’re free to live a new life in the freedom of God.7But I can hear you say, “If the law code was as bad as all that, it’s no better than sin itself.” That’s certainly not true. The law code had a perfectly legitimate function. Without its clear guidelines for right and wrong, moral behavior would be mostly guesswork. Apart from the succinct, surgical command, “You shall not covet,” I could have dressed covetousness up to look like a virtue and ruined my life with it.8-12Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me. Without all the paraphernalia of the law code, sin looked pretty dull and lifeless, and I went along without paying much attention to it. But once sin got its hands on the law code and decked itself out in all that finery, I was fooled, and fell for it. The very command that was supposed to guide me into life was cleverly used to trip me up, throwing me headlong. So sin was plenty alive, and I was stone dead. But the law code itself is God’s good and common sense, each command sane and holy counsel.13I can already hear your next question: “Does that mean I can’t even trust what is good [that is, the law]? Is good just as dangerous as evil?” No again! Sin simply did what sin is so famous for doing: using the good as a cover to tempt me to do what would finally destroy me. By hiding within God’s good commandment, sin did far more mischief than it could ever have accomplished on its own.14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.21-23It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.24I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Psalm 20

PSALM 20

A David Psalm

1-4 God answer you on the day you crash,

The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm’s reach,

Send reinforcements from Holy Hill,

Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies,

Exclaim over your offerings,

Celebrate your sacrifices,

Give you what your heart desires,

Accomplish your plans.

5 When you win, we plan to raise the roof

and lead the parade with our banners.

May all your wishes come true!

6 That clinches it—help’s coming,

an answer’s on the way,

everything’s going to work out.

7-8 See those people polishing their chariots,

and those others grooming their horses?

But we’re making garlands for God our God.

The chariots will rust,

those horses pull up lame—

and we’ll be on our feet, standing tall.

9 Make the king a winner, God;

the day we call, give us your answer.

Psalm 19

Psalm 19

A David Psalm

1-2God’s glory is on tour in the skies,

God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.

Madame Day holds classes every morning,

Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4Their words aren’t heard,

their voices aren’t recorded,

But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5God makes a huge dome

for the sun—a superdome!

The morning sun’s a new husband

leaping from his honeymoon bed,

The daybreaking sun an athlete

racing to the tape.

6That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies

from sunrise to sunset,

Melting ice, scorching deserts,

warming hearts to faith.

7-9The revelation of God is whole

and pulls our lives together.

The signposts of God are clear

and point out the right road.

The life-maps of God are right,

showing the way to joy.

The directions of God are plain

and easy on the eyes.

God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,

with a lifetime guarantee.

The decisions of God are accurate

down to the nth degree.

10God’s Word is better than a diamond,

better than a diamond set between emeralds.

You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,

better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger

and directs us to hidden treasure.

Otherwise how will we find our way?

Or know when we play the fool?

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

Keep me from stupid sins,

from thinking I can take over your work;

Then I can start this day sun-washed,

scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.

These are the words in my mouth;

these are what I chew on and pray.

Accept them when I place them

on the morning altar,

O God, my Altar-Rock,

God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

Psalm 18

Psalm 18

A David Song, Which He Sang to God After Being Saved from All His Enemies and from Saul

1-2I love you, God—

you make me strong.

God is bedrock under my feet,

the castle in which I live,

my rescuing knight.

My God—the high crag

where I run for dear life,

hiding behind the boulders,

safe in the granite hideout.

3I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,

and find myself safe and saved.

4-5The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat;

devil waters rushed over me.

Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;

death traps barred every exit.

6A hostile world! I call to God,

I cry to God to help me.

From his palace he hears my call;

my cry brings me right into his presence—

a private audience!

7-15Earth wobbles and lurches;

huge mountains shake like leaves,

Quake like aspen leaves

because of his rage.

His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;

his mouth spits fire.

Tongues of fire dart in and out;

he lowers the sky.

He steps down;

under his feet an abyss opens up.

He’s riding a winged creature,

swift on wind-wings.

Now he’s wrapped himself

in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.

But his cloud-brightness bursts through,

spraying hailstones and fireballs.

Then God thundered out of heaven;

the High God gave a great shout,

spraying hailstones and fireballs.

God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!

He hurls his lightnings—a rout!

The secret sources of ocean are exposed,

the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered

The moment you roar in protest,

let loose your hurricane anger.

16-19But me he caught—reached all the way

from sky to sea; he pulled me out

Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,

the void in which I was drowning.

They hit me when I was down,

but God stuck by me.

He stood me up on a wide-open field;

I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

20-24God made my life complete

when I placed all the pieces before him.

When I got my act together,

he gave me a fresh start.

Now I’m alert to God’s ways;

I don’t take God for granted.

Every day I review the ways he works;

I try not to miss a trick.

I feel put back together,

and I’m watching my step.

God rewrote the text of my life

when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

25-27The good people taste your goodness,

The whole people taste your health,

The true people taste your truth,

The bad ones can’t figure you out.

You take the side of the down-and-out,

But the stuck-up you take down a peg.

28-29Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life;

I’m blazing with glory, God’s glory!

I smash the bands of marauders,

I vault the highest fences.

30What a God! His road

stretches straight and smooth.

Every God-direction is road-tested.

Everyone who runs toward him

Makes it.

31-42Is there any god like God?

Are we not at bedrock?

Is not this the God who armed me,

then aimed me in the right direction?

Now I run like a deer;

I’m king of the mountain.

He shows me how to fight;

I can bend a bronze bow!

You protect me with salvation-armor;

you hold me up with a firm hand,

caress me with your gentle ways.

You cleared the ground under me

so my footing was firm.

When I chased my enemies I caught them;

I didn’t let go till they were dead men.

I nailed them; they were down for good;

then I walked all over them.

You armed me well for this fight,

you smashed the upstarts.

You made my enemies turn tail,

and I wiped out the haters.

They cried “uncle”

but Uncle didn’t come;

They yelled for God

and got no for an answer.

I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.

I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.

43-45You rescued me from a squabbling people;

you made me a leader of nations.

People I’d never heard of served me;

the moment they got wind of me they listened.

The foreign devils gave up; they came

on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.

46-48Live, God! Blessings from my Rock,

my free and freeing God, towering!

This God set things right for me

and shut up the people who talked back.

He rescued me from enemy anger,

he pulled me from the grip of upstarts,

He saved me from the bullies.

49-50That’s why I’m thanking you, God,

all over the world.

That’s why I’m singing songs

that rhyme your name.

God’s king takes the trophy;

God’s chosen is beloved.

I mean David and all his children—

always.

1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. 

Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Psalm 17

Psalm 17

A David Prayer

1-2Listen while I build my case, God,the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear.Show the world I’m innocent—in your heart you know I am.3Go ahead, examine me from inside out,surprise me in the middle of the night—You’ll find I’m just what I say I am.My words don’t run loose.4-5I’m not trying to get my wayin the world’s way.I’m trying to get your way,your Word’s way.I’m staying on your trail;I’m putting one footIn front of the other.I’m not giving up.6-7I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer.So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp!Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;take in your frightened children whoAre running from the neighborhood bulliesstraight to you.8-9Keep your eye on me;hide me under your cool wing feathersFrom the wicked who are out to get me,from mortal enemies closing in.10-14Their hearts are hard as nails,their mouths blast hot air.They are after me, nipping my heels,determined to bring me down,Lions ready to rip me apart,young lions poised to pounce.Up, God: beard them! break them!By your sword, free me from their clutches;Barehanded, God, break these mortals,these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today.I’d like to see their belliesswollen with famine food,The weeds they’ve sownharvested and baked into famine bread,With second helpings for their childrenand crusts for their babies to chew on.15And me? I plan on lookingyou full in the face. When I get up,I’ll see your full statureand live heaven on earth.