Daily Scripture Reading for the
Liturgical Calendar Year
(beginning the 1st Sunday of Advent)

August 11, 2008

Text taken from the
Third Millennium Bible^® (TMB^®)
(New Authorized Version^TM NAV^TM)

The Lectionary According to the Christian Seasons

Ezekiel 1 

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River of Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month (which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity), 3 the word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. 

4 And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself; and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7 And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. 8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and all four had their faces and their wings. 9 Their wings were joined one to another. They turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, all four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side, and all four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. And their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went, and they turned not when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire and like the appearance of lamps; it went up and down among the living creatures, and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran and returned, like the appearance of a flash of lightning. 

15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, a wheel was upon the earth by each of the living creatures with his four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness; and their appearance and their work was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they went, they went upon their four sides; and they turned not when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rims were full of eyes round about the four. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was their spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up opposite them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up opposite them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 

22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creatures was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other; every one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side of their bodies. 24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech as the noise of a host. When they stood, they let down their wings; 25 and there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads when they stood and had let down their wings. 

26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, with the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness in appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the color of amber, with the appearance of fire round about within it. From the appearance of His loins even upward and from the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One who spoke.

Psalm 148

1 Praise ye the LORD! Praise ye the LORD from the heavens;
praise Him in the heights!
2 Praise ye Him, all His angels;
praise ye Him, all His hosts!
3 Praise ye Him, sun and moon;
praise Him, all ye stars of light!
4 Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens,
and ye waters that be above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for He commanded and they were created.
6 He hath also established them for ever and ever;
He hath made a decree which shall not pass.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
ye dragons and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and vapors,
stormy wind fulfilling His word,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruitful trees and all cedars,
10 beasts and all cattle,
creeping things and flying fowl,
11 kings of the earth and all people,
princes and all judges of the earth,
12 both young men and maidens,
old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is excellent;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.

14 He also exalteth the horn of His people,
the praise of all His saints,
even of the children of Israel,
a people near unto Him. Praise ye the LORD!

Words of Worship - 2 Thessalonians 2:14

...whereunto He called you by our Gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 17:22-27

22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, "The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again."

And they were exceeding sorry.

24 And when they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the tribute money came to Peter and said, "Doth not your master pay tribute?" 25 He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus preceded him, saying,

"What thinkest thou, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? From their own children, or from strangers?"

26 Peter said unto Him, "From strangers." Jesus said unto him,

"Then are the children free. 27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up. And when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. That take, and give unto them for Me and thee."

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 31:28-29

Wine measurably drunk and in season bringeth gladness of the heart and cheerfulness of the mind, 
but wine drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind with brawling and quarreling.

Jesus Speaks Morals & Values - Matthew 10:28
         (see UniversalJesusSpeaks.info for more information)

And fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.