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

August 22, 2008

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

The Lectionary According to the Christian Seasons

Ezekiel 37:1-14 

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 and caused me to pass by them round about; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry. 3 And He said unto me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, Thou knowest." 4 Again He said unto me, "Prophesy upon these bones and say unto them, `O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. 

9 Then said He unto me, "Prophesy unto the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, `Thus saith the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 

11 Then He said unto me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, `Our bones are dried and our hope is lost. We are cut off from our parts.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, `Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 and shall put My Spirit in you and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. Then shall ye know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it, saith the LORD.'"

Psalm 107:1-9

1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good; 
for His mercy endureth for ever. 
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, 
whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 
3 and gathered them out of the lands, 
from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 

4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; 
they found no city to dwell in. 
5 Hungry and thirsty, 
their soul fainted within them. 
6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, 
and He delivered them out of their distresses. 
7 And He led them forth by the right way, 
that they might go to a city for habitation. 
8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, 
and for His wonderful works to the children of men! 
9 For He satisfieth the longing soul, 
and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. 

Words of Worship - Psalm 25:4b-5a

teach me Thy paths.
Lead me in Thy truth and teach me,

Matthew 22:34-40

34 But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying, 36 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said unto him,

"'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it: `Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken 
is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Jesus Speaks Morals & Values - Matthew 13:57
         (see UniversalJesusSpeaks.info for more information)

And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said unto them,

"A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country and in his own house." And He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.