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

July 13, 2008

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

The Lectionary According to the Christian Seasons

Isaiah 55:8-11

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways," saith the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall not return unto Me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Psalm 65

1 Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion;
and unto Thee shall the vow be performed.
2 O Thou that hearest prayer,
unto Thee shall all flesh come.
3 Iniquities prevail against me;
as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.
4 Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto Thee,
that he may dwell in Thy courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house,
even of Thy holy temple.

5 By fearsome deeds of righteousness wilt Thou answer us, O God of our salvation,
who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the sea,
6 who by His strength setteth fast the mountains, being girded with power,
7 who stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people.
8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at Thy signs;
Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

9 Thou visitest the earth and waterest it; Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water;
Thou preparest them corn when Thou hast so provided it.
10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly, Thou settlest the furrows thereof;
Thou makest it soft with showers, Thou blessest the sprouting thereof.
11 Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness,
and Thy paths drip with fatness.
12 They drip upon the pastures of the wilderness,
and the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks,
the valleys also are covered over with corn.
They shout for joy,
they also sing.

Romans 8:18-25

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it? 25 But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Matthew 13:1-23

1 The same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And He spoke many things unto them in parables, saying,

"Behold, a sower went forth to sow. 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside; and the fowls came and devoured them up. 5 Some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth. 6 And when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

10 And the disciples came and said unto Him, "Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?" 11 He answered and said unto them,

"Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables, because seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith,

'By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand;
and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.
15 For this people's heart has waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;
lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and should understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.'

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

18 "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower: 19 When any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he that received seed by the wayside. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word and at once with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while. For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he loses faith. 22 He also that received the seed among the thorns is he that heareth the Word; and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word and understandeth it; who also beareth fruit and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

Words of Wisdom - Wisdom of Solomon 5:14

For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blown away with the wind, 
like a thin froth that is driven away with the storm, 
as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest, 
and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarrieth but a day.

Jesus Speaks Morals & Values - Matthew 6:14-15
         (see UniversalJesusSpeaks.info for more information)

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.