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

July 20, 2008

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

The Lectionary According to the Christian Seasons

Wisdom of Solomon 12:12-19

12 For who shall say, "What hast Thou done?" Or who shall withstand Thy judgment?
Or who shall accuse Thee for the nations that perish, whom Thou made?
Or who shall come to stand against Thee to be avenged for the unrighteous men?
13 For neither is there any God but Thou, that careth for all,
to whom Thou mightest show that Thy judgment is not unjust;
14 neither shall king or tyrant be able to set his face against Thee
for any whom Thou hast punished.
15 Inasmuch then as Thou art righteous Thyself, Thou orderest all things righteously,
thinking it not agreeable with Thy power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished.
16 For Thy power is the beginning of righteousness,
and because Thou art the Lord of all, it maketh Thee to be gracious unto all.
17 For when men will not believe that Thou art of a full power, Thou showest Thy strength;
and among them that know it Thou makest their boldness manifest.
18 But Thou, mastering Thy power, judgest with equity, and orderest us with great favor;
for Thou mayest use power when Thou wilt.

19 But by such works hast Thou taught Thy people that the just man should be merciful, and hast made Thy children to be of a good hope that Thou givest repentance for sins.

Psalm 86 

1 Bow down Thine ear, O LORD; 
hear me, for I am poor and needy. 
2 Preserve my soul, for I am holy; 
O Thou my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee. 
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord, 
for I cry unto Thee daily. 
4 Make the soul of Thy servant rejoice, 
for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 
5 For Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive, 
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. 
6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; 
and attend to the voice of my supplications. 
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee, 
for Thou wilt answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like unto Thee, O Lord; 
neither are there any works like unto Thy works. 
9 All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord, 
and shall glorify Thy name. 
10 For Thou art great and doest wondrous things: 
Thou alone art God.

11 Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth; 
unite my heart to fear Thy name. 
12 I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, 
and I will glorify Thy name for evermore. 
13 For great is Thy mercy toward me, 
and Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

14 O God, the proud have risen against me, 
and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul, and have not set Thee before them. 
15 But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, 
gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. 
16 O turn unto me and have mercy upon me; 
give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the son of Thine handmaid. 
17 Show me a token for good, that they that hate me may see it and be ashamed, 
because Thou, LORD, hast helped me and comforted me.

Romans 8:26-30

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover, whom He predestined, those He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified; and whom He justified, those He also glorified.

Words of Worship - Matthew 11:25b

"I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 

Matthew 13:24-43

24 Another parable put He forth before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blades had sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, `Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath come the tares?' 28 He said unto them, `An enemy hath done this.' The servants said unto him, `Wilt thou then have us go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, `Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

31 Another parable put He forth before them, saying, 

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

33 Another parable spoke He unto them:

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened."

34 All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke He not unto them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

"I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house, and His disciples came unto Him, saying, "Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said unto them,

"He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seed are the children of the Kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one. 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. 41 The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity, 42 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 22:29

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? 
He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before men of low estate.

Jesus Speaks Morals & Values - Matthew 6:30b-32a
         (see UniversalJesusSpeaks.info for more information)

O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `Wherewith shall we be clothed?' (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.)