Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.…
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For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,“I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became…
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Thus says the Lord:Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. From Jeremiah 17:5-8, NRSV The prophet Jeremiah makes a distinction between those who place all their trust in God – they are “blessed”, …
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Then Jeroboam said to himself, ‘Now the kingdom may well revert to the house of David. If this people continues to go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, the heart of this people will turn again to their master, King Rehoboam of Judah; they will kill me and return to King…
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He then said to Jeroboam: Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘See, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and will give you ten tribes. One tribe will remain his, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of…
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Then the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this matter, that he should not follow other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord commanded. From 1 Kings 11:4-13, NRSV In yesterday’s reading we heard…
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‘Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.’ From 1 Kings 10:1-10, NRSV At the time of the event recorded in today’s reading, Solomon’s kingdom was enjoying a period…
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Have regard to your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day towards this house, the place of which you said, “My name shall be there”, that you may heed the prayer that your…
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Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. From 1 Kings 8:1-7,9-13, NRSV In today’s reading we hear about the dedication of the new Temple in Jerusalem. King David had not…
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Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice…
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