The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.’ Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on…
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When the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die.. From Ezekiel 18: 25-28, NRSV It is probably safe to…
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Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement. From Ecclesiastes 11:9 – 12:8, NRSV In today’s first reading, the…
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I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. From Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11,…
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Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’?It has already been, in the ages before us.The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembranceof people yet to come by those who come after them. From Ecclesiastes: 1:2-11, NRSV This message from the author of Ecclesiastes…
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Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.Do not add to his words, or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar. From Proverbs 30:5-9, NRSV Before the invention of printing, it was not unheard of for a scribe to add some…
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All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart.To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. From Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13, NRSV Today’s Old Testament reading comes from the Book of Proverbs (or Book of Solomon). The word proverb in English leads us to think of short,…
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The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to…
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For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. From Isaiah 55:6-9 NRSV The prophet Isaiah is speaking to all who will listen to encourage them to repent of their sins and to seek God’s forgiveness. It is probable that many would…
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But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some…
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