Daily Bible Readings

July 29, 2011
1st READING
The sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament remind the people that all that they have is a gift from God and it is to Him that they owe their first allegiance. God wanted the people to have a humble acceptance that He was the source of all things lest they become self-sufficient, proud and arrogant and forget God and His goodness.

Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37 (or 1John 4:7-16)
1 The LORD said to Moses, 4 “These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate at their proper time with a sacred assembly. 5 The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month, at the evening twilight. 6 The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD’s feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly and do no sort of work. 8 On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD. Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly and do no sort of work.” 9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: When you come into the land which I am giving you, and reap your harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD that it may be acceptable for you. On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this. 15 Beginning with the day after the sabbath, the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf, you shall count seven full weeks, 16 and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day, you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD. 27 The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement, when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves and offer an oblation to the LORD. 34 The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD’s feast of Booths, which shall continue for seven days. 35 On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly, and you shall do no sort of work. 36 For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD, and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly and offer an oblation to the LORD. On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work. 37 These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly, and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings, sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day,”

P S A L M
Psalm 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11 (or Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11)
R: Sing with joy to God our help.
2 [3] Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel, the pleasant harp and the lyre. 3 [4] Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast. (R) 4 [5] For it is a statute in Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob, 5 [6] who made it a decree for Joseph when he came forth from the land of Egypt. (R) 9 [10] There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. 10 [11] I, the LORD, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt. (R)

G O S P E L

Martha was the head of the household that Jesus visited with His disciples. No doubt she felt a huge responsibility to make sure all was just right for her esteemed guests. Jesus was not criticizing Martha for her loving service but was trying to help her find the right balance between service and prayer in her life. We should not neglect rightful service to our families in order to pray.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
The word of the Lord remains forever; this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

John 11:19-27 (or Matthew 13:54-58, or Luke 10:38-42)
19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. [Lazarus, who had died] 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

my reflections
t h in k : All that we have is a gift from God and it is to Him that we owe our first allegiance.

God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Proverbs 24-27