Daily Bible Readings - January 22, 2012

1st READING

The story of Jonah is one of a reluctant prophet and a merciful God: a man who fears being made a fool of and a God who wants to save people even at the price of a prophet’s minor discomfort. Jonah eventually goes to Nineveh via a ship going in the wrong direction and the belly of a whale – but he eventually goes and does what he is told to do. The people repent at his bidding and God shows His mercy on them.

Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah, saying: 2 “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” 3 So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord’s bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” 5 when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. 10 When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.

P S A L M

Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Teach me your ways, O Lord.
4 Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. (R) 6 Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your kindness are from of old. 7 In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord. (R) 8 Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R)

2ND READING

Paul has a one-track mind. He wants everyone to give everything they have — their time, talents and resources — to the service of the Kingdom of God to the point that they will forego marriage to be of greater service to the Gospel. His inspiration is that the end is very soon and thus marriage is not as important as getting the Gospel message out to the whole world. He eventually realizes that the Second Coming is going to take a little more time than he originally thought. How do we know this? In the Pastoral Epistles we see that he takes time to set up structures for the communities he established that would serve them for future years.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31
29 I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them, 30 those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, 31 those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away.

GOSPEL

John’s arrest was a sign to Jesus to begin His own ministry. It is important for us to read the signs of the times in our own lives to be able to respond to the Spirit of God as He leads us. This simply requires attentiveness to the Word of God and His Spirit. If we are regular with our prayer time and are devoted to reading the Word of God, we will not go wrong.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel.

Mark 1:14-20
14 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 16 As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. 17 Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. 19 He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. 20 Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.
1st READING 2nd READING
GOSPEL PSALM
LIST
think: It is important for us to respond to the Spirit of God as He leads us.


Joh T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR John 1-3
SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
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SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
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HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
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