Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him - Daily Bible Readings February 18,2014

1^ST READING

 

 

Here is a truth that we need to take to heart — God tempts no one. He may test our faith to determine whether or not we are willing to take on a particular task, but He does not ever tempt us with sin. That is what the devil does! God wants our focus to be on truth and goodness, not sin and evil. He is always there to help us avoid the temptations of the devil.

 

James 1:12-18

12 Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.13 No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters: 17 all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 18 He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 94:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R: Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

12 Blessed the man whom you instruct, O Lord, whom by your law you teach, 13 giving him rest from evil days. (R) 14 For the Lord will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance; 15 but judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it. (R) 18 When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your mercy, O Lord, sustains me; 19 when cares abound within me, your comfort gladdens my soul. (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

There are times when Jesus uses images when He speaks and there are times when He speaks plainly. It can be difficult to discern between the two but generally speaking it is pretty obvious. Mark tells us that the disciples of Jesus took a long time to really understand the full nature of the Gospel. It took Jesus a while to explain it to them. Let us take heart as we struggle to understand God’s will for our lives, even if it is not always easy to grasp what He wants us to do in building His kingdom.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

 

Mark 8:14-21

14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. 17 When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered him, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

 

LIST

think: God wants our focus to be on truth and goodness, not sin and evil.

 

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 Ephesians 4-6