(~) Bible Readings for Sunday April 25
Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:1-19a
or Jeremiah 32:36-41
Revelation 5:6-14
or Acts 9:1-19a
John 21:1-14
The First Lesson Acts 9:1-19a
Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the
Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues
at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or
women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along
and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you
will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him
stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up
from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so
they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he
was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in
Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He
answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the
street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus
named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a
man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain
his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this
man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he
has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name."
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen
to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of
Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my
name." So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul
and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way
here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the
Holy Spirit." And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes,
and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after
taking some food, he regained his strength.
or
Old Testament Jeremiah 32:36-41
Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city
of which you say, "It is being given into the hand of the king of Babylon
by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence": See, I am going to gather
them from all the lands to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and
in great indignation; I will bring them back to this place, and I will
settle them in safety. They shall be my people, and I will be their God. I
will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time,
for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make
an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to
them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not
turn from me. I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them
in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
The Epistle Revelation 5:6-14
Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the
elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns
and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the
earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was
seated on the throne. When he had taken the scroll, the four living
creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a
harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the
saints. They sing a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;
you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God,
and they will reign on earth."
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne
and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads
and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, "Worthy is the Lamb
that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!"
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and
in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, "To the one seated on the
throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"
And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and
worshiped.
or
The Second Lesson Acts 9:1-19a
[see above]
The Gospel John 21:1-14
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he
showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter,
Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee,
and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going
fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got
into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak,
Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was
Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They
answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of
the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not
able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom
Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that
it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into
the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full
of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards
off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish
on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you
have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore,
full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were
so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have
breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"
because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave
it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time
that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
http://Rainbow-Christian.tk
The Lord is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
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