(~) Bible Readings for Sunday May 2nd
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39)
or Numbers 27:12-23
Revelation 7:9-17
or Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39)
John 10:22-30
First Lesson Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39)
When Paul and Barnabas came to Antioch in Pisidia, they went on the
sabbath day into the synagogue, and after the reading of the law and the
prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying,
"Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it."
So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: "You Israelites, and
others who fear God, listen. My brothers, you descendants of Abraham's
family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has
been sent. Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not
recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every
sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. Even though they
found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him
killed. When they had carried out everything that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised
him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with
him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the
people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our
ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as
also it is written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.'
[As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he
has spoken in this way, `I will give you the holy promises made to
David.'
Therefore he has also said in another psalm,
`You will not let your Holy One experience corruption.'
For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation,
died, was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption; but he
whom God raised up experienced no corruption. Let it be known to you
therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from
all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.]
or
Old Testament Numbers 27:12-23
The LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see
the land that I have given to the Israelites. When you have seen it, you
also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, because
you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the
congregation quarreled with me. You did not show my holiness before their
eyes at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the
wilderness of Zin.) Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, "Let the LORD, the
God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation who
shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out
and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD may not be like
sheep without a shepherd." So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of
Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him; have him
stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and commission
him in their sight. You shall give him some of your authority, so that all
the congregation of the Israelites may obey. But he shall stand before
Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the Urim
before the LORD; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall
come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation."
So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand
before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation; he laid his hands on
him and commissioned him-- as the LORD had directed through Moses.
The Epistle Revelation 7:9-17
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could
count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm
branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the
Lamb!" And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders
and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the
throne and worshiped God, singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in
white, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the
one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of
the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
or
The Second Lesson Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39)
[see above]
The Gospel John 10:22-30
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It
was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of
Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will
you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus
answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in
my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not
belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow
me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will
snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than
all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father
and I are one."
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
http://Rainbow-Christian.tk
The Lord is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
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