Daily Scripture Reading for the
Liturgical Calendar Year
(beginning the 1st Sunday of Advent)

September 21, 2010

Text taken from the
Third Millennium Bible^® (TMB^®)
(New Authorized Version^TM NAV^TM)

The Lectionary According to the Christian Seasons

Ephesians 4:1-16 

1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Therefore He saith, 

"When He ascended up on high, 
He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." 

9 (Now the saying, "He ascended" -- what does it mean but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same who also ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we henceforth be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning and craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament showeth His handiwork.
2 Day upon day uttereth speech,
and night upon night showeth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their sound has gone forth through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever;
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is Thy servant warned,
and in keeping of them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse Thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.
Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent of the great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight,
O LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer.

Matthew 9:9-13

9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man named Matthew, sitting in the customhouse. And He said unto him, 

"Follow Me." 

And he arose and followed Him. 

10 And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, "Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners?" 12 But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, 

"They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what this meaneth: `I will have mercy and not sacrifice.' For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." 

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 27:22

Though thou shouldest grind a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, 
yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Jesus Speaks Morals & Values - Matthew 25:31-46

"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, `Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.' Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?' And the King shall answer and say unto them, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'

"Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, `Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I hungered, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye clothed Me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited Me not.' Then shall they also answer Him, saying, `Lord, when saw we Thee hungering or athirst or a stranger, or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?' Then shall He answer them, saying, `Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.' And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."