Daily Bible

10 March 2010
Fourth Week of Great Lent

Reading From Romans 14:1-13 To Live and Die for Christ
 Gosple of Life According Mark 8:22-26 The Blind Man of Bethsaida

Reading
Romans 14:1-13 To Live and Die for Christ
A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans. Father, give your blessing. Pause for the blessing, then read:
Brothers and Sisters:
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling
over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves,
and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then, each of us will be accountable to God. Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.
Praise be to God always!

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Gosple
Luke 7:1-10 The Healing of a Centurion’s Slave
Let us be attentive to the Gospel of Life and Salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded by the evangelist Luke.
The Evangelist writes:
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
This is the truth. Peace be with you.

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Sermon

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Daily Verse

In your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

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Daily Psalm

Psalm 143

1: Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2: And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3: For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4: Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5: I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6: I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7: Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8: Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9: Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10: Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11: Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12: And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
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Daily Prayer

Holy and Loving Father, thank you for speaking your grace in Jesus. I'm not sure I would have heard any other message. Give me the conviction I need to share my hope in Jesus, but in a way that reflects your grace. Through my Living Hope I pray. Amen.