“And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long … Continue reading Our Modern-Day Scribes and Pharisees

“When my soul was embittered,when I was pricked in heart,I was brutish and ignorant;I was like a beast toward you. “Nevertheless, I am continually with you;you hold my right hand.You guide me with your counsel,and afterward you will receive me to glory.Whom have I in heaven but you?And there is nothing on earth that I … Continue reading It is Good to Be Near God

The arrogant and the wicked:“have no pangs until death;their bodies are fat and sleek.They are not in trouble as others are;they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.Therefore pride is their necklace;violence covers them as a garment.Their eyes swell out through fatness;their hearts overflow with follies.They scoff and speak with malice;loftily they threaten oppression.They … Continue reading Behold, These are the Wicked

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!Serve the Lord with gladness!Come into his presence with singing!Know that the Lord, he is God!It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise!Give thanks to him; bless … Continue reading With Regard to Your Way of Life

“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you … Continue reading You Have Made it a Den of Robbers

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on … Continue reading If These Were Silent

“In my distress I called to the Lord,and he answered me.Deliver me, O Lord,from lying lips,from a deceitful tongue. “What shall be given to you,and what more shall be done to you,you deceitful tongue?A warrior's sharp arrows,with glowing coals of the broom tree! “Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,that I dwell among the … Continue reading Deliver Me, O Lord, from Lying Lips

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us … Continue reading Share in Suffering for the Gospel

“I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in … Continue reading Fan Into Flame the Gift of God Within You

The Sluggard 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard;consider her ways, and be wise.9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?When will you arise from your sleep?12 A worthless person, a wicked man,goes about with crooked speech,13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,points with his finger,14 with perverted heart devises evil,continually sowing … Continue reading A Perverted Heart Devises Evil