Everything told to you by God will be
fulfilled!
By Riqui Ricón*
Blessed is she who has believed
that the Lord would fulfill
his promises to her!
(Luke 1:45, NIV).
Did you know there is one thing that our God and Father, the Almighty, cannot do? That's right, the only thing He
cannot do is lie. His Word (which comprises all the words that come from His
mouth) is the Word of God, and once it has been spoken, it has all the power
and authority of God to fulfill itself. If God said the sky is red, then it
would change its color from blue to red. It's that simple!
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed
by the word of God, so that things which are seen were
not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3, KJV).
Scripture says that, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1, KJV). But how did
He create them? He created them at the precise moment He said, "Let there
be light," and that is exactly what happened: Light was made by the Word
of God!
So, everything that exists, everything that is—visible and invisible—has been established by the Word of God.
Now then,
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his
might (Ephesians 6:10, KJV).
As you can see, the power of God's might is
not in His muscles, nor in His lightning and thunder, nor in His angels, but in
His Word. The only thing He needs to do for things
to happen is to speak His Word.
What He says happens! After
all, He is God.
It is because of all this
that:
The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the
word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority,
having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to
another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard
it, he marvelled, and said to
them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no,
not in Israel (Matthew 8:8-10, KJV).
This centurion knew the secret
of faith, which is the supreme principle
of authority: All power and authority resides in the Word of God!
Not without reason is the Message we preach called
the Gospel—Good News! Now you are blessed, a thousand
times happy, because you have believed; everything the Lord has told you in His
Word, the Bible, will be fulfilled.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the man that trusteth in thee (Psalm
84:12, KJV).
In the face of the amazing
events unfolding before her, the Virgin Mary—when it was explained to her why she
was highly favored and that, despite her situation, nothing is impossible for
God—simply replied: Behold the handmaid
of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38, KJV).
Notice that she did not respond, "be
it unto me according to Your Will," but "according to Your Word."
“How will this be,” Mary asked
the angel, “since
I am a virgin?” The angel
answered, “The Holy Spirit will
come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy
one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative
is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is
in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:34-37, NIV).
As we have seen, the power of the Most High
is His own Word. That is why Mary could affirm
with faith, "be
it unto me according to Your Word." God's Honor was at stake! The Power of the Most High had been
activated!
Could you affirm
the same? Could you, with all your faith, tell God that you
desire for Him to do with you according to His Word before this year ends?
Would you be willing to finish this year
believing that you can do all things through
Christ who strengthens you and that in all things—absolutely all—you will come out more than a
conqueror through Him who loved you, Christ Jesus? Could you let the power of
the Most High overshadow you today?
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace. In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world (John 16:33, KJV).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
does not promise
you a life without problems,
but it does promise a
victorious life!
When you know that you know that the Bible is the Truth,
for it is the Word of
God, and you know that you know that EVERYTHING God said, He will do, and what He spoke, He will
execute, then even if you are in the midst of the greatest affliction, you can
trust in Him. You can trust in His Word, And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7, KJV).
So, there truly exists a path to being happy,
and it is this: trust in God. Believe
God by believing His Word!
For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17,
KJV).
Remember that He loves you so much He preferred to give
up His own Son rather than lose you, and now, because
of what Jesus did for you, you are a Born Again Child of God—born of God's
Love!
See what great love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him (1
John 3:1, NIV).
You are the most valuable
thing God has in this world: His own child!
So, He has not left you, nor
will He ever leave you.
Let’s pray out loud:
Beloved heavenly Father,
how beautiful it is to know I am so loved by You. What a sublime feeling it is
to know that You have established in Your eternal, perfect, and infallible Word
that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not
fear, for I know that You are with me; that even though afflictions come upon me, I know that from ALL of them I will come out more than a conqueror through Him who
loved me, Christ Jesus. It is written! You do not lie nor do You repent! You
have said it and You will do it! You have spoken it and You will execute it!
Thank You, precious God! And to You, beloved Lord Jesus, I want to say that I
love You with all my being, with all my strength, and with all my heart.
Because of what You did for me on the cross, by dying and paying for all my
sins and by overcoming death, rising from the dead, You have given me Eternal
Life and made me born again as a legitimate and authentic Child of God. Now I have an identity;
now I know perfectly who I
am! Therefore, I will fear no more. I determine to be happy by making Your
Word, the Bible, the maximum standard of my existence; I will put it in my
mouth, mind, and heart; I will read it and meditate on it day and night to keep
it and do according to everything You, precious God, say in it; because I know
that then I will make my way prosperous and everything will turn out well for
me. Holy Spirit, help me to do it this way! I believe and declare according to
Your Word that I, (your
name here), am healed! I am free! I am prosperous! I am happy! In the name of
Jesus. Amen.
Important Note:
How do I become a Child of God? How do I establish a relationship with the
Almighty?
Just say the following prayer
aloud, putting all your attention
and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of
God. That You came into this world, born
of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have
been a sinner. Therefore, today I say that I accept. I accept Your
sacrifice on the cross! I accept Your precious
Blood shed to the last drop out of love for me! I open my
heart to You and invite You in
because I want, Lord Jesus, that from today and
forever You be my only and sufficient Savior, my God,
my King, and my Lord. Thank
You, Almighty God, because with this simple prayer and profession of faith I have passed from death to Life, I have been transferred from darkness to Your
marvelous Light. Today I have been Born Again! God, now I am Your Child! Now
You are my Father! I will never be alone again! I will never live defeated
again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
By Riqui Ricón*
Blessed is she who has believed
that the Lord would fulfill
his promises to her!
(Luke 1:45, NIV).
Did you know there is one thing that our God and Father, the Almighty, cannot do? That's right, the only thing He
cannot do is lie. His Word (which comprises all the words that come from His
mouth) is the Word of God, and once it has been spoken, it has all the power
and authority of God to fulfill itself. If God said the sky is red, then it
would change its color from blue to red. It's that simple!
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed
by the word of God, so that things which are seen were
not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3, KJV).
Scripture says that, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1, KJV). But how did
He create them? He created them at the precise moment He said, "Let there
be light," and that is exactly what happened: Light was made by the Word
of God!
So, everything that exists, everything that is—visible and invisible—has been established by the Word of God.
Now then,
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his
might (Ephesians 6:10, KJV).
As you can see, the power of God's might is
not in His muscles, nor in His lightning and thunder, nor in His angels, but in
His Word. The only thing He needs to do for things
to happen is to speak His Word.
What He says happens! After
all, He is God.
It is because of all this
that:
The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the
word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority,
having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to
another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard
it, he marvelled, and said to
them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no,
not in Israel (Matthew 8:8-10, KJV).
This centurion knew the secret
of faith, which is the supreme principle
of authority: All power and authority resides in the Word of God!
Not without reason is the Message we preach called
the Gospel—Good News! Now you are blessed, a thousand
times happy, because you have believed; everything the Lord has told you in His
Word, the Bible, will be fulfilled.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the man that trusteth in thee (Psalm
84:12, KJV).
In the face of the amazing
events unfolding before her, the Virgin Mary—when it was explained to her why she
was highly favored and that, despite her situation, nothing is impossible for
God—simply replied: Behold the handmaid
of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38, KJV).
Notice that she did not respond, "be
it unto me according to Your Will," but "according to Your Word."
“How will this be,” Mary asked
the angel, “since
I am a virgin?” The angel
answered, “The Holy Spirit will
come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy
one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative
is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is
in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:34-37, NIV).
As we have seen, the power of the Most High
is His own Word. That is why Mary could affirm
with faith, "be
it unto me according to Your Word." God's Honor was at stake! The Power of the Most High had been
activated!
Could you affirm
the same? Could you, with all your faith, tell God that you
desire for Him to do with you according to His Word before this year ends?
Would you be willing to finish this year
believing that you can do all things through
Christ who strengthens you and that in all things—absolutely all—you will come out more than a
conqueror through Him who loved you, Christ Jesus? Could you let the power of
the Most High overshadow you today?
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace. In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world (John 16:33, KJV).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
does not promise
you a life without problems,
but it does promise a
victorious life!
When you know that you know that the Bible is the Truth,
for it is the Word of
God, and you know that you know that EVERYTHING God said, He will do, and what He spoke, He will
execute, then even if you are in the midst of the greatest affliction, you can
trust in Him. You can trust in His Word, And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7, KJV).
So, there truly exists a path to being happy,
and it is this: trust in God. Believe
God by believing His Word!
For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17,
KJV).
Remember that He loves you so much He preferred to give
up His own Son rather than lose you, and now, because
of what Jesus did for you, you are a Born Again Child of God—born of God's
Love!
See what great love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him (1
John 3:1, NIV).
You are the most valuable
thing God has in this world: His own child!
So, He has not left you, nor
will He ever leave you.
Let’s pray out loud:
Beloved heavenly Father,
how beautiful it is to know I am so loved by You. What a sublime feeling it is
to know that You have established in Your eternal, perfect, and infallible Word
that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not
fear, for I know that You are with me; that even though afflictions come upon me, I know that from ALL of them I will come out more than a conqueror through Him who
loved me, Christ Jesus. It is written! You do not lie nor do You repent! You
have said it and You will do it! You have spoken it and You will execute it!
Thank You, precious God! And to You, beloved Lord Jesus, I want to say that I
love You with all my being, with all my strength, and with all my heart.
Because of what You did for me on the cross, by dying and paying for all my
sins and by overcoming death, rising from the dead, You have given me Eternal
Life and made me born again as a legitimate and authentic Child of God. Now I have an identity;
now I know perfectly who I
am! Therefore, I will fear no more. I determine to be happy by making Your
Word, the Bible, the maximum standard of my existence; I will put it in my
mouth, mind, and heart; I will read it and meditate on it day and night to keep
it and do according to everything You, precious God, say in it; because I know
that then I will make my way prosperous and everything will turn out well for
me. Holy Spirit, help me to do it this way! I believe and declare according to
Your Word that I, (your
name here), am healed! I am free! I am prosperous! I am happy! In the name of
Jesus. Amen.
Important Note:
How do I become a Child of God? How do I establish a relationship with the
Almighty?
Just say the following prayer
aloud, putting all your attention
and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of
God. That You came into this world, born
of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have
been a sinner. Therefore, today I say that I accept. I accept Your
sacrifice on the cross! I accept Your precious
Blood shed to the last drop out of love for me! I open my
heart to You and invite You in
because I want, Lord Jesus, that from today and
forever You be my only and sufficient Savior, my God,
my King, and my Lord. Thank
You, Almighty God, because with this simple prayer and profession of faith I have passed from death to Life, I have been transferred from darkness to Your
marvelous Light. Today I have been Born Again! God, now I am Your Child! Now
You are my Father! I will never be alone again! I will never live defeated
again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Three Recommendations:
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and
Savior of your life, according
to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer
as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a
legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore,
I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1.
Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet
place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice
how God always responds to your heart.
2.
Read and meditate
on the Word of God. The Bible
is the Word of God, so
get a Bible and start reading and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day,
look up the reading program “The
Bible in One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year (palabradehonor.org). You will notice
that the program is set up so you can print it as a booklet.
3.
In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a
Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based
on the Good News, which are
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and
Savior of your life, according
to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer
as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a
legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore,
I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1.
Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet
place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice
how God always responds to your heart.
2.
Read and meditate
on the Word of God. The Bible
is the Word of God, so
get a Bible and start reading and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day,
look up the reading program “The
Bible in One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year (palabradehonor.org). You will notice
that the program is set up so you can print it as a booklet.
3.
In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a
Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based
on the Good News, which are
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
Reading and Meditation on the Word of God
Do these daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have read the
entire Bible.
December 23 Luke 1.26-56 / Ezekiel
34 / Isaiah 58
Luke
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God unto a city of
Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused
to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David; and
the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled
at his saying, and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold,
thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom
there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing
I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered
and said unto her, The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold,
thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with
her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing
shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold
the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country
with haste, into a city of
Juda;
40 And entered
into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth
heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth
was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed
is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those
things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded
the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall
call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to
generation.
51 He hath shewed strength
with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers,
to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months,
and returned to her own house.
Ezekiel
34 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds
of Israel, prophesy,
and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should
not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
4 The diseased have
ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have
ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither
have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with
cruelty have ye ruled them.
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the
field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through
all the mountains, and upon every
high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the
face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
8 As I live, saith
the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and
my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd,
neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves,
and fed not my flock;
9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
10 Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will
require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding
the flock; neither shall the
shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their
mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 For thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep,
and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd
seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep,
and will deliver
them out of all
places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring
them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring
them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers,
and in all the inhabited
places of the country.
14 I will feed them
in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their
fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture
shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven
away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that
which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them
with judgment.
17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the
rams and the he goats.
18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten
up the good pasture, but ye
must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk
of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden
with your feet; and
they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them;
Behold, I, even I, will judge
between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
21 Because ye have thrust
with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the
diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
22 Therefore will I save my flock,
and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and
he shall be their shepherd.
24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David
a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.
25 And I will make
with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely
in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a
blessing; and I will cause
the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of
the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have
broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those
that served themselves of them.
28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither
shall the beast of
the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
29 And I will raise
up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
30 Thus shall they know that I the
LORD their God am with them,
and that they, even the house of Israel, are my
people, saith the Lord GOD.
31 And ye my flock,
the flock of my pasture,
are men, and I am your God, saith
the Lord GOD.
Isaiah
58 Cry aloud, spare
not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people
their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me
daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance
of their God: they ask of me the
ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted,
say they, and thou seest
not? wherefore have we
afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your
fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness:
ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict
his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to
spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an
acceptable day to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go
free, and that ye break
every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry,
and that thou bring the poor that are
cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou
cover him; and that thou hide not
thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy
light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before
thee; the glory
of the LORD shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou
call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt
cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst
of thee the yoke, the putting
forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in
obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought,
and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a
spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall
build the old waste places:
thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called,
The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my
holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor
finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight
thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon
the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy
father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Do these daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have read the
entire Bible.
December 23 Luke 1.26-56 / Ezekiel
34 / Isaiah 58
Luke
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God unto a city of
Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused
to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David; and
the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled
at his saying, and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold,
thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom
there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing
I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered
and said unto her, The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold,
thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with
her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing
shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold
the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country
with haste, into a city of
Juda;
40 And entered
into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth
heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth
was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed
is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those
things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded
the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall
call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to
generation.
51 He hath shewed strength
with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers,
to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months,
and returned to her own house.
Ezekiel
34 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds
of Israel, prophesy,
and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should
not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
4 The diseased have
ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have
ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither
have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with
cruelty have ye ruled them.
5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the
field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through
all the mountains, and upon every
high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the
face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
8 As I live, saith
the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and
my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd,
neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves,
and fed not my flock;
9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
10 Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will
require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding
the flock; neither shall the
shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their
mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 For thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep,
and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd
seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep,
and will deliver
them out of all
places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring
them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring
them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers,
and in all the inhabited
places of the country.
14 I will feed them
in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their
fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture
shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven
away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that
which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them
with judgment.
17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the
rams and the he goats.
18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten
up the good pasture, but ye
must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk
of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden
with your feet; and
they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them;
Behold, I, even I, will judge
between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
21 Because ye have thrust
with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the
diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
22 Therefore will I save my flock,
and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and
he shall be their shepherd.
24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David
a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.
25 And I will make
with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely
in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a
blessing; and I will cause
the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
27 And the tree of
the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have
broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those
that served themselves of them.
28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither
shall the beast of
the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
29 And I will raise
up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
30 Thus shall they know that I the
LORD their God am with them,
and that they, even the house of Israel, are my
people, saith the Lord GOD.
31 And ye my flock,
the flock of my pasture,
are men, and I am your God, saith
the Lord GOD.
Isaiah
58 Cry aloud, spare
not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people
their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me
daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance
of their God: they ask of me the
ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted,
say they, and thou seest
not? wherefore have we
afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your
fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness:
ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict
his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to
spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an
acceptable day to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go
free, and that ye break
every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry,
and that thou bring the poor that are
cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou
cover him; and that thou hide not
thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy
light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before
thee; the glory
of the LORD shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou
call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt
cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst
of thee the yoke, the putting
forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in
obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought,
and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a
spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall
build the old waste places:
thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called,
The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my
holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor
finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight
thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon
the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy
father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
