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Tuesday
The First Lesson
Ecclesiasticus 36:1-17
1 Have mercy upon us, O Lord God of all, and behold us:
2 And send thy fear upon all the nations that seek not after thee.
3 Lift up thy hand against the strange nations, and let them see thy power.
4 As thou wast sanctified in us before them: so be thou magnified among them before us.
5 And let them know thee, as we have known thee, that there is no God but only thou, O God.
6 Shew new signs, and make other strange wonders: glorify thy hand and thy right arm, that they may set forth thy wondrous works.
7 Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath: take away the adversary, and destroy the enemy.
8 Make the time short, remember the covenant, and let them declare thy wonderful works.
9 Let him that escapeth be consumed by the rage of the fire; and let them perish that oppress the people.
10 Smite in sunder the heads of the rulers of the heathen, that say, There is none other but we.
11 Gather all the tribes of Jacob together, and inherit thou them, as from the beginning.
12 O Lord, have mercy upon the people that is called by thy name, and upon Israel, whom thou hast named thy firstborn.
13 O be merciful unto Jerusalem, thy holy city, the place of thy rest.
14 Fill Sion with thine unspeakable oracles, and thy people with thy glory:
15 Give testimony unto those that thou hast possessed from the beginning, and raise up prophets that have been in thy name.
16 Reward them that wait for thee, and let thy prophets be found faithful.
17 O Lord, hear the prayer of thy servants, according to the blessing of Aaron over thy people, that all they which dwell upon the earth may know that thou art the Lord, the eternal God.
1st Lesson Questions -
This passage reads as a prayer that God would make things right. When was the last time I prayed to God to make things right in His Church? RESOLVE.
The Second Lesson
Matthew 7:13-29
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
2nd Lesson Questions -
The gate is straight and narrow (V. 14) and the way is hard, but there are Christians who think the gate is wide and the way is paved. Which do I believe? How's my fruit - good or corrupt? (V. 17) At the last, when I finally am allowed to say "Lord, Lord", what will be Christ's response? Upon what is my house - faith - built: sand or rock? RESOLVE.