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Monday
The First
Lesson
1 Maccabees 1:41-53
41 Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all
should be one people,
42 And every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed
according to the commandment of the king.
43 Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion,
and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath.
44 For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem
and the cities of Juda that they should follow the strange laws
of the land,
45 And forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings,
in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths and
festival days:
46 And pollute the sanctuary and holy people:
47 Set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice
swine's flesh, and unclean beasts:
48 That they should also leave their children uncircumcised,
and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness
and profanation:
49 To the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances.
50 And whosoever would not do according to the commandment of
the king, he said, he should die.
51 In the selfsame manner wrote he to his whole kingdom, and
appointed overseers over all the people, commanding the cities
of Juda to sacrifice, city by city.
52 Then many of the people were gathered unto them, to wit every
one that forsook the law; and so they committed evils in the
land;
53 And drove the Israelites into secret places, even wheresoever
they could flee for succour.
1st Lesson Questions -
Scripture shows us that people seem to change beliefs because of external pressures. Is it the same today? Have I? RESOLVE.
The Second
Lesson
Acts 15:36-16:5
36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again
and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the
word of the Lord, and see how they do.
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname
was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed
from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed
asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed
unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the
brethren unto the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple
was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which
was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra
and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised
him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they
knew all that his father was a Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the
decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders
which were at Jerusalem.
5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased
in number daily.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Is our time more contentious than that portrayed in this passage? RESOLVE.