Reflections of Faith and Justice - a Devotional by Benjamin Mays

[Be a Gentleman] Purpose

The Big 5

The Benefit of Doubt: How Confronting Your Deepest Questions Can Lead to a Richer Faith

Building Wealth & Stewardship in the Church

Philippians

Live Well

TheLionWithin.Us: 3 Questions to Unlock Deeper Insights in God’s Word

Come Up Higher: A Call to Deeper Fellowship and Purpose

GLEANINGS - Numbers

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch25" data-usfm="MAT.25">
 <div class="label">25</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Ten Virgins</div><div class="p"> 1 &#8220;At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.</div><div class="p"> 6 &#8220;At midnight the cry rang out: &#8216;Here&#8217;s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 7 &#8220;Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, &#8216;Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 9 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;No,&#8217; they replied, &#8216;there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 10 &#8220;But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.</div><div class="p"> 11 &#8220;Later the others also came. &#8216;Lord, Lord,&#8217; they said, &#8216;open the door for us!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 12 &#8220;But he replied, &#8216;Truly I tell you, I don&#8217;t know you.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 13 &#8220;Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Bags of Gold</div><div class="p"> 14 &#8220;Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,#25:15 Greek five talents&#8230; two talents&#8230; one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer&#8217;s wage. each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master&#8217;s money.</div><div class="p"> 19 &#8220;After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. &#8216;Master,&#8217; he said, &#8216;you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 21 &#8220;His master replied, &#8216;Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master&#8217;s happiness!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 22 &#8220;The man with two bags of gold also came. &#8216;Master,&#8217; he said, &#8216;you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 23 &#8220;His master replied, &#8216;Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master&#8217;s happiness!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 24 &#8220;Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. &#8216;Master,&#8217; he said, &#8216;I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 26 &#8220;His master replied, &#8216;You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.</div><div class="p"> 28 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.&#8217;</div><div class="s1">The Sheep and the Goats</div><div class="p"> 31 &#8220;When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.</div><div class="p"> 34 &#8220;Then the King will say to those on his right, &#8216;Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 37 &#8220;Then the righteous will answer him, &#8216;Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 40 &#8220;The King will reply, &#8216;Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 41 &#8220;Then he will say to those on his left, &#8216;Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 44 &#8220;They also will answer, &#8216;Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 45 &#8220;He will reply, &#8216;Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 46 &#8220;Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkDEU">
 <div class="chapter ch31" data-usfm="DEU.31">
 <div class="label">31</div><div class="s1">Joshua to Succeed Moses</div><div class="p"> 1Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2&#8220;I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, &#8216;You shall not cross the Jordan.&#8217; 3The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 4And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, &#8220;Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Public Reading of the Law</div><div class="p"> 9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10Then Moses commanded them: &#8220;At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, 11when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. 12Assemble the people&#8212;men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns&#8212;so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Israel&#8217;s Rebellion Predicted</div><div class="p"> 14The Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him.&#8221; So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.</div><div class="p"> 15Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent. 16And the Lord said to Moses: &#8220;You are going to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. 17And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, &#8216;Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?&#8217; 18And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. 20When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. 21And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.&#8221; 22So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.</div><div class="p"> 23The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: &#8220;Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, 25he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord: 26&#8220;Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. 27For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! 28Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them. 29For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Song of Moses</div><div class="p"> 30And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPSA">
 <div class="chapter ch40" data-usfm="PSA.40">
 <div class="label">40</div><div class="cl">Psalm 40#In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.</div><div class="d">For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.</div><div class="q1"> 1I waited patiently for the Lord;</div><div class="q2">he turned to me and heard my cry.</div><div class="q1"> 2He lifted me out of the slimy pit,</div><div class="q2">out of the mud and mire;</div><div class="q1">he set my feet on a rock</div><div class="q2">and gave me a firm place to stand.</div><div class="q1"> 3He put a new song in my mouth,</div><div class="q2">a hymn of praise to our God.</div><div class="q1">Many will see and fear the Lord</div><div class="q2">and put their trust in him.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 4Blessed is the one</div><div class="q2">who trusts in the Lord,</div><div class="q1">who does not look to the proud,</div><div class="q2">to those who turn aside to false gods.#40:4 Or to lies</div><div class="q1"> 5Many, Lord my God,</div><div class="q2">are the wonders you have done,</div><div class="q2">the things you planned for us.</div><div class="q1">None can compare with you;</div><div class="q2">were I to speak and tell of your deeds,</div><div class="q2">they would be too many to declare.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire&#8212;</div><div class="q2">but my ears you have opened#40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me&#8212;</div><div class="q2">burnt offerings and sin offerings#40:6 Or purification offerings you did not require.</div><div class="q1"> 7Then I said, &#8220;Here I am, I have come&#8212;</div><div class="q2">it is written about me in the scroll.#40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me</div><div class="q1"> 8I desire to do your will, my God;</div><div class="q2">your law is within my heart.&#8221;</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 9I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;</div><div class="q2">I do not seal my lips, Lord,</div><div class="q2">as you know.</div><div class="q1"> 10I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;</div><div class="q2">I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.</div><div class="q1">I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness</div><div class="q2">from the great assembly.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 11Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;</div><div class="q2">may your love and faithfulness always protect me.</div><div class="q1"> 12For troubles without number surround me;</div><div class="q2">my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.</div><div class="q1">They are more than the hairs of my head,</div><div class="q2">and my heart fails within me.</div><div class="q1"> 13Be pleased to save me, Lord;</div><div class="q2">come quickly, Lord, to help me.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 14May all who want to take my life</div><div class="q2">be put to shame and confusion;</div><div class="q1">may all who desire my ruin</div><div class="q2">be turned back in disgrace.</div><div class="q1"> 15May those who say to me, &#8220;Aha! Aha!&#8221;</div><div class="q2">be appalled at their own shame.</div><div class="q1"> 16But may all who seek you</div><div class="q2">rejoice and be glad in you;</div><div class="q1">may those who long for your saving help always say,</div><div class="q2">&#8220;The Lord is great!&#8221;</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 17But as for me, I am poor and needy;</div><div class="q2">may the Lord think of me.</div><div class="q1">You are my help and my deliverer;</div><div class="q2">you are my God, do not delay.</div>
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