Daily Bible CEV December 07 Scroll

Unity with Christ

Ephesians 4 As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. ²Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. ³Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. ⁴All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. ⁵We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. ⁶There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.

⁷Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us. ⁸As the Scriptures say,

"When he went up to the highest place,

he led away many prisoners and gave gifts to people."

⁹When it says, "he went up," it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. ¹⁰This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe.

¹¹Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, ¹²so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. ¹³This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.

¹⁴We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. ¹⁵Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head ¹⁶of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.

The LORD's Glory Leaves the Temple

Ezekiel 10 I saw the dome that was above the four winged creatures, and on it was the sapphire throne. ²The LORD said to the man in the linen robe, "Walk among the four wheels beside the creatures and pick up as many hot coals as you can carry. Then scatter them over the city of Jerusalem." I watched him as he followed the LORD's instructions.

³The winged creatures were standing south of the temple when the man walked among them. A cloud filled the inner courtyard, ⁴and the brightness of the LORD's glory moved from above the creatures and stopped at the entrance of the temple. The entire temple was filled with his glory, and the courtyard was dazzling bright. ⁵The sound of the creatures' wings was as loud as the voice of God All-Powerful and could even be heard in the outer courtyard.

⁶The man in the robe was now standing beside a wheel. ⁷One of the four creatures reached its hand into the fire among them and gave him some of the hot coals. The man took the coals and left.

⁸I noticed again that each of the four winged creatures had what looked like human hands under their wings, ⁹and I saw the four wheels near the creatures. These wheels were shining like chrysolite. ¹⁰Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it, ¹¹so that they could move in any direction without turning. The wheels moved together whenever the creatures moved. ¹²I also noticed that the wheels and the creatures' bodies, including their backs, their hands, and their wings, were covered with eyes. ¹³And I heard a voice calling these "the wheels that spin."

¹⁴Each of the winged creatures had four faces: the face of a bull, the face of a human, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle. ^15-17These were the same creatures I had seen near the Chebar River. They controlled when and where the wheels moved--the wheels went wherever the creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels stayed beside them.

¹⁸Then I watched the brightness of the LORD's glory move from the entrance of the temple and stop above the winged creatures. ¹⁹They spread their wings and flew into the air with the wheels at their side. They stopped at the east gate of the temple, and the LORD's glory was above them.

²⁰I knew for sure that these were the same creatures I had seen beneath the LORD's glory near the Chebar River. ^21-22They had four wings with hands beneath them, and they had the same four faces as those near the River. Each creature moved straight ahead without turning.

Ezekiel Condemns Jerusalem's Wicked Leaders

Ezekiel 11 The LORD's Spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw twenty-five men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. ²The LORD said, "Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. ³They say things like, 'Let's build more houses. This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.' ⁴So, Ezekiel, condemn them!"

⁵The LORD's Spirit took control of me and told me to tell these leaders:

I, the LORD God, know what you leaders are saying. ⁶You have murdered so many people that the city is filled with dead bodies! ⁷This city is indeed a cooking pot, but the bodies of those you killed are the meat. And so I will force you to leave Jerusalem, ⁸and I'll send armies to attack you, just as you fear. ⁹Then you will be captured and punished by foreign enemies. ¹⁰You will be killed in your own country, but not before you realize that I, the LORD, have done these things.

¹¹You leaders claim to be meat in a cooking pot, but you won't be protected by this city. No, you will die at the border of Israel. ¹²You will realize that while you were following the laws of nearby nations, you were disobeying my laws and teachings. And I am the LORD!

¹³Before I finished speaking, Pelatiah dropped dead. I bowed down and cried out, "Please, LORD God, don't kill everyone left in Israel."

A Promise of Hope

¹⁴The LORD replied:

¹⁵Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in Jerusalem claim that you and the other Israelites who were taken to Babylonia are too far away to worship me. They also claim that the land of Israel now belongs only to them. ¹⁶But here is what I want you to tell the Israelites in Babylonia:

It's true that I, the LORD God, have forced you out of your own country and made you live among foreign nations. But for now, I will be with you wherever you are, so that you can worship me. ¹⁷And someday, I will gather you from the nations where you are scattered and let you live in Israel again. ¹⁸When that happens, I want you to clear the land of all disgusting idols. ¹⁹Then I will take away your stubbornness and make you eager to be completely faithful to me. You will want to obey me ²⁰and all my laws and teachings. You will be my people, and I will be your God. ²¹But those who worship idols will be punished and get what they deserve. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

The LORD's Glory Leaves Jerusalem

²²After the LORD had finished speaking, the winged creatures spread their wings and flew into the air, and the wheels were beside them. The brightness of the LORD's glory above them ²³left Jerusalem and stopped at a hill east of the city.

²⁴Then in my vision, the LORD's Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to the other exiles in Babylonia. The vision faded away, ²⁵and I told them everything the LORD had shown me.

The LORD's Servant

Isaiah 42 Here is my servant! I have made him strong.

He is my chosen one; I am pleased with him.

I have given him my Spirit,

and he will bring justice to the nations.

²He won't shout or yell or call out in the streets.

³He won't break off a bent reed or put out a dying flame,

but he will make sure that justice is done.

⁴He won't quit or give up until he brings justice

everywhere on earth,

and people in foreign nations long for his teaching.

⁵I am the LORD God. I created the heavens

like an open tent above.

I made the earth and everything that grows on it.

I am the source of life for all who live on this earth,

so listen to what I say.

⁶I chose you to bring justice, and I am here at your side.

I selected and sent you to bring light

and my promise of hope to the nations.

⁷You will give sight to the blind;

you will set prisoners free from dark dungeons.

⁸My name is the LORD! I won't let idols or humans

share my glory and praise.

⁹Everything has happened just as I said it would;

now I will announce what will happen next.

Sing Praises to the LORD

¹⁰Tell the whole world to sing a new song to the LORD!

Tell those who sail the ocean and those who live far away

to join in the praise.

¹¹Tell the tribes of the desert and everyone in the mountains

to celebrate and sing.

¹²Let them announce his praises everywhere.

¹³The LORD is marching out like an angry soldier,

shouting with all his might while attacking his enemies.

The LORD Will Help His People

¹⁴For a long time, I, the LORD, have held my temper;

now I will scream and groan like a woman giving birth.

¹⁵I will destroy the mountains and what grows on them;

I will dry up rivers and ponds.

¹⁶I will lead the blind on roads they have never known;

I will guide them on paths they have never traveled.

Their road is dark and rough, but I will give light

to keep them from stumbling.

This is my solemn promise.

¹⁷Everyone who worships idols as though they were gods

will be terribly ashamed.

God's People Won't Obey

¹⁸You people are deaf and blind,

but the LORD commands you to listen and to see.

¹⁹No one is as blind or deaf as his messenger,

his chosen servant, ²⁰who sees and hears so much,

but pays no attention.

²¹The LORD always does right,

and so he wanted his Law to be greatly praised.

²²But his people were trapped and imprisoned in holes

with no one to rescue them.

All they owned had been taken,

and no one was willing to give it back.

²³Why won't his people ever learn to listen?

²⁴Israel sinned and refused to obey the LORD

or follow his instructions.

So the LORD let them be robbed

of everything they owned.

²⁵He was furious with them and punished their nation

with the fires of war.

Still they paid no attention. They didn't even care

when they were surrounded and scorched by flames.

These daily Bible readings from the Contemporary English Version (CEV) are published by BibleNetUSA. The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative. BibleCard® images copyright iCreative. All rights reserved.