From: ngninja@baptist.email   
      
   Bible Reading for December 22   
      
   1 Peter Chapter 1   
      
   1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered   
   throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,   
      
   2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through   
   sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood   
   of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.   
      
   3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which   
   according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively   
   hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,   
      
   4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not   
   away, reserved in heaven for you,   
      
   5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to   
   be revealed in the last time.   
      
   6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye   
   are in heaviness through manifold temptations:   
      
   7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold   
   that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise   
   and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:   
      
   8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet   
   believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:   
      
   9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.   
      
   10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched   
   diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:   
      
   11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was   
   in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of   
   Christ, and the glory that should follow.   
      
   12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they   
   did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that   
   have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from   
   heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.   
      
   13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the   
   end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of   
   Jesus Christ;   
      
   14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the   
   former lusts in your ignorance:   
      
   15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner   
   of conversation;   
      
   16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.   
      
   17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth   
   according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in   
   fear:   
      
   18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible   
   things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by   
   tradition from your fathers;   
      
   19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish   
   and without spot:   
      
   20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but   
   was manifest in these last times for you,   
      
   21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and   
   gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.   
      
   22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the   
   Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another   
   with a pure heart fervently:   
      
   23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by   
   the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.   
      
   24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of   
   grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:   
      
   25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word   
   which by the gospel is preached unto you.   
      
   1 Peter Chapter 2   
      
   1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and   
   envies, and all evil speakings,   
      
   2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may   
   grow thereby:   
      
   3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.   
      
   4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but   
   chosen of God, and precious,   
      
   5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy   
   priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus   
   Christ.   
      
   6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion   
   a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him   
   shall not be confounded.   
      
   7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which   
   be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is   
   made the head of the corner,   
      
   8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which   
   stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.   
      
   9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a   
   peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath   
   called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:   
      
   10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:   
   which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.   
      
   11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from   
   fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;   
      
   12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas   
   they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which   
   they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.   
      
   13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake:   
   whether it be to the king, as supreme;   
      
   14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the   
   punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.   
      
   15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence   
   the ignorance of foolish men:   
      
   16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but   
   as the servants of God.   
      
   17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.   
      
   18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the   
   good and gentle, but also to the froward.   
      
   19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure   
   grief, suffering wrongfully.   
      
   20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye   
   shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye   
   take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.   
      
   21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for   
   us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:   
      
   22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:   
      
   23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he   
   threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:   
      
   24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,   
   being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye   
   were healed.   
      
   25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the   
   Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.   
      
   1 Peter Chapter 3   
      
   1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if   
   any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the   
   conversation of the wives;   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)