Matthew 9:14-26 Acts 13:26-52 Psalms 22:1-11 Genesis 48

Matthew 9:14-26
Mat 9:14 A little later John's followers approached, asking, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don't?"
Mat 9:15 Jesus told them, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!"
Mat 9:16 He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match.
Mat 9:17 And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles."
Mat 9:18 As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, "My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live."
Mat 9:19 Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along.
Mat 9:20 Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe.
Mat 9:21 She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well." Jesus turned--caught her at it. Then he reassured her: "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well."
Mat 9:22 The woman was well from then on.
Mat 9:23 By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles.
Mat 9:24 Jesus was abrupt: "Clear out! This girl isn't dead. She's sleeping." They told him he didn't know what he was talking about.
Mat 9:25 But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl's hand, and pulled her to her feet--alive.
Mat 9:26 The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region.

Acts 13:26-52
Act 13:26 "Dear brothers and sisters, children of Abraham, and friends of God, this message of salvation has been precisely targeted to you.
Act 13:27 The citizens and rulers in Jerusalem didn't recognize who he was and condemned him to death.
Act 13:28 They couldn't find a good reason, but demanded that Pilate execute him anyway.
Act 13:29 They did just what the prophets said they would do, but had no idea they were following to the letter the script of the prophets, even though those same prophets are read every Sabbath in their meeting places. "After they had done everything the prophets said they would do, they took him down from the cross and buried him.
Act 13:30 And then God raised him from death.
Act 13:31 There is no disputing that--he appeared over and over again many times and places to those who had known him well in the Galilean years, and these same people continue to give witness that he is alive.
Act 13:32 "And we're here today bringing you good news: the Message that what God promised the fathers
Act 13:33 has come true for the children--for us! He raised Jesus, exactly as described in the second Psalm: My Son! My very own Son! Today I celebrate you!
Act 13:34 "When he raised him from the dead, he did it for good--no going back to that rot and decay for him. That's why Isaiah said, 'I'll give to all of you David's guaranteed blessings.'
Act 13:35 So also the psalmist's prayer: 'You'll never let your Holy One see death's rot and decay.'
Act 13:36 "David, of course, having completed the work God set out for him, has been in the grave, dust and ashes, a long time now.
Act 13:37 But the One God raised up--no dust and ashes for him!
Act 13:38 I want you to know, my very dear friends, that it is on account of this resurrected Jesus that the forgiveness of your sins can be promised.
Act 13:39 He accomplishes, in those who believe, everything that the Law of Moses could never make good on. But everyone who believes in this raised-up Jesus is declared good and right and whole before God.
Act 13:40 "Don't take this lightly. You don't want the prophet's sermon to describe you:
Act 13:41 Watch out, cynics; Look hard--watch your world fall to pieces. I'm doing something right before your eyes That you won't believe, though it's staring you in the face."
Act 13:42 When the service was over, Paul and Barnabas were invited back to preach again the next Sabbath.
Act 13:43 As the meeting broke up, a good many Jews and converts to Judaism went along with Paul and Barnabas, who urged them in long conversations to stick with what they'd started, this living in and by God's grace.
Act 13:44 When the next Sabbath came around, practically the whole city showed up to hear the Word of God.
Act 13:45 Some of the Jews, seeing the crowds, went wild with jealousy and tore into Paul, contradicting everything he was saying, making an ugly scene.
Act 13:46 But Paul and Barnabas didn't back down. Standing their ground they said, "It was required that God's Word be spoken first of all to you, the Jews. But seeing that you want no part of it--you've made it quite clear that you have no taste or inclination for eternal life--the door is open to all the outsiders. And we're on our way through it,
Act 13:47 following orders, doing what God commanded when he said, I've set you up as light to all nations. You'll proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas!"
Act 13:48 When the non-Jewish outsiders heard this, they could hardly believe their good fortune. All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God--they honored God's Word by receiving that life.
Act 13:49 And this Message of salvation spread like wildfire all through the region.
Act 13:50 Some of the Jews convinced the most respected women and leading men of the town that their precious way of life was about to be destroyed. Alarmed, they turned on Paul and Barnabas and forced them to leave.
Act 13:51 Paul and Barnabas shrugged their shoulders and went on to the next town, Iconium,
Act 13:52 brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples.

Psalms 22:1-11
Psa 22:1 A David psalm. God, God . . . my God! Why did you dump me miles from nowhere?
Psa 22:2 Doubled up with pain, I call to God all the day long. No answer. Nothing. I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.
Psa 22:3 And you! Are you indifferent, above it all, leaning back on the cushions of Israel's praise?
Psa 22:4 We know you were there for our parents:
Psa 22:5 they cried for your help and you gave it; they trusted and lived a good life.
Psa 22:6 And here I am, a nothing--an earthworm, something to step on, to squash.
Psa 22:7 Everyone pokes fun at me; they make faces at me, they shake their heads:
Psa 22:8 "Let's see how GOD handles this one; since God likes him so much, let him help him!"
Psa 22:9 And to think you were midwife at my birth, setting me at my mother's breasts!
Psa 22:10 When I left the womb you cradled me; since the moment of birth you've been my God.
Psa 22:11 Then you moved far away and trouble moved in next-door. I need a neighbor.

Genesis 48
Gen 48:1 Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob.
Gen 48:2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come," he roused himself and sat up in bed.
Gen 48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, "The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.
Gen 48:4 He said, 'I'm going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I'll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.'
Gen 48:5 I'm adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon.
Gen 48:6 But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance.
Gen 48:7 I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem."
Gen 48:8 Just then Jacob noticed Joseph's sons and said, "Who are these?"
Gen 48:9 Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place." "Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them."
Gen 48:10 Israel's eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them
Gen 48:11 and then said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!"
Gen 48:12 Joseph took them from Israel's knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground.
Gen 48:13 Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel's right, and stood them before him.
Gen 48:14 But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn.
Gen 48:15 Then he blessed them: The God before whom walked my fathers Abraham and Isaac, The God who has been my shepherd all my lifelong to this very day,
Gen 48:16 The Angel who delivered me from every evil, Bless the boys. May my name be echoed in their lives, and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers, And may they grow covering the Earth with their children.
Gen 48:17 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's,
Gen 48:18 saying, "That's the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head."
Gen 48:19 But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son; but I know what I'm doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations."
Gen 48:20 Then he blessed them both: Israel will use your names to give blessings: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
Gen 48:21 Israel then said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers.
Gen 48:22 As for me, I'm presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow."