December 15, 2024

Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice., 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and  supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 Zephaniah 3:14-20

3:14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!

3:15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has turned away  your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall  fear disaster no more.

3:16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.

3:17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he  will rejoice over you with gladness; he will renew you in his love; he  will exult over you with loud singing

3:18 as on a day of festival." I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.

3:19 I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the  lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise  and renown in all the earth.

3:20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I  will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth,  when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.

Luke 3:7-18

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to  yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is  able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9  Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree  that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the  fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them,  “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be  satisfied with your wages.”
15 As the people were filled  with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning  John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all  of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more  powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his  sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to  gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with  unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.