Monday, February 9

18Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

21I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

23Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

25And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

26These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.

27But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

28And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

29If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

1Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

5And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

6Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

9Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

7Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.

8Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

9Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,

10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

11Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

12For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

13For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.

14For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

15And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest

16who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

17For He testifies: 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.'

1Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples;

2and He said to them, 'Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.

3Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here.'

4So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.

5But some of those who stood there said to them, 'What are you doing, loosing the colt?'

6And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go.

7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.

8And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 'Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!'

11And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

22Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD'),

24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, 'A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.'

25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,

28he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29'Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;

30For my eyes have seen Your salvation

31Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

32A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.'

33And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against

35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.'

36Now there was one, Anna, prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

37and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

38And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

39So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

40And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.