Wednesday, November 18

1Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,

2not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.

7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

9The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

10and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

12that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.

2And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, 'This Man receives sinners and eats with them.'

3So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4'What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

7I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

8'Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

9And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'

10Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.'