Sunday, December 12

9Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

10She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

15And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.'

19So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

20And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

4When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

6Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

7in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

10and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

11where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

16Then He said to him, 'A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,

17and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'

18But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'

19And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.'

20Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

21So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'

22And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'

23Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.' '