Daily Bible reading

[Martin Jr.]

Saturday, April 26, 2026
Acts 4: 13 - 21
Observing the self-assurance of Peter and John, and realizing that the speakers were uneducated men of no standing, the questioners were amazed. Then they recognized these men as having been with Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could think of nothing to say, so they ordered them out of the court while they held a consultation, "What shall we do with these men? Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows what a remarkable show of power took place through them. We cannot deny it. To stop this from spreading further among the people we must give them a stern warning never to mention that man's name to anyone again." So they called them back and made it clear that under no circumstances were they to speak the name of Jesus or teach about him. Peter and John answered, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight for us to obey you rather than God. Surely we cannot help speaking of what we have heard and seen." At that point they were dismissed with further warnings. The court could find no way to punish them because of the people, all of whom were praising God for what had happened.

Psalm 118: 1, 14 - 21
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. The joyful shouts of victory in the tents of the just: "The right hand of the Lord has struck with power: the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord has struck with power." I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Though the Lord has indeed chastised me, yet he has not delivered me to death.
Open to me the gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord. This gate is the Lord's; the just shall enter it. I will give thanks to you for you have answered me and have been my savior.

Gospel of Mark 16: 9 - 15
Jesus had rose from the dead early on the first day of the week. He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons. She went to announce the good news to his followers, who were now grieving and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. Later on, as two of them were walking along on their way to the country, he was revealed to them completely changed in appearance. These men retraced their steps and announced the good news to the others, but the others put no more faith in them than in Mary Magdalene. Finally as they were at table, Jesus was revealed to the Eleven. He took them to task for their disbelief and their stubbornness, since they had put no faith in those who had seen him after he has been raised.
Then he told them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation."

 

[Martin Jr.]

Sunday, April 27, 2025
Acts 5: 12 - 16
Through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders occurred among the people. By mutual agreement they used to meet in Solomon's Portico. No one else dared to join them, despite the fact that the people held them in great esteem. Nevertheless more and more believers, men and women in great numbers, were continually added to the Lord. The people carried the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. Crowds from the towns around Jerusalem would gather, too, bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, all of whom were cured.

Psalm 118: 2 - 4, 13 - 15, 22 - 24
Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say, "His mercy endures forever." Let those who fear the Lord say, "His mercy endures forever."
I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped me. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just: "The right hand of the Lord has struck with power."
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Revelation 1: 9 - 13, 17 - 19
I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress and the kingly reign and the endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because I proclaimed God's word and bore witness to Jesus. On the Lord's day I was caught up in ecstasy, and I heard behind me a piercing voice like the sound of a trumpet, which said, "Write on a scroll what you now see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." I turned around to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I did so I saw seven lampstands of gold, and among the lampstands One like a Son of Man wearing an ankle-length robe, with a sash of gold about his breast.
When I caught sight of him I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said: "There is nothing to fear. I am the First and the Last and the One who lives. Once I was dead but now I live - forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and the netherworld. Write down, therefore, whatever you see in visions - what you see now and will see in time to come. This is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven lampstands of gold: the seven stars are the presiding spirits of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Gospel of John 20: 19 - 31
On the evening of that first day of the week, even though the disciples had locked the doors of the place where they were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood before them. "Peace be with you," he said. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced. "Peace be with you," he said again.
"As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Then he breathed on them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound."
It happened that one of the Twelve, Thomas (the name means "Twin"), was absent when Jesus came. The other disciples kept telling him; "We have seen the Lord!" His answer was, "I will never believe it without probing the nail-prints in his hands, without putting my finger in the nail-marks and my hand into his side."
A week later, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came and stood before them. "Peace be with you," he said; then, to Thomas: "Take your finger and examine my hands. Put your hand into my side. Do not persist in your unbelief, but believe!" Thomas said in response, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus then said to him: "You became a believer because you saw me. Blest are they who have not seen and have believed.
Jesus performed many other signs as well - signs not recorded here - in the presence of his disciples. But these have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that through this faith you may have life in his name.

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