Reading for 4 April 2016

Matthew 4
1 Then Yeshua was taken by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the accuser. 2 And he fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he began to hunger. 3 The tempter approached him and said to him” “If you are the Son of God, say to these stones ‘become bread’.”

4 And he answered: “It is written in Tanakh*, ‘Not by bread alone does the son of man live, but by all the words that proceed from the mouth of God.'” * 5 Then the accuser took him into the Holy City and raised him upon the edge of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you the Son of God, cast yourself down, for it is written: ‘He will put his angels in command of you.’ and, ‘Upon their hands they will bear you up, that your foot should not strike a stone.'” *

7 Yeshua said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test Mar-Yah your God.'” * 8 Again, the accuser took him to a mountain that was very high, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.* 9 And the accuser to him: “I will give you all of these [things] if you will fall and worship me.”

10 Then Yeshua said to him: “Leave enemy! * For it is written that ‘you shall worship Mar-Yah your God, and him alone shall you serve.'” * 11 Then the accuser left him, and behold, angels approached and were ministering to him.

12 Now when Yeshua heard that Yokhanan was arrested, he departed to Galil. 13 And he left Nasrath and he came and dwelled in Capernaum, on the side of the sea by the border of Zevulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet who said, 15 “The land of Zevulun, the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Yordan, Galil of the nations, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, and those who sit in the land and the shadow of death, for them a light has appeared.” *

17 From that time, Yeshua began to preach and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 18 And when he was walking by on the side of the Sea of Galil, he * saw two brothers: Shimon, who was called Keipha, and Andreos, his brother, who were casting nets into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Yeshua said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you so that you become fishers of the sons of men.”

20 And at once they left their nets and they went after him. 21 And when he crossed from there, he saw two other brothers, Jacob the son of Zavddai, and Yokhanan his brother, in a boat with their father Zavddai, who were mending their nets. Yeshua called them. 22 And at once they left the ship and their father, and they went after him.

23 And Yeshua would preach in all Galil, and would teach in their assemblies; and he preached the hope of the Kingdom, and he healed every disease and sickness among the people. 24 And his fame was heard in all Syria. And they approached him who were sick with various illnesses and those who were oppressed with pain, and possessed, and mentally ill, and paralytics; and he healed them. 25 A great crowd from Galil went after him, and from Decapolis, Yerushalayim, Yudah and from across the Yordan.

James 4
1 What has caused all of the fighting among you? Is it not from the lusts which war in all of your members? 2 You covet, yet you do not possess anything; you kill, and envy, and yet you still do not obtain anything; you fight against and attack others; and you do not have anything because you do not ask for it. 3 You ask, and yet you do not receive because you ask in such an evil way in order that you attend to your desires.

4 You adulterers, do you not know that the love of this world is hostility towards Alaha? Therefore, it stands to reason that you who choose to love this world are an enemy of Alaha. 5 The spirit dwelling in us lusts with envy. 6 But Maran has given us more grace. Alaha humbles the proud, and gives grace to the meek.

7 Therefore, be in subjection to the Will of Alaha; if you stand firm against the evil one he will flee from you. 8 Draw close to Alaha and he will draw close to you. Go and wash your hands, all of you who sin; sanctify your hearts, all of you who have a divided mind. 9 Humble yourselves, and mourn; let your laughter be turned into crying, and your joy into grief. 10 Humble yourselves before Mar-Yah and he will exalt you. 11 My brethren, do not speak against each other; for he that speaks against his brother, or judges his brother, speaks against Torah, and judges Torah. And if you judge Torah, you are not Torah observant, but its judge.

12 There is One who gave Torah and he is Judge; and it is he who can cause life and death; but who are you, little man, that you think you have the right to judge your neighbour? 13 But what shall we say of those, who say: “Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such city, and will take up residence there for a year; and we will trade there and make a profit”? 14 You do not know what will occur tomorrow; for what is our life, but an exhalation that is seen for only a short time, and then it vanishes and is gone? 15 Instead, they should being saying: “If it is in accordance with the Will of Mar-Yah, we will live and we will do this or that”. 16 However, they are full of arrogance and boasting, and all of these things are evil. 17 Be careful, for he who knows that which is right, yet fails to observe them commits sin and becomes unclean.

Psalms 23-28
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Ode 7
1Open your hearts to the exultation of Mar-Yah, and let your love abound from the heart to the lips 2in order to bring forth fruits to Mar-Yah, a holy life, and to speak with watchfulness in His Light.

3Rise up and stand erect, you who sometimes were brought low. 4You who were in silence, speak, for your mouth has been opened. 5You who were despised, from henceforth be lifted up, for your Righteousness has been lifted up; 6for the right hand of Mar-Yah is with you, and He will be your Helper. 7And peace was prepared for you, before what may be your war.

8Hear the word of truth, and receive the knowledge of the Most High.

9Your flesh may not understand that which I am about to say to you; nor your garment that which I am about to show you.

10Keep my mystery, you who are kept by it; keep my faith, you who are kept by it. 11And understand my knowledge, you who know me in truth; love me with affection, you who love; 12for I turn not my face from my own, because I know them. 13And before they had existed, I recognised them; and imprinted a seal on their faces. 14I fashioned their members, and my own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink my holy milk and live by it.

15I am pleased by them, and am not ashamed by them. 16For my workmanship are they, and the strength of my thoughts.

17Therefore who can stand against my work? Or who is not subject to them? 18I willed and fashioned mind and heart, and they are my own. And upon my right hand I have set my elect ones. 19And my righteousness goes before them, and they shall not be deprived of my name; for it is with them.

20Pray and increase, and abide in the love of Mar-Yah; 21and you who were loved in the Beloved, and you who are kept in Him who lives, and you who are saved in Him who was saved. 22And you shall be found in-corrupt in all ages, on account of the name of your Father. Halilu’Ya.