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2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The Man of Lawlessness

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.



Note: Today's Gospel reading is Luke 22:1-13. Find a Bible translation.

From the New Revised Standard Version. Reprinted with permission from HarperBibles.

TAGS: Bible, Bible Reading, Christian, 2 Thessalonians

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Genesis 38:1-38:30

About that time Judah left his brothers and camped near a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and cohabited with her. She conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er. She conceived again and bore a, son, and named him Onan. Once again she bore a son, and named him Shelah; he was at Chezib when she bore him.

Judah got a wife for Er his first-born; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah's first-born, was displeasing to the LORD, and the LORD took his life. Then Judah said to Onan, "Join with your brother's wife and do your duty by her as a brother-in-law, and provide offspring for your brother." But Onan, knowing that the seed would not count as his, let it go to waste whenever he joined with his brother's wife, so as not to provide offspring for his brother. What he did was displeasing to the LORD, and He took his life also. Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Stay as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"--for he thought, "He too might die like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.

A long time afterward, Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. When his period of mourning was over, Judah went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, together with his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is coming up to Timnah for the sheepshearing." So she took off her widows garb, covered her face with a veil, and, wrapping herself up, sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, yet she had not been given to him as wife. When Judah saw her, he took her for a harlot; for she had covered her face. So he turned aside to her by the road and said, "Here, let me sleep with you"--for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. "What," she asked, "will you pay for sleeping with me?" He replied, "I will send a kid from my flock." But she said, "You must leave a pledge until you have sent it." And he said, 'What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your seal and cord, and the staff which you carry." So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she conceived by him. Then she went on her way. She took off her veil and again put on her widow's garb.

Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to, redeem the pledge from the woman; but he could not find her. He inquired of the people of that town, "Where is the cult prostitute, the one at Enaim, by the road?" But they said, "There has been no prostitute here." So he returned to Judah and said, "I could not find her; moreover, the townspeople said: There has been no prostitute here." Judah said, "Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. I did send her this kid, but you did not find her."

About three months later, Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot; in fact, she is with child by harlotry." "Bring her out," said Judah, "and let her be burned." As she was being brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law, "I am with child by the man to whom these belong." And she added, "Examine these: whose seal and cord and staff are these?" Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more in the right than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he was not intimate with her again. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb! While she was in labor, one of them put out, his hand, and the midwife tied a crimson thread on that hand, to signify: This one came out first. But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother; and she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez. Afterward his brother came out, on whose hand was the crimson thread; he was named Zerah.

From Parshat VaYeshev. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

TAGS: Torah, Torah Reading, Judaism, Genesis

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There was a flutter of wings and the bright appearance of an angel in the air, speeding forth on some heavenly mission.

-Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Celestial Railroad"

From "Angels Around Us." Compiled by Karen Maguire. Reprinted by arrangement with Andrews McMeel Publishing.

TAGS: Angel Quote, Angels, Flutter, Bright Appearance, Wings, Heavenly Mission, Speeding, Nathaniel Hawthorne The Celestial Railroad

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Do not choose bad friends. Do not choose persons of low habits. Select good friends. Be discriminating. Choose the best.

-Dhammapada 78

From "365 Buddha: Daily Meditations," edited by Jeff Schmidt. Reprinted by arrangement with Tarcher/Putnam, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.

TAGS: Dhammapada, Dhammapada Quotes, Buddhist Quote, Buddhism, Friends, Persons, Habits

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Scientology, to me, is it! There's nothing scary or mysterious about it. Grab a book, any book, and discover for yourself the truth that is Universal to us all.

-Corin Nemec

TAGS: Scientology, Theres, Book, Entertainment Quote, Scary, Celebrities, Spiritual, Celebrity Spirituality, Entertainment, Scary O, Scientologist, Faith

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If you want to have sustained joy, you have to not only make sure that you think right, but you also have to make decisions now that are going to guarantee some joy in the future.

-Joyce Meyer

TAGS: Bible, Christian Quote, Christianity

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Dispose of your old, used motor oil properly. One quart of motor oil can pollute 250,00 gallons of water! Ask your local auto shop where to find the best place to throw your used oil away.

TAGS: Eco Tips

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Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering you own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.

-Saint Francis de Sales

TAGS: Emotional Health Quote, Health Quote

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I’ve always considered Christ to be one of the greatest revolutionaries in the history of humanity.

-Fidel Castro

TAGS: Evangelical, Evangelical Quote, Christianity

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Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

-Charles Dickens

TAGS: Emotional Health Quote, Health Quote

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The dreaming mind recalls past impressions. It sees again what has been seen; it hears Again what has been heard, enjoys again What has been enjoyed in many places. Seen and unseen, heard and unheard, enjoyed And unenjoyed, the real and the unreal, The mind sees all; the mind sees all.

Prashna Upanishad

Excerpted from The Upanishads, translated by Eknath Easwaran, copyright 1987. Reprinted with permission from Nilgiri Press, www.nilgiri.org. To order the book, please call 1-800-475-2369.

TAGS: Hinduism, Hindu Quote

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We all want to be famous people, and the moment we want to be something we are no longer free.

-Jiddu Krishnamurti

TAGS: Glow, Holistic Living Quote, Spirituality, Holistic Living

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Life is too complicated not to be orderly.

-Martha Stewart

TAGS: Inspiration Quote, Life, Simplicity, Martha Stewart

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Your son is at five your master, at ten your servant, at fifteen your double, and after that, your friend or foe, depending on his bringing up.

-Hasdai ibn Crescas

As cited in "Jewish Wisdom" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin.

TAGS: Judaism, Jewish Quote

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A man asked the Prophet, "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, "To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know."

-Hadith narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, as related by Al-Bukhari

Hadith narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, as related by Al-Bukhari

TAGS: Hadith, Islam Hadith, Muslim Quote, Muslim

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Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.

-Anais Nin

TAGS: Relationships, Relationship Quotes, Changes, Courage