(~) Bible Readings for Sunday Feb. 13

 First Sunday in Lent

Genesis 2:4b-9,15-17,25-3:7
Romans 5:12-19(20-21)
Matthew 4:1-11

Old Testament                     Genesis 2:4b-9,15-17,25-3:7

In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant
of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung
up-- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there
was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and
water the whole face of the ground-- then the LORD God formed man from the
dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and
the man became a living being. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden,
in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the
ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight
and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The LORD God took the man and
put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God
commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the
day that you eat of it you shall die."  And the man and his wife were both
naked, and were not ashamed.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD
God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, `You shall not eat from
any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of
the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, `You shall not eat of
the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you
touch it, or you shall die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will
not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw
that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its
fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they
were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for
themselves.

The Epistle                     Romans 5:12-19(20-21)

 As sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin,
and so death spread to all because all have sinned-- sin was indeed in the
world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet
death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins
were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was
to come.  But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died
through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and
the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the
many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For
the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free
gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the
one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more
surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of
righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus
Christ.  Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all,
so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.
For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so
by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. [But law came
in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased,
grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in
death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading
to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.]

The Gospel                     Matthew 4:1-11

After Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and
afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are
the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he
answered, "It is written,  'One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of
the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself
down; for it is written,  'He will command his angels concerning you,'
          and 'On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to
the test.'"  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him,
"All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus
said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written,  'Worship the Lord
your God,
          and serve only him.'"
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian

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