Cristy Li

The grass withers, the flower fades but the Word of our God will stand forever! –Isaiah 40:8

Raise your voice and tell The Good News;
Behold the Lord GOD comes with power! –Cf. Isaiah 40:9-10

I am the Lord and there is no other;

besides Me there is no god.

I arm you, though you do not know Me,

so that they may know, from the rising of the sun

and from the west, that there is no one besides Me;

I am the Lord and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness;

I make weal and create woe;

I the Lord do all these things.

Shower, O heavens from above

and let the skies rain down righteousness;

Let the earth open, that salvation may spring up

and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;

I the Lord have created it.

Woe to you who strive with your Maker,

earthen vessels with the potter!

Does the clay say to the one who fashions it,

“What are you making?” or, “Your work has no handles?”

Woe to anyone who says to a father, “What are you begetting?”

Or to a woman, “With what are you in labor?”

Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and its Maker:

Will you question Me about My children or command me concerning the work of My hands?

I made the earth and created humankind upon it;

It was My hands that stretched out the heavens

and I commanded all their host.

 

I have aroused Cyrus (Note: 200 yrs before Cyrus was born,

Isaiah predicted the king’s reign, mentioning him by name) in righteousness

and I will make his paths straight;

he shall build My city

and set My exiles free,

not for price or reward,

says the Lord of hosts.

Thus says the Lord:

The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia

and the Sabeans, tall of stature

shall come over to you and be yours,

they shall follow you;

They shall come over in chains and bow down to you.

They will make supplication to you saying,

“God is with you alone and there is no other;

there is no god besides Him.”

Truly, You are a God who hides Himself,

O God of Israel, the Savior!

All of them are put to shame and confounded,

the makers of idols go in confusion together

but Israel is saved by the Lord

with everlasting salvation!

You shall not be put to shame or confounded

to all eternity.

For thus says the Lord,

who created the heavens

He is God,

who formed the earth and made it

(He established it; He did not create chaos,

He formed it to be inhabited!)

I am the Lord and there is no other.

I did not speak in secret,

in a land of darkness;

I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,

“Seek Me in chaos.”

I the Lord speak the Truth,

I declare what is right.

 

Idols Cannot Save Babylon

Assemble yourselves and come together,

draw near, you survivors of the nations!

They have no knowledge —

those who carry about their wooden idols

and keep on praying to a god

that cannot save.

Declare and present your case;

Let them take counsel together!

Who told this long ago?

Who declared it of old?

There is no other god besides Me,

a righteous God and a Savior;

There is no one besides Me!

Turn to Me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth!

For I am God and there is no other.

By Myself I have sworn,

from My mouth has gone forth in righteousness

a word that shall not return:

“To me every knee shall bow

and every tongue shall swear.” (See: Philippians 2:10-11)

Only in the Lord, it shall be said of Me,

are righteousness and strength;

All who were incensed against Him

shall come to Him and be ashamed.

In the Lord all of the offspring of Israel

shall triumph in glory.  –Isaiah 45:5-25

Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB

Magnify (Praise) the Lord with me and let us exult (be ecstatic of) His name together!  –Psalm 34:3

David’s Praise For Deliverance From Trouble

I will bless the Lord at all times:

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes it boast in the Lord;

Let the humble hear and be glad.

O Magnify the Lord with me

and let us exult His name together!

I sought the Lord and He answered me

and delivered me from all my fears. (See also: Philippians 4:6)

Look to Him and be radiant;

So your faces shall never be ashamed.

The poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord

and was saved from every trouble.

The Angel of the Lord encamps

around those who fear Him and delivers them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good;

Happy are those who take refuge in Him.

O fear the Lord, you Holy ones,

for those who fear Him have no want.

The young lions suffer want and hunger

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, O children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Which of you desires life

and covets many days to enjoy good?

Keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit.

Depart from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and His ears are open to their cry.

The face of the Lord is against evildoers,

to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears

and rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous

but the Lord rescues them from them all.

He keeps all their bones

not one of them will be broken.

Evil brings death to the wicked

and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

The Lord redeems the life of His servants;

None of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.  –Psalm 34:1-22

Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings (Good News)
to the poor. (See: Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18)  Image Courtesy: Archbishop Jose Gomez

Vigilance

Concerning the times and the seasons, Brothers and Sisters, you do not need to have anything

written to you. For you yourselves know very well that The Day of the Lord will come like a

thief in the night. When they (one) say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction

will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and there will be no escape!

You beloved are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; For you are all

children of light and children of the day; We are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us

not fall asleep as others do but let us keep awake and be sober, for those who sleep, sleep at

night and those who are drunk get drunk at night but since we belong to the day, let us be sober

and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has

destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through Our Lord Jesus Christ, who died

for us, so that whether we are awake or sleep, we may live with Him. Therefore encourage one

another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Church Order, Final Exhortation

We appeal to you Brothers and Sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge

of you in the Lord and admonish you: Esteem them very highly in love because of their work.

Be a peace among yourselves and we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the

fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil

but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give

thanks in all circumstances; For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench

the Spirit. Do not despise the word of the Prophets but test everything; Hold fast to what is

good; Abstain from every form of evil.

Concluding Prayer & Benediction

May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit, soul and body be kept

sound and blameless at the Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful

and He will do this.

Beloved, pray for us! Greet all the Brothers and Sisters with a Holy kiss (embrace:

See: Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Peter 5:14  was a greeting of

respect and affection) I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read

to all of them. 

The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  –1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 

Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB