If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.” Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. “Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope. Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil. So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.Next verse!With image