Category: Scripture

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“”Jesus told this story to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. So the employer called him in and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Get you report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

The manager thought to himself, ‘Now at? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situatiion. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’

‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man “I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. “here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’

“The rich man had do admire the dishonest rascal for be ing so shrewd. And this is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when you earthly possession are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.”

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?”

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16, vv. 1-13, NLT)

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“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” (Romans 12: vv. 9-12, NLT)

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“”Listen ,O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say!

Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew.
Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants.

I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God!
He is the Rock; His deeds are perfect. Everything He does is just and fair. He is a faithful God, who does no wrong; how just and upright He is!””

(Deuteronomy 32: v. 1-4, NLT

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“The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.

Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance, therefore, I will hope in Him!’

The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for HIm. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of His discipline.”
(Lamentations 3: vv. 19-27,NLT)

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“For you are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor.

And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. ” (2 Peter 2, vv 4-5, NLT)

“”As a result you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”(quoted from the prophet, Hosea in the Old Testament)

Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desire that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if thy accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when He judges the world.”” (2 Peter 2, vv. 9-12, NLT)

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“”One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking Him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus replied,”What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “You must love the Lord y0ur God with all your hearts all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Right!” Jesus told him, “Do this and you will live.”” (Luke 10: vv. 25-29)

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“”But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies!” Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to any one who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! An if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get any credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as our Father is compassionate. “”

(Luke 6: vv. 27-36, NLT)

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“”Then God told Noah and his sons, “I hereby confirm My covenant with you and your descendants, and with all the animals that were on the boat with you. – the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals – every living creature on earth. Yes, I am confirming My covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

Then God said, “I giving you a sign of My covenant with you and will all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed My rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign My covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember My covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”” (Genesis 9, vv. 8-17, NLT)

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Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and He prayed to God all night. At daybreak He called together all of His disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:

Simon (whom He named Peter),
Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James,
John,
Phillip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Simon (who was called the zealot),
Judas (son of James),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Him).

Crowds Follow Jesus

When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of His followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases: and those troubled by evil spirits are healed. Everyone tried to touch Him, because healing power went out from Him, and He healed everyone.” (Luke 6: vv. 12-19, NLT)

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“”But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah replied,”I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with You, torn down Your altars, and killed every one of Your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

“Go out and stand before Me on the Mountain, the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.”” (1 Kings 19: vv 1-13)

“”Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Amran. Then anoint Jehu the grandson of Nimish to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha, son of Shapat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as My prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 other in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”” (1 Kings 19: vv 15-28, NLT)