“”Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, the man who is My partner,” say the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“Strike down the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs.
“Two-thirds of the people in the land will be cut off and die”, says the Lord.
“But one-third will be left in the land. I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold.” They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, “These are my people “and they will say, “The Lord is Our God.”” (vv. 7-9, NLT)
“”Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother and His mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother standing beside the disciple (John) He loved, He said to her, “Dear woman, here is Your son.” And He said to this disciple,”Here is Your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture, He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it, He said, ” It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and released His spirit.””
“The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.”
“O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say every before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” (vv. 1- 6, NLT)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (vv. 23-24, NLT)
“For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change My mind, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid. But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.” (vv. 14-17, NLT)
“”I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. The foundations for law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”
But the Lord is in His Holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked.
For the Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see His face.”” (Psalm 11, NLT)
“”Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord.: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do no 0ppress widows, orphans foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.”” (Zechariah 7: 8-10, NLT)
“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. An all that have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God;’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.” (Galatians 3: 26-29, NLT)
“”Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, and lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display His glory, and the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
And when He comes, He will open the eyes of the blind, and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will song for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and the springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals one lived.
An a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it.
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.”” (Isaiah 35, NLT)
“After all, who is Apollos” Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important to who does the planting, or who does the watering. What is important is that God make the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.” (I Corinthians 3: 5-9, NLT)
