My Promise

Faith comes by hearing.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and a release from darkness for the prisoners, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
  they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
  they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right,
  they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
  they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
  for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
  they will be called the children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

I did not come to judge, but to save the world. It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Even now I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

The fruits of My Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you are compelled by My Spirit, you are not under the law. Against such things, there are no laws! We are free to do the good we desire. Who objects to kindness?

Our Father does not give us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. There is no fear in love, perfect love drives out fear.

He redeems us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit! And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who is given to us.

I will put My Spirit in you and you will live!

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not count his faults, In whose spirit there is no deceit.

Being confident that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. And we know that in all things our Father works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His good purpose.

Because he set his love upon me, I will deliver him: I will set him on high, because he has known my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him, and I will love him and show myself to him.

Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. Through him, everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification we were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all of your sins.

Our Father has saved us, not because of the righteous things, the right acts we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through washing, rebirth and renewal, by the Holy Spirit.

I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know my voice. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.

The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them for us.

These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. And truly, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory of your people Israel.

"Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. And if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the payment that brought us relief was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to our Father. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in our humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.

For this reason he had to be made like us, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim fairness to the nations.

Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation."

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased". Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness through his name.

He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet, and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.

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 Fathers hand. I and the Father are one.

Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of our Father is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he will also give life to your mortal bodies because His Spirit lives in you. For those who are compelled by the Spirit of God, are the children of God. So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, our Father has also made you an heir. This is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

His Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Like newborn babies, we crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it we may mature in our salvation as the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

See what great love our Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! For we did not receive a spirit of bondage, but we received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” And we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you; and that your joy may be complete. I brought you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free and he gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. He watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, the Lord loves the righteous but He frustrates the ways of the wicked. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. You did not choose Me, I chose you and appointed you. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Create in me a pure heart, Father, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Cleanse my consciences from acts that lead to death. Give me today my daily bread.

I, (John) baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes (Jesus) who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Being exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

You welcomed His message in the midst of severe suffering with joy given by the Holy Spirit. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power, through his Spirit, in your inner being. As flesh gives birth to flesh, the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; With loving kindness I have drawn you.

Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?

Are not our hearts burning within us? The word is near you; It is in your mouth and in your heart. Receive the power that the Holy Spirit is giving you. Receive His Holy Spirit; Hold on to what you have received. And you will be my witness.

And if you feel His loving Spirit, did you receive his Spirit by obeying a law, or by believing what you hear?

It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the (right acts) that comes from our faith in our Fathers promises.

Gods love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us.

The Lord is faithful in all his promises and trustworthy in all he does.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone.

You will find me when you seek me with all your heart. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

We receive different gifts but the same Spirit distributes them according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

The fruit of the Spirit is love. We love because he first loved us.

To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. The one who plants and the one who waters have their one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Let us then draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess your faith and are saved. So take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Our respect for our Father will remove our old sinful desires. And we find that the requirements of the law are written on our hearts, our consciences also bearing witness, and our thoughts sometimes accusing us and at other times even defending us.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith in Him produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Our passing troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will become as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they will become like wool.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

If you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

If you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. I desire mercy, not sacrifice. If you realize what these words mean, you will not condemn the innocent.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. But judgment, without mercy, will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before our Father. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

This, then, is how we should pray:
 
Our Father in heaven,
holy is your name,
may your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us, as we have forgiven those who sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil ones.

My yoke is easy and my burden is light. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Whoever looks intently into the perfect law of love that gives freedom, and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who love have a great peace, and nothing can make them stumble.

A time has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. And religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit.

Whoever loves God is known by God. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you do not have.

Turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

If you seek earnestly and plead with the Almighty, if your desires are upright and pure, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Love has no delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. And since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Love (be it kindness, joy, peace, mercy, respect, patience..) is the fulfillment of the law.

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your Father with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these. All the Laws and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Remember what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and renew your mind. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Do everything in love. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

There is a spirit in man: and inspiration (from a clear view) of the Almighty gives us understanding.

So dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By their fruit you will recognize them. (From their desires, intent, motives, and attitude.)

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is in Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each persons work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved, even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” God said to Solomon, “Since this is your hearts desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had, and none after you will have.”

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against a loving Spirit will not be forgiven. So do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits intent to see whether they are from God. For our Father has given us a spirit of love, and a sound mind.

Our Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

We urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lords unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. He cares for those who trust in him, so pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them, he remains faithful forever.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. In him we live and move and have our being.

This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: "I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself. I am God, and there is no other; and there is none like me."

I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? I form the light and create darkness, I, the Lord, do all these things.

Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?

Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?

Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God? They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are!

Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin.

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Before you were born I set you apart. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Have faith in Me.

Many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

Blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction.
Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
Blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.
   It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
   the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test,
   that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by our Father to love one another. Consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Encourage one another and build each other up, as in fact, you are doing. In doing this we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, (our brothers and sisters), grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.

In everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you - see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. According to your faith let it be done to you.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty.”

Seek first His kingdom, choosing His right actions, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Learn to devote yourselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs in a way that is holy and honorable so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

We thank God for you, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus that you may stand firm in all of Gods (good) will, mature and fully assured.

So do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. I will make firm the steps of the one who delights in me; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for I uphold him with my hand.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

The Lord delights in those who respect him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Humility is our respect of the Lord; its payments are riches and honor and life.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through our respect for the Lord evil is avoided.

It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Whoever has ears, let them hear.

I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it.

If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.

God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. It's unthinkable that he'd treat anyone unfairly.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways;

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.

We always thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

You have longed for righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your Father, will set you above your companions with oil of joy.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: Whoever has ears, let them hear.

A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. The seed falling among the thorns are those who hear the word, but the worries of this life, and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. The seed falling on rocky ground is someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. Stand firm then, with truth, with righteousness (right acts), and readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of His Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in His Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.

The meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

The blameless spend their days under the Lords care, and their inheritance will endure forever.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Hold on to what you have until I come.

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. You will be His witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!

We pray that these words were heard with your heart as well. Which is our Fathers loving Spirit speaking within you. And we deeply pray that you cherish and hold on to His Spirit. If we lack love, then let us ask, having confidence it is our Fathers will and His promise to give us. Trust, be patient, and thankful.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

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