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In the Beginning God
Psalm 23
Aarons Benediction
Lords Prayer
In the beginning was the Word
The Armor of God
The Spiritual War
Submit to God, Resist the Devil
An Unclean Spirit Returns
Fruit of the Spirit
The Use of Spiritual Gifts
The Excellence of Love
The Triumphs of Faith
The Passover Celebration
The Lords Supper
Stephen tells crowd they are stiff-necked, gets stoned to death
The Conversion of Saul (Paul) and Begins to Preach Christ
God tests Abraham, to offer up his son
Adam and Eve, the fall of mankind
The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Parable of Ten Virgins
The Day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Message to the Body of Christ in Philadelphia
Message to the Church in Laodicea
Jesus Teaches in Parables, Sower and Seed
The Parable of the Growing Seed
Jesus Foretells End Times
The Appearance of False Prophets
Faith and Duty
Davids Prayer, in the Assembly
Davids Prayer, before the Lord
Hannahs Prayer
David, King of Israel
Peter Denies Jesus, Jesus Restores Peter
Can anything good come from Nazareth
The Birth of Jesus
Elisha Raises the Shunammites Son
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In the Beginning God
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3 (NKJV) (The History of Creation)
1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
2 He was present originally with God.
3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.
5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].
John 1:1-5 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)
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Psalm 23 (KJV)
A Psalm of David
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Praise God, Amen.
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Aarons Benediction (Top 4 translations)
Numbers 6:22-26 (KJV)
22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Numbers 6:22-26 (NKJV)
22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.
Numbers 6:22-26 (NASB)
22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
23 Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, In this way you shall bless the sons of Israel. You are to say to them:
24 The Lord bless you, and keep you;
25 The Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.
Numbers 6:22-26 (NIV)
22 The Lord said to Moses,
23 Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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Lords Prayer
Matthew 6:9-15
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
[And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespasses against us.]
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
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In the beginning was the Word
John 1:1-17 (NASB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.
5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.
The Witness John the Baptist
6 A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.
The Word Made Flesh
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John testified about Him and called out, saying, This was He of whom I said, He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
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The Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NASB)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints,
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The Spiritual War
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NASB)
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Submit to God, Resist the Devil
1 Peter 5:5-11 (NKJV)
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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An Unclean Spirit Returns
Matthew 12:43-45 (NKJV)
43 When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
44 Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.
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Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-25 (NASB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, lets follow the Spirit as well.
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The Use of Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12 (NASB)
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed; and no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one part, but many.
15 If the foot says, Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.
19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 But now there are many parts, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; or again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
23 and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable,
24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.
27 Now you are Christs body, and individually parts of it.
28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues.
29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?
30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.
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The Excellence of Love
1 Corinthians 13 (NASB)
1 If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.
4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.
5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,
6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
9 For we know in part and prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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The Triumphs of Faith, Old Testament Heros
Hebrews 11 (NASB)
1 Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.
2 For by it the people of old gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore even from one man, and one who was as good as dead at that, there were born descendants who were just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.
13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country which they left, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had received the promises was offering up his only son;
18 it was he to whom it was said, Through Isaac your descendants shall be named.
19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the kings edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter,
25 choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin,
26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though seeing Him who is unseen.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
36 and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented
38 (people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes in the ground.
39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
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The Passover Celebration
The Passover celebration commemorated the redemption of Israel from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.
Exodus 12:24-27 (NASB)
24 And you shall keep this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever.
25 When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this rite.
26 And when your children say to you, What does this rite mean to you?
27 then you shall say, It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord because He passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians, but spared our homes. And the people bowed low and worshiped.
Exodus 13:14 (NASB)
And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? then you shall say to him, With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
The Last Passover (New Testament)
Mark 14:12-13 (NASB)
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover? And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, Go into the city, and a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him;
(see The Lords Supper, next section)
1 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB)
Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.
For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
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The Lords Supper
Jesus instituted the Lords Supper on the evening preceding the Crucifixion, during the Passover Feast.
Luke 22:7-23 (NASB)
7 Now the first day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
8 And so Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.
9 They said to Him, Where do You want us to prepare it?
10 And He said to them, When you have entered the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters.
11 And you shall say to the owner of the house, The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?
12 And he will show you a large, furnished upstairs room; prepare it there.
13 And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
14 When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.
15 And He said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
16 for I say to you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, Take this and share it among yourselves;
18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.
21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.
22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!
23 And they began to debate among themselves which one of them it was who was going to do this.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NASB)
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
25 In the same way He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords death until He comes.
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Stephen tells crowd they are stiff-necked, gets stoned to death
Stephen tells crowd they are stiff-necked
Acts 7:37-8:2 (NASB)
37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your countrymen.
38 This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to you.
39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts,
40 saying to Aaron, Make us a god who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what happened to him.
41 At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
42 But God turned away and gave them over to serve the heavenly lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: You did not offer Me victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?
43 You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will deport you beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.
45 Our fathers in turn received it, and they also brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David.
46 David found favor in Gods sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.
48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
49 Heaven is My throne, And the earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what place is there for My rest?
50 Was it not My hand that made all these things?
51 You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.
52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, and you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him;
53 you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.
Stephen Stoned to Death
54 Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
56 and he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
57 But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind.
58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!
60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them! Having said this, he fell asleep.
Saul Persecutes the Church
1 Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.
2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him.
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The Conversion of Saul (Paul) and Begins to Preach Christ
The Conversion of Saul (Paul)
Acts 9:1-22 (NASB)
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them in shackles to Jerusalem.
3 Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?
5 And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.
7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am, Lord.
11 And the Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,
12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.
13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints in Jerusalem;
14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.
15 But the Lord said to him, Go,
for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
16 for I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name.
17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
18 And immediately something like fish scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;
19 and he took food and was strengthened.
Saul (Paul) Begins to Preach Christ
Now for several days he was with the disciples who were in Damascus,
20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God.
21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?
22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Note from the website author; To the glory of God, chosen of God and by inspiration of God, Paul wrote about half the books in the New Testament of the Holy Bible as he was teaching (spreading) the Word of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
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God tests Abraham, to offer up his son
Sarah promised a son who will be King
Genesis 17:15-17 (NASB)
15 Then God said to Abraham, As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth to a child?
Isaac is Born
Genesis 21:1-3 (NASB)
1 Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised.
2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham named his son who was born to him, the son whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
The Offering of Isaac
Genesis 22:1-18 (NASB)
1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am.
2 Then He said, Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.
6 And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
7 Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. And he said, Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
8 Abraham said, God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. So the two of them walked on together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here I am.
12 He said, Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.
13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son.
14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
16 and said, By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.
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Adam and Eve, the fall of mankind
Adam and Eve
Genesis 2:15-18 (NASB)
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die. Then the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.
Genesis 2:20b-25 (NASB)
but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Then the man said, At last this is bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman, Because she was taken out of man. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.
The Fall of Mankind
Genesis 3:1-13 (NASB)
Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God really said, You shall not eat from any tree of the garden? The woman said to the serpent, From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die. The serpent said to the woman, You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.
Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, Where are you? He said, I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself. And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat? The man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate. Then the Lord God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all the livestock, And more than any animal of the field; On your belly you shall go, And dust you shall eat All the days of your life; And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel. To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall deliver children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.
Then to Adam He said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat from it; Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it, All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.
Now the man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever, therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
Romans 5:14-17 (NASB)
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one offense, resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from many offenses, resulting in justification. For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:23 (NASB)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NASB)
But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
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The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:1-12 (NASB)
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
2 And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
26 What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read it?
27 He answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.
28 You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live.
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
30 In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.
36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?
37 The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise.
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Parable of Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13 (NASB)
1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.
2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.
3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them;
4 but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps.
5 Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep.
6 But at midnight there finally was a shout: Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
8 But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.
9 However, the prudent ones answered, No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.
10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.
11 Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, Lord, lord, open up for us.
12 But he answered, Truly I say to you, I do not know you.
13 Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.
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The Day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (NASB)
1 Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.
3 While they are saying, Peace and safety! then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then, lets not sleep as others do, but lets be alert and sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, lets be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
11 Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.
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The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Revelation 19:5-9 (NKJV)
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God.
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Message to the Body of Christ in Philadelphia
Revelation 3:7-13 (NASB)
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and have not denied My name.
9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
10 Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth.
11 I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
12 The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
13 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
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Message to the Body of Christ in Laodicea
Revelation 3:14-22 (NASB)
14 To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Origin of the creation of God, says this:
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything, and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,
18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see.
19 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
21 The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.
22 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
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Jesus Teaches in Parables, Sower and Seed
Jesus Teaches in Parables
Matthew 13:1-58 (NASB)
1 On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea.
2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow;
4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.
5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil.
6 But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.
8 But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.
9 The one who has ears, let him hear.
An Explanation for Parables
10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables?
11 And Jesus answered them, To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, You shall keep on listening, but shall not understand; And you shall keep on looking, but shall not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their heart, and return, And I would heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18 Listen then to the parable of the sower.
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road.
20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away.
22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.
Weeds among Wheat
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.
26 And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident.
27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?
28 And he said to them, An enemy has done this! The slaves said to him, Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?
29 But he said, No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.
The Mustard Seed
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field;
32 and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.
The Leaven
33 He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them without a parable.
35 This was so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: I will open My mouth in parables; I will proclaim things hidden since the foundation of the world.
The Weeds Explained
36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.
37 And He said, The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one;
39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.
Hidden Treasure
44 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field.
A Costly Pearl
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,
46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.
A Dragnet
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind;
48 and when it was filled, they pulled it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.
49 So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous,
50 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, Yes.
52 And Jesus said to them, Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure new things and old.
Jesus Revisits Nazareth
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.
54 And He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that they were astonished, and said, Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these miraculous powers?
55 Is this not the carpenters son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?
57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and in his own household.
58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
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The Parable of the Growing Seed
The Parable of the Growing Seed
Mark 4:26-34 (NKJV)
26 And He said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,
27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 Then He said, To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.
Jesus Use of Parables
33 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.
34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
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Jesus Foretells End Times
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
Matthew 24:3-51 (NKJV)
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My names sake.
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation
15 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand),
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elects sake those days will be shortened.
23 Then if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or There! do not believe it.
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 Therefore if they say to you, Look, He is in the desert! do not go out; or Look, He is in the inner rooms! do not believe it.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
32 Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors!
34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming,
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,
51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
But stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.
Luke 21:36 (NASB)
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The Appearance of False Prophets
2 Peter 2:1-12 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)
1 But also [in those days] there arose false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among yourselves, who will subtly and stealthily introduce heretical doctrines (destructive heresies), even denying and disowning the Master Who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their immoral ways and lascivious doings; because of them the true Way will be maligned and defamed.
3 And in their covetousness (lust, greed) they will exploit you with false (cunning) arguments. From of old the sentence [of condemnation] for them has not been idle; their destruction (eternal misery) has not been asleep.
4 For God did not [even] spare angels that sinned, but cast them into hell, delivering them to be kept there in pits of gloom till the judgment and their doom.
5 And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He brought a flood upon the world of ungodly [people].
6 And He condemned to ruin and extinction the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes [and thus] set them forth as an example to those who would be ungodly;
7 And He rescued righteous Lot, greatly worn out and distressed by the wanton ways of the ungodly and lawless,
8 For that just man, living [there] among them, tortured his righteous soul every day with what he saw and heard of [their] unlawful and wicked deeds,
9 Now if [all these things are true, then be sure] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials, and how to keep the ungodly under chastisement until the day of judgment and doom,
10 And particularly those who walk after the flesh and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and scorn and despise authority. Presumptuous [and] daring [self willed and self loving creatures]! They scoff at and revile dignitaries (glorious ones) without trembling,
11 Whereas [even] angels, though superior in might and power, do not bring a defaming charge against them before the Lord.
12 But these [people]! Like unreasoning beasts, mere creatures of instinct, born [only] to be captured and destroyed, railing at things of which they are ignorant, they shall utterly perish in their [own] corruption [in their destroying they shall surely be destroyed],
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Faith and Duty
Luke 17:5-10 (NKJV)
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.
6 So the Lord said, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.
7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and sit down to eat?
8 But will he not rather say to him, Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink?
9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.
10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.
Luke 17:10 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)
10 Even so on your part, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants [possessing no merit, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have [merely] done what was our duty to do.
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Davids Prayer, in the Assembly
1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (NASB)
So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said,
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.
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Davids Prayer, before the Lord
2 Samuel 7:18-29 (NASB)
Then David the king came in and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant regarding the distant future. And this is the custom of mankind, Lord God. Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, Lord God! For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know. For this reason You are great, Lord God; for there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, because of Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from other nations and their gods? For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, Lord, have become their God. Now then, Lord God, the word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do just as You have spoken, so that Your name may be great forever, by saying, The Lord of armies is God over Israel; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, Lord of armies, God of Israel, have given a revelation to Your servant, saying, I will build you a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. Now then, Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. And now, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.
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Hannahs Prayer
1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NIV)
Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my strength is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the Lords; on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. It is not by strength that one prevails;
those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and exalt the strength of his anointed.
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David, King of Israel
David Anointed King
1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.
5 And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, Surely the Lords anointed is before Him!
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all the young men here? Then he said, There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.
12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
1 Samuel 16:1, 5-7, 10-13 (NKJV)
A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul
14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.
15 And Sauls servants said to him, Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.
16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.
17 So Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then one of the servants answered and said, Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul.
21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.
22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.
23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
1 Samuel 16:14-23 (NKJV)
David and Goliath
4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span (almost 10 feet tall).
16 And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.
26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
45 Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lords, and He will give you into our hands.
48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
1 Samuel 17:4, 16, 26, 45-51 (NKJV)
Saul Resents David
1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his fathers house anymore.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Sauls servants.
6 Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.
7 So the women sang as they danced, and said: Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.
8 Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?
9 So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
10 And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Sauls hand.
11 And Saul cast the spear, for he said, I will pin David to the wall! But David escaped his presence twice.
12 Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul.
13 Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
15 Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
1 Samuel 18:1-16 (NKJV)
David Anointed King of Judah
Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
2 Samuel 2:4a (NKJV)
David Anointed King of Israel
Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel.
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
2 Samuel 5:3-5 (NKJV)
David lays with Bathsheba
Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the kings house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.
And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
2 Samuel 11:2-5 (NKJV)
Preparations for the Temple
but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.
He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.
1 Chronicles 22:8-10 (NKJV)
Davids Plans for the Temple
1 David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men.
2 King David rose to his feet and said: Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.
3 But God said to me, You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.
4 Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my fathers sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.
5 Of all my sons, and the Lord has given me many, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
6 He said to me: Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.
7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.
1 Chronicles 28:1-7 (NIV)
Davids Last Words
1 Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God.
4 And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.
5 Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase?
2 Samuel 23:1-5 (NKJV)
And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.
From this mans seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus,
Acts 13:21-23 (NKJV)
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Peter Denies Jesus, Jesus Restores Peter
Jesus Predicts Peters Denial
36 Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, where are You going? Jesus answered him, Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.
37 Peter said to Him, Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.
38 Jesus answered him, Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
John 13:36-38 (NKJV)
Peter Denies Jesus
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.
17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, You are not also one of this Mans disciples, are you? He said, I am not.
18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
Jesus Questioned by the High Priest
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.
21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.
22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Do You answer the high priest like that?
23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?
24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Twice More
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, You are not also one of His disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not!
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, Did I not see you in the garden with Him?
27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
John 18:15-27 (NKJV)
14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Jesus Restores Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs.
16 He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, Tend My sheep.
17 He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, Follow Me.
John 21:14-19 (NKJV)
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Can anything good come from Nazareth
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. Come and see, said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.
48 How do you know me? Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.
49 Then Nathanael declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.
50 Jesus said, You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.
51 He then added, Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
John 1:45-51 (NIV)
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgins name was Mary.
Luke 1:26-27 (NKJV) (Christs Birth Announced to Mary)
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:23 (NKJV)
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
saying, Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God!
Mark 1:23-24 (NKJV)
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Mark 10:47 (NKJV)
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
And He began to say to them, Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.
So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, Is this not Josephs son?
Luke 4:16-22 (NKJV) (Jesus Rejected at Nazareth)
Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
John 19:19 (NKJV) (JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.)
But he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
Mark 16:6 (NKJV)
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know,
Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Acts 2:22-24 (NKJV)
Then Peter said, Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God.
Acts 3:6-8 (NKJV)
let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
Acts 4:10 (NKJV)
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
Back to the original question, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Only the best thing that could happen on the face of this earth - Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior!
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
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The Birth of Jesus
Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus Birth and Kingdom
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV)
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel [God-With-Us].
Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)
The Coming Messiah
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting [the days of eternity].
Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel.
Micah 5:2-3 (NKJV)
Christs Birth Announced to Mary
26b the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.
34 Then Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I do not know a man?
35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:26b-35 (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men!
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Luke 2:1-20 (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us.
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV)
Wise Men from the East
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV)
The Word Becomes Flesh
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV)
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery [something to be held onto to be equal] to be equal with God,
but [emptied Himself of His privileges] made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)
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Elisha Raises the Shunammites Son
8 One day Elisha passed through Shunem, and a noble woman was there who urged him to eat a meal. So whenever he passed through, he stopped there to eat a meal.
9 And she said to her husband, I know that he is a holy man of God regularly passing through near us.
10 Let us make a little walled upper room and put for him there a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so when he comes to us he can stay there.
11 One day he came by there, and he turned aside to the upper room and lay down.
12 He said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite woman. So he called her and she stood before him.
13 He said to him, Say to her, Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What may be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king, or to the captain of the army? And she answered, I am living among my people.
14 He said, What may be done for her? And Gehazi said, Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.
15 He said, Call her. When he had called her, she stood in the entrance.
16 He said, At this season, when it is time, you will embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to your servant.
17 But the woman conceived and bore a son at that season, at the time that Elisha had told her.
18 When the child was older, he went out one day to his father with the reapers.
19 He said to his father, My head, my head! And he said to a servant, Carry him to his mother.
20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, the boy sat on her knees until noon, and died.
21 She went up, and laid him down on the bed of the man of God, shut the door on him, and went out.
22 Then she called to her husband, Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may run to the man of God and return.
23 He said, Why are you going to him today? It is neither New Moon nor Sabbath. She said, It will be all right.
24 Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, Lead on, and do not hold back for me unless I tell you.
25 So she went and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. And when the man of God saw her far off, he said to Gehazi his servant, Look, over there is the Shunammite woman.
26 Now run to meet her, and say to her, Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is the child all right? And she said, It is all right.
27 When she came to the man of God at the mountain, she grabbed his feet. Gehazi approached to push her away. But the man of God said, Let her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.
28 Then she said, Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, Do not give me false hope?
29 Then he said to Gehazi, Prepare yourself, take my staff in your hand, and go. If you find anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him, and lay my staff on the face of the boy.
30 Then the boys mother said, As the Lord lives, and as you live, I will not leave without you. And he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi passed through ahead of them and laid the staff on the face of the boy, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, The boy is not awake.
32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw that the boy was dead, lying on his bed.
33 So he went in, and shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
34 He went up and lay on the child, put his face on his face, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. Then he bent over the child, and the childs flesh warmed.
35 Then he got down, walked once back and forth in the house, and went up, and bent over him; the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes.
36 Then Elisha called Gehazi and said, Call the Shunammite woman. So he called her, and she came to him. Then he said, Pick up your son.
37 Then she came in, fell at his feet, and bowed down to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
2 Kings 4:8-37 (MEV)
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