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Willie Wong says, “The conflict of Israel and Palestine can be solved if you are willing to return to the roots of the matter. Palestinians are originally Arabs who infiltrated stealthily into the Promised Land called Palestine under the British colonial rule. Arabs bred like rabbits and called themselves Palestinians. In fact, Palestinians have no part or portion of the Jewish eland. Palestinians have no resettlement right. All Palestinians have to do is to evacuate from Gaza, West Bank, Golan Heights, all Jewish lands and move to the lands of Arabs and build a Palestinian state of its own. Palestinians should denounce terrorists Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis. Then there will be peace like a river.
Hamas terrorists are despicable people who hide in schools and hospitals, behind children to get sympathy and protection. Palestinians are despicable Arabs who like to be called refugees in order to live free on international charity, they do not want to go to Arab lands to make a living on their own. As IDF eliminates terrorists Hamas in Gaza and Rafah, so IDF must eliminate terrorists Hezbollah in Lebanon and terrorists Houthis in Yemen without delay. It is strange and illegal that UN, WHO, ICJ, EU and all Arab-Islamic-Black nations recognize and support the terrorists.
Palestinians do not want to go to Arab lands to work hard to build a Palestinian state, they would rather stay at Gaza in the Jewish land to classify as refugees so that they can get everything free through international aid.
The corrupt Ukraine warmonger should be executed in order to end the Ukraine war.
If Iran attacks Israel, let the West begin the war of annihilation. The West can take out Iran’s nuclear capability.
On March 30, 2010, in one day 2,036 persons visited my website as follows:https://williewongthought.hpage.com
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---THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ARE THE WORD OF GOD, ABOVE EVERYTHING -- THE MOST IMPORTANT!
Mat 21:42, “Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘A STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'?”
This article is written to let you know, above all read the Holy Scriptures. It is necessary to remind you that the Word of God matters in the universe, all the rest of mankind does not matter.
Certainly, I am NOT going to recommend to you the masterpieces of world literature, for they sell for several thousand dollars. Besides I know the best and greatest books and writings in the world are human thoughts and words that do not avail much, but the Word of God can meet any urgency and emergency of life. The Holy Scriptures teach me the way of God. Heavens and earth will pass away, the Word of God is eternal. You can study the Holy Bible on the Internet absolutely free.
https://www.blueletterbible.org
There are many confused with Bible translations and versions.
Translation is from one original language to another; versions contain differences within a language. For example, there are many versions of the English Bible. I personally use New American Standard Bible 2020; where I deem inaccurate I translated the word myself by consulting the original language . I believe New King James Version is pretty good.
Translations available: King James Version, New King James Version, New Living Translation, New International Version, English Standard Version, Christian Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible 2020, New American Standard Bible 1995, Legacy Standard Bible 2021, New English Translation, Revised Standard Version, American Standard Version, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Translation, Webster's Bible, Hebrew Names Version, Reina-Valera 1960, Latin Vulgate,
Westminster Leningrad Codex, Septuagint,
Morphological Greek New Testament, and Textus Receptus.
According to https://tafj.org/2012/08/23/how-do-bible-versions-translations-and-paraphrases-differ
“The Bible is God’s Word communicated to mankind. To do this God inspired about forty different writers, all “holy men of God” (2 Pet. 1:21 NKJV), to write the various books of our Bible during a period of some 1500 to 1600 years. They wrote in the languages they spoke. Thus most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew with a few passages in Aramaic (also called Chaldean). The new Testament was originally written in Greek. We do not have any of the original autographs (copies handwritten by the author) of the books of the Bible, but we have far more copies of the text of the Bible than of any other ancient book. A version of the Bible is simply a translation that is distinct from other translations. It is important to note that there is no inspired version of the Bible in English, and thus no standard with which to compare or by which to grade all other translations. We can be thankful, however, that in our English language we have a number of reliable translations. But there are also versions that introduce erroneous teaching.”
I. WHEN YOU SEEK SALVATION
Exo 14:13, But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will perform for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, ever.”
Exo 15:1-19, “Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying:
“I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted;
The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
This is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
“The LORD is a warrior;
The LORD is His name.
“Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has thrown into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
“The waters cover them;
They went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, LORD, is majestic in power;
Your right hand, LORD, destroys the enemy.
“And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You;
You send out Your burning anger, and it consumes them like chaff.
At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up,
The flowing waters stood up like a heap;
The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
“The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils;
I shall be satisfied against them;
I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’
You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like You among the gods, LORD?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?
You reached out with Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them.
In Your faithfulness You have led the people whom You have redeemed;
In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.
he peoples have heard, they tremble;
Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.
Then the chiefs of Edom were terrified;
The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan have despaired.
Terror and dread fall upon them;
By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone,
Until Your people pass over, LORD,
Until the people pass over whom You have purchased.
You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance,
The place, LORD, which You have made as Your dwelling,
The sanctuary, Lord, which Your hands have established.
The LORD shall reign forever and ever.
For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.”
1Sa 2:1-10, “Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is no one holy like the LORD,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
Do not go on boasting so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the LORD is the God of knowledge,
And with Him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces,
But those who have stumbled strap on strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to be hungry.
Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven,
But she who has many children languishes.
The LORD puts to death and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
The LORD makes poor and rich;
He humbles, He also exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap
To seat them with nobles,
And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance;
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S,
And He set the world on them.
He watches over the feet of His godly ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
For not by might shall a person prevail.
Those who contend with the LORD will be terrified;
Against them He will thunder in the Heavens,
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
2Sa 22:1-44, “Now David spoke the words of this song to the LORD on the day that the LORD had saved him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
He said, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. For the waves of death encompassed me;
The floods of destruction terrified me;
The ropes of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD,
Yes, I called out to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked,
The foundations of Heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth was devouring;
Coals were kindled by it.
He also bowed the heavens down low, and came down with thick darkness under His feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew;
He appeared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
The LORD thundered from Heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
And He shot arrows and scattered them,
Lightning, and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were exposed
By the rebuke of the LORD,
From the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
They confronted me on the day of my disaster,
But the LORD was my support.
He also brought me out into an open place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
The LORD has treated me in accordance with my righteousness;
In accordance with the cleanliness of my hands He has repaid me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not acted wickedly against my God.
For all His ordinances were before me,
And as for His statutes, I did not deviate from them.
I was also blameless toward Him,
And I have kept myself from my wrongdoing.
So the LORD has repaid me in accordance with my righteousness,
In accordance with my cleanliness before His eyes.
With the one who is faithful You show Yourself faithful,
with the blameless one You prove Yourself blameless;
with the one who is pure You show Yourself pure,
But with the perverted You show Yourself astute.
And You save an afflicted people;
But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You humiliate.
For You are my lamp, LORD;
and the LORD illuminates my darkness.
For by You I can run at a troop of warriors;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the LORD is refined;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
God is my strong fortress;
And He sets the blameless on His way.
He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
And sets me on my high places.
He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
and Your help makes me great.
You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.
I pursued my enemies and eliminated them,
And I did not turn back until they were finished off.
And I have devoured them and smashed them, so that they would not rise;
And they fell under my feet.
For You have encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced those who rose up against me to bow down under me.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.
They looked, but there was no one to save them;
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth;
I crushed and trampled them like the mud of the streets.
You have also saved me from the contentions of my people;
You have kept me as head of the nations;
A people I have not known serve me.”
1Ch 16:23-36, “Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place.
Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the LORD in holy attire.
Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
Let the heavens be joyful, and the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations,
“The LORD reigns.”
Let the sea roar, and everything it contains;
Let the field rejoice, and everything that is in it.
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy in the presence of the LORD;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
Then say, “Save us, God of our salvation,
And gather us and save us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting!
Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD.”
Psa 3:1-8, “A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.
LORD, how my enemies have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
But You, LORD, are a shield around me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
I was crying out to the LORD with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah
I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, LORD; save me, my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the LORD;
May Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah”
Luk 1:69-80, “And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David—
Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets
from ancient times—Salvation from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
To show mercy to our fathers, and to remember
His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, would serve
Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before Him all our days. “And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
to give His people the knowledge of salvation by
the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”
Jhn 3:1-21, “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man
came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these miracles that You do unless God is with him.”
Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you people do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into Heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.”
Jhn 4:7-38, “A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away to the city to buy food. So the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, though You are a Jew, are asking me for a drink, though I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
She said to Him, “Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water.” He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said to Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that the time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But the time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”
Jesus said to her, “I AM He, the One speaking to you.” And at this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What are You seeking?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a Man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not The Christ, is He?” They left the city and were coming to Him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat something.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have come into their labor.”
Act 4:1-12, “As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
And they laid hands on them and put them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the message
believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial
today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
“He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
Rom 1:14-23, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to the uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Rom 1:18-22, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.”
Rom 3:23-26, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Rom 10:9-21, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting
in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
for “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”
However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary: “THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.”
But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,
“I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT A NATION,
WITH A FOOLISH NATION I WILL ANGER YOU.”
And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I REVEALED MYSELF TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.”
But as for Israel, He says, “I HAVE SPREAD OUT MY HANDS ALL DAY LONG TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.”
2Co 6:1-2, “And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—
for He says, “AT A FAVORABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU,
AND ON A DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.”
Behold, now is “A FAVORABLE TIME,” behold, now is “A DAY OF SALVATION”—
Gal 2:16-21, “nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Far from it! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a wrongdoer.
For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
Eph 1:3-14, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the Heavens and things on the earth. In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Eph 2:1-10, “And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working
in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
1Th 5:9-11, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore,
encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.”
2Th 2:13-17, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our Gospel, that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”
Heb 5:8-9, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him.”
Tit 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds.”
II. WHEN YOU ARE SUFFERING
Read the Book of Job
Read the Book of Ruth
Psa 22:24-28, “For He has not despised nor scorned the suffering of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard. From You comes my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him. The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;those who seek Him will praise the LORD. May your heart live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will worship before You.
For the kingdom is the LORD’S and He rules over the nations.”
Psa 34:17-19, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The afflictions of the righteous are many, but the LORD rescues him from them all.”
Psa 38:1-22, “A Psalm of David, for a memorial.
LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, and do not punish me in Your burning anger. For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
And Your hand has pressed down on me. There is no healthy part in my flesh because of Your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my guilty deeds have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my foolishness. I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go in mourning all day long. For my sides are filled with burning,
And there is no healthy part in my flesh. I feel faint and badly crushed;
I groan because of the agitation of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before You;
And my sighing is not hidden from You.
My heart throbs, my strength fails me; and the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me. My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand far away. Those who seek my life lay snares for me; and those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, and they plot deception all day long. But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear; and I am like a person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth. Yes, I am like a person who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no arguments. For I wait for You, LORD; You will answer, Lord my God.
For I said, “May they not rejoice over me, who, when my foot slips, would exalt themselves over me.” For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I admit my guilt; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. But my enemies are vigorous and strong,
and those who wrongfully hate me are many. And those who repay evil for good, they become my enemies, because I follow what is good.
Do not abandon me, LORD; My God, do not be far from me!
Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation!
Psa 69:29-36, “But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, God, set me safely on high. I will praise the name of God with song,
and exalt Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the LORD better than an ox or bull with horns and hoofs. The humble have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, let your heart revive. For the LORD hears the needy,
And does not despise those of His who are prisoners. Heaven and earth shall praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.
For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, so that they may live there and possess it. The descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name will live in it.’
Mat 4:24, “And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them.”
Luk 7:21, “At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.”
Luk 16:19-31, “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Act 1:2-3, “until the day when He was taken up to Heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the Kingdom of God.”
Phl 4:11-13, “Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Col 1:24, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am supplementing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of His body, which is the Church.”
2Th 1:4, “As a result, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”
2Ti 1:7-13, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Hold on to the example of sound
words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”
Heb 2:9-10, “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect
the Originator of their salvation through sufferings.”
Jas 5:13, “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing
praises.”
III. WHEN YOU SIN
Gen 4:7, “If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
2Sa 12:1-23, “Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in a city, the one wealthy and the other poor. The wealthy man had a great many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nurtured; and it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat scraps from him and drink from his cup and lie in his lap, and was like a daughter to him. Now a visitor came to the wealthy man, and he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, to prepare for the traveler who had come to him; so he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die! So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion.” Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul. I also gave you your master’s house and put your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! Why have you despised the Word of the LORD, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. This is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and ]in open daylight.’”
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die. However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the LORD, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.”
Then Nathan went to his house. Later the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him in order to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to us. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm?” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David got up from the ground, washed, anointed
himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you got up and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live.
But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me.”
Job 1:20-22, “Then Job got up, tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Despite all this, Job did not sin, nor did he blame God.”
Job 2:7-10, “Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with severe boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while he was sitting in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold firm your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?” Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.”
Psa 4:3-5, “But know that the LORD has set apart the godly person for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him. Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD.”
Psa 25:4-22, “Make me know Your ways, LORD;
Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day. Remember, LORD, Your compassion and Your faithfulness, for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoings;
Remember me according to Your faithfulness, for Your goodness’ sake, LORD. The LORD is good and upright; therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.
All the paths of the LORD are faithfulness and truth to those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies. For the sake of Your name, LORD, forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great. Who is the person who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant. My eyes are continually toward the LORD, for He will rescue my feet from the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Look at my misery and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
Look at my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with violent hatred. Guard my soul and save me; do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness protect me,
for I wait for You. Redeem Israel, God, from all his distress.”
Psa 32:1-5, “A Psalm of David. A Maskil.
How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered!
How blessed is a person whose guilt the LORD does not take into account,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to You,
and I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the LORD”; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”
Psa 51:1-14, “For the music director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; according to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings. Wash me thoroughly from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my wrongdoings, and my sin is constantly before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak
and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in guilt,
and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, let the bones You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and wipe out all my guilty deeds.
Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach wrongdoers Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.”
Mat 18:8-9, “And if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or
without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the Fiery Hell.”
Jas 5:19-20, “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”
1Jo 1:5-10, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His Word is not in us.”
IV. WHEN YOU ARE IN LOVE
1Co 13:1-13, “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.
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. 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.
Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 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,it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
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. For we know in part and prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. 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. 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. But now faith, hope, and love
remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Sng 1:2-4, “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine. “Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil; therefore the maidens love you.
Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers. We will rejoice in you and be glad; we will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.”
Sng 1:8-10, “If you yourself do not know, Most beautiful among women,
Go forth on the trail of the flock and pasture your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds. To me, my darling, you are like
my mare among the chariots of Pharaoh. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,Your neck with strings of beads.”
Sng 1:16, “How handsome you are, my beloved,
and so pleasant! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!”
Sng 2:1-4, “I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys.”
Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens.
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He has brought me to his banquet hall,
and his banner over me is love.”
Sng 2:10-14, “My beloved responded and said to me,
‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along.
For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along!
O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of the steep pathway, let me see your form, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your form is lovely.”
Sng 2:16-17, “My beloved is mine, and I am his; He pastures his flock among the lilies. Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.”
Sng 3:3-4, “The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, and I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’ Hardly had I left them
When I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
and into the room of her who conceived me.”
Sng 4:1-7, “How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil;
your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up
from their watering place, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young.
Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is beautiful. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with layers of stones on which are hung a thousand shields, all the round shields of the warriors.
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that graze among the lilies.
Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish on you.”
Sng 4:9-15, “You have enchanted my heart, my sister, my bride; you have enchanted my heart with a single glance of your eyes, with a single strand of your necklace. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much sweeter is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than that of all kinds of balsam oils! Your lips drip honey, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. A locked garden is my sister, my bride,
a locked spring, a sealed fountain. Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with delicious fruits, henna with nard plants, nard and saffron, spice reed and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest balsam oils. You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.”
Sng 5:10-16, “THE BRIDE
“My beloved is dazzling and reddish, Outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is like gold, pure gold; his locks are like clusters of dates and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, and perched in their setting.His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, banks of herbal spices; his lips are lilies dripping with drops of myrrh. His hands are rods of gold set with topaz; his abdomen is panels of ivory covered with sapphires. His thighs are pillars of alabaster set on pedestals of pure gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, you daughters of Jerusalem.”
Sng 6:3-4, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,
He who pastures his flock among the lilies.”
THE GROOM
“You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, as lovely as Jerusalem, as awesome as an army with banners.”
Sng 7:10-13, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.
Come, my beloved, let’s go out to the country, Let’s spend the night in the villages. Let’s rise early and go to the vineyards; let’s see whether the vine has grown and its buds have opened, and whether the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes have given forth fragrance; and over our doors are all delicious fruits,
new as well as old, which I have saved for you, my beloved.”
Sng 8:6-7, “Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire, The flame of the LORD.
Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers flood over it;
if a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.”
1Jo 4:7-8, “Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
V. WHEN YOU HAVE A WEDDING
Jhn 2:1-11, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “What business
do you have with Me, woman? My hour has not yet come.”His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you, do it.” Now there were six stone waterpots standing there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” And they took it to him. Now when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the groom, and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
This beginning of His miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”
Sng 1:2-17, “THE BRIDE
“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is
sweeter than wine. “Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil; therefore the young women love you. “Draw me after you and let’s run together! The king has brought me into his chambers.”
THE CHORUS
“We will rejoice in you and be joyful; We will praise your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.”
THE BRIDE
“I am black and beautiful, You daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon.
“Do not stare at me because I am dark, for the sun has tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me caretaker of the vineyards, but I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
“Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where do you pasture your flock,
Where do you have it lie down at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?”
Solomon, the Lover, Speaks
“If you yourself do not know, Most beautiful among women,
Go out on the trail of the flock, and pasture your young goats
By the tents of the shepherds. “To me, my darling, you are like
My mare among the chariots of Pharaoh. “Your cheeks are delightful with jewelry, Your neck with strings of beads.”
THE CHORUS
“We will make for you jewelry of gold with beads of silver.”
THE BRIDE
“While the king was at his table, my perfume gave forth its fragrance.
“My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh which lies all night between my breasts. “My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
In the vineyards of Engedi.”
THE GROOM
“How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves.”
THE BRIDE
“How handsome you are, my beloved, and so delightful!
Indeed, our bed is luxuriant!
“The beams of our house are cedars, Our rafters, junipers.”
Mat 19:3-9, “Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”
And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.”
They said to Him, “Why, then, did Moses command to GIVE
HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND HER AWAY?”
He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses
permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except
for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Rom 7:2-3, “For the married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law
concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is alive she gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband
dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she gives herself to another man.”
1Co 7:2-6, “But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise the wife also to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise the husband also does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come
together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not of command.”
1Co 7:10-11, “But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife is not to leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband is not to divorce his wife.”
Eph 5:22-28, “Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also
loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.”
VI. WHEN YOU ARE IN TROUBLE
Psa 9:7-10, “But the LORD sits as King forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,
And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples fairly.
The LORD will also be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble; and those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, LORD, have not abandoned those who seek You.”
Psa 20:1-9, “For the music director. A Psalm of David.
May the LORD answer you on a day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And support you from Zion!
May He remember all your meal offerings and accept your burnt offering! Selah
May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill your whole plan!
We will sing for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners.
May the LORD fulfill all your desires.
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy Heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some praise their chariots and some their horses,
But we will praise the name of the LORD, our God.
They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright.
Save, LORD; may the King answer us on the day we call.”
Psa 27:1-14, “A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life; whom should I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear; if war arises against me, in spite of this I am confident. One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; He will hide me in the secret place of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
Hear, LORD, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“I shall seek Your face, LORD.” Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up. Teach me Your way, LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my enemies, for false witnesses have risen against me, and the violent witness.
I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.”
Psa 50:15, “Call upon Me on the day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”
Psa 77:1-20, “For the music director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud; my voice rises to God, and He will listen to me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out and did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted. When I remember God, then I am restless;
When I sigh, then my spirit feels weak. Selah
You have held my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I have considered the days of old, the years of long ago.
I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart,
and my spirit ponders: Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again? Has His favor ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever? Has God forgotten to be gracious, or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah
Then I said, “It is my grief, that the right hand of the Most High has changed.” I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
I will certainly remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work, and on Your deeds with thanksgiving. Your way, God, is holy;
What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
By Your power You have redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
The waters saw You, God; the waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The ocean depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water;
The skies sounded out; Your arrows flashed here and there.
The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
Your way was in the sea and Your paths in the mighty waters,
and Your footprints were not known.
You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
Psa 86:7-17, “On the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me. There is no one like You among the gods, Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord,and they will glorify Your name.
For You are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
You alone are God. Teach me Your way, LORD; I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks to You, Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forever.
For Your graciousness toward me is great, and You have saved my soul from the depths of Sheol.
God, arrogant men have risen up against me, and a gang of violent men have sought my life, and they have not set You before them.
But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
Slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth. Turn to me, and be gracious to me; grant Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign of good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.’
Psa 120:1, “A Song of Ascents.
I cried to the LORD in my trouble, and He answered me.”
Psa 138:7-8, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will reach out with Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your faithfulness, LORD, is everlasting; do not abandon the works of Your hands.”
Psa 143:11-12, “For the sake of Your name, LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your faithfulness, destroy my enemies, and eliminate all those who attack my soul, for I am Your servant.”
Pro 3:25-26, “Do not be afraid of sudden danger, nor of trouble
from the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.”
Nah 1:7-13, “The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him. But with an overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of its site, and will pursue His enemies into darkness. Whatever you devise against the LORD, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice.
Like tangled thorns, and like those who are drunken with their drink,
They are consumed like stubble completely dried up.
From you has gone out one who plotted evil against the LORD,
A wicked counselor. This is what the LORD says:
“Though they are at full strength and so they are many, so also they
will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no longer. “So now, I will break his yoke from upon you,
And I will tear your shackles to pieces.”
Mat 6:25-34, ““For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?
And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, yet I say to
you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one
of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
VII. WHEN YOU MEET A TEMPTATION
Mat 4:1-11, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH
OF GOD.’”
Then the devil took Him along into the Holy City and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and he said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written:
‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP, SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”
Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written: ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”
Again, the devil took Him along to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”
Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and
began to serve Him.”
Mar 1:12-13, “And immediately the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him.”
Mat 6:13, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Mat 26:40-42, “And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.”
Mar 14:38, “Keep watching and praying, so that you will not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luk 4:1-13, “Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during
those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.’”
And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain
and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I want. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”
Jesus replied to him, “It is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”
And he brought Him into Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written: ‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU, TO PROTECT YOU,’ and, ‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP, SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been stated, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’” And so when the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.”
Luk 8:13, “Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away.”
Luk 11:4, “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves
also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation.'”
Luk 22:40, “Now when He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you do not come into temptation.”
Luk 22:46, “and He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you do not come into temptation.”
1Co 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except something common
to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
1Ti 6:9, “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and
a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
Jas 1:12-18, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters. Every good thing
given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the Word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”
VIII. WHEN YOU ARE SICK
Jas 5:14-16, “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.”
Lev 15:31-33, “And so you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.” This is the
law for the one with a discharge, and for the man
who has a seminal emission so that he is unclean by it, and for the woman who is ill because of menstrual impurity, and for the one who has a discharge, whether a male or a female, or a man
who sleeps with an unclean woman.”
2Sa 12:7-23, “Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul. ‘I also gave you your master’s house and put your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! Why have you despised the Word of the LORD, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. This is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.’”
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die. However, since by this deed you have shown utter
disrespect for the LORD, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.”
Then Nathan went to his house. Later the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him in order to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke
to him and he did not listen to us. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm?” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child
was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you got up and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me.”
1Ki 14:5-12, “Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you about her son, because he is sick. You shall say such and such to her, for it will be when she arrives, that she is going to make herself unrecognizable.” So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam; why do you make yourself unrecognizable? Nevertheless, I am sent to you with a harsh message. “Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel, and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight; you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and you have gone and made
for yourself other gods and cast metal images to provoke Me to anger, and have thrown Me behind your back—therefore behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and I will eliminate from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, just as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone. Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city, the dogs will eat. And anyone who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat; for the LORD has spoken it.”’ “Now you, arise, go to your house. When your feet enter the city the child will die.”
1Ki 17:17-24, “Now it happened after these things that the son
of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his condition became very grave, until at the end he was no longer breathing. So she said to Elijah, “Why is my business any of yours, you man of God? Yet you have come to me to bring my wrongdoing to remembrance, and to put my son to death!” But he said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her arms and carried him up to the upstairs room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. And he called to the LORD and said, “LORD, my God, have You also brought catastrophe upon the widow
with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times, and called to the LORD and said, “LORD, my God, please, let this boy’s life return to him.” And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the life of the boy returned to him and he revived. Elijah then took the boy and brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the Word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”
2Ki 1:1-4, “Now Moab broke with Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell through the window lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.” But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ “Now therefore, this is what the LORD says: You will not get down from the bed upon which you have lain, but you shall certainly die.’” Then Elijah departed.”
2Ki 8:7-10, “Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, was sick, and it was told to him, saying, “The man of God has come
here.” And the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?” So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?”
Then Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will certainly recover’; but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die.”
2Ki 13:14-19, “When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The LORD’S arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have put an end to them.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. Then the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”
2Ki 20:1-11, “In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.” Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, “Please, LORD, just remember how I have walked before You wholeheartedly and in truth, and have done what is good in
Your sight!” And Hezekiah wept profusely. And even before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the Word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I am going to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. “And I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will save you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.” Then Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” And they took it and placed it on the inflamed spot, and he recovered. Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I will go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?”
Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will perform the Word that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” So Hezekiah said, “It is
easy for the shadow to decline ten steps; no, but have the shadow turn backward ten steps.” Then Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten
steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”
2Ki 20:12-17, “At that time Berodach-baladan, a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the balsam oil, the scented oil, the house of his armor, and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” Isaiah said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them.” Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the Word of the LORD: ‘Behold, the days are coming when everything that is in your house, and what your fathers have stored up to this day, will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the LORD.”
Mat 4:23-25, “Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. And the
news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”
Mat 8:16-17, “Now when evening came, they brought
to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR ILLNESSES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”
Mar 1:32-34, “Now when evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed
many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.”
Jhn 5:5-9, “Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying
there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, said to him, “Do you want to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was a Sabbath on that day.”
IX. WHEN YOU SEEK SUCCESS
Gen 39:2-6, “The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man.”
Jos 1:7-8, “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do
according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may
achieve success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.”
1Sa 18:5, “And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him,
and always achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.”
2Sa 23:3-5, “The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me:
‘The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.’ Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me.
His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success.”
1Ch 12:18, “Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse.
Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you.” So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.”
2Ch 26:3-8, “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success. Uzziah declared war on the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built new towns in the Ashdod area and in other parts of Philistia.
God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur, and his wars with the Meunites. The Meunites paid annual tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt, for he had become very powerful.”
Ezr 5:7-8, “To King Darius. Greetings.
The king should know that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.”
Job 5:12, “He frustrates the schemes of the shrewd,
so that their hands cannot attain success.”
Psa 118:23-25, “This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success.”
Pro 8:12-14, “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who fear the LORD will hate evil.
Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.
Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine.”
Ecc 10:10, “If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.”
Jer 45:5, “But as for you, are you seeking great things for yourself?
Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh,’ declares the LORD, ‘but I will give your life to you as plunder in all the places where you may go.”
Dan 6:25-28, “Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages who were living in all the land: “May your peace be great! I issue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom
people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever. He rescues, saves, and performs signs and miracles in Heaven and on earth, He who has also rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
Jhn 3:27-30, “John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from Heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”
1Th 4:11-12, “that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”
X. WHEN YOU FEEL LONELY
It is surprising that the word “loneliness” does not exist in the Bible.
Gen 2:18, “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
Exo 18:18, “You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people
who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.”
Exo 22:20, “He who sacrifices to any god, other than
to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.”
Exo 24:1-2, “Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. Moses alone, however, shall approach the LORD, but they shall not approach, nor shall the people come up with him.”
1Ki 8:39, “then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know—for You alone know the hearts of all mankind—”
1Ki 18:21-22, “Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to struggle with the two choices? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him so much as a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left as a prophet of the LORD, while Baal’s prophets are 450 men.”
1Ki 19:9-10, “Then he came there to a cave and spent the night there; and behold, the Word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they have sought to take my life.”
Neh 9:6, “You alone are the LORD. You have made the Heavens, the Heaven of Heavens with all their lights, the earth and everything that is on it, the seas and everything that is in them. You give
life to all of them, and the Heavenly lights bow down before You.”
Job 7:16, “I waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are only a breath.”
Job 9:7-12, “Who commands the sun not to shine,
and puts a seal on the stars; Who alone stretches
out the Heavens, and tramples down the waves of the sea; Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the constellations of the south.
It is He who does great things, the unfathomable, and wondrous works without number.
If He were to pass by me, I would not see Him;
were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
If He were to snatch away, who could restrain Him?
Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?”
Job 10:19-20, “I should have been as though I had not been, brought from womb to tomb.’ Would He not leave my few days alone? Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness.“
Psa 4:7-8, “You have put joy in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine are abundant.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, LORD, have me dwell in safety.”
Psa 25:16-22, “Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses. Look at my misery and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins. Look at my enemies, for they are many,
and they hate me with violent hatred. Guard my soul and save me;
do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness protect me, for I wait for You. Redeem Israel, God,
from all his distress.”
Psa 62:1-2, “For the music director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. My soul waits in silence for God alone; from Him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken.”
Psa 68:4-6, “Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Exalt Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is the LORD, and be jubilant before Him.
A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy dwelling. God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious live in parched lands.”
Psa 102:1-7, “A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the LORD. LORD, hear my prayer!
Listen to my plea! Don’t turn away from me
in my time of distress. Bend down to listen,
and answer me quickly when I call to you. For my days disappear like smoke, and my bones burn like red-hot coals.
My heart is sick, withered like grass, and I have lost my appetite.
Because of my groaning, I am reduced to skin and bones.
I am like an owl in the desert,like a little owl in a far-off wilderness.
I lie awake, lonely as a solitary bird on the roof.”
Isa 30:17, “One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”
Jer 48:6, “They will hear, 'Run! Save yourselves! Even if you must be like a lonely shrub in the desert!”
Mat 14:12-13, “And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard this, He withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns.”
Mat 14:15-16, “When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said,
"They need not go away; you give them something to eat."
Mar 1:35, “And in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a lonely place, and there He prayed.”
Mar 1:42-45, “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:
“See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”
Mar 6:30-32, “The apostles returned to Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.”
Mar 6:35, “And when it grew late, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late.”
Luk 4:42-43, “And when it was day He departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought Him and came to Him, and would have kept Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."
Luk 5:15-16, “Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Luk 9:12-13, “Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place." But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish--unless we are to go and buy food for all these people."
Luk 18:18-19, “A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me
good? No one is good except God alone.”
Jhn 6:15, “So Jesus, aware that they intended to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself, alone.”
Jhn 8:7-11, “When they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to
throw a stone at her.” And again He stooped down
and wrote on the ground. Now when they heard this,
they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman where she was, in the center of the courtyard.
And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not sin any longer.”
Jhn 8:28-29, “So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM, and I do nothing on My own, but I say these things as the Father instructed Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
Jhn 12:24-26, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves
Me, the Father will honor him.”
Jhn 16:32-33, “Behold, the hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Rom 11:2-4, “God has not rejected His people whom
He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture
says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.”
1Ti 6:15-16, “which He will bring about at the proper
time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be
honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”
Rev 15:4, “Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify
Your name?
For You alone are holy; for ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
XI. WHEN YOU PRAY
1Sa 7:5, “Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the LORD for you.”
1Sa 12:19, “Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, by asking for ourselves a king.”
1Sa 12:23, “Furthermore, as for me, far be it from me that I would sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray
for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right
way.”
1Ki 8:33-34, “When Your people Israel are defeated
before an enemy because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your favor in this house, then hear in Heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave their fathers.”
1Ki 13:6, “And the king responded and said to the man of God, “Please appease the LORD your God and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God appeased the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before.”
2Ch 7:14, “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Job 22:26-27, “For then you will take pleasure in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; and you will pay your vows.”
Psa 5:1-2, “For the music director; for flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David. Listen to my words, LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray.”
Psa 32:5-7, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the LORD”; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; certainly in a flood of great waters, they will not reach them. You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah”
Psa 72:12-15, “For he will save the needy when he cries for help, the afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and he will save the lives of the needy. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in his sight; so may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; and they are to pray for him continually; they are to bless him all day long.”
Psa 122:6-9, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.”
Jer 14:10-11, “This is what the LORD says to this
people: “So much they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; now He will remember their wrongdoing and call their sins to account.” So the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for a good outcome on behalf of this people.”
Jer 29:7-9, “Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD in its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity.’ For this is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst or your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to their interpretations of your dreams whichyou dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the LORD.”
Jer 29:11-13, “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Jer 37:3, “Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and the priest Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
“Please pray to the LORD our God in our behalf.”
Jer 42:4-6, “Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the LORD
gives you as an answer. I will not withhold a word from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole
message with which the LORD your God will send you to us. Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well for us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God.”
Jer 42:20, “For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the LORD your God, saying, “Pray for us to the LORD our God; and whatever the LORD our God says, tell us so, and we will do it.”
Jon 1:14, “Then they cried out to the LORD and said, “We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life, and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, LORD, have done as You pleased.”
Mat 5:44, “But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you.”
Mat 6:5-6, “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Mat 6:9-15,“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.”
Mat 14:23, “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”
Mat 26:36, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and told His disciples,
“Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
Mar 6:46, “And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray.”
Mar 11:24, “Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.”
Mar 11:25, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in Heaven will also forgive you for your offenses.”
Luk 5:16,“But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”
Luk 6:12, “Now it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer with God.”
Luk 9:28, “About eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.”
Luk 11:1-4, “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
And He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also
forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation.’”
XII. WHEN YOU LOSE HOPE
Read the Book of Esther.
Interestingly, the word “hopelessness” does not exist in the Bible.
1Ch 29:10-16, “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. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. For we are strangers
before You, and temporary residents, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope.
LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours.”
1Sa 22:3, “And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”
Job 7:1-7, “Is a person not forced to labor on earth,
and are his days not like the days of a hired worker? As a slave pants for the shade, and as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages, so I am allotted worthless months, and nights of trouble are apportioned to me.
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise? But the night continues,
and I am continually tossing until dawn. My flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt, my skin hardens and oozes.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
and they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is a mere breath;
My eye will not see goodness again.”
Job 8:11-17, “Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water? While it is still
green and not cut down, yet it withers before any
other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God;
and the hope of the godless will perish,
his confidence is fragile, and his trust is a spider’s web. He depends on his house, but it does not stand; he holds on to it, but it does not endure. He flourishes before the sun, and his shoots spread out over his garden. His roots wrap around a rock pile, he grasps a house of stones.”
Job 11:20, “But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and there will be no escape for them; and their hope is to breathe their last.”
Job 13:15-16, “Though He slay me, I will hope
in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. This also will be my salvation, for a godless person cannot come before His presence.”
Job 19:25, “Yet as for me, I know that my Redeemer
lives, and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth.”
Job 22:19-20, “The righteous see and are glad,
and the innocent mock them, saying, ‘Truly our enemies are eliminated,and fire has consumed their abundance.’
Job 27:8-10, “For what is the hope of the godless
when he makes an end of life, when God requires
his life? Will God hear his cry when distress comes
upon him? Or will he take pleasure in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?”
Psa 9:17-20, “The wicked will return to Sheol,
all the nations who forget God. For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever. Arise, LORD, do not let mankind prevail; let the nations be judged before You.
Put them in fear, LORD; let the nations know that they are merely human. Selah”
Psa 33:16-22, “The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not rescued by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory;
nor does it rescue anyone by its great strength.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who wait for His faithfulness, to rescue their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your favor, LORD, be upon us, just as we have waited for You.”
Psa 34:17-19, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The afflictions of the righteous are many, but the LORD rescues him from
them all.”
Psa 37:37-40, “Observe the blameless person, and look at the upright; for the person of peace will have a future. But wrongdoers will altogether be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be eliminated. But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
The LORD helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.”
Psa 39:7-13, “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You. Save me from all my wrongdoings;
do not make me an object of reproach for the foolish.
I have become mute, I do not open my mouth,
because it is You who have done it.
Remove Your plague from me; because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing.
With rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You consume like a moth what is precious to him;
certainly all mankind is mere breath! Selah
Hear my prayer, LORD, and listen to my cry for help;
do not be silent to my tears;
for I am a stranger with You,
one who lives abroad, like all my fathers.
“Turn Your eyes away from me, that I may become cheerful again
Before I depart and am no more.”
Psa 62:5-8, “My soul, wait in silence for God alone,
for my hope is from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, My refuge; I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my glory rest on God;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your hearts before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah”
Psa 71:4-6, “Save me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the wrongdoer and the ruthless, for You are my hope; Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. I have leaned on you since my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; my praise is continually of You.”
Psa 119:166-170, “I hope for Your salvation, LORD,
And do Your commandments. My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
for all my ways are before You. Let my cry come before You, LORD;
Give me understanding according to Your Word. Let my pleading come before You; Save me according to Your Word.”
Psa 130:5-6, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning.”
Psa 140:12, “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.”
Pro 10:27-29, “The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
The hope of the righteous is gladness, but the expectation of the wicked perishes. The way of the LORD is a stronghold for the upright,
But ruin to the workers of injustice.”
Pro 11:10, “When things go well for the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.”
Pro 19:18, “Discipline your son while there is hope,
and do not desire his death.”
Pro 23:17-20, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD always. Certainly there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.
Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eaters of meat.”
Pro 24:13-14, “My son, eat honey, for it is good; Yes, the honey from
the comb is sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is the same for your soul; if you find it, then there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”
Pro 24:16, “Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again, but the wicked will be brought down by calamity.”
Pro 26:11-12, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
so is a fool who repeats his foolishness. Do you see a person wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Ecc 8:12-13, “Although a sinner does evil a hundred
times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will go well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. But it will not go well for the evil person and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.”
Jer 29:11, “For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Isa 3:10, “Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, for they will eat the fruit of their actions.”
Mat 12:20-21, “A BENT REED HE WILL NOT BREAK
OFF, AND A DIMLY BURNING WICK HE WILL NOT EXTINGUISH, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”
Jhn 14:1-31, “Do not let your heart be troubled;
believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s home are many mansions; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I AM in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. Believe Me that I AM in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I AM in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you.
The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what has happened that You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. The one who does not love Me does not follow My Words; and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.
Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.
You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in regard to Me, but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let’s go from here.”
Jhn 16:26-33, “On that day you will ask in My name, and I am not saying to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
His disciples said, “See, now You are speaking
plainly and are not using any figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and that You have no need for anyone to question You; this is why we believe that You came forth from God.” Jesus replied to them, “Do you now believe?
Behold, the hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I AM not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation,
but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Act 2:25-28, “For David says of Him,
‘I SAW THE LORD CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME,
BECAUSE HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. ‘THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE WAS OVERJOYED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; FOR YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. ‘YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.”
Act 24:14-16, “But I confess this to you, that in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing
everything that is in accordance with the Law and is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this I also do my best to maintain a blameless conscience both before God and before other people, always.”
Act 26:6-8, “And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. For this hope, O king, I am being accused by Jews. “Why is it considered incredible among you people if God raises the dead?”
Rom 4:17-21, “(as it is written: “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR
DESCENDANTS BE.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to
the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”
Rom 5:1-5, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also
celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven
character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Rom 8:22-25, “For we know that the whole creation
groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together
until now. And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
Rom 12:12-13, “rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”
Rom 15:4-6, “For whatever was written in earlier
times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God
who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that with one purpose and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Rom 15:12-13, “Again Isaiah says, “THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM WILL THE GENTILES HOPE.” Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
1Co 9:9-10, “For it is written in the Law of Moses: “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE IT IS THRESHING.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing in the crops.”
1Co 13:13, “But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
2Co 1:10, “who rescued us from so great a danger of death, and will rescue us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us.”
Gal 5:5-6, “For we, through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”
Eph 1:11-14, “In Him we also have obtained an
inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that
we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in
Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first
installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Eph 1:18-21, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the Heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”
Eph 4:3-7, “being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one Body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one Hope of your calling; one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism,
one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
Eph 6:2-3, “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY TURN OUT WELL FOR
YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.”
Phl 4:12-14, “I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my difficulty.”
Col 1:5-6, “because of the hope reserved for you in Heaven, of which you previously heard in the Word of truth, the Gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.”
Col 1:23-24, “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under Heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am supplementing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of His body, which is the Church.”
Col 1:26-28, “that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints, to whom
God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ.”
1Th 1:2-3, “We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and
labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”
1Th 4:13-18, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who
are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede
those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself
will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the space, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”
1Th 5:8-11, “But since we are of the day, let’s be
sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so
that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live
together with Him. Therefore, encourage one
another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.”
2Th 2:16-17, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”
1Ti 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope.”
1Ti 3:13, “For those who have served well as
deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
1Ti 4:9-10, “It is a trustworthy statement deserving
full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.”
1Ti 5:17, “The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”
1Ti 6:17-19, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
2Ti 1:16-18, “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.”
2Ti 4:8, “in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Tit 1:1-3, “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life,
which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time revealed His Word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior.”
Tit 2:11-15, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds. These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you.”
Tit 3:4-8, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.”
Heb 3:5-6, “Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as the Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope.”
Heb 6:10-12, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints. And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.”
Heb 6:17-20, “In the same way God, desiring even
more to demonstrate to the heirs of the promise the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, confirmed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil, where
Jesus has entered as the forerunner for us, having become the high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Heb 7:18-19, “For, on the one hand, there is the
nullification of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, there is the introduction of a better hope, through which we come near to God.”
Heb 10:22-23, “let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Jas 2:8, “If, however, you are fulfilling the royal
law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.”
Jas 3:2, “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well.”
1Pe 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1Pe 1:20-21, “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
1Pe 3:14-16, “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT
BE IN DREAD, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”
2Pe 1:19, “And so we have the prophetic Word made
more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star arises in your hearts.”
1Jo 3:2-3, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
3Jo 1:5-6, “Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brothers and sisters, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the Church.
You will do well to send them on their way in a
manner worthy of God.”
XIII. WHEN YOU ARE DYING
Psa 23:1-6, A Psalm of David.
”The LORD is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the LORD forever.”
In fact, before you die, you should learn to memorize
Psalm 23.
Deu 34:1-8, “Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, and the Negev and the territory in the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not go over there.”
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, in accordance with the Word of the LORD. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows his burial
place to this day. Although Moses was 120 years old when he died, his eyesight was not dim, nor had his vigor left him. So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.”
Mar 4:35-41, “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” After dismissing the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And a fierce gale of wind developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water. And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them,
“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Mat 14:22-33, “Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter responded and said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward
Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are truly
God’s Son!”
You have read the Word of God, most powerful and effectual. No words of mankind can compare to the Holy Scriptures.
WILLIE WONG THOUGHT
WILLIE WONG
MAY 10, 2025
https://williewongthought.hpage.com/
Copyright © 2018 - 2024 by Willie Wong
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What the heck, won’t it wondeful if all nations and peoples seek peace and justice? The Bible gives one reason why not, 1Jo 5:19, “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Evil is like fire will destroy the nation and peoples. When preferential treatment is given to a certain race, all races suffer discrimination. Rejection of unqualified and undisciplined black employees and discharge because poor performance are not racial discriminations. Affirmative Action is illegal and unconstitutional, it must be completely eliminated. Diversify has gone too far, it must be abundoned. Harvard is the richest university in the world; universities are not for education, they are for money and ideology. Student loans cannot default or be forgiven, they must get jobs to pay back. Universities can have academic freedom, and freedom of speech but no federal funding. There are too many parasites who live on government funds; no subsidy of any business or contracts. Illegal aliens are unlawful criminals, they have no civil right, human right and do not deserve humanitarian aid. They cannot be on welfare. They deserve only to be deported without payment. All races must compete on an equal footing. How is there any hope for the ugliest, darkest, laziest and useless people who only eat and drink and produce many children they cannot support? Why EU and NATO support the evil and corrupt Ukraine nincompoop and prolong the war? America aids support evil.
1Jo 2:17-18, “The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever. Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.”
I agree with Arnold J. Toynbee who said, “ Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder.”
“As an American by nationality” I have to do my best to warn my fellow Americans:
1. America is committing suicide by failing to deport 45 million illegal aliens already residing in America, most of them are on welfare; failing to deter and prevent hordes of unlawful migrants to enter the United States. America needs to punish Mexico who is the conduit for illegal migrants to enter America. Unlawful migrants are criminals who do not have any right, civil or humanitarian.
2. America is committing suicide because wealth and power are in the hands of leaders and politicians, the two parties, courts, the military, bureaucrats, and vested interests. Watch out the global demostrators who oppose federal cuts, but endorce debt and deficits, waste and fraud in the government.
3. America is committing suicide by media promoting the wrong cultural values, lewdness, violence and unwholesome behavior; over representing and over employing blacks. Jobs must be earned, they cannot be given. If a journalist by accident received classified information, he should not and would not publish it because he/she is patriotic. If classified information is published, the journalist is a traitor.
4. America is committing suicide by not making the American English the only official language in America.
5. America is committing suicide by unnecessarily making Russia and China enemies and rivals.
6. America is committing suicide by failing to disregard pathetic EU (including Britain, Australia, Canada); dismiss NATO & QUAD; and discard Ukraine, Phillippines, Türkiye, Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Taiwan.
7. America is committing suicide by being an empire to dominate the world instead of seeking a just and lasting peace for the world as President Richard Nixon did.
8. America is committing suicide by letting the U.S. Health Care the most costly in the world, by letting doctors, dentists, hospital owners, drug and insurance companies, hospital and medical suppliers to defraud and overcharge patients with indemnity.
9. America is committing suicide by having a diet which produces an increasing large population of overweight people.
10. IRS can cut its employees 2/3 by simple change of policy and procedure. Henceforth, there will be no deductions, exemptions, expenses, number of dependents for individual taxpayers or business corporations. They will not have to pay for CPA or tax consultant.
$50,000 income and Under $50,000 is tax free.
$60,000 to $1 million pay 5%.
$1 million $100,000 to $10 million pay 10%.
$10 million $100,000 to $20 million pay 20%.
$20 million $100,000 to $40 million pay 40%.
$40 million $100,000 to $50 million pay 50%.
$50 million $100,000 to $1 billion pay 80%.
$1 billion $100,000 and above pay 90%.
11. America is committing suicide by using tariffs as weapons.
12. It is in the self-interest of America to help Israel to destroy terrorists Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis. All Palestinians must be evacuated from Gaza, etc. the Jewish land and relocate permanently in Arab lands to build their Palestinian state. The aim of Israel is not to defeat Hamas, but to destroy Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis. Hamas should never be allowed to return to Gaza; all Pelestinians must be instructed by Palestinian Authority, UN, WHO, ALL ARAB-ISLAMIC-BLACK nations to evacuate from Jewish land and settle in Arab lands to build their Palestinian state.
If China space program can create space vehicles loaded with nuclear weapons, on earth by a press of button, can target and annihilate any hostile nations and peoples in less than half an hour -- then China is free indeed -- no nation can threaten China anymore. Then China can deal with corruption, organized crime, abuse of power, fraud, fake news, and dirty toilets effectively.
“As a Chinese by race”, I am doing my best in sincerity to suggest strategy to the land of my ancestors:
1. China’s modernization can succeed by demanding manufacturers to produce only quality products; by protecting the environment and by increasing the standard of living for the people including people on wheel chair.
2. China’s modernization can succeed by stopping all foreign aid to help the China’s poor first, by reducing debt and deficits to do the following strategic projects:
3. China needs to use AI in all technologies including manufacturing, industry, transportation, navigation, logistics, agriculture, and modernizing toilet facilities.
4. China needs to train 5 million doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, professors, scientists, and technicians in the next 5 years.
5. China needs to eliminate corruption, organized crime, fraud by execution of the culprits.
6. China needs to repair the Great Wall, conquer the deserts, dust storms, natural and man-made disasters.
7. Chinese TV and movies need to promote cultural values, morality, responsibility and integrity.
8. China's troops should never be sent under UN's peace-keeping force to countries habitually having conflicts and civil wars --to die for nothing.
9. China needs to liberate Taiwan now by force, and execute traitorous leaders of People’s Progressive Party in public.
10. China needs to rebuild Yuan Ming Garden which was burned down and looted by the allied 8-nation troops. They must pay compensation through diplomacy now or by military force later.