Matthew I
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.
They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men".
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
But wisdom is proved right by her actions.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew II
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
You brood of vipers.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts-murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a person unclean.
"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
"Ask, and it will be given to you.
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven
Mark
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
"Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil to save life or to kill?"
"How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand..."
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.
But when He was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
"Are you so dull?"
For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him "Be opened"
He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it "
"Oh unbelieving generation "Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?
"Let the little children come unto me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. "
"Father, he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. "
…Knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? "
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
Luke I
Mary was greatly troubled at his words…
For nothing is impossible with God.
"I am the Lords servant," Mary answered.
...to guide our feet into the path of peace.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.
And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
But he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
But when John rebuked Herod.…he locked John up in prison.
You are my son, whom I love: with you I am well pleased.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil.
All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
But love your enemies, do good to them...
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
...and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.
…for whoever is not against you is for you.
Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.
"What must I do to inherit eternal life? "He answered: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, "Love your neighbor as yourself".
… Yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you.
How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and a house divided against itself will fall.
He who is not with me is against me.
Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
…for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light.
But inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
Luke II
But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
He replied, ”Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow’."
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid…
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
You cannot serve both God and money.
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your goods things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.'
If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says 'I repent,' forgive him.
"The Kingdom of God is within you"
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life...and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.
The "Teacher" asks...
This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God? He replied," You are right in saying I am."
Are you the king of the Jews? "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
A large number of people followed him, including women, who mourned and wailed for him.
The people stood watching and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.
While he was blessing them he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Gospel of John
I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it's sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.
For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father glorify your name!
The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
If you love me, you will obey what I command.
… another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.
You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you: but if I go, I will send him to you.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.
Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished". With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
The Book of Acts
But wait for the gift my Father promised.
...but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
… filled with the Holy Spirit.
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished…
For the man who was miraculously healed was over 40 years old.
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
…bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
We must obey God rather than men!
...and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.
For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.
It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
…and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.
Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
But they could not stand up against his wisdom or the spirit by whom he spoke. Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God. "
… And they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
You stiffed-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?
And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
...they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
...they were worshiping the Lord and fasting.
God raised him from the dead, never to decay...
...and all of who were appointed for eternal life believed.
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
…with prayer and fasting...
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas...
All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.
For in him we live and move and have our being.
Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him…
Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on.
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
Instead they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.
That the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead…
This man must be a murderer; for though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.
Gospel Excerpts
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
But wisdom is proved right by her actions.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
"Let the little children come unto me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. "
But love your enemies, do good to them…
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, "Love your neighbor as yourself".
But seek, first, the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you as well
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
"The Kingdom of God is within you"
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
If you love me, you will obey what I command.
… another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.