Apr 15: China, People’s Republic, Qinghai Province, Shaanxi Province | Operation World
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Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 84
Hebrews 11; Hebrews
12; Hebrews 13
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended
for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at
God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By
faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was
commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by
faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith
Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could
not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was
commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is
impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he
exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By
faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to
save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the
righteousness that comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when
called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and
went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By
faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign
country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of
the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city
with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By
faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was
enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the
promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,
came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the
sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by
faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw
them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens
and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show
that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they
had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity
to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better
country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when
God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises
was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though
God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be
reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the
dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By
faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21By
faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as
he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when
his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave
instructions about his bones. 23 By faith Moses' parents hid
him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary
child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 24 By
faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people
of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He
regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures
of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By
faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw
him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the
sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the
firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the
Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were
drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the
people had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the
prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who
were disobedient. 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have
time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the
prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,
administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of
lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the
edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became
powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women
received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and
refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some
faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They
were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They
went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- 38 the
world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in
caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for
their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God
had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be
made perfect.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud
of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so
easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let
us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the
joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In
your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding
your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that
addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's
discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because
the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a
son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating
you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If
you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are
illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had
human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more
should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our
fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God
disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it
produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained
by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak
knees. 13 "Make level paths for your feet," so that
the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. 14 Make every
effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one
will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace
of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See
that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal
sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward,
as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could
bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. 18 You
have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire;
to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such
a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be
spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was
commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be
stoned." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said,
"I am trembling with fear." 22 But you have come to
Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have
come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to
the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come
to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to
Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a
better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do
not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who
warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns
us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but
now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also
the heavens." 27 The words "once more" indicate
the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what
cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are
receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship
God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is
a consuming fire."
1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do
not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained
angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if
you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you
yourselves were suffering. 4 Marriage should be honored by
all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all
the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of
money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will
I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6 So we say with
confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do
to me?" 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of
God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not
be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to
be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to
those who eat them. 10 We have an altar from which those who
minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 The high
priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering,
but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus
also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own
blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing
the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring
city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through
Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the
fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to
do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17 Obey
your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who
must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden,
for that would be of no advantage to you. 18 Pray for us. We
are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every
way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be
restored to you soon. 20 May the God of peace, who through the
blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good
for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 22 Brothers,
I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a
short letter. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy
has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. 24 Greet
all your leaders and all God's people. Those from Italy send you their
greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.
Revelation 11
Revelation 11 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 11
The Two Witnesses
1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 They are "the two olive trees" and the two lampstands, and "they stand before the Lord of the earth."[a] 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days the breath[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever."
16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were angry, and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name, both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Revelation 11
The Two Witnesses
1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 They are "the two olive trees" and the two lampstands, and "they stand before the Lord of the earth."[a] 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days the breath[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever."
16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were angry, and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name, both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
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