Monday, April 20, 2015
Romans 12
Romans 12 (New International Version, ©2010)
Romans 12
A Living Sacrifice
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12
A Living Sacrifice
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Chronological New Testament Study Day 89
Revelation 1;
Revelation 2; Revelation 3; Revelation 4; Revelation 5
·
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show
his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel
to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he
saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed
is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear
it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. 4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him
who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his
throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the
firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who
loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and
has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be
glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. 7 Look, he is coming
with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and
all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. 8 "I
am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was,
and who is to come, the Almighty." 9 I, John, your
brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that
are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and
the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the
Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which
said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches:
to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and
Laodicea." 12 I turned around to see the voice that was
speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and
among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a
robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His
head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like
blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a
furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In
his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp
double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When
I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on
me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I
am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I
hold the keys of death and Hades.19 "Write, therefore, what
you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The
mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven
golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These
are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks
among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your
hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men,
that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found
them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships
for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this
against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the
height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its
place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the
practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes,
I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of
God. 8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These
are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life
again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are
rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a
synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about
to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,
and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of
death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will
not be hurt at all by the second death. 12 "To the angel
of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp,
double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live--where Satan has
his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in
me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in
your city--where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few
things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam,
who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to
idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you
also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent
therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with
the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the
hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it,
known only to him who receives it. 18 "To the angel of
the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes
are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I
know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that
you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless,
I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a
prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and
the eating of food sacrificed to idols.21 I have given her time to
repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will
cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with
her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I
will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who
searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your
deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who
do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets
(I will not impose any other burden on you): 25 Only hold on
to what you have until I come. 26 To him who overcomes and
does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-- 27 'He
will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'
-- just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will
also give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These
are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I
know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.2 Wake
up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your
deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore,
what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake
up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to
you.4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their
clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 He
who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his
name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and
his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches. 7 "To the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds
the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can
open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an
open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you
have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those
who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not,
but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge
that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to
endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to
come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I
am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him
who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he
leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my
God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I
will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 14 "To the
angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the
faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I
know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one
or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor
cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.17 You say, 'I am
rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize
that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I
counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich;
and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve
to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I
rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I
am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who
overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I
overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who
has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door
standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a
trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place
after this." 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there
before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And
the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling
an emerald, encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne
were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.
They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From
the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before
the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also
before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were
covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living
creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like
a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of the four living
creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his
wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE Lord
GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME." 9 Whenever
the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne
and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders
fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever
and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 "You
are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will they were created and have their
being."
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne
a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And
I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break
the seals and open the scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or
on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I
wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or
look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not
weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He
is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." 6 Then I
saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the
throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven
horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the
earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of
him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the
four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which
are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were
slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and
language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 11 Then
I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon
thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and
the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they
sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 13 Then
I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the
sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and
to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" 14 The
four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and
worshiped.
Revelation 16
Revelation 16 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 16
The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were;
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."
7 And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments."
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed."
16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
Revelation 16
The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were;
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."
7 And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments."
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed."
16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
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