Reviewing miracles with the Sacred pronouncements of God Is God’s Holy Spirit a miracle? Gal.5:22-23,25; Are the sacred pronouncements of God a miracle in action? Heb.4:12; *** w10 10/1 p. 13 they are known for displaying Christlike love. Uniting people of diverse racial, national, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds is a miracle, so to speak, and is made possible only by God’s holy spirit. *** w11 12/15 p. 18 Faithful Ones of Old—Guided by God’s Spirit *** God’s Spirit Empowered Moses 3 Of all humans alive in 1513 B.C.E., Moses was “by far the meekest.” (Num. 12:3) This mild-tempered servant was entrusted with enormous responsibility in the nation of Israel. God’s spirit empowered Moses to prophesy, judge, write, lead, and perform miracles. (Read Isaiah 63:11-14.) Yet, at one point, Moses lamented that the load was simply too heavy. (Num. 11:14, 15) So Jehovah took “away some of the spirit” that was upon Moses and put it on 70 others to help carry the workload. (Num. 11:16, 17) Although Moses’ load seemed too heavy, he had, in fact, not been carrying it alone—neither would the 70 who were appointed to assist him carry it alone. 4 Moses had been given holy spirit sufficient for the task. After the change, Moses still had all the spirit that he needed. Moses did not have too little, and the 70 older men did not have too much. Jehovah supplies as much of his spirit as we need, according to our circumstances. “He does not give the spirit by measure” but gives “from out of his fullness.”—John 1:16; 3:34. 5 Are you enduring trials? Are legitimate demands on your time increasing? Are you striving to provide for the spiritual and physical needs of your family while coping with rising expenses or anxieties over health? Are you carrying weighty responsibilities in the congregation? Be assured that by means of his spirit, God can give you the strength you need to cope with any situation.—Rom. 15:13. (Exodus 4:21-23) . . .And Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “After you have gone and returned to Egypt see that YOU men actually perform all the miracles that I have put in your hand before Phar′aoh. As for me, I shall let his heart become obstinate; and he will not send the people away. 22 And you must say to Phar′aoh, ‘This is what Jehovah has said: “Israel is my son, my firstborn. 23 And I say to you: Send my son away that he may serve me. . . (Exodus 7:1-7) 7 Consequently Jehovah said to Moses: “See, I have made you God to Phar′aoh, and Aaron your own brother will become your prophet. 2 You—you will speak all that I shall command you; and Aaron your brother will do the speaking to Phar′aoh, and he must send the sons of Israel away from his land. 3 As for me, I shall let Phar′aoh’s heart become obstinate, and I shall certainly multiply my signs and my miracles in the land of Egypt. 4 And Phar′aoh will not listen to YOU men; and I shall have to lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my armies, my people, the sons of Israel, out from the land of Egypt with great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians will certainly know that I am Jehovah when I stretch out my hand against Egypt, and I shall indeed bring the sons of Israel out from their midst.” 6 And Moses and Aaron went ahead doing as Jehovah had commanded them. They did just so. 7 And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three years old at the time of their speaking to Phar′aoh. (Exodus 11:9-12:7) 9 Then Jehovah said to Moses: “Phar′aoh will not listen to YOU men, in order for my miracles to be increased in the land of Egypt.” 10 And Moses and Aaron performed all these miracles before Phar′aoh; but Jehovah would let Phar′aoh’s heart become obstinate, so that he did not send the sons of Israel away from his land. 12 Jehovah now said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2 “This month will be the start of the months for YOU. It will be the first of the months of the year for YOU. 3 Speak to the entire assembly of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month they are to take for themselves each one a sheep for the ancestral house, a sheep to a house. 4 But if the household proves to be too small for the sheep, then he and his neighbor close by must take it into his house according to the number of souls; YOU should compute each one proportionate to his eating as regards the sheep. 5 The sheep should prove to be sound, a male, a year old, for YOU. YOU may pick from the young rams or from the goats. 6 And it must continue under safeguard by YOU until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole congregation of the assembly of Israel must slaughter it between the two evenings. 7 And they must take some of the blood and splash it upon the two doorposts and the upper part of the doorway belonging to the houses in which they will eat it. (Deuteronomy 4:32-40) 32 “Now ask, please, concerning the former days that occurred before you, from the day that God created man on the earth and from one end of the heavens clear to the other end of the heavens, Was any great thing brought about like this or was anything heard like it? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of the middle of the fire the way you yourself have heard it, and kept on living? 34 Or did God attempt to come to take a nation to himself out of the midst of another nation with provings, with signs and with miracles and with war and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great fearsomeness like all that Jehovah YOUR God has done for YOU in Egypt before your eyes? 35 You—you have been shown, so as to know that Jehovah is the [true] God; there is no other besides him. 36 Out of the heavens he made you hear his voice so as to correct you; and upon the earth he made you see his great fire, and his words you heard from the middle of the fire. 37 “And [yet you continue to live], because he loved your forefathers so that he chose their seed after them and brought you out of Egypt in his sight with his great power, 38 to drive away nations greater and mightier than you from before you, so as to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance as at this day. 39 And you well know today, and you must call back to your heart that Jehovah is the [true] God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. There is no other. 40 And you must keep his regulations and his commandments that I am commanding you today, that it may go well with you and your sons after you, and in order that you may lengthen your days on the soil that Jehovah your God is giving you, always.” (Deuteronomy 7:17-26) 17 “In case you say in your heart, ‘These nations are too populous for me. How shall I be able to drive them away?’ 18 you must not be afraid of them. You should by all means remember what Jehovah your God did to Phar′aoh and all Egypt, 19 the great provings that your eyes saw, and the signs and the miracles and the strong hand and the outstretched arm with which Jehovah your God brought you out. That is the way Jehovah your God will do to all the peoples before whom you are afraid. 20 And Jehovah your God will also send the feeling of dejection upon them, until those perish who were let remain and who were concealing themselves from before you. 21 You must not suffer a shock because of them, for Jehovah your God is in your midst, a great and fear-inspiring God. 22 “And Jehovah your God will certainly push these nations away from before you little by little. You will not be allowed to finish them off quickly, for fear the wild beasts of the field may multiply against you. 23 And Jehovah your God will indeed abandon them to you and rout them with a great rout, until they are annihilated. 24 And he will certainly give their kings into your hand, and you must destroy their names from under the heavens. Nobody will take a firm stand against you, until you have exterminated them. 25 The graven images of their gods you should burn in the fire. You must not desire the silver and the gold upon them, nor indeed take it for yourself, for fear you may be ensnared by it; for it is a thing detestable to Jehovah your God. 26 And you must not bring a detestable thing into your house and actually become a thing devoted to destruction like it. You should thoroughly loathe it and absolutely detest it, because it is something devoted to destruction. (Deuteronomy 29:2-9) 2 And Moses proceeded to call all Israel and to say to them: “YOU were the ones seeing all that Jehovah did before YOUR eyes in the land of Egypt to Phar′aoh and all his servants and all his land, 3 the great provings that your eyes saw, those great signs and miracles. 4 And yet Jehovah has not given YOU a heart to know and eyes to see and ears to hear down to this day. 5 ‘While I kept guiding YOU forty years in the wilderness, YOUR garments did not wear out upon YOU, and your sandal did not wear out upon your foot. 6 Bread YOU did not eat, and wine and intoxicating liquor YOU did not drink, in order that YOU might know that I am Jehovah YOUR God.’ 7 Eventually YOU came to this place, and Si′hon the king of Hesh′bon and Og the king of Ba′shan proceeded to come out to meet us in battle, but we defeated them. 8 After that we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reu′ben•ites and the Gad′ites and half the tribe of the Ma•nas′sites. 9 So YOU must keep the words of this covenant and do them, in order that YOU may make everything YOU will do turn out well. (Deuteronomy 34:9-12) 9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hand upon him; and the sons of Israel began to listen to him and they went doing just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. 10 But there has never yet risen up a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face, 11 as respects all the signs and the miracles that Jehovah sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Phar′aoh and all his servants and all his land, 12 and as regards all the strong hand and all the great awesomeness that Moses exercised before the eyes of all Israel. (1 Chronicles 16:8-17) 8 “Give thanks to Jehovah, YOU people; call upon his name, Make his deeds known among the peoples! 9 Sing to him, make melody to him, Concern yourselves with all his wonderful acts. 10 Make YOUR boast in his holy name, Let the heart of those seeking Jehovah rejoice. 11 Search after Jehovah and his strength, Seek his face constantly. 12 Remember his wonderful acts that he has performed, His miracles and the judicial decisions of his mouth, 13 O offspring of Israel his servant, YOU sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. 14 He is Jehovah our God; in all the earth are his judicial decisions. 15 Remember his covenant even to time indefinite, The word that he commanded, to a thousand generations, 16 Which [covenant] he concluded with Abraham, And his sworn statement to Isaac. 17 And which [statement] he kept standing as a regulation even to Jacob, As an indefinitely lasting covenant even to Israel, (Nehemiah 9:9-21) 9 “So you saw the affliction of our forefathers in Egypt, and their outcry at the Red Sea you heard. 10 Then you gave signs and miracles against Phar′aoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted presumptuously against them; and you proceeded to make a name for yourself as at this day. 11 And the sea you split before them, so that they crossed over through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their pursuers you hurled into the depths like a stone in the strong waters. 12 And by a pillar of cloud you led them by day, and by a pillar of fire by night, to light up for them the way in which they should go. 13 And upon Mount Si′nai you came down and spoke with them out of heaven and went on to give them upright judicial decisions and laws of truth, good regulations and commandments. 14 And your holy sabbath you made known to them, and commandments and regulations and a law you commanded them by means of Moses your servant. 15 And bread from heaven you gave them for their hunger, and waters out of the crag you brought forth to them for their thirst, and you went on to say to them to enter and possess the land that you had lifted your hand [in an oath] to give to them. 16 “And they themselves, even our forefathers, acted presumptuously and proceeded to harden their neck, and they did not listen to your commandments. 17 So they refused to listen, and they did not remember your wonderful acts that you performed with them, but they hardened their neck and appointed a head to return to their servitude in Egypt. But you are a God of acts of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, and you did not leave them. 18 Yes, when they had made for themselves a molten statue of a calf and began to say, ‘This is your God who led you up out of Egypt,’ and they went on to commit great acts of disrespect, 19 you, even you, in your abundant mercy did not leave them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud itself did not depart from over them by day to lead them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night to light up for them the way in which they should go. 20 And your good spirit you gave to make them prudent, and your manna you did not hold back from their mouth, and water you gave them for their thirst. 21 And for forty years you provided them with food in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their very garments did not wear out, and their feet themselves did not become swollen. (Psalm 78:38-72) 38 But he was merciful; he would cover the error and not bring ruin. And many times he made his anger turn back, And he would not rouse up all his rage. 39 And he kept remembering that they were flesh, That the spirit is going forth and does not come back. 40 How often they would rebel against him in the wilderness, They would make him feel hurt in the desert! 41 And again and again they would put God to the test, And they pained even the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember his hand, The day that he redeemed them from the adversary, 43 How he put his signs in Egypt itself And his miracles in the field of Zo′an; 44 And how he began changing to blood their Nile canals, So that they could not drink from their own streams. 45 He proceeded to send upon them gadflies, that these might eat them up; And frogs, that these might bring them to ruin. 46 And he began to give to the cockroaches their yield, And their toil to the locusts. 47 He went killing their vine even by the hail And their sycamore trees by hailstones. 48 And he proceeded to hand over their beasts of burden even to the hail And their livestock to the flaming fever. 49 He went sending upon them his burning anger, Fury and denunciation and distress, Deputations of angels bringing calamity. 50 He proceeded to prepare a pathway for his anger. He did not hold back their soul from death itself; And their life he handed over even to the pestilence. 51 Finally he struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, The beginning of their generative power in the tents of Ham. 52 Afterward he caused his people to depart just like a flock, And conducted them like a drove in the wilderness. 53 And he kept leading them in security, and they felt no dread; And the sea covered their enemies themselves. 54 And he proceeded to bring them to his holy territory, This mountainous region that his right hand acquired. 55 And because of them he gradually drove out the nations, And by the measuring line he went allotting them an inheritance, So that he caused the tribes of Israel to reside in their own homes. 56 And they began to test and rebel against God the Most High, And his reminders they did not keep. 57 They also kept turning back and acting treacherously like their forefathers; They turned around like a loose bow. 58 And they kept offending him with their high places, And with their graven images they kept inciting him to jealousy. 59 God heard and got to be furious, And so he contemned Israel very much. 60 And he finally forsook the tabernacle of Shi′loh, The tent in which he resided among earthling men. 61 And he proceeded to give his strength even to captivity And his beauty into the hand of the adversary. 62 And he kept handing over his people to the sword itself, And against his inheritance he became furious. 63 His young men a fire ate up, And his virgins were not praised. 64 As for his priests, they fell by the very sword, And their own widows did not give way to weeping. 65 Then Jehovah began to awake as from sleeping, Like a mighty one sobering up from wine. 66 And he went striking down his adversaries from behind; A reproach of indefinite duration he gave to them. 67 And he proceeded to reject the tent of Joseph; And the tribe of E′phra•im he did not choose. 68 But he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. 69 And he began to build his sanctuary just like the heights, Like the earth that he has founded to time indefinite. 70 And so he chose David his servant And took him from the pens of the flock. 71 From following the females giving suck He brought him in to be a shepherd over Jacob his people And over Israel his inheritance. 72 And he began to shepherd them according to the integrity of his heart, And with the skillfulness of his hands he began leading them. (Psalm 105:4-10) 4 Search for Jehovah and his strength. Seek his face constantly. 5 Remember his wonderful works that he has performed, His miracles and the judicial decisions of his mouth, 6 O YOU seed of Abraham his servant, YOU sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. 7 He is Jehovah our God. His judicial decisions are in all the earth. 8 He has remembered his covenant even to time indefinite, The word that he commanded, to a thousand generations, 9 Which [covenant] he concluded with Abraham, And his sworn statement to Isaac, 10 And which [statement] he kept standing as a regulation even to Jacob, As an indefinitely lasting covenant even to Israel, (Psalm 105:15-45) 15 [Saying:] “Do not YOU men touch my anointed ones, And to my prophets do nothing bad.” 16 And he proceeded to call for a famine upon the land; He broke every rod around which ring-shaped loaves were suspended. 17 He sent ahead of them a man Who was sold to be a slave, Joseph. 18 With fetters they afflicted his feet, Into irons his soul came; 19 Until the time that his word came, The saying of Jehovah itself refined him. 20 The king sent that he might release him, The ruler of the peoples, that he might let him loose. 21 He set him as master to his household And as ruler over all his property, 22 To bind his princes agreeably to his soul And that he might teach wisdom to even his elderly men. 23 And Israel proceeded to come into Egypt, And Jacob himself resided as an alien in the land of Ham. 24 And he kept making his people very fruitful, And gradually made them mightier than their adversaries. 25 He let their heart change to hate his people, To behave cunningly against his servants. 26 He sent Moses his servant, Aaron whom he had chosen. 27 They set among them the matters of his signs, And the miracles in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness and so made it dark; And they did not rebel against his words. 29 He changed their waters into blood, And proceeded to put their fish to death. 30 Their land swarmed with frogs, In the interior rooms of their kings. 31 He said that the gadflies should come in, Gnats in all their territories. 32 He made their downpours hail, A flaming fire on their land. 33 And he proceeded to strike their vines and their fig trees And to break the trees of their territory. 34 He said that the locusts should come in, And a species of locust, even without number. 35 And they went eating all the vegetation in their land; They also went eating the fruitage of their ground. 36 And he proceeded to strike down every firstborn in their land, The beginning of all their generative power. 37 And he began to bring them out with silver and gold; And among his tribes there was no one stumbling along. 38 Egypt rejoiced when they went out, For the dread of them had fallen upon them. 39 He spread out a cloud for a screen, And fire to give light by night. 40 They asked, and he proceeded to bring quails, And with bread from heaven he kept satisfying them. 41 He opened a rock, and waters began to flow out; These went through the waterless regions as a river. 42 For he remembered his holy word with Abraham his servant. 43 So he brought out his people with exultation, His chosen ones even with a joyful cry. 44 And gradually he gave them the lands of the nations, And they kept taking possession of the product of the hard work of national groups, 45 To the end that they might keep his regulations And observe his own laws. Praise Jah, YOU people! (Psalm 135:1-21) 135 Praise Jah, YOU people! Praise the name of Jehovah, Offer praise, O servants of Jehovah, 2 YOU who are standing in the house of Jehovah, In the courtyards of the house of our God. 3 Praise Jah, for Jehovah is good. Make melody to his name, for it is pleasant. 4 For Jah has chosen even Jacob for himself, Israel for his special property. 5 For I myself well know that Jehovah is great, And our Lord is more than all [other] gods. 6 Everything that Jehovah delighted [to do] he has done In the heavens and in the earth, in the seas and all the watery deeps. 7 He is causing vapors to ascend from the extremity of the earth; He has made even sluices for the rain; He is bringing forth the wind from his storehouses, 8 He who struck down the firstborn ones of Egypt, Both man and beast. 9 He sent signs and miracles into the midst of you, O Egypt, Upon Phar′aoh and upon all his servants; 10 He who struck down many nations And killed potent kings, 11 Even Si′hon the king of the Am′or•ites And Og the king of Ba′shan And all the kingdoms of Ca′naan, 12 And who gave their land as an inheritance, An inheritance to Israel his people. 13 O Jehovah, your name is to time indefinite. O Jehovah, your memorial is to generation after generation. 14 For Jehovah will plead the cause of his people, And he will feel regret even over his servants. 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of the hands of earthling man. 16 A mouth they have, but they can speak nothing; Eyes they have, but they can see nothing; 17 Ears they have, but they can give ear to nothing. Also there exists no spirit in their mouth. 18 Those making them will become just like them, Everyone who is trusting in them. 19 O house of Israel, do YOU men bless Jehovah. O house of Aaron, do YOU men bless Jehovah. 20 O house of Le′vi, do YOU men bless Jehovah. YOU fearers of Jehovah, bless Jehovah. 21 Blessed out of Zion be Jehovah, Who is residing in Jerusalem. Praise Jah, YOU people! (Isaiah 8:16-18) 16 Wrap up the attestation, put a seal about the law among my disciples! 17 And I will keep in expectation of Jehovah, who is concealing his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Look! I and the children whom Jehovah has given me are as signs and as miracles in Israel from Jehovah of armies, who is residing in Mount Zion. (Jeremiah 32:16-25) 16 And I began to pray to Jehovah after my having given the deed of purchase to Bar′uch the son of Ne•ri′ah, saying: 17 “Alas, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah! Here you yourself have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. The whole matter is not too wonderful for you yourself, 18 the One exercising loving-kindness toward thousands, and repaying the error of the fathers into the bosom of their sons after them, the [true] God, the great One, the mighty One, Jehovah of armies being his name, 19 great in counsel and abundant in acts, you whose eyes are opened upon all the ways of the sons of men, in order to give to each one according to his ways and according to the fruitage of his dealings; 20 you who set signs and miracles in the land of Egypt down to this day and in Israel and among men, that you might make a name for your own self, just as at this day. 21 And you proceeded to bring forth your people Israel out of the land of Egypt, with signs and with miracles and with a strong hand and with a stretched-out arm and with great fearsomeness. 22 “In time you gave them this land that you swore to their forefathers to give to them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 And they proceeded to come in and take possession of it, but they did not obey your voice, and in your law they did not walk. All the things that you commanded them to do they did not do, so that you caused all this calamity to befall them. 24 Look! With siege ramparts men have come to the city to capture it, and the very city will certainly be given into the hand of the Chal•de′ans who are fighting against it, because of the sword and the famine and the pestilence; and what you have said has happened, and here you are seeing [it]. 25 Yet you yourself have said to me, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, ‘Buy for yourself the field with money and take witnesses,’ although the city itself must be given into the hand of the Chal•de′ans.” (Galatians 3:1-9) 3 O senseless Ga•la′tians, who is it that brought YOU under evil influence, YOU before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed impaled? 2 This alone I want to learn from YOU: Did YOU receive the spirit due to works of law or due to a hearing by faith? 3 Are YOU so senseless? After starting in spirit are YOU now being completed in flesh? 4 Did YOU undergo so many sufferings to no purpose? If it really was to no purpose. 5 He, therefore, who supplies YOU the spirit and performs powerful works among YOU, does he do it owing to works of law or owing to a hearing by faith? 6 Just as Abraham “put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 7 Surely YOU know that those who adhere to faith are the ones who are sons of Abraham. 8 Now the Scripture, seeing in advance that God would declare people of the nations righteous due to faith, declared the good news beforehand to Abraham, namely: “By means of you all the nations will be blessed.” 9 Consequently those who adhere to faith are being blessed together with faithful Abraham. (Hebrews 1:13-2:9) 13 But with reference to which one of the angels has he ever said: “Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all spirits for public service, sent forth to minister for those who are going to inherit salvation? 2 That is why it is necessary for us to pay more than the usual attention to the things heard by us, that we may never drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved to be firm, and every transgression and disobedient act received a retribution in harmony with justice; 3 how shall we escape if we have neglected a salvation of such greatness in that it began to be spoken through [our] Lord and was verified for us by those who heard him, 4 while God joined in bearing witness with signs as well as portents and various powerful works and with distributions of holy spirit according to his will? 5 For it is not to angels that he has subjected the inhabited earth to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But a certain witness has given proof somewhere, saying: “What is man that you keep him in mind, or [the] son of man that you take care of him? 7 You made him a little lower than angels; with glory and honor you crowned him, and appointed him over the works of your hands. 8 All things you subjected under his feet.” For in that he subjected all things to him [God] left nothing that is not subject to him. Now, though, we do not yet see all things in subjection to him; 9 but we behold Jesus, who has been made a little lower than angels, crowned with glory and honor for having suffered death, that he by God’s undeserved kindness might taste death for every [man]. (1 Corinthians 12:1-18) 12 Now concerning the spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want YOU to be ignorant. 2 YOU know that when YOU were people of the nations, YOU were being led away to those voiceless idols just as YOU happened to be led. 3 Therefore I would have YOU know that nobody when speaking by God’s spirit says: “Jesus is accursed!” and nobody can say: “Jesus is Lord!” except by holy spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but there is the same spirit; 5 and there are varieties of ministries, and yet there is the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of operations, and yet it is the same God who performs all the operations in all persons. 7 But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for a beneficial purpose. 8 For example, to one there is given through the spirit speech of wisdom, to another speech of knowledge according to the same spirit, 9 to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healings by that one spirit, 10 to yet another operations of powerful works, to another prophesying, to another discernment of inspired utterances, to another different tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. 11 But all these operations the one and the same spirit performs, making a distribution to each one respectively just as it wills. 12 For just as the body is one but has many members, and all the members of that body, although being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. 13 For truly by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit. 14 For the body, indeed, is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot should say: “Because I am not a hand, I am no part of the body,” it is not for this reason no part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say: “Because I am not an eye, I am no part of the body,” it is not for this reason no part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the [sense of] hearing be? If it were all hearing, where would the smelling be? 18 But now God has set the members in the body, each one of them, just as he pleased. (1 John 3:19-4:10) 19 By this we shall know that we originate with the truth, and we shall assure our hearts before him 20 as regards whatever our hearts may condemn us in, because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. 21 Beloved ones, if [our] hearts do not condemn [us], we have freeness of speech toward God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we are observing his commandments and are doing the things that are pleasing in his eyes. 23 Indeed, this is his commandment, that we have faith in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and be loving one another, just as he gave us commandment. 24 Moreover, he who observes his commandments remains in union with him, and he in union with such one; and by this we gain the knowledge that he is remaining in union with us, owing to the spirit which he gave us. 4 Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 2 YOU gain the knowledge of the inspired expression from God by this: Every inspired expression that confesses Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God, 3 but every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s [inspired expression] which YOU have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 YOU originate with God, little children, and YOU have conquered those [persons], because he that is in union with YOU is greater than he that is in union with the world. 5 They originate with the world; that is why they speak [what proceeds] from the world and the world listens to them. 6 We originate with God. He that gains the knowledge of God listens to us; he that does not originate with God does not listen to us. This is how we take note of the inspired expression of truth and the inspired expression of error. 7 Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and gains the knowledge of God. 8 He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. 9 By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. 10 The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins. (Jude 17-25) 17 As for YOU, beloved ones, call to mind the sayings that have been previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 how they used to say to YOU: “In the last time there will be ridiculers, proceeding according to their own desires for ungodly things.” 19 These are the ones that make separations, animalistic [men], not having spirituality. 20 But YOU, beloved ones, by building up yourselves on YOUR most holy faith, and praying with holy spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love, while YOU are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view. 22 Also, continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; 23 save [them] by snatching [them] out of the fire. But continue showing mercy to others, doing so with fear, while YOU hate even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh. 24 Now to the one who is able to guard YOU from stumbling and to set YOU unblemished in the sight of his glory with great joy, 25 to [the] only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might and authority for all past eternity and now and into all eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 1:19-21) 19 Consequently we have the prophetic word [made] more sure; and YOU are doing well in paying attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and a daystar rises, in YOUR hearts. 20 For YOU know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. 21 For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit. (1 Peter 1:2-16) . . .according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, with sanctification by the spirit, for the purpose of their being obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ: May undeserved kindness and peace be increased to YOU. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for YOU, 5 who are being safeguarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last period of time. 6 In this fact YOU are greatly rejoicing, though for a little while at present, if it must be, YOU have been grieved by various trials, 7 in order that the tested quality of YOUR faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being proved by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though YOU never saw him, YOU love him. Though YOU are not looking upon him at present, yet YOU exercise faith in him and are greatly rejoicing with an unspeakable and glorified joy, 9 as YOU receive the end of YOUR faith, the salvation of YOUR souls. 10 Concerning this very salvation a diligent inquiry and a careful search were made by the prophets who prophesied about the undeserved kindness meant for YOU. 11 They kept on investigating what particular season or what sort of [season] the spirit in them was indicating concerning Christ when it was bearing witness beforehand about the sufferings for Christ and about the glories to follow these. 12 It was revealed to them that, not to themselves, but to YOU, they were ministering the things that have now been announced to YOU through those who have declared the good news to YOU with holy spirit sent forth from heaven. Into these very things angels are desiring to peer. 13 Hence brace up YOUR minds for activity, keep YOUR senses completely; set YOUR hope upon the undeserved kindness that is to be brought to YOU at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, quit being fashioned according to the desires YOU formerly had in YOUR ignorance, 15 but, in accord with the Holy One who called YOU, do YOU also become holy yourselves in all [YOUR] conduct, 16 because it is written: “YOU must be holy, because I am holy.”Jer.10:23; Rom.1:20;
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:37:09 +0000
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