Strength for Singles - Lessons From Sampson

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Is God Really Trustworthy?

5 Steps to Standing Strong in Spiritual Warfare (For Women)

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Spiritual Training: The Discipline of Fasting and Solitude

What Is the Fear of the Lord?

Kingdom Masculinity

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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch30" data-usfm="2CH.30">
 <div class="label">30</div><div class="s1">Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover</div><div class="p"> 1Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.</div><div class="p"> 6At the king&#8217;s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:</div><div class="pm">&#8220;People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. 11Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 13A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.</div><div class="p"> 15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs#30:17 Or consecrate themselves to the Lord. 18Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, &#8220;May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19who sets their heart on seeking God&#8212;the Lord, the God of their ancestors&#8212;even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.&#8221; 20And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.</div><div class="p"> 21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.#30:21 Or priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord&#8217;s instruments of praise</div><div class="p"> 22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised#30:22 Or and confessed their sins to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.</div><div class="p"> 23The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch31" data-usfm="2CH.31">
 <div class="label">31</div><div class="p"> 1When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.</div><div class="s1">Contributions for Worship</div><div class="p"> 2Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions&#8212;each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites&#8212;to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the Lord&#8217;s dwelling. 3The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the Lord. 4He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. 5As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. 6The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps. 7They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month. 8When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed his people Israel.</div><div class="p"> 9Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; 10and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, &#8220;Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done. 12Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Konaniah, a Levite, was the overseer in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank. 13Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were assistants of Konaniah and Shimei his brother. All these served by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God.</div><div class="p"> 14Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts. 15Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike.</div><div class="p"> 16In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records&#8212;all who would enter the temple of the Lord to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 17And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 18They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.</div><div class="p"> 19As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farm lands around their towns or in any other towns, men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.</div><div class="p"> 20This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21In everything that he undertook in the service of God&#8217;s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPSA">
 <div class="chapter ch85" data-usfm="PSA.85">
 <div class="label">85</div><div class="cl">Psalm 85#In Hebrew texts 85:1-13 is numbered 85:2-14.</div><div class="d">For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.</div><div class="q1"> 1You, Lord, showed favor to your land;</div><div class="q2">you restored the fortunes of Jacob.</div><div class="q1"> 2You forgave the iniquity of your people</div><div class="q2">and covered all their sins.#85:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.</div><div class="q1"> 3You set aside all your wrath</div><div class="q2">and turned from your fierce anger.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 4Restore us again, God our Savior,</div><div class="q2">and put away your displeasure toward us.</div><div class="q1"> 5Will you be angry with us forever?</div><div class="q2">Will you prolong your anger through all generations?</div><div class="q1"> 6Will you not revive us again,</div><div class="q2">that your people may rejoice in you?</div><div class="q1"> 7Show us your unfailing love, Lord,</div><div class="q2">and grant us your salvation.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 8I will listen to what God the Lord says;</div><div class="q2">he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants&#8212;</div><div class="q2">but let them not turn to folly.</div><div class="q1"> 9Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,</div><div class="q2">that his glory may dwell in our land.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 10Love and faithfulness meet together;</div><div class="q2">righteousness and peace kiss each other.</div><div class="q1"> 11Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,</div><div class="q2">and righteousness looks down from heaven.</div><div class="q1"> 12The Lord will indeed give what is good,</div><div class="q2">and our land will yield its harvest.</div><div class="q1"> 13Righteousness goes before him</div><div class="q2">and prepares the way for his steps.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkACT">
 <div class="chapter ch5" data-usfm="ACT.5">
 <div class="label">5</div><div class="s1">Ananias and Sapphira</div><div class="p"> 1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2With his wife&#8217;s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles&#8217; feet.</div><div class="p"> 3Then Peter said, &#8220;Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn&#8217;t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn&#8217;t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.</div><div class="p"> 7About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, &#8220;Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; she said, &#8220;that is the price.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9Peter said to her, &#8220;How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.</div><div class="s1">The Apostles Heal Many</div><div class="p"> 12The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon&#8217;s Colonnade. 13No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter&#8217;s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.</div><div class="s1">The Apostles Persecuted</div><div class="p"> 17Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20&#8220;Go, stand in the temple courts,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and tell the people all about this new life.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.</div><div class="p">When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin&#8212;the full assembly of the elders of Israel&#8212;and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23&#8220;We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.&#8221; 24On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.</div><div class="p"> 25Then someone came and said, &#8220;Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.&#8221; 26At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.</div><div class="p"> 27The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28&#8220;We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man&#8217;s blood.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29Peter and the other apostles replied: &#8220;We must obey God rather than human beings! 30The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead&#8212;whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: &#8220;Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 40His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.</div><div class="p"> 41The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.</div>
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