Pawprints & Prayers: Devotions for Dog Lovers

The Last Half Hour: When Waiting Becomes Glory

The Journey of Yes

A Brighter Future: A 5-Day Devotional

Living With a Strong-Willed Child

God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone

Dog Dad Devotions on Leadership, Loyalty and Love

When God Says No!

See God’s Peace: 3 Days of Visio Divina

Acts Reading Plan

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

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 <div class="label">10</div><div class="s1">Divorce</div><div class="p"> 1Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.</div><div class="p"> 2Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, &#8220;Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3 &#8220;What did Moses command you?&#8221; he replied.</div><div class="p"> 4They said, &#8220;Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5 &#8220;It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,&#8221; Jesus replied. 6&#8220;But at the beginning of creation God &#8216;made them male and female.&#8217;#10:6 Gen. 1:27 7&#8216;For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,#10:7 Some early manuscripts do not have and be united to his wife. 8and the two will become one flesh.&#8217;#10:8 Gen. 2:24 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11He answered, &#8220;Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Little Children and Jesus</div><div class="p"> 13People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, &#8220;Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.&#8221; 16And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.</div><div class="s1">The Rich and the Kingdom of God</div><div class="p"> 17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. &#8220;Good teacher,&#8221; he asked, &#8220;what must I do to inherit eternal life?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18 &#8220;Why do you call me good?&#8221; Jesus answered. &#8220;No one is good&#8212;except God alone. 19You know the commandments: &#8216;You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.&#8217;#10:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20&#8220;Teacher,&#8221; he declared, &#8220;all these I have kept since I was a boy.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21Jesus looked at him and loved him. &#8220;One thing you lack,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22At this the man&#8217;s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.</div><div class="p"> 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, &#8220;How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, &#8220;Children, how hard it is#10:24 Some manuscripts is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, &#8220;Who then can be saved?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27Jesus looked at them and said, &#8220;With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28Then Peter spoke up, &#8220;We have left everything to follow you!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29 &#8220;Truly I tell you,&#8221; Jesus replied, &#8220;no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields&#8212;along with persecutions&#8212;and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time</div><div class="p"> 32They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33&#8220;We are going up to Jerusalem,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Request of James and John</div><div class="p"> 35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. &#8220;Teacher,&#8221; they said, &#8220;we want you to do for us whatever we ask.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 36 &#8220;What do you want me to do for you?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p"> 37They replied, &#8220;Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38 &#8220;You don&#8217;t know what you are asking,&#8221; Jesus said. &#8220;Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 39&#8220;We can,&#8221; they answered.</div><div class="p">Jesus said to them, &#8220;You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42Jesus called them together and said, &#8220;You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight</div><div class="p"> 46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means &#8220;son of Timaeus&#8221;), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, &#8220;Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, &#8220;Son of David, have mercy on me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 49Jesus stopped and said, &#8220;Call him.&#8221;</div><div class="p">So they called to the blind man, &#8220;Cheer up! On your feet! He&#8217;s calling you.&#8221; 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.</div><div class="p"> 51 &#8220;What do you want me to do for you?&#8221; Jesus asked him.</div><div class="p">The blind man said, &#8220;Rabbi, I want to see.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 52 &#8220;Go,&#8221; said Jesus, &#8220;your faith has healed you.&#8221; Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMRK">
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 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King</div><div class="p"> 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2saying to them, &#8220;Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3If anyone asks you, &#8216;Why are you doing this?&#8217; say, &#8216;The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5some people standing there asked, &#8220;What are you doing, untying that colt?&#8221; 6They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Hosanna!#11:9 A Hebrew expression meaning &#8220;Save!&#8221; which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 10&#8221;</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">&#8220;Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!&#8221;#11:9 Psalm 118:25,26</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 10&#8220;Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!&#8221;</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">&#8220;Hosanna in the highest heaven!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts</div><div class="p"> 12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, &#8220;May no one ever eat fruit from you again.&#8221; And his disciples heard him say it.</div><div class="p"> 15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, &#8220;Is it not written: &#8216;My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations&#8217;#11:17 Isaiah 56:7? But you have made it &#8216;a den of robbers.&#8217;#11:17 Jer. 7:11&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.</div><div class="p"> 19When evening came, Jesus and his disciples#11:19 Some early manuscripts came, Jesus went out of the city.</div><div class="p"> 20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, &#8220;Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22 &#8220;Have faith in God,&#8221; Jesus answered. 23&#8220;Truly#11:22,23 Some early manuscripts &#8220;If you have faith in God,&#8221; Jesus answered, 23 &#8220;truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, &#8216;Go, throw yourself into the sea,&#8217; and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.&#8221; [26]#11:26 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 6:15.</div><div class="s1">The Authority of Jesus Questioned</div><div class="p"> 27They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28&#8220;By what authority are you doing these things?&#8221; they asked. &#8220;And who gave you authority to do this?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29Jesus replied, &#8220;I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30John&#8217;s baptism&#8212;was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31They discussed it among themselves and said, &#8220;If we say, &#8216;From heaven,&#8217; he will ask, &#8216;Then why didn&#8217;t you believe him?&#8217; 32But if we say, &#8216;Of human origin&#8217;&#8198;&#8230;&#8221; (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)</div><div class="p"> 33So they answered Jesus, &#8220;We don&#8217;t know.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Jesus said, &#8220;Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">12</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Tenants</div><div class="p"> 1Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: &#8220;A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.</div><div class="p"> 6 &#8220;He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, &#8216;They will respect my son.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 7 &#8220;But the tenants said to one another, &#8216;This is the heir. Come, let&#8217;s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.&#8217; 8So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.</div><div class="p"> 9 &#8220;What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10Haven&#8217;t you read this passage of Scripture:</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The stone the builders rejected</div><div class="q2"> has become the cornerstone;</div><div class="q1"> 11 the Lord has done this,</div><div class="q2"> and it is marvelous in our eyes&#8217; # 12:11 
 Psalm 118:22,23 ?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.</div><div class="s1">Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar</div><div class="p"> 13Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14They came to him and said, &#8220;Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren&#8217;t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax#12:14 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens to Caesar or not? 15Should we pay or shouldn&#8217;t we?&#8221;</div><div class="p">But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. &#8220;Why are you trying to trap me?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.&#8221; 16They brought the coin, and he asked them, &#8220;Whose image is this? And whose inscription?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Caesar&#8217;s,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p"> 17Then Jesus said to them, &#8220;Give back to Caesar what is Caesar&#8217;s and to God what is God&#8217;s.&#8221;</div><div class="p">And they were amazed at him.</div><div class="s1">Marriage at the Resurrection</div><div class="p"> 18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19&#8220;Teacher,&#8221; they said, &#8220;Moses wrote for us that if a man&#8217;s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23At the resurrection#12:23 Some manuscripts resurrection, when people rise from the dead, whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24Jesus replied, &#8220;Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26Now about the dead rising&#8212;have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, &#8216;I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob&#8217;#12:26 Exodus 3:6? 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Greatest Commandment</div><div class="p"> 28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, &#8220;Of all the commandments, which is the most important?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29 &#8220;The most important one,&#8221; answered Jesus, &#8220;is this: &#8216;Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.#12:29 Or The Lord our God is one Lord 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.&#8217;#12:30 Deut. 6:4,5 31The second is this: &#8216;Love your neighbor as yourself.&#8217;#12:31 Lev. 19:18 There is no commandment greater than these.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32&#8220;Well said, teacher,&#8221; the man replied. &#8220;You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, &#8220;You are not far from the kingdom of God.&#8221; And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.</div><div class="s1">Whose Son Is the Messiah?</div><div class="p"> 35While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, &#8220;Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The Lord said to my Lord:</div><div class="q2"> &#8220;Sit at my right hand</div><div class="q1"> until I put your enemies</div><div class="q2"> under your feet.&#8221;&#8198;&#8217; # 12:36 
 Psalm 110:1
 </div><div class="m"> 37 David himself calls him &#8216;Lord.&#8217; How then can he be his son?&#8221;</div><div class="p">The large crowd listened to him with delight.</div><div class="s1">Warning Against the Teachers of the Law</div><div class="p"> 38As he taught, Jesus said, &#8220;Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They devour widows&#8217; houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Widow&#8217;s Offering</div><div class="p"> 41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.</div><div class="p"> 43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, &#8220;Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything&#8212;all she had to live on.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">13</div><div class="s1">The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times</div><div class="p"> 1As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, &#8220;Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2 &#8220;Do you see all these great buildings?&#8221; replied Jesus. &#8220;Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4&#8220;Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5Jesus said to them: &#8220;Watch out that no one deceives you. 6Many will come in my name, claiming, &#8216;I am he,&#8217; and will deceive many. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.</div><div class="p"> 9 &#8220;You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.</div><div class="p"> 12 &#8220;Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.</div><div class="p"> 14 &#8220;When you see &#8216;the abomination that causes desolation&#8217; # 13:14 
 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11 standing where it#13:14 Or he does not belong&#8212;let the reader understand&#8212;then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now&#8212;and never to be equaled again.</div><div class="p"> 20 &#8220;If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21At that time if anyone says to you, &#8216;Look, here is the Messiah!&#8217; or, &#8216;Look, there he is!&#8217; do not believe it. 22For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.</div><div class="p"> 24 &#8220;But in those days, following that distress,</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;the sun will be darkened,</div><div class="q2"> and the moon will not give its light;</div><div class="q1"> 25 the stars will fall from the sky,</div><div class="q2"> and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.&#8217; # 13:25 
 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4 </div><div class="p"> 26 &#8220;At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.</div><div class="p"> 28 &#8220;Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it#13:29 Or he is near, right at the door. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.</div><div class="s1">The Day and Hour Unknown</div><div class="p"> 32 &#8220;But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert#13:33 Some manuscripts alert and pray! You do not know when that time will come. 34It&#8217;s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.</div><div class="p"> 35 &#8220;Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back&#8212;whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: &#8216;Watch!&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div>
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