Always Near: 14 Days of Discovering God’s Presence Every Day

Sound of Heaven: A 6-Day Devotional by Danny Gokey

Don't Let Doubt Take You Out

There Is No Law Against These Things

Every Place

The Year of God's Divine Agenda

Mandates for Men: Serve Others

In Her Image: Character Study of the Proverbs 31 Woman

A Family of Prayer

Praying Through Financial Stress

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkEXO">
 <div class="chapter ch8" data-usfm="EXO.8">
 <div class="label">8</div><div class="nb">#In Hebrew texts 8:1-4 is numbered 7:26-29, and 8:5-32 is numbered 8:1-28. 1Then the Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Go to Pharaoh and say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. 3The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. 4The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">5Then the Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Tell Aaron, &#8216;Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 7But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.</div><div class="p">8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, &#8220;Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.&#8221;</div><div class="p">9Moses said to Pharaoh, &#8220;I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.&#8221;</div><div class="p">10&#8220;Tomorrow,&#8221; Pharaoh said.</div><div class="p">Moses replied, &#8220;It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God. 11The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.&#8221;</div><div class="p">12After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.</div><div class="s1">The Plague of Gnats</div><div class="p">16Then the Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Tell Aaron, &#8216;Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,&#8217; and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.&#8221; 17They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.</div><div class="p">Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19the magicians said to Pharaoh, &#8220;This is the finger of God.&#8221; But Pharaoh&#8217;s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.</div><div class="s1">The Plague of Flies</div><div class="p">20Then the Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 21If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.</div><div class="p">22&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23I will make a distinction#8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">24And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh&#8217;s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.</div><div class="p">25Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, &#8220;Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.&#8221;</div><div class="p">26But Moses said, &#8220;That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us.&#8221;</div><div class="p">28Pharaoh said, &#8220;I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.&#8221;</div><div class="p">29Moses answered, &#8220;As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.&#8221;</div><div class="p">30Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, 31and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkEXO">
 <div class="chapter ch9" data-usfm="EXO.9">
 <div class="label">9</div><div class="s1">The Plague on Livestock</div><div class="p">1Then the Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Go to Pharaoh and say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: &#8220;Let my people go, so that they may worship me.&#8221; 2If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field&#8212;on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">5The Lord set a time and said, &#8220;Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.&#8221; 6And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.</div><div class="s1">The Plague of Boils</div><div class="p">8Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, &#8220;Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land.&#8221;</div><div class="p">10So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 11The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12But the Lord hardened Pharaoh&#8217;s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.</div><div class="s1">The Plague of Hail</div><div class="p">13Then the Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, &#8216;This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16But I have raised you up#9:16 Or have spared you for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">20Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.</div><div class="p">22Then the Lord said to Moses, &#8220;Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt&#8212;on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.&#8221; 23When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields&#8212;both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.</div><div class="p">27Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. &#8220;This time I have sinned,&#8221; he said to them. &#8220;The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don&#8217;t have to stay any longer.&#8221;</div><div class="p">29Moses replied, &#8220;When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord&#8217;s. 30But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.&#8221;</div><div class="p">31(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)</div><div class="p">33Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35So Pharaoh&#8217;s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkACT">
 <div class="chapter ch28" data-usfm="ACT.28">
 <div class="label">28</div><div class="s1">Paul Ashore on Malta</div><div class="p">1Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, &#8220;This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.&#8221; 5But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.</div><div class="p">7There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.</div><div class="s1">Paul&#8217;s Arrival at Rome</div><div class="p">11After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island&#8212;it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.</div><div class="s1">Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard</div><div class="p">17Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: &#8220;My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.&#8221;</div><div class="p">21They replied, &#8220;We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.&#8221;</div><div class="p">23They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: &#8220;The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:</div><div class="q1">26&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Go to this people and say,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;You will be ever hearing but never understanding;</div><div class="q2">you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.&#8221;</div><div class="q1">27For this people&#8217;s heart has become calloused;</div><div class="q2">they hardly hear with their ears,</div><div class="q2">and they have closed their eyes.</div><div class="q1">Otherwise they might see with their eyes,</div><div class="q2">hear with their ears,</div><div class="q2">understand with their hearts</div><div class="q1">and turn, and I would heal them.&#8217;#28:27 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)</div><div class="p">28&#8220;Therefore I want you to know that God&#8217;s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!&#8221; [29]#28:29 Some manuscripts include here After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves.</div><div class="p">30For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ&#8212;with all boldness and without hindrance!</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkMAT">
 <div class="chapter ch21" data-usfm="MAT.21">
 <div class="label">21</div><div class="s1">Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King</div><div class="p">1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, &#8220;Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.&#8221;</div><div class="p">4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:</div><div class="q1">5&#8220;Say to Daughter Zion,</div><div class="q2">&#8216;See, your king comes to you,</div><div class="q1">gentle and riding on a donkey,</div><div class="q2">and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;#21:5 Zech. 9:9</div><div class="p">6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Hosanna#21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning &#8220;Save!&#8221; which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15 to the Son of David!&#8221;</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">&#8220;Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!&#8221;#21:9 Psalm 118:25,26</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">&#8220;Hosanna#21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning &#8220;Save!&#8221; which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15 in the highest heaven!&#8221;</div><div class="p">10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, &#8220;Who is this?&#8221;</div><div class="p">11The crowds answered, &#8220;This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus at the Temple</div><div class="p">12Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13&#8220;It is written,&#8221; he said to them, &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;My house will be called a house of prayer,&#8217;#21:13 Isaiah 56:7 but you are making it &#8216;a den of robbers.&#8217;#21:13 Jer. 7:11&#8221;</div><div class="p">14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, &#8220;Hosanna to the Son of David,&#8221; they were indignant.</div><div class="p">16&#8220;Do you hear what these children are saying?&#8221; they asked him.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; replied Jesus, &#8220;have you never read,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;From the lips of children and infants</div><div class="q2">you, Lord, have called forth your praise&#8217; #21:16 Psalm 8:2 (see Septuagint) ?&#8221;</div><div class="p">17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Curses a Fig Tree</div><div class="p">18Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, &#8220;May you never bear fruit again!&#8221; Immediately the tree withered.</div><div class="p">20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. &#8220;How did the fig tree wither so quickly?&#8221; they asked.</div><div class="p">21Jesus replied, &#8220;Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, &#8216;Go, throw yourself into the sea,&#8217; and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Authority of Jesus Questioned</div><div class="p">23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. &#8220;By what authority are you doing these things?&#8221; they asked. &#8220;And who gave you this authority?&#8221;</div><div class="p">24Jesus replied, &#8220;I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John&#8217;s baptism&#8212;where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?&#8221;</div><div class="p">They 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; 26But if we say, &#8216;Of human origin&#8217;&#8212;we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.&#8221;</div><div class="p">27So they answered Jesus, &#8220;We don&#8217;t know.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then he said, &#8220;Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Two Sons</div><div class="p">28 &#8220;What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, &#8216;Son, go and work today in the vineyard.&#8217;</div><div class="p">29 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;I will not,&#8217; he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.</div><div class="p">30 &#8220;Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, &#8216;I will, sir,&#8217; but he did not go.</div><div class="p">31 &#8220;Which of the two did what his father wanted?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;The first,&#8221; they answered.</div><div class="p">Jesus said to them, &#8220;Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Tenants</div><div class="p">33 &#8220;Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.</div><div class="p">35 &#8220;The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. &#8216;They will respect my son,&#8217; he said.</div><div class="p">38 &#8220;But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, &#8216;This is the heir. Come, let&#8217;s kill him and take his inheritance.&#8217; 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.</div><div class="p">40 &#8220;Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?&#8221;</div><div class="p">41&#8220;He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.&#8221;</div><div class="p">42Jesus said to them, &#8220;Have you never read in the Scriptures:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The stone the builders rejected</div><div class="q2">has become the cornerstone;</div><div class="q1">the Lord has done this,</div><div class="q2">and it is marvelous in our eyes&#8217; #21:42 Psalm 118:22,23 ?</div><div class="p">43 &#8220;Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.&#8221;#21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.</div><div class="p">45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus&#8217; parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.</div>
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