Please pray for the families of IDF soldiers—especially the reservists who have left their homes and businesses behind to answer the call of their country—as they cope with incredible stress, worry, and fear. The government of Israel has issued a call up notice for 450,000 reservists, which is the largest one in Israel’s history.
Today I’m asking you to help a grieving nation that’s suffering from post-traumatic stress and going through an unspeakable financial crisis. So many of them have lost their homes, their furniture, their cars, everything in the world, including loved ones. I would like you to send an emergency gift today.
Please pray for the people of Israel who are living with an even higher level of danger and threat than usual. I don’t have a bomb shelter, and you probably don’t either. We don’t need them. But every Jewish person needs to know where the closest place is to take shelter in the event of an attack. The warning sirens go off over and over, forcing millions to flee to safety. It’s a sad part of daily life in Israel, and the Jewish people need our help right now.
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15
Lord Jesus,
You completed your assignment on the cross so long ago…
but a depiction of you upon it reminds us of that woe,
which you, Lord, suffered for us, taking there our place.
You bore the punishment for our sins–providing amazing grace.
_________________________
You went on to be raised up–then seated at your Father’s right hand.
We’re seated with you, too, in heavenly places, glorious and grand.
You stripped the devil of his authority through the way of the cross.
What you did there is our gain; you brought about the devil’s loss.
_________________________
We were crucified with Christ–when you were raised, so were we.
Now we go and share the gospel, so that others may be set free.
And we use our God-given authority which you, dear Lord, have given.
Through you, we are victorious; we resist the devil and keep him driven.
_________________________
The cross, an instrument of death, became the symbol of life.
With it as your destination, you came down to a world of sin and strife.
Thank you, Jesus, for what you did as God’s beloved, obedient Son.
You are the way, the truth, and the life. You’re this world’s Savior–the only One.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.'” Acts 4:8-12 NKJV
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17
“Jesus *said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:12-13 NKJV
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:19-20 NKJV “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand, in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:18-23
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10
“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21
“When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Colossians 2:8-15 NLT
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” James 4:7-8
Have you read about or heard of a story…regarding a tough situation,
where prayer turned things around with a kind of heavenly litigation?
It’s good to remember such times, of great breakthroughs coming about,
when believers joined their faith in prayer, effectively driving evil agendas out.
This can also be likened to a soldier in battle–weary from fighting hard,
when suddenly fresh troops come to his aid, to relieve him and stand guard.
It’s wise to make declarations of faith when traveling down a difficult way;
but often we need our family in Christ, to join together with us to pray.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20
“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” Acts 12:5
“So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.” Acts 12:12 (and Peter escaped prison by an angel of the Lord, sent in answer to their prayers)
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–” Ephesians 6:17-18
“Be kindly affectionate to one another, with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.” Romans 12:10-13
“When I cry out to you, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.” Psalm 56:9
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
You may want to review “The Four Miracles of Dunkirk” in this blog’s archives.
Please see today’s message on a great need for prayer in America, especially before this coming Saturday, at: http://www.givehim15.com
…today’s post, on tenacious persistence, can be read, along with that on the same Bible account at: http://www.givehim15.com
____________________
While Jesus, His disciples, and a great multitude were going out of Jericho, a beggar was there sitting by the side of the road.
He was Bartimaeus; and though blind, his hearing was fine to have heard of how Jesus’ healing ministry had flowed.
So, when, that day, Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, Himself, who was passing by…
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” became his earnest and heartfelt cry.
Many, among the crowd, told him to be quiet, as if, for him, there could be nothing in store.
But his plea of “Son of David, have mercy on me!” he kept shouting out all the more.
So Jesus heard Bartimaeus, then stood still, and commanded that he be called.
The persistence and “prayer” of Bartimaeus had caused the pace of Jesus’ journey temporarily to be stalled.
Bartimaeus was now beckoned, instead, with words of encouragement, “Rise, be of good cheer; He is calling you.”
Throwing aside his garment, he got up and came to Jesus, who asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Victory was breaking through…
At that point, Bartimaeus said, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight!”
“Go your way, your faith has made you well,” Jesus said; and immediately his world turned from darkness to light.
Walls had fallen down at Jericho through faith in God in an earlier, historical Biblical story.
And a “wall” of blindness fell at Jericho for Bartimaeus, when by faith in God’s mercy, he saw the Lord’s glory.
The account closes with Bartimaeus following Jesus down that outer Jericho road…
He had been confident of mercy and grace through Jesus Christ—from whom God’s marvelous light had flowed….
and still does today!
P. A. Oltrogge
Based on the account from Mark 10…and referenced is the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho in Joshua 6)
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30 NKJV
“But you are a chosen generation, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.”
Proverbs 4:20-22
…if still available, consider the article, “God picks YOU to be His healing agent” at: http://www.elijahlist.com
If something has occurred in your life that may not have been God’s perfect will, keep faith in His supernaturalpower to come to your aid still.
God’s plans for us are good–we can come boldly to His throne. When involved in something troubling, we’re never in it alone.
We’re living in an hour when His help is needed all the more. Believe that the Father of lights has your total wellbeing in store.
At those times when you’re tempted to have anxiety, worry, or doubt–believe, instead, for the good that God is bringing about.
To some, these thoughts might sound simplistic, but they’re based on words that are God’s. “…but with God, all things are possible.” He can help us, against all odds.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV
“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, oh Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27
“But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:17-18 KJV
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 KJV
“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 and the entire Psalm
“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling…” Psalm 91:9-10
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12
“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”…throughout Psalm 107
“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalm 7:17
Scriptures: NKJV or as noted
At his blog, you can read of salvations and wonderful miracles taking place presently at tent crusades conducted by Mario Murillo. His latest blog post tells of an upcoming crusade in Santa Barbara, CA. (Sometimes his website or blog do not connect from this blog, so it’s best to just find his site via an internet search.)
“Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’
“So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:14-16
When troubles surround, look to the beauty of a flower. Its magnificence reminds us of our creative God of power, who stands with us against those who would seek to defeat us. At the point of our need, God and angel armies meet us!
There are more who are with us than those who oppose– and our deliverer is the King. From the grave, He arose! There’s no other name under heaven higher on which to call. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, Mighty God, and Lord of all!
P. A. Oltrogge
“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2 KJV
“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears… The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Psalm 34:4, 7
“Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Psalm 103:20 KJV
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” Psalm 104:1-4
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:15-23
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. Thus is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” from Acts 4:8-12
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” Revelation 19:16
Scriptures: NKJV or as noted
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” words of Jesus in Matthew 6:28-29
…we pray for those living in areas of war or persecution, Lord, trusting you to be their deliverer…
“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:10-11 NIV
…after His suffering, Jesus presented Himself to the apostles alive. Thus, with any doubtful thoughts in their hearts, they’d no longer have to strive.
Gathering them together, the Messiah commanded that they shouldn’t leave…but stay in the city of Jerusalem, for, in not many days, they were about to receive…
what they had heard of from Him–the Holy Spirit’s power! Upon receiving, they would be the Lord’s witnesses from Jerusalem and beyond, from that very hour.
After Jesus had shared this, He was lifted up from them and was received into a cloud in the sky. As they watched, two men in white clothing stood beside them and asked the apostles why they were gazing so intently on high.
The two men went on to say that this Jesus, who was taken up from them in such a way, would come again in just the same manner, a reference to a future day.
The apostles, upon returning to Jerusalem, went to the upper room where they were staying. With one mind, they, and some women, including Jesus’ mother and His brothers, were all continually praying.
At that time, Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, about one-hundred, twenty in all. He shared about the fate of Judas. After that was said, it was determined that Matthias would, instead, answer the Lord’s call.
And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, which filled the house in every space!
Next, what looked like tongues of fire came to rest upon each one. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues of various languages before that first outpouring was done.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation all around. “The multitude” of them came together, bewildered, at this unusual sound.
They noted that all who were speaking in their language were Galileans by birth. Then Parthians and Medes and residents of many other areas joined in questioning it all, as well as visitors from Rome and other parts of the earth.
They were impressed, hearing them speak of the mighty deeds of God, “in a language that is mine.” But some others mocked them, saying, “They’re just drunk with sweet wine.”
This made Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raise his voice in a bold declaration–that they were not drunk so early in the day, but this was a phenomenon of God’s own preparation.
Peter referenced the prophet, Joel:
“‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Acts 2:17-21 and Joel 2:28-32
Then Peter addressed them, saying, “Men of Israel, listen to these words,” and he related the account of Jesus, the Nazarene–reminding them of the many miracles, wonders, and signs that many of them had actually seen.
Yet, by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, He was put to death by them through the hands of godless men. However God, Himself, raised Jesus Christ, the Messiah, up again.
Peter made reference to Jesus as the promised descendant of David, who had looked ahead…to the resurrection of Christ and His exaltation to God’s right hand after that raising from the dead.
Of that resurrection, Peter said, he and the apostles were witnesses to all that had taken place; and the promise of the Holy Spirit, of which Jesus had spoken, was further evidence of God’s grace.
And all of Israel should know for certain that God made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus, whom they’d crucified. Greatly moved, they asked Peter and the rest what they should do…their hearts were open wide.
Peter then told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. They would also receive the Holy Spirit…all part of how a new life in Christ begins.
So those who received his message and were baptized that day were about three thousand souls. Further teaching from the apostles, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer now were their devoted goals.
Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe…and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles that the people saw.
The believers had all things in common, sharing with one another where there was a need. In the temple and from house to house, gladness and sincerity of heart was shared in both word and deed.
The Lord was adding daily souls being brought into His fold, as He is doing still, if truth be told. The book of Acts continues to this day, so that “multitudes” may find the love of Jesus, as today’s Christ followers share and pray.
P. A. Oltrogge
(Best, of course, is to read this account in its fulness in the Holy Bible…this is just a poetic sketch of Acts 1 and 2)
Also referenced by Peter, Psalm 16:8-11 and Psalm 110:1
…praying God’s blessings upon you today…
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
“For He delivered us from the domain [exousia] of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Colossians 1:13
“Behold, I have given you authority [exousia] to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [dunamis] of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.” Luke 10:19
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)
The symbol of the cross is seen throughout the world. Yet, at its life-saving message, contempt is sometimes hurled. Many say that it’s foolish and that, to them, it doesn’t make sense. For if God is loving, they think they should be able to dispense with its message of Christ being Savior as the one way to God’s heart. But that is its true meaning which God, the Father, still seeks to impart.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” It’s through Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection that our salvation was won. Life blessed and “more abundant” can also be ours, Jesus said–not only for eternity, but for “today” and every new day ahead. We can do philanthropic deeds, but they won’t carry enough weight. We must accept Christ’s sacrifice to secure entrance at heaven’s gate.
This isn’t always accepted by some who’ve earned higher learning, but it’s through study of the scriptures, that one comes to be discerning. Sometimes it takes a demonstration, by the Holy Spirit, of God’s power to convince them of Christ’s Lordship; and it’s then, that faith will flower. The message of the cross is that God loved us beyond measure–May those who find it “foolish” find, instead, their greatest treasure.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us, who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written:
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent, I will frustrate.’
“Where is the wise person? Where is the leader of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NIV
“…that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:7-9 NKJV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:9-11 NKJV
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.
“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:1-6 NKJV
The Porch of the Lord 