Let not your house be divided

                                Jesus and Beelzebul

Luke 11:14-23  Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 
15  But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 
16  while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 
17  But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 
18  And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 
19  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 
20  But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 
21  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 
22  but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 
23  Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 

Believe - Ask - Receive

                              The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
Matthew 15:21-28  And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
22  And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”
23  But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
24  He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 
25  But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
26  And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 
27  She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.”
28  Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Remember your Baptism, your Confession -- Resist Temptation

                                                         The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4:1-11  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2  And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3  And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4  But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 
5  Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple
6  and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7  Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 
8  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9  And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
10  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 
11  Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Jesus the Great High Priest

Hebrews 4:14-16  Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 

15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 

16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

PRAY then like this ..........

                                       Jesus tells us how to pray

Matthew 6:1-15  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 
2  “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 
3  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 
4  so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 
                                                 The Lord's Prayer
5  “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 
6  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 
7  “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 
8  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 
9  Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 
10  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 
11  Give us this day our daily bread, 
12  and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
14  For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 
15  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Without LOVE I am nothing

                                                      The Way of Love
1 Corinthians 13:1-13  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8  Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
10  but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
11  When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.