Rejoice and Jump for Joy

                                           Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39-45  In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 

40  and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 

41  And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 

42  and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 

43  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

44  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 

45  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 

John 1:15-18  (John {Elizabeth's son} bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 

16  For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 

17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

18  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. 

And the TRUTH is ---

                                              Words of TRUTH

John 19:35  He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 

John 17:17  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

John 4:23  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 

John 4:24  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 

Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 

1John 1:8  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

1John 2:4  Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 

1John 5:6  This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 

Give thanks to God in ALL things

                               HAPPY THANKSGIVING

              Heed the Word of God and pray as He says 

   Matthew 12:36, 37  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 

37  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”                  
 1Thessalonians 5:16-18  Rejoice always, 

17  pray without ceasing, 

18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

Watch, Be Ready! You (we) do not know the hour

                            The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13  “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 

2  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 

3  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 

4  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 

5  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 

6  But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’  

7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 

8  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 

9  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 

10  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 

11  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 

12  But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 

13  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. 

Submit to authority - render to God

                                Paying Taxes to Caesar

Matthew 22:15-22  Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 

16  And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 

17  Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 

18  But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 

19  Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 

20  And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 

21  They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 

22  When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. 

What is it that The Lord requires ?

                          What Does the Lord Require?

Micah 6:6-8  “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 

7  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 

8  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 

He seeks you. Will you answer?

Lamentations 3:25  The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 

Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

Law and Prophets/two Commandments

                                              The Great Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40  But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 

35  And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 

36  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 

37  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 

38  This is the great and first commandment. 

39  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

40  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 

Humble yourself that you may be exalted

                                           The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Luke 14:7-11  Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 

8  “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 

9  and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 

10  But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 

11  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Do not weep - Jesus is near

                                 Jesus Raises a Widow's Son

Luke 7:11-17  Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 

12  As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 

13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 

14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 

15  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 

16  Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 

17  And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. 

Do not be anxious

Matthew 6:24-34  “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 

                                   Do Not Be Anxious

25  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

26  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

27  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

28  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 

29  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

30  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

31  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

32  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 

33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

Heed the Spirit - Inherit the Kingdom

                              Keep in Step with the Spirit

Galatians 5:16-26  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

17  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 

18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

19  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 

20  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 

21  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

24  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

25  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 

26  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 

Pray thanks in all circumstances

1Thessalonians  5:18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

Psalm 92:1-8  It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 
2  to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 
3  to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 
4  For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 
5  How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! 
6  The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: 
7  that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; 
8  but you, O LORD, are on high forever. 

Confess with your mouth -- Belive in your heart

                           The Message of Salvation to All

Romans 10:9-17  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 
10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 
11  For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 
12  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 
13  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 
14  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 
15  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 
16  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 
17  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 

There is only One God

Cleanse your heart, as Jesus cleansed the temple

                               Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
Luke 19:41-48  And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 
42  saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 
43  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 
44  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” 
                             Jesus Cleanses the Temple
45  And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 
46  saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” 

47  And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 

48  but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. 

The true Vine

                                 I Am the True Vine

John 15:1-11  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 
2  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 
3  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 
4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 
5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 
6  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 
7  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 
8  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 
9  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 
10  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 
11  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 

Know False Prophets

                                                   
                                                 A Tree and Its Fruit

Matthew 7:15-23  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 
16  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 
17  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 
18  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 
19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 
20  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
                                                  I Never Knew You
21  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

God will provide

                               The Lord will provide

Mark 8:1-10 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 
2  “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 
3  And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 
4  And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 
5  And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 
6  And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 
7  And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 
8  And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 
9  And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 

10  And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 

He came to fulfill - not to abolish

                               Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
Mat 5:17 - 20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 
18  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 
19  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 
20  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Be merciful

Luke 6:36-42  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 
37  “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 
38  give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” 
39  He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 
40  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 
41  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 
42  How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. 

Joy in heaven for each repentant sinner

                                                 The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Luke 15:1-10  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 
2  And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 
3  So he told them this parable: 
4  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 
5  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 
6  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 
7  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 
                                                The Parable of the Lost Coin
8  “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 
9  And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 
10  Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Heed the Word of God

                                                   The Rich Man and Lazarus
Luke 16:19-31  “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 
20  And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 
21  who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 
22  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 
23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 
24  And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 
25  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 
26  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 
27  And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 
28  for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 
29  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 
30  And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 
31  He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” 

God sent His Son, for ALL who believe

John 3:1-17  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 
2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 
3  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 
4  Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 
5  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 
6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 
7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 
9  Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 
10  Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 
11  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 
12  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 
13  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 
14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 
15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 
16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 
17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 

Pentecost - the Holy Spirit comes

John 14:26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 

Acts 2:1-21 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. ........
Acts 2:16  But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ........
Acts 2:21  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Be doers of the Word; not just hearers

                   Act on the Word - Do Not just Hear it

James 1:22-27  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 
23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 
24  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 
25  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 
26  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 
27  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 

Where are you going?

                                                 
                                              WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

John 16:5-15  But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 
6  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 
7  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 
8  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 
9  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 
10  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 
11  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 
12  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 
13  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare  to you the things that are to come. 
14  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 
15  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 

Your sorrow will turn into joy

                             Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

John 16:16-22  “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 
17  So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?"
18  So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”
19  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?
20  Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
21  When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
22  So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Accept and believe the shepherd

                                                      THE GOOD SHEPHERD

John 10:11-16  I (Jesus) am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 
12  He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 
13  He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 
14  I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 
15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 
16  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

1 Peter 2:21-25
  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 
22  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 
23  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 
24  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 

25  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 

Seeing is beelieving; However ..........

                                        John 20:19-31 
 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 
20  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 
21  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 
22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 
23  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” 

24  Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 
25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 
26  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 
27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 
28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 
29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

J

HE is Risen!! HE is Risen Indeed!!

                                 MATTHEW 28:1-20

Matthew 28:9  And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 

10  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” 
Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 
19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 
20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

The example - Love one another

John 13:1-15 (34-35)  Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 
2  During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 
3  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 
4  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 
5  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 
6  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 
7  Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 
8  Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 
9  Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 
10  Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 
11  For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 
12  When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 
13  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 
14  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 
15  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 

34  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 
35  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

Christ Jesus - Triumphal entry to death on the cross (scriptures)

                                       MATTHEW 26:1---27:66

The Triumphal Entry Mathew 21:1-11; Jesus Cleanses the Temple  21:12-17
The Authority of Jesus Challenged  21:23-27 

The Plot to Kill Jesus Mark 14:1-2; Jesus Anointed at Bethany 14:3-9; Judas to Betray Jesus 14:10-11
The Passover with the Disciples  14:12-21
Institution of the Lord's Supper 14:22-25
Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial 14:26-31
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane  14:32-42
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus  14:43-50
Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Council 14:53-65
Peter Denies Jesus 14:66-72
Jesus Delivered to Pilate 15:1-5
Judas Hangs Himself  Mathew 27:3-10
Jesus Before Pilate 27:11-14
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas 27:15-23
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified Mark 15:6-15; Jesus Is Mocked  15:16-20; The Crucifixion  15:21-32; The Death of Jesus  15:33-41; Jesus Is Buried 15:42-47
The Guard at the Tomb Mathew 27:62-66

Believe the truth - Believe Jesus, not Satan

                         You Are of Your Father the Devil

John 8:39-45  They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 
40  but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 
41  You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 
42  Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 
43  Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 
44  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 
45  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 

The Lord cares for and feeds us

                                            Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
John 6:1-14  After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 
2  And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 
3  Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 
4  Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 
5  Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 
6  He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 
7  Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 
8  One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 
9  “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 
10  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 
11  Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 
12  And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 
13  So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 
14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”