Reading of today

Acts 16-28

Acts 20:

Acts 20:26"Therefore, I testify to you this day that (FR)I am innocent of the blood of all men.

Acts 20:27"For I (FS)did not shrink from declaring to you the whole (FT)purpose of God.

Acts 20:35"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Acts 21:

Acts 21:13Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For (Y)I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for (Z)the name of the Lord Jesus."

Acts 21:14And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, "(AA)The will of the Lord be done!"

Because He Lives

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.



Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.



How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.



Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.



And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.




Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

Lead me to Calvary

King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.

Refrain

Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.

Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.

Refrain

Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.

Refrain

May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.

Refrain

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
We have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

Reading of today

14: 22strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

--It's a process of spirit travail, too, with the glorious hope of entering the kingdom of God.. Thank the Lord to bring this hope to us..

15:11"But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."

--Thank the Lord for saving us through his grace. This is really an AMAZING GRACE that the Lord also saved gentiles as me.

Reading of today

Lord, thank you for opening Paul's eyes. May you open my eyes and ears too. And may your light
shed in me and eliminate all the darkness in me.

4: 11"He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.

5: 29But Peter and the apostles answered, "(CR)We must obey God rather than men.

5: 30"(CS)The God of our fathers (CT)raised up Jesus, whom you had (CU)put to death by hanging Him on a cross.


5: 31"(CV)He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a (CW)Prince and a (CX)Savior, to grant (CY)repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

5: 32"And we are (CZ)witnesses [c]of these things; and (DA)so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

8: 36As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! (EI)What prevents me from being baptized?"

8: 37[[c]And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."]

8: 38And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

11: 26and when he had found him, he brought him to (AL)Antioch And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and (AM)the disciples were first called (AN)Christians in (AO)Antioch.

13: 47"For so the Lord has commanded us,
'(GB)I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A (GC)LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES,
THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'"

13: 48When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying (GD)the word of the Lord; and as many as (GE)had been appointed to eternal life believed.

13: 49And (GF)the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

In Christ Alone (lyrics)

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

I will stand, I will stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground (x2)
Is sinking sand (x2)

So I'll stand!

Reading of today

ACTS 1-3

1:32"This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.

--What a glorious fact that our Lord has been raised up from the dead! This is the foundation of my living hope -- My dearest Lord is alive. Because you are alive, I can face tomorrow.

2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

2:42They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

2:46Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

2:47praising God and having favor with all the people And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

--Start from the beginning, they fellowship and breaking of bread and pray... These are models remembered in the bible and is what I should do after being saved. However, I forgot to pray and missed the fellowship even the sunday bread and cup from time to time. What I did hurt my Lord's feeling. I am sorry, Lord, I confess and repent. Please forgive me and confirm the spirit of submission in my heart. Thank you Lord!

The lame person's story in Chapter 3 is encouraging because we don't have to have our Lord's physical presence to heal people, free from sin because that's what he's already given us. What we need is to pray in His name and truly believe in Him. Praise the Lord to be the living God!

Sing "Because he lives"

Reading of today

Faith is believing without seeing:

20:29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did --not see, and yet believed."

This is something I feel like I do and am going to live out:

21:18"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."

I used to be so free of mine own. And now the Lord has captured me and I am willing to surrender and make anyone whom the Lord gives the authority girds me.

Thank you Lord for the greatest book I can ever read! Praise you and thank you, in Jesus' name.

Reading of today

Touched me:

12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become (O)children of God, even (P)to those who believe in His name,

13(Q)who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Reading of today

Verses that touched me:

 ¹⁵so that whoever ^[a]believes will ^(V)in Him have eternal life.

   ¹⁶"For God so ^(W)loved the world, that He ^(X)gave His ^(Y)only begotten Son, that whoever ^(Z)believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Verses that made me think:

⁵Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of ^(H)water and the Spirit he cannot enter into ^(I)the kingdom of God.

   ⁶"^(J)That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

   ⁷"Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

                                          

¹⁹"This is the judgment, that ^(AE)the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for ^(AF)their deeds were evil.

   ²⁰"^(AG)For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

   ²¹"But he who ^(AH)practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

   ¹³Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;

   ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him ^(BX)shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to ^(BY)eternal life."

   ²⁴"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship ^(CK)in spirit and truth."

Verses I don't understand:

⁸"^(K)The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

³³"He who has received His testimony ^(AZ)has set his seal to this, that God is true.

 

³⁵"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white ^(CV)for harvest.

   ³⁶"Already he who reaps is receiving ^(CW)wages and is gathering ^(CX)fruit for ^(CY)life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

   ³⁷"For in this case the saying is true, '^(CZ)One sows and another reaps.'

   ³⁸"I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor."