Key Thought

I have a friend who has been deaf for most of his life. His greatest anticipation is of the day he will hear again. He tells everybody he knows that the very first words he will hear are these: "Lloyd, this is Jesus. It's time to rise up and come home to be with me in glory!" All of us who have lived for the Lord will hear him call us from our graves. What an awesome thought: even though I live thousands of years after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension, I will get to hear his voice and share in glory and grace.

Today's Prayer

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Almighty God, Father of all life and sustainer of the universe, you spoke into existence the things in my world. You spoke your Word through the prophets and the inspired writers of Scripture. I trust that you will one day have Jesus also call my name and I will rise up and come home to you. Please accept my thanks and praise until that day is fully realized! In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus was doing these things (healing) on the Sabbath day. So the Jews began to do bad things to Jesus. But Jesus said to the Jews, "My Father never stops working. And so I work too." This made these Jews try harder to kill him. {The Jews said}, "First this man (Jesus) was breaking the law about the Sabbath day. Then he said that God is his Father! He is making himself equal with God!" But Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. The Son can do nothing alone. The Son does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same things that the Father does. The Father loves the Son, and the Father shows the Son all the things he does. {This man was healed.} But the Father will show the Son greater things than this to do. Then you will all be amazed. The Father raises dead people and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to the people he wants to. Also, the Father judges no one. But the Father has given the Son power to do all the judging. God did this so that all people will respect the Son the same as they respect the Father. If a person does not respect the Son, then that person does not respect the Father. The Father is the One who sent the Son. "I tell you the truth. If a person hears what I say and believes in the One (God) who sent me, that person has life forever. That person will not be judged guilty. He has already left death and has entered into life. I tell you the truth. An {important} time is coming. That time is already here. People that are dead {in sin} will hear the voice of the Son of God. And the people that {accept the things they} hear {from the Son} will have life {forever}. Life comes from the Father (God) himself. So the Father has also allowed the Son (Jesus) to give life. And the Father has given the Son the power to judge all people. Why? Because that Son is the Son of Man. Don't be surprised at this. A time is coming when all people that are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. Then they will come out of their graves.The people that did good in this life will rise and have life forever. But the people that did evil will rise to be judged guilty. "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told. So my judgment is right. Why? Because I don't try to please myself. But I want to please the One (God) who sent me.

— John 5:16-30 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.