Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father, I confess that there have been times when other brothers and sisters in Christ have let me down and this has caused me to want to try to do too much on my own. I also confess that it is easy to give into the cultural assumptions about self-reliance and I quit depending upon you. Please help me to open up more of myself to others in your family. Please use me along with others to advance the work of your Kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

After this, the Lord (Jesus) chose 72 more men. Jesus sent the men out in groups of two. He sent them ahead of him into every town and place where he planned to go. Jesus said to them, "There are many, many people to harvest (save). But there are only a few workers to help harvest them. God owns the harvest (people). Pray to God that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest. You can go now. But listen! I am sending you, and you will be like sheep among wolves. Don't carry any money, a bag, or shoes. Don't stop to talk with people on the road. Before you go into a house, say, 'Peace be with this home.' If a peaceful person lives there, your blessing of peace will stay with him. If the person is not peaceful, then your blessing of peace will come back to you. Stay in the peaceful house. Eat and drink what the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don't leave that house to stay in another house. If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat the food they give you. Heal the sick people that live there. Then tell them, 'The kingdom of God is soon coming to you!' But if you go into a town, and the people don't welcome you, then go out into the streets of that town and say, 'Even the dirt (dust) from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the kingdom of God is coming soon.' I tell you, on the judgment day it will be worse for the people of that town than for the people of Sodom. "It will be bad for you, Chorazin ! It will be bad for you, Bethsaida ! I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon, then the people in those cities would have changed their lives and stopped sinning a long time ago. They would have worn sackcloth and put ashes on themselves to show that they were sorry for their sins. But on the judgment day it will be worse for you than for Tyre and Sidon. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will be thrown down to the place ofdeath! "When a person listens to you, that person is really listening to me. But when a person refuses to accept you, that person is really refusing to accept me. And when a person refuses to accept me, he is refusing to accept the One (God) that sent me." When the 72 men came back from their trip, they were very happy. They said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!" Jesus said to the men, "I saw Satan (the devil) falling like lightning from the sky. Listen! I gave you power to walk on snakes and scorpions. I gave you more power than the Enemy (the devil) has. Nothing will hurt you. Yes, the spirits obey you. And be happy. Why? Not because you have this power, but be happy because your names are written in heaven."

Related Scripture Readings

Two people are better than one. When two people work together, they get more from the work they do. If one person falls, then the other person can help him. But it is very bad for the person that is alone when he falls—there is no one there to help him. If two people sleep together, they will be warm. But a person sleeping alone will not be warm. An enemy might be able to defeat one person, but that enemy can't defeat two people. {And three people are even stronger. They are like} a rope that has three parts wrapped together—it is very hard to break.

"If a person is accused of doing something against the law, one witness is not enough to prove that the person is guilty. There must be two or three witnesses to prove that the person really did wrong.

This is true, because if two or three people are together believing in me, I am there with them."