Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy God, help my church to resist being divided by the distractions of evil and sin. And, dear Father, please give me the wisdom to know when NOT to respond to false accusations and when I should respond. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

One time Jesus was sending a demon out of a man that could not talk. When the demon came out, the man was able to speak. The people were amazed. But some of the people said, "He uses the power of Beelzebul (the devil) to force demons out of people. Beelzebul is the ruler of demons." Other people wanted to test Jesus. They asked Jesus to show them a sign (proof) from heaven. But Jesus knew the things they were thinking. So Jesus said to the people, "Every kingdom that is divided and fights against itself will be destroyed. And a family that fights against itself will break apart. So if Satan (the devil) is fighting against himself, then how will his kingdom continue? You say that I use the power of Beelzebul (the devil) to force out demons. But if I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, then what power do your people use when they force out demons? So your own people will prove that you are wrong. But I use the power of God to force out demons. This shows that the kingdom of God has come to you! "When a strong man with many weapons guards his own house, then the things in his house are safe. But suppose a stronger man comes and defeats him. The stronger man will take away the weapons that the first man trusted to keep his house safe. Then the stronger man will do what he wants with the other man's things. "If a person is not with me, he is against me. The person that does not work with me is working against me. "When an evil spirit {from the devil} comes out of a person, that spirit travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But that spirit finds no place to rest. So the spirit says, 'I will go back to the home (person) I left.' When the spirit comes back to that person, the spirit finds that home (person) swept clean and made neat. Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself. Then all the evil spirits go into that person and live there. And that person has even more trouble than he had before." When Jesussaid these things, a woman with the people there began to speak. She said to Jesus, "What a great blessing God gave your mother, because she gave birth to you and fed you." But Jesus said, "The people that hear the teaching of God and obey it—they are the people that are truly happy!"

Related Scripture Readings

"I am coming to you now. But I pray these things while I am still in the world. I say these things so that these men can have the true happiness that I have. I want them to be completely happy. I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them. The world hated these men, because they don't belong to the world, the same as I don't belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One (the devil). They don't belong to the world, the same as I don't belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, the same as you sent me into the world. I am making myself ready to serve. I do this for them, so that they can truly be ready for your service. "I pray for these men. But I am also praying for all people that will believe in me because of the teaching of these men. Father, I pray that all people that believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that these people can also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.

Christ cannot be divided {into different groups}! Did Paul die on the cross for you? No! Were you baptized in the name of Paul? No!

I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel. One king will be king for all of them. They won't continue to be two nations. They won't be divided into two kingdoms any more.