Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy and Almighty God, Savior and King Immortal, give me courage to stand for your truth when darkness gathers all around me and the forces of darkness try to shame and threaten me into silence. May my words be truthful. May my words bring you glory and proclaim Jesus' victory. May my words be spoken with power and conviction, gentleness and humility. May my words be the words you would have me speak so that those who are trapped in darkness may see your light. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

"So don't be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. I tell you these things in the dark (secretly). But I want you to tell these things in the light. I speak these things quietly and only to you. But you should tell these things freely to all people. Don't be afraid of people. They can only kill the body. They cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the One (God) that can destroy the body and the soul. He can send the body and the soul to hell. When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny. But not even one of those little birds can die without your Father knowing it. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds. "When a person stands before other people and says he believes in me, then I will say that person belongs to me. I will say this before my Father in heaven. But when a person stands before people and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that person does not belong to me. I will say this before my Father in heaven. "Don't think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace. I came to bring a sword. I have come to make this happen: 'The people in a person's own family will be his enemies. A son will be against his father. A daughter will be against her mother. A daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law.' "Any person that loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not good enough to follow me. Any person who loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not good enough to follow me. If a person will not accept the cross (suffering) that will be given to him when he follows me, then that person is not good enough for me. Any person that loves his life {more than he loves me} will lose true life. Any person that gives up his life for me will find true life. The person that accepts you also accepts me. And the person that accepts me also acceptsthe One (God) that sent me. Any person that meets a prophet and accepts him will get the same reward a prophet gets. And any person that accepts a good man because that man is good will get the same reward a good man gets. If any person helps one of these little ones because they are my followers, then that person will truly get his reward. That person will get his reward even if he only gave my follower a cup of cold water."

Then Jesus said to them, "Do you take a lamp and hide it under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lamp table. Everything that is hidden will be made clear. Every secret thing will be made known. You people that hear me, listen! "Think carefully about the things you hear. The way you give is the way God will give to you. But God will give you more than you give. The person that has {something} will receive more. But the person that does not have {much} will lose even the little amount he has."