Romans 7:21-24
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.
Acts 13:1-2
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
If Saul had history, just imagine the stories Manaen might have had to tell.
Luke 21:25-28
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Luke 19:37-40
As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives— the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Luke 18:11-14
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 16:27-31
Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’
The Lord's Prayer.
This is the 'Traditional Ecumenical Version' from The Book of Common Prayer used by the Church of England in the late 70's when I learnt it in school.
There is a timelessness and a poetry to this version that is lost in others, I feel.
Matthew 6:9-13
Luke 11:2-4
Luke 3:7-9
Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.
And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'
As D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds us in his Studies on the Sermon on the Mount, we Christians, we who are 'poor in spirit' have no birthright claim on anything pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Mark 12:34
And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Mark's record of Jesus and the scribe's discussion about the greatest commandment is interesting on multiple levels. But Christ's response to the scribe's agreement is most profound, and worth thinking on:
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."