Christ The Wisdom And Power Of God (I Corinthians 1:18-31) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE
18  I know very well how foolish it sounds to those who are lost, when they hear that Jesus died to save them. But we who are saved* recognize this message as the very power of God. 
19  For God says, “I will destroy all human plans of salvation no matter how wise they seem to be, and ignore the best ideas of men, even the most brilliant of them.”
20  So what about these wise men, these scholars, these brilliant debaters of this world’s great affairs? God has made them all look foolish and shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. 
21  For God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find God through human brilliance, and then he stepped in and saved all those who believed his message, which the world calls foolish and silly. 
22 It seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven as proof that what is preached is true; and it is foolish to the Gentiles because they believe only what agrees with their philosophy and seems wise to them. 
23  So when we preach about Christ dying to save them, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 
24  But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ himself is the center of God’s wise plan for their salvation.
25  This so-called “foolish” plan of God is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and God in his weakness—Christ dying on the cross—is far stronger than any man.
26  Notice among yourselves, dear brothers, that few of you who follow Christ have big names or power or wealth. 
27  Instead, God has deliberately chosen to use ideas the world considers foolish and of little worth in order to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great. 
28  He has chosen a plan despised by the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it to bring down to nothing those the world considers great, 
29  so that no one anywhere can ever brag in the presence of God.
30  For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God’s plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.* 
31  As it says in the Scriptures, “If anyone is going to boast, let him boast only of what the Lord has done.”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
18  For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power. 
19  The scripture says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars.”
20  So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness!
21  For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called “foolish” message we preach, God decided to save those who believe.
22  Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. 
23  As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; 
24  but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 
25  For what seems to be God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
26  Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. 
27  God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. 
28  He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important. 
29  This means that no one can boast in God's presence. 
30  But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free. 
31  So then, as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”

God Has Sent His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:7-16) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
7   Our words are wise because they are from God, telling of God’s wise plan to bring us into the glories of heaven. This plan was hidden in former times, though it was made for our benefit before the world began.
8   But the great men of the world have not understood it; if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord of Glory.
9   That is what is meant by the Scriptures which say that no mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord. 
10  But we know about these things because God has sent his Spirit to tell us, and his Spirit searches out and shows us all of God’s deepest secrets. 
11  No one can really know what anyone else is thinking or what he is really like except that person himself. And no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 
12  And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) to tell us about the wonderful free gifts of grace and blessing that God has given us. 
13  In telling you about these gifts we have even used the very words given to us by the Holy Spirit, not words that we as men might choose. So we use the Holy Spirit’s words to explain the Holy Spirit’s facts. 
14  But the man who isn’t a Christian can’t understand and can’t accept these thoughts from God, which the Holy Spirit teaches us. They sound foolish to him because only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means. Others just can’t take it in. 
15  But the spiritual man has insight into everything, and that bothers and baffles the man of the world, who can’t understand him at all. 
16  How could he? For certainly he has never been one to know the Lord’s thoughts, or to discuss them with him, or to move the hands of God by prayer.  But, strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
7    The wisdom I proclaim is God's secret wisdom, which is hidden from human beings, but which he had already chosen for our glory even before the world was made. 
8    None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 
9    However, as the scripture says, “What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen,  is the very thing God prepared for those who love him.”
10  But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths of God's purposes. 
11  It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us; in the same way, only God's Spirit knows all about God. 
12  We have not received this world's spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.
13  So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit. 
14  Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis. 
15  Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the value of everything, but no one is able to judge him. 
16  As the scripture says, “Who knows the mind of the Lord?  Who is able to give him advice?”  We, however, have the mind of Christ.

Living In The Light (Ephesians 5:1-4) The Living Bible, Good News & King James Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION

1  Follow God’s example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. 

2  Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him.

3  Let there be no sex sin, impurity or greed among you. Let no one be able to accuse you of any such things. 

4  Dirty stories, foul talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, remind each other of God’s goodness, and be thankful.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  Since you are God's dear children, you must try to be like him. 

2  Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God.

3  Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you. 

4  Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God. 

KING JAMES TRANSLATION

1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

3  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4  Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Christ Shall Give You Light (Ephesians 5:5-14)The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
5    You can be sure of this: The Kingdom of Christ and of God will never belong to anyone who is impure or greedy, for a greedy person is really an idol worshiper—he loves and worships the good things of this life more than God. 
6    Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible wrath of God is upon all those who do them. 
7    Don’t even associate with such people. 
8    For though once your heart was full of darkness, now it is full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! 
9    Because of this light within you, you should do only what is good and right and true.
10  Learn as you go along what pleases the Lord.
11  Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead, rebuke and expose them.
12  It would be shameful even to mention here those pleasures of darkness that the ungodly do. 
13  But when you expose them, the light shines in upon their sin and shows it up, and when they see how wrong they really are, some of them may even become children of light! 
14  That is why God says in the Scriptures, “Awake, O sleeper, and rise up from the dead; and Christ shall give you light.”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
5    You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
6    Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him. 
7    So have nothing at all to do with such people. 
8    You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, 
9    for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. 
10  Try to learn what pleases the Lord. 
11  Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. 
(12  It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) 
13   And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; 
14   for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, “Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you.”

Protection Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come to You now in the Name of my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, I make a joyful shout to You, I come before Your Presence with singing, and I enter into Your gates with thanksgiving, and into Your courts with praise, and You are good from everlasting to everlasting. Lord throughout this prayer and throughout this day I pray for myself and the following people,  _____ , _____, _____, and _____ . I pray for myself and everyone that I prayed for today.  I pray for all members of congress and of the armed forces of our nation, all of our intercessors, teachers, pastors, friends, enemies, neighbors, doctors, dentists, all people of Israel, everyone I go to church with, and all of Your workers.

Heavenly Father, I ask You to let us dwell in the secret place of the most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I ask You to let us say that You are our Lord, our refuge, our fortress and our God in whom we can trust. I ask You to deliver us from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. I ask You to cover each of us with Your feathers and let us walk under Your wings to take refuge. I ask You to let Your faithfulness and truth be our shield and armor. I ask You to let us not be afraid of the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the deadly pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. I ask You to cause a thousand to fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand and not to let any come near us.  I ask You to give Your angels charge over us to keep us in all Your ways and let Your angel’s hands lift us up, so we do not even dash our foot against a stone or be hurt in any way. I ask You to let us tread upon the lion and serpent and to let us trample the young lion and the serpent under our feet. I ask You Heavenly Father, to answer us when we call upon You, be with us in trouble, deliver us, honor us and satisfy us with a long life and show us Your salvation. 

Heavenly Father, I thank You that these things are written in Psalms 91, that we can dwell in the secret place of the most High, and I thank You that we can abide under the shadow of our Almighty God.  I thank You that we can say You are our Lord, our refuge, our fortress  and our God, whom we can trust. I thank You for delivering us from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. I thank You for covering each of us with Your feathers. I thank You that we can walk under Your wings and take refuge. I thank You that Your faithfulness and truth is our shield and armor. I thank You that we are not afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. I thank You that a thousand shall fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand and none will come near us.   I thank You for giving Your angels charge over us to keep us in all ways and that Your angel’s hands will lift us up so we do not dash our foot against a stone. I thank You that we can tread upon the lion and serpent and trample the young lion and the dragon under our feet. I thank You that when we call upon You, You will answer us, and be with us in trouble. Deliver us, honor us, satisfy us with a long life and show us Your salvation. Heavenly Father, I am thankful that our Lord Christ Jesus spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I (we) claim all that victory for our lives. I reject all the insinuations, accusations, and temptations of satan. I affirm that the Word of God is true and I choose to live in obedience to You Lord Jesus and in fellowship with You. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that do not please You. Work in me to cleanse me from all ground that would give satan a foothold against me. I do in every way stand in all that it means to be your adopted child and I welcome all the ministry of Your Holy Spirit. 

Heavenly Father, I pray that now and through my life, You would strengthen and enlighten me, show me the way satan and his demonic spirits are trying to hinder, tempt, lie, and distort the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that will please you. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer and faith. Enable me to be aggressive mentally, to think about and practice Your word, and to give You, Your rightful place in my life.

 Heavenly Father, I place all of my cares, all of my anxieties, all of my worries and all of my concerns once and for all on You, because I know that You love me and watch over me according to 1 Peter 5:7. 

Heavenly Father, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and may all those prosper who love You.  Psalms 122:6. Heavenly Father, I pray that You will establish Jerusalem and make her a praise in the earth.  Isaiah 62:7.  To God be the Glory. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

Human Guilt (Romans 1:26-32) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
26  That is why God let go of them and let them do all these evil things, so that even their women turned against God’s natural plan for them and indulged in sex sin with each other. 
27  And the men, instead of having normal sex relationships with women, burned with lust for each other, men doing shameful things with other men and, as a result, getting paid within their own souls with the penalty they so richly deserved.
28  So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. 
29  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin, of greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting, lying, bitterness, and gossip.
30  They were backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, always thinking of new ways of sinning and continually being disobedient to their parents. 
31  They tried to misunderstand, broke their promises, and were heartless—without pity. 
32  They were fully aware of God’s death penalty for these crimes, yet they went right ahead and did them anyway and encouraged others to do them, too.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
26  Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts. 
27  In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing.
28  Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. 
29  They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip 
30  and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; 
31  they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others.
32  They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.

God's Wrath Against Mankind (Romans 1:18-25) Living Bible & Good News Translations

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
18  But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, evil men who push away the truth from them.
19  For the truth about God is known to them instinctively; God has put this knowledge in their hearts.
20  Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of his existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse when they stand before God at Judgment Day.
21  Yes, they knew about him all right, but they wouldn’t admit it or worship him or even thank him for all his daily care. And after a while they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what he wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused. 
22  Claiming themselves to be wise without God, they became utter fools instead. 
23  And then, instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they took wood and stone and made idols for themselves, carving them to look like mere birds and animals and snakes and puny men.
24  So God let them go ahead into every sort of sex sin, and do whatever they wanted to—yes, vile and sinful things with each other’s bodies. 
25  Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they prayed to the things God made, but wouldn’t obey the blessed God who made these things.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
18  God's anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known. 
19  God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain. 
20  Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! 
21  They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. 
22  They say they are wise, but they are fools; 
23  instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles.
24  And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. 
25  They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.

God's Righteous Judgement (Romans 2:1-11) Living Bible & Good News Translations

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION

1   “Well,” you may be saying, “what terrible people you have been talking about!” But wait a minute! You are just as bad. When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are talking about yourselves, for you do these very same things. 

2   And we know that God, in justice, will punish anyone who does such things as these. 

3   Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and overlook you when you do them, too? 

4   Don’t you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.

5   But no, you won’t listen; and so you are saving up terrible punishment for yourselves because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin; for there is going to come a day of wrath when God will be the just Judge of all the world. 

6   He will give each one whatever his deeds deserve. 

7   He will give eternal life to those who patiently do the will of God, seeking for the unseen glory and honor and eternal life that he offers.* 

8   But he will terribly punish those who fight against the truth of God and walk in evil ways—God’s anger will be poured out upon them. 

9   There will be sorrow and suffering for Jews and Gentiles alike who keep on sinning. 

10  But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who obey him, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 

11  For God treats everyone the same.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1   Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself. 

2   We know that God is right when he judges the people who do such things as these. 

3   But you, my friend, do those very things for which you pass judgment on others! Do you think you will escape God's judgment? 

4   Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent. 

5   But you have a hard and stubborn heart, and so you are making your own punishment even greater on the Day when God's anger and righteous judgments will be revealed. 

6   For God will reward each of us according to what we have done. 

7   Some people keep on doing good, and seek glory, honor, and immortal life; to them God will give eternal life. 

8   Other people are selfish and reject what is right, in order to follow what is wrong; on them God will pour out his anger and fury. 

9   There will be suffering and pain for all those who do what is evil, for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles. 

10  But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles. 

11  For God judges everyone by the same standard.

Wait On The Lord ( Psalms 37:3-8;34-36;39-40) Living Bible & Good News Translations

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
PSALMS 37:3-8
3  Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper, feeding in safety.
4   Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart’s desires. 
5   Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. 
6   Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun.
7   Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act. Don’t be envious of evil men who prosper.
8   Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm.
PSALMS 37:34-36
34  Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing, and you will see the wicked destroyed. 
35-36  I myself have seen it happen: a proud and evil man, towering like a cedar of Lebanon, but when I looked again, he was gone! I searched but could not find him! 
PSALMS 37:39-40
39  The Lord saves the godly! He is their salvation and their refuge when trouble comes. 
40  Because they trust in him, he helps them and delivers them from the plots of evil men.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
PSALMS 37:3-8

3  Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and be safe.

4  Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desire.

5  Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you;

6  he will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.

7  Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don't be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans.

8  Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.

PSALMS 37:34-36

34  Put your hope in the Lord and obey his commands; he will honor you by giving you the land, and you will see the wicked driven out.

35  I once knew someone wicked who was a tyrant; he towered over everyone like a cedar of Lebanon;

36  but later I passed by, and he wasn't there; I looked for him, but couldn't find him.

PSALMS 37:39-40

39  The Lord saves the righteous and protects them in times of trouble.

40  He helps them and rescues them; he saves them from the wicked, because they go to him for protection.

Reverence For God (Proverbs 14:26-27 & 29-31) Living Bible and Good News Translations

LIVING BIBLE  TRANSLATION
PROVERBS 14:26-27
26  Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security.
27  Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life; its waters keep a man from death.
PROVERBS 14:29-31
29  A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes.
30  A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life; jealousy rots it away.
31  Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them. To help the poor is to honor God.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
PROVERBS 14:26-27
26  Reverence for the Lord gives confidence and security to a man and his family.
27  Do you want to avoid death? Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life.
PROVERBS 14:29-31
29  If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.
30  Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
31  If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

Happy Is The Man Who Seeks Wisdom (Proverbs 8:22-23 & 32-36) Living Bible & Good News Translations

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
PROVERBS 8:22-23
22  The Lord formed me in the beginning, before he created anything else.
23  From ages past, I am. I existed before the earth began. 
PROVERBS 8:32-36
32  And so, young men, listen to me, for how happy are all who follow my instructions.
33  “Listen to my counsel—oh, don’t refuse it—and be wise. 
34  Happy is the man who is so anxious to be with me that he watches for me daily at my gates, or waits for me outside my home! 
35  For whoever finds me finds life and wins approval from the Lord. 
36  But the one who misses me has injured himself irreparably. Those who refuse me show that they love death.”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
PROVERBS 8:22-23
22  “The Lord created me first of all, the first of his works, long ago.
23  I was made in the very beginning, at the first, before the world began.
PROVERBS 8:32-36
32  “Now, young people, listen to me.  Do as I say, and you will be happy.
33  Listen to what you are taught.  Be wise; do not neglect it.
34  Those who listen to me will be happy—those who stay at my door every day, waiting at the entrance to my home.
35  Those who find me find life, and the Lord will be pleased with them.
36  Those who do not find me hurt themselves; anyone who hates me loves death.”

To Fear The Lord Is To Hate Evil (Proverbs 8:12-21) Living Bible & Good News Translations

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
12  Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding. 
13  If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind.
14-16  “I, Wisdom, give good advice and common sense. Because of my strength, kings reign in power, and rulers make just laws. 
17  I love all who love me. Those who search for me shall surely find me. 
18  Unending riches, honor, justice, and righteousness are mine to distribute. 
19  My gifts are better than the purest gold or sterling silver! 
20  My paths are those of justice and right. 
21  Those who love and follow me are indeed wealthy. I fill their treasuries. 

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

12  I am Wisdom, and I have insight; I have knowledge and sound judgment.

13  To honor the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and false words.

14  I make plans and carry them out.  I have understanding, and I am strong.

15  I help kings to govern and rulers to make good laws.

16  Every ruler on earth governs with my help, officials and nobles alike.

17  I love those who love me; whoever looks for me can find me.

18  I have riches and honor to give, prosperity and success.

19  What you get from me is better than the finest gold, better than the purest silver.

20  I walk the way of righteousness; I follow the paths of justice,

21  giving wealth to those who love me, filling their houses with treasures.

Get Wisdom and Understanding (Proverbs 4:5-9 & 20-23) Living Bible & Good News Translations

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
PROVERBS 4:5-9
5    Learn to be wise,” he said, “and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point.” 
6    Cling to wisdom—she will protect you. Love her—she will guard you.
7    Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And with your wisdom, develop common sense and good judgment. 
8-9  If you exalt wisdom, she will exalt you. Hold her fast, and she will lead you to great honor; she will place a beautiful crown upon your head.
PROVERBS 4:20-23 
20   Listen, son of mine, to what I say. Listen carefully. 
21   Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, 
22   for they will mean real life for you and radiant health.
23  Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. 

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
PROVERBS 4:5-9
5   Get wisdom and insight! Do not forget or ignore what I say. 
6   Do not abandon wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will keep you safe. 
7   Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight. 
8   Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will bring you honor. 
9   She will be your crowning glory.”
PROVERBS 4:20-23
20  My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen to my words. 
21  Never let them get away from you. Remember them and keep them in your heart. 
22  They will give life and health to anyone who understands them. 
23  Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Peace With God Because Of Jesus (Romans 5:1-5) God's Word & The Message Translations

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION
1  Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. 
2  Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. 
3  But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance,
4  endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. 
5  We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION

1-2  By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

3-5  There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

If We Died With Christ (Romans 6:8-13) God's Word and Living Bible Translations

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION
8   If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 
9   We know that Christ, who was brought back to life, will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 
10  When he died, he died once and for all to sin’s power. But now he lives, and he lives for God. 
11  So consider yourselves dead to sin’s power but living for God in the power Christ Jesus gives you.
12  Therefore, never let sin rule your physical body so that you obey its desires. 
13  Never offer any part of your body to sin’s power. No part of your body should ever be used to do any ungodly thing. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have come back from death and are now alive. Offer all the parts of your body to God. Use them to do everything that God approves of.

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION 
8   And since your old sin-loving nature “died” with Christ, we know that you will share his new life. 
9   Christ rose from the dead and will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 
10  He died once for all to end sin’s power, but now he lives forever in unbroken fellowship with God. 
11  So look upon your old sin nature as dead and unresponsive to sin, and instead be alive to God, alert to him, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12  Do not let sin control your puny body any longer; do not give in to its sinful desires. ¹³ Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes. 

Dead To Sin, Alive In Christ (Romans 6:1-7) Living Bible and Amplified Translations

ROMANS 6:1-7    LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION 

1    Well then, shall we keep on sinning so that God can keep on showing us more and more kindness and forgiveness?

2-3  Of course not! Should we keep on sinning when we don’t have to? For sin’s power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through his death the power of your sinful nature was shattered. 
4    Your old sin-loving nature was buried with him by baptism when he died; and when God the Father, with glorious power, brought him back to life again, you were given his wonderful new life to enjoy.
5    For you have become a part of him, and so you died with him, so to speak, when he died; and now you share his new life and shall rise as he did. 
6    Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin’s control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin; 
7    for when you are deadened to sin you are freed from all its allure and its power over you. 

ROMANS 6:1-7   AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION

1   What shall we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow?

2   Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

3   Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

4   We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.

5   For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God].

6   We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.

7   For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men].

You Are Called To Persevere (Jude 20-25) God's Word & Living Bible Translations

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION

20  Dear friends, use your most holy faith to grow. Pray with the Holy Spirit’s help. 

21  Remain in God’s love as you look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you eternal life.

22  Show mercy to those who have doubts. 

23  Save others by snatching them from the fire of hell. Show mercy to others, even though you are afraid that you might be stained by their sinful lives.

24  God can guard you so that you don’t fall and so that you can be full of joy as you stand in his glorious presence without fault. 

25  Before time began, now, and for eternity glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen

LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION

20   But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.
21   Stay always within the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless you. Wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. 
22   Try to help those who argue against you. Be merciful to those who doubt. 
23   Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren’t pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners.
24-25  And now—all glory to him who alone is God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord; yes, splendor and majesty, all power and authority are his from the beginning; his they are and his they evermore shall be. And he is able to keep you from slipping and falling away, and to bring you, sinless and perfect, into his glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy.
Amen.

Sink Your Roots In Christ (Colossians 2:6-10) God's Word & The Message Translations

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION
6   You received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live as Christ’s people. 
7   Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving. 
8   Be careful not to let anyone rob you of this faith through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ.
9   All of God lives in Christ’s body, 
10  and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. 


THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION

6-7   My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

8-10  Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.

What God Has Done Through Christ (Colossians 1:13-23) God's Word & The Message Translations

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION

13  God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loves. 

14  His Son paid the price to free us, which means that our sins are forgiven.

15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16  He created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether they are kings or lords, rulers or powers—everything has been created through him and for him.

17  He existed before everything and holds everything together.

18  He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that he would have first place in everything.

19  God was pleased to have all of himself live in Christ. 

20  God was also pleased to bring everything on earth and in heaven back to himself through Christ. He did this by making peace through Christ’s blood sacrificed on the cross.

21  Once you were separated from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude. 

22  But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical body. He did this so that you could come into God’s presence without sin, fault, or blame. 

23  This is on the condition that you continue in faith without being moved from the solid foundation of the hope that the Good News contains. You’ve heard this Good News of which I, Paul, became a servant. It has been spread throughout all creation under heaven.

THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION

13-14God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.  

15-18  We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

18-20  He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

21-23  You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.

God Leads Us to Nothing But Good Things (Galatians 5:16-25 & James 1:13-17) God's Word

Often I hear people say, "If God brings you to it He will lead you through it."   Could this be a cliche rather than a fact?  Does God bring you to bad things or to things that will harm you?

According to Galatians 5:16-25 it says:
¹⁶ Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants. ¹⁷ What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don’t always do what you intend to do. ¹⁸ If your spiritual nature is your guide, you are not subject to Moses’ laws.
¹⁹ Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, ²⁰ idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. I’ve told you in the past and I’m telling you again that people who do these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There are no laws against things like that. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by our spiritual nature, then our lives need to conform to our spiritual nature. 

and

James 1:13-17
¹³ When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴ Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. ¹⁵ Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.

¹⁶ My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled. ¹⁷ Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.

God Does Not Tempt (James 1:12-18) God's Word and The Message Translations

GOD WORD'S TRANSLATION

12  Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 
13  When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone. 
14  Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. 
15  Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.
16  My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled. 
17  Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.
18  God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.


THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION

12    Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
13-15  Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
16-18  So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

Faith Under Pressure (James 1:2-8) God's Word and The Message Translations

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION

2  My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. 

3  You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. 

4  Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything.

5  If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. 

6  When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. 

7  A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

8  A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything.

THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION

2-4  Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

5-8  If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Live Well, Live Wisely (James 3:13-18)

GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION

13  Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. 

14  But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don’t brag. Don’t say that you are wise when it isn’t true. 

15  That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic. 16   Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil.

17  However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere. 

18  A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers.

THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION

13-16  Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

17-18  Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.