My Daily Task (Psalms 101) New Living Translation

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1  I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. 

2  I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.  

3  I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them.

4  I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.

5  I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.  I will not endure conceit and pride.

6  I will search for faithful people to be my companions.  Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. 

7  I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house and liars will not stay in my presence.

8  My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the Lord from their grip. 

The River Of Life (Revelation 22:1-6) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1  Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 

2  It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

3  No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. 

4  And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 

5  And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

6  Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  The angel also showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, and coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb 

2  and flowing down the middle of the city's street. On each side of the river was the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year, once each month; and its leaves are for the healing of the nations. 

3  Nothing that is under God's curse will be found in the city. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. 

4  They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 

5  There shall be no more night, and they will not need lamps or sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light, and they will rule as kings forever and ever. 

6  Then the angel said to me, “These words are true and can be trusted. And the Lord God, who gives his Spirit to the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen very soon.”

What The Christian Walk Is (New Living Translation) "Repost from 11/20/12)

Walking With God   (Psalms 56:13; Micah 6:8 and Revelation 3:4)

Psalms 56:13

13  For you have rescued me from death;  you have kept my feet from slipping.  So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.

Micah 6:8 

8    No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:  to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Revelation 3:4

4    “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

Walking In God's Ways (Deuteronomy 5:33: Deuteronomy 10:12 and Joshua 22:5)

Deuteronomy 5:33

33  Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Deuteronomy 10:12

12  “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.

Joshua 22:5

5    But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

Walking Before God (I King 2:4 and  2 Chronicles 7:17)

I King 2:4

4     If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

2 Chronicles 7:17

17  “As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations,

Walking In Truth (Psalms 26:3 and 3 John 3-4)

Psalms 26:3

3   For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth.

3 John 3-4

3    Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.

4    I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

Walking In The Light (Psalms 89:15; Isaiah 2:5 and I John 1:7)

Psalms 89:15

15  Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Isaiah 2:5 

5    Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

I John 1:7

7     But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Walking In The Name of of God (Micah 4:5)

Micah 4:5

5    Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

Walking In The Fear Of God (Nehemiah 5:9)

Nehemiah 5:9

9   Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations? 

Walking In the Law Of God (Psalms 119:1)

Psalms 119:1

1    Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.

Walking In Love and Obedience  (2 John 6)

2 John 6

6   Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

Walking In The Spirit (Romans 8:4)

Romans 8:4

4    He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit

Walking In The Paths Of The Righteous (Proverbs 2:20)

Proverbs 2:20

20  Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.

Walking As Jesus Walked  (I John 2:6)

I John 2:6

6    Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

Gives Thanks and Praise To The Lord (Psalms 117 & 118:1) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
PSALMS 117

1  Praise the Lord, all you nations.  Praise him, all you people of the earth.

2  For he loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!

PSALMS 118:1

1  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

PSALMS 117

1  Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise him, all peoples!

2  His love for us is strong, and his faithfulness is eternal.

Praise the Lord!

PSALMS 118:1

1  Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good, and his love is eternal.

Praise The Lord (Psalms 113) New Living and Good News Translation

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1 Praise the Lord! Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.  Praise the name of the Lord!

2  Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.

3  Everywhere—from east to west—praise the name of the Lord.

4  For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.

5  Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?

6  He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.

7  He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump.

8  He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!

9  He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother.

Praise the Lord!

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  Praise the Lord! You servants of the Lord, praise his name!

2  May his name be praised, now and forever.

3  From the east to the west praise the name of the Lord!

4  The Lord rules over all nations; his glory is above the heavens.

5  There is no one like the Lord our God.  He lives in the heights above,

6  but he bends down to see the heavens and the earth.

7  He raises the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from their misery

8  and makes them companions of princes, the princes of his people.

9  He honors the childless wife in her home; he makes her happy by giving her children.

Praise the Lord!

A Psalm of Thanksgiving (Psalms 100) Good News and New King James Translations

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  Sing to the Lord, all the world!

2  Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with happy songs!

3  Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock.

4  Enter the Temple gates with thanksgiving; go into its courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise him.

5  The Lord is good; his love is eternal and his faithfulness lasts forever.

NEW KING JAMES TRANSLATION

1  Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

2  Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

3  Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5  For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Father, I come to you in the Name of Jesus, my Lord, my Savior.  I come to you with a heart of thanksgiving.  I thank you for all the good things in my life, for you are the Creator of all things good.  Father, I thank you for Your Presence.  For in Your Presence is the fullness of my joy and in Your Presence I am complete and whole.  In Your Presence I have purpose.  Because of Your Presence, I am glad to be here.  Father, I thank you for Your plan, that I might have a full life and enjoy it and have it in abundance to overflowing.  Father, I thank You for Your provisions, that all my needs are met according to Your riches in glory and that I may prosper in all areas of my life as my soul prospers.  Father, I thank You for Your protection, that Your perfect love cast out all fear and that no weapon formed against me shall prosper.  Father, I thank You for Your peace.  The peace that passes all understanding.  The peace that keeps me calm and secure through adversity. The peace that leads me through all the storms that come into my life. Father, thank You for my life and Your Presence in it.  

In Jesus Name, Amen

Growing In Faith (II Peter 1:3-9) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

3  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 

4  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 

6  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 

7  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8  The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9  But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

3  God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. 

4  In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature. 

5  For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; 

6  to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness;

7  to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love. 

8  These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9  But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins.

Be Strong In Your Faith (I Peter 5:6-11) New Living, Good News and New King James Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

6   So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 

7   Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

8   Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

9   Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 

11  All power to him forever! Amen.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
6   Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.
7   Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.
8   Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 
9   Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings. 
10  But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation. 
11  To him be the power forever! Amen.

NEW KING JAMES TRANSLATION

6   Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 

7   casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8   Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

9   Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

10  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 

11  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

True Happiness (Psalms 1:1-6) New Living, Good News and New International Verison Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1  Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

2  But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

3  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  Their leaves never wither,     and they prosper in all they do.

4  But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5  They will be condemned at the time of judgment.  Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6  For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
1  Happy are those who reject the advice of evil men, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God.
2   Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night.
3   They are like trees that grow beside the stream, they bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up.  They succeed in everything they do.
4   But evil men are not like this at all; they are like straw that the wind blows away.
5   Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God's own people.
6   The righteous are guided and protected by the Lord, but the evil are on the way to their doom.

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERISON TRANSLATION

1  Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take

    or sit in the company of mockers,

2  but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

3  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

4  Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

5  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Suffering For Being A Christian (I Peter 4:12-19) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

12  Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 

13  Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

14  So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 

15  If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 

16  But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 

17  For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? 

18  And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”

19  So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

12  My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you. 
13  Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed. 
14  Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 
15  If you suffer, it must not be because you are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people's affairs. 
16  However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.
17  The time has come for judgment to begin, and God's own people are the first to be judged. If it starts with us, how will it end with those who do not believe the Good News from God? 
18  As the scripture says,  "It is difficult for good people to be saved; what, then, will become of godless sinners?”
19  So then, those who suffer because it is God's will for them, should by their good actions trust themselves completely to their Creator, who always keeps his promise.

Good Managers Of God's Gifts (I Peter 4:7-11) New Living Bible and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
7    The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
8    Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
9    Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10  God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
11  Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever!
Amen.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
7    The end of all things is near. You must be self-controlled and alert, to be able to pray. 
8    Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins. 
9    Open your homes to each other without complaining. 
10  Each one, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God. 
11  Those who preach must preach God's messages; those who serve must serve with the strength that God gives them, so that in all things praise may be given to God through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and power forever and ever. 
Amen.

Changed Lives (Living for God) I Peter 4:1-6 New Living Bible and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION

1  So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 

2  You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 

3  You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

4  Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 

5  But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 

6  That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  Since Christ suffered physically, you too must strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking that he had; because whoever suffers physically is no longer involved with sin. 

2  From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God's will and not by human desires. 

3  You have spent enough time in the past doing what the heathen like to do. Your lives were spent in indecency, lust, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and the disgusting worship of idols. 

4  And now the heathen are surprised when you do not join them in the same wild and reckless living, and so they insult you. 

5  But they will have to give an account of themselves to God, who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6  That is why the Good News was preached also to the dead, to those who had been judged in their physical existence as everyone is judged; it was preached to them so that in their spiritual existence they may live as God lives.

A Prayer for Forgiveness (Psalms 51:1-17) NEW LIVING AND GOOD NEWS TRANSLATIONS

A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

NEW LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION

1    Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

2    Wash me clean from my guilt.  Purify me from my sin.

3    For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

4    Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.  You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

5    For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

6    But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.

7    Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8    Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice.

9    Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt.

10  Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.

11  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

13  Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.

14  Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

15  Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

16  You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.  You do not want a burnt offering.

17  The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love.  Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins!

2    Wash away all my evil and make me clean from my sin! 

3    I recognize my faults; I am always conscious of my sins.

4    I have sinned against you—only against you—and done what you consider evil.  So you are right in judging me; you are justified in condemning me.

5    I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful.

6    Sincerity and truth are what you require; fill my mind with your wisdom.

7    Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8    Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; and though you have crushed me and broken me, I will be happy once again.

9    Close your eyes to my sins and wipe out all my evil.

10  Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.

11  Do not banish me from your presence; do not take your holy spirit away from me.

12  Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

13  Then I will teach sinners your commands, and they will turn back to you.

14  Spare my life, O God, and save me, and I will gladly proclaim your righteousness.

15  Help me to speak, Lord, and I will praise you.

16  You do not want sacrifices, or I would offer them; you are not pleased with burnt offerings.

17  My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.

The Living Stone And The Holy Nation (I Peter 2:1-9)The Living Bible and Good News

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
1  So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.
2  Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,
3  now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
4  You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
5  And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
6  As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
7  Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

8  And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language. 

2  Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved. 

3  As the scripture says, “You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is.”

4  Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.

5  Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. 

6  For the scripture says, “I chose a valuable stone, which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion; and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed.”

7  This stone is of great value for you that believe; but for those who do not believe:  “The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.”

8  And another scripture says, "This is the stone that will make people stumble, the rock that will make them fall.”  They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God's will for them. 

9  But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

The Word Of God Endures Forever (1 Peter 1:22-25) The Living Bible, Good News and Amplified Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
22  You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
23  For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
24  As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field.  The grass withers and the flower fades.
25  But the word of the Lord remains forever.”  And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

22  Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart. 
23  For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal. 
24  As the scripture says, “All human beings are like grass, and all their glory is like wild flowers.  The grass withers, and the flowers fall,
25  but the word of the Lord remains forever.”  This word is the Good News that was proclaimed to you.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION

22  Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart.

23  You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.

24  For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off,

25  But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was

A Call To Holy Living (1 Peter 1:13-21) The Living Bible, Good News and Amplified Bible Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE (I PETER 1:13-21)

13  So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 

14  So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 

15  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 

16  For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

17  And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” 

18  For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 

19  It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 

20  God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

21  Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION (I PETER 1:13-21)

13  So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 
14  Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. 
15  Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy. 
16  The scripture says, “Be holy because I am holy.”
17  You call him Father, when you pray to God, who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for him. 
18  For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; 
19  it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw. 
20  He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. 
21  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God.

AMPLIFIED BIBLE TRANSLATION (I PETER 1:13-21)

13  So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.

14  [Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].

15  But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.

16  For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

17  And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short].

18  You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold,

19  But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.

20  It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined and foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you.

21  Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God.

Love Is The Greatest (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1   If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

2   If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 

3   If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4   Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 

5   or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 

6   It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 

7   Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8   Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 

9   Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 

10  But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

11  When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 

12  Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13  Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1   I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. 

2   I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains—but if I have no love, I am nothing. 

3   I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned—but if I have no love, this does me no good.

4   Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; 

5   love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; 

6   love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. 

7   Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.

8   Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. 

9   For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; 

10  but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear.

11  When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am an adult, I have no more use for childish ways. 

12  What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete—as complete as God's knowledge of me.

13  Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

One Body With Many Parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-21) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION

12  The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 

13  Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14  Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 

15  If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 

16  And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 

17  If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18  But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 

19  How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 

20  Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 

21  The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
12  Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. 
13  In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.
14  For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. 
15  If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 
16  And if the ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body. 
17  If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell?
18  As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 
19  There would not be a body if it were all only one part! 
20  As it is, there are many parts but one body.
21  So then, the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don't need you!” Nor can the head say to the feet, “Well, I don't need you!”

Gifts From The Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION

1   And now, brothers, I want to write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of you, for I don’t want any misunderstanding about them. 

2   You will remember that before you became Christians you went around from one idol to another, not one of which could speak a single word. 

3   But now you are meeting people who claim to speak messages from the Spirit of God. How can you know whether they are really inspired by God or whether they are fakes? Here is the test: no one speaking by the power of the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” and really mean it, unless the Holy Spirit is helping him.

4   Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. 

5   There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. 

6   There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work in and through all of us who are his. 

7   The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church.

8   To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; someone else may be especially good at studying and teaching, and this is his gift from the same Spirit. 

9   He gives special faith to another, and to someone else the power to heal the sick. 

10 He gives power for doing miracles to some, and to others power to prophesy and preach. He gives someone else the power to know whether evil spirits are speaking through those who claim to be giving God’s messages—or whether it is really the Spirit of God who is speaking. Still another person is able to speak in languages he never learned; and others, who do not know the language either, are given power to understand what he is saying. 

11  It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and powers, deciding which each one of us should have.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1   Now, concerning what you wrote about the gifts from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know the truth about them, my friends. 

2   You know that while you were still heathen, you were led astray in many ways to the worship of lifeless idols. 

3   I want you to know that no one who is led by God's Spirit can say “A curse on Jesus!” and no one can confess “Jesus is Lord,” without being guided by the Holy Spirit.

4   There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 

5   There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. 

6   There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. 

7   The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all. 

8   The Spirit gives one person a message full of wisdom, while to another person the same Spirit gives a message full of knowledge. 

9   One and the same Spirit gives faith to one person, while to another person he gives the power to heal.

10  The Spirit gives one person the power to work miracles; to another, the gift of speaking God's message; and to yet another, the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not. To one person he gives the ability to speak in strange tongues, and to another he gives the ability to explain what is said. 

11  But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person.

Your Body Is The Home Of The Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:15-20) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
15  Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts and members of Christ? So should I take part of Christ and join him to a prostitute? Never! 
16  And don’t you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute she becomes a part of him and he becomes a part of her? For God tells us in the Scripture that in his sight the two become one person. 
17  But if you give yourself to the Lord, you and Christ are joined together as one person.
18  That is why I say to run from sex sin. No other sin affects the body as this one does. When you sin this sin it is against your own body. 
19  Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. 
20  For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
15  You know that your bodies are parts of the body of Christ. Shall I take a part of Christ's body and make it part of the body of a prostitute? Impossible! 
16  Or perhaps you don't know that the man who joins his body to a prostitute becomes physically one with her? The scripture says quite plainly, “The two will become one body.” 
17  But he who joins himself to the Lord becomes spiritually one with him.
18  Avoid immorality. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body; but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body. 
19  Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; 
20  he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.

Use Your Bodies For God's Glory (I Corinthians 6:9-14) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
9-10 Don’t you know that those doing such things have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshipers, adulterers or homosexuals—will have no share in his Kingdom. Neither will thieves or greedy people, drunkards, slanderers, or robbers. 
11   There was a time when some of you were just like that but now your sins are washed away, and you are set apart for God; and he has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.
12  I can do anything I want to if Christ has not said no, but some of these things aren’t good for me. Even if I am allowed to do them, I’ll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on me that I can’t easily stop when I want to. 
13  For instance, take the matter of eating. God has given us an appetite for food and stomachs to digest it. But that doesn’t mean we should eat more than we need. Don’t think of eating as important because someday God will do away with both stomachs and food.  But sexual sin is never right: our bodies were not made for that but for the Lord, and the Lord wants to fill our bodies with himself. 
14  And God is going to raise our bodies from the dead by his power just as he raised up the Lord Jesus Christ. 

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
9  Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts 
10  or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God's Kingdom. 
11  Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  
12  Someone will say, “I am allowed to do anything.” Yes; but not everything is good for you. I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am not going to let anything make me its slave. 
13  Someone else will say, “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food.” Yes; but God will put an end to both. The body is not to be used for sexual immorality, but to serve the Lord; and the Lord provides for the body. 
14  God raised the Lord from death, and he will also raise us by his power.

Christ is God’s (1 Corinthians 3:19-23) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
19  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As it says in the book of Job, God uses man’s own brilliance to trap him; he stumbles over his own “wisdom” and falls. 
20  And again, in the book of Psalms, we are told that the Lord knows full well how the human mind reasons and how foolish and futile it is.
21  So don’t be proud of following the wise men of this world. For God has already given you everything you need. 
22  He has given you Paul and Apollos and Peter as your helpers. He has given you the whole world to use, and life and even death are your servants. He has given you all of the present and all of the future. All are yours, 
23  and you belong to Christ, and Christ is God’s.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
19  For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, “God traps the wise in their cleverness”; 
20  and another scripture says, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless.” 
21  No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do. Actually everything belongs to you:
22  Paul, Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future—all these are yours,
23  and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Christ’s Judgment Day (1 Corinthians 3:12-18) The Living Bible & Good News Translations

THE LIVING BIBLE TRANSLATION
12  But there are various kinds of materials that can be used to build on that foundation. Some use gold and silver and jewels; and some build with sticks and hay or even straw! 
13  There is going to come a time of testing at Christ’s Judgment Day to see what kind of material each builder has used. Everyone’s work will be put through the fire so that all can see whether or not it keeps its value, and what was really accomplished. 
14  Then every workman who has built on the foundation with the right materials, and whose work still stands, will get his pay. 
15  But if the house he has built burns up, he will have a great loss. He himself will be saved, but like a man escaping through a wall of flames.
16  Don’t you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in his house? 
17  If anyone defiles and spoils God’s home, God will destroy him. For God’s home is holy and clean, and you are that home.
18  Stop fooling yourselves. If you count yourself above average in intelligence, as judged by this world’s standards, you had better put this all aside and be a fool rather than let it hold you back from the true wisdom from above.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
12  Some will use gold or silver or precious stones in building on the foundation; others will use wood or grass or straw. 
13  And the quality of each person's work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone's work; the fire will test it and show its real quality. 
14  If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward. 
15  But if your work is burnt up, then you will lose it; but you yourself will be saved, as if you had escaped through the fire.
16  Surely you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you! 
17  God will destroy anyone who destroys God's temple. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are his temple.
18  You should not fool yourself. If any of you think that you are wise by this world's standards, you should become a fool, in order to be really wise.