Jesus Is Named and Presented In The Temple (Luke 2:21-38) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

21  Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

22  Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 

23  The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.”

24  So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25  At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 

26  and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 

27  That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 

28  Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

29  “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.  

30  I have seen your salvation,

31  which you have prepared for all people.

32  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

33  Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 

34  Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 

35  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

36  Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 

37  Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 

38  She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

21  A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

22  The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 

23  as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.” 

24  They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.

25  At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him 

26  and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah. 

27  Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required, 

28  Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

29  “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace.

30  With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,

31  which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:

32  A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.”

33  The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him. 

34  Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against 

35  and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”

36-37  There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old.  She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying. 

38  That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

The Shepherds And Angels AND Visitors From The East (Luke 2:8-20 and Matthew 2:1-12) Good News Translation

THE SHEPHERDS AND ANGELS
Luke 2:8-20
8   There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. 
9   An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, 
10  but the angel said to them, “Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. 
11  This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! 
12  And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13  Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:
14  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”
15  When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.”
16  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. 
17  When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. 
18  All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. 
19  Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. 
20  The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

VISITORS FROM THE EAST
Matthew 2:1-12

1   Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the time when Herod was king. Soon afterward, some men who studied the stars came from the East to Jerusalem 

2   and asked, “Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

3  When King Herod heard about this, he was very upset, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. 

4  He called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?”

5  “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they answered. “For this is what the prophet wrote:

6  ‘Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least of the leading cities of Judah; for from you will come a leader who will guide my people Israel.’”

7   So Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 

8  Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: “Go and make a careful search for the child; and when you find him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9-10  And so they left, and on their way they saw the same star they had seen in the East. When they saw it, how happy they were, what joy was theirs! It went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 

11  They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him.

12  Then they returned to their country by another road, since God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1:18-25 & Luke 2:1-7) Good News and New Living Translations

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
MATTHEW 1:18-25
18  This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. 
19  Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. 
20  While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. 
21  She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.”
22  Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, 
23  “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”).
24  So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to. ²⁵ But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her son. And Joseph named him Jesus.

LUKE 2:1-7

1   At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 

2   When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. 

3   Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.

4   Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. 

5   He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, 

6   and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. 

7   She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn.

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

MATTHEW 1:18-25

18  This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

19  Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

21  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22  All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23  “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,

    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24  When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 

25  But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

LUKE 2:1-7

1   At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 

2   (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3   All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 

4   And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 

5   He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

6   And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 

7   She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Mary’s Song Of Praise (Luke 1:46-55) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

46  Mary responded,  “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

47  How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

48  For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49  For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. 

50  He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.

51  His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52  He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. 

53  He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54  He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.

55  For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

46  Mary said, “My heart praises the Lord;
47  my soul is glad because of God my Savior,
48  for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!  From now on all people will call me happy,
49  because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.  His name is holy;
50  from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him.
51  He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans.
52  He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.
53  He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54  He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel.
55  He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!”

The Birth Of Jesus Foretold (Luke 1:26-38) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

26  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 

27  to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 

28  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29  Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 

30  “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 

31  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 

32  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 

33  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34  Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 

36  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 

37  For nothing is impossible with God.”

38  Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
26  In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 
27  He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. 
28  The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
29  Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. 
30  The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 
31  You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 
32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 
33  and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”
34  Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”
35  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. 
36  Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. 
37  For there is nothing that God cannot do.”
38  “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

Rely On Your God (Isaiah 50:7-11) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

7   Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will.  And I know that I will not be put to shame.

8   He who gives me justice is near.  Who will dare to bring charges against me now?  Where are my accusers?  Let them appear!

9   See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side!  Who will declare me guilty?  All my enemies will be destroyed
    like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!

10  Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant?  If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.

11  But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires.  This is the reward you will receive from me:  You will soon fall down in great torment.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

7   But their insults cannot hurt me because the Sovereign Lord gives  me help.  I brace myself to endure them.  I know that I will not be disgraced,

8    for God is near, and he will prove me innocent.  Does anyone dare bring charges against me?  Let us go to court together!  Let him bring his accusation!

9   The Sovereign Lord himself defends me—who, then, can prove me guilty?  All my accusers will disappear; they will vanish like moth-eaten cloth.

10  All of you that honor the Lord and obey the words of his servant, the path you walk may be dark indeed, but trust in the Lord, rely on your God.

11  All of you that plot to destroy others will be destroyed by your own plots.  The Lord himself will make this happen; you will suffer a miserable fate.

I Am The Lord Your God (Isaiah 51:12-16) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
12  “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you.  So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?
13  Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth.  Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors?  Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies?  Where is their fury and anger now?  It is gone!
14  Soon all you captives will be released!  Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!
15  For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar.  My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
16  And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand.  I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth.  I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my people!’”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

12  The Lord says, “I am the one who strengthens you.  Why should you fear mortals, who are no more enduring than grass?

13  Have you forgotten the Lord who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations?  Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you?  Their fury can no longer touch you.

14  Those who are prisoners will soon be set free; they will live a long life and have all the food they need.

15  “I am the Lord your God; I stir up the sea and make its waves roar.  My name is the Lord Almighty!

16  I stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations; I say to Jerusalem, ‘You are my people!

    I have given you my teaching, and I protect you with my hand.’”

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.