Below are the full scriptures as taken from the
New King James Version for our weekly thoughts.
New King James Version for our weekly thoughts.
Thought For the Week
July 16,2009
John 5
A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the
Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of
sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain
time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was
made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6
When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to
him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while
I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his
bed, and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not
lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”
12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who
was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward
Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come upon you.”
15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Honor the Father and the Son
16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on
the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said
that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most
assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He
does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He
Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises
the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one,
but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He
who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Life and Judgment Are Through the Son
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life,
and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour
is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For
as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him
authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to
the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself
do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of
the Father who sent Me.
The Fourfold Witness
31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know
that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the
truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the
burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness
than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of
Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither
heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom
He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and
these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have
come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the
only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in
whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do
not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
August 1,2009
Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Captives
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the
elders who were carried away captive—to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar
had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen
mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from
Jerusalem.) 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah,
whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to
be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and
daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and
daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I
have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace. 8
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your
midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to
you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.
10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good
word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says
the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me
and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me
with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will
gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring
you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
15 Because you have said, “The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon”— 16 therefore thus says the
LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, concerning all the people who dwell in this city, and
concerning your brethren who have not gone out with you into captivity— 17 thus says the LORD of hosts:
Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that
cannot be eaten, they are so bad. 18 And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence;
and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth—to be a curse, an astonishment, a
hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have not heeded My
words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them;
neither would you heed, says the LORD. 20 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity,
whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son
of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. 22 And because of them a curse shall be taken up by
all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the
king of Babylon roasted in the fire”; 23 because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed
adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded
them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.
24 You shall also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, 25 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah the son
of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 “The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada
the priest, so that there should be officers in the house of the LORD over every man who is demented and
considers himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison and in the stocks. 27 Now therefore, why have
you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who makes himself a prophet to you? 28 For he has sent to us in
Babylon, saying, ‘This captivity is long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.’”
29 Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the
LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: 31 Send to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says the LORD concerning
Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I have not sent him, and he has
caused you to trust in a lie— 32 therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite
and his family: he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for
My people, says the LORD, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD.
December 11, 2009
Luke 1
Dedication to Theophilus
1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled
among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them
to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to
you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which
you were instructed.
John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.
His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before
God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because
Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the
custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the
whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord
appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was
troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will
bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice
at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will
also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the
fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord.”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced
in years.”
19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to
speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the
day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he
came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he
beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now
after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has
dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin
betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And
having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you
among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be
called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest
will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now
indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her
who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel
departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered
the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary,
that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a
loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this
granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your
greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will
be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46 And Mary said:
“ My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors
and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the
name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made
signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on
all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66
And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand
of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “ Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
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