First Fruit

But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.

for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, — read the full passage →

For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. — read the full passage →

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. — read the full passage →

May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?

Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed.

I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’

You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.

For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’

He said, “A certain man had two sons. — read the full passage →

Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,

I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? “Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.

Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.

Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.

Behold, I was born in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me.

Then Menahem struck Tiphsah, and all who were therein, and its borders, from Tirzah: because they didn’t open to him, therefore he struck it; and all the women therein who were with child he ripped up.

Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child.”

He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!” — read the full passage →

Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Yahweh your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you.

We took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left no one remaining.

Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.” — read the full passage →