59.4 A Prayer For Help

(Psalm 70)

Save me, O God! Lord, help me now!
May those who try to kill me be defeated and confused.
May those who are happy because of my troubles be turned back and disgraced.
May those who make fun of me be dismayed by their defeat.

May all who come to you be glad and joyful.
May all who are thankful for your salvation always say, "how great is God!"

I am weak and helpless; come to me quickly, O God.
You are my savior and my Lord-- hurry to my aid!

59.3 Happy The Man Who Perseveres

(James 1:2-4, 12)

My brothers, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.  Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Happy is the person who remain faithful under trials, because when he succeeds in passing such a test, he will receive as his reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.

59.2 If God Is With Us, Who Can Separate Us From His Love?

(Romans 8:31-39)

"In view of all this, what can we say?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  Certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him for us all!  He gave us his Son--will he not also freely give us all things? Who will accuse God's chosen people?  God himself declares them not guilty!  Who, then, will condemn them?  Not Christ Jesus, who  died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ?  Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger of death?  As the scripture says,  "For your sake we are in danger of death at all times;  we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!  For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below--there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our lord.

59.1 Brother Will Hand Over Brother

(Matthew 10:21-27)

"Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death.  Everyone will hate you because of me.  But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in one town, run away to another one. I assure you that you will not finish your work in all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

"No pupil is greater than his teacher; no slave is greater than his master.  So a pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and a slave like his master.  If the head of  the family is called Beelzebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names!

So do not be afraid of people.  Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known.  What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops."