Day 6 - Matthew 6 and Acts 11-12

Matthew 6

6:1 "Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

6:2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

6:3 But when you do merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know what your right hand does,

6:4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

6:5 "When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

6:7 In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

6:8 Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

6:9 Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

6:10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

6:13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

6:15 But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

6:16 "Moreover when you fast, don't be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

6:17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

6:18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

6:19 "Don't lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal;

6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

6:23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

6:24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon.

6:25 Therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

6:26 See the birds of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you of much more value than they?

6:27 "Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment  to his lifespan?

6:28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin,

6:29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

6:31 "Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?'

6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

6:33 But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

6:34 Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.

Acts 11

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers  who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

11:2 When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

11:3 saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!"

11:4 But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

11:5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.

11:6 When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat!'

11:8 But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.'

11:9 But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, don't you call unclean.'

11:10 This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11:11 Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

11:12 The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house.

11:13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, 'Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter,

11:14 who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.'

11:15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

11:16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

11:17 If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?"

11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!"

11:19 They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.

11:20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the hellenists,  preaching the Lord Jesus.

11:21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

11:22 The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

11:23 who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.

11:24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

11:25 Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

11:26 When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

11:27 Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

11:28 One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

11:29 As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

11:30 which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 12

12:1 Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

12:2 He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

12:3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.

12:4 When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

12:5 Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.

12:6 The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, "Stand up quickly!" His chains fell off from his hands.

12:8 The angel said to him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." He did so. He said to him, "Put on your cloak, and follow me."

12:9 And he went out and followed him. He didn't know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

12:10 When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

12:11 When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting."

12:12 Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

12:13 When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

12:14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she didn't open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

12:15 They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."

12:16 But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

12:17 But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell these things to James, and to the brothers." Then he departed, and went to another place.

12:18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

12:19 When Herod had sought for him, and didn't find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

12:20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food.

12:21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.

12:22 The people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"

12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn't give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

12:25 Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John whose surname was Mark.