Friday, July 9

6But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,

7nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called.'

8That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

9For this is the word of promise: 'At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.'

10And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac

11(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),

12it was said to her, 'The older shall serve the younger.'

13As it is written, 'Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.'

14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!

15For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.'

16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

17For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.'

18Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

19You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?'

32'Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

34'Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

35For I have come to ' set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law';

36and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'

37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

40'He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

41He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.'

1Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.