A Question About Fasting

Matthew 9:14) Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 15) And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16) No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17) Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

Matthew 9:18) While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19) And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20) And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21) for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." 22) Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23) And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25) But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26) And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Matthew 9:27) And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 28) When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29) Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." 30) And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." 31) But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

Matthew 9:32) As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33) And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." 34) But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons."

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

Matthew 9:35) And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37) Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38) therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

04/08/2012BC

Paul and the False Apostles

2 Corinthians 11:1) I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2) For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3) But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5) Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6) Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
7) Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? 8) I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9) And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10) As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11) And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12) And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13) For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14) And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15) So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.