He and all his family were devout and God-fearing;(A) he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

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Ask, Seek, Knock(A)

“Ask and it will be given to you;(B) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(C) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

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22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,(A) who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”(B)

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Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering(A) before God.(B)

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16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand(A) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!

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Is it not to share your food with the hungry(A)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(B)
when you see the naked, to clothe(C) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(D)
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(E)
    and your healing(F) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a](G) will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One

26 “Fellow children of Abraham(A) and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation(B) has been sent.

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35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.(A)

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When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.

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Crispus,(A) the synagogue leader,(B) and his entire household(C) believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

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Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.

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Who will not fear you, Lord,(A)
    and bring glory to your name?(B)
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
    and worship before you,(C)
for your righteous acts(D) have been revealed.”[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 15:4 Phrases in this song are drawn from Psalm 111:2,3; Deut. 32:4; Jer. 10:7; Psalms 86:9; 98:2.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,(A) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.(B)

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Further Instructions

Devote yourselves to prayer,(A) being watchful and thankful.

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And God is able(A) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,(B) you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts(C) to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”[a](D)

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food(E) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.(F) 11 You will be enriched(G) in every way so that you can be generous(H) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.(I)

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs(J) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.(K) 13 Because of the service(L) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God(M) for the obedience that accompanies your confession(N) of the gospel of Christ,(O) and for your generosity(P) in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God(Q) for his indescribable gift!(R)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9

26 For Macedonia(A) and Achaia(B) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.(C) 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.(D)

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12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(A) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(B)

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14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira(A) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart(B) to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household(C) were baptized,(D) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

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50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.(A)

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31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.

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36 In Joppa(A) there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good(B) and helping the poor.

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31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria(A) enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.(B)

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11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus(A) named Saul, for he is praying.

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Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing(A) Jews from every nation under heaven.

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