M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him. He gave them power over bad spirits so they could drive them out of people. He gave them power to heal people who were sick or weak in any way.
2-4 he names of the twelve apostles are: Simon, whose other name was Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose other name was Thaddaeus, Simon, the freedom fighter, and Judas Iscariot, the one who gave Jesus over to people who hated him.
5 Jesus sent out these twelve. He said to them, `Do not go to the people who are not Jews. Do not go to any town of the Samaritan people.
6 But go to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep.
7 As you go, tell people that the kingdom of heaven is here.
8 Heal sick people. Bring dead people to life. Heal people who have leprosy. Drive bad spirits out of people You got it free, so give it free to others
9 Do not take gold, silver, or brass money with you.
10 Do not take a bag with you, and do not take two shirts, shoes, or a walking stick. The one who does the work should be given his food.
11 When you come to any city or town, ask who there is able to have you. Then live there until you leave the town.
12 When you go into the house, greet the family with a blessing.
13 If the family is all right, let your blessing stay on it. If it is not all right, take your blessing away.
14 In some places people will not take you in, or listen to what you say. So when you leave that house or town, shake the dust off your feet.
15 I tell you the truth. On the day when people are judged, the people from that city will be punished harder than the people from the country of Sodom and Gomorrah.'
16 `I am sending you out amongst people. You will be like sheep amongst bad animals like wolves. So be wise like snakes, and harmless like doves.
17 But take care. Men will take you to their courts. They will beat you in their meeting houses.
18 They will bring you to rulers and kings for my sake. Then you will talk about me to them and to those who are not Jews.
19 When men take you to court, do not be troubled about what you will say. What you are to say will come to your mind at the right time.
20 It is not you who speak. But it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking through you.
21 A brother will take his brother to be killed. A father will take his child. The children will talk against their father and mother, and have them killed.
22 Everyone will hate you because you are true to me. But the person who keeps on being true to me until the end, will be saved.
23 When they trouble you in one town, go to another. I tell you the truth. You will not go to all the towns in Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 `The one who learns is not better than his teacher. And the servant is not better than his master.
25 The one who learns should want to be like his teacher. And the servant should want to be like his master. If they say the master belongs to the devil, they will say it all the more about those who work for him.'
26 `So do not be afraid of people. Everything that is hidden will be seen. Everything that is hidden will be known.
27 What I say to you in the dark, tell it in the light. What you hear in secret, shout to others from the tops of the houses.
28 Do not fear people who can kill the body. They cannot kill the spirit. But fear the one who can destroy both spirit and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows worth only a small amount of money? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing about it.
30 Even the number of hairs on your head is known.
31 So do not fear. You are worth more than many sparrows.'
32 `If anyone tells people that he knows me, I will also tell the Father in heaven that I know him.
33 But anyone who tells people he does not know me, I will also tell my Father in heaven that I do not know him.'
34 `Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but war.
35 I came to take away peace between a man and his father. I came to take away peace between a daughter and her mother. I came to take away peace between a man's wife and his mother.
36 A man will have people in his own family who make trouble for him.
37 Anyone who loves his father or his mother more than he loves me, is not good enough for me. Anyone who loves his son or his daughter more than he loves me, is not good enough for me.
38 Anyone who is not willing to carry his cross and suffer with me, is not good enough for me.
39 Anyone who tries to keep his life, will lose it. Anyone who gives up his life for my sake, will find it.'
40 `Anyone who takes you in, takes me in. And anyone who takes me in, takes in the one who sent me.
41 Anyone who takes in a prophet because he is a prophet of God will get a prophet's reward.
42 And if any one as a disciple gives a drink of cold water to one of my children, he will not lose his reward. I tell you the truth.'
10 In Caesarea lived a man named Cornelius. He was a big captain in the army. His soldiers were called the Italian Group.
2 He was a good man. He and all the people of his house obeyed God. He gave many gifts to the poor. He always talked with God.
3 About three o'clock one afternoon, he clearly saw an angel from God coming to him in a vision. `Cornelius,' said the angel.
4 Cornelius looked at him. He was afraid and asked, `What is it, Sir?' The angel answered him, `God has heard what you said to him. He has remembered your gifts to the poor.
5 Send men to Joppa to call Simon, whose other name is Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon, the man who makes skins into leather. His house is by the sea. Peter will tell you what you should do.'
7 When the angel which spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his house servants. He also called one of the soldiers who believed in God and who always helped him.
8 He told them carefully all about his vision. Then he sent them to Joppa.
9 They went the next day. They were coming near to the city. About midday, Peter went up on the flat roof of the house to talk with God.
10 He became very hungry and wanted to eat. While food was being made ready, something like a dream came over him.
11 He saw the sky open. A bundle like a big blanket was tied by the corners. It was let down to earth.
12 In the bundle were all kinds of animals and snakes and birds.
13 Then Peter heard a voice saying to him, `Get up, Peter. Kill some and eat.'
14 But Peter said, `No, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is not holy or not clean.'
15 Then the voice spoke to him again, saying, `What God has made clean you must not call unholy.'
16 This happened three times. Then the thing was taken up right away into the sky.
17 `I have seen a strange thing,' Peter said to himself. `I wonder what it all means.' He was thinking about all this. And the men whom Cornelius sent had asked the way to Simon's house. Now they stood at the gate.
18 `Is this where Simon Peter is staying?' they called.
19 Peter was still thinking about what he had seen. Then the Spirit of God said to him, `Three men are looking for you.
20 Get up. Go down and go with them. Do not fear to go, because I have sent them.'
21 Then Peter went down to the men whom Cornelius had sent to him. He said, `Here I am. You are looking for me. Why have you come?'
22 They answered, `God sent a holy angel to Cornelius. He told him to call you to his house and hear what you have to say. Cornelius is a captain in the army. He is a good man. He does what is right and obeys God. All the Jews speak well of him.'
23 Peter said, `Come in.' He had them stay as his guests. The next day he and some of the Christian brothers from Joppa went with the men.
24 The day after that, they reached Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had called his family and close friends together.
25 Peter was about to enter the house. Cornelius met him. He kneeled down at his feet and worshipped him.
26 But Peter raised him up and said, `Please stand up. I too am only a man.
27 Peter talked to him and went in with him. He saw many people who had come together.
28 He began to talk with them. He said, `You yourselves know it is against our law for a Jew to visit and be friends with someone who is not a Jew. But God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
29 So when you sent for me, I did not say "No". Now I ask, why did you send for me?'
30 Cornelius answered, `Four days ago, it was just at this time, three o'clock. I was in my house talking with God. I had not eaten any food. A man stood in front of me wearing shining clothes.
31 He said to me, "Cornelius, God has heard what you said to him. He has remembered your gifts to the poor.
32 Send men to Joppa to call for Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, the man who makes skins into leather. His house is by the sea."
33 So I sent for you right away. You have done well to come. Now we are all here before God to hear all that the Lord has told you to tell me.'
34 Then Peter began to speak, `I really understand now. God does not love some people more than others.
35 But he takes anyone who obeys him. He takes anyone who does what is right. It does not matter to what nation they belong.
36 To the people of Israel God has sent the good news. He gives peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all!
37 You yourselves know the story of what happened all through Judea. It started in Galilee after the baptism which John talked about.
38 God gave Jesus of Nazareth the Holy Spirit and power. Jesus went about doing good deeds. He healed all those who were held by the devil. God was with him.
39 We saw all the things which he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they hung him on a piece of wood and killed him.
40 On the third day, God raised him up to let people see him.
41 Not all the people saw him. But God had chosen us to see and to talk about him. We saw him. We ate and drank with him after he rose from death.
42 He told us to tell the people that God chose him to judge both the living people and the dead people.
43 All the prophets tell about him. They say, "Everyone who believes in him will have his wrong ways forgiven through his name." '
44 While Peter was saying this, the Holy Spirit came on all those who heard the message.
45 The believers who came with Peter were Jews. They were very much surprised that the Holy Spirit was also sent to those who were not Jews. 46,
46-47 hey heard them speak in tongues of other languages and praise God. Then Peter said, `These people have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. Can anyone say they may not be baptised in water?'
48 So he said they were to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. They begged him to stay with them for a while.
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