M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
39 At that time, Mary got ready and went as quickly as she could to the hill country. She went to a town in Judah.
40 She went into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her moved. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She said in a loud voice, `God has made you happy and blessed you more than all other women. He has blessed your baby.
43 Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 Listen! When I heard your greeting, the baby inside me moved because he was glad.
45 She who has believed what was told her is blessed. What the Lord said to her will come true.'
46 Mary said, `My heart is praising the Lord.
47 And my spirit is happy because God has saved me.
48 He has remembered his servant even though she is not a great person. From now on all people of all times will say God has blessed me.
49 He who has all power has done a big work for me. His name is holy.
50 `He is kind to people of all times who respect him.
51 He has shown how strong he is with his arm. He has taken away people who were proud in their hearts.
52 He has moved big rulers from power, and those that were not great he has made great.
53 He has given hungry people good things to eat, and sent away the rich people with nothing.
54 He has helped his servant Israel.
55 He has remembered to be kind just as he said to our fathers of long ago. He promised to be kind to Abraham and his children's children for ever.'
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Then she went home.
57 The time had now come for Elizabeth's child to be born. She had a son.
58 When her neighbours and family heard that the Lord had been so kind to her, they were glad, too.
59 On the eighth day people came to circumcise [make a special mark on] the child. They were going to name him Zechariah like his father.
60 But his mother said, `No, his name is to be John.'
61 They said to her, `But no one in your family has that name.'
62 They made signs to the father to find out what name he wanted the child to have.
63 He asked for something to write on. He wrote, `His name is John.' They were all surprised.
64 Right then he opened his mouth and his tongue was free. He began to speak and to praise God.
65 Everyone who lived around there began to wonder at these things. And everywhere in the hill country of Judea, all these things were talked about.
66 All those who heard them thought much about them. They said, `What will this child be some day?' They said this because the power of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke words from God.
68 He said, `Praise the Lord God of Israel! He has remembered his people, and set them free.
69 He has chosen one from the family of his servant David. He has given him power to save us.
70 That is what he promised through his holy prophets of God long ago.
71 He said he would save us from our enemies and set us free from those who hate us.
72 `He said he would be kind to our fathers. He said he would remember his agreement with them.
73-75 That was what he promised our father Abraham he would surely do. He promised to set us free from our enemies. He promised that we should be without fear. He promised that we would worship him and be holy and good before him as long as we live.
76 `You, my child, will be called the prophet or messenger of the Highest One. You will go ahead of the Lord to make his way ready.
77 You will tell his people how to be saved by being forgiven for their wrong ways.
78 `Our God is kind. A light from heaven will shine.
79 That light will shine on those who are in darkness, and are going to die. That light will show us how to walk in peace.'
80 The child grew. He became strong in spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he came to the people of Israel.
2 So, my brothers, when I came to you, I did not come to tell you God's message in big or wise words.
2 I made up my mind that I would talk about only one thing while I was with you. That one thing was Jesus Christ and his death on a cross.
3 I was weak, afraid, and trembling when I visited you.
4 My words and my message were not in wise words to win you. But the power of the Spirit of God proved my words to be true.
5 I did this so that you would not believe because of man's wise words, but you would believe because of God's power.
6 However, our words are wise words to those who really believe. But they are not the kind of wise words that the people of this world speak. They are not the kind of wise words that the rulers of this world speak. Those rulers will die.
7 Our wise words are God's wise words about things people do not understand. Before God made the world he planned those things for our glory and blessing.
8 None of the rulers of this world knew about these things. If they had, they would not have killed on a cross the Lord who was full of God's glory.
9 The holy writings say, `No eye has seen the things God has made ready for those who love him. No ear has heard about them. No person's heart has ever thought of them.'
10 God has shown these things to us by his Spirit. The Spirit understands everything, even the things that God has kept secret.
11 The only one who really knows what a person is thinking is the spirit of the person himself. So also, no one knows what God is thinking, only the Spirit of God.
12 We have not received the spirit of the world. But we have received the Spirit of God. In this way we may understand the blessings which God has freely given to us.
13 We do not tell you these things in wise words which men taught us. But the Holy Spirit taught us. We teach things about the Spirit which we know about through the Spirit.
14 The person who does not have the Spirit does not receive the blessings of the Spirit of God. He thinks they are foolish. He cannot understand them because only people who have the Spirit of God can test them.
15 He who has the Spirit of God tests all things. But others cannot test him.
16 The holy writings say: `Who knows the mind of the Lord so that he may teach him?' As for us, we really do have the mind of Christ.
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