M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
9 Saul was still very angry with the Lord's disciples. He said he would kill them. He went to the high priest.
2 He asked him for letters to take to the meeting places at Damascus. In this way he was given the power to catch any men or women disciples. He could tie them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
3 He went on his way. All at once, near the city of Damascus, a light from the sky shone around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard someone say, `Saul, Saul, why are you troubling me?'
5 Saul said, `Who are you, Lord?' The Lord said, `I am Jesus. You are troubling me.
6 But get up and go to the city. There you will be told what you must do.'
7 The men who had come with Saul stood there. They did not say a word. They heard a voice but did not see anyone.
8 Saul got up off the ground. When he opened his eyes, he was blind. They took his hand and led him to Damascus.
9 For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.
10 A disciple named Ananias lived in Damascus. The Lord came to him in a vision and said. `Ananias.' He replied, `Here I am, Lord.'
11 The Lord said, `Go into the street which is called Straight. At the house of Judas, ask for a man named Saul, from the city of Tarsus. He is there, talking with God.
12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming to him. He has seen him put his hands on him so that he may see again.'
13 Then Ananias replied, `Lord, often I have heard of this man. He has brought much trouble to your people at Jerusalem.
14 The chief priests have given him power in this city to put into prison all those who call on your name.'
15 The Lord said, `Go, I have chosen him to take my name to the people who are not Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel also.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake.'
17 Then Ananias went. He went into the house and put his hands on Saul. He said, `Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus came to you on the road while you were coming here. He has sent me to you so that you may see again, and that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit.'
18 At once some kind of skin which had covered Saul's eyes came off. He was able to see again from then on. He got up and was baptised.
19 And when he had eaten food, he was strong again. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples at Damascus.
20 Right away he went to the Jewish meeting places and told the people that Jesus is the Son of God.
21 All the people who heard him were surprised. They said, `This man killed the people who called on Jesus' name in Jerusalem. He came here to catch them and tie them and take them to the chief priests!'
22 But Saul became stronger and stronger. He proved that Jesus is the Christ and made it so plain that the Jews at Damascus did not know what to say.
23 Then some time after that, the leaders of the Jews planned to kill Saul.
24 But he found out that they were waiting for him. The Jewish leaders watched the gates of the city night and day. They were waiting for a chance to kill him.
25 Then one night the disciples put him in a basket and let him down outside the city wall.
26 When Saul came to Jerusalem, he wanted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them, `Saul has seen the Lord on the road. The Lord has talked to him. After that he told God's word in the name of Jesus, without fear at Damascus.'
28 So Saul stayed with the apostles and went around in Jerusalem. He told God's word in the name of the Lord Jesus without fear.
29 He talked to the Jews who spoke the Greek language. But they did not agree with Saul, and so they made plans to kill him.
30 When the Christian brothers knew that, they took him to Caesarea. Then they sent him to Tarsus [the city where he was born].
31 After that, the churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria were not troubled any more and they believed more strongly. The people obeyed the Lord, and the Holy Spirit helped them to believe. And many more people joined them.
32 While Peter was travelling through all the towns, he came to visit God's people who lived in the city of Lydda.
33 There he saw a man named Aeneas who was sick. He could not stand up. He had been on his bed for eight years.
34 Peter said to him, `Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!' The man got up at once.
35 All the people who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 In the city of Joppa there was a disciple. Her name was Tabitha. That means Dorcas or Gazelle. She did much good work and she gave many things to the poor people.
37 She became sick and died. They bathed her body and put her in a room upstairs.
38 Lydda was near Joppa. When the disciples heard that Peter was at Lydda, they sent two men and asked for him to come quickly.
39 Peter got up and went with them. When he got there, they took him to the room upstairs. Women whose husbands were dead stood there crying. They showed Peter the clothes and coats that Dorcas had made for them while she was with them.
40 Peter put them all out. He kneeled down and talked to God. He turned to the body and said, `Tabitha, get up.' She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 He took her hand and helped her get up. Then he called in God's people and the women, and he gave her back to them alive.
42 All over Joppa people heard about this. Many people believed on the Lord.
43 Peter stayed in Joppa for many days. He was with a man named Simon, who made skins into leather.
4 Jesus began to teach people by the sea again. Many people came to him. So he got in a boat on the sea and sat down. The people were by the sea on the land.
2 He told the people stories and taught them many things.
3 He said, `Listen. A man went out to sow some seed.
4 As he sowed it, some of the seed fell on the road. Birds came and ate the seed.
5 Some seed fell on the stony ground. Not much ground covered the stones. The seed started to grow right away because it was not deep in the ground.
6 When the sun began to shine, it was too hot for the new plants. They died because they had no roots.
7 Some seed fell among the weeds. The weeds grew up and made the new plants die. So no seeds grew on them.
8 But some seed fell on good ground. That seed grew and the plants gave more seed. Some plants gave thirty seeds. Some gave sixty. And some gave a hundred.'
9 Jesus said to them, `Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!'
10 Later, Jesus was alone. Then the twelve disciples and the other people who were there asked him about the stories.
11 He said to them, `You can learn the secret things about the kingdom of God. But we must use stories to tell the other people.
12 `They may look and look, but they will not see. They may listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did understand, they would turn back to God and he would forgive them for the wrong things they have done.'
13 Jesus said also, `Do you not understand this story? How then are you going to understand all the stories?
14 The man who sows the seed tells God's message.
15 Those beside the road are like people who hear the message. But as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes it out of their hearts
16 The seed that fell on the stony ground is the same. It is like people who hear the message and as soon as they hear it they are very glad.
17 They believe it for a short time. When trouble or a hard time comes because of the message, they stop believing.
18 The seed that fell among the weeds is like people who hear the message.
19 But they think about the things of this world. They want to get money and other things to be happy. These things push the message out of their hearts. No good comes from it.
20 But some seed fell on good ground. That is like people who hear the message and understand it. Much good comes from it. Some people are like the seed that made thirty seeds. Some people are like the seed that gave sixty. Some people are like the seed that gave a hundred.'
21 Then Jesus said to them, `People do not bring a light and put it under a basket or under a bed. But they put it on the place for a lamp.
22 Everything that is hidden will be seen. Everything that is secret will be known and come out to be seen.
23 Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!'
24 And Jesus said, `Take care how you listen. How much you give to others is how much will be given to you. You who obey God will get more than you give.
25 Anyone who has some will get more. But he who does not have anything, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.'
26 And Jesus said, `The kingdom of God is like this. A man sows some seed in the ground.
27 Then he goes on just as he did before. He sleeps at night and wakes up in the morning. The seed begins to grow but he doesn't know what makes it grow.
28 The ground itself makes the seed grow. First the plant comes up. Then it begins to have seed of its own. After a while the harvest is ready.
29 When the harvest is really ready, he cuts it right away because the harvest time has come.'
30 And Jesus said, `What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I say it is like?
31 It is like this. A mustard seed is the smallest seed that is ever planted in the earth.
32 But the plant that grows from that seed is bigger than any other plant. It puts out very big branches. The birds come and live in its branches.'
33 Jesus told the people many stories like this. He told them as much of God's words as they were able to understand.
34 He did not tell them anything without a story. When he was alone with his disciples, he told them the meaning of the stories.
35 In the evening of that day, Jesus said to his disciples, `Let us cross over to the other side of the sea.'
36 The disciples left the people and took Jesus away in the boat he was in. Other little boats were with him.
37 A very strong wind began to blow. Water came in the boat. It began to fill up with water.
38 Jesus was in the back end of the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The disciples woke him up. `Master,' they shouted. `We will die! Do you not care?'
39 Then Jesus got up. He said to the wind and the sea, `Stop!' The wind stopped. Then all was quiet.
40 Then he said to the disciples, `Why do you fear? Do you not believe in God?'
41 The disciples were surprised. They said to each other, `What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him.'
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