Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 1 June 2006

A Prayer of Confidence

Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety. I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you." How excellent are the Lord's faithful people! My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.

I praise the Lord, because he guides me, and in the night my conscience warns me. I am always aware of the Lord's presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me.

And so I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure, because you protect me from the power of death. I have served you faithfully, and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.

You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.

PSALMS 16:1-2, 5, 7-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 31 May 2006

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said in a loud voice, "You are the most blessed of all women and blessed is the child you will bear! Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!"

Mary's Song of Praise

Mary said,

My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Savior, for he has remembered me, his lowly servant! From now on all people will call me happy, because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me. His name is holy; from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him. He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans. He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel. He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!"

Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.

- LUKE 1:39-56

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 30 May 2006

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you. For you gave him authority over all people, so that he might give eternal life to all those you gave him. And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do. Father! Give me glory in your presence now, the same glory I had with you before the world was made.

"I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your word, and now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. I gave them the message that you gave me, and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from you, and they believe that you sent me.

"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those you gave me, for they belong to you. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine; and my glory is shown through them. And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world but they are in the world Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one just as you and I are one."

- JOHN 17:1-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 29 May 2006

As smoke is blown away, so he drives them off; as wax melts in front of the fire, so do the wicked perish in God's presence. But the righteous are glad and rejoice in his presence; they are happy and shout for joy.

Sing to God, sing praises to his name; prepare a way for him who rides on the clouds. His name is the Lord -- be glad in his presence!

God, who lives in his sacred Temple, cares for orphans and protects widows. He gives the lonely a home to live in and leads prisoners out into happy freedom, but rebels will have to live in a desolate land.

PSALMS 68:2-7

Then his disciples said to him, "Now you are speaking plainly, without using figures of speech. We know now that you know everything; you do not need to have someone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God."

Jesus answered them, "Do you believe now? The time is coming, and is already here. When all of you will be scattered, each of you to your own home, and I will be left all alone. But I am not really alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!"

- JOHN 16:29-33

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 28 May 2006

The Lord, the Most High, is to be feared; he is a great king, ruling over all the world. He gave us victory over the peoples; he made us rule over the nations.

Sing praise to God; sing praise to our king! God is king over all the world; praise him with songs!

God sits on his sacred throne; he rules over the nations. The rulers of the nations assemble with the people of the God of Abraham. More powerful than all armies is he; he rules supreme.

- PSALMS 47:2-3, 6-9

The Unity of the Body

I urge you, then -- I who am a prisoner because I serve the Lord: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you. Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; there is one God and Father of all people, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all.

Each one of us has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given. As the scripture says,

"When he went up to the very heights, he took many captives with him; he gave gifts to my people."

Now, what does "he went up" mean? It means that first he came down to the lowest depths of the earth. So the one who came down is the same one who went up, above and beyond the heavens, to fill the whole universe with his presence. It was he who, "gave gifts to people"; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. And so we shall all come together to the oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature.

- EPHESIANS 1:17-23

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 27 May 2006

After spending some time there, he left and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the believers.

At that time a Jew named Apollos, who had been born in Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and had a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he proclaimed and taught correctly the facts about Jesus. However, he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the Synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home with them and explained to him more correctly the Way of God. Apollos then decided to go to Achaia, so the believers in Ephesus helped him by writing to the believers in Achaia, urging them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who through GodÂ’s grace had become believers. For with his strong arguments he defeated the Jews in public debates by proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

- ACTS 18:23-28

The Lord, the Most High, is to be feared; he is a great king, ruling over all the world. He gave us victory over the peoples; he made us rule over the nations.

God sits on his sacred throne; he rules over the nations. The rulers of the nations assemble with the people of the God of Abraham. More powerful than all armies is he; he rules supreme.

- PSALMS 47:2-3, 8-10

“When that day comes, you will not ask me for anything. I am telling you the truth: the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your happiness may be complete.

“I have used figures of speech to tell you these things. But the time will come when I will not use figures of speech, but will speak to you plainly about the Father. When that day comes, you will ask him in my name; and I do not say that I will ask him on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you. He loves you because you love me and have believed that I came from God. I did come from the father, and I came into the world; and now I am leaving the world and going to the father.”

- JOHN 16:23-28

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 26 May 2006

I am telling you the truth: you will cry and weep, but the world will be glad; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into gladness. When a woman is about to give birth, she is sad because her hour of suffering has come; but when the baby is born, she forgets her suffering, because she is happy that a baby has been born into the world. That is how it is with you: now you are sad, but I will see you again, and your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you.

When that day comes, you will not ask me for anything. I am telling you the truth: the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name.

- JOHN 16:20-23

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 25 May 2006

Sadness and Gladness

"In a little while you will not see me any more, and then a little while later you will see me."

Some of his disciples asked among themselves, "What does this mean? He tells us that in a little while we will not see him, and then a little while later we will see him; and he also says, 'It is because I am going to the father.' What does this 'a little while' mean? We don't know what he is talking about!"

Jesus knew that they wanted to question him, so he said to them, "I said, 'In a little while you will not see me, and then a little while later you will see me.' Is this what you are asking among yourselves? I am telling you the truth: you will cry and weep, but the world will be glad; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into gladness."

- JOHN 16:16-20

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 24 May 2006

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

I do not ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you.

I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one.

After Jesus had said this prayer, he left with his disciples and went across Kidron Brook. There was a garden in that place, and Jesus and his disciples went in.

- ACTS 17:15-22 – 18:1

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 23 May 2006

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“I did not tell you these things at the beginning, for I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me where I am going. And now that I have told you, your hearts are full of sadness. But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about God’s judgment. They are wrong about sin, because they do not believe in me; they are wrong about what is right, because I am going to the Father and you will not see me any more; and they are wrong about judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

- JOHN 16:5-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 22 May 2006

In Philippi: the Conversion of Lydia

We left by ship from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. From there we went inland to Philippi, a city of the first district of Macedonia; it is also a Roman colony. We spent several days there. On the Sabbath we went out of the city to the riverside, where we thought there would be a place where Jews gathered for prayer. We sat down and talked to the women who gathered there. One of those who heard us was Lydia from Thyatira, who was a dealer in purple cloth. She was a woman who worshiped God, and the Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and the people of her house had been baptized, she invited us, “Come and stay in my house if you have decided that I am a true believer in the Lord.” And she persuaded us to go.

- ACTS 16:11-15

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 20 May 2006

Timothy Goes with Paul and Silas

Paul traveled on to Derbe and Lystra, where a Christian named Timothy lived. His mother, who was also a Christian, was Jewish, but his father was a Greek. All the believers and Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. Paul wanted to take Timothy along with him, so he circumcised him. He did so because all the Jews who lived in those places knew that Timothy's father was Greek. As they went through the towns, they delivered to the believers the rules decided upon by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, and they told them to obey those rules. So the churches were made stronger in the faith and grew in numbers every day.

In Troas: Paul's Vision

They traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit did not let them preach the message in the province of Asia. When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go into the province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So they traveled right on through Mysia and went to Troas. That night Paul had a vision in which he saw a Macedonian standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" As soon as Paul had this vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, because we decided that God had called us to preach the Good News to the people there.

- ACTS 16:1-10

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 19 May 2006

The Letter to the Gentile Believers

Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, decided to choose some men from the group and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose two men who were highly respected by the believers, Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, and they sent the following letter by them:

"We, the apostles and the elders, your brothers, send greetings to all our brothers of Gentile birth who live in Antioch, Syria, and Clicia. We have heard that some who went from our group have troubled and upset you by what they said; they had not, however, received any instruction from us. And so we have met together and have all agreed to choose some messengers and send them to you. They will go with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. We send you, then, Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things we are writing. The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules; eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. With our best wishes."

The messengers were sent off and went to Antioch, where they gathered the whole group of believers and gave them the letter. When the people read it, they were filled with joy by the message of encouragement.

- ACTS 15:22-31

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 18 May 2006

I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

- JOHN 15:9-11

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 17 May 2006

Jesus the Real Vine

"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it. My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples."

- JOHN 15:1-8

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 12 May 2006

Jesus the Way to the Father

"Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. You know the way that leads to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?"

Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.

-JOHN 14:1-6

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 11 May 2006

In Antioch in Pisidia

Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos and came to Perga, a city in Pamphylia, where John Mark left them and went back to Jerusalem. They went on from Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia, and on the Sabbath they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law of Moses and from the writings of the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message: "Friends, we want you to speak to the people if you have a message of encouragement for them." Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak:

"Fellow Israelites and all Gentiles here who worship God: hear me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people a great nation during the time they lived as foreigners in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt by his great power, and for forty years he endured them in the desert. He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and made his people the owners of the land. All of this took about 450 years.

"After this he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. And when they asked for a king, God gave them Saul son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, to be their king for forty years. After removing him, God made David their king. This is what God said about him: 'I have found that David son of Jesse is the kind of man I like, a man who will do all I want him to do.' It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Savior of the people of Israel, as he had promised. Before Jesus began his work, John preached to all the people of Israel that they should turn from their sins and be baptized. And as John was about to finish his mission, he said to the people, "Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. But listen! He is coming after me, and I am not good enough to take his sandals off his feet.'"

-ACTS 13:13-25

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 10 May 2006

Judgment by Jesus' Words

Jesus said in a loud voice, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in him who sent me. Whoever sees me sees also him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day! This is true, because I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak. And I know that his command brings eternal life. What I say, then, is what the Father has told me to say."

*-JOHN 12:44-50

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Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday, 9 May 2006

Jesus is Rejected

It was winter, and the Festival of the Dedication of the Temple was being celebrated in Jerusalem. Jesus was walking in Solomon's Porch in the Temple, when the people gathered around him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? Tell us the plain truth: are you the Messiah?"

Jesus answered, "I have already told you, but you would not believe me. The deeds I do by my Father's authority speak on my behalf; but you will not believe, for you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me. What my Father has given me is greater than everything, and no one can snatch them away from the Father's care. The Father and I are one."

- JOHN 10:22-30

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Daily Bible Readings for Monday, 8 May 2006

Peter's Report to the Church at Jerusalem

The apostles and the other believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. When Peter went to Jerusalem, those who were in favor of circumcising Gentiles criticized him, saying "You were a guest in the home of uncircumcised Gentiles, and you ate with them!" So Peter gave them a complete account of what had happened from the very beginning:

"While I was praying in the city of Joppa, I had a vision. I saw something coming down that looked like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it stopped next to me. I looked closely inside and saw domesticated and wild animals, reptiles, and wild birds. Then I heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat!' But I said, 'Certainly not, Lord! No ritually unclean or defiled food has entered my mouth.' The voice spoke again from heaven, 'Do not consider anything unclean that God has declared clean.' this happened three times, and finally the whole thing was drawn back up into heaven. At that very moment three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. These six fellow believers from Joppa accompanied me to Caesaria, and we all went into the house of Cornelius. He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, 'Send someone to Joppa for a man whose full name is Simon Peter. He will speak words to you by which you and all your family will be saved.' And when I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them just as on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord has said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' It is clear that God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; who am I, then, to try to stop God!"

When they heard this, they stopped their criticism and praised God, saying, "Then God has given to the Gentiles, also the opportunity to repent and live!"

- ACTS 11:1-18

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Daily Bible Readings for Saturday, 6 May 2006

The Words of Eternal Life

Many of his followers heard this and said, "This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to it?"

"Without being told, Jesus knew that they were grumbling about this, so he said to them, "Does this make you want to give up? Suppose, then, that you should see the Son of Man go back up to the place where he was before? What gives life is God's Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God's life-giving Spirit. Yet some of you do not believe." (Jesus knew from the very beginning who were the ones that would not believe and which one would betray him.) And he added, "This is the very reason I told you that no people can come to me unless the Father makes it possible for them to do so."

Because of this, many of Jesus' followers turned back and would not go with him any more. So he asked the twelve disciples, "And you -- would you also like to leave?"

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God."

- JOHN 6:60-69

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Daily Bible Readings for Friday, 5 May 2006

The Conversion of Saul

In the meantime Saul kept up his violent threats of murder against the followers of the Lord. He went to the High Priest and asked for letters of introduction to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he should find there any followers of the Way of the Lord, he would be able to arrest them, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem.

As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" he asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you persecute, the voice said. "But get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do."

The men who were traveling with Saul had stopped, not saying a word; they heard the voice but could not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes, but could not see a thing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. For three days he was not able to see, and during that time he did not eat or drink anything.

There was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. He had a vision in which the Lord said to him, "Ananias!"

"Here I am, Lord," he answered.

The Lord said to him, "Get ready and go to Straight Street, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying, and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he might see again."

Ananias answered, "Lord, many people have told me about this man and about all the terrible things he has done to your people in Jerusalem. And he has come to Damascus with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who worship you."

The Lord said to him, "Go, because I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles, and kings and to the people of Israel. And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake.

So Ananias went, entered the house where Saul was, and placed his hands on him. "Brother Saul," he said, "the Lord has sent me -- Jesus himself, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. He sent me so that you might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." At once something like fish scales fell from sale's eyes, and he was able to see again. He stood up and was baptized; and after he had eaten, his strength came back.

- ACTS 9:1-20

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Daily Bible Readings for Thursday, 4 May 2006

People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me; and I will raise them to life on the last day. The prophet wrote, 'Everyone will be taught by God.' Anyone who hears the Father and learns from him comes to me. This does not mean that anyone has seen the Father; he who is from God is the only one who has seen the Father. I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may life.

- JOHN 6:44-51

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Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 7 May 2006

Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders: if we are being questioned today about the good deed done to the lame man and how he was healed, then you should all know, that this man stands here before you completely well through the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth -- whom you crucified and whom God raised from death. Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says,

'The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.'

Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us."

- ACTS 4:8-12

Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good, and his love is eternal.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to depend on people. It is better to trust in the Lord than to depend on human leaders.

I praise you, Lord, because you heard me, because you have given me victory.

the stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful sight it is!

May God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! From the Temple of the Lord we bless you.

You are my God, and I give you thanks; I will proclaim your greatness.

Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good, and his love is eternal.

- PSALMS 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29

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Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday, 3 May 2006

Jesus the Way to the Father

Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you have known me," he said to them, "you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord show us the Father; that is all we need."

Jesus answered, "For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I have spoken to you," Jesus said to his disciples, "do not come from me. The Father, who remains in me, does his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If not, believe because of the the things I do. I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do -- yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.

- JOHN 14:6-14

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