and so he said to him, "Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies,

I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king.

"Don't worry," Elijah said to her. "Go on and prepare your meal. But first make a small loaf from what you have and bring it to me, and then prepare the rest for you and your son.

That night God appeared to Solomon and asked, "What would you like me to give you?"

O LORD God, fulfill the promise you made to my father. You have made me king over a people who are so many that they cannot be counted,

God replied to Solomon, "You have made the right choice. Instead of asking for wealth or treasure or fame or the death of your enemies or even for long life for yourself, you have asked for wisdom and knowledge so that you can rule my people, over whom I have made you king.

Throughout all Judah, King Hezekiah did what was right and what was pleasing to the LORD his God.

He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God.

My child, learn what I teach you and never forget what I tell you to do.

Yes, beg for knowledge; plead for insight.

If you do, you will know what it means to fear the LORD and you will succeed in learning about God.

He provides help and protection for those who are righteous and honest.

If you listen to me, you will know what is right, just, and fair. You will know what you should do.

Honor the LORD by making him an offering from the best of all that your land produces.

If you do, your barns will be filled with grain, and you will have too much wine to store it all.

The LORD Almighty said to Haggai, "These people say that this is not the right time to rebuild the Temple."

"My people, why should you be living in well-built houses while my Temple lies in ruins?

You have planted much grain, but have harvested very little. You have food to eat, but not enough to make you full. You have wine to drink, but not enough to get drunk on! You have clothing, but not enough to keep you warm. And workers cannot earn enough to live on.

Now go up into the hills, get lumber, and rebuild the Temple; then I will be pleased and will be worshiped as I should be.

That is why there is no rain and nothing can grow.

you would go to a pile of grain expecting to find twenty bushels, but there would be only ten. You would go to draw fifty gallons of wine from a vat, but find only twenty.

Today is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day that the foundation of the Temple has been completed. See what is going to happen from now on.

Instead, be concerned with his Kingdom, and he will provide you with these things.

Do not work for food that spoils; instead, work for the food that lasts for eternal life. This is the food which the Son of Man will give you, because God, the Father, has put his mark of approval on him."

"Turn away from your sins," he said, "because the Kingdom of heaven is near!"

From that time Jesus began to preach his message: "Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!"

"The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has, and then goes back and buys that field.

and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl.

"I have gone about among all of you, preaching the Kingdom of God. And now I know that none of you will ever see me again.

He preached about the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking with all boldness and freedom.

For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives.

He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son,

by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.

All of this proves that God's judgment is just and as a result you will become worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.

In this way you will be given the full right to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!

"They will say that only through me are victory and strength to be found; but all who hate me will suffer disgrace.

When he is king, the people of Judah will be safe, and the people of Israel will live in peace. He will be called 'The LORD Our Salvation.'

They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands.

For the gospel reveals how God puts people right with himself: it is through faith from beginning to end. As the scripture says, "The person who is put right with God through faith shall live."

But now God's way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it.

God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all:

They have not known the way in which God puts people right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right.

But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free.

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.

From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ--- To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have been given a faith as precious as ours:

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.

But someone may ask what there will be to eat during the seventh year, when no fields are planted and no crops gathered.

The LORD will bless the land in the sixth year so that it will produce enough food for two years.

Honor the LORD, all his people; those who obey him have all they need.

Even lions go hungry for lack of food, but those who obey the LORD lack nothing good.

Trust in the LORD and do good; live in the land and be safe.

The LORD takes care of those who obey him, and the land will be theirs forever.

They will not suffer when times are bad; they will have enough in time of famine.

I am old now; I have lived a long time, but I have never seen good people abandoned by the LORD or their children begging for food.

The LORD is our protector and glorious king, blessing us with kindness and honor. He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right.

LORD Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you!

will receive much more in this present age. They will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields---and persecutions as well; and in the age to come they will receive eternal life.

"Yes," Jesus said to them, "and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God

will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come."

In view of all this, what can we say? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Paul, Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future---all these are yours,

Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future.