When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.

Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have.

Zechariah asked for a writing pad and wrote, "His name is John." How surprised they all were!

The LORD said to him, "Who gives man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or dumb? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? It is I, the LORD.

I will paralyze your tongue so that you won't be able to warn these rebellious people.

That same day you will get back the power of speech which you had lost, and you will talk with them. In this way you will be a sign to the people, and they will know that I am the LORD."

How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!"

One of them said, "Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was behind him, at the door of the tent, listening.

So Sarah laughed to herself and said, "Now that I am old and worn out, can I still enjoy sex? And besides, my husband is old too."

Is anything too hard for the LORD? As I said, nine months from now I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

But the LORD reprimanded Moses and Aaron. He said, "Because you did not have enough faith to acknowledge my holy power before the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land that I promised to give them."

The personal attendant of the king said to Elisha, "That can't happen---not even if the LORD himself were to send grain at once!" "You will see it happen, but you won't get to eat any of the food," Elisha replied.

to which the officer had answered, "That can't happen---not even if the LORD himself were to send grain at once!" And Elisha had replied, "You will see it happen, but you won't get to eat any of the food."

Israel is no stronger than Samaria, its capital city, and Samaria is no stronger than King Pekah. "If your faith is not enduring, you will not endure."

Jesus said to them, "How unbelieving you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me!"

Last of all, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them, because they did not have faith and because they were too stubborn to believe those who had seen him alive.

I rebuke and punish all whom I love. Be in earnest, then, and turn from your sins.

But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful?

If we are not faithful, he remains faithful, because he cannot be false to himself."

which is based on the hope for eternal life. God, who does not lie, promised us this life before the beginning of time,

There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie. So we who have found safety with him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us.