Acts 26:28

For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.

But you will be called Yahweh’s priests. Men will call you the servants of our God. You will eat the wealth of the nations. You will boast in their glory.

and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on the earth.”

For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Only Yahweh had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their offspring after them, even you above all peoples, as it is today.

Then Yahweh stretched out his hand, and touched my mouth. Then Yahweh said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary. He awakens morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.

who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,

Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,” says the Lord; “I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.

They will call them “The Holy People, Yahweh’s Redeemed”. You will be called “Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken”.

‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,

who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,

and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

But Yahweh has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as it is today.

They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”

The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;

“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name.

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ;

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.

For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.

For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.

But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

Yahweh is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain.

“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Of them I will also select priests and Levites,” says Yahweh.

Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don’t do them.

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”

These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also,

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead.

In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.

We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.

For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.

Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.

in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”

and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control perseverance; and in perseverance godliness;

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.

He will make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, in name, and in honor; and that you may be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as he has spoken.

For with you is the spring of life. In your light we will see light.

Your sons will take the place of your fathers. You shall make them princes in all the earth.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,

For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.

Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.

They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?

When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.

But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.

Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.

for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’ ”

He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded Jews and Greeks.

As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.”

Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”

My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.