Philippians 4:4, NASB: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4, NLT: "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice!"

Your works

Beware of friends

At that time Herod(B) the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,(C) 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist;(D) he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him

Jesus is continuing to speak to a group of non-Jewish seekers brought to Him by the disciples (John 12:20–22). His earlier statement compared His impending death to the planting of a seed (John 12:23–26). What might seem like death and destruction is really the process which turns something mundane and immature into something mature and productive. This is a concept also explored by Paul in his letters (1 Corinthians 15:36–42).

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

    and they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”(J

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,(A) “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything,(B) I will pay back four times the amount.”(C)

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.(D)

Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

Simeon(A) and Levi(B) are brothers—

    their swords[a] are weapons of violence.(C)

6 Let me not enter their council,

    let me not join their assembly,(D)

for they have killed men in their anger(E)

    and hamstrung(F) oxen as they pleased.

7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,

    and their fury,(G) so cruel!(H)

I will scatter them in Jacob

    and disperse them in Israel.(I)

Paul writes that God works all things for the good of those “who are called according to purpose.” We must ask ourselves what our purpose is. ... In this context, our purpose is “to be conformed to the image of His Son.”