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Isaiah 60:2

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

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Isaiah 35

1The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

2It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

3Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

4Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

7And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

8And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

9No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

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John 10

1”Verily, verily I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3To him the doorkeeper openeth, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out.

4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.”

6This parable Jesus spoke unto them, but they understood not what things they were which He spoke unto them.

7Then said Jesus unto them again, “Verily, verily I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

9I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10The thief cometh not but to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

12But he that is a hireling and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep.

13The hireling fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

14I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep and am known by Mine.

15As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd.

17Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again.

18No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from My Father.”

19There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

20And many of them said, “He hath a devil and is mad. Why hear ye him?”

21Others said, “These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?”

22And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter.

23And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s Porch.

24Then came the Jews round about Him and said unto Him, “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.”

25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and ye believed not. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.

26But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you.

27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.

28And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.

29My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.

30I and My Father are one.”

31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

32Jesus answered them, “Many good works have I shown you from My Father. For which of those works do ye stone Me?”

33The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy and because thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”

34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, `I said “Ye are gods”’?

35If He called them gods unto whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

36do ye say of Him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, `Thou blasphemest,’ because I said, `I am the Son of God’?

37If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not.

38But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

39Therefore they sought again to take Him, but He escaped out of their hand,

40and went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John had first baptized; and there He abode.

41And many resorted unto Him and said that John did no miracle, but all things that John spoke of this Man were true.

42And many believed in Him there.

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A prayer for everyone to pray:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me, a sinner!

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