Bible: Matthew 7:15-23; 24:11-28
A Tree and Its Fruit
7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 1 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered 2 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 3 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad 4 tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
Judgment of Pretenders
7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 5 will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do 6 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 7
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 9 with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 10 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 11 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 12 ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering 13 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 14 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 15 her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine 16 if the
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 18 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 19 and gave them to her. 20 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 21 “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 22 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 23 “and room for you 24 to spend the night.”
24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 29 these things.