DEUTERONOMY 4:Yesterday Moses gave his personal account of how God led the people of Israel in not attacking three nations, but finally led them in attacking two kings. Moses pleaded with God to allow him to cross the Jordan into the promised land, but God refused to let him.

PSALM 51:This is one of the most quoted and most famous psalms. David's sincere and broken-hearted prayer for forgiveness is a pattern for all of us to follow.

ACTS 8b:Yesterday we heard how the believers in Jerusalem were scattered by a wave of persecution following Stephen's martyrdom. Philip (the deacon, not the apostle) is given the wonderful privilege to turn many to the Lord in Samaria. My own thought about why the Holy Spirit was not given when the believers were baptized is because Peter really was given the "keys to the kingdom." Peter was present when the Jewish people received the Holy Spirit, and when the despised mixed-breed Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, and when non-Jews received that same gift.

NLT Translation notes:Ps. 51:7 [Please perform the ritual of purification over me to cleanse me from my sins//Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;]wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and make me willing to obey you [once again//0].15 Unseal my lips, O Lord,that my mouth may praise you [again/0].====Acts 8:12 But now the people believed Philip's message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and [about Jesus as the Christ or Messiah//the name of Jesus Christ]. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, [although/for] they had [0/only] been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah [while a driver was driving the carriage//0].30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading [aloud/0] from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.