2nd Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
and...
Isaiah 40:30-31 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Dude...I just found out that I have a lot of favorite verses, scriptures, and passages...Mind boggling...O.o
Rev. 19:16 - And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Always gave me a chill when I read those words. I got the same feeling seeing "United States" on the side of a rocket as it lifted off.
After 40 years I still don't know what the feeling was about. Awe in the face of power, I suppose, and the excitement that comes from a sense of belonging.
For me, it would be Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--
2A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
8A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
Somehow, it gives me a sense of comfort knowing that whatever happens in my life, it's bound to teach me something new or to strengthen me as a person.
One of my favs in the Bible is Philippians 4:13;"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."(NKJV) Another is Psalm 121,verses 1 & 2 says;"I will lift up my eyes to the hills--From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Have a great weekend all.
One of my favourite passages in the Bible, because of its sense of imminence and urgency, is Romans 9:19-26,
"19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "[h] 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25As he says in Hosea:
"I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"[i] 26and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,
'You are not my people,'
they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "[j]
I guess a couple of my favorites--from an agnostic standpoint--would be:
I posted this somewhere else, might have been in this thread over a year ago. I'm still not certain what it means. I think it means that if my great-great grandad was born to a couple who were not married, then I have no chance of making it to heaven.Quote:
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD. Deu 23:2
The one preceding this one is even more strange:
Is a privy member what I think it is?Quote:
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD. Deu 23:1
Cheers,
Doug
I'm sure a privy member is exactly what you think it is. But what is more interesting is what does 'wounded in the stones' mean? Wounded by the stones might mean a social ostrasization of some kind; such as 'stoning'. But in the stones?
A translation error? Punishment for being the victim of an accident? Very strange indeed! But it was a strange world 4 thousand years ago...and yet not so very different from where we find ourselves today. It seems Man's inhumanity to Man has not changed despite the coming of Jesus Christ and his message of love and peace. The vengeful Lord of the Old Testament still lives in the hearts of many.
Well said Sharlot. Does this mean that God's plan is failing? I know there is supposed to be a 'second coming' and that God is omnipotent: It's always puzzled that given this, why not just fast forward to the end. Obviously, according to my understanding of Christian lore, there is an final state that the universe will eventually attain. If omnicience and omnipotence are yours, why not just 'make it so' (as Piccard would say)? It's one of the things that keeps me agnostic.Quote:
Originally Posted by sharlot
Blessings,Quote:
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Wordsworth
Doug
Proverbs Chap VIII-11
"For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."
I like ecclesiastes. This guy on a forum recomended that I read it, and I actually did like it immensely afterwads. Very poetic and agreeable.
"I'm sure a privy member is exactly what you think it is. But what is more interesting is what does 'wounded in the stones' mean? "
The stones are adjacent to the privy member, generally. Someone for whom that is no longer true is 'wounded in the stones.'
I've always been a fan of James 1:27
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (ESV)
It worries me that so much of Christianity has been shifting from this to more of a "pop culture" sort of foundation, and I try to keep this always close to my heart.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.'"
--Jeremiah 29:11
Hi Sarasvanti,Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarasvati21
That is a good one. It really is all about hope, isn't it? Mine says it a little different:
I'm not sure which version your quote came from, mine is from KJV. And there is a subtle difference. "To give you an expected end" is a little different from "hope". Hope, by my definition means that you are uncertain about the end, but have high expectations. While the other version implies that the end is fully known; knowing for certain would not require hope.Quote:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer 29:11
Just an agnostic observation.
Doug