oDDBall daily bible quotes

“A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 === Psalm 121 is a Psalm of ascents, sung as (jewish) pilgrims went to Jerusalem. Via Wikipedia "As a song of ascent it is recognized that this psalm was sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. At the beginning of the pilgrimage, in the mountainous region of the Judean Hills, the pilgrim makes sure the Lord's help. The one who trusts in the Lord is certain that He will bring him protection day and night. Prayer moves from the first to the second person in verse 3, and even takes the form of a blessing in verses 7 and 8. This will conclude the prayer of different singers by the prospect of change." Via Wikipedia "Musical settings for the Latin text have been composed by Orlando di Lasso, Hans Leo Hassler, and Herbert Howells amongst others. Settings composed for the English text include John Clarke-Whitfeld, Charles Villiers Stanford and Henry Walford Davies. Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály composed his Geneva Ps CXXI (mixed chorus a cappella) for the Hungarian translation. Felix Mendelssohn composed the famous Hebe deine Auge auf (looks up), which was originally a trio of his oratorio Elijah (op. 70, 1846). Heinrich Schütz created a version for four voices and basso continuo (SWV 31). A setting by William McKie was sung at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002. Israeli Hasidic singer-songwriter Yosef Karduner composed a popular Hebrew version of Psalm 121, Shir LaMa'alot (2000), which has been covered by many Israeli artists and is a staple amongst synagogue youth groups in Israel and Canada. Czech composer Antonín Dvořák set verses 1-4 to music in his Biblical Songs (1894). Composer Leonard Bernstein uses this psalm in his "Mass (Bernstein), movement 2" (1971)." AUAWN0912121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-12th-psalm-1211-2.html

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4 === Via Wikipedia "Isaiah was the 8th-century BC Jewish prophet for whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the prophet", but the exact relationship between the Book of Isaiah and any such historical Isaiah is complicated. The traditional view is that all 66 chapters of the book of Isaiah were written by one man, Isaiah, possibly in two periods between 740 BCE and c. 686 BCE, separated by approximately 15 years, and includes dramatic prophetic declarations of Cyrus the Great in the Bible, acting to restore the nation of Israel from Babylonian captivity. Another widely-held view is that parts of the first half of the book (chapters 1–39) originated with the historical prophet, interspersed with prose commentaries written in the time of King Josiah a hundred years later, and that the remainder of the book dates from immediately before and immediately after the end of the exile in Babylon, almost two centuries after the time of the historic prophet" Via Wikipedia "Chapters 40-55 are known as "Deutero-Isaiah" and date from the time of the Israelites' exile in Babylon. According to John Skinner, this chapter, which is "largely a recapitulation of certain outstanding themes of the prophecy", consists of "exhortations addressed to the exiles in the near prospect of deliverance"" Here, the author refers to the fall of Baal. "Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity." AUAWN0911121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quotes-sep-11th-isaiah-464.html

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10 === This is a penitential Psalm of David According to Wikipedia "This psalm is a prayer request. The Psalmist's cry is divided into four stages: the psalmist is sorry and is not better than another; it is at an impasse; but he sees that the Lord has saved other men; so he puts his trust in the Lord. The psalm evokes the problem of a prayer request from the sinner, the one that persecutes the enemy. The solid base that helps the psalmist hope in the LORD is his reminiscence of the past, to verse 5: He sees the action of the Lord in his life. Another element comes in: to be adjusted to the will of the Lord, as the psalmist asks in verse 10. Verse 8 goes in the same direction. At the loyalty of the Lord must be unwavering devotion of the Psalmist, that his prayer is answered." "Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant." AUAWN0909121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-9th-psalm-14310.html

“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”Colossians 1:28 === Colossians is a letter to a small Christian community about 100 miles from Ephesus. There are questions about authorship. It reflects the epistle for Ephesians. Were it written by Paul, it was probably written in the sixth decade, when Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Here, Paul speaks of his labour for the church "Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." AUAWN0908121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-8th-colossians-128.html

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””Matthew 28:18-20 === Matthew wrote what is the first Gospel of the Bible. It is one of the three synoptic gospels, and relates how the Messiah, Jesus, rejected by Israel, sent out his disciples to preach the gospel to the whole world. It was probably written after 70AD. Here, Jesus gives his disciples the Great Commission. AUAWN0906121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-6th-matthew-2818-20.html

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” John 14:23 === John and Peter, of all the disciples had a special relationship with Jesus. Jesus even allowed them time to commune with Elijah and Moses. John writes in a particular style that is also evident in his letters and in Revelations. Earlier, John had written that Jesus was the Word made flesh. That flesh was sacrificed by God, as a gift to those whom God loved, so that God could abide them Because eternal life is close proximity to God. And to perish is to be utterly riven from God. Here, Jesus is promising the Holy Spirit. "“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave." AUAWN0907121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-7th-john-1423.html

“This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”Isaiah 48:17 === Via Wikipedia "Isaiah was the 8th-century BC Jewish prophet for whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the prophet", but the exact relationship between the Book of Isaiah and any such historical Isaiah is complicated. The traditional view is that all 66 chapters of the book of Isaiah were written by one man, Isaiah, possibly in two periods between 740 BCE and c. 686 BCE, separated by approximately 15 years, and includes dramatic prophetic declarations of Cyrus the Great in the Bible, acting to restore the nation of Israel from Babylonian captivity. Another widely-held view is that parts of the first half of the book (chapters 1–39) originated with the historical prophet, interspersed with prose commentaries written in the time of King Josiah a hundred years later, and that the remainder of the book dates from immediately before and immediately after the end of the exile in Babylon, almost two centuries after the time of the historic prophet" Via Wikipedia "Chapters 40-55 are known as "Deutero-Isaiah" and date from the time of the Israelites' exile in Babylon. According to John Skinner, this chapter, which is "largely a recapitulation of certain outstanding themes of the prophecy", consists of "exhortations addressed to the exiles in the near prospect of deliverance"" Here, we have verses of Israel freed "“Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. “Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The Lord’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians. I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission. “Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit. This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be blotted out nor destroyed from before me.” Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.” They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out. “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”" AUAWN0904121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-4th-isaiah-4817.html

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Timothy 1:13-14 === There is dispute of authorship of this letter. It is probably from Paul in 65 AD, before he is executed. The tone of the letter to Timothy is different from the first letter. We have a spirit and it comes from God. From serving God, not ourselves. We walk with God and learn about Him by reading the Bible. He begins to talk to you with a distinctive voice. You can hear Him answer your questions. And yet you doubt too. How much is it His voice, and how much is it you wanting it to be His voice? Walk with God by reading the Bible. He will tell you. You cannot fail. God loves you. Hold to His purpose, and He will reward you. What would you do if you knew you could not fail? What holds you back? He will open the doors if it is His will. But you must knock on the door, too. Let Him say yes. And accept it if He says no. Here, Paul is asking for loyalty to the Gospel. AUAWN0905121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-5th-2-timothy-113-14.html

“The earth is filled with your love, LORD; teach me your decrees.” Psalm 119:64 === Psalm 119, at 176 verses, is the longest Psalm, and the longest chapter in the Bible. The author did not include their name in the text. It is a prayer of one who delights in the (Torah) law. After all, it is good to back a winner. The verses of Heth leading into this verse are "You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words. I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands. Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law. At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws. I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts. The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees." AUAWN0903121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-3rd-psalm-11964.html

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”Proverbs 22:6 === This is a proverb of Solomon. Tragically, political lobbyists pushing forward a meme, are saying it is unfair on poor children if children of rich folk are privileged by being read to by their parents. But the truth is equity arguments such as that are evil. In fact, poor children need advantages too. AUAWN0902121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-2nd-proverbs-226.html

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice,” Psalm 95:6-7 === Via Wikipedia "Psalm 95 (Greek numbering: Psalm 94) is part of the biblical Book of Psalms. It is one of the Royal Psalms, Psalm 93-99, praising God as the King of His people. Psalm 95 identifies no author, but Hebrews 4:7 attributes it to David. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 94 in a slightly different numbering system." The verse following is "Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest." AUAWN0901121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/09/bible-quote-sep-1st-psalm-956-7.html

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,”Ephesians 2:19 === Ephesus is the city in modern day Turkey where John is thought to have written his Gospel, and where Paul spent a few years. The inhabitants at the time were Greek ethnically. Paul does not give characteristically personal greetings in this letter, suggesting to some that he did not write this in 62 AD from Rome, but it was written in his name between 80 and 100 AD. Here, we have Jew and Gentle reconciled through Christ The surrounding verse reads "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." AUAWN0831121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-31st-ephesians-219.html

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 === Excellent food from Turkey may be attributed, in part, to some Gauls from Thrace who settled there around 300 BC. Romans called that area Galatia. Paul wrote to the Galatian churches some time from the late 40's to early 60s. Here, Paul describes how Christians are Children of God. The surrounding verses read "Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." AUAWN0830121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-30th-galatians-328.html

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 === Via Wikipedia "Isaiah was the 8th-century BC Jewish prophet for whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the prophet", but the exact relationship between the Book of Isaiah and any such historical Isaiah is complicated. The traditional view is that all 66 chapters of the book of Isaiah were written by one man, Isaiah, possibly in two periods between 740 BCE and c. 686 BCE, separated by approximately 15 years, and includes dramatic prophetic declarations of Cyrus the Great in the Bible, acting to restore the nation of Israel from Babylonian captivity. Another widely-held view is that parts of the first half of the book (chapters 1–39) originated with the historical prophet, interspersed with prose commentaries written in the time of King Josiah a hundred years later, and that the remainder of the book dates from immediately before and immediately after the end of the exile in Babylon, almost two centuries after the time of the historic prophet" Chapters 24-27 of Isaiah constitute one continuous poetical prophecy, sometimes called the "Isaiah Apocalypse". Here, despite apocalypse, followers find clarity. AUAWN0828121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-28th-isaiah-263.html

“Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”” John 6:29 === John and Peter, of all the disciples had a special relationship with Jesus. Jesus even allowed them time to commune with Elijah and Moses. John writes in a particular style that is also evident in his letters and in Revelations. Earlier, John had written that Jesus was the Word made flesh. That flesh was sacrificed by God, as a gift to those whom God loved, so that God could abide them Because eternal life is close proximity to God. And to perish is to be utterly riven from God. Here, Jesus tells his disciples He is the Bread of Life. The surrounding verse reads "When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signsI performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the willof him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum." AUAWN0829121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-29th-john-629.html

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5 === Paul was writing to Rome from Corinth. He had Tertius of Iconium write this while he dictated. Paul had established a number of churches around the Greek seas in the decade leading up to the letter. Rome was the then undisputed capital of the 'known world.' Here, Paul writes of humble service in the body of Christ The surrounding verse "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." AUAWN0827121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-27th-romans-124-5.html

“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” Psalm 119:165 === Psalm 119, at 176 verses, is the longest Psalm, and the longest chapter in the Bible. The author did not include their name in the text. It is a prayer of one who delights in the (Torah) law. After all, it is good to back a winner. Here are the verses for Sin and Shin "Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word. I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil. I hate and detest falsehood but I love your law. Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands. I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you." AUAWN0826121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-26th-psalm-119165.html

“I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1-2 === This is a Hallel Psalm, a jewish prayer of thanksgiving. In Hebrew, it is an acrostic poem. The psalm draws heavily from other psalms so much so that Hupfeld called it a `patched-up psalm' Via Wikipedia "Theodoret applies this psalm to the distresses of the Jews in the times of the Maccabees under Antiochus Epiphanes while a small minority ascribe it to Hezekiahs, sickness recorded in Isaiah 38 However, most commentators today ascribe it to King David. If David were the author, it is not certain whether it was composed upon any particular occasion, or upon a general review of the many gracious deliverances God had wrought for him, out of six troubles and seven The Syriac Church hold it was written on the occasion of Saul coming to the cave where David was hiding" Auawn0825121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-25th-psalm-1161-2.html

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Psalm 94:18-19 === This is part of a Royal Psalm, praising God as king of his people. The surrounding verses "Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." AUAWN0824121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-24th-psalm-9418-19.html

“By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:8 === The Psalm is attributed to the Sons of Korah. Moses' cousin, Korah, led a rebellion against Moses but was consumed by hell fire, among 250 conspirators. But his sons survived, not being part of the conspiracy. In later generations, Korahites were temple workers. Via wikipedia "The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies. It is As pants the hart in the metrical version by Tate and Brady (1696). It has been set to music often, notably in Handel's As pants the hart and Mendelssohn's Psalm 42." AUAWN0822121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-22nd-psalm-428.html

“I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”Psalm 16:8 === This Psalm is a miktam of David. That does not mean he is author, but seems to mean he inspired it. It is probably written during exile, after 539 BC. According to Briggs, the author of this Psalm drew on Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16; Deuteronomy 33:12; and the Book of Ezra for phrases and concepts Via Wikipedia "Miktam (Hebrew: מִכְתָּם) is a word of unknown meaning found in the headings to Psalms 16 and 56-60 in the Hebrew Bible. These six Psalms, and many others, are associated with David, but this tradition is more likely to be sentimental than historical. Miktam corresponds to the Babylonian nakamu, lid, metal cover for a vessel, but efforts to derive a meaning for the term in the Psalms have not been convincing. In modern Hebrew, the word has come to mean "epigram", and numerous collections of Hebrew epigrams have used that word in their titles." Here is a faith statement. AUAWN0821121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-21st-psalm-168.html

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12 === John had been close to Jesus. He had thought, for a long time, that Jesus had promised John would never suffer mortal death. But God keeps all of his promises. In some ways, John died at least twice. Killed by Romans who wanted to silence his cult, John survived and died later, possibly of old age. He wrote this letter in Ephesus probably around the year 98. John and Peter, of all the disciples had a special relationship with Jesus. Jesus even allowed them time to commune with Elijah and Moses. John writes in a particular style that is also evident in his letters and in Revelations. Earlier, John had written that Jesus was the Word made flesh. That flesh was sacrificed by God, as a gift to those whom God loved, so that God could abide them Because eternal life is close proximity to God. And to perish is to be utterly riven from God. Here, John writes of faith in the incarnate son of God. From the surrounding verses "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." AUAWN0820121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-20th-1-john-512.html

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32 === Paul was writing to Rome from Corinth. He had Tertius of Iconium write this while he dictated. Paul had established a number of churches around the Greek seas in the decade leading up to the letter. Rome was the then undisputed capital of the 'known world.' Here, Paul says we are more than conquerors who are with Christ. "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." AUAWN0823121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-23rd-romans-832.html

“But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 === A problem with academia is the promise of the sure result, is not matched with the truth, that every result must be continuously defended. And ancient Greece was the home of academia. Paul went to Corinth and shared his life as a Christian. And Paul returned. Frustrated. Hurt. Explaining again and again what he had meant as Corinthians split hairs. But the result is a pure distillation of Paul’s message. Here, Paul is defending his ministry. The chapter verse reads "By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends." AUAWN0818121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-18th-2-corinthians-1017.html

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 === Paul's letter to Philippians followed a time he had spent there in the late 40's. It is possible Paul is writing this letter from Rome prior to his death. The city of Philippi had been renamed after King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. The city is in the North East of Greece and possibly had a population of 2000 at the time. Here, Paul's chains advance the gospel. The surrounding verse reads "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to departand be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me." AUAWN0819121 http://storiesthatheal.blogspot.com/2016/08/bible-quote-aug-19th-philippians-121.html