posted August 29, 2004 06:42 AM            

It has been said many times that the bible isn't completely accurate. I was thinking that maybe we knowflakes can arrive at what we believe to be truths within the bible. Is there some quote you love that speaks volumes to you, and resonates as truth? The following was taken from http://www.bibleontheweb.com/Bible.asp , and is my personal favourite. I believe Linda once used this quote, and as I read it, I realised how much more truth followed, which I quite liked. This is John 14:

quote:

---

12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

---

There's a few points in here which I feel were tampered with, but the truth is very bright. Especially the part "I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you" - this seems very Eastern really as we are all apart of the one.

I would like at some point to look at other religious works, but all in good time.

posted August 29, 2004 07:45 PM            

The Twenty Third Psalm:

The Lord is my Shepherd ----- That's Relationship!
I shall not want ----- That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ---- That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters ----- That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul ----- That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ----- That's Guidance!
For His name sake ----- That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ----- That's
Testing!
I will fear no evil ----- That's Protection!
For Thou art with me ----- That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me -----That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies -----That's
Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil ----- That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over ----- That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ----That's
Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord -----That's Security!
Forever ----- That's Eternity!

posted August 29, 2004 11:23 PM            

Juniper... I Love the 23rd Psalm, also Psalm 103. What a great interpretation!

Miss seeing you around, and hope all is well!

In the Light...
A

posted August 30, 2004 07:54 PM            

quote:

---

Psalms 103

1 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! 21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will! 22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

---

pretty powerful stuff...

posted August 30, 2004 08:56 PM            

I think fear is the wrong word here, and should probably read "honor", but that is only my best guess.

Also, I liked the re-working Stephen Schwartz did when he put that Psalm in Godspell, his musical thesis.

"Oh Bless The Lord, My Soul"

Oh Bless The Lord, My Soul,
His grace to thee proclaim,
And all that is within me joins,
To Bless His Holy Name.

Oh Bless The Lord, My Soul,
His mercies bear in mind,
Forget not all his benefits,
The Lord to thee is kind.

He will not always chide,
He will with patience wait,
His wrath is ever slow to rise...
And ready to abate,

He pardons all thy sins,
Prolongs thy feeble breath,
He healeth thine infirmities,
And ransoms thee from death.

He clothes thee with His Love,
Upholds thee with His Truth,
And like the eagle He renews,
The vigor of thy youth.

Then bless His Holy Name,
Whose grace hath made thee whole,
Whose loving kindness crowns thy days!
Oh Bless the Lord, My Soul.********

Has anyone ever seen Godspell or heard the soundtrack? The song that is most famous was "Day by Day", I think anyone who was anyone in the 70's recorded that tune for a time. It's one of my favorite musicals ever.

Ok, so I'm dating myself a bit!

Blessed Be...
A

posted August 31, 2004 09:47 AM              

*Edit* I just remembered one!

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'." -- Psalms 53:1

posted August 31, 2004 02:58 PM            

My favorite one

The Nag Hammadi Library

The Thunder, Perfect Mind

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translated by George W. MacRae

I was sent forth from the power,

and I have come to those who reflect upon me,
and I have been found among those who seek after me.
Look upon me, you who reflect upon me,
and you hearers, hear me.
You who are waiting for me, take me to yourselves.
And do not banish me from your sight.
And do not make your voice hate me, nor your hearing.
Do not be ignorant of me anywhere or any time. Be on your guard!
Do not be ignorant of me.
For I am the first and the last.
I am the honored one and the scorned one.
I am the ***** and the holy one.
I am the wife and the virgin.
I am <the mother> and the daughter.
I am the members of my mother.
I am the barren one
and many are her sons.
I am she whose wedding is great,
and I have not taken a husband.
I am the midwife and she who does not bear.
I am the solace of my labor pains.
I am the bride and the bridegroom,
and it is my husband who begot me.
I am the mother of my father
and the sister of my husband
and he is my offspring.
I am the slave of him who prepared me.
I am the ruler of my offspring.
But he is the one who begot me before the time on a birthday.
And he is my offspring in (due) time,
and my power is from him.
I am the staff of his power in his youth,
and he is the rod of my old age.
And whatever he wills happens to me.
I am the silence that is incomprehensible
and the idea whose remembrance is frequent.
I am the voice whose sound is manifold
and the word whose appearance is multiple.
I am the utterance of my name.
Why, you who hate me, do you love me,
and hate those who love me?
You who deny me, confess me,
and you who confess me, deny me.
You who tell the truth about me, lie about me,
and you who have lied about me, tell the truth about me.
You who know me, be ignorant of me,
and those who have not known me, let them know me.
For I am knowledge and ignorance.
I am shame and boldness.
I am shameless; I am ashamed.
I am strength and I am fear.
I am war and peace.
Give heed to me.
I am the one who is disgraced and the great one.
Give heed to my poverty and my wealth.
Do not be arrogant to me when I am cast out upon the earth,
and you will find me in those that are to come.
And do not look upon me on the dung-heap
nor go and leave me cast out,
and you will find me in the kingdoms.
And do not look upon me when I am cast out among those who
are disgraced and in the least places,
nor laugh at me.
And do not cast me out among those who are slain in violence.
But I, I am compassionate and I am cruel.
Be on your guard!
Do not hate my obedience
and do not love my self-control.
In my weakness, do not forsake me,
and do not be afraid of my power.
For why do you despise my fear
and curse my pride?
But I am she who exists in all fears
and strength in trembling.
I am she who is weak,
and I am well in a pleasant place.
I am senseless and I am wise.
Why have you hated me in your counsels?
For I shall be silent among those who are silent,
and I shall appear and speak,
Why then have you hated me, you Greeks?
Because I am a barbarian among the barbarians?
For I am the wisdom of the Greeks
and the knowledge of the barbarians.
I am the judgement of the Greeks and of the barbarians.
I am the one whose image is great in Egypt
and the one who has no image among the barbarians.
I am the one who has been hated everywhere
and who has been loved everywhere.
I am the one whom they call Life,
and you have called Death.
I am the one whom they call Law,
and you have called Lawlessness.
I am the one whom you have pursued,
and I am the one whom you have seized.
I am the one whom you have scattered,
and you have gathered me together.
I am the one before whom you have been ashamed,
and you have been shameless to me.
I am she who does not keep festival,
and I am she whose festivals are many.
I, I am godless,
and I am the one whose God is great.
I am the one whom you have reflected upon,
and you have scorned me.
I am unlearned,
and they learn from me.
I am the one that you have despised,
and you reflect upon me.
I am the one whom you have hidden from,
and you appear to me.
But whenever you hide yourselves,
I myself will appear.
For whenever you appear,
I myself will hide from you.
Those who have [...] to it [...] senselessly [...].
Take me [... understanding] from grief.
and take me to yourselves from understanding and grief.
And take me to yourselves from places that are ugly and in ruin,
and rob from those which are good even though in ugliness.
Out of shame, take me to yourselves shamelessly;
and out of shamelessness and shame,
upbraid my members in yourselves.
And come forward to me, you who know me
and you who know my members,
and establish the great ones among the small first creatures.
Come forward to childhood,
and do not despise it because it is small and it is little.
And do not turn away greatnesses in some parts from the smallnesses,
for the smallnesses are known from the greatnesses.
Why do you curse me and honor me?
You have wounded and you have had mercy.
Do not separate me from the first ones whom you have known.
And do not cast anyone out nor turn anyone away
[...] turn you away and [... know] him not.
[...].
What is mine [...].
I know the first ones and those after them know me.
But I am the mind of [...] and the rest of [...].
I am the knowledge of my inquiry,
and the finding of those who seek after me,
and the command of those who ask of me,
and the power of the powers in my knowledge
of the angels, who have been sent at my word,
and of gods in their seasons by my counsel,
and of spirits of every man who exists with me,
and of women who dwell within me.
I am the one who is honored, and who is praised,
and who is despised scornfully.
I am peace,
and war has come because of me.
And I am an alien and a citizen.
I am the substance and the one who has no substance.
Those who are without association with me are ignorant of me,
and those who are in my substance are the ones who know me.
Those who are close to me have been ignorant of me,
and those who are far away from me are the ones who have known me.
On the day when I am close to you, you are far away from me,
and on the day when I am far away from you, I am close to you.
[I am ...] within.
[I am ...] of the natures.
I am [...] of the creation of the spirits.
[...] request of the souls.
I am control and the uncontrollable.
I am the union and the dissolution.
I am the abiding and I am the dissolution.
I am the one below,
and they come up to me.
I am the judgment and the acquittal.
I, I am sinless,
and the root of sin derives from me.
I am lust in (outward) appearance,
and interior self-control exists within me.
I am the hearing which is attainable to everyone
and the speech which cannot be grasped.
I am a mute who does not speak,
and great is my multitude of words.
Hear me in gentleness, and learn of me in roughness.
I am she who cries out,
and I am cast forth upon the face of the earth.
I prepare the bread and my mind within.
I am the knowledge of my name.
I am the one who cries out,
and I listen.
I appear and [...] walk in [...] seal of my [...].
I am [...] the defense [...].
I am the one who is called Truth
and iniquity [...].
You honor me [...] and you whisper against me.
You who are vanquished, judge them (who vanquish you)
before they give judgment against you,
because the judge and partiality exist in you.
If you are condemned by this one, who will acquit you?
Or, if you are acquitted by him, who will be able to detain you?
For what is inside of you is what is outside of you,
and the one who fashions you on the outside
is the one who shaped the inside of you.
And what you see outside of you, you see inside of you;
it is visible and it is your garment.
Hear me, you hearers
and learn of my words, you who know me.
I am the hearing that is attainable to everything;
I am the speech that cannot be grasped.
I am the name of the sound
and the sound of the name.
I am the sign of the letter
and the designation of the division.
And I [...].
(3 lines missing)
[...] light [...].
[...] hearers [...] to you
[...] the great power.
And [...] will not move the name.
[...] to the one who created me.
And I will speak his name.
Look then at his words
and all the writings which have been completed.
Give heed then, you hearers
and you also, the angels and those who have been sent,
and you spirits who have arisen from the dead.
For I am the one who alone exists,
and I have no one who will judge me.
For many are the pleasant forms which exist in numerous sins,
and incontinencies,
and disgraceful passions,
and fleeting pleasures,
which (men) embrace until they become sober
and go up to their resting place.
And they will find me there,
and they will live,
and they will not die again.

posted September 01, 2004 12:58 PM            

or Is there some quote you love that speaks volumes to you, and resonates as truth? , certainly

posted September 03, 2004 02:58 PM              

Or is it I thank I? Hehehe...

posted September 08, 2004 11:12 PM              

Ac 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Ac 20:8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
Ac 20:9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

posted May 17, 2005 03:45 AM              

Well my take on the verses from John is that we are indeed connected to one another.
The creator of our cosmos lives in his/her creation and is indeed not seperate. Now for completeness sake, there is also a throne of God/dess(I am being metaphorical just for illustrations) beyond their creation.

Lets pick a every day man such as myself. Is it possible for me to do what Jesus did. Yes. I can do things such as raise people from dead provided the God/dess dwells in me. Although we are partly God. There is an emptiness with in us or actually out side of our physical body where the spirit of God/dess seats on us. When this rush happens you are the creator and creation experiencing together the joy of every actions. Its a ecstatic moment and Jesus having had experienced it in the past says it, reiterates it, puts emphasis on it, only for our benefit. This moment is worth it and the success rate of people achieving it is very rare

posted May 17, 2005 01:22 PM              

among the parables in matthew - this is the one i know of better than the others:

posted May 18, 2005 08:54 AM            

But irrespective, you are always quite welcome fayte.