THE BIBLE VERSES

THE BIBLE VERSES

---

THE WAY OF LOVE
1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-13

 

1 Corinthians
Chapter 13

1

¹ If I speak in human and angelic tongues ² but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

2

And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.

3

If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4

³ Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated,

5

it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

6

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

7

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8

⁴ Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.

9

For we know partially and we prophesy partially,

10

but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

11

When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

12

At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

13

⁵ So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

PROPHESY GREATER THAN TONGUES
1 CORINTHIANS 14:26-33


1 Corinthians
Chapter 14

26

⁹ So what is to be done, brothers? When you assemble, one has a psalm, another an instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything should be done for building up.

27

If anyone speaks in a tongue, let it be two or at most three, and each in turn, and one should interpret.

28

But if there is no interpreter, the person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God.

29

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others discern.

30

But if a revelation is given to another person sitting there, the first one should be silent.

31

For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged.

32

Indeed, the spirits of prophets are under the prophets' control,

33

since he is not the God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the holy ones, ¹⁰

THE LOVE OF CHRIST / PRAYER FOR THE READERS
EPHESIANS 3:14-21



Ephesians
Chapter 3

14

^{7 8} For this reason I kneel before the Father,

15

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

16

that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,

17

and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,

18

may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19

and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20

Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,

21

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

THE BIBLE VERSES
ENGLISH AND TAGALOG VERSION

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/index.shtml

http://angbiblia.net/




links:

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians13.htm

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians14.htm

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/ephesians/ephesians3.htm


http://angbiblia.net/1_corinto13.aspx

http://angbiblia.net/1_corinto14.aspx

http://angbiblia.net/taga_efeso3.aspx

---

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

Read more...

From the Website of  HUFFPOST RELIGION
links:
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/homayra-ziad/learning-to-listen-huffjummah_b_1565189.html?ref=religion

HuffJummah: Learning to Listen

"The capacity for empathy is vital when working towards peace. Empathy requires that a person look past his or her own interests and perspective and come to an understanding of the other side. Peacemaking also calls us to move beyond our desire for retaliation and revenge, and focus instead on the possibilities for future reconciliation. Before we are able to accomplish these aims, we must acknowledge our wrongs and the ways in which we have been complicit in injustices and our responsibility for righting them."

"A key to Just Peacemaking generally, and to acknowledging responsibility specifically, lies in the ability to hear narratives alternative to one's own."

--From "Interfaith Just Peacemaking: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Perspectives on the New Paradigm of Peace and War," p. 69, 71-72

A few weeks ago, I took part in a gathering of Interfaith Just Peacemakers at the Boston University School of Theology, courageous women and men who focus their lives around imagining and mobilizing religious discourse as a resource for sustainable peace. As we unpacked the 10 key practices of just peacemaking, I was struck yet again by the central importance of deep listening, that is, hearing, receiving and even revering narratives that conflict with our own. And then, as I heard, one by one, the "war" stories of our peacemakers, many of whom struggled to align psychic, professional and spiritual lives, I realized too that making peace in the world around us is impossible without making peace within ourselves. One is flawed, even perilous, without the other. We cannot open up to painful alternative narratives unless we have built up the spiritual resources within ourselves to handle the existential fall-out. Have I learned to name what lies within me of anger, jealousy, vanity, arrogance, resentment and malice? I cannot make effective peace with others until I have at least acknowledged the war within myself.

Let us look at one instance of deep listening. Like the earlier legends of Solomon, the Quran tells us that the prophet Sulayman (upon him, peace) could communicate with non-human creatures. In one poignant passage, we learn:

"Gathered around Solomon were his armies of Jinn, men and birds, all in ranks. When they came to a valley of ants, an ant said: "Ants, enter your homes or Solomon and his armies will crush you without knowing." He [Solomon] smiled and laughed at her words, and said: "My Lord, inspire me that I might be thankful for the favors which you bestowed upon me and my parents, that I might do good deeds that are pleasing to you. Include me, by your mercy, among your upright worshippers." Quran al-Naml (The Ant), verses 17-18

Here is an example of one incident, but two profoundly different narratives. What Sulayman sees as a routine march, the ant reads as a mortal danger that would lead to the destruction of her entire community. Sulayman could easily have responded with arrogance (who does this two-bit creature think she is?), resentment (what kind of monster does she think I am?) or disbelief (this ant is crazy!). After all, the ant is accusing him of being, at best, heedless, at worst, a murderer. Instead, he truly hears her. First he smiles. Then his smile turns into a joyous laugh -- he gets it. Her life has been riddled with violence. She's lost tens of thousands of her little friends under the careless boots of human beings. Her expectations and fears are determined by her experience. Exegetical literature (tafsir) tells us that Sulayman ordered his army to halt until the ants had entered their homes. To bring a marching army to a halt is no laughing matter. Neither is an order that bucks the machismo of army culture. Risking loss of face, the great commander exercises humility in the face of another creature's truth. And then, the Quran tells us, he turns to God in thankfulness for helping him do the right thing and takes refuge in God's mercy. Perhaps he is thankful for the clear lesson: his army may be the mightiest in the world, but that there are other, more lasting ways to make peace.

 

Sulayman teaches us that we have the ability to communicate with everything around us. If we begin to listen, we may find ourselves transformed. A Jerrahi Sufi teacher told me that no lasting relationship can begin with conditions and expectations. Expectations that are foisted upon a relationship rather than arising naturally through relationship hint at an absence of real communication. (He compared this to the relationship he has with the ney, the reed flute whose virtues are most beautifully expressed in the poetry of Rumi. The expectations he has of his ney, the vessel, and that his ney has of him, the artist, arise through their loving relationship, sustained by years of commitment and a light touch. And so he need not force himself to play, it comes naturally and with pleasure.) We plant a seed of relationship, he told me, and then we put a concrete block over it and a chair, and we sit on the chair, and then we complain that the seed does not grow. Instead, we should plant the seed in a garden, water it and tend to it with love, but let it grow as it will. Don't burden the relationship with expectations; first, learn to listen. 

"Listen to this ney, how it laments -- telling a tale of separations." --Rumi, Masnavi

Islam is not a badge that is worn but an ethic that is lived by. We expect to be treated well but do we do our part to nurture relationships, to listen to the other side of the story? We expect an unrealistic largeness of heart from the world around us, but do we work hard to create the trust and affection that will invite such gestures? And can we apply these principles both in our intimate and public circles: our family, our neighborhood, our political and interfaith work.

Finally, deep listening is only possible when we are working on wholeness within ourselves. Peace begins with the self, for the fractured self is the root cause of much of the trouble in our lives. Even as we heal the wounds of others, we must cultivate the ability to communicate with our own selves. Using the language of journey to speak of the deepest grounding, the Naqshbandi Sufi teachers teach the spiritual practice of safar dar vatan -- travel in the "homeland" -- the realm of our own selves. This is the journey of self-knowledge: acknowledging our brokenness, replacing our negative attributes with godly virtues and learning to love ourselves as mirrors of the divine. This journey is what grounds us so deeply within ourselves that we may begin to reach out to others in true relationship. In the contemporary language of place, Edward Relph suggests that "an empathetic and compassionate understanding of the worlds beyond our own places may be best grounded in a love of a particular place to which I myself belong."

So spend some time getting to know yourself. A valuable traditional practice for self-knowledge is muhasabah, or taking account, inspired by the Quranic verse: "You who believe! Be God-conscious, and let every soul consider carefully what it sends ahead for tomorrow; be mindful of God, for God is well aware of everything you do" (Quran al-Hashr, verse 18). Every night, take some time to sit quietly, alone, facing the qibla. Go over your day, hour by hour, and reflect on those parts of the day that you regret, where you slipped up, where you wronged someone, and where your behavior was far from just and exemplary. Don't dwell on the negative, but focus on the future: imagine how you could have changed your behavior in that moment, and then resolve to do it the next time you are faced with a challenging situation. If a wrong can be righted, plan to do it. And finally, do as the prophet Sulayman did: ask for God's inspiration, support and mercy in your journey.

May we all find just peace within us and create just peace around us. Ameen.

Huffpost Website

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/religion/

links: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/homayra-ziad/learning-to-listen-huffjummah_b_1565189.html?ref=religion

---

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

Read more...

When there is love, there can never be fear

Bible Lights Promotions

Lights of God and Jesus in 

the World

Mother Mary Lights the 

World in Peace 

 and Love

From Vatican

POPE Benedict XVI:

Benedict XVI: 

When there is love, there can never be fear

 

 Vatican Website

http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

 Vatican Youtube

 http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

God and Jesus and Mother Mary Lights

Bless Us All

Read more...

"The sacred has an educational function"

Bible Lights Promotions

Lights of God and Jesus in 

the World

Mother Mary Lights the 

World in Peace 

 and Love

From Vatican

POPE Benedict XVI:

Benedict XVI:

"The sacred has an educational function"

 

  

Vatican Website

http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

 Vatican Youtube

 http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

God and Jesus and Mother Mary Lights

Bless Us All

Read more...

THE BIBLE VERSES

THE BIBLE 

LIGHTS PROMOTIONS

---

THE PARABLE OF THE PERSISTENT WIDOW
LUKE 18:1-8




Luke
Chapter 18

1

¹ Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said,

2

"There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.

3

And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.'

4

For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,

5

² because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"

6

The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.

7

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?

8

I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

PAUL BEFORE THE SANEDRIN
ACTS 22:30 23:1-5


Acts
Chapter 23

30

Since it was brought to my attention that there will be a plot against the man, I am sending him to you at once, and have also notified his accusers to state (their case) against him before you."

Acts
Chapter 24

1

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an advocate, a certain Tertullus, and they presented formal charges against Paul to the governor.

2

When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Since we have attained much peace through you, and reforms have been accomplished in this nation through your provident care,

3

we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all gratitude.

4

But in order not to detain you further, I ask you to give us a brief hearing with your customary graciousness.

5

We found this man to be a pest; he creates dissension among Jews all over the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazoreans. ¹

KING AGRIPA HEARS PAUL / ST. PAUL FAITH CALL
ACTS 26:1-18


Acts
Chapter 26

1

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You may now speak on your own behalf." So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.

2

¹ "I count myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am to defend myself before you today against all the charges made against me by the Jews,

3

especially since you are an expert in all the Jewish customs and controversies. And therefore I beg you to listen patiently.

4

My manner of living from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my people ² and in Jerusalem, all (the) Jews know.

5

They have known about me from the start, if they are willing to testify, that I have lived my life as a Pharisee, the strictest party of our religion.

6

But now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors.

7

Our twelve tribes hope to attain to that promise as they fervently worship God day and night; and on account of this hope I am accused by Jews, O king.

8

Why is it thought unbelievable among you that God raises the dead?

9

I myself once thought that I had to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean,

10

and I did so in Jerusalem. I imprisoned many of the holy ones with the authorization I received from the chief priests, and when they were to be put to death I cast my vote against them.

11

Many times, in synagogue after synagogue, I punished them in an attempt to force them to blaspheme; I was so enraged against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities.

12

"On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests.

13

At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions.

14

We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.' ³

15

And I said, 'Who are you, sir?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

16

Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen (of me) and what you will be shown. ⁴

17

I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you,

18

to open their eyes ⁵ that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.'

BIBLE VERSES SOURCES
ENGLISH AND TAGALOG VERSION

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/index.shtml

http://angbiblia.net/


Links

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/luke/luke18.htm

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/acts/acts23.htm

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/acts/acts24.htm

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/acts/acts26.htm


http://angbiblia.net/lucas18.aspx

http://angbiblia.net/gawa23.aspx

http://angbiblia.net/gawa24.aspx

http://angbiblia.net/gawa26.aspx

---

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

Read more...

MIRACLES OF GOD JUDGEMENT

MIRACLES OF GOD
JUDGEMENT

---

From the Website of Biblos
links:  http://niv.scripturetext.com/psalms/105.htm

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

The LORD’S Wonderful Works in Behalf of Israel.

1Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
         Make known His deeds among the peoples. 

2Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
         Speak of all His wonders. 

3Glory in His holy name;
         Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. 

4Seek the LORD and His strength;
         Seek His face continually. 

5Remember His wonders which He has done,
         His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth, 

6O seed of Abraham, His servant,
         O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! 

7He is the LORD our God;
         His judgments are in all the earth. 

8He has remembered His covenant forever,
         The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, 

9The covenant which He made with Abraham,
         And His oath to Isaac. 

10Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
         To Israel as an everlasting covenant, 

11Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
         As the portion of your inheritance,” 

12When they were only a few men in number,
         Very few, and strangers in it. 

13And they wandered about from nation to nation,
         From one kingdom to another people. 

14He permitted no man to oppress them,
         And He reproved kings for their sakes: 

15“Do not touch My anointed ones,
         And do My prophets no harm.” 

16And He called for a famine upon the land;
         He broke the whole staff of bread. 

17He sent a man before them,
         Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 

18They afflicted his feet with fetters,
         He himself was laid in irons; 

19Until the time that his word came to pass,
         The word of the LORD tested him. 

20The king sent and released him,
         The ruler of peoples, and set him free. 

21He made him lord of his house
         And ruler over all his possessions, 

22To imprison his princes at will,
         That he might teach his elders wisdom. 

23Israel also came into Egypt;
         Thus Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 

24And He caused His people to be very fruitful,
         And made them stronger than their adversaries. 

25He turned their heart to hate His people,
         To deal craftily with His servants. 

26He sent Moses His servant,
         And Aaron, whom He had chosen. 

27They performed His wondrous acts among them,
         And miracles in the land of Ham. 

28He sent darkness and made it dark;
         And they did not rebel against His words. 

29He turned their waters into blood
         And caused their fish to die. 

30Their land swarmed with frogs
         Even in the chambers of their kings. 

31He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies
         And gnats in all their territory. 

32He gave them hail for rain,
         And flaming fire in their land. 

33He struck down their vines also and their fig trees,
         And shattered the trees of their territory. 

34He spoke, and locusts came,
         And young locusts, even without number, 

35And ate up all vegetation in their land,
         And ate up the fruit of their ground. 

36He also struck down all the firstborn in their land,
         The first fruits of all their vigor. 

37Then He brought them out with silver and gold,
         And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled. 

38Egypt was glad when they departed,
         For the dread of them had fallen upon them. 

39He spread a cloud for a covering,
         And fire to illumine by night. 

40They asked, and He brought quail,
         And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 

41He opened the rock and water flowed out;
         It ran in the dry places like a river. 

42For He remembered His holy word
         With Abraham His servant; 

43And He brought forth His people with joy,
         His chosen ones with a joyful shout. 

44He gave them also the lands of the nations,
         That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples’ labor, 

45So that they might keep His statutes
         And observe His laws,
         Praise the LORD!

---

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

Read more...

Benedict XVI: Selfishness is the enemy of joy

Bible Lights Promotions

Lights of God and Jesus in 

the World

Mother Mary Lights the 

World in Peace 

 and Love

From Vatican

POPE Benedict XVI:

Benedict XVI: Selfishness is the enemy of joy 

 

 Vatican Website

http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

 Vatican Youtube

 http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

God and Jesus and Mother Mary Lights

Bless Us All

Read more...

Benedict XVI: Christ is everything to us

Bible Lights Promotions

Lights of God and Jesus in 

the World

Mother Mary Lights the 

World in Peace 

 and Love

From Vatican

POPE Benedict XVI:

Benedict XVI: Christ is everything to us 

 

 Vatican Website

http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

 Vatican Youtube

 http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

God and Jesus and Mother Mary Lights

Bless Us All

Read more...

THE BIBLE VERSES SOURCES

THE BIBLE VERSES SOURCES

---

THE HEALING OF THE GERASENE DEMONIAC AND
JAIRUS'S DAUGHTER AND WOMAN WITH HEMORRHAGE
LUKE 8:26-39  /  8:40-56



Luke
Chapter 8

26

Then they sailed to the territory of the Gerasenes, ⁹ which is opposite Galilee.

27

When he came ashore a man from the town who was possessed by demons met him. For a long time he had not worn clothes; he did not live in a house, but lived among the tombs.

28

When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him; in a loud voice he shouted, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"

29

For he had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (It had taken hold of him many times, and he used to be bound with chains and shackles as a restraint, but he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into deserted places.)

30

Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" ¹⁰ He replied, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.

31

And they pleaded with him not to order them to depart to the abyss. ¹¹

32

A herd of many swine was feeding there on the hillside, and they pleaded with him to allow them to enter those swine; and he let them.

33

The demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34

When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside.

35

People came out to see what had happened and, when they approached Jesus, they discovered the man from whom the demons had come out sitting at his feet. ¹² He was clothed and in his right mind, and they were seized with fear.

36

Those who witnessed it told them how the possessed man had been saved.

37

The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. So he got into a boat and returned.

38

The man from whom the demons had come out begged to remain with him, but he sent him away, saying,

39

"Return home and recount what God has done for you." The man went off and proclaimed throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him.

 

40

¹³ When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

41

And a man named Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came forward. He fell at the feet of Jesus and begged him to come to his house,

42

because he had an only daughter, ¹⁴ about twelve years old, and she was dying. As he went, the crowds almost crushed him.

43

And a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years, ¹⁵ who (had spent her whole livelihood on doctors and) was unable to be cured by anyone,

44

came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped.

45

Jesus then asked, "Who touched me?" While all were denying it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are pushing and pressing in upon you."

46

But Jesus said, "Someone has touched me; for I know that power has gone out from me."

47

When the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came forward trembling. Falling down before him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been healed immediately.

48

He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace."

49

While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer."

50

On hearing this, Jesus answered him, "Do not be afraid; just have faith and she will be saved."

51

When he arrived at the house he allowed no one to enter with him except Peter and John and James, and the child's father and mother.

52

¹⁶ All were weeping and mourning for her, when he said, "Do not weep any longer, for she is not dead, but sleeping."

53

And they ridiculed him, because they knew that she was dead.

54

But he took her by the hand and called to her, "Child, arise!"

55

Her breath returned and she immediately arose. He then directed that she should be given something to eat.

56

Her parents were astounded, and he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

Bible Verses Sources
English / Tagalog Version

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/index.shtml

http://angbiblia.net/http://angbiblia.net/



links:

http://www.catechism.org/nab/bible/luke/luke8.htm

http://angbiblia.net/lucas8.aspx

---

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

Read more...