“I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It’s all going to turn out all right.” – Billy Graham
It’s 12 : 17 PM on day 2045 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 22, have breakfast, learn one new thing – Roosevelt is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On December 10, 1906, Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to win a Nobel Prize. Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work surrounding the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 506 only $744 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 
).
This morning after years of reading the Bible every day I finished reading it (from beginning to end) (I may have accidentally missed one or two scriptures but for the most part I read the whole book) and to celebrate that I’ve written down some of my favourite Bible verses. Take a look:
15 Memorable Bible Verses
- Romans 12: 9-21 (these verses are like the rules for life)
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- Matthew 6: 33
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
- Matthew 23: 12 (whenever I read this verse I think of Catherine Constantinides she has worked her butt off for years serving the planet and its people and finally, finally the world is starting to notice her hard work and I,for one, couldn’t be happier for her)
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
- James 3: 9-13
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- John 9: 1-3 (Note to self: Make sure mommy sees this)
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
- Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.
- Proverbs 14: 23
All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
- Proverbs 13: 11
Dishonest money dwindles away,
but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.
- Proverbs 13:20
Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm.
- Proverbs 13: 3
Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.
- Proverbs 16: 4
The Lord works out everything to its proper end—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
- Mark 12: 41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
- Matthew 25: 40
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
- Mark 2: 17
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
15. James 2: 14-25
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
Congrats!
Thanks 🙂
Go Nisha! Now that [reading the whole Bible] is a thing not many people have done, and as such is a true inspiration [not one that would stimulate the eyeballs and tongues of lesser people/the foolish ones]. Helen Keller did it as a critical literature study for her Radcliffe degree course [like Texts and Traditions/Religious Studies/Literary Theology]- it took her two units of the 17 over four years. The Bible course was a semester’s work.
[She refers to it in chapter 21 of THE STORY OF MY LIFE, which is specifically about her reading life, which was a very active one by any standard].
Do you plan to read other religious texts as well, like the Qu’ran and its Hadiths? Or the Torah? Wait for it – the Manifesto Humanist. [or the Humanist Manifest as I call it – read the third or fourth version].
That was a big big milepost on your journey. I hope it will stay with you the rest of your life as it formed and shaped you.
I like also that you used the Gospels and the Proverbs.
Romans: I like verse 12 in that.
The wise set the pace, that is true. And they go with the pace.
[thinking now of the Camino – its material and spiritual versions/visions].
I think your Mum sees the works of God every day, and how they display in you and in each person.
James was a real imagineer – or whoever wrote and breathed h/His work.
It was a huge milepost indeed I’m so happy. I don’t think I’ll read other religious texts
Okay, Nisha [that you might not read other religious texts].
Happy you’re happy.