Quotes and Readings of the Day

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Matthew 16:13-20

Peter's Declaration about Jesus
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

From the New Revised Standard Version. Reprinted with permission from HarperBibles.

TAGS: Bible, Bible Reading, Christian, Matthew

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Genesis 15:7-17:6

Then He said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to assign this land to you as a possession." And he said, "O Lord God, how shall I know that I am to possess it?" He answered, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young bird." He brought Him all these and cut them in two, placing each half opposite the other; but he did not cut up the bird. Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great dark dread descended upon him.
And He said to Abram, "Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years; but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth. As for you,

You shall go to your fathers in peace;
You shall be buried at a ripe old age.

And they shall return here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."

When the sun set and it was very dark, there appeared a smoking oven, and a flaming torch which passed between those pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I assign this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, "Look, the Lord has kept me from bearing. Consort with my maid; perhaps I shall have a son through her." And Abram heeded Sarai’s request. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian—after Abram had dwelt in the land of Canaan ten years—and gave her to her husband Abram as concubine. He cohabited with Hagar and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lowered in her esteem. And Sarai said to Abram, "The wrong done me is your fault! I myself put my maid in your bosom; now that she sees that she is pregnant, I am lowered in her esteem. The Lord decide between you and me!" Abram said to Sarai, "Your maid is in your hands. Deal with her as you think right." Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from her.

An angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the road to Shur, and said, "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" And she said, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."

And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Go back to your mistress, and submit to her harsh treatment." And the angel of the Lord said to her,
"I will greatly increase your offspring,
And they shall be too many to count."
The angel of the Lord said to her further,
"Behold, you are with child
And shall bear a son;
You shall call him Ishmael,
For the Lord has paid heed to your suffering.
He shall be a wild ass of a man;
His hand against everyone,
And everyone’s hand against him;
He shall dwell alongside of all his kinsmen."

And she called the Lord who spoke to her, "You Are El-roi," by which she meant, "Have I not gone on seeing after He saw me!" Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it is between Kadesh and Bered. Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram gave the son that Hagar bore him the name Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will make you exceedingly numerous."

Abram threw himself on his face; and God spoke to him further, "As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You shall be the father of a multitude of nations. And you shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fertile, and make nations of you; and kings shall come forth from you.

From Parshat Lekh Lekhah. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

TAGS: Torah, Torah Reading, Judaism, Genesis

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As they drew close to the glittering, pleated, roaring weir, Carter had the sudden distinct feeling that he should look behind him. And there was the heron, sailing out of the woods toward them, against the wind, held, indeed, motionless within the wind, standing in midair with his six-foot wingspread--an angel.

-John Updike,
"The Afterlife"

TAGS: Angel Quote, Angels, Glittering, Sudden Distinct Feeling, Pleated, Six Foot Wingspread, Roaring Weir, Six Foot, Standing, Feeling, Roaring, Sailing, John UpdikebrThe Afterlife

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Phenomena are preceded by the heart ruled by the heart, made of the heart. If you speak or act with a corrupted heart, then suffering follows you- as the wheel of the cart, the track of the ox that pulls it.

-Dhammapada, 1, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

TAGS: Dhammapada, Dhammapada Quotes, Buddhist Quote, Buddhism, Heart, Corrupted Heart, Phenomena

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It's hard to have faith without listening. It allows you to get quiet, to listen to what's within and without. Building a relationship with God is about listening.

-Rabbi Laurie Katz Braun

TAGS: Listening, Entertainment Quote, Relationship, Celebrities, Allo, Spiritual, God, Celebrity Spirituality, Entertainment, Faith, Faith

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We call this time Advent because it reminds us of what comes from God for the creation of his kingdom on earth.

-C.F. Blumhardt

TAGS: Bible, Christian Quote, Christianity, Advent

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One of the greatest features of your digital camera is the ability to check out photos before you print. Before you drop off your memory card at the one-hour photo shop, make sure you've deleted any blurry or unflattering photos.

TAGS: Eco Tips

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Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty. It merely moves from their faces to their hearts.

-Martin Buxbaum

TAGS: Inspiration Quote, Beauty, Youthfulness, Martin Buxbaum

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The men that will change the colleges and seminaries here represented are the men that will spend the most time alone with God…It takes time for the fires to burn. It takes time for God to draw near and for us to know that He is there. It takes time to assimilate His truth. You ask me, How much time? I do not know. I know it means time enough to forget time.

-John Mott

TAGS: Evangelical, Evangelical Quote, Christianity

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People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.

-Dale Carnegie

TAGS: Emotional Health Quote, Health Quote

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The master's way is unfettered And free of guile. He shines. But for the fool There is no peace. His thoughts are full of desire.

Ashtavakra Gita 18:52

From "The Heart of Awareness: A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita," by Thomas Byrom, 1990. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston. www.shambhala.com.

TAGS: Ashtavakra Gita, Hindu Quote, Hinduism

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I find that it is not the circumstances in which we are placed, but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our comfort.

-Elizabeth T. King

TAGS: Glow, Holistic Living Quote, Spirituality, Holistic Living

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One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than fifty preaching it.

-Knute Rockne

TAGS: Sports Quote, Inspirational Quote, Inspiration Quote, Sportsmanship, Preaching, Football, Coach, Motivation, Motivational Quote

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The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. - Anne Frank

TAGS: Judaism, Jewish Quote

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Are you oblivious of the bounty of God who invites you to come yonder? The whole world of six directions is brimming with His bounty. Wherever you turn, His munificence is manifest.

-Rumi

Rumi, "Mathnawi"

From "The Bounty of Allah," translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed. Copyright 1999. All rights reserved. Used with permission of The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York.

TAGS: Rumi, Islam Quote, Islam, Spirituality

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With unfailing kindness, your life always presents what you need to learn. Whether you stay home or work in an office or whatever, the next teacher is going to pop right up.

-Charlotte Joko Beck

TAGS: Relationship Quotes, Relationships, Kindness