I love this hymn- Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed?

"Alas! and did my Savior bleed and did my sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? My God why would you shed your blood so pure and undefiled, to make a sinful one like me your chosen precious child? Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree! But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe; Here Lord, I give myself away ‘Tis all that I can do."

*happy sigh* I love it

I love this Skillet song. it's called "You Are My Hope"

Times are hard times have changed, don't you say?
But I keep holding onto you.
It's hard to keep the faith alive day to day,
leaning on the strength I've found in you.
You're the hope of all the earth.

You are my hope,
You are my strength.
You're everything, everything I need.
You are my hope,
You are my life,
You are my hope.
You are my hope.

Far beyond what I can see or comprehend,
etching Your eternity in me.
The nations stream and angels sing that Jesus reigns,
and every knee bows down.
You're the hope of all the earth.

Carry on and I sing of how,
You love and I love You now.
All the times that I start to sink,
You come and You rescue me.
You are my hope.
You are my hope.

that song brings tears to my eyes and hope to my heart whenever I hear it!

Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

As promised earlier, a few lines from Victor Hugo's Les Mis:

The Bishop of Digne appears early in the book; he's well-known as the character who shows grace after Jean Valjean robs him. Of this bishop Hugo writes:

[He] meditated in the presence of the great spectacle of the starry firmament...He contemplated the grandeur, and the presence of God...and, without trying to comprehend the incomprehensible, he saw it. He did not study God; he was dazzled by Him.

Later on, Valjean adopts an abandoned child, Cosette, and both learn from each other:

When [Cosette] entered the old place, she filled it with paradise. Jean Valjean basked in her presence and felt his own happiness increase by reason of the happiness he conferred on Cosette. The delight we inspire in others has this enchanting peculiarity that, far from being diminished like every other reflection, it returns to us more radiant than ever.

Near the end of Valjean's long and often tragic life, he's able to say this:

“Because things are unpleasant, that is no reason for being unjust toward God.”

^thsoe are very nice-makes me want to read it

Great is thy faithfulness, O God, My Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

T. Chisholm

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

And Ecc. 12:12 is ever-relevant too--"Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body." But really, that's one of my favourite books of the Bible...such a great theme.

These are not quotes I live by so much as quotes I would LIKE to live by...

"There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people." —G.K. Chesterton

"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn."
— Sophie Scholl (killed in 1943 for distributing anti-Nazi literature)

"In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die."
— Dorothy L. Sayers

Oh my, there are so many amazing verses and passages to quote! I'm enjoying everyone's posts here

Ephesians 1:3 is one of my favorites:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Amen!

Since I changed my sig, I'll post the quote I had in it.

"I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice? Till We Have Faces

And choir sang this song tonight:
'Tis finished. 'Tis finished. So the Saviour cried. And meekly bowed his head and died. 'Tis finished, yes, the race is run. The battle's fought, the vict'ry's won. 'Tis finished. 'Tis finished. So the Saviour cried. And meekly bowed his head and died.
No clue who wrote it, but it really touched me.

[this thread is great, I'm loving reading all these inspiring words!]

Mmm, that verse that Glenstorm the Great posted has such beautiful imagery in it. I find that phrase 'may the Lord cause his face to shine upon you, and turn his face toward you' repeating itself in my prayers alot.

And lovely Les Mis quotes, stargazer -especially that last one. It really is an inspiring work!

But really, that's one of my favourite books of the Bible...such a great theme.

Agreed! At one point in my life I couldn't get enough of it; I remember ripping the book out of my Bible to give to a friend so we could discuss it
(Buddhists have a lot of similar sayings -no wonder they're so wise). It's a theme which isn't really discussed much in meetings but it's so relevant and helps you get a perspective on life and where you fit in it. And if you've ever had any ego problems -well, I would suggest a read.

There's some powerful scriptures here from Isaiah, and I'd like to add one -it's about true fasting and sacrifice:

Isaiah 58: 6-12

6"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
7"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8"Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11"And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12"Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

And there's so many more favourites I could post (Isaiah 61 especially), but I'd probably just end up with the whole of Isaiah up here...!

It seems appropriate today to post these words from I Corinthians 15:

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (16-19)

"Death is swallowed up in victory."
"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (54-58)

^^ yes, that is so powerful!

I have to say that some of my favorite books are Proverbs, Isaiah, Luke, and Matthew.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is evil.

A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox, but dust shall be the serpents food. They will neither harm nor destroy all on my holy mountain...

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

He replied: "Watch out that you are not decieved. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.

These are a few of my favorites.

I'm going to start with Proverbs because it is the book we study the most at family devotions, and consequently one of my favorite books of the Bible.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5,6

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." - Proverbs 4:23

"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." - Proverbs 10:12

"A gentle word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." - Proverbs 15:1

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:21

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." - Proverbs 22:6

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." - Proverbs 27:19

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." - Psalm 119:11

"But God demonstrated his own love for us: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Then they can train the younger woman to love their husbands and children, to be controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." - Titus 2:4-5

These are a few of my favorite songs with my "most favorites" at the end of the list:
May Your Wonders Never Cease by Mac Powell
Call My Name by Mac Powell
Redeemer by Nicole C. Mullen
Jesus, King of Angels by Fernando Ortega
Call on Jesus by Nicole C. Mullen
Revival by Robin Mark
Our Great God by Mac Powell and Fernando Ortega
Born Again by Mac Powell

SnowAngel

It's good to hear all the favourite quotes from many different sources.

stargazer, that passage from I Corinthians is so special, as are your very meaningful Les Misérables quotes. Thank you.

daughter of the king, your "Till We Have Faces" quote (which I love) reminds me of one of Michael Card's songs that has meant so much to me over the years, Could It Be.

dawnfeather, what a priceless hymn. Another one that is very dear to me is "It is Well (with my Soul)".

A couple of beloved quotes by who other than CSL:

"If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."

"The value of myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the veil of familiarity."

"Myth: a real, though unfocused, gleam of Divine Truth falling on human imagination."

Okay, ready for this? Here are a few Bible verses that mean the world to me. As fk said at the beginning, really the whole book is a favourite, and, depending on what one is going through in life at the time, favourite passages ebb and flow. But there are certain ones that will be tied as Number 1 all my life ... here are some of them:

II Chronicles 20:12 (kind of minus the first sentence )

I Corinthians 15:10, particularly the first phrase, which says it all

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Romans chapters 6-9

Galatians 2:20

Philippians 1:2-11, Philippians 2:1-16, and Philippians 4:4-8,

Colossians 1:9-29

II Peter 1:3-4

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua 4

Many of the Psalms, citing only a few examples: Psalm 62:5-8, Psalm 42:11, Psalm 46, Psalm 8, and Psalm 139.

Many Proverbs, some key verses in Isaiah and Jeremiah (see Isaiah 55:6-13, for example, and Jeremiah 31:3; also Lamentations 2:22-24

The book of Ephesians

The story of Joseph (Genesis 27-50)

The book of James

Much of I Peter

And as for favourite songs, I would need an entire topic on its own ... just for me. ("Redeemer" is definitely one of them, Snow Angel. )