“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:18-19 (NRSVUE)

“Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:2-4)

And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14

A Christmas version of 1 Corinthians 13

“But the angel said to her, “ Do not be afraid , Mary; you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:30.

“Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness. I have taken you by the hand and kept you, a light to the nations, “ (Isaiah 42:5-6 NRSVYE)

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and each will receive wages according to their own labor. For we are God’s coworkers, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NRSVUE

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

“So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!’” (Acts 5:38-39a)