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2 Corinthians 4 3
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.
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1 Corinthians 2 6-1 Corinthians 2 8
Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God— his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.
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Matthew 11:25-27
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer:“ O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!“ My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
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Mark 10:15
I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
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Matthew 16:17
Jesus replied,“ You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.
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Matthew 13:11-16
He replied,“ You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,‘ When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’“ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
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Ephesians 1:5
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
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Ephesians 1:11
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
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Colossians 2:2-3
I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
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Isaiah 53:11
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
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Psalms 25:14
The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.
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Luke 15:5
And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.
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Job 5:12-14
He frustrates the plans of schemers so the work of their hands will not succeed.He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted.They find it is dark in the daytime, and they grope at noon as if it were night.
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Matthew 21:16
They asked Jesus,“ Do you hear what these children are saying?”“ Yes,” Jesus replied.“ Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say,‘ You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’”
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1 Peter 2 1-1 Peter 2 2
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,
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Psalms 8:2
You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.
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Zephaniah 3:17
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
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Isaiah 66:1
This is what the Lord says:“ Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place?
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1 Corinthians 1 9-1 Corinthians 1 29
God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.Some of you are saying,“ I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying,“ I follow Apollos,” or“ I follow Peter,” or“ I follow only Christ.”Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,for now no one can say they were baptized in my name.( Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.)For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News— and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.As the Scriptures say,“ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
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Luke 15:9
And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say,‘ Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’
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John 17:24-26
Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!“ O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me.I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
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Psalms 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
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Isaiah 29:18-19
In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness.The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
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Isaiah 35:8
And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.
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John 11:41
So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said,“ Father, thank you for hearing me.
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Isaiah 29:14
Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”
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Isaiah 62:5
Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.
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1 Corinthians 3 18-1 Corinthians 3 20
Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,“ He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”And again,“ The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.”