My Favorite Bible Quotations

By Alex LaPerchia

The intent of the author is to warn the reader of impending events that will be devastating to mankind. That is, unless people turn to God and away from sin. This prophecy is evidenced in the Holy Bible, the Word of God. For God will not allow our horrendous violence and moral depravity to go unpunished. The era of Divine Mercy is about to end; God’s justice demands the forthcoming Great Tribulation, nuclear World War III.

The fury and attacks of Satan will cease with return of Go

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781640962279

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My Favorite Bible Quotations

Alex LaPerchia

Copyright © 2018 Alex LaPerchia

All rights reserved

First Edition

Newman Springs Publishing

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2018

ISBN 978-1-64096-226-2 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64096-227-9 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Dedication

I would like to recognize my nephew, Anthony Nigro, for his scriptural contribution to this book. Anthony was a lapsed Catholic for twenty years. Three years ago, he encountered a devout Catholic, Jodi, and his spiritual life turned around completely. Now he attends weekly mass, receives the sacraments, and reads the Holy Bible.

His deceased grandmother, Geraldine, and his living mother, Mary, prayed for him to practice his faith. Their prayers have been answered. The Holy Spirit has inspired him to offer me this essential quotation for My Favorite Bible Quotations.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Acknowledgments

I acknowledge with great gratitude the two outstanding sources of all the scripture quotations contained in my book:

The Ryrie Study Bible New American Standard Translation, Moody Press, 1978

The Catholic Study Bible New American Bible Revised Edition, Oxford University Press, 2011

Introduction

The Bible is the Word of God. God does not lie nor does He make errors. Therefore, the Bible is inerrant. The purpose of the Bible is not to delineate science nor history. We have expert scientists and historians to undertake these disciplines. Nonetheless, the Bible doesn’t encompass mistakes. The seven days of creation described in Genesis should not be taken literally, but metaphorically as seven periods of time, geological evolutionary epochs, spanning four billion years. Historically, there is no contradiction in the accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus with two thieves as recorded by the Apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All four apostles stated that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. This was to confirm the prophecy of Isaiah that He poured out Himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12); however, only Luke mentions that one of the thieves repented and Jesus assured him of his salvation: Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). Repentance was Luke’s focus.

The majority of events in the life of Jesus are recorded by one or two of His apostles. The major events are recorded by all four of them. These men wrote their accounts of the life of Jesus at different times and places. Yet the gospels are in perfect harmony. It makes sense that only outstanding events were remembered or considered so important that all four men recorded them. It is evident that the writing of the gospels was not a collaborative understanding. Verily, the minds and memories of the evangelists were inspired by the Holy Spirit; thus, they are infallible. The Holy Spirit is never untruthful. The Holy Bible is inerrant in its moral truths. The Holy Bible is not a science or history text.

Nonetheless, the Sacred Scriptures are revealed truth through the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. When you study the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, rest assured that God is speaking directly to you. Before reading, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom to understand the Word. Ask our loving Father to give you the grace to live the Word. The theological definition of grace is divine favor bestowed freely on people, as in granting redemption from sin. I am an ecumenical Catholic. Peace and brotherhood must exist among the followers of all religions. The wounds inflicted between Catholics and Protestants over doctrinal disputes for five hundred years will take more time to heal. I thank God for the reform of Vatican II, including Nostra Aetate, which ushered in ecumenism among all faiths and ended anti-Semitism in the Catholic Church forever.

The doctrine of Non Salus Extra Ecclesiam (outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation) has been abrogated. The Christian world view of exclusivity is rapidly being supplanted by universality. The Zeitgeist of the twenty-first century is that we are all God’s children loved by the God of our own understanding and love. We must embosom love because God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God lives in him (1 John 4:16).

Doctrinal differences will always be present among God’s children just as differences prevail among family members. Let me be perfectly clear: I have utmost respect for my Protestant brethren. They know by heart the Holy Bible, especially the Baptists and Evangelicals, rejoicing in Jesus in a personal born-again relationship. Jesus said to the Pharisee Nicodemus: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5). These Christians fully realize the importance of daily Bible readings.

You are mistaken not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God (Matthew 22:29).

I differ with my Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ in these tenets: Holy Communion; veneration of Mary, mother of Jesus; and apostolic succession. That is, the primacy of Peter and his successors (the papacy). I agree with my Protestant brethren in a literal interpretation of the millennium. When Jesus returns, He will establish a worldwide temporal kingdom, ruled by Him, and lasting one thousand years.

I close this introduction with an aforementioned thought. When the scriptures are interpreted, whether literally or figuratively, their moral truths are inerrant. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word, has always existed. By a miracle, God caused Him to be conceived in the womb of Mary. Physically, He is known as the Son of Man, and spiritually, He is known as the Son of God. The Scriptures use the word Son to explain the relationship that exists between God and His Word—Jesus Christ. To sum up, Jesus tells us: I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Much of the first half of my book is devoted to quotations from the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the epistles of St. Paul. These quotations highlight the New Testament. In addition, I have included quotations from the Pentateuch of Moses, the books of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel from the Old Testament. The gospels encompass the life and teachings of Jesus. The epistles address dogma and doctrines, formulated by St. Paul, which became like the gospels, the bedrock of the Christian faith. Prophecies pertaining to end times or last days are drawn from the books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation of John.

The second half of my book consists of psalms and proverbs written primarily by King David and King Solomon. The psalms offer Thanksgiving and praise to God. Some psalms express sorrow for Israel’s sins and God’s punishment. Others are liturgical intended to be hymns, sung and played on instruments during temple services. King David penned most of the psalms. The proverbs contain wisdom and warnings for the people. They are like a blueprint for successful living. Proverbs identify the traits of wise persons and foolish persons. Wise and prudent actions will be rewarded with happiness, while foolish or evil actions will produce misery and woe. King Solomon, son and successor of King David, wrote most of the collection of proverbs.

In my book, I emphasize God’s mercy and justice. Often, bad things happen to good people. Righteous people will suffer from disease, sickness, accidents, and disabilities. Evildoers are sometimes spared these afflictions. It doesn’t seem fair. Yet I believe God is just. God will punish wicked people in this life, or the life to come if they do not repent. Reading the biographies of saints reveal they bore heavy crosses in this life. Some were chosen by God to be victim souls, and were given the stigmata, the wounds of Christ Jesus during His passion and crucifixion. Why? The Catholic Church teaches these holiest of souls suffer in reparation of sin, or for the grace of God for sinners to repent, and for the release of souls in purgatory.

And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins’ (Matthew 26:26–28).

My response: In the Catholic faith, this scripture verse is the basis for the doctrine of transubstantiation. The bread becomes the body of Christ while the wine becomes His blood, although retaining the appearance of bread and