Contemplative Bible Reading

Galatians 3:3 (New Living Translation) 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? There are folks who study how we all change from one thing to another. These folks have noted how many ways there are […]

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Acts 15:31 (New Living Translation) 31 And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message. The apostles and elders in Jerusalem had written a short letter to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. When received, the reaction was described above. The message was encouraging; there was […]

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James 3:15 (New Living Translation) 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. James is writing I am writing to Jewish Christians scattered abroad. James describes the wisdom of God and how Christians show that wisdom. James contrasts the wisdom of God with the wisdom […]

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Acts 2:37a (New Living Translation) 37 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, Peter is speaking to a large crowd on the day credited with the birth of the church (so some say). At the end of talk, there is the reaction of the crowd. They all respond to Peter’s admonitions. But first, we have this description […]

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1 Peter 3:8 (New Living Translation) 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Peter is writing to Christians in a large region. Many of those Christians are Jewish. The Jews looked back to their […]

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John 2:25 (New Living Translation) 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart. A remarkable sentence or two here. Jesus was performing miracles in Jerusalem. People were putting their trust in Jesus. After all, this fella’ from Nazareth was healing sick people like … […]

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2 Peter 3:5 (New Living Translation) 5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Oops, slipped my mind. What is that guy’s name? I have known him for years, but can’t think […]

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James 1:14 (New Living Translation) 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. “The devil made me do it” used to be an oft-stated phrase. I recall a comedian from the 1970s said that a lot for laughs. Ancient history. This verse from James, however, seems to place the […]

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2 Peter 3:17 (New Living Translation) 17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Peter writes this to Christians scattered about here and there. In the preceding sentences, Peter explains that […]

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James 1:20 (New Living Translation) 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. Who put this sentence in the Bible? Who slipped it in? I don’t like this. It makes me angry! Note how I write that “this MAKES ME angry.” I don’t become angry, something else makes me angry. Silly me. And […]

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