Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 2:18 (New Living Translation) You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. Pardon the sermon. I don’t write those often, but here is one. In the letter to the church in Rome, Paul provides many words concerning THE LAW. In the last few hundred years […]

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Romans 1:17 (New Living Translation) This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.. I try to notice sentences like this in the Bible. There is a big flashing blue light (remember K-Mart?) on the page. Pay attention here! The good news, the gospel, the (hi)story of the life of Jesus […]

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Acts 9:15-16 (New Living Translation) 15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” God is conversing with Ananias […]

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2 Corinthians 5:20 (New Living Translation) So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. An Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State has an official title. That title is “Chief of Mission.” An ambassador is a person sent on a mission by someone else. There is a task to accomplish and […]

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Acts 1:17 (New Living Translation) Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us. Much is written about Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus. There is much speculation about his eventual state in the greater scheme of things. Let’s consider this one sentence. Peter is talking. He admits that Judas was on […]

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John 3:17 (New Living Translation) God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. This is pretty simple. How did we miss it? “God just doesn’t want me to have any fun. God hates us. God just wants to slap me around.” I’ve heard these […]

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Romans 3:23-24 (New International Version) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. These verses are translated with different words and different punctuation in the many different English translations of the Bible we […]

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Romans 1:16 (New Living Translation) 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This is early in Paul’s letter to Christians living in Rome. Paul isn’t ashamed of what he writes. He is […]

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John 1:46 (New Living Translation) “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. People were gathering around a fellow who had appeared from the little hamlet of Nazareth. This Jesus fellow was saying things that amazed them. The things he said weren’t complicated, but were simple, basic, clear, and touched their hearts. Those who had seen […]

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Romans 16:20 (New Living Translation) The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Read this one a few times. Satan, a powerful entity, a fallen angel, a being of almost limitless power. One day, Satan will be crushed under the feet of those who follow Jesus Christ. Do I live like I […]

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