Contemplative Bible Reading

Philippians 4:5 (New Living Translation) Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. considerate: adjective, careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt to others. If I love my neighbor (goes with the “everyone” in the above verse), how will I act? Will I be careful not […]

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John 7:25 (New Living Translation) Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they (our leaders) are trying to kill?…” The leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem wanted to kill Jesus of Nazareth. What is a little surprising is that lots of just plain folks seemed […]

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John 7:14-15 (New Living Translation) 14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. 15 The people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked. Could Jesus read? I Googled that question and found a large number […]

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Luke 10:41-42 (Holman Standard Christian Bible) 41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” Here is the story of the admirable Mary and that Martha who just […]

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Mark 14:33 (Holman Christian Standard Bible) He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and horrified. I find the words used in this translation to be fascinating. Jesus was distressed and horrified. Horrified? Jesus? He had all power. What horrified Him? I think we could write a dissertation […]

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Mark 11:24 (New Living Translation) I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. I’ll pray for a million dollars (maybe ten or a hundred times that for good measure) and believe that I have received it. It will be mine, right? Perhaps that […]

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John 3:21 (American Standard Version) But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God. Another well-known passage in an older translation. We don’t use this language anymore. In some sense, these words have been pushed to the back corner of […]

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John 1:4 (American Standard Version) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Let’s look at a familiar passage in what today is an unfamiliar translation. I don’t see well in the dark. I guess that is an understatement as I can’t see anything in the absence of light. God made […]

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John 19:11 (New Living Translation) Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. Jesus is talking to Pilate. Pilate is having one of those days when you ask yourself, “What did I do to deserve this?” Pilate is hanging out in his political […]

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Hebrews 12:1-2a (New Living Translation) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 […]

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