Contemplative Bible Reading

3 John 1:11 (New Living Translation) 11 Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. John is writing to a dear friend named Gaius. A […]

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1 Corinthians 1:23 (New Living Translation) 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. Paul is writing to the Christians at Corinth. Paul is discussing what he and others have been saying and how people have reacted to it. Part of Paul’s message […]

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Romans 14:1 (New Living Translation) 1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. There is something about much of the writings of the New Testament and how they are translated into English. This little something bothers me. This sentence is one […]

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Romans 10:3-4 (New Living Translation) 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As […]

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Romans 9:11b-12a (New Living Translation) 11 (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) I am quoting an odd scripture or an odd translation of scripture. This is a phrase in parentheses that spans two verses. Odd way […]

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Romans 8:12 (New Living Translation) 12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. Hear ye! Hear ye! You (we) are not obligated to your sinful nature. The word obligated (oblige) means to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract. If […]

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Luke 11:53-54 (New Living Translation) 53 As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions. 54 They wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him. As Jesus continues the earthly ministry, teachers of the religious law and Pharisees […]

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Romans 6:12 (New Living Translation) 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. What controls the way I live? One simple thing is the fatigue that this body experiences. I sleep about a third of the day. Another simple thing is this body requires energy. I […]

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Acts 8:1 (New Living Translation) 1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. This is one of […]

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Romans 1:32 (New Living Translation) 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. There is a system of justice from God. Certain acts require the punishment of death. Some are listed prior to the […]

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