Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. All Scripture is God-breathed. Paul is writing about what we know as the Old Testament. Sometimes I assume that the New […]

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Acts 15:19 (New International Version) “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. James is speaking here to the Council at Jerusalem.  Some of the new Jewish Christians wanted the Gentile Christians to learn all of the old Jewish law as part of […]

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Matthew 3:8 (New International Version) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Here is another one of those verses that asks us to do two different and sometimes contradictory things. The first phrase is produce fruit – an action. The second phrase is the word repentance – which means to change your mind. Change your heart […]

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Hebrews 12:2 (New International Version) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This is a simple phrase. Perhaps that is why I like […]

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Romans 8:2 (New International Version) 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Today is the 4th of July – America’s Independence Day. Much of America’s independence was based on a desire to worship God free from the dictates of another […]

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James 5:16b (King James Version) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. This is one of my favorite sentences from the Bible. I love the King James Version of this. Something about this rings in my ears. (The New International Version is shown below. I suppose it is easier to understand, but […]

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Luke 24:9-12 (New International Version) 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the […]

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1 John 4:7-8 (New International Version) 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. I see a promise and a challenge here. First the promise, love […]

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John 12:27 (New International Version)“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. This is the Christian’s story. People come our way. Situations occur. These are our hours. Do we ask God to save us from […]

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Luke 22:35 (New International Version) Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. Sometimes we have to experience something to believe it. Jesus had sent out his disciples. When they returned, he asked them the simple question: Did you lack anything? Their answer, […]

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