Contemplative Bible Reading

Ephesians 2:12 (New Living Translation) You lived in this world without God and without hope. This is the last sentence of the verse. The writer is reminding Christians what life was like without God—it was a life without hope. The writer provides several examples of life without God. Far from God Far from peace No […]

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Acts 3:6 (New Living Translation) 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” This is part of the (hi)story of Peter healing a man who was lame. The man asked for […]

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Luke 22:3 (New Living Translation) 3 Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot… This is part of the (hi)story of the death of Jesus which precluded the resurrection of Jesus. The prior sentence tells us “The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus…” Right into the plot steps Judas Iscariot. […]

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Acts 17:27 (New Living Translation) 27 His (God’s) purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. Paul is speaking to the educated people in Athens. Paul is telling these smart folks about the God that […]

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Luke 18:34 (New Living Translation) 34 But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about. Jesus is talking to the group of insiders who walked with Him daily. Jesus told them what was to happen in Jerusalem. Given […]

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Matthew 3:13-15 (Christian Standard Bible) 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to […]

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Luke 3:23 (New Living Translation) 23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was about half the age of life expectancy when He began His public ministry. Three score and ten is seventy years of age. The life expectancy in Jesus’ time and place was much less than seventy. Jesus […]

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Mark 3:20-22 (New Living Translation) 20 One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said. 22 But the teachers of religious law […]

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Matthew 8:16-17 (New Living Translation) …and he (Jesus) healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses    and removed our diseases.” Told many centuries earlier, the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who would take away the sins of mankind, the Christ would […]

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Matthew 8:32-34 (New Living Translation) 32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. 33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. […]

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