Contemplative Bible Reading

John 3:18 (New Living Translation) There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. Some translations use the word “condemnation” instead of “judgement.” That is because if God judges me alone, well, I’m […]

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Romans 7:24 (New Living Translation) …Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? The above words are preceded by “Oh, what a miserable person I am!” Such is life as a human being in this world. What did I do? How did I get here? And… Who will free […]

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Psalm 100:4-5 (New Living Translation) … Give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the Lord is good.His unfailing love continues forever,and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Thank you God. Perhaps I haven’t prayed that yet today. Perhaps I haven’t realized that yet today. I am, after all, human with all my human failings. […]

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Romans 6:18 (New Living Translation) Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. I don’t like the use of “slavery” in Romans. In America, we often hear “slavery” and immediately stop thinking about what God is telling us and start thinking of American history, the Civil […]

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Psalms 19:14 (Revised Standard Version) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart     be acceptable in thy sight,     O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. As a person who speaks and writes words (probably too much and too many) and thinks often and deeply (again, probably too much), this verse pokes […]

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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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