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The oddities of the story of Balaam
The story begins in Numbers 22. The more I read it, the funnier it gets. The more I read it, the more serious an indictment it becomes.
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The great temptation to avoid the work of the Cross
Matthew 4:8-9 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
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What Ephesians means to me
I am on a slow walk journey through Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Many years ago the Lord had me spend an entire year in Ephesians as part of healing in my life. This picture is from that Bible I used at the time. Then, the Bible I am currently using. I tend to mark things up quickly. 🙂
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Tasteless discipleship
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (Matthew 5:13)
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Where am I found?
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 On hearing…
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The hidden gems of the Apocrypha
I use the Daily Office reading in the Book of Common Prayer 2019, which will take me through the vast majority of the Bible every year. It will also include readings from the Apocrypha.
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The divine visitor
“Reading Scripture is like hosting a divine visitor. Patristic reflections on Abraham’s welcome of the three visitors by the oak of Mamre remind us that when we interpret the Scriptures, we are in the position of Abraham: we are called to show hospitality to God as he graciously comes to us through the pages of the Bible.” — Hans Boersma,…
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Review: The NIV Study Bible
My big confession: I have never been a fan of study Bibles. I have always wanted Bibles with significant margins so I can put in my own notes. With the coming of digital Bibles and resources, I have utilized the marking tools and notetaking tools of Logos to build my own system. When I study the Bible, I want to…
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Our grand invitation
Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. I recently finished up another journey through the Sermon on the Mount and come away…
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Disordered faith
Matthew 6:28–31 (NIV)28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown…