Apprentice 2 Jesus

Translations

  • Can You Say THAT in the Bible?

    Here’s a good verse in the Apocrypha, which is probably why it’s not in the Protestant Bible. 😉 People who are afraid to act  are like clumps of cow manure;     those who pick it up     will shake off their hand. (Sirach 22:2, CEB) A good mental picture that is hard to forget. Learn to get moving!… Read more

  • Could I Invite You to LOVE the Body of Christ?

    1 Therefore, I have a request for the elders among you. (I ask this as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and as one who shares in the glory that is about to be revealed.) I urge the elders: 2 Like shepherds, tend the flock of God among you. Watch over it. Don’t shepherd because… Read more

  • Lord, Hasten the Day!

     11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming day of God. Because of that day, the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But according to his promise… Read more

  • Be the Hunter

    If there is anything worth hunting… it is wisdom. We live life in “pursuit” of so many things, but the greatest pursuit in the ancient texts is the pursuit of wisdom. And the call is to be as tenacious with that pursuit as you would with any other pursuit. Actually, even a little more tenacious. 22 Pursue… Read more

  • Nuggets of Wisdom We Miss When We Avoid the Apocrypha

    The Common English Bible is incredibly helpful to me when reading the Deuterocanonical Books. The fresh translation helps me with unfamiliar territory. This is the place where I understand more fully the need for “dynamic equivalent” translations for people unfamiliar with the biblical text. Smoother language draws us in. The beauty of the Common English… Read more

  • Slavery Hasn’t Ended

    There are so many organizations responding now, it is hopeful. I heard another presentation today in my Kiwanis club on human trafficking. The statistics are astounding. Minnesota is ranked 13th in the nation for human trafficking. It’s not something overseas. It is something here. I love the story of William Wilberforce and his lifelong efforts… Read more

  • Do You WANT to See or Not?

    There are two stories of healing someone blind in Mark. In between those stories are three episodes where Jesus reveals to his disciples what will happen in a few days: He is going to Jerusalem. He will be handed over to the religious leaders to be put to death. He will rise up after three… Read more

  • What Holds You Back?

    Two books I’ve read lately are stirring me from my complacency. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible The question is this: “What holds me back?” In Mark 10 the wealthy man comes to Jesus to ask what he… Read more

  • What Distinguishes Us – People of the Presence

    12 Moses said to the LORD, “Look, you’ve been telling me, ‘Lead these people forward.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. Yet you’ve assured me, ‘I know you by name and think highly of you.’ 13 Now if you do think highly of me, show me your ways so that… Read more

  • Keep It Simple

    Humans are intelligent beings. We do stupid things, but that doesn’t mean we are completely mindless. Too often we focus on the dumb things people do. Overall, the human race is intelligent. While we sometimes focus on the dumb things people do, maybe we need a reminder from time to time that we try to… Read more