Category: Reflections on Scriptures
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Read: Isaiah 53 The virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. —Isaiah 7:14 “Yeah, right!” If Christopher Hitchens were still alive today, that’s probably how he would respond to Isaiah 7:14. But to us who believe, the revelation that Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us,” makes our hearts rejoice and moves us…
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Read: Romans 12:9-21 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine…
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Read: Colossians 3:12-17 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in…
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Read: Philippians 4:4-9 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. If you’re wondering about what to think about, the verse above should make you wonder no more. Although it might be rare, sometimes…
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_ John 1:6-8, 19-28 (NIV) There was a man… This beginning statement of the narrative tells us that whoever this man was, he’s no longer here. He’s gone. He’s dead. The same statement can actually be the beginning of the story of any person who once walked upon this earth. In fact there is a…
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Read: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Everything that this guy (“son of David, king in Jerusalem,” 1:1) said in this passage–indeed in all of Ecclesiastes–should be read in view of his…
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Read: 1 Kings 3:1-9 7 “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give…
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Read: 1 Corthians 13 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. The greatest is love. We know that. Well, sort of. If we really know and are convinced that love is the greatest of all God’s gifts, then our life should be profoundly touched, obviously characterized, and…
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Read: Psalm 37:1-11 1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Sometimes we wonder why “those who are evil” prosper instead of those who are good. We can probably explain it in terms of…
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Read: Psalm 145:8-21 18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. “The LORD is near to all who call on him….” But the verse doesn’t stop there. It goes on to add a qualifier: “to all who call on him in truth.” The question we might ask…
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Read: Romans 5:1-11 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is the good news that many religious people either do not get or simply ignore. Why do I say that? Well, most professing Christians I met think that by doing good they can make themselves…
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Read: Philippians 2:12-18 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. As part of the community of believers, we are “the light…
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Read: Psalm 86 1 Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put…
