Christian Living on Prison

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The Bible a Great Comfort

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Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4, Isaiah 55:11, Hebrews 4:12-13, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 24:35, Isaiah 41:8-10, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Psalm 46:, Genesis 37:12-36, 1 Samuel 19:, 1 Samuel 20:, 2 Corinthians 11:23-30, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Acts 21:27-36

For seven years, Terry Anderson was held as a hostage of Shiite Muslim fundamentalists. The former reporter for the Associated Press had been taken captive and held as a political prisoner, and for se...

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An Expert in Biblical Trivia

Author

Leonard Sweet

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 118:8, Ezra 7:21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4, Isaiah 55:11, Hebrews 4:12-13, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 24:35

The prince of Grenada, an heir to the Spanish crown, was sentenced to life in solitary confinement in Madrid’s ancient prison. The dreadful, dirty, and dreary nature of the place earned it the name, “...

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Haters of Humanity?

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 8:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12-16, Matthew 5:10-12, Luke 6:41-42, Genesis 3:8-19, Genesis 39:6-20, Job 2:11-13, Job 42:7-9

Most of us are aware of various persecutions that took place during the first few centuries of the church’s existence. One particularly brutal local persecution took place during the reign of Nero, wh...

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Author

Dan Rather

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 22:6

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called ‘truth.’

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Christian Persecution & The Real Power

Author

John Dickson

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:10-12, John 15:18-20, 2 Timothy 3:12, Acts 14:22, Romans 8:35-37, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:11, Isaiah 41:10

What is the witness of the church in times of persecution? The historical record demonstrates that persecutions of Christians were regular and prolific in the first centuries of the church, especially...

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Author

Oscar A. Romero

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 12:11, Galatians 6:1, 2 Timothy 4:2, Ephesians 5:11, 1 Peter 4:16, John 15:18-19, 2 Timothy 3:12

The church must suffer for speaking the truth, for pointing out sin, for uprooting sin. No one wants to have a sore spot touched, and therefore a society with so many sores twitches when someone has t...

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A Surprising Conversion

Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:1-48, Matthew 6:1-34, Matthew 7:1-29, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4, Isaiah 55:11, Hebrews 4:12-13, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 24:35

After a sojourn in the United States where he experienced the vibrancy of Black churches, Dietrich Bonhoeffer returned to Germany in 1931 to teach at the University of Berlin. His pastoral ministry co...

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Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 10:16, 2 Timothy 3:12, Romans 5:10, Hebrews 12:2-3, Luke 6:22

Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring ...

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Not Getting the Message

Author

Andy Cook

Keywords

Scripture

James 1:22-24, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 2:15, Philippians 4:9, Joshua 1:8, Matthew 7:24-25, Colossians 3:16

Reading the Bible without applying it to your life can be downright dangerous. On August 3, 1996, Melvin Hitchens, sat on his front porch and read the Bible. After his Bible reading, this 66 year old ...

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Who Knocked Down the Walls of Jericho?

Author

Vaughan Roberts

Keywords

Scripture

Joshua 6:1-27, Ephesians 4:25, Proverbs 12:22, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4, Colossians 3:16

A police inspector went to visit a primary school, where he was asked to take a Scripture class. He began by asking, ‘Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?’ There was a long silence as the children s...

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Adapted from “Spiritual Helps” in The Valley of Vision

Author

Arthur Bennett

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 12:10-11, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 119:103, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:26, John 3:16

Pastor: Eternal Father, it is amazing love, that you sent your Son to suffer in my place, that you have given me your Holy Spirit to teach, comfort, and guide me. Because of Jesus’ death in my place, ...

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A Vast Geographical Basin

Author

Richard J. Foster

Keywords

The Bible

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 4:12, John 4:14

The Bible is like a vast geographical basin in which tributary streams feed into the currents of a parent river on its course to the ocean. The riverbanks are interspersed with openings where the trib...

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Remembering the Ten Commandments

Author

Robert Jeffress

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 119:11, Colossians 3:16, Deuteronomy 11:18, 2 Timothy 3:16

Quickly—without checking Google or your Bible—name as many of the Ten Commandments as you can. Go ahead . . . I’ll wait. How did you do? If you struggled to remember them, you’re not alone. According ...

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Lord, open our hearts and minds by the

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Nehemiah 8:1-12, Hebrews 4:12, Romans 10:17, Psalm 119:18, John 16:13

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

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Lord, may the gospel be to us more than

Keywords

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 1:5, Romans 1:16, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Acts 1:8, Romans 15:13

Lord, may the gospel be to us more than mere words. May the Holy Spirit produce in us strong conviction.

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Eat This Book

Author

Eugene Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4, Hebrews 4:12-13, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 24:35

Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our li...

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We praise You, Heavenly Father for sending

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:10-11, Acts 1:8, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Matthew 4:1-11, Acts 8:26-40, Isaiah 55:10-11, Romans 10:17

We praise You, Heavenly Father for sending us Your Word to instruct and convict us. You also sent Your Holy Spirit to guide and encourage us as we learn more about Your Word. Help us today to gain new...

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Not a Painting on the Wall, but a Window

Author

John Piper

Keywords

The Bible

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4, Isaiah 55:11, Hebrews 4:12-13, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 24:35

In the book A Peculiar Glory , John Piper describes how he maintained a traditional view of scripture, even after he went on to advanced theological studies in California and Germany. He describes hi...

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Author

Philip Schaff

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 119:105, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Nehemiah 8:8, Acts 17:10-15, Galatians 5:1, Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:10-11, John 15:15, 1 John 2:27

The Bible ceased to be a foreign book in a foreign tongue, and became naturalized, and hence far more clear and dear to the common people. Hereafter the Reformation depended no longer on the works of ...

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Not Found Wanting

Author

G. K. Chesterton

Keywords

Christianity

Scripture

Hebrews 12:1-2, John 16:33, Philippians 3:10, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Timothy 3:12

Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it’s been found difficult and not tried.

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Almighty and most merciful God, you

Author

George Adam Smith

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:10-19, 2 Kings 22:8-20, Luke 24:13-35, Acts 8:26-40, Nehemiah 8:1-12, Romans 15:4

Almighty and most merciful God, you have given the Bible to be the revelation of your great love to us, and of your power and will to save us: grant that our study of it may not be made in vain by the...

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Gracious God, give us humble,

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 7:24, Philippians 2:12-13, John 14:15, Isaiah 66:2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, James 1:22, Micah 6:8

Gracious God, give us humble, teachable, and obedient hearts, that we may receive what you have revealed, and do what you have commanded. Amen.

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The Strength of Catechisms

Author

Brian Dembowczyk

Keywords

Scripture

James 1:22-24, Matthew 7:24-27, Colossians 3:16, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 5:12-14

I’m a huge advocate of catechisms, for example, having used this approach with my kids. I even wrote one. The strength of a catechism isn’t in memorizing the questions and answers of the catechism; th...

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Author

Athanasius of Alexandria

Keywords

Scripture

Revelation 22:18-19, Acts 8:26-40, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 119:105

These are fountains of salvation that they who thirst may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone is proclaimed the doctrine of godliness. Let no man add to these, neither let ...

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Author

Craig Blomberg

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16

Every command [from the Old Testament] reflects principles at some level that are binding on Christians (2 Timothy 3:16)

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Dear Lord and God, I thank and praise

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 1:9-10, Acts 17:10-12, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, James 1:5, John 16:13, Psalm 119:105

Dear Lord and God, I thank and praise You for Your Word, the Holy Scriptures, and for the promise that Your Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth. Give me a teachable spirit so that I may learn all...

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Draw us close, Holy Spirit, as the

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Acts 17:10-12, Romans 10:17, James 1:22, Hebrews 4:12

Draw us close, Holy Spirit, as the Scriptures are read and the Word is proclaimed. Let the word of faith be on our lips and in our hearts, and let all other words slip away. May there be one voice we ...

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On Heaven and Hell

Author

Source Unknown

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 32:null, Numbers 16:null, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Mark 10:15, 2 Timothy 3:16, Romans 10:9

There’s a story of a young girl on a plane who was reading her Bible, and there was a businessman sitting next to her. He looked over to her and he said, you don’t really believe that do you?” And she...

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Author

Thomas à Kempis

Keywords

The Kingdom of God

Scripture

1 Peter 4:12-13, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, Romans 8:17, John 15:18-20, 2 Timothy 3:12, Philippians 1:29, Luke 9:23

Jesus has many who love the kingdom of God, but few who bear a cross. He has many who desire His comfort, but few who desire His suffering. All want to rejoice with him, but few are willing to suffer ...

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Author

John Wesley

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 3:7, Luke 10:38-42, Matthew 22:34-40, James 3:17, Colossians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 8:1

Beware you are not swallowed up in books! An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.

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