Pious Bob

By Robert Halsey Pine “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:1-10 NRSV). Jesus’ parable of the one and the ninety-nine is a very comforting part of the Gospel. To think that the shepherd would

By Robert Halsey Pine Paul says to the Church in Corinth, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that

By Robert Halsey Pine “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common

By Robert Halsey Pine “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:14-23 NRSV). Do we think of our relationship with God this way? Jesus is telling us in the above passage that a casual, on again-off again, friendship with Him won’t do. It is important

By Robert Halsey Pine “This is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach one

By Robert Halsey Pine “The word of the Lord came to me: What do you mean by repeating this pro-verb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’ As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you

By Robert Halsey Pine “Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” (Luke 10: 23-24)

By Robert Halsey Pine “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy;

By Robert Halsey Pine As they were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another, Jesus said, “Follow me.” But

By Robert Halsey Pine “Sing to God, sing praises to his name; exalt him who rides upon the heavens…” (Psalm 68:1-20 NRSV) “My little secret is this God of mine,” we sometimes think. Give it up. Rejoice! We must praise Him in every step we take. This is how we show our appreciation for all

By Robert Halsey Pine John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:49-50 NRSV). We need the whole body

By Robert Halsey Pine “Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens …” (Hebrews 4:14 NRSV). How simple yet so hard for us to see Christ’s life and example, to make an application to our own lives that which we see in Him. Jesus came to us not as

By Robert Halsey Pine “You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.” (Psalm 30 NRSV). David wrote this psalm at the time of

By Robert Halsey Pine “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his

By Robert Halsey Pine “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who

By Robert Halsey Pine “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil

By Robert Halsey Pine “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not ‘Yes and No’; but in him it is always ‘Yes.’ For in him every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes.’ For this reason, it is through him that we say the

By Robert Halsey Pine “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts

By Robert Halsey Pine “So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among

By Robert Halsey Pine “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.

By Robert Halsey Pine “Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind…If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘we see,’ your sin remains.’” (John 9:18-41 NRSV). We were in darkness and

By Robert Halsey Pine “But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and

By Robert Halsey Pine “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who

By Robert Halsey Pine “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away; but you are the same, and your years have no

By Robert Halsey Pine “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread

By Robert Halsey Pine “… Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? … When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of

By Robert Halsey Pine “Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know Him. I know Him, because I am from Him, and

By Robert Halsey Pine “But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of

By Robert Halsey Pine “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end

By Robert Halsey Pine “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will