Pious Bob

By Robert Halsey Pine Jesus has an unusual way of commissioning us: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:7-16 NRSV). Herein lays our challenge. As with the disciples, He is sending us “out like sheep into the midst

By Robert Halsey Pine Jesus is so much for us. He joys in giving us hope: “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

By Robert Halsey Pine Jesus reports to His Father:                        “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

By Robert Halsey Pine As Jesus was challenged, so must we: “…Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Luke 9:51-62 NRSV). Jesus keeps reminding us that if we follow Him, we must be prepared for full-time work. On His way to

St. Paul tells us, there’s no wasting away with Jesus: “We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving,

By Robert Halsey Pine Paul fought the law and the law won: “What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not

By Robert Halsey Pine David’s struggles outlined in the Psalms can be lessons for us today: “My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, “O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away

St. Paul continues to help us merger the old with the new in Christ Jesus: “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,

By Robert Halsey Pine Can Peter possibly know what he’s saying? “Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you

By Robert Halsey Pine This is Christ praying to God in the presence of His disciples: “Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you; since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him…I have made your name

By Robert Halsey Pine What would we do without St. Paul to guide us in our life in Christ?          “Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is

By Robert Halsey Pine St. Paul reminds us how our trials have a way of actually building us up: “Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?…..Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it

James reminds us where our true direction comes from: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist

Paul gets his orders from the top: “I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles–to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place

David sets us up to be concerned if God is delighted with us: “Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by the hand. Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever. For

St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatians how to live in our complicated world: “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.’ Now

By Robert Halsey Pine Jude wants us to jump in over our heads: “But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on

By Robert Halsey Pine David had much to correct in his life and continually discussed his plans with the Lord:        “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. I have more understanding than

By Robert Halsey Pine Come on Peter, really? He says: “Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation–if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:1-10 NRSV).

In 2 Peter we hear about the Lord’s treatment of a day in our lives: “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness,

Marching for the Heavenly John dreams the impossible dream: “These are united in yielding their power and authority to the beast; they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation

St. Paul communicates a warning in having things in life in two ways: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians

“Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes? Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” (Mark 5:21 – 43 NRSV). Healing is an interesting phenomenon. In our Christian communities there are a variety of understandings about healing. Some say that we should

We hear St. Paul’s take on life in an uplifting way, even as we age: “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,

St. Paul reminds us that following Christ is a journey: “Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). Paul says that because we do not know

Paul understood his calling very quickly and very humbly: “For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). We

St. Paul makes life so simple, but yet so hard: “…For I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty…I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:4-13). Can we believe this? “I can

Nehemiah said: “And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, by the observance of which a person shall live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you

Jesus instructs us about being prepared: “Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13). The parable of the bridesmaids and their lamps as told by

St. Paul commissions the spiritual battle gear for the faithful in saying: “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord