Posts from 2018 (Page 3)
Daily Devotions: December 7, 2018
December 7, 2018 To read full passage click: Philippians 1:9-11 …“And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless,” vss. 9-10 Contrary to what we might expect, the road to holiness does not consist of daily obedience to the revealed commandments of God. Paul rejects that kind of rigid legalism…
Daily Devotions: December 6, 2018
December 6, 2018 To read full passage click: Philippians 1:3-8 …“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” vs. 6 Paul was so proud of the congregation in Philippi. He hadn’t spent much time there, but he’d obviously been effective in proclaiming the gospel, and the people had taken it to heart. Everything that he heard was positive and his letter to…
Daily Devotions: December 5, 2018
December 5, 2018 To read full passage click: Luke 1:76-79 …“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” vss. 78-79 Jesus regularly arose early in the morning and went out to pray. And there on the hills that surround the Sea of Galilee, he would watch the sun…
Daily Devotions: December 4, 2018
December 4, 2018 To read full passage click: Luke 1:68-75 …“the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” vss. 73-75 Zechariah saw the birth of his son, John, as the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to Abraham. It was a sign that Israel had not been forgotten, that God was finally acting…
Daily Devotions: December 3, 2018
December 3, 2018 To read full passage click: Malachi 3:1-4 …“he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.” vs. 3 When the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem after their time of captivity in Babylon, they began the hard work of rebuilding the temple. It wasn’t easy and took some time. When the construction…
Daily Devotions: December 2, 2018
December 2, 2018 To read full passage click: Luke 21:29-36 …“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.” vss. 34-35 Jesus was talking about the much anticipated return of the Son of Man, an event eagerly awaited by his followers in the early…
Daily Devotions: December 1, 2018
December 1, 2018 To read full passage click: Luke 1:25-28 …“Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” vs. 28 When Luke wrote his gospel, the destruction of Jerusalem was fresh on his mind. It had been a horrible experience for both Jews and Christians. The Roman armies were brutal and they had completely destroyed the temple and killed thousands of Jewish defenders. For many of the faithful…
Daily Devotions: November 30, 2018
November 30, 2018 To read full passage click: 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 …“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.” vs. 12 Paul wrote words of encouragement to the new believers in Thessaloniki, urging them to continue in faith and not worry about the future. He included some practical advice about living in Christ and told them that not even death could separate them…
Daily Devotions: November 29, 2018
November 29, 2018 To read full passage click: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 …“How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?” Vs. 9 Paul had paused for a time in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey, proclaimed the gospel, and had promptly been run out of town! Later on he wondered about those who had received his message and sent Timothy back to check on them. When…
Daily Devotions: November 28, 2018
November 28, 2018 To read full passage click: Psalm 25:5-10 “Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!” vs. 7 All of us have a backstory! And as we meet new people in the course of our lives, we often will fill them in on what has gone before. It’s an important and helpful step in building a relationship. Some parts of that story are…
Daily Devotions: November 27, 2018
November 27, 2018 To read full passage click: Psalm 25:1-5 …“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” vs 4 Most people want to do good! No matter where we go around the globe, no matter what religion people espouse, there is a general desire to do what is right. Even people with no faith at all want to lead decent lives. That’s just the way God has wired us. But it’s not that easy. As all…
Daily Devotions: November 26, 2018
November 26, 2018 To read full passage click: Jeremiah 33:14-16 …“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” vs. 15 For centuries, the people of Israel and Judah had lived with the conviction that they were children of the promise. They believed with all their hearts that God had brought them to the land they occupied and that God would…