Posts from 2020 (Page 3)
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 61:1-4 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” vs. 1 At times there seems to be confusion about the mission of the Church and what it is that followers of Jesus are called to be about in our world. We tend to overthink our doctrinal…
Daily Devotions
Mark 1: 5-8 “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” vs. 8 Both Jesus and John were significant figures in Roman occupied Judea. Both had a powerful message and each of them gathered a sizable following of disciples. But they were different too, and Mark accents that difference in his account of Jesus’ life. John’s baptism was for his followers a sign of repentance, a declaration that they were changing their lives…
Daily Devotions
Mark 1:1-4 “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” vs 4 The people were ready for John when he appeared in the wilderness with his radical message. They were tired of the Roman occupation, fed up with the corruption of the religious leaders, sick of hopeless living, and ready for a fresh start. So they flocked to him by the Jordan, listened to his transforming challenges, and waded into the…
Daily Devotions
2 Peter 3:8-15a “But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.” vs. 13 Early believers were confident that God wasn’t done with this world after the death and resurrection of Jesus. They believed that there would be a total overhaul, a new creation, and that God’s righteousness would reign. It’s not that this world is so bad! After all the fingerprints of God are all over it, and…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 85:10-13 “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” vs. 10 The psalmist paints a beautiful picture of the relationship between the Lord and the faithful. In his eyes we are like lovers, God’s love flows into our lives and is greeted by our deep and complete trust. God’s arms enfold us with deep tenderness, and we snuggle in with contentment, knowing that in God we are forgiven, and will never ever be rejected,…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-9 “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.” vs. 8 Not everyone gets excited about Advent, especially not since it’s been swallowed up by the cultural expansion of Christmas. There may be occasional references to Advent calendars or Advent wreaths, but most folks put their energy into decorating, entertaining, and buying. And that’s true even for…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 40:6-11 “He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” vs. 11 The prophet believed with all his heart that better days were ahead for his people in spite of their lack of constancy. He didn’t think that they would miraculously change and thereby win God’s favor. He knew they were like the grass and the flowers of the field,…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 40:1-5 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” vs. 1, 2 As the people of Judah and Jerusalem sat huddled in exile, the prophet had words of comfort for them. Their sins had been many and their suffering great, but now all of that was history–their future was bright. They had not been forgotten…
Daily Devotions
Mark 13:32-37 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” vss. 32-33 There’s just so much that we don’t know about the future. Oh, we can be pretty confident that the earth will continue to spin at least for the next day or so, and we’ll get to see at least a few more…
Daily Devotions
Mark 13:24-31 “But in those days, after that suffering…Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory.” vss. 24a, 26 It’s hard to believe that Advent is upon us. Four Sundays of preparing and then comes Christmas! And somehow Mark’s words seem particularly appropriate this year. They’re a part of Jesus’ apocalyptic message, and most years we don’t know quite what to do with them. All the symbolism seems dated, and besides, most…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 “for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind…so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” vss. 5, 7 Paul begins his letter to the church at Corinth with glowing words of affirmation. From his perspective, since they live under grace, they lack nothing–there is no need for them to worry about their salvation. We should…
Daily Devotions
Luke 17:11-19 “As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” vss. 12-13 Some of us may feel like lepers this Thanksgiving Day. Because of COVID we’ve been told that it would be best if we limited our contacts and continue to keep our distance, even in our own homes. Naturally we’ve seen this as a huge bummer. Thanksgiving is a time for gathering as friends and…