Posts from 2024 (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’” vss. 24-25 Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Judas had been one of the disciples and later was commissioned by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles. During Jesus’ ministry these Twelve were sent to towns and villages as missionaries, bringing the good…
Daily Devotions
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” vs. 16 John 15:13-17 When we hear that Jesus has chosen us to be his disciples we are not surprised. It’s a familiar part of the gospel story that we’ve grown up with. We know that we have been called to proclaim the good…
Daily Devotions
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” vs. 11 John 15:9-12 These words are said in the context of Jesus’ last conversation with the disciples and indicate that he was well-pleased with them, and that their presence brought him joy. We know that feeling, that sense of satisfaction that a parent can have in looking around a festival table at the gathered faces of children…
Daily Devotions
for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.” vs. 4 1 John 5:4-6 We’ve gotten a good look at the ways of the world in recent years, and it’s not been a pretty sight! The environment is taking a beating, tensions between nations explode into wars, thousands are being killed, starvation and hunger are rampant and millions of refugees are on the move. In that scenario John’s optimism…
Daily Devotions
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome…” vs. 3 1 John 5:4-6 It’s really not that difficult to be a follower of Jesus! All that is necessary is that we keep God’s commandments! And what are God’s commandments? Well, John’s not talking about the Ten Commandments that we learn in Sunday School or the 613 commandments that we can dig up out of the Hebrew Scriptures. He’s talking about…
Daily Devotions
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.” vss. 5-6 Psalm 98:5-9h We know that temple rituals involved the offering of sacrifices on the altar, but the Levites who ran the temple organization were also responsible for music making and the chanting of psalms. They would have included professional musician–singers and instrumentalists who regularly would…
Daily Devotions
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.” vss. 1-2 John 15:1-4 It takes considerable skill and expertise to be a successful wine producer. Even the highest quality vines need to be watered, tended, and pruned to get the highest quality wines. Expert viticulturists spend years honing their craft and are in great…
Daily Devotions
Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” vs. 20 1 John 4:17-21 During these last decades it’s been stunning to see people who claim to be Christians joining the choruses of hate that masquerade as public discourse in our country and around the world. Claiming to possess freedom of speech they…
Daily Devotions
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” vs. 16 1 John 4:7-16 When we get confused about the doctrines and creeds of our denominations, and long for a plain description of God, it’s good to reread these chapters from John’s first epistle. For him everything revolves around God’s love for the world, and he even goes so…
Daily Devotions
For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.” vss. 28-29 Psalm 22:25-31 The psalmist had an expansive sense of the Lord’s dominion. In his estimation no part of the universe was outside God’s control and rule. Even all the people who had died, all those who slept…
Daily Devotions
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.” vs. 39 Acts 8:36-40 Jesus had twelve disciples but Luke doesn’t say much about the majority of them in his Acts of the Apostles. The Acts stories are mostly about Peter, John and Paul–and Paul wasn’t even one of the Twelve. But the story Luke tells about Philip is a gem. Out…
Daily Devotions
So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.” vss. 30-31 John 12:16-18 There has been a Jewish presence in Ethiopia for thousands of years, and some of them regularly traveled to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. Luke here recounts how an official of Queen Candace…