Blog
Daily Devotions
And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” vss, 22-23 Ephesians 1:15-23 From early on the Church has identified itself as the Body of Christ, and has understood this not just metaphorically, but literally. We are the living presence of Christ in the world, and it is through us that the ministry of Jesus…
Daily Devotions
In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;” vs. 13 Ephesians 1:11-23 “You have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” We hear these words regularly in the baptism rituals of our congregations. They are said following the washing with water and are a precious reminder of the grace…
Daily Devotions
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever—for ever and ever.” vs. 18 Daniel 7:15-18 Daniel reported that his spirit had been troubled and that his dreams had terrified him. In other words, he had tossed and turned in bed much like we do after an evening of watching the events of the day recounted in all their gory detail. And if you have the nerve to take a deep…
Daily Devotions
I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.” vs. 2-3 Daniel 7:1-3 The sages of old recognized that there was much that we could not know about God, and even less that we could know about the future. And some believed that the way we could at least glimpse the unknown was through our dreams. So,…
Daily Devotions
So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” vs. 36 Romans 8:34-36 Jesus had a sense that people weren’t nearly so free as they thought they were. Not all prisons have bars, and we can be captive in a whole variety of ways. He said it plainly, “Anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin,” and that includes pretty much all of us. Like Paul said some years later, “All have sinned and fall short…
Daily Devotions
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” vss. 31-32 John 8:31-33 We live in a time when truth doesn’t seem to matter. As AI makes it possible to put out media posts that are not only digitally enhanced but pure inventions we can no longer have confidence in what we see or…
Daily Devotions
For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by Romans 3:21-28 One of the great universal truths is that the world is both good and broken, and every human experiences this through their entire lives. Paul described this brokenness as sin, a falling short of the glory of sin, and he told the Romans that all people are sinners. This is one teaching of Paul that we…
Daily Devotions
For ‘no human being will be justified in his sight’ by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” vs. 20 Romans 3:19-20 Paul had grown up believing that God’s covenant with Israel hinged on obedience. Those who kept the commandments and ordinances of the Law would be blessed. But in Christ he had come to believe that the system, for all its goodness, just didn’t work. To put it plainly, it was broken.…
Daily Devotions
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” vss. 6-7 Psalm 46:4-11 Even though the nations were in an uproar and the kingdoms were tottering the psalmist chose to believe that the Lord was with them and that God was their refuge. It’s hard to maintain that kind of trust when the world is in turmoil, and for…
Daily Devotions
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;” vss. 1-2 Psalm 46:1-2 Most people have had occasions to be frightened over their years in this world. Danger lurks, and we never know when a storm will hit with an unimaginable fury and force. And even though we’ve gotten used to a comfortable and predictable environment, it…
Daily Devotions
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” vs. 33 Jeremiah 31:31-34 During the first part of his ministry Jeremiah had a message of doom for the rulers of Judah, saying that if they continued the course they were following, destruction…
Daily Devotions
And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?” vs. 7 Luke 18:6-8 When Luke wrote these words of Jesus, he understood many disciples were having a tough time remaining faithful. In some places they were being persecuted (and sometimes being put to death), by agents of the Empire, and they were naturally looking for help from God. The parable Jesus told implied that if…