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Daily Devotions
Romans 5:6-8…“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” vs. 8 Some folks struggle with the meaning of the cross, especially as it relates to a satisfaction theory of the atonement. We can’t get our heads around the notion that the death of one person could atone for the sins of all humanity. And that’s okay! All those theories were developed by early Christians as they tried to make sense…
Daily Devotions
Romans 5:1-5…“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand;” vss. 1-2a Probably the biggest blessing of faith for a follower of Jesus is peace. Of course that doesn’t mean that we will never worry or be anxious! Even the most faithful folks will have plenty of concerns in the course of a lifetime. No one is perfectly calm…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 100…“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” vs. 5 There are some religious folks in our time who are claiming that God hates evil and rejoices in the annihilation of our enemies. They base their tirades on passages from the Hebrew scriptures that describe the invasion of Canaan by the Hebrew tribes, where God is said to have ordered the deaths of all inhabitants, including women and children. Those…
Daily Devotions
Exodus 19:5-8a…“The people all answered as one: ‘Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do.’” vs. 8a Moses had reported to the gathered crowd of Israelites the words that the Lord had given him on the mountain. They would indeed be God’s treasured possession and a holy nation but there was a condition: they would need to obey God’s voice and keep God’s covenant. And the people are supremely confident, answering as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken…
Daily Devotions
Exodus 19:2-4…“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” vs. 4 When the Israelites had made their way through the wilderness to the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses went up the mountain to consult with the Lord. When he returned to the people he reported that God had raised them up on eagles’ wings and brought them out of Egypt so that they might be a…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 9:18-26…“Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well.” vs. 22 As Jesus had traveled through Galilee’s villages and towns in the course of his ministry he had developed a reputation as a healer. When word went out that he was in the area large crowds gathered, often to hear him speak, but also for the ill to receive his healing touch. And when that…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 9:9-13…“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.” vs. 9 There is a painting in the Contarelli Chapel in Rome by the Italian master, Caravaggio, called “The Calling of St Matthew.” It shows Jesus, having entered a room, standing and pointing with an outstretched arm at one of five shadowy figures sitting at a table counting money.…
Daily Devotions
Romans 4:18-25…“It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” vss. 24-25 For Paul, Abraham and Sarah’s faith experience wasn’t just a bit of Israel’s history, it actually demonstrated the nature of God’s gracious love. Paul told the Romans that the old story was for them too, and that it showed the blessings that came with…
Daily Devotions
Romans 4:13-17…“For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” vs. 13 Paul loved the story of Abraham and Sarah, the two old folks who had been promised an impossible son. In his understanding this tale turned the message of the Torah upside down and opened the way for a revolutionary understanding of God’s grace. Humanity’s relationship to God was not dependent…
Daily Devotions
Psalms 50:7-15…“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall honour me.” vs. 15 This psalmist, like a prophet, has a word from the Lord for the people of Israel. They had believed that their sacrifices and burnt offerings would make their needs known to the Lord, that the rituals were the key to their divine relationship. But the psalmist tells them that since all things already belong to God, the Lord has no…
Daily Devotions
Hosea 5:15-6:3…“Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up.” vs. 1 Hosea was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century B.C.E. It was a time of turmoil and intrigue, with Israel having allied itself with Syria against Judah. While both Israel and Judah claimed a connection to the Lord, neither seems to have taken…
Daily Devotions
Hosea 5:15-6:3…“Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up.” vs. 1 Hosea was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century B.C.E. It was a time of turmoil and intrigue, with Israel having allied itself with Syria against Judah. While both Israel and Judah claimed a connection to the Lord, neither seems to have taken…