Blog (Page 135)
Daily Devotions: January 24, 2020
January 24, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 1:14-18 … “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.” vs. 17 The essence of the Gospel is not related to personality or powerful preaching. In fact, one of the greatest threats to the Good News has been the tendency of gifted speakers to claim it as their…
Daily Devotions: January 23, 2020
January 23, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 1:10-16 … For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.” vs. 11 Paul evidently knew Chloe from the time when he had lived in Corinth. Now he’s been in contact with some of her associates, and he’s been informed of the quarrels that have caused divisions in the congregation he started there. We can still hear the disappointment in…
Daily Devotions: January 22, 2020
January 22, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 27:6-9 … Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!” vs. 9 The Psalmist had been basking in the glorious goodness of the Lord and celebrating the wonderful feeling of peace and security. But now another feeling has crept into his prayer. For some reason…
Daily Devotions: January 21, 2020
January 21, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 27:1, 4-5 … “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” vs. 1 The Psalmist was feeling it! He wasn’t putting his trust in any king or president, he was trusting the Lord alone! In the Lord there was light and salvation, in the Lord there was security and hope! He was talking about…
Daily Devotions: January 20, 2020
January 20, 2020 For full passage click: Isaiah 9:1-4 … “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” vs. 2 Light and darkness are familiar metaphors in Scripture! In this instance, Isaiah is using them to describe the hope that has filled the hearts of the people of Judah with the coronation of a new king. Darkness, in the form of the Assyrian…
Daily Devotions: January 19, 2020
January 19, 2020 For full passage click: John 1:37-42 … “He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” vs. 39 The two men wanted to know where Jesus was staying and he gives them a simple invitation, “Come and see.” And so they did. They came and saw and stayed for an afternoon of conversation, and it changed…
Daily Devotions: January 18, 2020
January 18, 2020 For full passage click: John 1:29-36 … “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” vs. 29 In John’s Gospel, John the Baptist was the first witness and was sent to bear testimony to the Word who had become flesh in Jesus. Accordingly, when he saw Jesus in the neighborhood after his baptism, he declared him to be the Lamb…
Daily Devotions: January 17, 2020
January 17, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 1:6-9 … “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” vs. 9 When we think about the Church, it has become second nature to think of it in terms of denominations–we tend to identify as Baptists, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, etc., or maybe generically as Evangelicals. Paul wouldn’t have known what we were talking about! In those days there was no common…
Daily Devotions: January 16, 2020
January 16, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 1:1-5 … “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him…” vs. 4 Paul stayed in Corinth for about a year and a half on his second missionary journey, and was likely quite familiar with those who were a part of the little congregation that he started…
Daily Devotions: January 15, 2020
January 15, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 40:6-11 … “I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.” vs. 10 The Psalmist was writing to give thanks to God for blessings received–he’d had some problems but was now doing well. His words reveal his appreciation and also indicate that he had been faithful in sharing…
Daily Devotions: January 14, 2020
January 14, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 40:1-5 … “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” vs. 3 Sometimes we underestimate the impact of our testimony in the lives of others. We imagine that our influence is minimal and that people are unaffected by what we say about faith and our relationship to God. Actually, nothing could be further…
Daily Devotions: January 13, 2020
January 13, 2020 For full passage click: Isaiah 49:1-7 … “he says, ’It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’” vs. 6 The Prophet speaks of Israel as the servant of the Lord, a nation destined for restoration, and to be…