Blog (Page 140)
Daily Devotions: September 16, 2019
September 16, 2019 For full passage click: Amos 8:4-7 … “Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances…’” vss. 4-5 When Amos wandered out of Judah into the kingdom of…
Daily Devotions: September 15, 2019
September 15, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 15:8-10 … “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” vs. 10 Jesus found great joy in his associations with sinners and so do we! In fact, it’s a well-known fact that sinners are a lot more fun than righteous folk. With the righteous we always have to be on our toes with regard to what we say or…
Daily Devotions: September 14, 2019
September 14, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 15:1-7 … “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” vss. 1-2 Jesus had grown up in a rigidly dualistic religious system, one that carefully pointed out differences between good and evil behavior, and that also labelled people as being either righteous or sinners. As his activities became…
Daily Devotions: September 13, 2019
September 13, 2019 For full passage click: 1 Timothy 1:15-17 … “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” vs. 15 During his ministry, the Gospels report that Jesus had a passion for sinners, those people who had been systematically excluded from full participation in religious activities. He regularly ate with them and didn’t hesitate to offer them healing and hope. Sometimes he told…
Daily Devotions: September 12, 2019
September 12, 2019 For full passage click: 1 Timothy 1:12-14 … “But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” vss. 13b-14 While some question whether Paul actually wrote the letters to Timothy that are attributed to him, there’s little doubt that they give us valuable information about his background and call. Because of his strong religious convictions, he…
Daily Devotions: September 11, 2019
September 11, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 51:6-10 … “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.” vs. 8 Because we have been created in the image of God for goodness sake, we cannot help but feel terrible when we miss the mark and become conscious of sin’s ugly presence. The experience of sinning leaves us with a heavy weight on our hearts and sometimes the guilt comes close to crushing our spirits.…
Daily Devotions: September 10, 2019
September 10, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 51:1-5 … “Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.” vs. 5 According to Hebrew tradition, this psalm was David’s response when Nathan, the prophet, confronted him after his dalliance with Bathsheba. Even if the writer wasn’t David, it was surely a person struggling with deep and profound feelings of shame and guilt. Many of us know what that’s like. For one reason or another we manage to…
Daily Devotions: September 9, 2019
September 9, 2019 For full passage click: Exodus 32:7-14 … “And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.” vs. 14 In this little story from Exodus, it appears that the Lord has flipped a gasket over the idolatrous behavior of the Israelites in the wilderness, and is ready to wipe them all out. Moses, aware of the Lord’s anger, has to use his best debating skills to avert disaster. What stands…
Daily Devotions: September 8, 2019
September 8, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 14:31-33 … “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” vs. 33 Jesus regularly reminded his followers that discipleship was a costly undertaking and not something that could be taken lightly. Here he tells them that it will include the abandonment of all their possessions. Following his death and resurrection, it seems those who became disciples were willing to do exactly that.…
Daily Devotions: September 7, 2019
September 7, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 14:25-30 … “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” vs. 26 Sometimes Jesus’ words are harsh and difficult to understand. We wonder if he could possibly mean what he seems to be saying and search for ways to make his hard statements palatable. Or maybe there’s another way to translate Luke’s Greek—perhaps an…
Daily Devotions: September 6, 2019
September 6, 2019 For full passage click: Philemon 8-25 … “Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” vss. 15-16 Slavery was commonplace in the Roman Empire. It had an institutional presence and was unquestioned by…
Daily Devotions: September 5, 2019
September 5, 2019 For full passage click: Philemon 1-7 … “I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.” vs. 7 The letters of Paul give us amazing snapshots of life in the early Christian communities. In one way or another in dozens of cities, the good news of Jesus had been proclaimed and passed on. Hundreds of people had become believers and were meeting…