Blog (Page 182)
Daily Devotions: May 22, 2019
May 22, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 67 …“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.” vss. 1-2 The psalmist’s words remind us of the benediction that is frequently said at the close of our worship services. For some pastors it’s the highlight of the day, a final chance to ask that God’s face would shine…
Daily Devotions: May 21, 2019
May 21, 2019 For full passage click: Acts 16:14-15 …“When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.” vs. 15 We don’t know much about Lydia, only that she was a prosperous businesswoman in Philippi, and a worshipper of God. She had encountered Paul along the river on the Sabbath and had been moved by the…
Daily Devotions: May 20, 2019
May 20, 2019 For full passage click: Acts 16:9-13 …“On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.” vs. 13 Paul didn’t have much of an itinerary for his missionary journeys. He simply went wherever the Spirit guided him and he paid attention to dreams! When a man appeared in a vision imploring him to…
Daily Devotions: May 19, 2019
May 19, 2019 For full passage click: John 13:34-35 …“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” vs. 35 During those exciting first centuries of the Church’s existence, apostles and evangelists went all over the Mediterranean world and beyond, proclaiming the powerful message of God’s universal grace and unconditional love. Thousands were convicted by the Spirit and were baptized into the Body of Christ. And then the leaders of these fledgling…
Daily Devotions: May 18, 2019
May 18, 2019 For full passage click: John 13:31-33 …“When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.’” vs. 31 Typically, the word “glorified” is used to describe something that has been elevated beyond its natural state. To achieve glory, to be honored and acclaimed in the sight of our peers, and is something that many of us seek. John tells us that Jesus was glorified by…
Daily Devotions: May 17, 2019
May 17, 2019 For full passage click: Revelation 21:1-6 …“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” vs. 2 In the final sequence of his vision, John speaks of a glorious future, not one in which humans go to heaven to be with God, but one in which God comes to dwell with us. Quite simply, “the dwelling place of God is with mortals”—…
Daily Devotions: May 16, 2019
May 16, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 148:7-14 …“Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!” vss. 7, 9, 10, 11 The psalmist hadn’t likely studied theology or anthropology, but he did have a strong conviction that all things had been brought…
Daily Devotions: May 15, 2019
May 15, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 148:1-6 …“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.” vs. 5 The psalmist knew that all things in the universe have their origin in God: stars, planets, angels, sun, moon–all things! By the word of the Lord they were created, and in the name of the Lord they offer praise and thanksgiving. Our eyes have become dulled to the connection between God and the stuff…
Daily Devotions: May 14, 2019
May 14, 2019 For full passage click: Acts 11:11-18 …“If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” vs. 17 We can’t begin to believe how uncomfortable it was for the early disciples of Jesus to throw off their tribal instincts and begin receiving Gentiles into their community. Initially they had tried to limit their outreach and only talk to other…
Daily Devotions: May 13, 2019
May 13, 2019 For full passage click: Acts 11:1-10 …“But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’” vs. 9 After the resurrection the disciples considered themselves to still be Jews. It likely wasn’t even a question for them. Jesus was their Messiah, but all the laws of Moses were still in effect. To be sure, in the course of his ministry, Jesus had exhibited a relaxed attitude about…
Daily Devotions: May 12, 2019
May 12, 2019 For full passage click: John 10:27-30 …“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” vss. 27-28 There is an unparalleled regard for mothers in our culture. It’s not that every mother is perfect, some are far from that. But in general, we appreciate our moms and will go out of our way to honor…
Daily Devotions: May 11, 2019
May 11, 2019 For full passage click: John 10:22-26 …“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’” vs. 24 As Jesus’ ministry gathered momentum, it was not unusual for some people to wonder whether he was the Messiah. Expectation had been running hot among some segments of the population, especially those who were chafing under the oppressive Roman rule. But the gospels…