Blog (Page 186)
Daily Devotions: March 22, 2018
March 22, 2018 Philippians 2:5-11…“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave…” vss. 5-7a There is no doubt that Paul considered Christ Jesus as an object of worship. Indeed, he hoped that all humanity would one day bow down and give him praise and glory. But he…
Daily Devotions: March 21, 2018
March 21, 2018 Psalm 31:9-16 … “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.” vs. 9 At times it may seem as though our lives are charmed–that by some sweet combination of genes and luck–we’ve been able to skate through the minefields of existence unscathed and unharmed. We see the hurts of others and are grateful that such calamities have not visited us. For one reason…
Daily Devotions: March 20, 2018
March 20,2018 Isaiah 50:4-9a … “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.” vs. 4 We get tired of the same old news as we interact with our world. Each day there are stories of disaster, conspiracy, cruelty, disappointment, terror, discontent–and it’s easy to lose…
Daily Devotions: March 19, 2018
Mark 11:1-11 “Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” vs. 11 In the book of Zechariah there is a reference to the entrance of a triumphant king into Jerusalem. Instead of riding a war horse this king would be mounted on a donkey, a symbol of humility, and he would usher in an era of peace. It’s…
Daily Devotions: March 18, 2018
John 12:27-33 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” vs. 32 For the Romans crucifixion was designed to strike terror into the hearts of those that they ruled. It was cruel, painful, and violent…and lasted for hours, even days. Bodies were left hanging on crosses on the main thoroughfares to remind passersby of the consequences that awaited any form of insurrection. But when Jesus was crucified there was an…
Daily Devotions: March 17, 2018
John 12:20-26 “They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’” vs. 21 As Jesus continued his ministry he worked mostly among the Jews…they were his people and he felt a special calling to bring the gospel to them. But the good news couldn’t be hidden…Jesus hadn’t put his lamp under a bushel basket but on a stand where it enlightened all who came near. Even foreigners heard about…
Daily Devotions: March 16, 2018
Hebrews 5:5-10 “So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’;” vs. 5 In the years before the destruction of the temple by the Romans the office of the high priest, once occupied only by the holiest of men, often went to the highest bidder. Herod the Great and later, the Roman governor would appoint and depose at…
Daily Devotions: March 15, 2018
Psalm 51:7-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” vs. 10 There may be some of us who are naturally blessed with pure and holy hearts, but evidence indicates that the numbers are few. Most of us struggle daily with contrary and even ugly thoughts and desires that rise up out of nowhere to plague our serenity and sense of peace. Sometimes all it takes is a glance at a…
Daily Devotions: March 14, 2018
Psalm 51:1-6 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” vs. 1 This particular psalmist was very aware of his own sinfulness and knew that he fell far short of perfection. From the days of his youth he’d regularly sinned against God and neighbor and he believed that he deserved nothing but punishment for his misdeeds. He was ravaged by guilt. As we read his confession of sin…
Daily Devotions: March 13, 2018
Jeremiah 31: 33-34 “No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” vs. 34 Jeremiah was writing from the edge of calamity, the total destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, yet he looked toward the future with optimism and deep anticipation. One…
Daily Devotions: March 11, 2018
March 11, 2018 John 3:19-21 … “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” vs. 19 The contrast between light and darkness was an important one in the gospel of John. In his prologue he describes the Word as the light of the world, a light which darkness was not able to overcome. In this section, he tells his readers that even though…
Daily Devotions: March 10, 2018
March 10, 2018 John 3:14-18 …“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” vss. 14-15 We can wonder a lot about the writers of the gospels, who they were and why they were motivated to write. Obviously they never guessed that the simple stories they put together would face the unrelenting scrutiny of Greek scholars around the world. But…