Blog (Page 196)
Daily Devotions: November 30, 2017
1 Corinthians 1:3-7 “so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” vs. 7 The early Christians lived with a sense of expectation because they believed that the Lord Jesus would return and reign within their lifetimes. As time passed and he did not appear they became anxious and began to question whether he would return at all. When Paul heard that people in the congregations he had…
Daily Devotions: November 29, 2017
Psalm 80:17-19 “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” vs. 19 Soon we’ll be starting the season of Advent, the time of preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do with these four weeks. Obviously it’s about more than parties and singing Christmas carols and making sure our holiday shopping is done. In some ways it’s a kind of a mini-Lent, a time for…
Daily Devotions: November 28, 2017
Psalm 80:1-7 “O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.” vss. 4-5 The land of Israel had been devastated by its enemies and the people felt that they had been abandoned by their God, the one who had established them in the land. No matter how hard they prayed their situation did not change…their land…
Daily Devotions: November 27, 2017
Isaiah 64:1-9 “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” vs. 8 The prophet uses these words to describe our relationship with God, not with a sense of arrogance, but as a confession of humility. As human beings we know that we continually fall short of God’s expectations. To quote the prophet, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous…
Daily Devotions: November 26, 2017
Matthew 25:37-46 “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ “ vs. 40 On the face of it, living a life that is pleasing to Jesus should be the easiest thing in the world. All we have to do is give food and water to the hungry and the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome strangers,…
Daily Devotions: November 25, 2017
Matthew 25:31-36 “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,” vs. 32 According to Matthew Jesus began his teaching ministry with the Beatitudes, a powerful set of sayings that describes those who are his disciples. We hold those verses close to our hearts and pray that people will see these attributes taking root in our lives. At the end of Matthew’s gospel Jesus…
Daily Devotions: November 24, 2017
Ephesians 1:20-23 “And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” vss. 22-23 We’ve gotten used to the church being described as the Body of Christ. It’s familiar language, almost commonplace, and no one gives it much of a thought. In fact it might even be that our familiarity with the term masks the wonder…
Daily Devotions: November 23, 2017
Ephesians 1:15-19 “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” vss. 15-16 Followers of Jesus have special reasons for giving thanks on this national day of Thanksgiving. Not only do we give the customary thanks to God for the bounty of creation, we also give praise and thanks for our sisters…
Daily Devotions: November 22, 2017
Psalm 95:1-7a “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” vs. 2\ For Americans, this is a week filled with preparations for a massive Thanksgiving banquet of turkey and all our favorite foods. It’s a time for feasting and sharing with family and friends. In most cities there’s even a demonstrated concern for the homeless and the poor… shelters may get a hearty meal served by volunteers. For…
Daily Devotions: November 21, 2017
Ezekiel 34:20-24 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.” vs. 20 Those who have had a chance to observe herds of animals or flocks of birds know that every group has a certain hierarchy. There will always be dominating individuals. The strong will always lord it over the weak; in a flock of chickens the most vulnerable will often be killed…they’ll be pecked to death by the…
Daily Devotions: November 20, 2017
Ezekiel 34:11-16 “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.” vs. 16 According to Ezekiel the Lord has a heart for the lost and the strayed and will seek them out like a shepherd searching for sheep who have wandered. We’re familiar with this imagery from the words…
Daily Devotions: November 19, 2017
Matthew 25:24-30 “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” vss. 24b-25 As we hear the end of the parable of the talents we can’t help but feel a bit sad for the one talent slave, the one that most of us identify with most…