Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 214)

Acts 2:1-13 “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” vss. 3-4 It’s hard to know what to do with Pentecost. Christmas and Easter are easy–crowds of folks come out for worship–and the message is pretty much always the same. But Pentecost is tougher. Some years it gets stuck on…

John 17:6-11 “And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” vs. 11 As he neared the end of his time on earth Jesus prayed fervently for his followers, not only that they would know his words had come from God, but that they would be…

John 17:1-5 “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” vs. 3 Despite the fact that eternal life is pretty much beyond our understanding, we have a tendency to engage in mostly fruitless speculation and debate about what it may be like. One basic mistake is to picture eternity as “endless time” and imagine that it stretches on and on, one year after another, with no ending…

1 Peter 5:6-11 “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” vs. 8 The fact that the words “discipline” and “disciple” come from the same Latin root word, gives us some important clues about the nature of discipleship. Those who want to be disciples or followers of Jesus aren’t merely signing up to learn, but should expect to be disciplined in their approach to living. In this little verse…

1 Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” vs. 12 The little communities of Christians that popped up in the Roman Empire were regularly subjected to intense persecution that depended more or less on the whim of the ruling authorities. The ordeals had almost become a way of life, something they could expect at any moment, and there really…

Psalm 68:32-35 “Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel; and whose power is in the skies.” vs. 34 There’s no doubt that when Israelites saw thunder and lightning, they marveled at the raw energy and strength of their awesome God. Regularly they sang praises to the dynamism exhibited in nature and gave thanks that such a God was the Lord of Israel. In our time, most would dismiss such notions as being pre-scientific and no longer see the…

Psalm 68:1-10 “Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—his name is the Lord— be exultant before him. Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” vss. 4-5 The ancient Canaanites worshipped a storm god who rode upon the clouds, showing his strength and power with periodic displays of thunder and lightning. The Israelites were familiar with this god and incorporated his attributes into…

Acts 1:6-14 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” vs. 8 According to the book of Acts, a continuation of Luke’s gospel, during the 40 days after Easter, the disciples had a number of encounters with the risen Jesus before he met with them for a final time on the Mount of Olives just…

John 14:18-21 ”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” vs. 18 To be orphaned is to be deprived of the guiding, protecting, and nurturing presence of parents, and when it happens at an early age, the experience can be devastating. Young orphans will feel unwanted, adrift on a treacherous sea, and easy prey for predators. Jesus uses that kind of language as he prepared his disciples for life without him. He promises that he won’t leave…

John 14:15-17 “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” vs. 17 Those who are called into the community of Christ enter a whole new environment, one that is dominated by love, addicted to the teachings of Jesus, and empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit. This community will come together for worship and…

1 Peter 3:18-22 “And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” vs. 21 As early Christians pored over the Hebrew scriptures they found many passages which helped them understand the new thing that was happening in Christ Jesus. The flood mentioned in Genesis was reinterpreted and even found its way into the baptismal liturgy. The connection…

1 Peter 3:13-17 “But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated,” vs. 14 Early Christians were not naive about what might happen to them if they were called by the Holy Spirit to be a part of the Church. Even though their aim was to do what was right, their actions could easily spark resentment, jealousy, and persecution. Here the Apostle tells them…