'Advent' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” vs. 7 Philippians 1:7-11 When we read that the Philippians held Paul in their heart some will assume that he is speaking figuratively, that such a connection is not literally possible. The problem with that assumption is…
Daily Devotions
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you…” vss. 3-4 Philippians 1:3-6 Perhaps Paul is exaggerating here. Could it be that he constantly prayed in every one of his prayers for all of the Philippians? Based on our own prayer lives we’re likely to say “no, he couldn’t have possibly done that.” But then again it’s very likely that Paul devoted considerable time to prayer–there…
Daily Devotions
By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1: 76-79 All we can really do is marvel at these ancient words from the Song of Zechariah! They so perfectly encompass all the hopes and dreams of humans from every time and place. Luke begins by ascribing “tender…
Daily Devotions
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.” vs. 68 Luke 1:68-75 As Luke studied all the writings available to him following the destruction of the temple he came across the song of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and there he found exactly the word of hope he had been looking for. For centuries the people of Israel had considered themselves the Chosen Ones of God, but with…
Daily Devotions
People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” vs. 26 Luke 21:25-28 For the past few years we watched as the nation of Yemen has been virtually destroyed by constant tribal warfare and unrelenting air attacks from Saudi Arabia. Thousands have been killed, disease is rampant, and, because relief efforts have been blocked, starvation is widespread. No end to the conflict seems imminent! Yemen’s situation…
Daily Devotions
Romans 13:11-14 “Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near.” vss. 11-12a It’s hard to believe, but Advent is almost over. Christmas is on the horizon, though it’s shape may be much different than in prior years. It’s interesting how quickly the days of December have passed–even…
Daily Devotions
Mark 1:1-4 “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” vs 4 The people were ready for John when he appeared in the wilderness with his radical message. They were tired of the Roman occupation, fed up with the corruption of the religious leaders, sick of hopeless living, and ready for a fresh start. So they flocked to him by the Jordan, listened to his transforming challenges, and waded into the…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 85:10-13 “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” vs. 10 The psalmist paints a beautiful picture of the relationship between the Lord and the faithful. In his eyes we are like lovers, God’s love flows into our lives and is greeted by our deep and complete trust. God’s arms enfold us with deep tenderness, and we snuggle in with contentment, knowing that in God we are forgiven, and will never ever be rejected,…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-9 “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.” vs. 8 Not everyone gets excited about Advent, especially not since it’s been swallowed up by the cultural expansion of Christmas. There may be occasional references to Advent calendars or Advent wreaths, but most folks put their energy into decorating, entertaining, and buying. And that’s true even for…
Daily Devotions
Mark 13:32-37 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” vss. 32-33 There’s just so much that we don’t know about the future. Oh, we can be pretty confident that the earth will continue to spin at least for the next day or so, and we’ll get to see at least a few more…
Daily Devotions
Mark 13:24-31 “But in those days, after that suffering…Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory.” vss. 24a, 26 It’s hard to believe that Advent is upon us. Four Sundays of preparing and then comes Christmas! And somehow Mark’s words seem particularly appropriate this year. They’re a part of Jesus’ apocalyptic message, and most years we don’t know quite what to do with them. All the symbolism seems dated, and besides, most…
Daily Devotions: December 3, 2018
December 3, 2018 To read full passage click: Malachi 3:1-4 …“he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.” vs. 3 When the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem after their time of captivity in Babylon, they began the hard work of rebuilding the temple. It wasn’t easy and took some time. When the construction…