'Change' Tagged Posts (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” vs. 4 Acts 2:1-14 Luke tells us that before he left, Jesus had promised his disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they would then be his witnesses throughout the earth. After his departure they went into the city of Jerusalem and waited, probably wondering what this experience might be…
Daily Devotions
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” vs. 4 Romans 6:3-11 For Paul the crucifixion of Jesus was the central part of the gospel, and as he pondered it through his life he realized that unless believers embraced Jesus’ death, their lives would likely remain unchanged. In fact he saw the…
Daily Devotions
He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?’” vs. 2 Luke 13:1-9 Occasionally we catch a glimpse of everyday events in scripture, a little window into what kind of things happened perhaps on a daily basis. In this little fragment saved by Luke we find out that there had been some deaths in the city of Jerusalem, several caused by an act of terror by Pilate,…
Daily Devotions
He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’” vs. 27 Mark 7: 24-30 To escape the bread-seeking crowds Jesus goes to the coastal city of Tyre where he imagines he can remain anonymous. Of course the plan doesn’t work and he is immediately approached by a woman seeking healing for her demon possessed daughter. Because she is a Gentile, Jesus initially denied…
Daily Devotions
Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”’” Amos 7:10-15 As might be expected Amos’ message had not gone over well with the religious leaders of Israel. He was from Judah, and when he stirred up the poor against the rich in Israel, the…
Daily Devotions
He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” vs. 7 Mark 6:7-13 Jesus practiced what he preached. When he was rejected by the people of Nazareth he intensified his outreach and sent out his disciples to mirror his mission and his message in other villages of Galilee. He had known there would be setbacks, but he also knew that there were hundreds of hurting, needy people who…
Daily Devotions
and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.’” vss. 20-21 Mark 3:20-27 According to Mark it took a while for Jesus’ family to adjust to his popularity as he began his ministry. And that’s probably to be expected. He had had what seems to have been a normal childhood and adolescence in Nazareth–there…
Daily Devotions
And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” vss. 2-3 Acts 2:1-13 Luke’s picture of the Pentecost has caught the attention of artists in every age and we’ve all seen their renditions of men and women caught up in Spirit-filled ecstacy, each with a tongue of fire…
Daily Devotions
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’” Mark 1:14-15 When it comes down to it, the message Jesus had for the Galileans wasn’t much different from that proclaimed by John. “Repent and believe the good news!” It really is pretty basic, and it’s essentially the same message that confronts us when…
Daily Devotions
I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none…For the present form of this world is passing away.” vss. 29, 31b 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Paul, an unmarried man, had no shortage of advice for the Corinthians about marriage. He admits he’s giving his own opinions, and then goes on to say that it’s far better to be unmarried than married, especially if we’re…
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
Isaiah 40:1-5 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” vs. 1, 2 As the people of Judah and Jerusalem sat huddled in exile, the prophet had words of comfort for them. Their sins had been many and their suffering great, but now all of that was history–their future was bright. They had not been forgotten…