'courage' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Matthew 21:28-31.. “Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.’” vs. 31 When he was challenged by the chief priests and the elders in the temple Jesus told them a little parable about a father who asked his two sons to go work in the vineyard. One says that he will…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 1:27-30…“Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit…” vs. 27a Paul had been invited to come to Macedonia to proclaim the good news of Christ in a dream. Trusting in the Spirit, he found a ship that would take him across the Aegean Sea to Philippi. Knowing no…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 1:21-26…“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer.” vss. 21-22 Paul had reached an age, perhaps 55-60 years old, when he had begun to think of himself as aged. And since he was in prison, with plenty of time on his hand, he was considering his own mortality. He reported to the Philippians that he…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 138…“The LORD will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” vs. 8 If we care at all about this world and our place in it, we will more than likely wonder about our purpose. Since none of us receive instruction books at birth many will feel as though they are having to make things up as the years fly by. Surely, they think to themselves, there…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 14:22-27…“But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’” vs.27 As Matthew tells the story, after the feeding of the 5000, Jesus had stayed behind for much needed prayer and meditation, and had sent the disciples back across the sea by themselves. When the winds increased and their boat was being battered by the waves, the disciples saw Jesus in the darkness walking toward them, and, thinking it was a ghost,…
Daily Devotions
1 Kings 19:9-18…“At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” vs. 9 For a moment Elijah was triumphant in his struggle against the paganism that Israel had embraced under King Ahab and his queen, Jezebel. He had defeated her prophets of Baal in a great contest on Mount Carmel, but when she erupted in rage against him and threatened…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:31-39…“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” vss. 38-39 Paul holds nothing back as he outlines the unimaginable extent of God’s power and love. We can almost hear him shouting, “Do you hear me people? There is nothing,…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 10:24-31…“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father…So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” vss. 29-31 When Jesus sent out the newly chosen disciples to expand his mission in Galilee he didn’t pull any punches.. The religious leaders had been hostile to him and he rightly anticipated that they wouldn’t be any kinder to the Twelve. To comfort them…
Daily Devotions
Jeremiah 20:7-13…“If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” vs, 9 Jeremiah had been called to speak the Lord’s word to the rulers of Judah during the last years of the kingdom. What he had to say went squarely against the foreign policy of the king and was…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 50:4-9a…“The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.” vss. 3-4 This section of Isaiah and its description of Israel as the Suffering Servant had a profound impact on the life and ministry of Jesus, and beyond him, on the teachings of…
Daily Devotions
What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.” vs. 27 Matthew 10:24-28 When Jesus sent his disciples on their mission to bring healing and good news to the helpless and the harassed, he knew that there would be difficulties for them. They could expect rejection and even persecution–not everyone would be excited to receive them. It would be easy for them to become timid and adopt risk-averse…
Daily Devotions
Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’” vs. 23 Matthew 27:1-25 According to Matthew, the chief priests and the elders were not able to convince Pilate that Jesus deserved the death penalty. The case they had presented was full of half-truths and malicious gossip, and Pilate believed that they were motivated primarily by jealousy. But they had convinced the crowd, and ultimately that was enough. It’s still easy…
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