'faith' Tagged Posts (Page 22)
Daily Devotions
But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?” vs. 14 Romans 10:12-15 Paul believed with all his heart in universal salvation, that there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles, and that God’s love extends to all. But he also feared that until people believed this, they would not…
Daily Devotions
because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” vs. 9 Romans 10:5-11 Paul taught that the righteousness of God comes as a gift through faith, and not through obedience to the law. To make this clear, he describes the content of faith as confession of Jesus as Lord and belief in the resurrection. Those who have faith, as thus defined, will…
Daily Devotions
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 Psalm 85:8-13 All of the prophets felt a call to bring the word of the Lord to the people of Israel and Judah. Most of the time it came as a warning of impending doom if idolatrous behavior didn’t come to an end. Again and again the prophet would…
Daily Devotions
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” vs. 19 Matthew 14:18-21 The miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude with a few loaves of bread was a favorite of the gospel writers, appearing six times in all, twice in Matthew and Mark. And while…
Daily Devotions
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.” vs. 3 Romans 9:1-5 Midway through his letter to the Romans, after having described justification by faith in excruciating detail, Paul offers a section on Israel’s election as the chosen people of God. He tells the church in Rome that it breaks his heart that so many of his kindred, according to the…
Daily Devotions
“The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” vs. 20 Psalm 145:14-21 When we read our scriptures we are tempted to take to heart the verses that we agree with and totally discount those with which we have issues. And we’re not alone. Nearly all people are adept at cherry picking as they study the bible, loving the parts that support positions they already hold, and ignoring those that don’t. The psalmist who…
Daily Devotions
And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’” vs. 52 Matthew 13:44-52 Jesus closes out this series of parables with an enigmatic saying that can be understood to describe what he had been doing in his teaching. He certainly did not disdain the law and the prophets that were a part…
Daily Devotions
He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’” vs. 33 Matthew 13:31-33 Jesus was not only familiar with the ways of farmers; he evidently knew his way around the kitchen too. At least he knows the properties of yeast and uses this simple single-celled micro-organism to teach an important lesson about the kingdom of heaven. So often as the…
Daily Devotions
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 Romans 8:31-39 Paul began this ending paragraph of chapter 8 in his letter to the Romans by writing “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Martin Luther…
Daily Devotions
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” vs. 11 Psalm 86:11-13 When we began to walk with the Lord, however many years ago that might have been, we likely didn’t realize that it would be so difficult and that sometimes the path would be hard to distinguish. But that’s how it is, and we soon discover that we need constant guidance to stay on the…
Daily Devotions
Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.” vs. 8 Isaiah 44:6-8 One thing that made Israel different from other peoples and nations was the bold assertion that there was no other god besides the Lord, not even one. We who are Israel’s faith descendants continue to make that claim, even though…
Daily Devotions
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” vss. 1-2 Romans 8:1-6 Even though it drove Paul crazy to keep on doing the things that he didn’t want to do, and he couldn’t stop doing them no matter how hard he tried, he did not despair. He knew that God would not…