'faith' Tagged Posts (Page 3)

'faith' Tagged Posts (Page 3)

Daily Devotions

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” vss. 52-53 Luke 1:52-53 The text of the Magnificat comes from Luke 1 and is the song sung by Mary when she was greeted by Elizabeth after being told by the angel that she was to bear a son. It’s regularly sung in churches all over the world during the Advent season…

Daily Devotions

Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is withyou.’” vs. 3 2 Samuel 7:1-3 As soon as David established himself as the king in Jerusalem he began to think of his next step on the road to glory and honor. He would build a temple for the Lord! And Nathan, his trusted advisor, gave him the answer he was looking for, “Go for it! The Lord is with you!” We can’t…

Daily Devotions

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” vs. 10 Isaiah 61:8-11 The prophet’s testimony is exactly what we need to hear as we move through this second week of Advent Toward Pink Candle Sunday. He used…

Daily Devotions

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners…” vs. 1 Isaiah 61:1-4 After Jesus was baptized by John, and when he had come out of the river, the spirit of the Lord God came upon him, and he realized that in his baptism with water he…

Daily Devotions

I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” vs. 8. Mark 1:5-8 Our scriptures indicate that there is a difference between water baptism and spirit baptism. The one is connected with John the Baptist and the other with Jesus. Jesus himself received both, being baptized in the Jordan River by John, and then anointed with the Holy Spirit when he came up out of the river. The early church adopted baptism with water…

Daily Devotions

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” vs. 4 Mark 1:1-4 When Mark wrote his gospel, very likely the first of the four we have in the New Testament, he didn’t include any stories about angels or shepherds or the birth of a baby in Bethlehem. Perhaps he hadn’t heard of such things. But he does know about John the baptizer and his ministry in the wilderness of Judea, and…

Daily Devotions

But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.” vs 13 2 Peter 3:11-13 Prior to the testing of the atomic bomb in New Mexico in 1945, hundreds of scientists were working in labs all around the country to see if such a bomb could be built and delivered. Using mathematical formulas a few physicists projected a doomsday scenario in which the unknown forces generated by an atomic explosion…

Daily Devotions

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” vs. 8            2 Peter 3:8-10 Climate change has been accelerating in recent years and there is continuing debate around the world about what needs to be done. Some say that the survival of humanity is at stake, and that unless drastic steps are taken to eliminate the use of fossil fuels there will…

Daily Devotions

See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him…He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” vss. 10a, 11 Isaiah 40:9-11 When our faith ancestors were in a tough spot they eagerly looked for the coming of the Lord, so it’s not surprising that the prophet assured the people that the Lord was on the way,…

Daily Devotions

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, andcry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she hasreceived from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” vss. 1-2 Isaiah 40:1-8 There are times when we want to throw up our hands in despair and cry out,“Enough, O God, I’ve had enough, and I’m tired of being treated like refuse in thisbroken world.” Those moments don’t come to everyone…

Daily Devotions

Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” vs. 33 Mark 13:32-37 The emphasis on keeping alert in the apocalyptic teaching of Jesus is puzzling to some. They wonder why it’s so important to keep awake, and why the sleeping would be excluded when the faithful are gathered into the kingdom. We’d expect that if the Lord returns in clouds with multitudes of accompanying angels there’d be such a stir that even the dead would…

Daily Devotions

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” vs. 29 Mark 13:24-31 We don’t need to be particularly alert to know that Christmas is near. Black Friday with all its sales and promotions has come and gone. All the best trees have already disappeared from the well-lit lots on the strategic corners near shopping centers. Yards are being decorated with blow-up sleighs and reindeer–men and women are risking their…