'forgiveness' Tagged Posts (Page 7)
Daily Devotions: January 25, 2020
January 25, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 4:12-17 … “From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” vs. 17 Soon after Jesus’ time in the wilderness, John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned in Herod’s fortress at Machaerus, just east of the Dead Sea. When Jesus got word of John’s arrest he went north, back to Galilee where he’d come from, and he began his ministry. Initially, his message was identical…
Daily Devotions: January 10, 2020
January 10, 2020 For full passage click: Acts 10:39-43 … “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” vs. 43 The book of Acts gives us a sense of the early Christian message through sermonic vignettes from Peter and Paul. In this one from Peter, we learn that the chief gift available to believers was the forgiveness of sins through the name of Jesus. Most of us have no…
Daily Devotions: December 15, 2019
December 15, 2019 For full passage click: Matthew 11:6-11 … “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” vs. 11 In Matthew’s estimation, there is a great divide between John and Jesus. John was the best and the greatest of the prophets; he was articulate and spoke the truth to those in power. He announced that the kingdom…
Daily Devotions: December 13, 2019
December 13, 2019 For full passage click: James 5:9-10 … “Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!” vs. 9 James was fed up with the grumbling among the local followers of Jesus and he wasn’t above using scare tactics to straighten them out. He mentions that the Judge is near at hand and if they don’t want to be judged, they should stop the squabbling.…
Daily Devotions: November 23, 2019
November 23, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 23:33-38 … “Then Jesus said, ’Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing.” vs. 34 Those of us who watch the Netflix series called “The Crown” have gotten a pretty good idea of what it’s like to sit on the throne of England. We know the glory, wealth, and prestige that comes from being a king or queen. In the…
Daily Devotions: October 25, 2019
October 25, 2019 For full passage click: Romans 3:22b-28 … “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” vss. 22b-24 Through the centuries, as believers have read Paul’s letter to the Romans, they’ve taken verse 23 of chapter 3 to heart, and have used it as the great leveler. Yes, indeed, all of…
Daily Devotions: October 5, 2019
October 5, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 17:1-4 … “Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.” vs. 3 Luke had access to many sayings of Jesus, some of which weren’t connected to any particular time and place, and he chose to group those isolated sayings in sections by themselves. Some seem to have been chosen because they related to issues that were coming up in…
Daily Devotions: September 13, 2019
September 13, 2019 For full passage click: 1 Timothy 1:15-17 … “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” vs. 15 During his ministry, the Gospels report that Jesus had a passion for sinners, those people who had been systematically excluded from full participation in religious activities. He regularly ate with them and didn’t hesitate to offer them healing and hope. Sometimes he told…
Daily Devotions: September 4, 2019
September 4, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 1:4-6 … “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” vs. 4 The imagery used by the Psalmist calls to mind the hilltop threshing floors used by farmers to separate the wheat from the chaff at harvest time. As they tossed the separated grain into the air, the chaff would be blown away by the wind while the heavier wheat would fall back to the earth. The…
Daily Devotions: September 4, 2019
September 4, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 1:4-6 … “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” vs. 4 The imagery used by the Psalmist calls to mind the hilltop threshing floors used by farmers to separate the wheat from the chaff at harvest time. As they tossed the separated grain into the air, the chaff would be blown away by the wind while the heavier wheat would fall back to the earth. The…
Daily Devotions: April 25, 2019
April 25, 2019 For full passage click: Revelation 1:4-6… “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 5b-6 John begins his mysterious apocalypse with a dedication that glorifies the Risen Christ. In his estimation, not only had the faithful been loved and forgiven through Jesus Christ, they had been made into…
Daily Devotions: March 26, 2019
March 26, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 32:1-5 …“Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” vs 5 The psalmist had been engaged in a great cover-up and his conscience had been nagging at him. We don’t know what had happened but it doesn’t seem to have been a public matter. Only he knew what…