'gospel' Tagged Posts (Page 3)
Daily Devotions
For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am…” vss. 9-10a 1 Corinthians 15:6-11 Paul still had to pinch himself when he considered his calling to be an apostle–he knew he didn’t deserve it–that he was unfit because of his prior record as a persecutor of Christians. But he had no doubt about his call, and when…
Daily Devotions
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free…” vs. 18 Luke 4:17b-21 When Jesus was handed the scroll of Isaiah he chose to read a portion of chapter 61. It was the scripture that had come to his mind as he had wrestled with ministry…
Daily Devotions
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” vs. 4 John 15:1-4 The good news of the Gospel is plain. Christ abides in us–no exceptions, no one is left out. His DNA has been stamped in us from the very beginning. So that’s one thing we don’t need to worry about–there’s plenty of room in Christ for…
Daily Devotions
What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.” vs. 18 1 Corinthians 9:16-18 Paul was under attack by some opponents for profiting from his work as an apostle. He bristled at the charge and responded in a typical Pauline way. First he says that he has a right to receive compensation–a worker deserves to be paid!…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 25:24-30 “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” vs. 29 Jesus’ parables can be read either from the perspective of law or gospel. In this instance our inclination is to immediately go to the law and see his story as a warning not to bury our talents. Sometimes readers will even be upset by the action…
Daily Devotions
1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 … “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit…” vs. 6 Paul hadn’t stayed long in Thessalonica. His preaching had been favorably received by some Gentile searchers but the Jews of the city had forced him to leave. He was worried that the word he had preached would be lost by those who had received it, and was overjoyed…
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. 27 Paul was consistent in his proclamation of the pure Gospel, and insisted that salvation came by grace, and not through obedience to the law. But he also believed with all of his heart that it makes…
Daily Devotions: May 18, 2020
May 18, 2020 Acts 1:6-14 … “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” vs. 8 Many people have given up trying to understand the ascension of Jesus in a literal way. It doesn’t make any sense to their logical scientific minds. But, for Luke it has enormous significance as a transition point between the…
Daily Devotions: March 8, 2020
March 8, 2020 John 3:14-17 … “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” vs. 16 Sometimes the Gospel of John can be a bit disconcerting. Jesus sounds different, more divine than human, and we can have a hard time getting used to the change in voice. In this third chapter, for instance, what begins as a conversation with Nicodemus…
Daily Devotions: March 5, 2020
March 5, 2020 Romans 4:13-17 … For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us)…vs. 16 Paul was writing to a community in Rome that included both Gentile and Jewish followers of Jesus Christ, and he was thrilled to…
Daily Devotions: February 13, 2020
February 13, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 … “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” vs. 1 When Paul came to Corinth, he did not bring Christ to the people–Christ was already there–the Divine Spark that resides in every human. But he did see them as infants in Christ, a people unfamiliar with matters of the Spirit and fully…
Daily Devotions: February 6, 2020
February 6, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 2:1-4 … “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” vss. 1-2 For Paul, the whole Gospel revolves around Jesus Christ; beyond that central focus, everything else he expounds on in his letters is commentary. He really didn’t have to say…