'grace' Tagged Posts (Page 9)
Daily Devotions
But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me,” vs. 6 2 Corinthians 12:2-7a It was not uncommon for people in Paul’s day to experience heavenly journeys. Often such persons claimed to have had great mysteries explained, which they then passed on to their followers. Paul…
Daily Devotions
She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’” vss.27-28 Mark 5:21-34 The woman’s condition made her ritually impure so she had a dual purpose in seeking out Jesus. She hoped that if she touched his clothes she would be both healed and cleansed. In our world we think of healing primarily in physical terms. We seek out…
Daily Devotions
For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.” vs. 10 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 We find great comfort in the persistent theme of grace in our scriptures. Because we don’t live as we ought, we love hearing that we have forgiveness in Christ, and that our guilt has been taken from us. We’re less excited in hearing about the…
Daily Devotions
And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” vs. 5 Isaiah 6:5-8 Isaiah had caught a glimpse of God’s holiness, and became deeply aware of his own sin and inadequacy. And not only that, his eyes were opened to the fallen condition of his own people. Whatever he’d been trying to…
Daily Devotions
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” vss. 5-6 Psalm 1:4-6 The psalmist reflected the common sense, black and white perspective of his religious peers, and his words resonate well with folks in our time too. He tells us that there are basically two kinds of people in the world, the righteous…
Daily Devotions
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,” vss. 3-4 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Toward the end of his letter to the Corinthians, after having touched on any number of topics that were causing dissension in the congregation, Paul takes time to review…
Daily Devotions
It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?” vs. 9 Isaiah 50:4-9a Lent is a time for us to focus on our sin, humbly confess our iniquities, and pray for the restoration of our hearts. One of the by-products of such introspection can often be a strong and overwhelming sense of guilt. That’s to be expected. Sin and guilt are often partners on the journey of faith, unwelcome companions that need to be addressed and…
Daily Devotions
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants…” vs. 16a Romans 4:13-16 Paul is taking great pains to show the Romans the distinction between the legalisms of Judaism and the freedom he had discovered in Christ. He doesn’t believe that what he is teaching is new. Rather, he tells them that the seeds of this understanding were sown in God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah…
Daily Devotions
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command.” vs. 18 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 When the Galileans encountered Jesus and heard his authoritative words some of them believed that he was the prophet spoken of in Deuteronomy, a man like Moses who would speak to them all that God commanded. They were wrong! Jesus did…
Daily Devotions
Mark 1:9-11 “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” vs. 11 We only get a couple of glimpses at what might be called the “interior life” of Jesus in the gospels. The first is here during Mark’s account of his baptism by John. For one reason or another (Mark does not say) Jesus had come from Nazareth and joined the crowds at the Jordan who were listening to John…
Daily Devotions
John 1:15-18 “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” vs. 18 Through the centuries humans have been told that the study of religions will lead them to an understanding of God. And so we have done our work. We’ve dug into holy scriptures, listened to learned teachers, and probed deep into the intricacies of the world’s religions–and for the most part the search…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 61:1-4 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” vs. 1 At times there seems to be confusion about the mission of the Church and what it is that followers of Jesus are called to be about in our world. We tend to overthink our doctrinal…