'Jesus' Tagged Posts (Page 26)
Daily Devotions
Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’” vss. 23-24 Mark 1:23-26 According to Mark the demons knew exactly who Jesus was–they spotted his holiness a mile away and called him out. They not only knew his name but they knew his divine origins, and…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 147:12-20 “He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down hail like crumbs— who can stand before his cold?” vss. 15-17 In Genesis we learn that all things came into existence by the word of God–”and God spoke, and it was good.” The psalmist picks up that theme and describes the word as the agent of creation–even the snows and frosts of winter…
Daily Devotions
Luke 1:30-33 “The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” vss. 30-31 As Luke began to put together his account of the life of Jesus he discovered that people were curious about his origins. All agreed that he was a Jew but little was known about his heritage, except that he was from…
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…
Daily Devotions
Ephesians 1:15-17 “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” vss. 15-16 The reputation of the congregation at Ephesus had spread among the little house churches that sprang up all over the eastern Mediterranean as apostles had proclaimed the good news of Jesus. According to the writer of this letter two…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 2:1-4 … “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” vss. 3-4 As Paul bares his soul to his friends in the Philippian community, we see clearly what he desires for them in their life together. Living in Christ will be different from life in the world. No longer will they be dominated by desires…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 16:24-26 … “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” vs. 24 Jesus did not consult a marketing expert when he began his historic mission in the towns and villages of Galilee. If he had, he would have been told that self-denial is not the way to attract followers. It just doesn’t work! Which is why contemporary Christian leaders have largely abandoned any…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 14:22-27 … “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone…” vs. 23 Those who are more introverted in their relationship to the external world are likely to identify with Jesus as they read in scripture of his desire to be alone. The world was changing. John the Baptist had been brutally murdered. Decisions about continuing his ministry needed to be made. Some people love…
Daily Devotions: July 24, 2020
July 24, 2020 Romans 8:33-39… “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 As the days begin to blur together and we continue to be confused and frightened by contradictory reports of how long COVID-19 will impact our…
Daily Devotions: April 19, 2020
April 19, 2020 John 20:26-31 … “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” vs. 31 When John wrote his Gospel there was no doubt about his convictions or his intentions. He may not have known Jesus personally, but he was certainly aware of his life and ministry, and he had come to believe that Jesus was…
Daily Devotions: March 17, 2020
March 17, 2020 Psalm 23 … “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” vs. 5 Often we think of the Lord as our place of refuge in tough times and our comforter when things get dark, and that’s appropriate, because that’s what shepherds do. And, as the children of God, we are well taken care of in every circumstance. The Psalmist knew that, but he…
Daily Devotions: December 25, 2019
December 25, 2019 For full passage click: John 1:1-14 … “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” vs. 14 The prologue to the Gospel of John powerfully states that all things came into existence through the Word, which can also be known as the Christ. To put it in modern terms, the DNA of the Christ has been imprinted…