'love' Tagged Posts (Page 11)
Daily Devotions
Psalm 139:1-6 “You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways…Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.” vss. 3, 6 The psalmist didn’t think of God as some bearded old man sitting on a cloud, a figure like that Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. No, the Lord was bigger than that, a Being intimately acquainted with all his thoughts and…
Daily Devotions
Genesis 1:1-5 “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” vs. 3 According to the ancient Hebrews, all creation was spoken into existence by God in the beginning, and the first of those words was, “Lights!” And it makes sense! Any movie director knows that nothing can happen on the set until proper lighting is in place, hence the phrase, “Lights, camera, action!” What’s interesting though, is that this light had nothing to do with the sun.…
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
Psalm 90:1-4 “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” vss. 1-2 The psalmist’s sense of God was deep and profound, far beyond the silly notions we hear bandied about in our time. There is no hint that he pictured the Divine as anything other than the “ground of all being.” Even before there was…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 25:8-13 “And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.” vs. 10 While the parable of the wise and the foolish bridesmaids is uncomplicated, it arouses a variety of questions for contemporary followers of Jesus. In its original context it seems designed to encourage believers to remain faithful and not be discouraged as they waited for the expected return of Jesus.…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 22:15-22 … “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” vs. 17 The question the Pharisees asked Jesus is exactly like those heard frequently in presidential debates. It was straight forward, pointed, and called for either a “yes” or a “no” answer–and it was a trap! For Jesus to have answered it would have been folly, so like a skillful politician he evades the question. Most of the issues that…
Daily Devotions
Romans 13:8-10 … “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” vs. 8 Jesus had but one commandment for his followers, to love one another as he had loved them. Paul echoes that sentiment as he closes out his closely argued letter to the Christians in Rome. “All you need is love,” he says, in full agreement with The Beatles, and if they did, they would have fulfilled the…
Daily Devotions
Jeremiah 15:15-21 … “I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation.” vs. 17 When the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah he had been filled with joy and gladness. He was thrilled to be called by the name of the Lord and gladly began his prophetic ministry among the people. But his work did not bring him joy;…
Daily Devotions: June 10, 2020
June 10, 2020 Psalm 100 … “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” vs. 5 It’s easy to be distracted when we’re fed a mind-numbing stream of images, tweets, videos, and memes from every direction nearly every day. We get caught up in the charges and countercharges and are overwhelmed by the sense that evil is ruling in our world and that humanity is doomed. We can’t seem to shake the…
Daily Devotions: May 16, 2020
May 16, 2020 John 14:15-17 … “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” vs. 17 Spirit-talk is almost always mysterious; it’s the language we use when we try to describe the everyday nearness of God, and that’s close to an impossible task. Some people, many people maybe, never seem to get what we’re saying…
Daily Devotions: April 9, 2020
April 9, 2020 John 13:1-17, 31b-35 … “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” vs. 34 Maundy Thursday gets its name from a derivation of the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment. It’s a day set aside in the church, not to remember the origins of Holy Communion, but to remind us of the new commandment that Jesus gave his disciples at their last…
Daily Devotions: February 29, 2020
February 29, 2020 Romans 5:12-19 … “Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” vs. 18 In Paul’s estimation, the Gospel can be understood logically. Just as Adam’s sin led to condemnation for all, so Jesus’ righteous act leads to life for all! In his mind, it’s as simple as that! Now we might find good reasons to argue with Paul’s syllogism, but there’s a…