'scriptures' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10 Psalm 111:5-10 Wisdom was a major concern of those who wrote our scriptures. There’s a whole category of writing that is known as “Wisdom Literature,” and that includes books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Often we see it contrasted with foolishness, as in the teachings of Jesus where he speaks of wise maidens who brought extra…
Daily Devotions
“The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” vs. 20 Psalm 145:14-21 When we read our scriptures we are tempted to take to heart the verses that we agree with and totally discount those with which we have issues. And we’re not alone. Nearly all people are adept at cherry picking as they study the bible, loving the parts that support positions they already hold, and ignoring those that don’t. The psalmist who…
Daily Devotions
First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” vss. 20-21 2 Peter 1:19-21 When we engage with our scriptures, it’s not unusual to struggle as we try to figure out what the various passages mean. Since we often speak of the bible as God’s Word, some believe that it…
Daily Devotions
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” vs. 4 Romans 15:4-6 Paul was waiting for Christmas, or to put it another way, he was waiting for the return of Christ, but he wasn’t letting any grass grow under his feet as he waited. He had been given a mission and, without training and without precedent, he daily engaged in proclaiming…
Daily Devotions
Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.” vs. 14 2 Timothy 2:14-15 Religious folks love to wrangle over words, especially if they have been educated beyond their intelligence. We see it regularly in our congregations as people engage in ferocious debates over the different nuances of meaning in biblical verses. It would just be silliness if the results weren’t…
Daily Devotions
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.” vss. 16-17a Luke 4:14-16 Synagogues began to be built in the towns of Galilee and Judea just prior to the time that Jesus began his ministry. They were places of prayer and study and for the reading and exposition of…
Daily Devotions
So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” vs. 8 Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 When the people of Jerusalem wandered back to their home after the time of exile in Babylon, it wasn’t empty. Only the upper classes and nobility had been sent away–the ordinary folks had remained, but not much had been done to repair what had been destroyed. It took many months…
Daily Devotions: December 5, 2019
December 5, 2019 For full passage click: Romans 15:4-6 … “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” vs 4 Paul obviously held the Hebrew Scriptures in high regard and was familiar with all they had to say. It was important for him to align his teaching with what had been taught in the law and the prophets. He believed that…
Daily Devotions: August 26, 2019
August 26, 2019 For full passage click: Jeremiah 2:4-8 … “Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.” vs. 4 We find the phrase “Hear the word of the Lord” regularly from Jeremiah as he lived out his life as a prophet in Jerusalem. God had given him words for the people and he could not rest until they were spoken. Often, the words were condemning. Israel had failed to…
Daily Devotions: April 24, 2018
April 24, 2018 Acts 8:32-40…“Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.” vs. 35 If we were to share the good news about Jesus with someone, we probably wouldn’t start with a passage from Isaiah. It would be a lot easier to go straight to one of the gospels. But Philip didn’t have a New Testament–the gospels hadn’t been written yet. But he firmly believed that the Hebrew scriptures…
Daily Devotions: April 23, 2018
April 23, 2018 Acts 8:32-40…“He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ 31He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.” vss. 30b-31 Visitors to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, are sometimes surprised to see that there is an Ethiopian Orthodox Chapel and Monastery included in the complex. It’s been easy for mainline Christians to forget that the gospel took root in Ethiopia hundreds of…