'Spirit' Tagged Posts

'Spirit' Tagged Posts

Daily Devotions

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient.” vss. 1-2 Ephesians 2:1-3 We aren’t exactly sure who Paul is talking about when he spoke of the “ruler of the power of the air,” but we can make a pretty good guess. Chances are he’s referring to Satan, or…

Daily Devotions

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him.” vss. 35-36 Mark 1:35-39 Mark tells his readers that the morning after being besieged by the crowds in Capernaum, Jesus got up early, and went in the dark to a deserted place for prayer. Because the geography of Galilee has changed little in 2000 years we know that he…

Daily Devotions

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.” vs 10 Mark 1:9-11 According to Mark, after his baptism Jesus received an epiphany that forever changed the direction of his life. Prior to that moment we know virtually nothing about him, only that he had come to the Jordan from Nazareth in Galilee, a small hamlet near the city of Sepphorus. There are…

Daily Devotions

Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” vs. 38 Luke 1:34-38 Mary has come to be revered for many different reasons all around the world. For the Easter Orthodox she is the Theotokos or Mother of God. For some Roman Catholics she is Co-Redemptrix, the redeemer together with Christ of all peoples. For the indigenous people of South America, she is…

Daily Devotions

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners…” vs. 1 Isaiah 61:1-4 After Jesus was baptized by John, and when he had come out of the river, the spirit of the Lord God came upon him, and he realized that in his baptism with water he…

Daily Devotions

Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.” vs. 18 Jeremiah 15:15-18 Jeremiah had been called to be a prophet of God and he had accepted the call. He would call the people of Jerusalem to repentance and to turn from their idolatrous ways. He devoured the words the Spirit laid on his heart and then discovered that no one paid the least bit…

Daily Devotions

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” vs. 1 Romans 12:1-2 When Paul was making his own decisions about life he used his personality and his learning to launch a crusade against Jews who believed that Jesus was the messiah. After he was confronted by the living Christ everything changed. Moved by the gospel of grace,…

Daily Devotions

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” vss. 1-2 Romans 8:1-6 Even though it drove Paul crazy to keep on doing the things that he didn’t want to do, and he couldn’t stop doing them no matter how hard he tried, he did not despair. He knew that God would not…

Daily Devotions

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted.” vss. 29-30 Matthew 10:29-34 Outside of God there is nothing. Inside of God there is everything. Jesus teaches a view of God that challenges our minds and gives peace to our souls. Even the hairs of our heads are all counted, no one of us is beyond God’s…

Daily Devotions

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” vss. 19-20a Matthew 28:18-20 The gospel of Matthew concludes with what has come to be known as the Great Commission, and these few mountain-top words have pretty much defined the Church’s understanding of its mission from the beginning. While the early disciples likely did…

Daily Devotions

When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” vs. 30 Psalm 104:24-30 The psalmist likely had a different worldview than most of us, but he believed with all his heart that the fingerprints of the Lord were everywhere and were quite obvious to discerning eyes. All things from great sea monsters to tiny hummingbirds owed their existence to the breath of God. And year after year, as one season rolled into…

Daily Devotions

I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” vs. 18 John 14:18-21 It’s not unusual for people to have mixed feelings about their mothers. Occasionally children will blame them for any number of their emotional or psychological hang-ups, but more often they are held in deep regard and honored as a prime source of warmth and love. As a result, Mother’s Day has become the primary “Hallmark Holiday,” and outside of Christmas and Easter, is often the…