'truth' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” vs. 9 Romans 10:5-11 Paul taught that the righteousness of God comes as a gift through faith, and not through obedience to the law. To make this clear, he describes the content of faith as confession of Jesus as Lord and belief in the resurrection. Those who have faith, as thus defined, will…
Daily Devotions
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” vs. 11 Psalm 86:11-13 When we began to walk with the Lord, however many years ago that might have been, we likely didn’t realize that it would be so difficult and that sometimes the path would be hard to distinguish. But that’s how it is, and we soon discover that we need constant guidance to stay on the…
Daily Devotions
They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.” vs. 34 John 9:28-41 The man who had been blind wanted to share the insights derived from his life-changing experience with the Pharisees, but they refused to listen. More than that, they drove him from their presence, likely with insults and blows. Not having been schooled in the Law of Moses, in their eyes, he lacked the proper credentials.…
Daily Devotions
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.” vss. 8-9 Ephesians 5:8-14 In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said to his disciples, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works, and give glory to God.” That theme dominated the faith and practice of the early church, and…
Daily Devotions
They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’” vs. 42 John 4:27-42 Many of us have been believers since our childhoods. We learned the good news of Jesus from our parents and Sunday School teachers, and perhaps even in confirmation class. Those good people laid out credal definitions and we memorized a few…
Daily Devotions
But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” vs. 32 Matthew 5:27-37 As Jesus eliminates the loopholes that were a part of the law of Moses, he doesn’t deal with peripheral items. Instead he tackles the biggies: adultery, divorce, and truth-telling. And if those topics were important in the first century, they are at the core of the…
Daily Devotions
It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.” vss. 5-6 Psalm 112:1-9 Life goes well with people who are righteous and generous; their love of justice and mercy will be remembered forever. That’s the way it’s always been, the psalmist assures us, and that’s the way it will always be. Some would call this ancient observation a universal truth, a…
Daily Devotions
O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart…” vss. 1-2 Psalm 15 In the psalmist’s world, there were standards that went beyond mere obedience to the law. Certainly the Torah was honored and people tried to live according to its precepts, but such behaviors didn’t even come close to what was expected of God’s holy people. It…
Daily Devotions
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” vs. 2 Isaiah 9:1-4 In August of 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech in front of a quarter million civil rights marchers, in which he laid out his dream of an end to racism and the beginning of freedom and equality in the United States. Today, on…
Daily Devotions
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” vs. 11 Matthew 11:7-11 Jesus had to be careful in talking about John the Baptist. He was a well-known radical preacher who had gained enormous popularity by speaking truth to power. Large numbers of people had become his disciples, and they had been deeply upset by his arrest and imprisonment.…
Daily Devotions
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” vs. 10 Isaiah 35:5-10 When the people of Judah were in exile in Babylon, some adapted and established roots there, but most longed to return to their homeland. These were encouraged in their hope by their prophets, faithful leaders who continued to believe that God would…
Daily Devotions
In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” vs. 6 Jeremiah 23:4-6 In the midst of uncertainty and upheaval, Jeremiah dared to dream of peace and stability, a time when Judah and Israel would live in safety under the rule of a good shepherd king. The name of this new leader gives a clue to his identity. The one…