'unity' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Romans 14:7-12…“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” vs. 10 Paul couldn’t understand how the faithful could harbor such hatred against other members of their community simply because they had different ways of practicing what they believed. It seemed bizarre to him that they would expend such energy in judging others–ultimately that wasn’t even their job!…
Daily Devotions
Genesis 50:19-21..““Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” vs. 20 The whole cycle of the Hebrew ancestral stories comes to a warm and fuzzy end with Joseph’s words to his brothers. Not only does he offer them mercy and forgiveness, but he tells them that even the brokenness of their relationship has been used by God for good. Humans have long…
Daily Devotions
Genesis 50:15-18..“‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” vs. 17 The brothers of Joseph were convinced that once their father died, they would lose their protection, so they made up a story about Jacob’s last wishes. They told Joseph that their father had begged him to forgive the crime of his brothers.…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:18-20..“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” vs. 19 Because some passages in the bible are obscure, they have been subject to a variety of interpretations. This verse, for example, has led to the belief that if two people agree completely on any prayer request, it’s going to happen! God will do it for them, no questions asked! It…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 12:12-14…“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” vs. 13 Strange as it may seem, in recent years the word inclusive has fallen out of favor, along with related words like diversity and equity. All this would come as a surprise to the Apostle Paul who regularly used these concepts to describe what he called the Body of Christ. He…
Daily Devotions
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” vs. 33 Jeremiah 31:31-34 During the first part of his ministry Jeremiah had a message of doom for the rulers of Judah, saying that if they continued the course they were following, destruction…
Daily Devotions
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” vs. 16 1 Timothy 3:14-17 Each part of the Hebrew scriptures has a different origin story. Some came via oral traditions, stories of the ancestors passed on through generations, others came from the court histories of both Judah and Israel, many were preserved and edited by scribes working in the temple. A large number were worked and reworked during the…
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 It’s true that words are important and that the meaning of an entire sentence can be changed by the omission or addition of just a word or two. And sometimes it’s fun to debate the precise meaning of sentences, and even wrangle over which words should be…
Daily Devotions
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” vss.19-20 Colossians 1:15-20 These verses are found in the Christ Hymn, a beautiful and moving tribute to the Lord Jesus Christ, that was probably composed toward the end of the First Century. While descriptions of Jesus abound in the gospels, and…
Daily Devotions
And Jesus said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’” vs. 28 Luke 10:25-28 The lawyer’s question had been, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And as he frequently did, Jesus answered the question with a question, “What is written in the law?” And to his credit the lawyer gives the right answer, quoting what is known as the Great Commandment of love from Deuteronomy and even adding its corollary…
Daily Devotions
Daily Devotions
Daily Devotions
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” vs. 20-21a John 17:20-23 Unity was one of the biggest challenges for the early Christian community, and John addresses that issue as he recounts what is known as Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” for his disciples. These words reflect Jesus’ deepest desires for all who would one day believe in him. Simply put,…