Weekly Devotional 07_06_2023
Gal 2:20 CSB I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. He “died to the Law” because he was crucified with Christ; he was able “to live for God” because Christ lived in him. Basic to an understanding of this verse is the meaning of union with Christ. This doctrine explains that believers have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ and into the church, the body of all true believers. Having been thus united to Christ, believers share in His death, burial, and resurrection. This brought death to the Law. It also brought a change in regard to one’s self: and I no longer live. The self-righteous, self-centered Saul died. Further, death with Christ ended…
Daily Devotional 3-9-2022
1Pe 5:10 CSB The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. True victory in persecution is to see God behind the scenes working out His wonderful purposes. No matter what our trials, we should remember first of all that He is the God of all grace. This lovely title of our God reminds us that His dealings with us are not based on what we deserve, but on His thoughts of love to us. No matter how fierce our testing, we can always be thankful we are not in hell where we ought to be. A second strong consolation is that He has called us to His eternal glory. This enables us to look beyond the sufferings of this life to the time when we shall be with the…
Daily Devotional 11-15-2021
Psa 27:1-3 Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom should I dread? (2) When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. (3) Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident. David expressed great confidence in the Lord: because the Lord was his Light… Salvation, and Stronghold, nobody could harm him. Light signifies understanding, joy, and life and the stronghold signifies defense. With these provisions from the Lord, whom shall a believer fear? Obviously the answer is no one.
Daily Devotional 11-10-2021
1Co 4:9-13 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people. (10) We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! (11) Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless; (12) we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; (13) when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone’s garbage. Paul was no fool. He did not like suffering. He wished they were right. But they weren’t. The apostles followed the path of Christ’s humiliation. As He marched a parade…
Daily Devotional 11-01-2021
Luk 6:35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Therefore Jesus repeated that we should love our enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. Such behavior is distinctly Christian and marks out those who are the sons of the Most High. Of course, this is not the way men become sons of the Most High; that can only happen through receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But this is the way true believers manifest themselves to the world as sons of God. He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. When we act like that, we manifest the family likeness. We show that we have been born of God.
Daily Devotional 10-26-2021
Mar 10:29-30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, (30) who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come. In another solemn affirmation, Jesus acknowledged that their allegiance to Him and the gospel entailed a break with old ties – home, loved ones, or property (fields), as the case may be. But to everyone who makes the break Jesus promised that all these things will be replaced a hundredfold by new ties with fellow rewarddisciples in this present Age, the time period between Jesus’ First and Second Advents. Then in the Age to come, the future Age following Jesus’ return, each…
Daily Devotional 10-23-2021
2Co 4:10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. The life of the servant of God is one of constant dying. Just as the Lord Jesus Himself, in His lifetime, was constantly exposed to violence and persecution, so those who follow in His steps will meet the same treatment. But it does not mean defeat. This is the way of victory. Blessing comes to others as we thus die daily. It is only in this way that the life of Jesus can be apparent in our bodies. The life of Jesus does not here mean primarily His life as a Man on earth, but His present life as the exalted Son of God in heaven. How can the world see the life of Christ when He is not personally or physically present in the…
Daily Devotional 10-10-2021
Deu 32:46-47 he said to them, “Take to heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to follow all the words of this law carefully. (47) For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” After reciting all the words of the song, Moses told the people to consider seriously (take to heart) the words of the song. If they would meditate on the certainty and severity of the judgment that the Lord would send on them for their apostasy, the Song of Moses could serve as a powerful deterrent to future rebellion. The threat of the Lord’s retributive justice was given for their spiritual health. A healthy fear of the judgment set forth in the song…
Daily Devotional 9-25-2021
Joh 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. The emphasis in these verses is positive: remain with Jesus and bear much fruit. Effective prayer is based on faith in Christ and on His words remaining in believers. Christ’s words condition and control such a believer’s mind so that his prayers conform to the Father’s will. Since his prayer is in accord with God’s will, the results are certain – it will be given you. Fulfilled prayers bring glory to the Father because, like Jesus, His disciples are doing the heavenly Father’s will.
Daily Devotional 8-11-2021
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. The Corinthians were urged to stand firm in the apostles’ teaching, unmoved by the denials of false teachers. This certainty, especially concerning the Resurrection, provided an impetus to faithful service since labor in the resurrected Lord is not futile.