Devotionals

Daily Reading: 6-3-16

Acts 26:1-11 New Living Translations (NLT)

When we meet Jesus and the Holy Spirit fills us with the ability to know Truth, it changes our perspective of what is truly important in life and drives us to articulate it.  We choose our conversations more carefully, because sharing from an eternal life perspective is exalted above all things.  Why?  Because Christ in us wants others to know Him and the power outflowing His resurrection that is available to everyone.  Christ compels us to share Love and the hope of eternity with God.  Paul is an example of a compelled man with an eternal story.

Paul has made a journey to Jerusalem where he is arrested for preaching the truth about Jesus Christ by sharing the encounter he had on the road to Damascus.  Paul cannot stop speaking a message of Hope—resurrection from the dead—since meeting Jesus.  The Jews listen and become furious with his story, so they beat him and demand his death.  The Romans step in because they do not like the disruption to the peace; they take Paul to the fortress where he awaits sentencing.  

In our passage, Paul is giving his own defense before King Agrippa of the Herodians (Hellenistic Jews).  Agrippa is not sitting as judge in this inquiry, but is there to give his opinion on the matter of how to present accusations against Paul to the emperor in Rome.  Paul seeks to vindicate his character, articulate the facts of what happened in his life to cause a change in his understanding of Jesus, defend his own conversion, and preach a message of hope to everyone listening. 

Read more

Daily Reading: 6-2-16

Acts 22:6-21 New Living Translations (NLT)

Humans were created to love and serve God—the Light of the World—through choice (remember the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil).  The darkness of sin came through a poor personal choice (it still does).  Humanity rejected receiving the Light and Truth of God’s Love and instead chose human effort or power.  Apart from a relationship with God through the Spirit of Love who Lights our path, we can get way off course in how we perceive the goodness of God extended to humanity, as well as how we treat people. 

The Apostle Paul served God’s Law as devout as anyone; tenacious for the Law to be fulfilled.  He thought that success make him a light to others as he served God.  However, in his choice to make the keeping of rules his focus he actually ventured into darkness; he mistreated and abused people rather than love them toward God.  The Light of God showed up to help Paul turn toward the Truth of authentic Love: 

Read more

Daily Reading: 6-1-16

Mark 7:24-30 (CEV)

Faith is acting like we believe the Word of God’s Love is Truth; human activated faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).  Scripture teaches, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen” (Hebrews 11:1).   Today’s passage shares the active faith journey of a desperate mother.  Her daughter is inhabited by a demon.  We are not told how the demon gained possession.  Scripture teaches it is possible for us to open our hearts to be ruled by habitual sin and provide an invitation for a demon to enter (e.g. refusal to forgive).  A demon is an angelic entity who opposes God’s sovereign control of Love.  Demons influence people to live in a way that is contrary to God’s intentions.  

News has traveled the area about Jesus; the One who delivers the captives.  This mother does not stop until she finds Jesus and petitions Him to provide the grace she knows He possesses in order to heal and deliver her daughter.  She believes Jesus is the Messiah of Truth sent by God.  Therefore, she stands on the prophesied Word from Isaiah about Messiah, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, and the oppressed will be set free” (61:1).   She does not take “no” for an answer; she does not leave without the Word of the Lord being spoken over her daughter.  Jesus tells this mother He has really come to release the Word of grace in order to “feed” or teach the Jews.  It is not time to reach out for Gentiles or non-Jews.  She accepts that Messiah came first for the Jews, but she begs for the crumbs of grace, because she is convinced that even the crumbs of God’s Love and mercy will bring the miracle she needs.  Jesus is impressed with her statement of reasoning; her Word usage accompanied by faith. 

Read more

Daily Reading: 5-31-16

Romans 12:9-16 The Voice (VOICE)

I trust you had a restful Memorial Day.  It is truly important for us to remember and honor the people who have served and died to defend the freedom God has extended.  When we honor those who have fallen in order to protect freedom; we honor God.  Under God’s authority, we are instructed to despise evil and take a stand against it.  Evil gains power through wrong thoughts and attitudes put to action. 

As humans, we have a tendency to bury all kinds of negative attitudes and mindsets deep within us.  Many times these wrong thoughts are entombed by the stone of self-denial. Some times these wrong thoughts are about ourselves; we can have haughty attitudes.  Some times these wrong thoughts are about others; people we are called to love as much as we love ourselves.  As Christ’s students, we should expect the Savior—the Living Word—to bring attention to what, in our humanity, needs a holy touch.  With that understanding, we need to invite the Holy Spirit to bring us salvation by renewing our minds about others with whom we have issues.  Jesus knows what needs to be made holy (process is called sanctification) in our souls (mind/will/emotions).   In order to enjoy the glory of the Lord, we must recognize our need for salvation in every area of our being and surrender our attitudes and mindsets for the Lord of Love to bring renewal.  Then, holiness can be the exalted action in our lives.  

Paul is writing to the Christ followers in Rome; he is teaching them what it looks like to be true to Christ’s calling in how they love one another.  Let’s read our passage today by keeping in mind each one of us needs a renewal of attitudes and mindsets about other Christians.  Not all of us see things eye to eye, but all of us should pray and ask God to help us love authentically.  Living in unity and harmony is hard work!

Read more

Daily Reading: 5-27-16

2 Corinthians 11:1-6 The Voice (VOICE)

Yesterday, I shared about the work of the Gospel and the necessity for our response. When we choose to respond, the work of the Gospel of Love rises up and begins to teach us to live Christ-oriented rather than self-oriented lives.  A self-oriented life is simply being overly concerned with one’s own desires, needs, or interests.  If we are honest, we can be preoccupied in our minds with ourselves. Jesus Christ brings a new focus to His followers: Loving God with every part of our being (Christ-oriented) and then turning to love others (becoming other-oriented) the way we have loved ourselves.  Jesus loves us and affirms our individual value. He is not trying to diminish us; He is seeking to bring His glory to our lives.   As Truth, He knows more about the work of deception than anyone and He knows our minds need to be renewed by the Holy Spirit, because at the core of our being we really are self-oriented.  If we are serious in our quest to live the Gospel and to be Christ-oriented, our minds will experience a type of battle.  What Christ may speak to our hearts to bring growth can conflict with our own natural inclinations and seem like foolishness.

The Apostle Paul urges the Corinthians to press through what seems foolish to find a deeper life with Christ. Even though they are satisfied in the shallow realms of the Gospel, the Corinthians must get beyond what they want, think, or feel to lay hold of the Christ-oriented life God has promised those who believe. Paul wants more for the Corinthians and the culture is seeking to deceive them.  He writes his letter to remind them of the work of Grace and to give them Hope to rise in the glory of God.

Read more

Daily Reading: 5-26-16

2 Corinthians 5:11-17 The Voice (VOICE)

The biblical word “Gospel” or “Good News” refers to when God’s love descended from heaven, was wrapped with humanity, and given as a one time sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world.  According to John 3:16-17, “God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God sent the Son into the world not to judge the world but to save the world through him.” Sin separates humans from experiencing the divine glory and fellowship with God.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is that divine human creation sent by the Father to reconnect humanity with God.  This is referred to as GRACE (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense).   The gospel calls for a three-fold response:  1) Believing and trusting Grace; 2) Growing as we journey more deeply into the Gospel of the cross or dying to selfishness; and 3) Hoping in the return of Christ for his followers and the inheritance of heaven.

Read more

Daily Reading: 5-25-16

Luke 14:34-35 

If you know me at all, you know I enjoy salty treats: popcorn, tortilla chips, almonds, etc.  Please don’t withhold the salt on these items, because they are just not the same for me! Salt not only preserves food, it gives these treats great flavor. There is a side effect from enjoying salt; it makes me really thirsty.  If I am going to enjoy salt, I know I will need to find something to quench my thirst.  

From our passage, today, we gain the understanding that Jesus enjoys salt, too; salty disciples.

Our reading begins as Jesus is teaching his disciples about the cost of following Him.  He uses salt as a simile.  Why? It is a local example the disciples can understand.  The salt that was used in Palestine was probably from the south end of the Dead Sea.  This salt was in contact with the ground and endured repeated exposure to the rain and sun causing it to lose its effectiveness to flavor or preserve food.  Jesus wants the disciples to realized they could lose their effectiveness to flavor the world with God’s love.  The disciples would need to endure the effects of the world in order to stay salty to the end!  If they lose their saltiness as disciples, they lose their effectiveness for growing the Kingdom. 

Read more

Daily Reading: 5-24-16

Psalm 1 New Living Translation (NLT) 

Yesterday, we read Psalm 1 and considered our life-paths and who will influence us.  Our take away or understanding for commitment should be to follow or obey God’s Word and His Way of Love.  The Word is the foundation for a meaningful and prosperous life.  God knows what is best for us; others may think they do.  We may find ourselves at a crossroad where we need to choose who we will follow.  

Today, we are going to read the same passage we read yesterday, but in another translation, The Voice.  I find it is a great exercise to read in different translations.  Sometimes a passage will be opened up to us in a new way.  You may have your favorite translation and there is nothing wrong with that preference; but allow yourself to be stretched sometimes.  The Word is alive and it speaks spiritual life.  Period.

Read more

Daily Reading: 5-23-16

Psalm 1 New Living Translation (NLT) 

In this world, we will always run into well-meaning people who want to tell us how we should think, feel, and conduct our lives.  Most of the time, human advice is based on how that person lives, as well as his or her own inclinations and personal comfort zones.  There may be wisdom mixed with their advice, but it is possible for the advice to be diluted by their own desires and what satisfies their level of expectation and or conviction.  As Christ followers—followers of Incarnate Love—we must be very careful about who we allow to influence us.  As well, we are responsible for how we influence others.  The Lord watches over the life-path of those who delight in Him.

The Book of Psalms is a songbook that shares stories of praise, as well as the joy a person can find in simply obeying God and His ways of Love.  People who are good influencers will always lead us closer to God and deeper in His Love.  Near them our strength is renewed and our hope refocused on Love.  We sense an inward prospering. God desires that we prosper in all that we do.

Read more

Daily Reading: 5-20-16

Ephesians 4:1-6 New Living Translation (NLT) 

The LORD, our Tree of Life, calls us to come, taste, and see that God is Good (Psalm 34:8).  We gather and grow as we partake of the grace flowing from our Tree. Jesus teaches he is the Vine and we are the branches of this amazing life-giving Tree (John 15:5).  As we stay connected to our Source and one another we become bound (wrapped by grace) as One loving, forgiving, peacemaking and Spirit-led people who extend Hope to the world.  Victory is all about making a “grace connection” to the Tree in the Father’s Vineyard or Garden.  The Apostle Paul urges the Church at Ephesus to remember and apply the power outflowing their connection to God.

Read more