Daily Readings – Articles – Devotions
Archive for June, 2012
Life Source – Week 9 – Day 1 ** John 17: 20
Today, we will finish our thinking about Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Read John 17: 20 – 26. As you read, identify the key theme. It is hard to miss!
In verse 20 we hear Jesus shift from praying for His individual disciples to praying for the believers that will follow in years and centuries to come. Those believers constitute Christ’s church. So when you read the pronoun “them” in these verses … it refers to Jesus’ church. She cannot be ignored as unimportant, as unnecessary. She is Christ’s body on this earth … and He spent time in prayer for her before More >
Life Source – Week 9 – Day 2 ** John 18: 1
Jesus has finished his final discourse and conversation with his disciples … He has prayed for them, allowing them to hear His prayer so that they could know His desires for them. Therefore, it is now time … I can almost imagine Jesus taking a deep breath … and walking out to let it begin.
Read John 18: 1 – 27
Some observations …
1. From the arrest: A Roman cohort is a company of 300 – 600 Roman soldiers. Now add a number of Pharisees and representatives of the high priest … we have quite a crowd coming against Jesus and More >
Thought for the morning of Sat June 30, 2012
Behold the superlative liberality of the Lord Jesus, for he hath given us his all. Although a tithe of his possessions would have made a universe of angels rich beyond all thought, yet was he not content until he had given us all that he had. It would have been surprising grace if he had allowed us to eat the crumbs of his bounty beneath the table of his mercy; but he will do nothing by halves, he makes us sit with him and share the feast. Had he given us some small pension from his royal coffers, we should More >
Life Source – Week 9 – Day 3 ** John 18: 18
Jesus’ time before Pilate, the Roman Governor begins in John 18:28 and continues through John 19:22. As you read these verses over the next few days … let your mind consider the man, Pilate. Place yourself in his shoes. Notice how many times he makes attempts to free Jesus. They may seem to be feeble attempts … but attempts they were. Watch him … listen to him.
Today, read John 18: 18 – 40.
Verse 28 stuns me. Did you catch it? “To avoid ceremonial uncleanness, the Jews did not enter the palace…” These Jewish leaders were intent on killing Jesus More >
Life Source – Week 10 – Day 1 ** John 18: 28
We are in the midst of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. To get the flow of this encounter with Pilate … go back into chapter 18 and read John 18: 28 – 19:16. Our focus today will be on the verses in chapter 19.
I am intrigued by Pilate. William Barclay, in his commentary on John, explains the role held by Pilate. He says,
“Smaller provinces in the Roman Empire, provinces of the second class, were governed by a procurator. The procurator was in full control of the military and judicial administration of the province. He visited every part of the province More >
Thought for the morning of Fri June 29, 2012
Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,” is the whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They “sleep in Jesus,” but their souls are before the throne of God, praising him day and night in his temple, singing hallelujahs to him who washed them from their sins in his blood. The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the coverlet of grass. But what is this sleep? The idea connected with sleep is “rest,” and that is the thought which the Spirit of God would convey to More >
Thought for the morning of Tue March 29, 2011
We are told that the Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering, therefore we who are sinful, and who are far from being perfect, must not wonder if we are called to pass through suffering too. Shall the head be crowned with thorns, and shall the other members of the body be rocked upon the dainty lap of ease? Must Christ pass through seas of his own blood to win the crown, and are we to walk to heaven dryshod in silver slippers? No, our Master’s experience teaches us that suffering is necessary, and the true-born child of More >
Identity Crisis
In Matthew 28:5, The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.”
The comfort that God brings to us is unbelievable. He tells those who know Him over and over again not to be afraid. After all, what do we have to be afraid of? It is sad to see the state that Christianity has turned to in the west. Some people who claim to be Christian don’t even believe in the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. However, the having the nicest the suits, sharpest hair cuts, More >
Identity Crisis
In Matthew 28:5, The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.”
The comfort that God brings to us is unbelievable. He tells those who know Him over and over again not to be afraid. After all, what do we have to be afraid of? It is sad to see the state that Christianity has turned to in the west. Some people who claim to be Christian don’t even believe in the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. However, the having the nicest the suits, sharpest hair cuts, More >
Life Source – Week 10 – Day 3 ** John 19: 28
Read John 19: 28 – 42
And Jesus gives up His spirit. It is not taken from Him. He is not a victim. He is a willing sacrifice.
Jesus says, “It is finished”, and I used to think that it was a resigned sigh and statement that His physical life was over and He knew it. It happens often when people are near death. My family experienced that phenomenon with my own grandmother. She had spent her entire life as a seamstress … supporting eight children on her own … a lifetime of sewing and pleating, of gathering and stitching. In her last days More >
