Daily Readings – Articles – Devotions
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The Body (Matthew 27
Our reading today … It seems that Pilate did not care – but Joseph risked the displeasure of the ruling governor by stepping forward. I think we can assume that his position in the Sanhedrin was forfeited. At the least, he would have triggered the hatred and rage of the ruling class in Judea. There…
Baited
In Matthew 9:3, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” The reaction of the scribes is perfect. They went right for the bait that Jesus laid for them. Only God could forgive sins. The scribes knew this. Everyone knew this. Everyone knows this. They had no other choice but to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. However, with…
The Greatest Healing
In Matthew 9:1-2, Jesus got into a boat, crossed over the sea and came to His own city. They brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” There is an amazing examination done by God of our lives when we are brought to Him. We may be…
God Helps Those Who…
In Matthew 25:42-43, Jesus said continues as the King says to those on the left, “For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and…
Conclusion
It’s the day before Thanksgiving, 2011. I want to thank God for each of you who have walked with me through this study focusing on some of the Minor Prophets. It has not been easy, no?! But you have faithfully stayed the course. On my wedding day in 1969, my Dad had slipped into my room…
Booted Out
In Matthew 8:34, the whole city came out to meet Jesus and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region. It doesn’t make much sense why the people of the region implored Jesus to leave. He had healed two demon-possessed men and cleansed the region of some animals the Law deemed unclean. The entire…
Overcoming Fear
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says, “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’” This is a scary thing to hear. Imagine being told you will be cast into eternal fire that was prepared for the devil…
Serving in His Church
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” Jesus puts our service to Him into perspective. Many different thoughts, ideas, and…
A Moral Man – Part II
Now that we have clarified the centralized purpose of the Bible is to reveal, or better yet, unveil Jesus Christ to the world, Jesus, being the most moral or law-abiding man ever, made claims that no one else can ever made (or at least can seriously make). Jesus said He was God. Immediately red flags…
Humble Beginnings – Hosea 12
Today, read Hosea 12 – 13. Hosea recounts, one more time, the case God presents against His people. Why does history matter? What purpose is served by looking back to the past and remembering your roots and your ancestry? I am writing this the week before Thanksgiving, 2011. There will be family gatherings all around our…
Pray It, Believe It, Receive It
In Matthew 21:23, Jesus continues to say, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
This is one of those verses people love to claim as their verse. I have heard this referenced when asking for a fancy new car, a new job, a new house, a new boyfriend/girlfriend, or even worse, a new husband/wife. We get so discouraged when we pray and feel like we receive nothing. This is why we should not verse hop through the Bible. Jesus didn’t say this to just anybody. He said it to His disciples. Those who followed after Him. We have to be a disciple to inherit this promise from God. Notice how the word disciple goes hand in hand with the word discipline. To be a disciple, Jesus tells us we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow after Him (Matthew 16:24). I guess a good question we should ask ourselves daily is, “Am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?” and “Am I behaving like a disciple of Jesus Christ?” We can clearly see these expressions of faith in Christ in the Acts of the Apostles, whether it is in Acts 3:6-7 when Peter and John tell the lame man to rise and walk and pull him up to his feet; or in Acts 9:40 when Peter tells Tabitha to rise; or in Acts 20:7-12 when Paul raises Eutychus who fell down three stories. It was all because they prayed, believing that God would do it. These acts were not self-centered but other-centered advancing the kingdom of God. As God has already promised us, if we seek His kingdom first with all of our hearts, He will provide us with everything that we need (Matthew 6:33). It would seem if we don’t seek His kingdom first and try to provide ourselves with our needs, God will patiently wait until we realize that we must be completely dependent on Him.
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