Outsiders Being Healed Over Insiders Read 2 Kings 5: 1-15 and Luke 4: 16-30 Jesus changed things. When Jesus left heaven to come to earth, the people of Israel had been through hundreds of years of silence from God. Crickets. This left plenty of time to envision what the long-awaited Messiah would look like and what He would do for …
We learn in the New Testament that Jesus used stories on a regular basis to teach eternal lessons.These stories are called parables, and one such parable is found in Matthew 21:33-46. This storyis known as The Parable of the Tenants (see also Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18; Isaiah 5:1-7). InMatthew 21:23, we read that the chief priests and elders questioned Jesus’ …
Read Psalm 1 The introduction to the entire Book of Psalms just seems to roll off tongue. What a beautiful summary of what it looks like to be a child of God! We are not walking,standing, or sitting in the same way as everyone else. Our lives look very different because theyare very different!From where is the source of this …
Read Matthew 20:17-23 Something that all of us with zero combat experience should realize is that we really have no clue what combat veterans have really been through (for which I am deeply grateful). Historical records prove this, as some have worried that “their generation’s great war” would end before they “got a chance to get in it”. The combat …
Read Psalm 50 and Matthew 23:1-12 Talk is cheap.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “Do as I say, not as I do.” “Don’t talk about it, be about it.” You’ve no doubt heard or said some version of these phrases and we all understand their meaning. Though they may not be explicitly Scripture-based, these types of phrases are certainly in …
Read Daniel 9: 4-10 and Luke 6: 36-38 Webster’s Dictionary defines humility as “a modest or low view of one’s own importance”. C.S. Lewis once said “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less”. As followers of Christ, both of these definitions have relevance. Humility is a tricky characteristic. Saying, “I am a humble person” seems …
Read Psalm 130 & Matthew 5:20-26 Anger is a result of judgment. When Jesus’ anger was most on display, it was rooted in His righteous judgment against the sin He was confronting. He made a judgment and was acting out that righteous decree. However, we’re not Jesus. Our anger is typically unrighteous and a result of some self-serving, selfish judgment. …
Read Isaiah 55:6-11 & Matthew 7:7-12 I like the prophet, Isaiah! He is one of the Old Testament characters who God allows to do two things really well; Warn of judgment and proclaim the good news of a future hope! We all like the good news part! Jesus Christ has the best good news of all. The promise that we …
Read Luke 11:29-32 Bill Engvall was a hilarious comedian I could relate to growing up in the mid 90’s. Here is one of his jokes: “a trucker gets his truck stuck under an overpass, and the responding policeman asks “Hey, you get your truck stuck?” Without missing a beat, the trucker answers, “No sir, I was delivering that overpass and I …
Read Matthew 6:7-15 and Habakkuk 3 When I first chose to write a devotional about the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:7-15), I didn’t know a revival was about to break out among university students in America. I didn’t know young people who were normally bored with chapel services would suddenly linger at the altar for hours, praying and weeping over their …
