Offer Ongoing Adoration to Our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer The book of Revelation tells of John’s spirit being whisked into heaven. Four living creatures spend all their time—day and night—praising God. They chant, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8, NIV). The threefold repetition […]
Elizabeth’s Unborn Child Leaps for Joy at the Sound of Mary’s Voice Luke 1:39–45 “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45) Not only will Mary have a baby, but her much older relative Elizabeth will have one too. Mary sets off to visit Elizabeth. This […]
God reveals his truth to Paul. Paul calls it a mystery. God gives it to Paul so he can share it with the church in Ephesus; he’s not supposed to keep it to himself. This isn’t something Paul figures out on his own; he doesn’t logically deduce it or make it up. This isn’t something […]
We Must Align Our Plans With God’s Will If We Expect His Blessing King David desires to bring the Ark of the Covenant home, restore it to its rightful status, and put it in its proper place. He envisions a major celebration, one for all the people (1 Chronicles 15:28). Yet he seeks to build […]
If We’re Ready to Listen, God Can Speak to Us through His Holy Spirit In the book of Ezekiel we come across an interesting passage. Some of the leaders of the nation of Israel approach Ezekiel. They ask him to seek God’s input for them. They want to hear God, but they can’t do it […]
To Discover WWJD We Need Only Look at What the Bible Says Jesus goes to the synagogue in his hometown to worship God with his family and friends. It’s his turn to read scripture and the day’s scheduled passage is from Isaiah. It’s a prophecy—about Jesus. After he reads it, he simply confirms that he […]
A Trio of Blessings Reflects God’s Nature and Character Paul wraps up his second letter to the Corinthians with a blessing: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14, NIV). This trio of blessings proclaims grace, love, and fellowship. […]
Where Two or Three are Gathered A church that popped up during our initial online search for nearby houses of worship was Church #21. We’d never heard of them, and no one we talked to knew anything about them. We vacillated whether we should visit, and when we had trouble finding their location on Sunday […]
Going Back to Twelve Disciples Today’s passage: Acts 1:15–20 Focus verse: “Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.” (Acts 1:16) Besides praying, the disciples also do something else as they wait for the Holy Spirit. Peter […]
Mentoring Can Help Us Grow in Our Faith and Increase Our Impact People sometimes ask me to mentor them. I’m honored that they ask. I want to say yes. Instead, I decline as respectfully as I can. Why? It’s because God hasn’t called me to be a mentor—at least not in the traditional sense. He’s […]