Henry Van Dyke, poet, preacher, author, published a beautiful hymn in 1911. It is full of triumphal optimism, an optimism that sounded perfectly normal at that moment in time. Western Christian culture, European and American, had in the previous century, the 19th, seemingly conquered every conceivable challenge, whether in science or philosophy or mechanics orContinue reading “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
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Fasting
‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.” Isaiah 58:3 NLT TheContinue reading “Fasting”
Confession
“If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9 NLT Should Methodists confess their sins? The answer is a resounding yes. We will never in this life reach the place where we are sinless, as pureContinue reading “Confession”
Faith
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 For many people, “faith” is a means ofContinue reading “Faith”
Joseph 2
“…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream….” Matthew 2:13 “…an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph….” Matthew 2:19 “Having been warned in a dream, he….” Matthew 2:22 I said in the previous devotion that if Mary was a remarkable woman, Joseph was a remarkable man. WeContinue reading “Joseph 2”
Joseph 1
Joseph, her fiance’, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly…. Matthew 1:19a When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord commanded…. Matthew 1:24a Through the centuries the church has tended to make a great deal of Mary, more of her than is merited in the Bible. But whatContinue reading “Joseph 1”
Perfect Repair
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Hebrews 13:21 KJV Modern translations avoid using the word “perfect.” In the case of this verse consider some of these renderings: NLT “mayContinue reading “Perfect Repair”
Strategies of the Enemy
They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. Nehemiah 6:9 NLT The enemy of our souls will go to great lengths to keep us from exclusive faith and behaviors. He does not care if weContinue reading “Strategies of the Enemy”
Physical and Spiritual 2
Then the rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand—joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath.Continue reading “Physical and Spiritual 2”
Physical and Spirital
Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city! Zechariah 2:5 NLT As best we can tell, it is a historical fact that after the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Babylonians, probably in 586 orContinue reading “Physical and Spirital”
Called To Be Transformed 