• Abide in my love

    [Alert: New article for summer, link below.] ~ Recently, we have been spending time with John 15:4. That’s where Jesus said: “Abide in me, and I in you.” In the previous devotional, we talked about taking our time with Jesus’ words instead of rushing past them. This is one of… Listen ⇢

    Abide in my love
  • A rocking chair with the words of Jesus

    In John 15:4 Jesus says something that is easy to skip over, even though it takes a lifetime to digest: “Abide in me, and I in you.” Various translation teams have tried to capture this enigmatic phrase. The NET Bible says: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.”… Listen ⇢

    A rocking chair with the words of Jesus
  • Can we all just say, ‘No Thanks’?

    Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder of Meta and Facebook. In his early days, he had a motto: “Move fast and break things.”  At first, it seems appealing. ‘Let’s innovate, move forward, and not get held back by the consequences!’ It certainly captures something about the sentiment of our times.  However,… Listen ⇢

    Can we all just say, ‘No Thanks’?
  • Coming home to yourself

    The Star Wars movies have spawned a series of spin-off TV shows. One of them is called Andor.  In it, rebels (who are actually the good guys) are plotting against the evil Empire who keeps trying to expand its grip. It’s appetite for darkness and control seem insatiable. In Season… Listen ⇢

    Coming home to yourself
  • Scary, until this

    “God is love.” That’s exactly what the apostle John says in 1 John 4:8. He is also “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 145:8). At the same time, he is holy and just. He punishes sin. There are times when he also exercises his… Listen ⇢

    Scary, until this
  • Don’t lose your stability

    I recently spent a lot of time studying 2 Peter. At the end of the letter, he said: “…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability” (2 Peter 3:17). This was a topic that was clearly important to him.… Listen ⇢

    Don’t lose your stability
  • Keep fighting

    Peter was a fisherman. Jesus called him into a life of discipleship and leadership: “Follow me,” he said, “and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). Sure, Peter was imperfect. There was a time when he denied Jesus (Luke 22:58). He also had a habit of putting… Listen ⇢

    Keep fighting
  • “Still we will praise Him!!”

    “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him…” (Exodus 15:2) Recently, I saw a video someone recorded while passing by a home. It had been devastated by a massive fire. The entire inside was burned… Listen ⇢

    “Still we will praise Him!!”
  • There will my servant be also

    As you probably know, Jerusalem has seen a lot of bombs.  Fairly recently, I learned about a group of people named the Zaka. After a bomb goes off, they put on their yellow visibility vests and rush to the scene. They often get there before the paramedics.  They gather the… Listen ⇢

    There will my servant be also

Meet Matthew.

Disciple, pastor, medieval modern, husband, and dad of three who lives in the psalms.

The Up Devotional

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