Jesus healed not only bodies, but hearts. In John 5 we learn of a man who had been unwell for thirty-eight years. That’s a long time, especially in the first century. According to Dr. Craig Evans, an archaeologist and professor, “Life expectancy was short in the time of Jesus—more than half died before reaching 30.”* … Continue reading Heart work is one of his specialties
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Confidence in the Word
For years a certain group of scholars said that John’s Gospel was a philosophical and theological work, but not a historical one, meaning that it couldn’t be trusted at face value. One of the reasons for that (faulty) conclusion was that details in the text seemed wrong from a historical perspective. For example, in John … Continue reading Confidence in the Word
God is working (so take the pressure off)
In John 5 Jesus healed a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. But since he did so on the day of rest, he was criticized for it. Talk about missing for the forest for the trees! In his own defense Jesus said: “My Father is always at his work to this very day, … Continue reading God is working (so take the pressure off)
The ‘Jesus Reference Point’
Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31). A study out of Beijing was titled “Neural Consequences of Religious Belief on Self-Referential Processing.” I know, fun title, right? Anyway, the idea was this. Non-religious people used one of part of their brain to evaluate themselves and … Continue reading The ‘Jesus Reference Point’
Yield to Jesus when you are fearful or anxious about the future
Never in my life have I talked to more people about the uncertainty of the future. If I were alive during World War Two or the upstart of the Cold War, perhaps I would not be able to say that. But fears and anxieties about the future are now common. Is it even possible to … Continue reading Yield to Jesus when you are fearful or anxious about the future
(Really) prioritizing the faith of children as we re-vision our lives
For those of you with children or grandchildren, or for those of you who lead or teach children and youth in some other way, I’m about to share something that might be a bit jarring. But there are times when some soul-rattling is in order. Let me share it with you, and then explain my … Continue reading (Really) prioritizing the faith of children as we re-vision our lives
Desperation at the feet of Jesus
John 4:47 describes a desperate scene: “When this [royal official] heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.” This was a world of honour and of strict social convention. The royal official humbled himself before Jesus—something … Continue reading Desperation at the feet of Jesus
Cast Away – but never hopeless
Do you remember the Tom Hanks movie called Cast Away? He played a FedEx employee named Chuck. His plane crashed into the sea. Chuck was the only survivor and washed up onto a deserted island. Several packages also washed ashore. He opened them hoping that the contents would help him survive. One package contained hockey … Continue reading Cast Away – but never hopeless
Un-drifting from shore
Hello! The Up Devotional is glad to be back after two weeks of vacation. My family spent some time at the ocean. And yes, it was warm enough to swim. We even saw dolphins! One day my daughters and I were jumping in the waves. They would crash into us. We tried to keep our … Continue reading Un-drifting from shore
He experienced your death sentence to set you free
In A Tale of Two Cities two characters named Sydney and Charles love the same woman. The two men look a bit alike, but she ends up marrying Charles. They have two children together. Much later, Charles is put in prison and sentenced to death. In a powerful act of self-sacrifice, Sydney breaks into the … Continue reading He experienced your death sentence to set you free
