There are a lot of speeches in the book of Acts. Stephen’s is the longest. He begins at chapter 7, verse 2: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham…” He continues for 52 verses. After testifying to the un-thwartability of God’s plans through human history he gets … Continue reading If you don’t know them personally
bible
The primacy it requires
In the previous devotional we talked about the parable of the sower. In it, Jesus describes a farmer sowing seed. Some of it is snatched away, some lands on rocky soil, and some is choked out by thorns. But then in verse 8 we learn how “other seed fell on good soil. It came up … Continue reading The primacy it requires
Inseparable
In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about a farmer sowing seed. Some of the seed is snatched away, some lands on rocky soil and doesn’t take deep root, and some starts to grow but is choked out by thorns. In verse 15 he says: “But the seed on good soil stands for those … Continue reading Inseparable
Liberal and conservative fundamentalisms
In my experience, when someone calls someone else a “fundamentalist,” they don’t usually seem to know what they’re saying. It’s become a kind of shorthand for “ultra conservative.” But since many people think that being a “fundamentalist” in our wealthy, western, liberal society is a very bad thing, name-calling in this way seems to have … Continue reading Liberal and conservative fundamentalisms
Not TO us but FOR us
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). I once heard someone speak dismissively about the 10 Commandments. They thought they were just a bunch of random rules. It got me thinking about how the wisdom and commands of God are not something he does TO … Continue reading Not TO us but FOR us
Looking for answers in all the (wrong) places
Looking for answers in all the (wrong) places The “Up!” Devo for September 8 If we look for answers in incorrect places, we’ll get answers that are incomplete. For example, sitting on my desk are three textbooks. One is for the Greek language, one is for philosophy, and one is for psychology. If I try … Continue reading Looking for answers in all the (wrong) places
Right thinking and right living
I sometimes hear people talking (arguing?) about what they think is more important: to agree with the right doctrines, or to be a loving person. Actually, they go hand in hand. But it needs to be stressed that right thinking results in right living. How we live our lives—including how we love and care for … Continue reading Right thinking and right living
Based on what we think is true
We live our lives based on what we think is true. For example, if I think it’s true that it’s going to rain, then I’m going to grab an umbrella when I head outside. But if I don’t, I won’t. If I think it’s true that my child is about to get hit by a … Continue reading Based on what we think is true
Not a prop
The Bible. How do we use it? How do we treat it? Like fancy family china that stays in a box somewhere? Or maybe like a prop? I loathe the Bible being used as a prop. Loathe. It is the Lord Almighty’s sacred word to his people through all time and through all generations. Speaking about … Continue reading Not a prop
Like a life-sustaining feast—or occasional snack?
In yesterday’s devotional I said that times like these are a good time to re-evaluate our understanding of success. Today I’m going to encourage us to re-evaluate the role of the Bible in our lives. Moses reminded the ancient Hebrews that God was a God who kept his word. That’s why he fed them manna: … Continue reading Like a life-sustaining feast—or occasional snack?
