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love of God

The darker it gets

December 3, 2019December 2, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

In Matthew 24, Jesus answers a question from his disciples about when the Jerusalem temple would be torn down, and also when he would return one day in glory at the “end of the age” (v. 3). In response, he offers various insights about things that are going to take place, including this: “Because lawlessness … Continue reading The darker it gets

God’s grip on you—kind of like a sleepwalking rope

November 26, 2019November 25, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

No matter how often we’re told otherwise, it’s easy to slip back into the thinking that God only loves us if we do a really, really good job of loving  him back. All the time. ‘If we’re really bad,’ we think, ‘he won’t forgive us.’ ‘If we miss the mark, have an off day (or … Continue reading God’s grip on you—kind of like a sleepwalking rope

Why your love outlasts you

November 4, 2019November 1, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes four responses to God’s word—three lead to nothing, and the fourth to everything. People in this last category “hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown” (Mark 4:20). Wow! That’s definitely something to shoot for! But … Continue reading Why your love outlasts you

But what does the Spirit actually DO?

July 25, 2019July 24, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

This week I’m answering some questions about the Holy Spirit. So far we’ve talked about whether the Spirit is an “it” or a “who,” on whether the Spirit makes you “feel” different, and what holiness means. Here’s today’s question: What does the Spirit actually DO? After all, if the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us … Continue reading But what does the Spirit actually DO?

I love you

May 20, 2019May 17, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

When you’re proud of someone, you tell them. When you miss someone, you tell them. When you’re thankful for someone, you tell them. And when you love someone, you tell them. That’s what I love about Psalm 18:1. It starts with David’s simple statement of love: “I love you, Lord, my strength.” If you feel and … Continue reading I love you

Love boldly. But when you miss the mark…

May 10, 2019May 9, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

James 2:8 says, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.” With that in mind, let me tell you a story. In 1993 a well-known theologian from Croatia named Miroslav Volf was doing a talk on loving your neighbour. Afterward someone asked him, “But … Continue reading Love boldly. But when you miss the mark…

The barrier-destroying basis of our love

November 12, 2018November 9, 2018 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Oswald Goulter was a missionary to China for 30 years. On his return trip home, his boat made a stop along the coast of India. While there, he heard about some Jewish people living in barn lofts because they had been denied entry to so many countries. Since it was Christmas time, Goulter went around … Continue reading The barrier-destroying basis of our love

Tomorrow will worry about itself

October 18, 2018October 15, 2018 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Sometimes, no commentary is necessary: Jesus said… “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or … Continue reading Tomorrow will worry about itself

Using God’s love as an excuse

July 17, 2018July 16, 2018 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Have you ever tried to go somewhere with only half a map? Have you ever tried to assemble a BBQ with basic picture prompts but instructions that were in a different language? If so, you’ll know that having some of the information isn’t the same as having all of the information. That’s what I think … Continue reading Using God’s love as an excuse

He’s got you

July 6, 2018July 4, 2018 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Dr. J. Robertson McQuilkin used to be the president of Columbia Bible College and Seminary. But he gave up his presidency to care for his wife Muriel who was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. McQuilkin wrote about a time when he was with his wife and their flight was delayed for several hours. Every few … Continue reading He’s got you

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Wild goose or game geese The "Up!" Devo for December 10 Speaking to his fellow disciples, Peter wrote: “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). They are chosen, royal, holy and special. Why? So that they can “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We do that. Sometimes. But not always. It can just be so easy to blend in—to cozy up to comfort. To forget. To dismiss. To take-for-granted. Soren Kierkegaard tells a telling story: “There was once a wild goose who went to live with some tame geese. He was committed to liberate them from their mediocre lives. The wild goose lived with the tame geese for a year, and he enjoyed the rich food, comfortable shelter and easy life. Each year, when the wild geese flew overhead, he would flutter his wings, prepare to join them, but settle down again in the farmyard. Ten years passed and the wild goose became tame, and it forgot how to fly.”* That story is a warning. If we get too comfortable and familiar with the misplaced rhythms of our world we too will forget how to fly. The way to flap our wings is to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Don’t be afraid to stand out—to shine the light you were made to reflect: Declare. Praise. Thank. Sing. Love. Pray. Help. Celebrate. Some days you might feel stuck in the muck. But the sky is closer than you think. By Matthew Ruttan #different #faith #dailydevotional #unique #inspiration #fly ##Jesus #kierkegaard
Don’t shortchange your life The “Up!” Devo for December 9 Talking about the return of Jesus, the apostle Peter wrote, “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 3:11-12). But what does it mean to be holy? Something that is holy is set apart; it is made for a special, godly purpose. For example, if I was playing a game of tennis, and instead of using a tennis racket I used my Bible, someone might take issue with that. Why? Because, they would probably tell me, the Bible is holy. In other words, it is made for a special purpose. It’s God’s word and wisdom to us and should be respected as such. (By the way, I have no plans to use my Bible as a tennis racket.) In a similar way, followers of Jesus are holy. That doesn’t mean you’re ‘holier than thou,’ have all the answers, or never make a mistake. It means you are set apart. You are made for a special, godly purpose: to know, love, serve and glorify God as the hands and feet of Christ, as you get in on the ways he is renovating the world with his love and truth. Sure, that will take different forms in different chapters of your life, and based on your experiences, personality, and spiritual gifts. But whenever and however, you are to be holy. Don’t just fit in. Don’t blend. Don’t adopt the apathetic and cynical view that nothing really matters anyway so who cares. Good things are coming. Hope is dawning. And your life—as one of God’s holy ones—can be a foreshadowing of that great day when heaven and earth really do meet. “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” Life is short. So don’t shortchange your life. By Matthew Ruttan #holy #holiness #godly #faith #inspiration #christianity #purpose #special #meaning #handsandfeet #unique #secondcoming #parousia #waiting #advent
How to memorize a Bible passage (with Video) The "Up!" Devotional for December 6 I’ve talked before about memorizing Bible verses as a way to grow spiritually. But I realize some people find it difficult. So I did a short video with some tips. [Click the link below to watch.] Here’s a summary. 1. Pick a passage For this example, let’s choose 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2. Start small and expand Start with the first part, and don’t move on until you have it locked in. For example, start with “All Scripture is God-breathed.” Say that day after day until its firm in your head. Then, add in the next part (“and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”). Stay with that until you have it. Keep adding until the passage is complete. 3. Be exact Don’t settle for the ‘gist’ of a passage. Follow the exact wording from the translation you’ve picked. This will be hard at first, but will serve you well over the long haul. The more you use your memory muscles, the stronger they get. In Scripture, details matter. 4. Include the chapter and verse number In this case, it’s 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17. In all of this, remember why it’s important: The Bible contains God’s eternal wisdom. How amazing would it be, through the ups and downs of daily life, to be able to recall God’s wisdom at a moment’s notice? Today we have computers, cheap paper, and apps at the ready. As a result, we don’t NEED our memories as much as previous generations. Therefore, our memory muscles have become flabby. But with practice, they get buff! A friend’s Bible study group memorized the entire Gospel of Mark together. Over the past year I’ve spent time on this and have literally amassed hundreds of verses. Start small, follow the steps, and experience the rewards. The more you get into God’s word, the more God’s word gets into you. By Matthew Ruttan Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unepE3-rSiM&t=20s #dailydevotional #truth #faith #spiritualgrowth
Wasting time well spent The "Up!" Devo for December 5 Maybe we should all get a bit better at wasting time sometimes. Now hear me out. I’m not saying we should be lazy. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t work hard. We should. Just not every second of every day of every year. We generally look down our noses at wasting time. After all, we’ve got a bazillion things to do. So if we waste time, we just put more pressure on a pressure cooker that’s already feeling the pressure, right? But doing nothing—in moderation—is actually good for you. Psalm 46:10 famously reminds us to “Be still, and know that I am God…” Notice how being still is connected to knowing that God is in charge. If we chase our tails all day long we can mistakenly get the impression that everything is actually up to us. But it’s not. That’s why wasting little pockets of time here and there can be a good thing. Earlier this week I had 15 free minutes fall right into my lap. At first I checked Instagram. Then Sportsnet. And then… Pause. I put my phone down, resisted the annoying and unrelenting urge to be “productive” and sat back with my hands behind my head. It felt strange… and awesome. I stared at the wall, enjoyed a memory of summer as a child, and listed to my heartbeat come back down to normal. Maybe we should all get a bit better at wasting time sometimes. In a world where frantic is the new normal, wasting time can be time well spent. By Matthew Ruttan --Bible quotes are from the NIV. #health #rest #relax #faith #dailydevotional #inspiration #psalms

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