Loving Jesus Style

  On October 31st, millions of Christians around the world celebrate Reformation Day, a commemoration of a pivotal moment in church history. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and scholar, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act, challenging the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church, ignited what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. The Courage to Stand for Truth Reformation Day calls us to reflect on the courage it takes to stand for truth. Martin Luther faced immense opposition and risked his life to speak against the corruption and abuses he saw within the church. His conviction was rooted in a deep understanding of scripture and a sincere desire to return to the teachings of Christ. As we remember Luther's bravery, let us examine our own lives. Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even when it is difficult? Do we seek truth in God's word and let it guide our actions? Script...

  Scripture Micah 6:8 (ESV) 8  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you        but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?   Devotion:   In the book of Micah, the prophet addresses the people of Israel, calling them back to a life that pleases God. Micah 6:8 encapsulates the essence of God's expectations for His people in a simple yet profound way. It is a call to action, a reminder of our spiritual duties, and a guide for righteous living. Justice is a central theme throughout the Bible. It is not merely about adhering to laws but about ensuring fairness and righteousness in our interactions with others. Doing justice means standing up for the oppressed, fighting against injustice, and ensuring that our actions reflect God's compassion. In our daily lives, it calls us to advocate for the marginalized, seek fairness in our workplaces, and treat every...

  Scripture: Matthew 23:23-24 (ESV) 23  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24  You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Devotion: In Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus confronts the scribes and Pharisees for their meticulous attention to minor religious details while neglecting the more significant aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Their behavior exemplifies a form of spiritual blindness that prioritizes the appearance of piety over the substance of genuine faith. Jesus uses the striking metaphor of straining out a gnat yet swallowing a camel to illustrate the absurdity of their misplaced priorities. This passage calls us to examine our own lives and spiritual practices. Are we focusing on the “mint, dill, and cumin” of our faith—mino...

  Scripture: Isaiah 11:9-11 (ESV) 6  The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,        and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7     The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8     The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9     They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;        for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.   Devotion: The passage from Isaiah 11:7-9 paints a vivid picture of peace and harmony, a vision that transcends the ordinary experiences of life. It is a profound promise of a future where natural enemies coexist in pe...

Psalm 19:14 (NIV) 14  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.   Devotion: Psalm 19:14 encapsulates a profound plea for personal holiness and divine acceptance. The psalmist, David, implores God to find favor in both his spoken words and his inward thoughts. This verse serves as a fitting conclusion to a psalm that celebrates God's glory manifested in creation and His perfect law. David begins his supplication by addressing the "words of my mouth." This phrase underscores the importance of our verbal expressions. Words possess the power to build up or tear down, to encourage or discourage, to heal or wound. The Bible consistently emphasizes the gravity of our speech. In James 3:5, the tongue is likened to a tiny spark that can set a great forest ablaze, illustrating its immense power and potential for destruction. Therefore, David's prayer is a conscious effort to align his w...

 Je Scripture: Matthew 23:23-24 (NIV) 23  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24  You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Devotion:             Many churches today believe you should just preach the “gospel” and never get into politics. I contend that Jesus himself was a very political person, and we, to be faithful disciples, must follow the one we call Lord and Savior. The gospel writers indeed record many teachings of Jesus that are political and stridently so. As my AI grammar and spell checker suggested, the passage of scripture above should be revised to be more “diplomatic.” Let us move on to discussing Jesus' “undiplomatic” statement...

  Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 (NIV) 6  God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7  and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8  He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9  They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. Devotion: This passage reminds us of God's steadfast justice. The assurance that God is just serves as a beacon of hope for those who face hardships and injustices. Life often presents us with situations where we feel wronged or oppressed. In these moments, it is vital to remember that God sees our struggles and promises to bring relief and justice in His perfect timing. The verses emphasize God's righteous judgment. The promise that He will pay back trouble to those w...

  Fellow Citizens Scripture: Ephesians 2:19 (NLT) 19  So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens, along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Devotion: Ephesians 2:19 is a powerful testament to the transformative and unifying power of Christ's love. This verse, addressed to the Gentiles, speaks volumes about inclusion, acceptance, and the breaking down of barriers that once separated humanity. In the early church, Gentiles were often viewed as outsiders by the Jewish community, but through Christ, these distinctions are rendered obsolete. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul uses the metaphor of citizenship to convey this radical shift. Citizenship in the Roman Empire was a privilege, conferring rights, protection, and a sense of belonging. In our modern context, citizenship often represents a sense of identity, rights, and responsibilities in a community. By telling the Gentiles they are no long...

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-6 (ESV) 1  O Lord , you have searched me and known me!   2      You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.   3      You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.   4      Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord , you know it altogether.   5      You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.   6      Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.   Devotion:   Psalm 139:1-6 offers a profound reflection on the complete fullness of the knowledge and presence of God. These verses remind us that God knows us intimately, understanding our thoughts and actions even before they manifest. This knowledge is both comforting and humbling. In verse 1, the Psalmist acknowledges God's prof...

1 John 1:5-10 (ESV) 5  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Devotion: In the passage of 1 John 1:5-10, the apostle John presents a profound revelation about the nature of God and the call for believers to live in His light. Here, John declares an essential truth: "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." This statement sets the foundation for our...

  Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Devotion:             Today’s scripture serves as a powerful vision of what the church is meant to be in the world. Peter, in the verses preceding this, had been highlighting the Nation of Israel's struggle to recognize Jesus and their resistance to worship Him. The contrast between these two worlds is striking. In the centuries since Peter penned these words, the church has often fallen short of this ideal. It's crucial to acknowledge this. The church has strived, too often in its own strength, to live up to these words, and we should strive towards living up to the challenge of this scripture.             How does the church today measure up...

  Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) 14  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Devotion: Matthew 5:14-16 is a powerful passage where Jesus calls His followers to be the light of the world. This scripture is part of the Sermon on the Mount, a collection of teachings that encapsulate the core of Jesus' message. Here, Jesus uses the metaphor of light to describe the role and impact of His disciples in the world. "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14, NIV). Light, by its very nature, is meant to be seen. It dispels darkness and reveals what is hidden. When Jesus calls us the light of the world, He is emphasizing that...

  Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17   17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;        he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love;        he will exult over you with loud singing.    Devotion:             In the quiet moments of our lives, we often find ourselves reflecting on our journey—a path marked by both triumphs and stumbles. It’s a journey that winds through valleys of doubt and summits of joy. But woven into every step is the thread of grace—a divine tapestry that not only sustains us but also transforms our brokenness into beauty, giving us hope and inspiration. Grace is not a mere concept; it’s a gift—an extravagant offering from a loving Creator. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of G...

  Scripture: 1 Kings 8:57-58 (ESV) 57  The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, 58  that he may Incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. Devotion: In 1 Kings 8:57-58, we find Solomon at the height of his kingship, having completed the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. The verses read: “May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave or forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees, and laws he gave our ancestors.” These verses encapsulate a profound moment of dedication, a prayer that acknowledges God’s enduring presence and pleads for continued faithfulness. As we meditate on these words, several key themes emerge that can guide our devotion and reflection. First and foremost, Solomon’s prayer begins with recognizing God's ...

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Devotion:             In this passage. Paul takes us on a spiritual journey from the depths of sin to a marvelous new life in Christ. Paul writes here a very difficult verse to translate. It is main verb does not occur until verse 5 and its subject until verse 4 in the Greek. In addition, the Greek ...

  Scripture: Revelation 12:10-12 (ESV) 10  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11  And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12  Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows that his time is short!” Devotion: In the cosmic drama depicted in the book of Revelation, a book of prophecy and divine revelation, we witness a clash of kingdoms—a struggle for souls. Amid this celestial battle, the accuser—Satan—stands before God, relentlessly pointing out our flaws, our failures. Day and night, he accuses us. But in a moment of divine justice, his accusatio...

  Scripture: Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)             16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Devotion:             This scripture is an important one in today’s cultural climate. The culture is beginning to be openly hostile to the Christian message. Therefore, it is human nature not to want to become a social outcast by saying that you follow Jesus. We do this even though we know that Jesus became the ultimate outcast by going to his death on a cross just because he was telling people the truth about God’s kingdom.             We know intellectually that we should stand up fo...

Scripture: Hebrews 10:35-36 (ESV) 35  Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. Devotion: In the journey of faith, there are moments when weariness threatens to extinguish our hope. The author of Hebrews addresses a community of believers who faced persecution, doubt, and the temptation to give up. Yet, in these verses, we find a powerful exhortation—to hold fast, endure, and trust in God’s promises. Do not throw away your confidence.”  Confidence here isn’t arrogance; it’s the unwavering assurance that comes from knowing Christ. It’s the boldness to approach God’s throne, the certainty that our sins are forgiven. Reflect on moments when your confidence wavered. How did you regain it? What promises of God anchored you? Remember that your confidence is not in your own strength but in the finished work of Jesus. “You need...