Loving Jesus Style

  Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV) Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Devotion:             Weakness is usually not a trait that we boast about in our society. Both men and women are taught that being strong and in command is the way to get ahead. Everyone likes to be seen as competent and confident. That fact is why today’s scripture seems so out of place. Paul, here, is not only admitting that he is weak and subject to all kinds of indignities but is proud of that fact. The fact that Jesus himself tells Paul to be proud of his weaknesses in the verses preceding the ones we are considering here does little to change our modern sense that one ought not to be proud of one's weakness. ...

  Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:1 (ESV) 20  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 6  Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. Devotion:             The church today has an image problem. We are being marginalized and even hated because we hold values that the culture finds offensive. It seems that the golden age of the church in the West (if there ever really was one) is over. We must begin to build anew on our solid foundation in Jesus Christ. We should not waste one-minute placing blame or lamenting and yearning nostalgically for the days gone by.             What, then, must the church do? The ...

Scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Devotion:             Paul writing in this scripture passage is calling the church to radical unity. In our society there are so many divisions in the body of Christ it is impossible to see how we could be united about anything. However, we know that Jesus himself prayed for the unity of believers. If Jesus thought that unity was possible and desirable then we can, as members of the church, seek to become united with our brothers and sisters in the Lord regardless of how different we may be from one another.             As our world moves farther and farther away from God and the church, we must be more united than ever. When t...

Scripture: Romans 5:6-8 (ESV) 6  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  7  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—  8  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Devotion:             We humans are weak, frail, and prone to sin. How is it that God, who we believe is a good and kind God, would allow such faults as these in His special creation? Why would His rescue plan be to become incarnate only to die a humiliating death on the cross? A logical and philosophical answer to those questions would require more knowledge and skill in reasoning than exists on planet earth today. So why bother tackling them in a short 500-word blog post? Because the simplest answer can be found in today’s scripture quotation.          ...

Scripture: Psalm 20:1-6 (NIV) 1  May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2  May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3  May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. 4  May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5  May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. 6  Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed.   Devotion:               Psalm 20 is a psalm of victory for the king. It indicates the celebration that the people hold when their king has won a great victory. We still celebrate victories large and small. A couple that comes to mind are the Chicago Cubs raise the “W” banner after a victory. Likewise, the Pittsburgh Pira...

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