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Daily Devotion: John 13:1-4

John 13:1-4 "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (2) And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; (3) Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; (4) He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself." "Jesus knew His hour was come." On several occasions, men had attempted to do away with Jesus. But each time, we would read... "His hour was not yet come." That tells me that our Heavenly Father was in absolute control over the schedule of events that led up to the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. No one could lay a hand on Him until the hours that would follow t...

Daily Devotion: Luke 19:41-42 and Matthew 23:37

Luke 19:41-42 "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, (42) Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" As a child, I remember the one Bible verse that I had memorized. Yes, it was this one, "Jesus wept." It was as He had gone to Bethany when Lazarus had died. I admit, at that time, I had no idea the impact of that verse. But it is a precious thing to know that our Lord is touched by the "feelings of our infirmities." Today's passages speak of another time when Jesus wept. It was for quite a different reason; yet, it shows the compassion that Jesus has for His people. He...

Daily Devotion: Mark 11:15-18

Mark 11:15-18 "And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; (16) And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. (17) And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. (18) And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine." I hope this week to have my heart and mind set upon the events that led to the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. We will go back to the Psalms next week. "And they come to Jerusalem." This is the day after Jesus entered Jerusalem with great fanfare. By that, I mean people lined the streets laying their g...

Daily Devotion: 1 Corinthians 6:4-6

1 Corinthians 6:4-6 “If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.” While there are many reasons why people do not join the church, one common complaint is because they have seen congregations divided and virtually at war with each other. They have made their disputes public and shared them with any who would listen. Sometimes the issue was a question of spiritual significance, but more often it was a matter of jealousy or of some matter of daily living, or worse yet, an imaginary slight of some sort. The overarching tone of Paul’s instruction here is that the church should handle disputes among brethren quietly and with patience. These are not matters to be broadcast to unbelievers be...

Daily Devotion: Psalm 98:1-3

Psalm 98:1-3 "O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. (2) The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. (3) He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." Who is under consideration when the Psalmist wrote, "his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory." I'm not certain that the writer completely understood the depth of this great truth. He may have been speaking of the various victories in life that he had experienced. Maybe he was thinking of Moses bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt or David's victory over Goliath. He may have been thinking about a particular time in his own life when he was able to overcome a struggle and experienced victory. But you and I have been blessed to see more...