Corona Devotionals

Shaking and crying, cloaked in shame and complete humility, a fellow Believer shared/admitted/owned their sin to a few of us the other day.   They had already prayed and laid it before God, but they wanted to have this conversation too.  In public.  With some trusted others.  Saying their sin out loud.  Owning it...but also making  a declaration to separate themselves from it.  Sounds bold, doesn't it?  Unthinkable?  To admit our worst sins out loud in front of other people?    Can you imagine?   I pray so. Because...look out!   If we can wade-through/drag-ourselves/ own-our-sin  in accountability to another trusted follower-of-Christ...Do you know what comes next?  Freedom!    Relief.  Change.  Did I mention freedom? If you have done this, then you know.  If you haven't done this, then you still know the captivity of not  doing it.  Bearing-our-sin, hiding-our-sin, pretending-our-sin-doesn't-exist is so much work.  I know because I've done it.  I've carried it.  I

After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.   ~Acts 18:23 ~~~ Paul was a follower of Jesus back in Bible days, and he went around telling people all about Jesus and God and the great love and plan that we have in Christ.  But you know what else  Paul did?  He encouraged ( visited and strengthened)  other believers. Paul was preaching God's word, but he also was specific and purposeful about making time to encourage others as they lived and served God too. What believers can we visit and strengthen  today? When I read this passage, I got to thinking about our oldest son, who has been away at a church camp/conference this past week.  The speakers had dramatic impacts on him.  The worship team and sessions blew him away.  The sports/games/competitions kept him busy, engaged and connected with other young people who love the Lord.    In returning, he has shared with me more about his desire to serve God

Do not underestimate the lift/power/strength/ life/ revival  that we might impart into another by (merely) touching them with the love and Truth of Christ.   Elisha  was a prophet of God in the Old Testament of the Bible.  Being a prophet sounds regal, but really, Elisha  was just a regular guy who loved God and answered God's call on his life to share the Truth of God's Word with others.  Not many people were actively seeking God's truth at that time, and many were actively seeking their own versions of "truth" and fulfillment. Sound familiar? But Elisha stuck with God and stayed-the-course in sharing God's Word with others throughout his life.  Some despised him for it, some sought-him-out for it, but anyone who met Elisha was affected by his commitment to God.  Many were revived  in their faith because of Elisha's touch on their lives.  And once--the "revival"  was literal: Then Elisha died and was buried.  Groups of Moabite raiders used to i

The  Lord  is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  (9)  The  Lord  is good to everyone.  H e showers compassion on all his creation...  (17) The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.  ~Psalm 145:8-9, 17 ⌧ Merciful.   ⌧ Compassionate.   ⌧ Slow to get angry.   ⌧ Good to everyone.   ⌧ Filled with kindness. How many of these "boxes" have we checked today? How many of these "boxes" could we check today? Hint: We can't (wholly) check any of those boxes on our own, but with Jesus in our life and the Holy Spirit in our hearts...we become extensions of our Lord. The  Lord  is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  (9)  The  Lord  is good to everyone.  H e showers compassion on all his creation...  (17) The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.  ~Psalm 145:8-9, 17 Lord ,   You are  merciful and compassionate , please help us to b

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News... ( 5)  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.   ~Romans 1:1, 5 ~~~ Details...dishes. Laundry...texts...asks...tasks.   Messes... pressures... piles...files. Responsibilities...frivolities.   Nuisances...neuroses. Daily life.   A ll of the distractions that accompany our minutes, seconds...and every thought.  Where to start?  What to do first?  What to do at all?    What is priority? Father God, YOU and preaching  Your Good News is priority.   Living your Good News .  Speaking Your  Good News .  Shining Your  Good News .  Teaching Your  Good News .  Preaching Your  Good News. Lord, help us to push the incidentals away today.  May we stop being-distracted and start GETTING-ACTIVE   to tell people everywhere what Y

Do you have an Aunt Jehosheba in your family line? Maybe not by that name...but do we have someone who stood up for us when we couldn't do it for ourselves?  Are we aware of an advocate that was our voice before we had one?  Someone who stood in the gap for us when we needed it?   A coach, a parent, or non-parent?  A teacher, preacher, neighbor or even stranger that protected us out of sheer benevolence, and by the grace of God?   A better question (and challenge) is "Who can we be an "Aunt Jehosheba " to today?  If the Lord provides the opportunity for us to stand up for someone... take it.  It might change the course of their lives, and ours. ~~~ So, who is  Aunt Jehosheba , you ask?   The story goes back a long time, to the days of the Bible and the days of a bunch of kings who rose and fell over Israel (found in the Bible books of I and II Kings ).   When one king "fell" ( Ahaziah ), his mom ( Athaliah )  began to destroy the rest of the royal family

Who are our Business role models/Academic examples/Exercise/Athletic heroes?   We study their success and methods in achieving, don't we?   Then why wouldn't we do the same with the men and women whose stories are threaded through the Bible?  The only difference between us and them is time (passed) and outcome.   If we read David's writings in the Book of Psalms ...and relate...and seek to live for the Lord as he did...then we can trust his example...and mimic it.  And be filled with joy. Did you know David asked God to bless him?  And his children?  And his resources, harvests, business, and his sales/production/output? In prayer to the Lord, David asked God , using bold words like " flourish", "filled", "multiply" (" by the thousands,  even tens of thousands"),   and " loaded down".    Those are big "asks", aren't they?   Sound selfish, capitalistic, or too "me"-focused for someone that proclaims to