June 23. John 17

June 23. John 17 One of the most stunning prayers in the Bible is this one, where Jesus prays for you and me. John 17:20 unfolds this amazing part of Jesus’ prayer: “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.” The disciples spread the good news far and wide and then those that heard it from them spread it and so on and so forth until you and I are hearing it in the 21st century. And way back then, Jesus prayed for us. Wow. It’s a beautiful prayer and gives us such insight into Jesus’ heart for all of us. I love that it’s long because the Lord’s Prayer was short. […] Read more »

June 22. John 1

June 22. John 1 I love the way John starts his gospel by writing in similar style to the way Genesis begins. If you are one of the millions of people who are watching The Chosen, a TV series that unfolds the lives of the disciples who were chosen by Christ to be His own, perhaps you bawled your eyes out—as I did—when that was illustrated in the first episode of season two!! John starts out his gospel declaring the deity of Christ boldly and unmistakably. Jesus created the world from nothing by His Word. And Jesus IS the Word. All things come from Him. Fully God, yet fully man. This is one of the most theologically significant passages of scripture in the Bible. And […] Read more »

June 21. Luke 11:1-13

June 21. Luke 11:1-13 This is one packed little portion of scripture! Let’s start with the first verse where “Jesus was in a certain place praying.” I wonder where that “certain place” was? I think, based on context, that Jesus found a quiet time spot wherever they all happened to be, and went there to pray! The disciples seemed to know where to find Him and they also knew that it was a spot where He prayed. I love this! And I try to practice it. At home, my certain place is my brown sofa near my reading lamp. Whenever I am somewhere else, be it a private home or a hotel, the first thing I do before I go to sleep that first night […] Read more »

The Right To Be

Today’s Musing is from Donna Perkins. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name. —John 1:12 NKJV “You’re ours!” I heard those words over and over as my mama swung me around the kitchen one evening the week of Christmas 1962. An open envelope and pieces of white formal paper lay on the table. Two things that mama always told me were: “We chose you!” and “No one can ever take you away from us.” Sound familiar? My brother and sister came by birth, a gift of the expression of the love that mama and daddy had for one another. Out of that same love they chose me. Sound […] Read more »

June 20. Luke 1:39-80

June 20. Luke 1:39-80 We moved forward to the gospel of Luke today but backwards in time. Today we got to enter into the joy and wonder of two people who were used by God to bring Messiah into the world and announce him to the world! It’s hard to fully grasp what it meant to Mary and to Zechariah when they realized that God was doing a miraculous miracle in their lives and that the long awaited Messiah would actually arrive during their lifetimes. Even more astounding, each of them would have a front row seat to His birth and beginnings. Mary’s Song of Praise is magnificent. Her awe and wonder that God would choose her is beautiful. Her focus on God and Who […] Read more »

June 19. Matthew 5

June 19. Matthew 5 Well, what did you think of our sojourn in the Old Testament, perusing parts of scripture that particularly sing with imagery or are rich in worship and prayer? Did you have a favorite passage amongst them? I would be hard put to tell you which one I loved best. I did gain a broader understanding of the majesty and glory of our God. I also was challenged to pray more persistently. I was humbled by the diligence of those who spent sometimes days in prayer about a certain issue before the Lord. I want to come to Him again and again, confident that He hears me and does not tire of His little girl Sharon speaking to Him about what is […] Read more »

June 18. Habakkuk 3

June 18. Habakkuk 3 We stepped back in time when we read our passage today. Habakkuk wrote not too long before the invasion of Jerusalem by the Babylonians who took Daniel captive. Can you imagine being a prophet in those days before the invasion and having to tell everyone that … they were going to lose, and God was going to allow Babylon to conquer them? I suspect that was a highly unpopular message. Not sure I’d want to be giving it out to people on street corners. I’d be afraid of being harmed! This short three chapter book basically is about Habakkuk’s unhappiness at this state of affairs. He wants to know why. It’s not like the Babylonians were the good guys, here. They […] Read more »

June 17. Daniel 9:1-23

June 17. Daniel 9:1-23 Daniel has got to be one of my very favorite heroes of the faith. Let’s just review what happened to him. He was most likely a wealthy teen living in Jerusalem when the Babylonians conquered. He was one of the captives that made the long trek to Babylon, leaving family and home far behind. There are some hints in scripture that he may also have been castrated and therefore unable to marry and have a family. Life was not good for Daniel. It was traumatic and horrifying and he must have dealt with intense grief at all his losses. And yet he stayed loyal to the God who allowed these atrocities to happen to him. Right from his introduction to the […] Read more »