Devotions on Acts 15:1-18–Council of Jerusalem May 8-14, 2017 Monday, May 8, 2017–Council of Jerusalem “Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). Jason was smitten by Katie Sue. They had met at a […]
Kevin E Ruffcorn
An Incomparable Faith, Thoughts on Luke 7:1-17
An Incomparable Faith A LESSON TO BE LEARNED How would you feel if Jesus walked up to you and said, “You have an absolutely incomparable faith, I’ve never seen anything like it?” You’d probably be feeling pretty positive about yourself, after having received such a compliment. Well, that is exactly what Jesus did with a […]
Jesus on Forgiveness, Luke 7:36-50
Jesus on Forgiveness, Devotions for Luke 7:36-50 February 13-19, 2017 Monday, February 13, 2017–Jesus on Forgiveness “And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he [Jesus] was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment” (Luke 7:37). On December 1, 1955 Rosa Park defied the […]
John the Baptist Questions Jesus, Luke 7:18-35
Devotions for Luke 7:18-35, John the Baptist February 6-12, 2017 Monday, February 6, 2017 – John the Baptist “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another” (Luke 7:19)? Pat Collins was positive that the Lord was opening the door to a new job—a job she really wanted. Her […]
God and Suffering, What to Say and Do
God and Suffering God and Suffering. It dawned on me on New Year’s Eve that not everyone was celebrating. I think it happened sometime between the New Year’s fireworks displays in Sydney, Australia and Hong Kong and the ball drop in Times Square. Underneath the veneer of the night’s merriment lay a morass of […]
Experiencing a Relationship with the Trinity
I’m excited! I just finished reading a book on the Trinity that is life changing. Doesn’t that sound odd? Trinity isn’t usually paired with “life-changing.” Usually Trinity is connected to “boring,” “stodgy,” “traditional” and “orthodox”–all rather unappealing words. The book that I’m writing about is The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, by Richard […]
A Devotional, A Historical Survey and a Vision
A Devotional A few weeks ago, during my last week of vacation, I finished my summer reading list. The first book I finished I’d been working on for a year. This wasn’t because it was a bad, boring book, but rather because it was a devotional. The book I’m referring to is We Make the […]
The Creator and the Created, Gen 2:4b-17; 3:1-8
Devotions for Genesis 2:4b-7; 15-17; 3:1-8 September 5-11, 2016 Monday, September 5, 2016 “Then the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7a). The lumber pile in the woodworker’s shop looked like high-priced kindling. The woodworker chose three different pieces from the pile and gently ran his fingers along the grains. […]
Trials, Temptations and Evil, Matthew 6:13; Mark 5:1-15
Devotions for Matthew 6:13; Mark 5:1-15 August 29-September 4, 2016 Monday, August 29, 2016 “Do not bring us to the time of trial” (Matthew 6:13a). Jill did not do well with tests. It’s not that she’d sluff off during the semester and not know the material. Quite the contrary. Jill would study hard and […]
Forgiven to Forgive, Matthew 6:12; 18:21-35
Devotions for Matthew 6:12; 18:21-35 August 22-28, 2016 Monday, August 22, 2016 “Forgive us our debts” (Matthew 6:12a). Carlton was the type of guy who couldn’t say the words, “sorry” or “forgive me.” We might think that this was a minor character flaw that could be easily overlooked. Carlton’s inability or unwillingness to say, […]