VotD 4/29

Over and over again, the the New Testament talks about how important loving one another is. We aren’t expected to be perfect, we are expected to love. Many times in the Epistles, it seems as if the authors do in fact want the readers to be perfect: to give up earthly pleasures, to believe in Jesus, to follow God, etc. But when I allow the Bible to interpret the Bible, I can see that love and grace always take precedence. Yes, we will sin: but pay attention to how much you can love, not how much you have sinned. Yes,…
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VotD 4/24

The full text of this verse reads, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” More than anything, this shows that Jeremiah was God’s choice for the times: Jeremiah didn’t gain his fame through his own merits, but because of what God did through him. And Jeremiah worked through a very difficult time in Israel’s history – the exile. So this verse also reminds me that God had placed Jeremiah in this place and time to be a voice of hope, even…
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VotD 4/8/19

We’re not as familiar these days with the concepts of “king” and “kingdom” as we used to be. We assume that we, as a nation, will have some sort of say in what kind of government will be in charge. But if that isn’t the case – if government rules by fiat and the people have no control – then we should hope for a good ruler. In this context, it’s helpful, important, and exciting that God claims to be king over our lives. God as King owns the whole world – owns us. But unlike a human king or…
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VotD 4/5/19

I immediately think of Martin Luther King, Jr when I see this verse. It reminds me that he didn’t do his work alone – justice rolled like a river, not like a firehose. It reminds me that justice is worth every effort: let it wash over everything. MLK’s use of the phrase makes me think also of Revelation, and Jesus’ condemnation of the lukewarm church. I am a very lukewarm Christian, and it’s hard for me to get out of that mode. I don’t want to rock the boat. But Amos (along with Jesus and MLK) is reminding us to…
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