Devotionals

And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. (Acts 10:45–46)

Jesus is Lord of all, to the circumcised and uncircumcised, to the Jews and the Gentiles, to the believers and non-believers. Lord, not just in the sense of power and authority, but also in the sense of the Sovereign who blesses humanity impartially and generously. Indeed, the gift of the Holy Spirit is poured out to all who believe in Christ, to all who with their lips sing the praises and adoration to the King of kings. You are invited to receive God’s blessings. It is already yours to receive.

Lord, your riches reserved for us make our lives full and abundant. We give you our praise.

Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. (John 15:3)

There is power in the word of someone in authority. That power is felt when the judge declares a defendant “not guilty.” That power is felt when a cop tells the driver that he is free to go without giving him a ticket. That power is felt when a person believes the amazing news of who we really are in the Word, Jesus Christ, who reveals in His being and ministry that you are forgiven of sin, accepted in your person, included in His life, and loved beyond measure. 

Lord, continue to cleanse us by your word.

If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. (John 15:6)

Life without Christ is no life at all. It is a degradation towards non-life, with no viable purpose and no eternal future. This verse is not meant as a threat but as a warning against stubborn self-reliance, callous indifference, and outright rejection. The table is set. The music is playing. The celebration has commenced. Why insist on staying put and cutting yourself out of participating in the joy of life in Christ that’s already yours for the taking. Without His life, the table is empty. There is only silence in the darkness. The echo of your own voice in the void returning to you in utter solitude.

Lord, may we heed your warning.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)

”Repent of your sins or you’ll burn in hell.” “Do you know where you’re going when you die?” The threat of ever-burning, torturous hell fire is sometimes presented along with the good news of salvation. This is fear-based evangelism—scare people into belief and submission. It is well-intentioned but it misses the mark of the true gospel. The gospel is about the love of God that never quits. It is the kind that goes to the depths of hell to redeem His creation. This is perfect love—to remove the barrier of condemnation so that you can receive and give love not out of fear but freely and generously, just as God loves you.

Lord, show me how to love more perfectly.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11)

When you look at the definition of love in the dictionary, it should show you a picture of the Trinity. God sent His own and only Son to become our Person. Our Person of righteousness. Our Person of redemption. Our Person of reconciliation. The Person through whom we live our lives. Because of our Person, we have life—abundant, eternal, and holy. Since God is so willing, indeed He cannot act in any other way than to give His life and love to His creation through His Son, can we not respond with a resounding Yes to our Person Jesus Christ and live out to others the love we have so freely received from Him?

Lord, let me be a Person to others as Christ is my Person.

Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it. (Psalm 22:30–31)

We all wish our children and grandchildren become strong followers of Jesus. Generational worship sustains the life and continuity of the church. Jesus and the righteousness He brings in His being and acts are motivating and empowering factors that lead us to share our stories and praises to the next generation.

Lord, may our words and examples be a strong and lasting impact on our children.

And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. (Acts 8:36–38)

I remember being vetted for baptism, determining whether I was ready and knowledgeable enough, perhaps even if my faith was truly sincere. It took counseling, study, and preparation before it can happen. The Ethiopian eunuch chanced upon this water and did not hesitate to ask to be baptized.

Our baptism superimposes on the true baptism that has happened for us in the baptism of Jesus. In other words, He was baptized for us. When we are immersed in water, it is a personal confession of faith and participation in the once-for-all baptism of humanity through the Son. The focus is Him and His work, not us and our work. The eunuch wanted to be baptized because of his faith and love for Jesus.

Lord, thank you for washing away our sins through your Son.