Devotional

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile…

For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8 STORY Charles Spurgeon was pastor of Metropolitan Tabernacle in London for 38 years, that began in April 1854. While at the Metropolitan Tabernacle he built an Almshouse and the Stockwell Orphanage. He encouraged his congregation to engage actively with the poor of Victorian London. He also founded Spurgeon College, which was named after him posthumously. He authored sermons, an autobiography, commentaries, books on prayer, devotionals, and hymns. Many of his…

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 STORY The American Bible Society opened its doors on May 11, 1816. The first president was Elias Boudinot, who was also the first president of the Continental Congress. The second president was John Jay, who was the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. The…

Cast down, but not destroyed 2 Corinthians 4:9 (KJV) STORY Late in the 1830s Nicholas Hellings found himself anxious and overwhelmed by his duties. As a calming measure, he decided to write a hymn for each day of the year based on the daily Scripture given by the Christian Almanack. Below is the first stanza of the hymn he penned for Thursday of the week of the first Sunday of March. Cast down, but not destroyed, Still leaning on the Lord: Who will not make his promise void, Nor change his sacred word. DEVOTION Coming together with other believers reminds us…

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be…

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. Revelation…

Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Matthew 13:10 STORY August 5, 1966. Captain Robert Foley was the commanding officer of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry, known as the Wolfhounds, whose motto Nec aspera terrent, meaning “No fear on earth,” was engaged in Operation Attleboro in Vietnam. Foley was ordered to break into an enemy bunker system to create a corridor through which trapped comrades could escape back to friendly lines. He and his men were facing North Vietnamese Regulars (NVA). Because the surrounded Americans were so close to enemy bunkers, he…

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 STORY Women in key roles at the Vatican and Catholic universities, who are in close orbit with each other, as they have been leading an effort to raise women’s standing and visibility in church governance, creating a growing network of experts, diplomats and scholars like them around the world. To promote this within the church a conference in Rome is being held this day, called “Women in the Church: Builders of Humanity,” at Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. The conference is focusing…

Happiness Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the…

But the Lord is with me like a terrifying warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous; you see the heart and the mind; let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers. Jeremiah 20:11-13 STORY Moric Mermelstein was born Sept. 25, 1926, in Mukachevo, a thriving Jewish community nestled in…