The infinite, eternal God works within time and space to sovereignly bring about his perfect plan. Wait on Him. Trust Him. He’s worthy.
Acts 10:17-18 ESV — Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.
Trust the God of Perfect Timing ⏲️ ❤️ ⌛ – FormerAtheist58
How Great Thou Art – Stephen McWhirter
Would you like to receive my daily blog posts sent directly to your email? Subscribe for free by entering your email below.
Acts 9:4-5 ESV — And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
John 15:19 ESV — If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Don’t be surprised if the world hates you. As a Christian, you should expect persecution. If your life is easy, if you never have to defend your faith, if no one is accusing you of being stupid for following Jesus, you need to get out more! Take a risk. Speak the name of Jesus. Refuse to hide your light under bushel. Remember, it’s really HIM they’re persecuting.
Who are they Persecuting? YOU or JESUS? – FormerAtheist58
By Faith – Keith and Kristyn Getty
Would you like to receive my daily blog posts sent directly to your email? Subscribe for free by entering your email below.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Acts 4:18-20 ESV — “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’”
I, too, can’t help but speak of what I’ve seen and heard, what I’ve experienced first hand. I’ve been changed by the risen Christ. I’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit. And I can’t keep it to myself. How about you?
Trust in the Lord with all your Heart – FormerAtheist58
I’m loving reading the advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with a daily reading of a chapter of Luke. Hope it blesses you, too.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV
The religious leaders were grumbling about Jesus receiving the tax collectors and sinners, so Jesus told them this parable,
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:4-7 ESV
And then Jesus told them another parable about a lost coin and then another parable about two sons.
Lord Jesus, You left the ninety-nine to come after me. Thank You. You pursued me while I was lost and lame, blind and dead. Thank You. Protect me from pride and hypocrisy, that leaven of the Pharisees. Give me a heart full of humble gratitude for the privilege to live in Your presence and to share in Your abundance. Amen.
Prince of Peace – Monica Scott and One Voice Children’s Choir
During the Advent season, I’ll be reading from both my daily Advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with our 2-year Bible Reading plan, so that I read excerpts from Genesis 6-9 along with Luke 3. The Kindle e-book version is FREE now through Thursday, December 4, 2025, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time. Merry Christmas! Hurry and get your copy today and share it with your friends!
Though we don’t know what exactly Noah said to those living around him, 2 Peter 2:5 calls Noah, “a herald of righteousness.”
Though we don’t know exactly how Noah was treated by those who saw him building an ark in a desert, Hebrews 11:7 says that, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”
We know more about John. We know that John “went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:3 ESV) We know that John had fiery words to say to his Jewish brothers who came to be baptized by him.
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Luke 3:7b-9 ESV
I was reminded this morning that John’s father, Zechariah, was a priest, but we see here in Luke 3 that John answered the crowds, even those detested tax collectors and soldiers, who asked, “What shall we do?” Again and again John pointed people to the One who is mightier than him, the one who was yet to come, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, who would gather the wheat into His barn and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.
But Noah’s life and John’s life ended very differently. Noah’s life was spared, while John was locked up in prison (Luke 3:20) and eventually beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12).
So I’m asking myself, am I willing to be a herald of righteousness?
Am I willing to preach repentance or am I too afraid of what people will say?
Do I fear the disapproval of man … or of God?
Heavenly Father, make me like John and Noah. Make me a herald of good news. Help me to preach repentance and the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I know how this story ends. I know that Jesus came, and I know that He is coming again. Help me to live for Your glory, rather than my own. Help me to love my neighbor more than I love my own comfort. Give me Your strength. Give me Your words. Guide me where You want me to go. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior, I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 121-160, 2 Samuel 23.
After reading all the yuck of the previous 12 chapters of 2 Samuel, I held my breath reading David’s words in 2 Samuel 23:5.
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
2 Samuel 23:5 ESV
Then I was reminded of 2 Samuel 7 when God made that everlasting covenant with David,
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
2 Samuel 7:12-16 ESV
And then I was reminded of 2 Samuel 12 when God swore to bring evil upon David because of his sin.
“Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”
2 Samuel 12:9-12 ESV
And I was once again reminded that God is a promise keeping God, both in His promises of blessing and His promises of wrath. God did keep His everlasting covenant with the house of David, bringing Jesus, our eternal King of kings, but God also kept His oath that the sword would come upon David’s house and that his wives would be given to his neighbor, as we just read about in chapters 15-16.
So, then I wondered, why do so many professing Christians only talk about God’s steadfast love and refuse to talk about His just anger against our sin?
The reason God’s great mercy is the BEST NEWS EVER is because God’s great wrath is the WORST NEWS EVER.
Friends, if you are not in Christ, then you are still under God’s judgment, and if you are judged by your own deeds, you will be found “guilty as charged” and justly endure God’s eternal condemnation.
Everyone loves John 3:16 ESV — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” But, let’s not forget about the other verses of John 3,
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:18 ESV
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36 ESV
And what about 1 John 5:11-12? “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life;whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.“
HeavenlyFather, help us to believe and proclaim the full counsel of Your Word, the full gospel of truth, that You are holy and righteous, that You are the judge of even our secret sins, those hidden things that no one else knows about, the thoughts and intentions of the heart as well as our words and deeds. None of us can stand before You by our own merit. We need You, Lord. Cover us with the blood of Jesus and wash us clean. Redeem us and deliver us from sin. In the Holy, Almighty Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Heavenly Father, I know I have broken Your law. Your law is indeed good and pure, converting my soul. Thank You, Thank You for Your grace and mercy and love, poured out for me on the cross. You are worthy of my praise. Save me. Redeem me. Deliver me. For Your glory. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 77, Ruth 3-4
In April 1994, I was having another discussion about religion with a young man I was interested in. For the dozenth time, I was arguing with him about my inability to believe in a God that I couldn’t see with my eyes or touch with my hands. Suddenly, in a brief moment of humility, I asked a simple question, “What do you mean when you say, ‘saved’?” To me, “save” was a word associated with money and stray puppies, not college valedictorians. And for the first time I heard clearly explained the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Reading through the book of Ruth, I noticed the words redeem and redeemer over and over again. Do we as 21st-century adults understand what ‘redeemed’ means?
Do we see our own lostness and wretchedness, our need for a counselor and guide to show us where to go and lead us by the hand to get there? Or do we think we already know all the answers, have already arrived, and don’t need anything beyond what hard work, Google, and the government can provide?
Do we see ourselves as hopeless, helpless beggars, searching for a morsel of bread? Or do we see ourselves as wealthy, capable, able-bodied men and women in need of nothing and noone?
Do we see our sinful nature and recognize our need for forgiveness and rebirth? Or do we think we’re good, decent people who’ve never killed anybody or done anything all that bad, especially compared to all the good things we’ve done?
Naomi, a Jew, and Ruth, a Moabite, both needed to be redeemed, and so do you and I.
Naomi and Ruth’s earthly lives were redeemed by their kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, but their eternal souls were redeemed by looking forward in faith to that sinless Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for their sins with His own sinless blood, something much more precious than all the gold and silver all the world over.
Have you been redeemed? Have you been washed in the blood of that Lamb?
Have your sins been fully paid for by Jesus, that spotless Lamb, when He was nailed to the cross 2,000 years ago?
Forgive me, God. I have sinned against You. I have broken Your commands more times than I can count. I knew I was wrong and I did it anyway. Wash me clean in the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please, I want to be made new. I need You, Heavenly Father, to make me new. Give me a new heart and new desires and new strength. Fill me with Your Spirit that I might live for You all the days of my life for Your glory and for my good. Amen.
Are you Washed in the Blood of the Lamb? – Antrim Mennonite Choir, video by S.E. Samonte
Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb – The Worship Initiative
I Know that My Redeemer Lives – Keith + Kristyn Getty, Laura Story
Teach What is Good 
You must be logged in to post a comment.