with devotion: red letters

On January 1, 2011, I began writing about the Red Letters. The things Jesus said in the gospels that are often printed in red. Today I begin revisiting those posts and making a few changes to them. Below is an index to these devotions as I republish them. Click on on titled link to read each post.

blessed are the poor: Humility is rooted in the idea that we are poor and in need of help.
people who grieve: We circle around our grief until we step into our pain.
meekness and our need to be patient: Meekness is manifested as patience when we are injured.
righteous hunger: We must hunger and thirst to be incarnate righteousness.
the nature of mercy: Mercy flows into our lives when we exercise our mercy muscles.
when I see with my heart: I see God and His kingdom when I see with my heart.
the uncomfortable call of making peace: Life is too short to allow any sort of alienation in it.
religious hatred: Sometimes theology can be the greatest stumbling block to loving humility.
spiritual salt shakers: Being turned upside down, like a salt shaker, is really uncomfortable.
the light of the new heart: The regenerated heart is one that is filled with light.
for the love of bread: More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold.
testing vs trusting: To test God is to not trust him.
the prophetic fulfillment of the law: Every legal obligation and all Messianic prophecies.
if someone calls you an idiot: Our reactions to name calling are important.
the heart of divorce: A marriage can be destroyed by the hard heart of one party.
the simplicity of yes: Wisdom is all about simplifying complex issues.
spiritual justice: We would all be blind and toothless if we followed the letter of the law.
unconditional enemy love: You cannot love your enemy if you have conditions.
the power of pain: Will we allow pain to have power over us? Or will we transform it?
the perfection that is love: We are perfect, as our heavenly father is perfect, when we love.
the desire to be seen: Good things can become bad when done with the wrong motive.
nondeductible donations: Real charity is all about the things that you cannot deduct on your taxes.
praying like a hypocrite: An admonition to not pray to be seen and heard by others.
divine will: Manifested in things that are small, priceless, hidden and eternal.
food and forgiveness: We need both physical and spiritual bread to live.
praying for deliverance: Life is a spiritual battle and we need God to fight the evil in our lives.
his kingdom. eternal. amen.: I always end with these words when I pray the Lord's prayer.
invisible treasure: When we love unconditionally we lay up treasure in heaven.
spiritual cataracts: If left untreated spiritual cataracts can form and obscure the light.
misplaced love: How we use money is often representative of how we serve God.
an antidote for worry: We cannot think our way out of worry.
seek first to love: Walking in love is evidence that we are seeking his kingdom.
the toxic paralysis of worry: Worry is a toxic state of despair, unbelief and hopelessness.
the reflection of judgment: Judging others can be a reflection of the way that we see ourselves?
cataract surgery: We cannot perform spiritual surgery on ourselves.
discerning a fool: Sharing our hearts with foolish people will often break our hearts.
transforming prayer: Prayer is not about getting things but getting to know God better.
he only gives us good things: It is always best to simply lean into the character of God.
the essence of the bible: How we treat people reveals the influence of God in our lives.
the narrow way of love: The Sermon on the Mount and walking the narrow road.
character vs charisma: Dogmatic answers or humble words that cause you to seek.
doing vs knowing: Why we do things religious things is more important than actually doing them.
bedrock faith: Faith does not keep us from the storms but it does keep us in the storms.
reader vs author: Jesus spoke as the author of holy writ.
healing touch: Jesus' response to this leper teaches me about the heart of God and ministry.
the heart of intercession: A great example of what it means to be an intercessor.
pain magnets: There is something therapeutic about releasing the things that cause us to suffer.
letting go of security: Following Jesus requires us to let go of earthly security.
gripped with fear: Storms come into our lives to give us an opportunity to exercise our faith.
going and knowing: The simplicity of Jesus' reaction to the demons is mind boggling.
religious callousness: Religious folks judge with callous disregard for the suffering of others.
outcasts: It is so amazing that so many outcasts wrote the scriptures.
mourning, grief and facebook: Loss can create a judgmental attitude in us towards others.
old clothes. sour wine.: The new covenant is not a patch for the old but a replacement of it.
the miracle maker: We can only come in humility, bowing and asking God for help.
spiritual not cerebral: Believing that God has the power to help me is not really about my theology.
unholy spirits: Human history indicates that evil has existed from the beginning.
spiritual farmers and shepherds: Genuine spiritual leaders have a heart for individuals.
the untouchables: Like lepers, many are shunned today because of things in their lives.
carry-on baggage: I do not need extra baggage to be complete. I am already complete.
the wisdom of lambs: To be "innocent as doves" a person must have no personal agenda.
spiritual words: God will supply the words if we will patiently wait for his voice.
spiritual survival: Senator John McCain died yesterday leaving us with a clear vision of survival.
a response to malignment: Faith is having an inner strength that endures bad treatment.
going public: Being transparent about life, failures, mistakes and sins can be a risky business.
the-life-of-sparrows: To know God is to trust him.
phony godliness: Jesus is the yardstick and plumb line by which all godliness is measured.
agents of grace: Grace is something that we receive so that we can give it away.
divine apprenticeship: The very nature of apprenticeship is to create an atmosphere of humility.
the offence of unanswered prayers: Faith is all about our reactions to unanswered prayers.
when less is more: Our lives are greater as they testify to the reality of heaven's kingdom.
religious bullies: The Pharisees are a compelling reminder to us of the dark side of religion.
positive repentance: Repentance is not so much what you turn from but Who you turn to.
spiritual children: Children are believing because they have not been taught to be unbelieving.
the root of peace: Peace will accompany humility because it calls us to release control.
the Lord of the Law: Why follow the Law when you can follow the Lord of the Law?
callous indifference: Can you imagine coming to the ER and it is closed because it is Sunday?
religious divisions: Divisions embrace an unhealthy inward focus that ignores hurting people.
spiritual slander: If one confuses right with wrong, they will continue to slander what is right.
evil hearts: The truth is that we all need a new heart that is not desperately wicked.
seeking proof: I have learned that seeking signs and seeking God are polar opposites.
worse than the first: When a person continually rejects the Holy Spirit they harden their heart.
spiritual family: Our spiritual family is far greater than the people we see on Sunday morning.
spiritual seeds: We have no control over how a person will hear what we say.
hidden messages: Ever heard a joke and just didn't get it even when it was explained to you?
spiritual eyes and ears: My life changed as I began to see and hear life through God's eyes.
the four hearts: Hard hearts. Shallow hearts. Strangled hearts. Persevering hearts.
human weeds: It is not always so easy to identify the human kind of weed.
small seeds: Lives have been changed just because a solitary seed was sown in the ground.
spiritual expansion: These words remind me that a life that is spiritual is not a stagnant life.
the hidden reign of the heavens: A beautiful way to visualize the kingdom of heaven.
the last curtain call: At the end of our lives we will be like those fish Jesus speaks of.
spiritual understanding: Our heads understand literally. Our hearts understand spiritually.
spiritual familiarity: Familiarity can sometimes obscure the image of God.
compassion, miracles and grief: Letting go of our fishes and loaves.
the fourth watch: Maybe we have to exhaust all of our options before God shows up?
uncomfort zones: Peter's story gives us a pathway out of our comfort zone.
awestruck: How do you react to something amazing that you cannot understand?
hypocritical-rules: Often religious people elevate their own rules to the level of scripture.
spiritual defilement: Religious folks often focus on the externals rather than the essentials.
the wisdom of ignoring leaders: Following a blind leader will cause you to fall.
healing tears: What image do you see when read about the compassion of Christ?
tenacious faith: The story inspires me to press in and pray when answers seem so far away.
divine fingerprints: In every sunrise and sunset and baby's face. I see evidence of God.
religious influencers: We must watch and beware of who we allow to influence our lives.
messianic revelation: Jesus Christ, the most controversial person who ever lived.
on this bedrock: The church is built on the bedrock of Jesus.
eternal focus: In focusing on the visible we lose sight of things eternal and invisible.
the ecstacy of self-sacrifice: Self-sacrifice is all about the embracing of pain and suffering.
comfort in scary times: They were flat on their faces, scared to death, when he touched them.
religious blindness: Who could ever imagine that we ourselves might reject God in the flesh?
seed-like faith: I love how Jesus is speaks hyperbolically in his teaching about prayer.
a greatly distressing message: The gospel is a greatly distressing message.
blessed taxes: Perhaps our attitude should be one of thankfulness for those who serve us?
kingdom humility: Unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
overcoming sin: Perhaps heaven can be described as a place that is absent of sin?
angelic emulation: When one of us strays our heart should demonstrate heavenly compassion.
the one percent: Our call is seek out and help those who have gotten lost in our culture.
the heart of reconciliation: Each of us can relate to the idea of complaining when we are offended.
seventy times seven: One who keeps an account of forgiveness does not understand it.
divine concessions: Why not overcome a concession than merely live into it?
growing into the largeness of marriage: Marriage provides us with opportunities for growth.
childlike hearts: Heaven belongs to those who are like children.
possessive possessions: Materialistic people often appear very moral.
fat cat camels: I laughed when I was reminded of the context of this verse.
when unfair is made fair: In that new day the pecking order of this age will expire.
divine philanthropy: Life is all about the generosity of God.
walking towards suffering: Jesus did not back down from pain but headed straight for it.
into your hands: The Son of God was not a victim of circumstances
Jonah and Jesus: Both were missing - deemed dead and gone.
the first message after the resurrection: The message is both timeless and universal.
willful ignorance: Skeptics think that it is 'intellectual' to dismiss eye witness accounts.
power suits: The bravest of them lacked the ability to continue Jesus' mission
breakfast with friends: This is such a beautiful story of friendship and discipleship.
seeing past our shame: Peter so needed the Lord to drag him out of his shame.
where you do not want to go: Following Jesus requires us to look up and not look around.
divine discipleship: Most of Jesus' own mission on earth was spent discipling uneducated people.
spiritual baptism: Christians have an ongoing need for forgiveness and spiritual empowering.
a witness to spiritual influence: Our lives witness to the Holy Spirit's influence in our lives.
the seduction of power: For years my ambition for position created a dissatisfaction in my life.
blindness, desperateness and healing: I was shocked when Ellen passed the eye test.
an invitation into our pain: Come into my pain Lord Jesus.
a hangout for thieves: Unfortunately religious thieves still mislead and manipulate.
they were angry: How blind must a person be to not see divinity in a worker of miracles?
an evidence of faith: It takes a belief in someone greater than ourselves to pray.
the authority of love: Our authority is heavenly when we love.
loving the unlovable: The challenge is to be the embodiment of a different sort of person.
few are chosen: I so wish that Jesus said 'many' instead of 'few'.
a taxing perspective: Often questions tell us quite a bit about the one who is asking them.
things illogical and invisible: What if his words disagreed with our ideology and theology?
the ministry of amateurs: God's working through fisherman and plumbers is often discounted.
in the midst of wolves: Sometimes life is a bit scary and so out of control
the source of fear: In reality, our fears evidence a trust in things seen rather than things unseen
a personal resurrection: Life is all about letting go and embracing new plans.
humble presence: Jesus is a king who comes in absolute humility.
taking on immortality: In this passage the words 'life' and 'soul' are the same word.
eternal consequences: Things that seem temporal may have eternal consequences.
few are chosen: I so wish that Jesus said 'many' instead of 'few'.
theological assumptions: I have been blinded to biblical truth because of assumptions.
all encompassing and all consuming: Jesus made it clear that loving God is not enough.
inconspicuous ministry: Sadly, some minister to attract attention to themselves.
call no one pastor: We are all equal as brothers and sisters.
be content to be yourself: Better to serve with no motive other than just being yourself.
open to interpretation: Some see the bible as a closed book rather than an unfolding mystery.
our word should be sacred: Our character and our word should reflect that of Christ.
on tithing and tipping: Genuine faith causes one go past what they owe God.
the spiritual dead: Bad behavior often evidences the absence of inner spiritual life.
hypocrites and heretics: Prophets are not accepted because they challenge the status quo.
the invitation to bow: A day is coming when every knee will bow.
temporal captivations: What is it about stuff that so garners our attention?
birth-pains: It is so easy to get distracted by predictions of future events.
the end will come: Maranatha. Come Lord Jesus.
for our sake: Reminds me that God is sovereign and reigns even in the darkest of times.
like swift lightning: Can you imagine that day when the Son of God comes again?
eternal words: The words that Jesus spoke are timeless and powerful.
an unexpected hour: Jesus' message in this passage is all about staying awake spiritually.
always be ready: Living in wisdom is how we prepare ourselves for things to come.
spiritual investing: I sometimes think that faithfulness is the currency of the kingdom.
from a throne of splendor: He who laid down his life now sits in judgment.
my religious ego: We sometimes do good things for the wrongs reasons.
intentions: People with good intentions often make mistakes and err in judgment.
spiritual darkness: This passage is a stark contrast between light and darkness.
extravagant giving: This passage is one of Jesus' great teaching on generosity.
the dark path of disappointment: No one had a clue what what betrayal would look like.
an intimate table: One of Jesus' last desires was to spend an intimate meal with his friends.
spiritual impotence: Following God has never been about fleshly power or weaponry.
courage to trust: In times of great pain and struggle it takes courage to trust the Lord.
when friends desert you: All I can see is Jesus standing all alone and with a broken heart.
a quick stop to the revolution: Spiritual battles never are won with swords.
the influence of darkness: He who came in peace was treated like a criminal.
the seduction of earthly religion: Court is in session and the religion of humankind is on trial.
spiritual boldness: Spirituality marked by boldness rather than boasting.
the divine king: He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
he is more: He is more than a great teacher or a great prophet.
the friendship gospel: Jesus is a virtual unknown and people are bringing their friends him.
the word became flesh: Who could have grasped that God Almighty was taking on human flesh?
manifestations of glory: Perhaps all miracles are manifestations of the glory of God?
zealous for our hearts: Do not make my Father's house a house of trade.
spiritual understanding: Mental rationalizations often trump inner understandings.
the inner wind of the heart: One might argue that being born again was part of Jewish teaching.
the gift of immortality: All creation is born mortal and do not survive death.
the dark side: Christ mostly confronted the darkness of religious people.
spiritual influence: Humility tells us that God's influence must increase in our lives.
spiritual thirst: Simple conversations can become so profound.
worship is spiritual not geographical: it is not about where we worship or the church building
spiritual food: Apart from love all ministry is void of anything spiritual.
exercising trust in a crisis: God is at work even when things seem out of control.
the loneliness of suffering: Those in pain should not have to suffer alone.
religious vs spiritual people: Commentary on Jesus' conflicts with religious leaders
spiritual-intimacy: Teresa of Calcutta was a witness to such an intimacy.
the only one qualified to judge: he was tempted as we are yet did not sin
being open to hear: Comprehension is more than simply hearing what someone says.
humanity on trial: from one of the crosses, a man speaks and light enters the darkness
two men dying: One is transformed as he waits to die.
the human on the cross: The message is greater than a fulfillment of prophecy.
feeling alone and forsaken: knowing that he experienced forsakenness gives me courage
the human debt: our debt of love was paid in full by redeeming love.

... click on this tag to see all of my Red Letter postings.

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