FCBCA English Devotions

  Today's passage: Luke 23 Today's focus: vs 39-43 Author: [from the archives of 2020] What was the "sinner's prayer" that you prayed to become a Christian? I've heard things like "I asked Jesus into my heart." The better ones have a profession of sin and asking for forgiveness. Do we see any examples of a structured prayer that you're supposed to "repeat after me" in order to become a Christian?  I have not found a direct prayer we are to repeat. However, there are models we see in Scripture that is worth taking notes after. The thief on the cross is a great one: He fears God.  We know this because he is bewildered that the other thief doesn't fear God. We must get rid of this trend where we tell people not to "fear God." Or we soften that to say "fear = respect." In Scripture, we see people fearing God and it has  always  been for the good! He recognizes that he deserves it.  He calls it "just." They

Today's passage: Luke 22 Today's focus: vs. 36-38  The scene of the Last Supper always intrigues me. I can only have a glimpse of how Jesus must have felt interacting with his disciples for the last time (not counting after the resurrection). He “eagerly desired to eat this Passover with [them] before [he] suffer[s]” (Lk. 22:14, NIV). Jesus is solemn, purposeful, and sorrowful. It must be disheartening for the disciples to argue about which of them was considered to be greatest. Patiently, Jesus told them they were not like the world. He turned to Peter to encourage him and that he has been praying for him to remain faithful and to strengthen his brothers (v. 32). After speaking to Peter, Jesus turned toward the others to foretell a different time was coming. When Jesus was with them, they did not need preparation--provisions provided and met with receptive ears (p. 760). The time is coming that they will be hated and, in effect, “if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and

  Today's passage: Luke 21 Today's focus: vs. 10-19 Author: [pulled form the 2020 devotional archives] What are the signs that Jesus will be coming back soon?  Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom (war) great earthquakes famines terrors and great signs from heaven "pestilence" Let's talk a bit about pestilence. It is a plague/epidemic/pandemic-- an illness that greatly spreads and kills. Throughout Scripture, we see that widespread illness is one of the ways that God judges the world  (Deuteronomy 32:24; 1 Chronicles 21:12; Ezekiel 7:14–15). At the same time, we take comfort that that God is sovereign. Even this COVID19 is a puppy at His heels (Habakkuk 3:5). But before any of this is to happen, listen to what must first come: "They will lay their hands on you and persecute you [...] you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake" (vs 12). A day is coming where charges will be brought against me and you for our

 Today's passage: Luke 20 Today's focus: vs 9-18 Author: [pulled from 2020 devotional archives] God sends prophets, and the people kill the prophets because they did not like the warning and passage. God calls the nations to repent and turn from evil. People do not like that. God does the unimaginable and sends His Son. We see that they also kill Him.  This parable warns us of what will happen: " He will come and destroy those tenants... " He switches analogy and uses one of construction-- " The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. " A cornerstone is designed to keep the building straight. If all the blocks line up with the cornerstone, the building will be aligned. When the builders throw out a cornerstone, the whole building is crooked and unstable.  When we reject Christ and throw Him out, our lives, family, society... begins to fall apart. But  so much more than that  is the warning that our salvation falls apart. When we reject C

Today's passage: Luke 19 Today's focus: vs. 11-27 Author: Wesley Cheung The Parable of the Ten Minas (not to be confused with the parable of the ten talents though quite similar) is a story about 10 servants who are given each a mina and tasked to “put this money to work until (he) comes back”. One makes 10 minas and receives rule over 10 cities, another makes 5 and rules over 5 cities, and the lazy servant hides his in the dirt only to have it seized and given to the one with 10. We’ve all heard the phrase “Be good stewards of God’s riches” tied to both this and the Parable of the Ten Talents. But taking a step back and the context and minor details around this particular parable, we can hopefully assign some deeper meaning to it. Through verses 11 and 12, we can establish that: He was telling this parable “because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once,” a regular occurrence since some Jews believed Jesus to be the Mes

Today's passage: Luke 18   Today's focus: vs. 35-43 Author: David Craft Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar “A blind man was sitting by the roadside begging…” Just as we see in modern times beggars were often found along roads near cities, a place that allowed them access to heavy traffic to ask for support. In normal fashion, the blind man asks what is causing all the commotion around him. He receives a response “Jesus of Nazareth.” Let's examine the blind man's response: The blind man addresses Jesus as “Son of David” The blind man asks for Jesus to “have mercy” on him, and then asked for physical healing of his eyes The blind man immediately recovered and followed Jesus, glorifying God Let’s also examine Jesus’ response: Jesus stopped and commanded the blind man be brought to him Jesus asked what the blind man needed from him Jesus healed the blind man’s sight and credited his faith What can we learn from this brief interaction? From the blind man: The blind man understood