The following devotions are written and shared weekly by Pastor Steve Harmon.
Click Here for Week of September 23rd
Click Here for Week of September 30th
Click Here for Week of October 7th
Day One
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Paul is describing the mindset needed to be a witness to the life and hope that is ours in Jesus Christ in a culture that is at best indifferent to that and at worst hostile toward it. First and foremost is to know whom we have believed. We need to know Jesus – who He is and what He proclaims. We need to know that claims that He makes about His work. So we need to spend time in His Word. We need to read the Gospels. We need to listen to His voice. We need to hear what He says to us and about us – about His love for us. We need to focus on Jesus’ words because they are true. They are true because Jesus is the Truth. Everything else is false. If it contradicts what Jesus says about His character and work, then it is a lie. It is false. And the empty tomb is the guarantee. Because the tomb is empty, all that Jesus spoke is true. If the tomb was not empty, then Jesus would be a liar – or at the very least, a lunatic. But the tomb is empty. It is attested by several historians outside of the Christian faith Chief among those is Josephus a Jewish historian who was hostile to the Way. Even he wrote that Jesus was crucified and buried and that some said He rose from the dead. If you have a positive reference in a negative source, you can take that to the bank. From a historian’s point of view, that’s gospel.
Day Two
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The devotion from Portals of Prayer was good today. It’s titled “Your Best Investment.” “The job of a portfolio manager is to advise people of the best investments to make. We are happy to trust them with our treasures and put our financial future in their hands. They are experts, after all. Matthew 6:19-21 warns us to not store up treasures in this world, where moth and rust destroy. Instead, it tells us to store up treasures in heaven. Jesus, our expert on heaven, promised that He Himself is there to prepare a place for us; a place where there are no more tears, nor more pain, no more death. Notice how hands-on the Creator is! Revelation tells us God Himself will wipe away every tear. God could have commanded angels to do these tasks, but you are so special to god that He wants to handle them personally. God’s love never changes. Invest your faith and trust in Jesus for your long-term future. He is your best investment. You can trust your eternal soul in His nail-pierced hands.” A final word is needed here. This doesn’t mean that we are to be unconcerned with temporal treasures. We are called to be good stewards of all that God gives to us. Investing earthly treasures can be good stewardship. It can be used to care for you and your family and for the stranger. So, as you work to be a good steward of God’s blessings to you, keep your focus on the investment that Jesus has made in you and the dividends that is your inheritance in Him.
Day Three
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Lamentations 3:22-24 talks about God’s faithfulness. That is the foundation of our hope. He is a God of promises and He neither forgets nor fails to keep His promises. He covered Adam and Eve with the skins of animals saving them from the death they deserved because they ate the forbidden fruit. He kept His promise to Moses and the people of Israel to deliver them even when that promise seemed lost. They stood at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army pursuing them. There seemed to be no escape. The promise of deliverance hung in the balance. Great is God’s faithfulness. He parted the Sea and the people of Israel walked across to safety and freedom. Jesus hung on the cross dying. The promised Savior was dying and so was the hope that He had come to fulfill. He was the Messiah – the promise Deliverer – and He died. Did hope die with Him? Did God’s promise fail? No! The promise was fulfilled. Jesus rose from the dead. The promise was fulfilled. Jesus rose. Death was swallowed up in victory. Death was swallowed by life. In Baptism, we have been joined together with Jesus in His victory through His death and life. We have been raised from death in sin to
life in Jesus. We have been delivered. By the forgiveness of our sins, the promise has been fulfilled for us and in us. The empty tomb is the guarantee.
Day Four
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 31:8 is the second time that Moses says to the Israelites that God goes with them and will never forsake them. The reason for this repetition is that the Israelites are about to enter into the land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants. It was fear that kept their parents’ generation from entering the land. God brought them to the border of the land He had promised to give to Abraham’s descendants and they would not go in. The inhabitants were strong and they had fortified cities. God, speaking through Moses, tells them that He will go before them. He will prepare a way for them. He will overthrow their enemies. He will not abandon them. In many ways, that’s what Jesus has done for us. He went before us. He prepared a way for us to enter the land of promise by giving Himself into the hands of the enemy. He suffered the death that we deserved and that sin demanded. He took our place under that curse and died so that we could live. He overthrew sin and death. And He has shared His victory with us. By faith in Him, we live.
Day Five
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This morning’s devotion from Portals of Prayer takes a military perspective. The Lord will lead His people across the Jordan into the land promised to them. They are being called to put their trust in God who goes before them to prepare their way. What follows is food for thought as we go through our days. “In the military, you are expected to obey the orders of the commander in chief. That person knows the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy. He sees the big picture and has the battle plan that will lead the soldiers to victory. Earthly strife attacks us, and we want to take command and control from God, our spiritual commander in chief. Breaking military commands leaves solders’ lives at risk. Breaking God’s command(ments) leaves us at risk of attack from the devil and puts our spiritual and eternal lives at risk. Thankfully, God, our commander in chief, knows our earthly and spiritual enemies the best and has the best battle plan ever. He sent Jesus to defeat our greatest enemies for us. Jesus followed God’s plan and was victorious over death. Joshua commanded his soldiers to not fear, to be strong and courageous. Why? Because he knew that God was always with them. God is always with you too, no matter what battles you face. Be strong and courageous, always believing that God’s battle plan for your life leads to eternal victory.”
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Paul is describing the mindset needed to be a witness to the life and hope that is ours in Jesus Christ in a culture that is at best indifferent to that and at worst hostile toward it. First and foremost is to know whom we have believed. We need to know Jesus – who He is and what He proclaims. We need to know that claims that He makes about His work. So we need to spend time in His Word. We need to read the Gospels. We need to listen to His voice. We need to hear what He says to us and about us – about His love for us. We need to focus on Jesus’ words because they are true. They are true because Jesus is the Truth. Everything else is false. If it contradicts what Jesus says about His character and work, then it is a lie. It is false. And the empty tomb is the guarantee. Because the tomb is empty, all that Jesus spoke is true. If the tomb was not empty, then Jesus would be a liar – or at the very least, a lunatic. But the tomb is empty. It is attested by several historians outside of the Christian faith Chief among those is Josephus a Jewish historian who was hostile to the Way. Even he wrote that Jesus was crucified and buried and that some said He rose from the dead. If you have a positive reference in a negative source, you can take that to the bank. From a historian’s point of view, that’s gospel.
Day Two
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The devotion from Portals of Prayer was good today. It’s titled “Your Best Investment.” “The job of a portfolio manager is to advise people of the best investments to make. We are happy to trust them with our treasures and put our financial future in their hands. They are experts, after all. Matthew 6:19-21 warns us to not store up treasures in this world, where moth and rust destroy. Instead, it tells us to store up treasures in heaven. Jesus, our expert on heaven, promised that He Himself is there to prepare a place for us; a place where there are no more tears, nor more pain, no more death. Notice how hands-on the Creator is! Revelation tells us God Himself will wipe away every tear. God could have commanded angels to do these tasks, but you are so special to god that He wants to handle them personally. God’s love never changes. Invest your faith and trust in Jesus for your long-term future. He is your best investment. You can trust your eternal soul in His nail-pierced hands.” A final word is needed here. This doesn’t mean that we are to be unconcerned with temporal treasures. We are called to be good stewards of all that God gives to us. Investing earthly treasures can be good stewardship. It can be used to care for you and your family and for the stranger. So, as you work to be a good steward of God’s blessings to you, keep your focus on the investment that Jesus has made in you and the dividends that is your inheritance in Him.
Day Three
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Lamentations 3:22-24 talks about God’s faithfulness. That is the foundation of our hope. He is a God of promises and He neither forgets nor fails to keep His promises. He covered Adam and Eve with the skins of animals saving them from the death they deserved because they ate the forbidden fruit. He kept His promise to Moses and the people of Israel to deliver them even when that promise seemed lost. They stood at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army pursuing them. There seemed to be no escape. The promise of deliverance hung in the balance. Great is God’s faithfulness. He parted the Sea and the people of Israel walked across to safety and freedom. Jesus hung on the cross dying. The promised Savior was dying and so was the hope that He had come to fulfill. He was the Messiah – the promise Deliverer – and He died. Did hope die with Him? Did God’s promise fail? No! The promise was fulfilled. Jesus rose from the dead. The promise was fulfilled. Jesus rose. Death was swallowed up in victory. Death was swallowed by life. In Baptism, we have been joined together with Jesus in His victory through His death and life. We have been raised from death in sin to
life in Jesus. We have been delivered. By the forgiveness of our sins, the promise has been fulfilled for us and in us. The empty tomb is the guarantee.
Day Four
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 31:8 is the second time that Moses says to the Israelites that God goes with them and will never forsake them. The reason for this repetition is that the Israelites are about to enter into the land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants. It was fear that kept their parents’ generation from entering the land. God brought them to the border of the land He had promised to give to Abraham’s descendants and they would not go in. The inhabitants were strong and they had fortified cities. God, speaking through Moses, tells them that He will go before them. He will prepare a way for them. He will overthrow their enemies. He will not abandon them. In many ways, that’s what Jesus has done for us. He went before us. He prepared a way for us to enter the land of promise by giving Himself into the hands of the enemy. He suffered the death that we deserved and that sin demanded. He took our place under that curse and died so that we could live. He overthrew sin and death. And He has shared His victory with us. By faith in Him, we live.
Day Five
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This morning’s devotion from Portals of Prayer takes a military perspective. The Lord will lead His people across the Jordan into the land promised to them. They are being called to put their trust in God who goes before them to prepare their way. What follows is food for thought as we go through our days. “In the military, you are expected to obey the orders of the commander in chief. That person knows the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy. He sees the big picture and has the battle plan that will lead the soldiers to victory. Earthly strife attacks us, and we want to take command and control from God, our spiritual commander in chief. Breaking military commands leaves solders’ lives at risk. Breaking God’s command(ments) leaves us at risk of attack from the devil and puts our spiritual and eternal lives at risk. Thankfully, God, our commander in chief, knows our earthly and spiritual enemies the best and has the best battle plan ever. He sent Jesus to defeat our greatest enemies for us. Jesus followed God’s plan and was victorious over death. Joshua commanded his soldiers to not fear, to be strong and courageous. Why? Because he knew that God was always with them. God is always with you too, no matter what battles you face. Be strong and courageous, always believing that God’s battle plan for your life leads to eternal victory.”