Devotionals

Simon Peter: A Betrayer Is Restored

(An eyewitness’ account*) By Dale Reeves We were just minding our own business, washing and mending our nets on the lakeshore, when we first met Jesus face-to-face. He stepped into my boat to use it as a sort of floating speaker’s platform. After he talked to the people about what he called “the kingdom of Heaven,” he told us to move the boat into deeper water and then cast our nets off the right side. Andrew and I looked at each other and laughed; we had been out there all night without sleep and without fish. I’m not sure

March 10, 2020

Grapes of Peace

By Daniel Schantz “The blossoming [grape] vines spread their fragrance” (Song of Solomon 2:13). The grape juice our churches use for Communion was developed by Thomas Welch, a Methodist minister, physician, and teetotaler, in the 1860s. He thought it hypocritical for preachers to oppose drinking and then serve alcoholic wine for the Lord’s Supper. Since grape juice contains its own leaven, he used pasteurization to stop fermentation. Welch’s Grape Juice Company resulted from his efforts to sell the juice to churches. But the choice of “grape juice” as the symbol of Christ was entirely God’s idea, and it was the

February 25, 2020

Manifestations

By Stuart Powell God used visible signs throughout the Old Testament to confirm the message of his revelation; three examples included the rainbow, the tabernacle, and feasts. When people of faith encountered these visible signs, they would recall the stories behind them. They would retell the words God shared with earlier believers. All of these signs accompanied a promise God made to his people. So each sign became the physical manifestations of the promise God made. Two of the most prominent signs representative of Old Testament promises were the rite of circumcision, a reminder of God’s promises because of the

February 18, 2020

Once For All

By Stuart Powell Many people see wooden fences as a nice accent in a rustic setting. Ranchers may use them to contain their livestock. But there is a problem with wooden fences: they are temporary. Rot-resistant wood can be selected and treated with all sorts of chemical preservatives but, in the end, the rails will begin to break and the posts will start to lean. If the fence is not maintained, it is only a matter of time before it falls to the ground in uselessness and decay. It’s the same way with every work that mankind attempts. Our work

December 31, 2019

New Things

By Stuart Powell A spirit of optimism permeates our culture at the beginning of every year. The idea of newness is everywhere. However, it seems the “newness” quickly fades. Our government is still in strife. Our boss still makes unreasonable demands. Most of our resolutions are quickly broken. The temptations and sins that plagued us last year haven’t vanished. The old stuff that caused us to long for last year to end looks amazingly similar to the new stuff in our New Year. Israelites in Isaiah’s day faced similar struggles against the sinfulness of their age. They looked to God

December 24, 2019

Marking Time

By Stuart Powell In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on this very day, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me there. By means of divine visions he brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, and on it was a structure like a city, to the south (Ezekiel 40:1, 2, New English Translation). In exile, Ezekiel measured the passing of time from two national

December 17, 2019

Kent E. Fillinger

‘I’ll Be (Living at) Home for Christmas’

By Kent E. Fillinger This Christmas, you might be looking forward to your adult children returning home. Or maybe they’re home already. A Pew Research Center report found that 15 percent of millennials (ages 25 to 37) were living at home in 2018, nearly double the rate of older baby boomers when they were in that age range. In fact, a smaller percentage of people in the rising generations are checking off the four major life events that historically have signified “adulthood”: leaving home, getting married, becoming a parent, and getting a job. And the percentage of adults in the

December 16, 2019

Daniel Schantz

The Jewel Tree

By Daniel Schantz “Don’t bother to buy a Christmas tree,” my wife, Sharon, said as she peered out the window at our neighbors who were struggling to get an oversized tree through their front door. “No one is coming to see us this season, so what’s the point?” She sounded disappointed. “Yeah, you’re right,” I agreed. “I think this is going to be the Christmas that wasn’t.” This Christmas would be a special trial for me—my first since I retired after training student-leaders for world service for 43 years. All that time, I “lived” in the classrooms of Central Christian

December 10, 2019

The Light of a New Day

By Leigh Mackenzie December 15 is the third Sunday in Advent. The winter solstice—the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere—occurs December 21. After the solstice, days will gradually lengthen. Spring will arrive in three months, along with the return of vibrant life. Summer will be in six months. By then, our days will be swathed in bright sunshine until late in the evening. Spring and summer are a time of growth and production. The prophet wrote, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light

December 5, 2019

Focusing on Failure

Here’s a Christian Standard editorial from 140 years ago that will apply to most everyone, at least on some level. _ _ _ Concerning Failures. By Isaac ErrettDec. 13, 1879 We are moved to say a few words concerning failures, by a letter received from a friend, over whose pathway thick darkness has gathered, and on whose head fierce tempests have broken in long succession, who says: “My life is a failure, and I know it; I have attempted tasks for which I was not qualified and have wasted my life in attempts to be what God never meant I

December 3, 2019

The Right Reason

By Stuart Powell At this time of year, Christians proudly proclaim, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” The statement is intended to counteract cultural forces that are attempting to remove Jesus as the foundation of Christmas. Many people push to make the celebration about family, children, and giving gifts. Christians know there is more to Christmas—and we want to share that knowledge. We celebrate with confidence Jesus’ birth, a historical event and a major part of our identity as Christians. As believers we continually focus on the Son of God’s indescribable birth in Bethlehem. We display our conviction that

November 21, 2019

I Thank My God for You

This is the first of two editorials that center on thanksgiving and the apostle Paul. This one, from Thanksgiving 1934, is by Edwin R. Errett, and was republished 50 years later. _ _ _ I Thank My God for You Editorial by Edwin R. ErrettNovember 24, 1934; p. 3(Adapted/republished November 18, 1984; p. 3) There may be a monotony about messages on thanksgiving, but there was one phrase of whose monotony the apostle Paul was not afraid. In almost every letter of his that we possess, that phrase has prominent place: “I thank my God for you.” Sometimes he was

November 19, 2019

Thankful

By Jon Wren French journalist and author Alphonse Karr was widely known throughout Europe in the 19th century as chief editor of Paris’ famous Le Figaro. Yet despite his fame in journalism, Karr’s passion in life was gardening. Karr described his life’s philosophy this way: “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” Karr’s words are a perfect illustration of the thanksgiving and gratitude Christ followers should have. The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Colossae to see their lives and circumstances through the perspective of gratitude for Christ and his work in their

November 12, 2019

Impressions

By Beau Bruton We all have people we look up to for one reason or another. After meeting someone, it’s common to say, “They made a good impression on me.” The word impression can mean your first thoughts on someone, mimicry of someone, or the imprint of something. Many people look up to the rich and famous—musicians, athletes, movie stars, and sometimes politicians. People of note leave indelible marks on society, sometimes for good things but often for bad. Kirk Franklin sings, “America has no more stars, now we call them idols.” (He obviously is referring to TV’s American Idol.)

November 2, 2019

Jerry Harris

Sacred Responsibility, Sacred Trust

By Jerry Harris I have many fond childhood memories of Christmas. I remember the silver tree we set up in our front picture window. We shined a filtered light on it that changed its color to red, green, blue, and yellow. My older brother would attempt to hypnotize me by setting me in front of it. I remember getting a Close’n Play record player one Christmas that didn’t survive the day. I remember sneaking up behind my deaf uncle, who had fallen asleep in my dad’s chair; we made a huge racket, convinced he was faking not being able to

October 29, 2019

The Inspiring Leader

By Stuart Powell After Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had long anticipated (Matthew 16:16), Jesus began explaining God’s plans for this long-promised deliverer: From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” (Matthew 16:21, 22, New English Translation). Matthew didn’t record all of

October 22, 2019

Above All Else

By Beau Bruton Jesus told us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (Luke 12:31, New Living Translation). It’s something all Christians should do. But life gets in the way; things happen—work, family issues, health problems, you name it. The world tries to pull us away from God’s kingdom, but Jesus draws us closer to it. The world hands us problems, trials, lies, and deception. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; [but Jesus said,] I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). So, what should we do

October 15, 2019

Again

By Stuart Powell I sinned again. The week had barely begun when I embraced the temptation and compromised my witness . . . again. It seems I’m continually choosing rebellion against God. No single temptation is entirely new; these are the same temptations I’ve fought for years. The Holy Spirit warns me. He corrects and confronts me about each temptation. But I keep stepping into the same trap over and over again. Don’t tell me it’s OK that I keep sinning against the creator. I’m willingly choosing my broken desire over the good plan of the sinless God. As the

October 8, 2019