Tag: hope

April 4, 2026

April 4th, 2026
Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – Matthew 27:45-28:15

Highlight Verses:

“The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭62‬-‭63‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did you ever notice how surprised Jesus’ disciples were when He rose from the dead?

You know who wasn’t surprised?

The leading priests and Pharisees. They wanted the tomb sealed and guards posted to keep Him in there.

I can’t say that I ever noticed that little irony.

To be honest, I didn’t this time either but the Sunday school curriculum I’m about to teach from tomorrow pointed it out.

Allow me to boggle your mind a little further.

The one who believes in God more than anyone else this side of heaven…

Is Satan.

He believes so strongly in God’s ability to send him to the lake of fire that he is pulling out all the stops to try to keep people from believing.

We who believe are not impervious to his attacks. He’ll do everything he can to sow doubt into our minds.

He has a whole army assigned to discourage us.

We are powerless to stop him …

Without Jesus.
- With Jesus, that punk doesn’t have a prayer – literally.
- With Jesus, we can defeat all the plans of the evil one.
- With Jesus, we can roll away the stones that hold us down.
- With Jesus, the curtain that separated us from God is torn aside and we can walk right in.
- With Jesus we can walk in true resurrection life!
If you don’t fully understand the significance of Resurrection Sunday, come to church tomorrow (Easter).

If you’re not sure where to go, message me and I’ll help you find a good church.

If you’re in the Denver metro area, join me at Pillar Church, 88th and Telluride (Capstone Academy) in Commerce City at 10 am.

Is your faith stronger than Satan’s?
How do you enlist God’s help to defeat Satan?
April 3, 2026

April 3rd, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Daniel 9-10

Highlight Verse:

“O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Daniel was as righteous as they come.

His faithfulness in the face of opposition puts my meager faith to shame.

But when it comes to pleading for mercy for his nation, he lumps himself right in with the worst sinners in Israel.

Was his self image really that low?

I don’t think so.

I believe he recognized that, if he was to plead for the nation, he had to identify with the nation.

He so closely identified with the nation of Israel that he took on the shame of Israel as he laid his nation’s soul bare before the Lord.

And God listened.

From the moment he started praying, he started the wheels in motion to restore the nation of Israel.

As people seeking to live righteous lives before God, it is easy to become judgmental of those who bring down the level of purity in our nation.

I daresay that is one of the reasons our nation is so sharply divided right now.

What would happen if we all humbled ourselves before God, confessing the sin of the nation as our own?

Restoration!

Can you join me today in praying for the restoration of our nation (or your nation if you are outside the US)?
March 30, 2026

March 30th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 13

Highlight Verses:

“When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How often do we see miracles like this?

How often do we expect to see them?

I’m guessing your answer is “seldom” to both questions.

No judgement here as that would be my answer too.

I have to wonder what would happen if we adjusted our beliefs to align with stories like this.

I will never be part of the “name it and claim it” or “blab it and grab it” crowd.

God is not a genie sent to grant our wishes.

But there is something to be said for praying and expecting to see a miracle.

Miracles do happen, even today.

I have seen it.

• I’ve seen asthma healed.
• I’ve seen cancer disappear.
• I’ve seen a child with severe head trauma walk out of the hospital the next day completely well.
• I’ve heard countless similar stories.

And yet I still find it hard to pray with unwavering faith.

I once knew an evangelist who ran crusades in the American South and in India. He would see the occasional miracle here in the states, but every crusade in India saw several healings and dozens if not hundreds of salvations.

The same God was behind each of those miracles.

But where need was great, faith was greater.

I’m not praying for need, but I do pray and long for greater faith.

While I will not share specific requests in this public forum, I will ask for God’s healing for me and family members.

If you would like prayer, just comment “me too” below and let’s join together today to pray for each other in faith.

May our faith rise up together to meet God’s abilities and plans.
Monday – Gospels

March 9th, 2026
Reading – Luke 10

Highlight Verses:

“These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s easy to think that the time when this was written was different. The harvest was great because it was that special time when Jesus split history in two and brought the new covenant to humankind.

It’s also easy to think that the harvest is limited today. In many ways our culture is at an all-time low.

If you think that, you may want to

take another look around.
- Younger generations are seeking God in increasing numbers
- In a reversal of most past trends, more young men are seeking God than young women.
- The Gospel is growing like never before in places where it has been forbidden like Iran.
- Christian music and film is gaining acceptance.
- Forest Frank, Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll have made it on Billboard’s top 100.
- The Chosen Series has seen huge streaming numbers.
- Numerous popular celebrities have accepted Jesus as Savior recently.
The list could go on.

The point is, the world is poised for a revival (or “awakening” to use the grammatically correct term) that could dwarf the Jesus Movement of the 1970’s.

I’ve included verse 3 in the highlight verses because Satan is ticked.

He will do what ever he can to stop the harvest.

Read on. Later in the chapter, Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning.

If you are seeing opposition when you try to share the Gospel, don’t fear. That opposition is just Satan popping his head up like a “Whack-a-Mole.”

Jesus is waiting to send that mole back where he came from.

If we are willing to be sent as workers, we will see a “harvest” beyond what we could imagine.

What signs of revival have you seen lately?
What are you doing to become a “worker” in that harvest?
March 5, 2026

March 5th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 9

Highlight Verses:

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It may be chilly here at my desk in our basement,

but this verse gave me chills when I read it.

Seriously. How many people go through life worrying about what God is going to say about all those sins they committed throughout their lives?

Listen to this:

Jesus already dealt with our sins!

We need to trust Him in that.

Of course, we should make every effort to stay away from sin. But we will mess up. We may even have to deal with the earthly consequences of our sins.

But if we accept the sacrifice Jesus made for us, they are dealt with.

With that Good News in mind, we eagerly await Christ’s return as He brings salvation to all who eagerly wait for Him.

Now that’s something worth waiting for.

On a theological side note – if you ever wondered about reincarnation, don’t bother. Verse 27 makes it quite clear that life is a one-time experience (that lasts for eternity).

Have you been hanging on to guilt? Does today’s reading help free you?
Is there anything else in today’s reading that stood out to you?
March 3, 2026

March 3rd, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Here’s another reading where I think we should get right to the proverbial elephant in the room (or passage).

Why were there different purification periods for giving birth to girls than boys?

I cannot claim to have a definitive answer, but I have a couple of ideas.

One was that moms would want more time to bond with their infant girls than boys.

That time of cleansing was time that she could dedicate to her infant full time while the rest of the extended family helped out more around the home.

That may not make a lot of sense in today’s culture, but God worked within the culture of the day to make appropriate rules for that day.

In that culture and time, the rules would have seemed appropriate.

Regardless, the rules were not to belittle daughters or to penalize a mom for bearing a daughter.

The way I see it, the rules gave extra deference to girls. Of course, that’s a dad of three daughters speaking.

It can also be noted that these laws were eliminated after Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

At this point, it is tempting to get into the whole argument between cultural relativism and morality but let’s save that for another day.

Instead, the takeaway I see from today is that God is not anti-woman but rather gives deference to them.

Do you agree with that?
If not, how would you interpret this passage?
Sunday – Poetry

March 1st, 2026

Reading – Proverbs 14

Highlight Verse:

“The wicked are crushed by disaster, but the godly have a refuge when they die.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I had to do a double take when I read that.

I was all ready to give a story about coming through a disastrous time in my life.

Then this verse throws the old line “but did you die?” up in my face.

In fact, I did not die.

And, frankly, I hope I don’t for quite a long time.

But when that time comes, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it will not be the end for me.

There will be a refuge for me in heaven.

So, no matter what this life throws at me, I need not fear death.

Death has no power over me.

Are you confident of your power over death?
How should that affect how you live this life?
February 26, 2026

February 26th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 8

Highlight Verses:

“Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When the Bible points out the main point, I tend to pay attention.

Here it is.

Jesus is our High Priest.

He is not one who struggles to keep up with the sacrifices and keeping the law from a place that represents God’s presence.

He made the one true sacrifice for all and is now seated right next to the Father!

When we see this High Priest in person (and we will – 1 Corinthians 13:12), we will not only see Him face to face but will be ushered into the very presence of God the Father by the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice that makes us clean!

In case you are wondering whether or not God will have time for you in person among the billions of other people, remember we will have eternity.

That means that Heaven operates outside the bounds of time.

I don’t know what that will look like, but I know it will be amazing.

If you think that will be too much for you, go check out Isaiah chapter 25 – especially verse 8.

Remember He is your Priest guiding you even now in eternal life from the Throne Room itself!

Words cannot describe how awesome that is.

How have you witnessed the presence of God in your life here on Earth?

How many pains and tears will He be wiping away for you? (By the way, that process begins now, not just when you see Him in person, but that’s another whole topic).
February 23, 2026

February 23rd, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 8

Highlight Verses:

“The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I was at a large outdoor Christian music festival several years ago. In the evening, they had worship and a message at the main stage.

As the meeting began, we could see a large storm heading straight for us.

I honestly don’t remember whether they prayed from the stage, but I know they had a prayer team at the back of the crowd that kept praying throughout the entire event.

I remember praying for the storm to go around us while mentally preparing to be soaked.

Some faith, huh?

My faith was stretched that evening as I witnessed that storm literally split in two and pass by the grounds on both sides.

We stayed dry.

I still struggle to pray in faith. But I now personally know that God is able to do far more than my feeble faith would allow for.

It’s about time we started praying that way.

When have you seen God go way beyond your expectations in answer to prayer?
What are you having a difficult time having faith for now (remember to keep privacy in mind in your comments)?
February 19, 2026

February 19th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 7

Highlight Verse:

“For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There are many ways that Jesus is so much better of a priest than the Old Testament priests.

This whole chapter is a nice logical discourse on that subject.

But this one verse sums it up nicely.

Basically, the law fell short of what Jesus did. Jesus made the perfect sacrifice, taking away our guilt so that we can be close to God.

That truly is the best hope and the deepest joy.

As we go through this season of Lent (which I completely forgot about yesterday, Ash Wednesday), let’s focus on that hope that was fulfilled on Easter Sunday 2000 years ago.

What is one way you can sharpen your daily focus on Jesus?
Have you ever found yourself trying to earn your way to heaven through keeping the Old Testament Law (or legalistic church rules)? In what ways has accepting Jesus brought you closer to God?

Tag: hope

You know who wasn’t surprised?

Allow me to boggle your mind a little further.

Daniel was as righteous as they come.

Was his self image really that low?

What would happen if we all humbled ourselves before God, confessing the sin of the nation as our own?

Restoration!

How often do we expect to see them?

I have seen it.

If you would like prayer, just comment “me too” below and let’s join together today to pray for each other in faith.

May our faith rise up together to meet God’s abilities and plans.

take another look around.

I’ve included verse 3 in the highlight verses because Satan is ticked.

If we are willing to be sent as workers, we will see a “harvest” beyond what we could imagine.

but this verse gave me chills when I read it.

Jesus already dealt with our sins!

But if we accept the sacrifice Jesus made for us, they are dealt with.

Why were there different purification periods for giving birth to girls than boys?

In that culture and time, the rules would have seemed appropriate.

Instead, the takeaway I see from today is that God is not anti-woman but rather gives deference to them.

I had to do a double take when I read that.

In fact, I did not die.

Death has no power over me.

When the Bible points out the main point, I tend to pay attention.

Jesus is our High Priest.

Words cannot describe how awesome that is.

As the meeting began, we could see a large storm heading straight for us.

My faith was stretched that evening as I witnessed that storm literally split in two and pass by the grounds on both sides.

It’s about time we started praying that way.

But this one verse sums it up nicely.

That truly is the best hope and the deepest joy.