INTIMACY
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Daily Readings: Luke 11 and Psalm 27 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ 2 He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘“Father…” Notice that the disciple asked Jesus, “Teach us to pray“,
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Daily Readings: Hebrews 10-11 and Psalm 15 It was not enough for Christians living in a world filled with the sort of violent hostility as is described in Hebrews 11:35-38 to be inspired by the example of the great heroes and heroines of the faith as are listed in 11:4-34. They needed to make every
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Daily Readings: Galatians 4 and Psalm 135 Galatians 4 is focussed on the contrast between the past and present of its readers. In the past, those who were Jews had been subject to the Law, which acted like a “guardian” to show them the way to live. But they had been motivated by their fear
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Daily Readings: 1 Corinthians 7 and Psalm 119:1-16 In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul answered questions the Corinthian Christians had written to him about marriage, singleness, divorce, and sex. There appear to have been those among them who strongly believed that it was more spiritual to be celibate, even when one was married! But, writing under
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Daily Readings: Acts 21 and Psalm 89 Determined to fulfil the Lord’s calling, Paul travelled to Jerusalem. In Acts 20:22-23, he stated plainly that he was going there ‘compelled by the Holy Spirit’ and knowing that in every city he visited the Spirit warned him that hardships awaited. Now, as he travelled, he was warned
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Daily Readings: Acts 4 and Psalm 72 We saw yesterday how courageous Peter became once filled with the Holy Spirit, and how willing he was to risk everything for Jesus. That theme continues today. Hauled before the same religious authorities who had so recently put Jesus to death, Peter and John refused to be silenced.
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Daily Readings: John 15 and Psalm 48 The big idea of Jesus’ metaphor of the Vine and His branches in John 15 is quite clear: Jesus wants us (His disciples) to remain deeply united to Him in an intimate relationship of fellowship and love. The metaphor (and Jesus’ explanation thereof) also promises us that our
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Daily Readings: John 14 and Psalm 47 Having reflected on John 12 and 13 in Holy Week, we now skip forward to John 14. Jesus and the apostles were in the Upper Room (although Judas Iscariot had already left to betray Jesus), and Jesus began to speak of what life would be like for them