The Up Devotional

Peter was a fisherman. Jesus called him into a life of discipleship and leadership: “Follow me,” he said, “and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). Sure, Peter was imperfect. There was a time when he denied Jesus (Luke 22:58). He also had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, […]

“The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him…” (Exodus 15:2) Recently, I saw a video someone recorded while passing by a home. It had been devastated by a massive fire. The entire inside was burned out. All that was left […]

As you probably know, Jerusalem has seen a lot of bombs.  Fairly recently, I learned about a group of people named the Zaka. After a bomb goes off, they put on their yellow visibility vests and rush to the scene. They often get there before the paramedics.  They gather the body pieces of people who […]

I recently watched Disclosure Day. It’s the latest movie from producer Steven Spielberg.  I was interested because there had been a lot of talk about it, including from within the Christian community. The reason for this chatter had to do with the topic—Aliens!   But not just that. Spielberg went out of his way to […]

In 2 Peter 3:3, the apostle gives a warning to his fellow Christians: “scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”  He is about to teach them about the return of Jesus. There are “scoffers,” he says. Literally, the text says “scoffers in their scoffing.” They doubt God, they […]

In the previous devotional, I talked about how the future is beautiful. Yes, there can be ugliness in our world, but it won’t always be this way. This is partly based on passages like 2 Peter 3:13 where the apostle says this: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a […]

There is a lot of beauty in our world. But let’s be honest. There is also a lot of ugliness. Let me provide a few examples:  The non-stop fighting—between nations, in politics, and sometimes even in homes.  Profanity and pornography which continually reinvents itself to shock and ensnare us more and more.  The trafficking of […]

The world can seem like a very big place. There are lots of people. There are lots of voices—some good, some bad. There is a lot of noise. There is a lot of arguing. There is a lot of information. The word “overload” comes to mind. In light of all of this, it’s easy to […]

Serving others is mentioned in a variety of biblical passages. One of them is Galatians 5:13: “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Ultimately, Jesus is our example. He was serving others non-stop. He washed his disciples’ feet. He healed people. He cast out […]

In 2 Peter 2, the apostle warns against false teachers. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that the entire chapter might be the closest thing we have to a biblical rant!  The difference, however, is that Peter’s words are inspired by God. Plus, he’s motivated by love and a desire to protect others.  […]

When something is “objectively true,” it is true no matter what. When something is “subjectively true,” its truth is dependent on someone’s experience or perspective. To explain more fully, here is a list of five statements. Which ones are true? 1) The C.N. Tower is in Toronto.2) The average gravitational pull of earth is 9.8 […]

Are there good things in our world? Yes. There are a lot of good things.  At the same time, when we look around at all the division, violence, and sin—including the celebration of sin—it’s easy to get discouraged.  That’s why it’s good to remember that God’s people have always been called to be different, even […]

I remember hearing a song on the radio by Casting Crowns. It was called “Slow Fade.”  The point of the song is that falling away from God’s ways and into sin is rarely an all-at-once experience. It is a “slow fade.” In other words, it is the cumulative effect of a series of smaller decisions […]

I was recently reminded of a story about Martin Luther, the well-known church reformer from the sixteenth century.  One day he was confronted by the devil who accused him of sin after sin. I’m paraphrasing, but in essence the devil said, ‘How can you pretend to be a leader and reformer of the church? You’re […]

Recently, I was putting together a new piece of furniture. The instruction manual had some spelling mistakes. As a result, I started to doubt how accurate it was. If you don’t trust what you’re reading, you’ll start to question whether or not it’s actually going to help you. This is why it’s important to be […]

The Bible includes different kinds of lists. Some of these are sin lists. Others are virtue lists, which we could also consider character traits to pursue. One of them is found in 2 Peter 1:5-8. It says: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and […]

Have you ever felt frustrated at your lack of spiritual growth? Or perhaps you can see some progress, but you feel defeated because it’s taking longer than you’d like?  If so, Walter Adams has some food for thought. He says: “Look after the roots, and the fruits will look after themselves.”* Let’s look more closely […]

“Don’t drink the Kool Aid.” It’s an expression that traces back to a cult leader who compelled his followers to consume a sugary drink (it wasn’t technically “Kool Aid”, but the idea caught on.) This person’s followers died in the process. Today, the expression is used to warn people against dangerous group-think. ‘Don’t blindly adhere […]

In Ephesians 4:27 we are told to “give no opportunity to the devil.”  In the original Greek manuscripts of this verse, the word for “opportunity” is topos. It’s where we get our English word “topography.” In Ephesians, this word suggests some sort of location or space.  Various biblical translation teams have struggled to adequately capture […]

Have you ever noticed the words that are used to describe the devil? Let me provide three examples. First, he “prowls.” We find this detail in 1 Peter 5:8: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Second, he is “crafty.” This detail comes up in the Garden of […]

In the Bible, we are often told be humble. We’re often warned to steer clear of pride. So here’s a helpful way to think about the difference between the two.  It’s the difference between self-forgetfulness and self-infatuation.  Self-forgetfulness isn’t about being self-deprecating. Nor is it about beating yourself up. It’s about focusing more and more […]

Worry. It happens. We don’t like it, but it’s a part of life.  Here’s what I’ve come to know about worry. Worry loves to make you question the past, fear the future, and doubt God in the present, so that you are forever frantic and mentally somewhere else. Let’s break that down one idea at […]

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle is instructing his readers about something important. There are times, he says, when we will suffer for our faith. Just as Jesus suffered, we too will suffer. Just as Jesus was insulted, so too will we be insulted. He then goes on to provide some further clarity: “But let […]

[Note: New podcast episode about The Apostles’ Creed — link in footnotes.] ~ Thousands of years ago the people of God were encouraged with these words: “Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today” (Deuteronomy 10:15). In his […]

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle is encouraging his readers to be prayerful and loving. As a part of this he shares a word about hospitality: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (verse 9). When we think about the word hospitality, we often think of the “hospitality industry.” That’s not unrelated, but it’s not […]