The Up Devotional

This week we’re looking at Daniel 11:32.  In the second century B.C. the murderous Antiochus IV was wreaking havoc. He was persecuting God’s people and even set up pagan sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple.  In response, a group of people resisted and remained true: “the people who know their God shall stand firm and take […]

In yesterday’s devotional we looked at Daniel 11:32.  In the second century B.C. a vile leader named Antiochus IV was wreaking havoc and destruction. He was persecuting God’s people and even set up pagan sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple.  In response, a group of people remained true: “the people who know their God shall stand […]

On the surface, Daniel 11 is not a happy piece of reading. In it, the archangel Gabriel tells Daniel what is about to happen in the coming centuries. There is a lot of war, bloodshed, political gamesmanship, and persecution.  Amongst other things, a vile leader named Antiochus IV, rises to power, desecrates the Jerusalem temple […]

In his wisdom, God has given us certain things to do. They are for our good. They are a conduit for his grace in our lives.  These are things like prayer, reading the Bible, and the Sacraments. There are more, but these are some of the most commonly referenced. Today I’d like to share something […]

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” […]

Ryan Skoog had a friend who went in a mission trip to Russia after the fall of communism.  They went to a former gulag, a forced labour camp. Horrible things had happened in that location. Their mission was to deconstruct the prison and repurpose the stones to build a church.  Their mission was to make […]

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55) “We are an Easter people.” I’m not sure when I first heard that expression, but it was probably when I was in high school.  Being “an Easter people” means that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is the defining aspect […]

[Ministry Announcement in the Footnotes Below] ~ Jim Carey was in a movie called Bruce Almighty. Carey played Bruce, and God was played by Morgan Freeman.  In short, Bruce complained to God that he wasn’t doing his job very well. So, in a kind of cosmic experiment, God gave his powers to Bruce to see […]

Happy Easter!  Johnny Hunt once said: “In the end we win because the fight’s been fixed.”* I love it! But what does he mean?  He’s referring to the victory of Christ. On the cross and through the empty tomb, he defeated the powers of sin, death, despair, darkness and even the Devil himself. Colossians 2:15 […]

There’s a marine training facility called Parris Island. A young man signed up who was a bit out of step with the others. He was nice enough—but he just didn’t fit in. As a result, he got picked on—a lot. In his barracks, there were guys who were particularly mean. One of them came up […]

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Today is a lesser-known day called Maundy Thursday—not “Monday” but “Maundy.” The word “Maundy” comes from Jesus’ words in John 13:34. Although he spoke Aramaic, the oldest record of his words are in Greek. Those words have been translated into many languages, including Latin. “Mandatum novum” is the Latin wording for […]

I once heard John Ortberg make an analogy. He said that when people envision their future, they picture themselves standing before a series of doors.  Let’s say there are ten doors. Which one will we choose? If there’s only one correct door, that can make us stressed. After all, we have a 90% chance of […]

This is Holy Week. It’s the week where Christians all over the world remember and celebrate Jesus’ final days before his torture, trial, crucifixion and resurrection.  When Jesus arrived at Jerusalem he rode on a donkey. At first, this might seem like a random or unimportant detail. However, it was packed with meaning.  One of […]

There is a direct relationship between the physical realm and the unseen realm.  As I often say to the congregation where I pastor, details matter. Take, for example, Daniel 10. That’s where we learn how he was mourning and fasting for three weeks: “I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor […]

[Note: New podcast episode and blog — link in footnotes.] ~ Peter Wagner writes: “Without holiness we can expect very little power in spiritual warfare. The opposite of holiness is worldliness…”* I’ll be honest. In an earlier chapter of my life, I would have grimaced at a statement like that. What in the world is […]

In the past hundred or a hundred and fifty-years or so, many Christians have started believing and doing things which have impacted how many of us live—or don’t live—as followers of Jesus. First, a significant tradition has emerged which treats the Bible exclusively as a historical document. And don’t get me wrong, it is most […]

In Daniel 10:12 he was given this angelic message: “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” In this verse we are specifically told that God heard Daniel’s prayer. […]

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing most Christians today is not that they won’t spend eternity with God but that they don’t spend today with God.  Here’s what I mean. If you trust in the risen Jesus—in who he is and what he has done for you on the cross—your sin is forgiven. You are given […]

John Ortberg has a clever way of describing the ABCs of faith. He says we must Abandon our old life, Believe God’s promises are trustworthy, and Commit to a new journey.  The reason I like this is because it’s biblical.  First, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul writes: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a […]

Hello!  This is just a quick reminder that The Up Daily Devotional is on pause this week. It returns in full on March 23, 2026 to your email inboxes, social media feeds, and podcast platforms. But since you’re here, let me offer a quick word of help and hope. In James 4:7-8, Jesus’ half-brother provided […]

[Notice: Pause alert – see details in the footnotes.] ~ What does it mean to be the hands and feet of Jesus? When I ask that question, what first comes to mind? Do you think about praying, feeding the poor, going to church, or loving your neighbour? Those are all good things.  But I recently […]

While reading the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel came across a very important detail. The exile of his people was about to come to an end. In response, this is what he did: “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel […]

In Daniel 9:18-19, this inspiring man of single solitary devotion gives us an example of the ideal attitude we should have in prayer. This is what he says: “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, […]

Promises shape the character and direction of our lives. Some promises are small. “I’ll pick you up after soccer practice, I promise.” Others are big, like the ones people say during wedding ceremonies. “For better, for worse, in sickness, and in health…” However, over time it is easy to get cynical about promises. We sometimes […]

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). In an essay in 1963, literary critic and author C.S. Lewis said something about how to avoid God: “Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health and (above all) your own grievances. […]