Devotions by Prof. John Ude

Ecclesiastes 1:2  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (Ecc 1:2 KJV)

Zechariah 1:12-14 Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?” And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words. So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I am zealous for J...

The Angel of the Lord is establishing His kingdom hidden among the myrtle trees of His Word and sacraments  Zechariah 1:8-11 I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are....

Job 19:23-26 “Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart year...

Nahum 1:15 Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.

Nahum 1:3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked.

Matthew 13:3-9 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they wi...

2 Kings 2:9-14 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” Then it happened, as they co...

2 Kings 3:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!”

Ezra 3:1-3 And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Tho...

Genesis 17:1 Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

Acts 12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Acts 12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Haggai 2:6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land.’

Haggai 2:5-7 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’ “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of host...

Haggai 2:7-9 I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Haggai 2:3–5 (NKJV) "Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel," says the LORD; "and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land," says the LORD, "and work; for I am with you," says the LORD of hosts. 5 "Acco...

“When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.” This account is certainly a gem, sparkling and catching the eye of faith. It calls us to stop and examine the Word of our Father: “This is My beloved Son… Hear Him!” Help us, Father, to see only Jesus by hearing His Word, which transfigures our lives and transcends our unbelief.

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” In the name of Jesus                                It’s natural for us to shrink from looking too closely at the...

Revelation 5:12 NKJV Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain.

“Be Filled with the Spirit” – Peter’s Pentecost call (Acts 2:38–39) applies to every Christian today. The Spirit’s gift is not in dazzling outward signs, but in: Jesus’ gift in Baptism – giving forgiveness and new life. Being rich in the Word – letting Christ’s Word dwell in us richly. Walking under His influence – daily repentance and a Spirit-shaped life that says “no” to the flesh and “yes” to...

Proj. John Ude preached this sermon just 5 days after the planes hit the World trade center on Sept 11 2001.   The message centers on Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:1–6), proclaimed to a grieving and shaken people in the aftermath of 9/11. Key movements of the sermon: “Let not your heart be troubled”: Christ speaks peace to fearful disciples then and now, anchoring shaken heart...

Special episode of Prof. Gurgel (my maternal Grandpa) preaching on September 30th in 2001.    This is a meditation on the First Commandment and Psalm 37:25 (“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread”). The sermon emphasizes: Idolatry is subtle: even Christians may place trust, love, or fear in military power, loved ones, money, or se...

Lk. 10:1-2, 17-20 "After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go." 2 "Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." 17 "Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even t...

The central theme is the danger of self-idolatry—replacing Christ with the self, “the mirror.” The text contrasts Satan’s lie (“You shall be like God”) with the truth of Christ as the one eternal God and Savior. It warns against the subtle half-truths of culture, education, and even religion that encourage us to “tune into ourselves” or “follow the god within,” showing that this is slavery to sin...