Tag Archives: jesus

Jesus, Have Mercy on Me!

December 20, 2018 by MelisaB · Comments Off

22nd Sunday after Pentecost: Mark 10:46-52

The sad truth is, often you have to be your own advocate. Even when people can see the issue you’re facing, even when they can see the turmoil you’re in, they still might not care. The good news is, we can all approach God with our need. As I wrote in Approach the Throne of Grace with Boldness, God welcomes us. People might not take the time to know our struggle, and some people, once they know, might not care. Sometimes, as we see in this story, the powerful try to silence those in need.

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Posted in Devotions. Tagged with bible, christianity, jesus, marginalized, mercy, oppressed, poor, power.

Seize the Day or Who’s the Greatest Remix

November 26, 2018 by MelisaB · Comments Off

21st Sunday after Pentecost: Mark 10:35-45

The disciples are once again discussing who gets to be the greatest. Not long before this, Mark 9 describes a conversation where Jesus is telling the disciples about the persecution he will face and at that time the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest. Right before this interaction, Jesus tells them he will be handed over to be killed. This request is their response.

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Posted in Devotions. Tagged with bible, christianity, great, humility, jesus, justice, power, service, success.

More than Active Listening, God Was One of Us

November 19, 2018 by MelisaB · Comments Off

19th Sunday after Pentecost: Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

We live in a time when we are aware of the suffering that people outside of our region or circles experience. This awareness is important because often our ease and comfort is at the expense of someone else whether we know it or not. The discomfort of awareness sometimes makes us talk more. We want to say the right things, but it’s important to listen. It’s only through listening that we can understand, to not be a part of the problem. We might even be able to be a part of the solution. However, no amount of listening will ever convey to us what another people group’s suffering is like to them. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions. Tagged with bible, christianity, god, injustice, jesus, listening, marginalized, oppression, power, society.

Who’s the Greatest?

October 27, 2018 by MelisaB · Comments Off

17th Sunday after Pentecost: Mark 9:30-37

While Jesus is teaching his disciples that his path involves a spiral of rejection and persecution, they miss that part of the lesson entirely. Instead they immediately discuss amongst themselves which of them is the greatest. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions. Tagged with bible, christianity, great, humility, jesus, power, society, success.

Wisdom

April 14, 2011 by MelisaB · Comments Off

Love

people

as yourself

Love the lord God

with all your heart, strength and understanding.

On these two commandments the whole law hangs,

he told the man

who asked which

law was

best.

by Melisa Blankenship
Written in the form of Mirrored Tetractys
(1,2,3,4,10,10,4,3,2,1)

Posted in Devotions. Tagged with commandment, god, jesus, love, poetry, wisdom.

Faithfulness

April 12, 2011 by MelisaB · Comments Off

You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love. Galatians 5:4-6

By faith we wait for the hope of righteousness. When I think of faithfulness I usually think of the ways I’m not faithful. For some reason the word immediately draws my attention away from the concept of grace to the opposite concept–my failures. This reveals that I have a faulty idea of what faithfulness is, because these verses are saying we do not become justified by works, but the only thing that matters is faith working itself out in love. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions. Tagged with bible, christianity, faith, faithfulness, galatians, grace, hope, jesus, transformation.

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