“Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.” – John 20:8

In his book “God’s Homecoming”, N.T. Wright wrote: “Most people today imagine that the point of Christianity is “to go to heaven when you die.” That’s what most believers believe. It’s what most unbelievers unbelieve. It’s certainly what journalists, broadcasters, and popular commentators think Christianity is supposed to be all about. They are all wrong. The point of Christianity is not that we should go to heaven. The point of Christianity is that heaven should come to us. “To earth,” in Jesus’s words. 

The story the early Christians told was not about how humans (or their souls) could, as it were, go upstairs into the presence of God. It was about how God had come downstairs to live with them—and would one day complete that operation, eventually suffusing all creation with his glorious presence. 

Thus, though people sometimes speak of those who have died as having “gone home” to be with God, from the early Christian point of view that is the wrong way around. The great hope is God’s own homecoming. That project, long promised in Israel’s scriptures, was launched with Jesus and with the holy spirit. Grasping this enables us to glimpse the true Christian hope and allow it to shape our mission and life. In much contemporary Christianity, this story has been all but forgotten. It is time to refresh our memories.”

The resurrection of Jesus is the center of our faith. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that after His death on the cross, He arose.

“The story of Easter is the story of God’s wonderful window of divine surprise.” – Carl Knudsen

God’s Word: “So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”” – John 20:25

Devotion for Easter

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“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:9-10

In his book “Money, Possessions, and Eternity”, Randy Alcorn wrote: “The word stewardship has recently fallen on hard times. To many it’s no longer relevant to the day in which we live. To some it’s a religious cliché used to make fund-raising sound spiritual. It conjures up images of large red thermometers on church platforms, measuring how far we are from paying off the mortgage.

Because of these bland associations, I was tempted not to use the word in this book. But it’s such a good word, both biblically and historically, that it deserves resuscitation rather than burial. “A steward is someone entrusted with another’s wealth or property and charged with the responsibility of managing it in the owner’s best interest.” A steward is entrusted with sufficient resources and the authority to carry out his designated responsibilities.”

The Lord asks us to be a good steward of the money and goods He has entrusted to you. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for all that He has given you and seek to bless others with what you have been given.

“Feel for others - in your pocket.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.” – Malachi 3:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS. †

“For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6

Andy Cook writes: “A life-threatening crisis came to my home when I was only 25. My wife suffered a near-fatal stroke and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors scrambled to keep her alive. Within hours, we were making decisions that face families countless times, every day. Our options included surgery, medical treatment and prayer. To make matters worse, two doctors adamantly called for two radically different courses of action. One proposed immediate surgery, while the other warned that immediate surgery would be the worst of all options.

Both said my wife might die if their course of advice wasn’t taken. A third doctor solved our dilemma by arranging a course of treatment acceptable to both of our first two doctors, and within a few months, that course of action proved to be the right one. Looking back on that time, the comparison is almost too much to comprehend. On Wednesday, my most difficult decision was what to choose for lunch. On Thursday, I needed to make a life-saving decision for my wife! Needless to say, crisis intensified our search for wisdom.”

We find wisdom when we seek the Lord. And seeking the Lord begins with searching His Word. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He gives wisdom in the Bible and seek Him with all of your heart.

“The wiser man shapes into God’s plan as water shapes into a vessel.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

God’s Word: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” – James 1:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS †

"My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them." - Proverbs 1:10

In his excellent book, An Unhurried Life, Alan Fadling describes one of our greatest temptations in the modern age—hurry:

“Hurry is a great temptation. Hurry looks like impulsive, knee-jerk reactions: “I’ll act now because I may never have another chance!” The temptation to hurry is fueled by the lie that the only good to be had must be grabbed now or never.

Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the wilderness right after his baptism at the Jordan illustrates the hurried nature of temptation and a holy response to it. Jesus is a master of the unhurried response to tempting suggestions.”

Everyday and in many ways we are tempted to sin. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that in Him we can overcome temptation to sin.

"Few speed records are broken when people run from temptation." - E.C. McKenzie

God's Word: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." - Matthew 6:13

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail

DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS †