Theologikarl

 A YouTube Devotional for 16 March 2021. ~~~ A verse I mentioned on Sunday was Romans 12:28, which in the New Living Translation says: “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.” The same verse in the New King James Version says: “Since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” The wording of the second translation has really struck me, particularly the idea that we need grace in order to serve God acceptably. In Greek, the phrase translated as “grace” or “thankful” (or in other versions “gratitude”) is echo charis . Echo means either to have, hold or keep something, or to be something. And that something that we are to have, hold, keep or be is charis . Charis means “grace, the state of kindness and favour toward someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object. By extension it also

Another YouTube devotional I did, for 12th January 2021. ~~~ There is a lesser known parable in Matthew 21:28-32 that has always greatly challenged me. Jesus is talking to the chief priests and elders and says: “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe in him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” This parable has always challenged me because I am quick to say I will lis

It has been 6 years since I posted anything! That's ridiculous! So, in order to get myself producing some content again, over the next while I'm going to upload a few talks or devotions that I've produced for other forums recently. Starting with talks I've done for our church's YouTube devotional page. These are meant to be 3 minutes or less long (give or take) so they'll be fairly short posts.  But, in no particular order, here is one I wrote for 24th of November 2020.  ~~~ In the Garden of Gethsemane, in Luke 22:42, Jesus prayed: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not My will, but Yours be done.” This was when God was asking Him to suffer the horror of a death on the cross in order to bring salvation to the world. Jesus knew this was His calling. In fact, it was the very reason He came to earth in the first place, but it also was something that was not at all desirable to go through.   When we face troubles in life, unpleasant or unc