DAILY READING Isaiah 29:13-16 REFLECTION   What is True Worship? By Dave Mann If you are a regular reader of these devotional meditations, you no doubt have already noticed that we read this same text recently in November.  However, this is not needless repetition.  There are many aspects to God’s Word that cannot be fully understood in a single reading.   Isaiah points out to us that simply going through the motions of the rite of worship is not the full measure of true worship of the living...

DAILY READING John 1:1-4, 14 REFLECTION   Is Jesus Divine? By Dave Mann The first 18 verses of John’s gospel, called the Prologue, are truly beautiful, both literarily and theologically.  Read aloud the entirety of this prologue to the gospel.  You will have the joy of speaking and hearing a well-crafted paragraph.  You will also be introduced to numerous theological themes to be developed in the 21 chapters of John – the divinity of Jesus, life, light, darkness, witness/testify, believe,...

DAILY READING Isaiah 52:1-10 REFLECTION   Our God Reigns even in Captivity By Dave Mann The people of the Lord are still held captive, but the Lord rouses them from slumber so that they can dress in their finest clothing (v. 1) and celebrate the victory of the Lord.  Even though they have chains on their necks, they can shake them off (v. 2).  Though they may have spent time in the enemy territory of Egypt to the southwest to escape the threat of Assyria coming from the northeast (v. 4), God...