Devotions by Prof. John Ude

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 yearns within me!”

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 withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

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 continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

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. Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.

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 hosts.

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 "According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!"

“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 grievous, sickening torments of Christ's cross. It is also natural for us to minimize any looking at how I, we caused this torment on the cross. Yet did you hear in our text the Spirit direct us to LOOK ON HIM WHOM WE HAVE PIERCED.

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 Christ. The Spirit fills us not with passing thrills, but with abiding faith, repentance, worship, and joy that lasts into eternity.

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 hearts on His promises. The Way: Jesus’ cross and resurrection provide the solid ground that shoots down every “flight of doubt” Satan launches. The Truth: Christ alone guarantees justice, security, and hope—not governments, not military might, not human promises. The Life: Jesus’ death and resurrection rescue from sin’s rubble and open the eternal mansions of heaven for all believers. The sermon repeatedly contrasts the fragility of earthly security with the eternal certainty found only in Christ.

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 self rather than God. God’s provision is certain: David’s testimony and the lives of believers show that God does not forsake His children but provides daily bread. The result of trusting God: instead of being beggars, believers become givers; instead of deceivers, they become speakers of wisdom; instead of forsaken, they become heirs both in this life and in eternity. The final inheritance: not just earthly security, but an eternal home with Christ.

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 the demons are subject to us in Your name."" 18 "And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." 19 ""Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." 20 ""Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."" In the name of Jesus    Christ’s victory over Satan and our calling to pray for and join in the Lord’s harvest with compassion. The text begins by comparing temporary earthly grief (floods, terrorism) with the far greater eternal tragedy of millions dying without Christ. It highlights Satan’s ongoing attacks, but also proclaims that Christ crucified has cast Satan down. The “still, small voice” of the gospel is the true power, not our own strength. Believers are called to rejoice in their salvation, pray the Lord of the harvest for more workers, and share the riches of Christ with a perishing world. It’s a call to: Grieve with compassion over the lost. Trust in Christ’s authority over Satan. Pray and go as laborers in God’s harvest. Rejoice that our names are written in heaven.

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 and death. In contrast, the message calls us to hear the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and to live as His little lambs, sustained by His Word, His blood, and His promises.

Matthew 16:13-20 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (hell) shall not prevail against it.19 “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  In the Name of Jesus  

Revelation 9:13-21 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Ezra 1:1,3 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.

Joshua 1:9 I Am your Who

Our sin causes fear in the presence of God, but fear not for unto you is born a Savior, Jesus! Judges 13:22

Use your heritage not as a millstone but as a springboard to the Glory of Jesus. Judges 11:29-31

Judges 7:1-9 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given

Possessing Jesus’ peace your life is no longer just video arcades and athletic contests

THE MESSAGE THAT TURNS THE UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD UPSIDE RIGHT!

God has given you the promised land of eternal life through Jesus. Therefore serve the LORD. He will preserve your faith.

Joshua 10:16-26: Jesus stopped the sun and moon, stopped His heart to save you.

Silent marching around the walls of Jericho and the wall came tumbling down

Jesus as commander of the Lord's army faced the most crucial moment in history for our salvation. Joshua 5:13-15

Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord.”

The Lord who stopped the waters of the Jordan stops the judgment on sin with His own blood. Joshua 3:9-17

Our greatest enemy is our own failure to seek first the Kingdom of God

WHAT MEAN THESE STONES?

John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Amos 8:1 This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit.

Joshua 2:9-13 When John Bowring first saw the port city of Macao, it was all ruins and desolation. This once thriving port had been superseded by Hong Kong and abandoned to thieves and the relentless weather. But there towering o’er the wrecks of time stood out a bronze cross on the steeple of a church and thus began Bowring’s “In the cross of Christ I glory” (TLH #354).

John 12:3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Obadiah 1:17 But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Obadiah 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’

Gloating

The Lord’s faithful love commitment means death never parts us.  

Angry jealous resentful grace  

The I AM's presence, promise, & precepts will make prosperous inheritance