The Up Devotional

I recently watched Disclosure Day. It’s the latest movie from producer Steven Spielberg. 

I was interested because there had been a lot of talk about it, including from within the Christian community.

The reason for this chatter had to do with the topic—Aliens!  

But not just that.

Spielberg went out of his way to include several religious themes and subplots throughout the movie. In a film that on the surface was about aliens, it included a prominent nun giving advice to the one of the main characters, a series of experiences that seemed to mimic what the New Testament describes as demonization, religious symbols, and the importance of pursing truth. 

I won’t get into all of that here. However, I did put together a blog and podcast episode about all of that (and more). If you’re interested, just follow the link in the footnotes. 

Here’s today’s focus. 

As we live in a high-paced world that is saturated with screens, propaganda, and carefully crafted advertising campaigns, let’s be proactive—not passive—when it comes to forming our opinions, and when it comes to having a modern, robust faith. 

Screens can be persuasive. Sometimes this is good. Other times, it’s not so good. Just as algorithms can skew our perception of what is happening in the wider world, so can big budget movies with well-paid actors which say convincing things about what the Bible does (or doesn’t) say. 

Psalm 119:125 says: “I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.” That’s the key word: discernment. Not passive naivete, but discernment about God’s will.

In the end, I liked the movie. It had some holes in the logic—but hey, what movie doesn’t. What I appreciated about it—and about other movies too—is the opportunity to start thought-provoking conversations about life and God. 

Ask big, excellent questions. Ask also the ones that kind of embarrass you. Mostly, study the Bible, use the brain God gave you, pray, talk with other wise people, and put your learning into action as you discern his will for your life. 

Screens are everywhere. But so is the word of God. Be discerning.

Notes:

-“The Disclosure Day movie—aliens, demons, nuns, Hollywood, and other wild stuff.” Click here, or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)
-Bible quotes, NIV.

In 2 Peter 3:3, the apostle gives a warning to his fellow Christians: “scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” 

He is about to teach them about the return of Jesus. There are “scoffers,” he says. Literally, the text says “scoffers in their scoffing.” They doubt God, they doubt the prophets, and they doubt that Jesus will ever come back. As a result, they “scoff” at believers.

Here’s why I think this should encourage you. If people have ever scoffed at you because of your beliefs, you’re not alone! In fact, it’s been happening since the says of the apostles! 

Unfortunately, we can fall into a mindset where we care more about what other people think than what God thinks. When that happens, and when we feel the weight of the sideways glances of the people around us, we can be tempted to shrink back from our beliefs. 

As I’ve said before, as followers of Jesus, we need to fall out of love with fitting in. 

The fact of the matter is that scoffers are a part of life, and they are a part of our faith as well. They scoffed at Jesus. The scoffed at the apostles. They scoffed at the first generation of the church, and they continue to scoff today. 

And guess what. That’s okay. 

We don’t retaliate. We don’t yell. We don’t put them down. With humility, we follow a different path. Paul says it very direction in 1 Corinthians 4:12-13: “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat.”

If joy were a book, I think there’d be a chapter about responding to scoffing with smiling. Let’s fall out of love with fitting in, and more in love with faithfulness.

Notes:

-Bible quotes, ESV.

In the previous devotional, I talked about how the future is beautiful. Yes, there can be ugliness in our world, but it won’t always be this way.

This is partly based on passages like 2 Peter 3:13 where the apostle says this: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

It is a place of perfect righteousness since we bask in the perfect righteousness of God. Everyone will be living rightly before God and others. It will be an existence of fellowship with God, peace among people, and glorious joy. Further, there will be no pain, tears, suffering or sin. 

With all this in mind, how are we supposed to live in the here and now? Peter uses two specific words: holiness and godliness (verse 11). 

Holiness is simply being set apart (i.e. distinct) for God’s special purposes. Godliness is about reflecting God’s character; it’s being Christlike.

Oh, and you can live like this among your friends, family, at work or school, and in the wider community. 

Here’s just one example. It’s an email that a public school teacher sent to some friends: 

“I’m asking for your prayers for my students. I know everyone is busy, but if you ever can, I know there is power in specifically addressed prayers. Please pray for Randy (smartest boy in my class—mom speaks no English—just moved from Washington—blind in his right eye because he poked his eye with a sharp tool when he was three). 

“Henry (learning disabled—tries with all his little heart—it takes him about a minute to say two words—I think he’s used to me now, but it was hard for him to keep up at first!)… 

“Anna (learning disability—neither parent can read, write, or drive—they have four children!!! who knows how they keep it together—colors me a picture every single day, writes her spelling sentences about me, I’m the main character in her stories.”*

As that teacher and her friends pray for her students, and she does her best with them, that is reflection of godly character as we await the return of Jesus.

The same can be true for you in your own context. 

Let’s live in a way that anticipates that great and glorious day when the light of Jesus radiates throughout every inch of creation, and which foreshadows the true and everlasting beauty that is to come.

Notes:

-“The Future is Beautiful.” Click here. Sermon. 
-*Told in: Max Lucado: Cure for the Common Life (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 98-99
-Bible quotes, ESV.

There is a lot of beauty in our world. But let’s be honest. There is also a lot of ugliness. Let me provide a few examples: 

The non-stop fighting—between nations, in politics, and sometimes even in homes. 

Profanity and pornography which continually reinvents itself to shock and ensnare us more and more. 

The trafficking of humans as if they were dispensable things, not image-bearers of God. 

The taking of life—with greater frequency and insensitivity, from womb to tomb.

The greed of the few to the detriment of the many.

The racism that puts people in categories that the Lord of all life never intended. 

The wave after wave of digital depression or anxiety.

The machine of commerce, which cares more about profits than people. 

You’re right. That’s a lot. And I don’t mean to be overly negative. The reason I provide these examples is to draw your attention to the fact that the future is beautiful. 

Let me repeat, the future is beautiful. 

That’s not necessarily a word we associate with Jesus’ second coming. But it fits. Here’s how Peter describes what happens after Judgment Day: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:1-13).

It is a place of perfect righteousness since we bask in the perfect righteousness of God. Everyone will be living rightly before God and others. It will be an existence of fellowship with God, peace among people, and glorious joy. Further, there will be no pain, tears, suffering or sin. 

If ever there is true beauty, that is it! 

I say this to encourage you. There is ugliness in the world, but it does not have the final say. The future is beautiful. And if you belong to Christ, you will be a part of it. 

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Notes:

-“The Future is Beautiful.” Click here. Sermon. 
-Bible quotes, ESV. 

The world can seem like a very big place.

There are lots of people. There are lots of voices—some good, some bad. There is a lot of noise. There is a lot of arguing. There is a lot of information. The word “overload” comes to mind.

In light of all of this, it’s easy to feel unseen, unimportant, and not heard. But do you want to know who sees you, values you, and hears you? 

God. 

I’m sure you’ve heard that before. On days when the world feels big, it can be hard to believe. That’s why we need to realign our frequencies with what the Bible actually teaches about our God. 

In Daniel 5:23 there is a powerful detail embedded in an otherwise foreboding passage. King Belshazzar has engaged in idolatry. As a result, God chastises him. The king has honoured false gods “which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.”

Did you see it? Daniel says this about the true God: “in whose hand is your breath.” The breath of King Belshazzar is in the very hand of God! The same goes for Daniel. That, my friends, is a God who is close and who cares.

This is true for you as well. 

Take a moment to breathe in and to breathe out. Be aware of your breath. And be aware of your God. Since he is holding your breath, he is also holding you. 

The world may be big. But it’s not bigger than God. And you belong to him. 

He sees. He knows. He hears. You.

Notes:

-Bible quotes, ESV.

Serving others is mentioned in a variety of biblical passages. One of them is Galatians 5:13: “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Ultimately, Jesus is our example. He was serving others non-stop. He washed his disciples’ feet. He healed people. He cast out demons. He taught. He went to the cross for you and me. All of these activities were a form of servanthood. 

Recently, I heard Jon Thompson talk about servanthood. What he said really resonated with me so I wanted to share it with you. At first, his words seem a bit harsh. In the end, however, I think they actually provide some perspective and motivation when it comes to serving others, especially when it feels difficult.

Here’s the quote: “If you’re not experiencing little deaths while you’re serving, you’re not serving.”*

When he says “little deaths,” he’s referring to the small sacrifices and pains that accompany serving others. Perhaps you have to sacrifice your time or energy. Perhaps you have to endure the difficulty of going out of your comfort zone, giving up your personal preferences, or navigating challenging people. These are, in a sense, “little deaths.”

Again, this is patterned on Jesus who lived a life of self-sacrifice. When we serve others, it costs us something. If we never have to give anything up, are we really following Jesus’ pattern of self-sacrificial love?

Here’s why this is motivating. When we experience fatigue, problems, or difficulty when serving others, we can easily conclude, ‘Well, I guess this isn’t for me.’ But not so fast. Experiencing “little deaths” along the way just might be an indication that you are being faithful and carrying a cross in the footsteps of Jesus!

Yes, we also need to take time for rest and refreshment. Otherwise, we may burn out and be less effective in the long run. So let’s serve others, but be smart about it.

Today, let me end by focussing again on Paul’s phrase: “through love serve one another.” Notice the connection between love and servanthood. Since God has loved us, we love and serve one another—when it feels natural and happy, and even when it doesn’t.

Notes:

-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on July 20, 2026.
-*At the Restoration Prayer conference, Sanctus Church, Ajax, ON, June 3-4, 2026. 
-Bible quotes, ESV.

In 2 Peter 2, the apostle warns against false teachers. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that the entire chapter might be the closest thing we have to a biblical rant! 

The difference, however, is that Peter’s words are inspired by God. Plus, he’s motivated by love and a desire to protect others. 

In verse 2 he says: “many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.” This means that, among other things, the false teachers are promoting “sensuality.” Instead of focusing on Christlikeness (as Peter previously discussed in 2 Peter 1:5-8), they twist the truth so that it allows for whatever feels good through the senses. 

This kind of thinking is always with us, including today.

Abraham Edel used the following poem in a discussion about his view about morality and truth:
 
“It all depends on where you are,
It all depends on when you are,
It all depends on what you feel.
It all depends on how you feel.
It all depends on how you’re raised
It all depends on what is praised,
What’s right today is wrong tomorrow,
Joy in France, in England sorrow.
It all depends on point of view,
Australia or Timbuctoo,
In Rome do as the Romans do.
If tastes just happen to agree
Then you have morality. 
But where there are conflicting trends,
It all depends, it all depends.”*

Some of this sounds convincing, doesn’t it? But not all of it. 

The risk with this kind of over-simplified thinking is that it puts everything into the category of personal preference or point-of-view. When that happens, it becomes very easy to ignore the Bible, to pick and choose which parts of Jesus we like and which parts we reject, and to simply follow the way of sensuality because it feels nice.

Let’s be discerning. Let’s study our Bibles, pray to God, share wisdom with one another, grow in Christlikeness, and bless other as his hands and feet.

There is such a thing as truth, and his name is Jesus.

“In Rome do as the Romans do”? No thanks. Wherever we are, let’s live for the Lord.

Notes:

-*Quoted in: John Stott, The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of our Calling (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2010), 23.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

When something is “objectively true,” it is true no matter what. When something is “subjectively true,” its truth is dependent on someone’s experience or perspective.

To explain more fully, here is a list of five statements. Which ones are true?

1) The C.N. Tower is in Toronto.
2) The average gravitational pull of earth is 9.8 m/s squared.
3) Coke tastes better than Pepsi.
4) Spring is nicer than winter.
5) 2 + 2 = 4.

As you can see, this list includes two different kinds of statements. 1, 2, and 5 are objectively true. They are true no matter what. But statements 3 and 4 are subjectively true, meaning they are based on someone’s experience or perspective. 

These days, we are at risk of being sucked into the expanding subjectivity of our times. In terms of faith, one of the ways this happens is when people take Jesus and try to shift him from an objective category to a subjective one. ‘Oh, that stuff may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.’ 

But Jesus doesn’t allow us that. He loves us too much to lie to us about what is or isn’t real or true. For example, in the Gospels the resurrection is presented as objective fact, not subjective experience. The apostle Paul says: “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). In other words, if the resurrection didn’t actually happen, we’re all wasting our time!

The truths of Christ are presented as objective realities in other areas as well. When Jesus says that we should love one another—that’s true for everyone, regardless. When he says he reveals the will of his heavenly Father—that’s true for everyone, regardless. When he says that he himself is the way to God—that’s true for everyone, regardless. 

As we learn about these realities, and as we live them and share them, it is always important to be humble and respectful. But that doesn’t mean we should acquiesce to the expanding subjectivity of our times by neglecting or twisting the truth claims Christ makes about himself and the world. 

Let’s trust what Jesus says, love one another, and strive for true faithfulness on the narrow path of life.

Notes:

-“Bad theology hurts people (2 Peter 2).” Click here. Sermon.
-Bible quotes, ESV.

Are there good things in our world? Yes. There are a lot of good things. 

At the same time, when we look around at all the division, violence, and sin—including the celebration of sin—it’s easy to get discouraged. 

That’s why it’s good to remember that God’s people have always been called to be different, even when—and I would say, especially when—things around us are less-than-ideal.

In Romans 12:2, Paul famously said: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” He was implying that ‘the world’ is not something to be conformed to! Instead, we need to look elsewhere for our focus.

In Philippians 2:15 Paul’s language is even stronger. The people of God should live faithfully and “without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…”

When we look around at all the division, violence and sin, it’s easy to conclude that being different doesn’t make a difference. But that’s simply not true. By the grace and help of God, you can shine among your generation as a light in the world. Plus, you can reflect the One who is making all things new, even if that transformation is happening in a different way—and on a different timeline—than you expect.

Influence goes both ways. We can be influenced by the world, but we can also influence the world. 

The martyred Englishman Thomas More once said: “The times are never so bad that a good person can’t live in them.”* That’s a good word for us today. Being a person of faith, prayer, grace and truth is always a safe bet, regardless of the craziness around us. 

Don’t be overwhelmed by the world. Don’t even be surprised by it. God is sovereign, and we belong to him. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

Notes:

-“Bad theology hurts people (2 Peter 2).” Click here. Sermon.

-*I’ve seen this quoted online in a variety of places. More recently, it was quoted on: The Catholic Saints podcast, published by the Augustine Institute on Apple Podcasts, July 11, 2026.

-Bible quotes, ESV.

I remember hearing a song on the radio by Casting Crowns. It was called “Slow Fade.” 

The point of the song is that falling away from God’s ways and into sin is rarely an all-at-once experience. It is a “slow fade.” In other words, it is the cumulative effect of a series of smaller decisions or actions.

Their warning is wise. Someone’s “fade” may be slow, but it is not accidental.

Small concessions to sin underestimate the severity of sin. When we normalize it, or when we move a certain idea or action from a ‘sin’ category to an ‘it’s fine and not that bad’ category, we have already shifted our compass—and therefore, our direction—to a bad place.

In the story of Cain and Abel, God said this to Cain in Genesis 4:7: “sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.” Picture sin as an embodied entity. It “crouches at the door” just looking for a chance to pounce.

Carlos Martins has spent decades helping people, many of whom have dealt with the carnage of sin. He says: “We are daily tempted towards ‘harmless’ compromises—a little curiosity about forbidden things, a little contempt for prayer, a little resentment towards the holy. The enemy’s strategy is always to make sin look trivial and repentance look dramatic. In reality, it is the other way around. Sin is what destroys us. Repentance is simply coming home.”*

What a wonderful way to say it. “The enemy’s strategy is always to make sin look trivial and repentance look dramatic. In reality, it is the other way around. Sin is what destroys us. Repentance is simply coming home.”

Sin is crouching at the door. But the forgiving arms of a loving Father are open.

If it’s good, let’s call it good. If it’s sin, let’s call it sin. But let’s not confuse the two. A “slow fade” is still a fade.

“The enemy’s strategy is always to make sin look trivial and repentance look dramatic. In reality, it is the other way around. Sin is what destroys us. Repentance is simply coming home.”

Notes:

-*Carlos Martins, “Maid for More, Pt 2,” The Exorcist Files podcast, January 22, 2026.
-Bible quotes, ESV.