Devotions by Prof. John Ude

“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