21 Sunday Oct 2012
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I have read verse 7 a hundred times, but I am always amazed that God puts it in front of me when I need it most, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. All I really need to know is God cares for me so much that He wants to know what is troubling me. He wants me to leave my troubles at His feet so He can take on the burden of carrying them for me. If He was willing to carry my sin, then everything else is simple for Him.
20 Saturday Oct 2012
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The verse that stood out to me today was the only one that did not have a note directly associated with it in my Bible. So, I’m on my own in sharing my thoughts about verse 8, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. There are a lot of things we can do to serve others and to serve God. However, if we do not do them with love then it doesn’t mean very much. Love matters in all things. Love changes the perspective for us in everything we do. It’s like the book my Bob Goff, “Love Does”, where he talks about love being the motivator behind everything. This one thing has the potential to change the way and frequency of following God’s command to serving others.
19 Friday Oct 2012
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Ok, I really need to pay more attention to these passages. I have read 1 Peter several times and this is the first time I noticed Peter’s reference to Noah’s flood symbolizing baptism in verse 21, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also–not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I totally get it now. The flood symbolizes the cleansing of the entire earth from evil and by faith Noah and his family were saved. So cool!
18 Thursday Oct 2012
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I have never picked up on this before, but in this chapter Peter seems to draw on his personal experience when Jesus referred to him as the “rock” in Matthew 16:18, And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Peter describes those who come to Jesus as “living stones” in verse 4-5, 4 As you come to him, the living Stone–rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him– 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(emphasis added) As we read on in verses 7-8, Peter describes how stones are great foundations, but they can also be something that causes someone to lose their footing or stumble. We must be careful to be the building blocks of God and not become the things that cause people to run away from Him. It’s easy to get caught up in things that aren’t important. We must consciously strive to focus on God and do the things that draw others to Christ and not away from Him.
17 Wednesday Oct 2012
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I always love reading Peter’s letters, not just because of the substance, but also because he was an actual disciple of Jesus. Every time I read these books I think to myself, “not bad for a fisherman, there is still hope for me.” This first letter was written when Christians are being heavily persecuted and executed by Nero. Paul himself would eventually be executed during this persecution. Paul works hard to encourage the believers and reminds them of the permanence of their purification through Christ in their salvation. In verse 23 Peter says, For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. The encouragement of the imperishable salvation through Christ is what should keep each of us encouraged in knowing our hardship here on earth is temporary but our salvation is eternal.
16 Tuesday Oct 2012
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Paul starts the second paragraph of chapter 3 in verse 3 saying why we could not help ourselves, At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Those are some pretty strong words, but when I think about it, I really can’t argue with Paul in his description of me, for the most part. But then Paul goes on to say what God has done for us, 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. If we haven’t read it somewhere else before, Paul reminds us here of God’s amazing grace to us. Paul talks about God’s kindness, love, mercy, and generosity to us through His Son and Holy Spirit. Nothing we have is our own. It is all from God because of His grace.
15 Monday Oct 2012
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God’s grace is something we are given freely through Christ’s sacrifice. But it does more that just save us, it also gives us freedom from the power of sin in our lives. Verses 11 and 12 says, 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self‑controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. We rely on God to free us from the hold that sin has over our lives and we look to Him as the example of how to live the godly life He intends for us.
14 Sunday Oct 2012
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In today’s reading we begin our first of three days in the small book of Titus. This letter was written approximately 64 AD to a Greek man named Titus who was in charge of supervising and organizing the churches on the Island of Crete. The letter is intended to be an instruction manual for how to do his job. Most of this first letter talks about what the leaders are supposed to be like. I can’t help but read the description and compare it to myself. I wonder if I am a man who is worthy to be called a leader in the church. Through God’s mercy and grace I am saved, but do have have the necessary character to lead others in the faith? This is a good question for me to ask myself daily and to constantly remind myself of the character that is expected of me as someone who is supposed to be leading others. God doesn’t expect perfection, but he does expect an authentic relationship and obedient heart for Him.
13 Saturday Oct 2012
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One of the hardest things for me to do is nothing when I am waiting for something to happen where I have not control. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Nowhere in that verse does God say “Hey Dino, can you help me be exalted? Can you help my name and my presence be known?” It simply say for us to be still when everything is falling apart around us and know that He is God and He is in control. God makes His own way. He doesn’t need me to block or make a way for Him.
12 Friday Oct 2012
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As I was reading this morning, Psalm 34:8 jumped out to me, Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. I looked at the notes in my Bible to see what this verse was trying to say. What it means is to try God out and see for yourself what He is really like. When we step out in obedience to Him, He does not leave us standing alone. He is always good and kind and takes care of us. The more we trust in Him, the more we realize how good He is.
Daily Devotion 