Monthly Archives: October 2014

2014 Day 284 – Matthew 8

11 Saturday Oct 2014

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When things are not going well, our first reaction is rarely to look to Jesus to take control of the situation. It is easy to relate to the disciples in the story of Jesus calming the storm. Matthew 8:26 says, He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Just like the disciples who witnessed many miracles, we see God working in our lives on a constant basis. We know what He is capable of and yet we worry and doubt. Trust can be difficult but we should never doubt God’s desire and ability to help.

2014 Day 283 – Matthew 7

10 Friday Oct 2014

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The Golden Rule: Matthew 7:12, So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. It does not take a lot of effort to do what is right and refrain from hurting other people. It takes much more effort and emotional investment to plot evil against another person. Further, Jesus modeled The Golden Rule in a foundation of grace and mercy, which is the kind of love God shows us every day.

2014 Day 282 – Matthew 6

09 Thursday Oct 2014

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What good does it do to worry about things we cannot control? In Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34 Jesus says, Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.‬ When we trust that God is in control, we don’t have to worry about tomorrow because it is all part of His perfect plan.

2014 Day 281 – Matthew 5

08 Wednesday Oct 2014

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Do you ever feel like you are the only one trying to stand for good in the middle of this evil world? Sometimes it is tough to be a believer in the midst of a world so determined to do everything possible to dishonor God. But we are called to be a light in the darkness. Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” A city on a hill can be seen for miles in every direction, and while it represent refuge for some, it can sometimes become a target for attack. We are like the city who stands in the darkness of this world. And while we should feel honored to be a reflection of light in the darkness, we can sometimes become an easy target for no other reason than we shine a light on bad things. It can feel scary and lonely, but we must remember The Lord never leaves us standing alone. He is always with us if we trust Him to lead and protect us.

2014 Day 280 – Luke 6

07 Tuesday Oct 2014

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The Beatitudes from the Latin word “blessing”, Luke 6:20-22, 20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. These verses describe what it can mean to be a Christ follower and the standards for conduct as believers. They ultimately contrast fake piety with true humility and show us we are no better than anyone else as humans but are blessed through God’s grace in our lives.

2014 Day 279 – Mark 3

06 Monday Oct 2014

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When we first read Mark 3:35, it seems as though Jesus is being a bit harsh towards His earthly family, Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother. It’s almost as though He has chosen to set His mother and brothers aside. However, Jesus was not being disrespectful, He was instead being inclusive of everyone as members of His family. The Church (not the building) is a representation of Christ. We are the “Body” and we have the ability to give loving and personalized care as a reflection of Christ to people who can find it nowhere else. We must never take that responsibility lightly or choose to give it selectively. Our ability to give is not limited by God’s ability, but by our ability to trust and obey.

2014 Day 278 – Your Best

05 Sunday Oct 2014

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God wants what is best for us. Sometimes we need to wait on Him to provide it, but that is His plan. When we stand in the middle of hard situations, it is sometimes easy to fall into the trap of believing this is what our lives amount to. Trust in God and know our best is not where we stand today, it is coming as part of God’s perfect plan for us.

Best

 

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2014 Day 277 – Matthew 12:1-21

04 Saturday Oct 2014

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We are called by Jesus to show love, compassion, and mercy. We are not called to judge and condemn based on someone else’s inability to be like us; for better or worse. Matthew 12:7 says, If you had known what these words mean, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. Many people in the modern day church are no different than the Pharisees; they judge others on their inability to measure up to their own standard and forget the only standard that matters is Jesus. God provided grace through His mercy to all people equally because we all need equal amounts of grace. When we begin to compare ourselves to others and make it our measurement, we fail. God is our measurement and He is the only one who can provide the means to save us from eternal condemnation.

2014 Day 276 – John 5

04 Saturday Oct 2014

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Sorry I missed posting yesterday. In almost 3 years I have not missed a post and for some reason yesterday got away from me. So, today I will do two posts to catch up.

Yesterday’s reading was in John 5. Jesus spends much of His time in these passages talking about His authority given to Him by God. While it would be easy for Jesus to command us to worship Him as the Son of God, He instead points to the Holy Spirit who would be His greatest witness directly to each of our hearts. John 5:31-32 says, 31 If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. Without a testimony from someone else, it is sometimes difficult to believe the truth. It is for this reason God provided a witness directly to our hearts and mind. We simply need to accept the truth, and in turn believe in Him.

2014 Day 275 – Mark 2

02 Thursday Oct 2014

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Mark 2:17 always stands out to me when I read it, On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. God has not called us to be in community only with other believers. While we do not want to be negatively influenced, we must always strive to be influencers on others in an effort to positively impact this world. God gives us strength and protection if we follow and trust in Him. But if we try to do it alone, we will ultimately fail without the power of His protection.