Author Archives: Dino Evangelista

2012 Day 290 – Titus 3

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.

2012 Day 289 – Titus 2

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.

2012 Day 288 – Titus 1

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.

2012 Day 287 – Psalm 46, 91

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.

2012 Day 286 – Psalm 34, 35

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.

2012 Day 285 – Psalm 11, 27

11 Thursday Oct 2012

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I don’t have a lot to say about today’s reading, but Psalm 27:14 reminded me of the importance of waiting on God’s perfect plan and His timing, Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Waiting on God is not always easy, but when we trust in His perfect timing, we will receive exactly what and when we need.

2012 Day 284 – 1 Timothy 6

10 Wednesday Oct 2012

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When I was in college a few friends of mine and I who used to say, “It’ll burn”, meaning whatever it is that we thought was so important to us will in the end of time burn into ashes. It was our way of distinguishing between what is important in life and what will not stand the test of time. Verses 6-8 says, 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Our biggest concerns in life should not be the things we attain, but the things we can take out of this world when we die. We don’t always need to be happy with what we have, but we should always be content. I may not love the car I drive, but I should be content that I at least have a car. Verse 7 is the one which sticks out the most to me because the absolute truth is that I brought absolutely nothing into this world and when I leave I will take none of it with me other than my relationship with God and the legacy I leave behind for my family.

2012 Day 283 – 1 Timothy 5

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

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Verses 24 and 25 in this chapter do a very good job of saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”, 24 The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. It is never our job to judge anyone, either good or bad, and we should always take the time to understand people before we make a call about who they are and what they are about.

2012 Day 282 – 1 Timothy 4

08 Monday Oct 2012

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God is not in the business of forbidding everything in order to make us holy. Yes, we should be careful and abstain from the things that can hurt us, but we are not necessarily supposed to avoid everything for the sake of calling ourselves holier than everyone else. Verse 4 says, For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. We should be thankful for all that God has given us, including the freedom we have in salvation through Jesus. The gifts God has blessed us with should be used for our enjoyment and we should be thankful to Him for it.

2012 Day 281 – 1 Timothy 3

07 Sunday Oct 2012

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In today’s reading, Paul is talking about church leadership and who should, and should not, be leaders within the church. The verse that stood out to me today is verse 5, (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) It is important to have my own house in order before I can begin to help someone else with theirs. My family is one of the most important things in my life. I strive to make things right with them, but I am not perfect. God doesn’t ask for perfection, He asks us to lead with Him by our side. This is a good reminder to have Him at the center of my relationship with my wife and kids and in everything I do.