2013 Day 272 – Caine’s Arcade

29 Sunday Sep 2013

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Our church has been going through the Fruits of the Spirit these last few weeks. One of the videos we share when we talked about Goodness is about a 9 year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto parts store. Through the goodness of a complete stranger, he was able to experience the best day of his life, and in turn, inspire the world. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did. To learn more about Caine, please visit: http://CainesArcade.com

If you ever come across anything you’d like me to post on this blog, please feel free to contact me at dino.evangelista@gmail.com.

2013 Day 271 – Jeremiah 10-12, Isaiah 14

28 Saturday Sep 2013

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Today we read one of Jeremiah’s prayers to God in Jeremiah 10:23-25, 23 Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. 24 Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure—not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing. 25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland. Because of God’s mercy and grace He does not punish us with His full anger or we would be completely destroyed. God is loving and wants us to come to Him so we can enjoy His love, grace, and protection. But those who go against God are at risk of experiencing His wrath and the consequences of their sin.

2013 Day 270 – Jeremiah 7-9, Isaiah 13

27 Friday Sep 2013

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At the beginning of Jeremiah 9 you can feel how conflicted Jeremiah is with his people. He is angered by their sin: lying, treachery, adultery, and idolatry which had become common among them. But he also felt compassion. While he knew God had set him apart to accomplish his mission, he also knew he was one of them. Jesus had similar feelings about Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37, 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” This is a great example for us to remember. While our sins may not be the same as others, we all require God’s forgiveness. We are no better than anyone else without the grace and mercy God gave us through His Son.

2013 Day 269 – Jeremiah 4-6, Isaiah 12

26 Thursday Sep 2013

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What is our attitude when we come to God? Do we approach God with open ears, eyes, and hearts to be obedient to Him? Jeremiah 5:21-22 says, 21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: 22 Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. We should approach God with awe and respect because He is the one who set the boundaries of the sea. God had to strip away all that Judah and Israel had in order to bring them back to Him. Let us not wait until God takes away His benefits in our lives in order to walk with Him.

2013 Day 268 – Jeremiah 1-3, Isaiah 11

25 Wednesday Sep 2013

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Today we begin a rather lengthy time going through the book of Jeremiah. While this book is a bit tedious to read, it is one of the most important prophetic books of the Bible. The book was written during the reign of five different kings of Judah ranging from 627-586 BC – Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. The main purpose of the book was to urge God’s people to turn from their sin and back to God. The book is a mixture of history, poetry, and biography. As we read this book, we can almost feel how much Jeremiah agonizes over the message he must deliver. This is a reminder of how hard it is for us to deliver this type of message. However, when we are called by God to do it, we must.

2013 Day 267 – Titus 1-3, Isaiah 10

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

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Today we are reading the entire book of Titus. This is a letter written by Paul to Titus partially as an encouragement, but mostly for instruction on his responsibilities as the supervisor of the churches on the island of Crete. Titus was probably a convert to Christ through Paul’s ministry. Paul shows great confidence in Titus in the key verse of the book, Titus 1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. This is mostly a book of instruction that all of us can learn from.

2013 Day 266 – Job 40-42, Isaiah 9

23 Monday Sep 2013

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We finally come to the end of our reading in Job. God has taken the opportunity to reprimand everyone associated with this story including Job. Once God is finished with all He has to say, Job begins his repentant replay in Job 43:1-6, 1 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Once Job repented, God was able to bless him even more than He had before. This is not a promise that God has given to us, however our obedience should be unconditional to God. He loves us and has promised us salvation from eternal death, and that is the only thing that should ever matter to us. God’s love has saved us and we are to be obedient, loyal, and thankful because of it.

 

2013 Day 265 – Job 37-39, Isaiah 8

22 Sunday Sep 2013

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Starting in Job 38, God finally speaks up. God starts by asking Job the following in Job 38:1 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. God proceeds to ask Job a series of questions that Job can not possibly answer. His point to Job is to show him that his questions are not at the heart of the matter. If we trust in God’s love and character, then we will understand there is no higher standard than God Himself. Our only option is to submit to His perfect authority and trust in His care for us.

2013 Day 264 – Dave Whitehead: Envy

21 Saturday Sep 2013

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Today’s reflection post is a commentary on Envy by Dave Whitehead, pastor of Grace Church in New York City, NY

Proverbs 14:30 – A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Envy may be one of the great sins of our generation. Television and the Internet expose us to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and, deep in our heart, we want to be like them. How can we tell that we are envious? Look at the deep sense of dissatisfaction that permeates our society. People are not happy because people want more than they have. Our envy has made life rotten to the bones, and the need for repentance in America is as great as ever.

2013 Day 263 – Job 34-36, Isaiah 7

20 Friday Sep 2013

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Elihu continues his discourse in today’s reading. While Elihu was not totally right in what he said, he did have valid points. In Job 34:12 he says, It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice. God is not capable of doing what is wrong. However, he does allow bad things to happen. We live in a fallen world where there is no shortage of evil. When God allows something bad to happen He is not the cause, but we must always trust there is a reason. In the end, God’s plan and His will are perfect. We must never lose trust in Him.