2014 Day 346 – Mark 14

Tags

,

One of the things I loved about today’s reading was how bold Jesus was when He answered the high priest in Mark 14:62, “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Jesus was always direct and answered their questions, but they’re selfish ambitions and self-righteousness blinded them of the truth. May we never be filled with so much self-importance that we fail to see who we really are without Christ in us.

2014 Day 345 – Matthew 26

Tags

,

Jesus knows we are not perfect and He does not expect us to be perfect. In fact, He expects us to be imperfect. It is the exact reason why He came to die for our sins. Jesus’ interaction with Peter was a prime example of what His expectation are of us in Matthew 26:34, “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Even though Jesus knew Peter would disown Him, and even though this was obviously frustrating, it did not change who Jesus is or how He would react to His circumstances. Jesus came to sacrifice Himself for our sins and there is nothing Peter or anyone else could have done to change that; just like there is nothing we can do to change His love for us today.

2014 Day 344 – Matthew 25

Tags

, ,

We are supposed to be God’s hands and feet in this life. When we fail to serve God for His glory and His purpose, we fail at our purpose in life. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says, The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” We are called to serve where service is needed. When we love others through service we bring glory to God and reflect His love on them.

2014 Day 343 – Matthew 24

Tags

Though God has granted us grace from our sins, He still expects obedience. In Matthew 24:45-46 Jesus says, 45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. We are all called to serve the ‘Master’ until He returns. Though no one knows when that return will be, let us all be hard at work anticipating His return.

2014 Day 342 – Mark 13

Tags

, ,

In Mark 13, Jesus spends time with Peter, James, John, and Andrew to talk about the future and signs of His second coming. The main point Jesus was trying to make was to keep a watchful eye and be knowledgeable of the truth versus the lies that are potentially put before us. Jesus concludes the chapter by saying in Mark 13:37, What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ Ultimately, Jesus was not necessarily promoting the end times, He was promoting the importance of living a righteous life that is obedient to God. Whether Jesus comes tomorrow or in several thousand years, should not affect how we live our lives today.

2014 Day 341 – Hardship

Tags

, ,

Don’t let current hardship dictate who you are. Often, our struggles in this life prepare us for lessons we learned in order to accomplish extraordinary things later on.

HardshipIf 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.

2014 Day 340 – Luke 21

Tags

As we read Luke 21 today, we cannot help but listen to Jesus’ words and wonder if the end is near. However, when we look back in history, it is easy to see this is not the first time the entire world seems to be turning their eyes from God. We must always remember that our job is not to worry about the end, but the present. God has placed us in this life for a purpose. It is up to us to be obedient in all he has for us to do today. The end will come whether we worry about it or not.

2014 Day 339 – Luke 20

Tags

,

Jesus was very clear in explaining the consequences of ignoring the “Capstone” (the Messiah). By quoting Psalm 118:22, Jesus showed that even their rejection of the Messiah was prophesied in scriptures. In Luke 20:17-18 Jesus said, 17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ” ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” Jesus made it clear that rejecting capstone, or cornerstone, was dangerous. A person could trip or be crushed (judged and punished) by doing so. Jesus’ words were veiled, but the religious leaders had no issue interpreting Jesus’ meaning.

2014 Day 338 – Matthew 23

Tags

, ,

In Matthew 23 there is so much condemnation from Jesus to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. As we read this, we cannot help but see the similarities of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time and the ones in our present day. Let us all work to avoid becoming like the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, and become more like Jesus’ example of what a believer should be.

2014 Day 337 – Mark 12

Tags

, , ,

When asked, Jesus gave the perfect answer to which of the commandments is most important in Mark 12:30-31, 30 Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. God’s laws are not hard. They can be boiled down to two simple things; love God and love others. When we love God and genuinely care for others, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments and bring glory to God.