Tag Archives: Courage

2015 Day 76 – Matthew 26

17 Tuesday Mar 2015

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Jesus never denied who He was or the fact that He was the Son of God. In Matthew 26:64 he says to the religious leaders, “Yes it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” By this, Jesus declared His royalty in no uncertain terms. By calling Himself the Son of Man, Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and knew His declaration would cause His death. Even so, Jesus was calm, courageous, and determined to do what He had set out to do; to be the Savior of the world.

2015 Day 4 – Stuart Scott: RIP

04 Sunday Jan 2015

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As many people know I lost my hero and my dad to cancer back in 2010. From the moment I realized he had cancer to the day he left this earth, I have had a heart for people and families who have had to deal with this terrible disease. Today, the world has lost another person I have grown to admire over the years. Stuart Scott, one of ESPN’s sportscasters, lost his 7 year battle with cancer. He was an inspiration to so many people. This past summer he was awarded the “Jimmy V Perseverance Award” at the 2014 ESPY Awards. I decided to share his speech here as an inspiration for both believers and non-believers alike in how we are called to live our lives on this earth… to the fullest!

 

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.

2014 Day 342 – Mark 13

08 Monday Dec 2014

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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 305 – Mark 6

01 Saturday Nov 2014

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We must never be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. His sacrifice was too great and too personal to be ignored or denied by us. In Mark 6:38 Jesus says, If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. Christ died for us. He sacrificed His place at the right side of the Father to save us from our sins. What is there to be ashamed of? Shame comes to the those who act like Pharisees and choose to interpret parts of God’s word for their own gain. Shame also comes to those who would rather believe their own opinions rather than believing what God has taught us through His word. Never be ashamed of the Gospel; be ashamed of how some “so called” believer twist the truth.

2014 Day 296 – Matthew 10

23 Thursday Oct 2014

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As we as believers face this world we are beginning to feel more and more as though we are in the presence of wolves. And like sheep, our protection comes from our Shepherd. In Matthew 10:16 Jesus gave the following advice to His disciples, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. We are not called to be sheep-like in our attitude, but we must find a balance between wisdom and vulnerability that allows God to effectively work through us to accomplish the work He has set before us.

2014 Day 237 – Psalm 23

25 Monday Aug 2014

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Psalm 23 is one of David’s most iconic Psalms. When he wrote the Psalm he describes the Lord as a caring shepherd and dependable guide. By submitting to God’s commands, David expressed his understanding that God was his only hope for eternal life and security. Most people recognize verse 4 as one of the most well known verses in Bible, whether they are “religious” or not, because of how frequently it is quoted; 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. While David was one of the bravest men to walk the face of the earth, even he recognized that God was the only one who could walk him through death. No one gets out of this world alive, but God gives us the ability to walk through death in this life and onto eternality with Him in the next.

2014 Day 153 – 2 Timothy 1

02 Monday Jun 2014

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Today we begin the second letter Paul wrote to Timothy. 2 Timothy is meant to give final instruction and encouragement to Timothy who was at this time the pastor of the church in Ephesus. The letter was written some time between 66 and 67 A.D. while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. Paul was released from prison briefly and then imprisoned again and executed by the Roman Emperor Nero. The key verse in this morning’s reading was 2 Timothy 1:8, So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. The truth is, we all suffer. God never promised us doing the right thing would be without suffering. But He never leaves us and is always there by our side.

2014 Day 6 – Acts 5

06 Monday Jan 2014

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How many of us would  praise God for the opportunity to suffer for Him? Act 5:41 says, The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. The apostles praised God because God found them worth of suffering for Him. I often feel that I personally live too comfortable of an existence. I look for the simple life that is friction-less and carefree. I need to be more deliberate about searching for opportunities to be worth of fully being used by God; whatever that means.

2014 Day 3 – Acts 3

03 Friday Jan 2014

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God never asked us to do anything specific in His name other than be obedient. For Peter, his obedience called for him to give all he had to the crippled man. In verse 6 it says, Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” While riches may provide means to serve God, the only thing He really asks of us is to trust in Him and give all He has provided us to give.

2014 Day 1 – Acts 1

01 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Today we begin a brand new year with our new 2014 Bible Reading Plan. We begin with the book of Acts which weaves throughout our reading through most of the year. Acts begins with Jesus spending time with the apostles after His resurrection. As I read this it reminds me why the apostles were so bold in all they did. They experienced Jesus first-hand right after crucifixion and His sacrifice. They knew exactly what Jesus was capable of accomplishing. Their courage and boldness throughout this book is meant as an example for all of us and to encourage us of God’s greatness and love for us.