25 Monday Sep 2017
Posted in Daily Reading
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are all part of the family of God. Paul says in Ephesians 2:18, For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. The Jewish people first had access, and now through Christ all have access. We are all part of the same eternal inheritance as co-heirs in Christ.
07 Thursday Sep 2017
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When we talk about the “church”, we are not talking about a building, we are talking about the body of Christ made up of all believers. Paul talks about the make up of the body of Christ in Ephesians 1:22-23, 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. The intended makeup of our relationship with God was fulfilled when Christ died and God raised Him from the dead. It is because of this miracle and God’s plan which allows each of us to be saved and become members as believers in the body of Christ fulfilled.
30 Wednesday Aug 2017
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As believers and followers of Christ, we have every benefit of knowing God through our relationship with Him. Ephesians 1:3 says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Because of salvation and our intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy the benefits of a relationship directly with God. Christ gives us that ability and it is because God loved us so much he gave us this way.
15 Tuesday Aug 2017
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God’s grace is more abundant than we can ever truly grasp and He loves us more than we can comprehend. In Psalm 145:8 David reminds us, The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. No matter how bad things get, God’s grace is what He wants us to experience more than anything else because of His love for us.
02 Wednesday Aug 2017
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At the end of this Psalm, David asks God to search for any wickedness in his life. In Psalm 139:23-24 David says, 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. David is not challenging God to find him perfect, he is challenging God to identify sin and make it known so he can fix it. Too often we justify our sin and make excuses for the choices we make. If we are honest and open our hearts and minds to God, He will help us.
04 Tuesday Jul 2017
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Have you ever thought about what salvation really means? It means forgiveness of our sins and our sinful nature. It is literally God forgetting all the many and creative ways we sin. Psalm 130:3-4 says, 3 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. If God kept a record of our sin, the burden would continue to be overwhelming. But God removes the weight and eternal consequences of sin and frees us to be who He intended us to be. Likewise, God gives us an example of how we are to forgive others. If we cannot release others from their transgressions against us, then we have not truly forgiven them.
02 Sunday Jul 2017
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We are not slaves to unrighteousness. God has set us free by His grace and love. Psalm 129:4 says, But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. Through our freedom found only through God’s perfect plan, we are no longer tied to sin. That doesn’t mean we are perfect, but through God’s power and grace we have the tools to be free from the damaging power of sin in our lives. Trusting and relying on God’s strength through the Holy Spirit is all we need to conquer sin.
19 Wednesday Apr 2017
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The anticipation of the Messiah had been present for a long time. The people of God had to look forward to know He was coming and would provide salvation. In Psalm 98:1 it says, Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him. When Christ came to earth and died for our sins, He fulfilled the anticipation the world had been waiting for. When we look for peace, love, and grace, we find it in Christ.
27 Monday Feb 2017
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If we as believers and followers of Christ cannot defend the weak, who will? In Psalm 82:3 Asaph says, Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. The powerful people of this world have the ability to do what they will, sometimes with little or no regard for others. If we do not stand for those who cannot stand for themselves, then no one will. We are to be a reflection of Christ who would have stood for the weak if He were here today.
28 Saturday Jan 2017
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May we always remember to be a reflection of Christ that helps lead others to Him. In Psalm 69:6 David says, May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the Lord Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel. We are not here to judge those around us, but to lead them to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son. If our actions disgrace others and attempts to put them to shame, then we have failed in our role as followers of Christ.
