19 Tuesday May 2015
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When we lack control over our emotions, we tend to do stupid things. But Paul urges the Thessalonians to never tire of doing what is right. Paul say in 2 Thessalonians 3:13, And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. The same advice goes to us. Never tire of doing the right thing even when the world pushes you into doing what is wrong. Remember to turn to God and the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength.
16 Saturday May 2015
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In this second letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul wanted to clear up confusion about Christ’s second coming. Many of these believers in the church thought Christ would be coming soon because of the amount of persecution they were facing. But Paul reiterated the time of His coming was unknown and not necessarily imminent. Paul simply encourages these early believer to trust that God is in control. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Paul says, God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. It is not our job to judge others or retaliate when we feel persecuted. It is our job to be obedient and listen to God’s leading through the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are to life boldly, but we are also to live lives that are under control and obedient to God’s will and purpose.
14 Thursday May 2015
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God calls us to live in community and to help each other as much as possible. But He also calls us to be self-sufficient and to live a life worthy of Him. In 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Paul talks about how we should live our lives to win the respect of others and how accomplish this, 11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you. 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. In the end, God calls us to live quiet lives that allow the Holy Spirit to not only work in us, but through us as well. When we get so busy with our own agenda, we miss the Holy Spirit’s leading and all God has planned for our lives.
26 Monday Jan 2015
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People can deny the existence of God, but the truth is apparent even to the demons. In today’s reading Jesus encounters a legion of demons who have possessed a man and even they know who Jesus is. Mark 5:6-7, 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” Later on in the New Testament in James 2:19, James states, You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. Belief in God or the denial of His existence does not matter. We can intellectualize reality all we want, but the truth will never change; God exists today and He is working all around us through Jesus Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit in our lives.
10 Saturday Jan 2015
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As I read Mark 2:23-24, I thought about modern day Christians in comparison to the Pharisees in the time of Christ, 23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” As I get older and I read and study more about Jesus’ life, I have come to the realization that modern day “Christians” represent more of the life of the Pharisees than Christ Himself. We have become more comfortable holding onto rules and beliefs that have little or nothing to do with the saving grace of Jesus’ sacrifice and more to do with our own attempts to present a righteous life. While living a pure and righteous life is admirable, and is typically a reflection of changes brought by the presence of the Holy Spirit, the truth is it has very little to do with the grace and mercy Jesus provided through His sacrifice on the cross. As believers we must remember to meet people where they are and not require them to be where we think they are supposed to be. This can only come through an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.
09 Friday Jan 2015
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As Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, he explained the difference in the way the the Jews and Samaritans worshipped and believed. But in the end Jesus made it clear how we would all worship; through the spirit and in truth. In John 4:24 Jesus says, God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. The Holy Spirit helps us in many ways: 1) He prays for us (Romans 8:26), 2) He teaches us the words of Christ (John 14:26), 3) He tells us we are loved (Romans 5:5). We must remember to always rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us as we worship and build our relationship with God.
25 Saturday Oct 2014
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When Jesus visited His home town of Nazareth, the people took offense that a carpenter could speak with such authority and conduct miracles. Mark 6:4, Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” Jesus understood how people can be judged throughout their entire lives for what people think they are. They forget the power God has to transform anyone into a new creation. In Jesus’ case He was already transformed as God’s Son here on earth as a human and He is a perfect example of how God makes all things new. What we believe to be true about others, based on their past, does not define them. What does define them is the cleansing blood of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to make all things new and make us worth of eternal life with Him.
20 Monday Oct 2014
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While, as believers, we ave an good understanding of what God is teaching us, nonbelievers do not. Jesus explains this in Mark 4:11-12, He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, ” ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ “ When we talk to people about God we must understand they may not understand what we are talking about. It is through the Holy Spirit that true understanding comes into play. We must always recognize and pray that the Holy Spirit opens their eyes and heart to the truth and have the desire to act on it.
24 Wednesday Sep 2014
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The first part of Mathew 4 shows how smart and crafty the “tempter” is. Jesus being the son of God was able to fight off the temptation, but unlike Jesus, we are not perfect. We require the help of the Holy Spirit to fight. When we face temptation and we try to fight it on our own, we act like fools. We are never alone and we should always act by trusting in the Holy Spirit to help guide and protect us.
20 Saturday Sep 2014
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Today we read about John’s account of the start of Jesus’ ministry. What stood out to me the most was the first two verses, John 1:1-2 says, 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. What struck me is how John makes a point to show Christ’s deity by saying He was there in the beginning with God. It shows Jesus as both fully human and fully God. Pretty amazing when you sit down and let it sink in.
Daily Devotion 