The very last verse in today’s reading is an incredibly powerful picture of God. Hebrews 12:29 says, for our “God is a consuming fire”. This is not the same thing as the flame from a candle; it is the light and heat from a raging fire that is all consuming and beyond our control. God is like a consuming fire and we cannot force Him to do anything, though He is a God of compassion and He ultimately wants us to experience His love fully.
One of the hardest things about becoming a believer is accepting that we are not called to be holy before coming to Jesus for salvation. Jesus never asked us to do anything for our salvation. He simply asked us to accept. More importantly, because He became human for us and suffered, He knows what we experience and how much we struggle. Hebrews 2:18 says, Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Jesus experienced everything here on earth that we experience. He is able to empathize, help, and love us through it all and he did it because He loves us.
Of 2.7 million people who saw a job posting by a Boston agency for a ‘director of operations’ position, just 24 applied. That’s likely because of the brutal requirements.
The website rehtom.net posted the job and paid for ads, hoping to get the right applicant. So what is required from the right applicant. Here’s the entire list:
Must be able to work 135+ hours a week Ability to work overnight, associate needs pending Willingness to forgo any breaks Work mostly standing up and/or bending down Must be able to lift up to 75 lbs. on a regular basis Ph.D. in psychology or real-life equivalent Crisis management skills a must Ability to manage a minimum of 10-15 projects at one time Ability to communicate at all levels (basic to advanced) Ability to improvise Proficient in handling sticky situations (literally and figuratively) Ability to coordinate multiple, often conflicting, schedules Ability to make independent decisions on behalf of others Ability to work with associates with minimal ability Ability to work in a chaotic environment Frequent travel; minivan driving experience a plus Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach Flexible when it comes to surprise requests Demonstrated knowledge and experience in negotiating, counseling and culinary arts Unlimited patience Understanding of social media, mobile devices and video games Understanding of finance Understanding of medicine Selflessly driven Valid driver’s license, CPR certification and Red Cross membership Ability to wear several hats, professional and domestic Positive disposition at all times
Those requirements all for a job that pays $0. So who would hire for a such a job? Only one way to find out. Watch their interviews and real-time reactions and, believe us, it’s worth it to watch to the end.
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.
We all have worries about something. Whether it’s about our family, job, or friends, we all have worries in our lives. In Philippians 4:6 Paul says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. We must turn our worries into prayers and are thankful to God for His presence in our lives. The beauty of the life of a believer is we are never alone to face anything on our own. God is always with us and never allows us to stand in the face of our struggles without His powerful and loving presence in our lives.
One of the most difficult human endeavors is to grasp how big God’s love is for us. The second half of Ephesian 3:17 and all of 3:18 says, 17a And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. God’s love is multidimensional and beyond anything we could ever experience. God’s love is wide because it reaches out to everyone. His love is long because it spans the entire length of our lives, from birth to death, no matter where we are or how much we may or may not deserve it. His love is high because it reaches beyond the height of our highest elations. And His love is deep because it reaches to the depth of our suffering and even to death. We are never beyond the reach of God’s great love. Even when we feel lost and isolated His love is always in our presence and always within us.
Because of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice for us, We are free from sin’s power over us. This is not because our desire to sin has gone away, but because God’s mercy has freed us from the penalty of our sin when it was destroyed on the cross. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Before we experienced God’s mercy we were slaves to the power of sin in our lives. But now we are alive with Christ and the power of sin no longer dictates who we are or what controls us. We must remember God’s love for us and recognize His mercy comes from that great love.
The Skit Guys always produce some of the most amazing videos. This video does a great job of showing what it is all about. Remember, though Christ died on the cross through grace for our sins, it is all for His glory.
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.
Today we read the relatively short book Philemon. This book is actually a letter written by Paul to Philemon who was probably a wealthy leader of the Colossian church. The purpose of the letter was to try and convince Philemon to accept and forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus, and to hopefully accept him as a brother in Christ. While Paul does not condemn slavery in any of his writings, he does make a bold statement when when he calls Odesimus Philemon’s brother in Christ. No matter what our status in life, whether financial or social, we are all equals in the body of Christ. More importantly, as a body of believers we must be intentional in our acceptance of all people no matter where they are in comparison to us individually.
Paul asks a great quest in Romans 8:35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? The simple answer is no one. God’s love is eternal and it is stronger than any pain or suffering we could ever face. Trust in His love for us and know everything we go through is part of His perfect plan.
Daily Devotion 