16 Saturday Aug 2014
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We should always try to help others find their way. But there comes a time when all guidance and attempts at correction are ignored and we must simply let consequences take their toll. Proverbs 29:1 says, Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. Unfortunately, there comes a time when there is nothing more we can do but give it back to God and trust Him.
11 Monday Aug 2014
Posted in Daily Reading
No matter what the past situation, we must never gloat over the misfortune of anyone. Even David, who was being pursued by Saul who wanted him dead, did not gloat over Saul’s death. Proverbs 24:17-18 says, 17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, 18 or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. If we gloat at another’s misfortune, we are inviting the wrath back on ourselves. Instead we should lift, even our enemies, up in prayer that God will show mercy on them. No one is perfect, including ourselves and God’s grace is bigger than any sin.
30 Wednesday Jul 2014
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You never know what is really behind someone smiling. Sometimes it is nothing more that a cover for a hurting heart. Proverbs 14:13 says, Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief. Always be genuine when asking how someone is doing. You never know when their outer expression may be nothing more than a facade for what’s really going on inside.
28 Wednesday May 2014
Posted in Daily Reading
In today’s reading, Hebrews 10:31 took me a bit by surprise, It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. At first I thought the verse was talking about everyone, but it is actually talking about those who have rejected God’s mercy. For believers who have accepted God’s grace and salvation through Christ’s sacrifice, death is of no consequence and have nothing to worry about.
24 Saturday May 2014
Posted in Daily Reading
In this chapter, the author talks about Melchizedek, who was the original model for the High Priest. From that original priest all priest followed the law of self-cleansing in the eyes of God before the cleansing of the people they served. Jesus changed everything and in Hebrews 7:26 it says, Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. With Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice, the need for priestly cleansing became unnecessary, as did the need for continual sacrifices to cleanse us from our continual imperfection. God’s grace sets us free from the work of purification and we must always remember this, not out of obligation, but because His loves deserves our love and commitment in return.
19 Monday May 2014
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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.
17 Saturday May 2014
Posted in Daily Reading
Today we begin the book of Hebrews. The author of this book is unconfirmed, but many think it could be Paul, Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, Philip, Priscilla, or several others. While the author’s name is not given in the Biblical text itself, it does refer to Timothy as “brother”. The purpose of the book is to present the sufficiency and authority of Christ and was mainly written to the Hebrew Christians, but as with the rest of the Bible, has key applications for us today. In today’s reading the key verse for me was Hebrews 1:3, The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. The power of God Himself, the creator of the universe, is the same power that saves us from our sins. When it says He (the Son) sat down, it means the work was finished and Christ’s sacrifice was final.
24 Thursday Apr 2014
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Control over our own lives is sometimes hard to do. When we are children, we live according to what we want and when we want it. But as we grow in wisdom we learn to make choices based on potential consequences and desired outcomes. Ephesians 5:14-15 says, 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 15 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. The biggest problem is not just in making wise choices, but also realizing the evils of this world are against us. Unless we live in the presence of God through the Holy Spirit, it is easy to quickly become hopeless. Through God’s presence and strength we are able to make wise choices and live in accordance to His grace and mercy.
21 Monday Apr 2014
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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.
20 Sunday Apr 2014
Posted in Reflection
Happy Easter! He is RISEN!!!
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.
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Daily Devotion 