05 Friday Feb 2016
Posted in Daily Reading
Nothing, including our own lives, compares to what we gain with Christ. In Mark 8:35 Jesus says, For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Holding onto this life does nothing for us. What we gain from it is temporary and, in the end, it all burns. The only things that matter is what we do that impacts eternity and the Kingdom of God.
23 Saturday Jan 2016
Posted in Daily Reading
I love the parable Jesus tells of the hidden treasure in Matthew 13:44, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” In the parable, the man knew the value of the treasure was so great he was willing to sell everything in order to have it. This is what our relationship with Christ is like; it costs us everything to receive the full value of the treasure of salvation.
18 Monday Jan 2016
Posted in Daily Reading
There are plenty of people out there who talk a good game. There are many self-proclaimed athletes who can trash-talk with the best of them. But “talk” is cheap and the measure of an athlete is found on the athletic field. The same goes for the faithful believer and servant of God. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says, “Not everyone who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Jesus wants your “walk” to be better than your “talk”. Talking about doing the right things means nothing if you are unwilling to do the right things. Let your actions be the measure of your commitment to doing the will of God.
15 Friday Jan 2016
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I cannot imagine anyone who would happily be persecuted for most causes. But in Matthew 5:11-12 Jesus calls it a blessing, 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. When we are persecute for the cause of Christ, it should be taken as a badge of honor. When we stand up for truth and righteousness we are rewarded in the eyes of God. It is not easy, but few things worth fighting for ever are.
18 Friday Sep 2015
Posted in Daily Reading
God does not love us because we love Him; We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:10 says, This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. There is no greater evidence of God’s love for us than the sacrifice of His own Son for our eternal salvation.
17 Thursday Sep 2015
Posted in Daily Reading
There is an old adage that says, “talk is cheap.” 1 John 3:18 says it more eloquently, Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. We can say we care and love one another, but the truth is evidenced by our actions. If we say we love serving and never serve, then where is the truth? Let us do more and talk less about doing.
31 Friday Jul 2015
Posted in Daily Reading
Today we begin the book of Philippians, which is a letter to the believers in Philippi, a city which sat on an important transportation route in Macedonia. Once again, we see where Paul invested time with believers and the importance of their location to the spread of the gospel. In this first chapter we also read one of the most powerful passages from Paul in Philippians 1:21, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. The point Paul is making is as long as we are living our lives for Christ, we win. Even if it leads to death, we still live.
29 Wednesday Jul 2015
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Just as we imitate our parents, we should also be imitators of the example of Christ. In Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul says, 1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Our love for others should reflect the love and sacrifice Christ had for us. It should be a love that goes beyond affection and leads us to sacrificial service to others.
20 Monday Jul 2015
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Paul knew the sacrifices he was making for the Kingdom of God were worth it. He knew it didn’t matter what was needed, he was willing to do it and he hoped that others would feel the same, though he hoped for a day when the suffering would not be necessary. Acts 26:29says, Paul replied, Short or long – I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Paul wants other believers to experience victory at any cost, but he hopes it does not cost suffering. Paul’s true heart is revealed in this statement.
14 Tuesday Jul 2015
Posted in Daily Reading
As a reminder, this year we are reading the New Testament in Chronological order based on the date of events recorded along with when certain books were written. The book of Acts covers most of the New Testament time period. As we read certain books we come back to the book of Acts to tie the books together. Paul is the main character through most of the letters in the New Testament, but he is not the only one.
In today’s reading we see what happened to Paul when he returned to Jerusalem. While he tried to be respectful of the Jews and maintain the laws of purification, they still falsely accused him of stirring up trouble and even bringing Gentiles into the temple, which would have been a desecration of the temple..
One of the great lessons here is this: While Paul tried to do the right thing, he still suffered. We cannot assume because we do the right things we will be saved from suffering in this life. When we live our lives in such a way that is honoring to God, evil will still be present and most likely very active, but that should not deter us from doing what is right and honoring to God. Our reward is in eternity and in the relationship we are blessed to have with God.
Daily Devotion 