Tag Archives: Salvation

2013 Day 346 – Zechariah 10-12, Isaiah 52

12 Thursday Dec 2013

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What better task is there than to share good news with other people, especially when it’s the good news of salvation. Isaiah 52:7 talks about how “beautiful” are the feet of those who bring good news, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Our lives have purpose. God has us here to live a full life in relationship with Him and to share his good news with others. We should count it a privilege to be used by God in this way.

2013 Day 319 – John 13-15, Psalm 140

15 Friday Nov 2013

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I love reading John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. Jesus chose us first by loving us and offering to die in our place on the cross. With this, He invited us to live with Him forever despite the sin in our lives that separates us from God. Without Jesus making His choice first, we would have no choice to make.

2013 Day 317 – John 10-12, Psalm 139

13 Wednesday Nov 2013

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I love the analogy Jesus gives of being the gate for his sheep in John 10:7, Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. A shepherd act as a gate into the pen for the sheep. He is the one who allows sheep in and out and protects the sheep. In the same way, Jesus is our gate and our protector. He is our protector in salvation from our sins and from the evil of this world. Some people may resent Jesus for being the gate to eternal life, but it is through Him that salvation is made simple by believing in Him and accepting His sacrifice.

2013 Day 314 – John 1-3, Psalm 136

10 Sunday Nov 2013

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Today we begin the book of John who was a disciple of Jesus. He and his brother James were called the “Sons of Thunder” for their confrontational and, at times, aggressive ways. It was James and John, who in Luke 9:54, wanted to call down fire from heaven when the Samaritans were not responsive to Jesus’ message.

John’s purpose in writing this book was, as an eye-witness to Jesus’ life, conclusively prove Jesus was the Son of God and that all who believe in Him would be saved. John wrote this book as an old man, approximately 85-90 AD. It was also written after the destruction of Jerusalem when believers needed encouragement in their faith from the persecution they were beginning to face. When reading John, keep in mind that up 90 percent of John is unique to his gospel from the other gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

2013 Day 297 – Ezekiel 1-4, Isaiah 35

24 Thursday Oct 2013

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Today we begin the book of Ezekiel who was a younger contemporary of Jeremiah. While Jeremiah ministered to the people while they were still in Judah, Ezekiel prophesied to the people who were already exiled to Babylon. He was taken there in 597 B.C. and the book was written approximately 571 B.C. The purpose of the book was to once again announce judgement on Israel and other nations. The book also takes part in announcing salvation to God’s people. Like God’s people back in Ezekiel’s day, we are never without explanation and direction. We just need to choose to follow God’s instruction.

2013 Day 295 – 1 Peter 1-3, Isaiah 33

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

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Today we begin the letters of the Apostle Peter starting with the book of 1 Peter. The letters were written to encourage Christians who were beginning to suffer for their faith. One of the ways Peter encouraged believers was to remind them of the everlasting power of salvation through Jesus Christ. He reminded them, no matter what happened to them on earth, their salvation was forever. In 1 Peter 1:24, Peter quotes a verse from Isaiah 40:6-8 reminding them that the thing of this world will fade but God and His ways are permanent, For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever. Let this be a reminder to us; while our sadness, pain, and suffering may feel overwhelming at times, God’s grace, mercy, and peace are always available to us.

2013 Day 294 – Francis Chan: Two Scariest Lies in the World Right Now

21 Monday Oct 2013

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For this week’s Reflection post, I wanted to share this video by Francis Chan. As believers who have accepted Christ and His gift of salvation, we know how much we need Him. But right now there are two lies this world likes to tell everyone that keeps them from wanting and experiencing Christ; “you are a good person” and “because God is a loving God, He will not punish us”. In Roman 3:23 it says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Do not be deceived by the lies of this world. While we do not deserve it, God loves us and wants to provide the grace we need no matter how much we want to believe the lies that are told.

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.

2013 Day 270 – Jeremiah 7-9, Isaiah 13

27 Friday Sep 2013

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At the beginning of Jeremiah 9 you can feel how conflicted Jeremiah is with his people. He is angered by their sin: lying, treachery, adultery, and idolatry which had become common among them. But he also felt compassion. While he knew God had set him apart to accomplish his mission, he also knew he was one of them. Jesus had similar feelings about Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37, 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” This is a great example for us to remember. While our sins may not be the same as others, we all require God’s forgiveness. We are no better than anyone else without the grace and mercy God gave us through His Son.

2013 Day 266 – Job 40-42, Isaiah 9

23 Monday Sep 2013

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We finally come to the end of our reading in Job. God has taken the opportunity to reprimand everyone associated with this story including Job. Once God is finished with all He has to say, Job begins his repentant replay in Job 43:1-6, 1 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Once Job repented, God was able to bless him even more than He had before. This is not a promise that God has given to us, however our obedience should be unconditional to God. He loves us and has promised us salvation from eternal death, and that is the only thing that should ever matter to us. God’s love has saved us and we are to be obedient, loyal, and thankful because of it.

 

2013 Day 262 – Job 31-33, Isaiah 6

19 Thursday Sep 2013

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In today’s reading in chapter 31, Job challenges his friends to find fault with him. Since they could not convince Job of any wrong doing, Job’s friends stopped trying. Starting in Chapter 32, there is a younger man named Elihu who has been listening to their conversation. He has been respectful in waiting for the older men to speak and now takes the opportunity to share his perspective. We spend the next few chapters listening to Elihu’s words. While Job may not have deserved the severity of his punishment, he is no different from us; someone who is imperfect and needs to receive grace when we probably deserve death.