Tag Archives: Servant

2015 Day 141 – 1 Corinthians 1

21 Thursday May 2015

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Today we begin the first letter from Paul to the Corinthian church. The purpose of the letter was to identify issues in the church, propose solutions, and to teach believers how to live Christ-like lives in a corrupt and lost society. In the first few chapters, Paul takes the opportunity to address their problems and to offer truths about what we really are without a relationship with Christ. In the final verse of this chapter Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:31, Therefore it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” He chose us, not because we were great and had a lot to offer Him, but because He is able to use anyone and anything for His glory. We are to consider it a privilege to be identified as children of God and to be found worthy to be His servant.

2015 Day 112 – Acts 14

22 Wednesday Apr 2015

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In today’s reading I found it entertaining the people of Lystra thought Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes. The Greeks of that area recognized the supernatural abilities of the Apostles. But it was not the abilities of the Apostles, but of God working through them. If we stop trying to do great things for God and allow God to do great things through us, we would see much greater results. The total submission and willingness to be used by God to bring others into knowledge and relationship with Christ is the example we should learn here.

2015 Day 103 – Acts 6

13 Monday Apr 2015

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Today’s reading in Act 6 is a short one, but it is important for two reasons: 1) It introduces Stephen, who we will read more about tomorrow in chapter 7, and 2) it addresses one of the key responsibilities we should have as a body of believers, which is to take care of those in need. In this particular case we are talking about widows, but this applies in many areas. The “Church” is responsible for taking care of people in need, not government. When we wait for the government to step in and provide, we are allowing them to step into all areas of our lives. If the church spent less money on building physical “temples”, we could spend more time and money taking care of widows, single moms, the sick, and the elderly more effectively. I would rather see tithes and offerings going to those in need rather than into new spaces that are used only one or two days a week. I am not against building or buying space that fits the needs of safe and sheltered worship, just against edifices that resemble museum more than gathering places for humble believers who exhibit a hearts of servants.

2015 Day 97 – Acts 1

07 Tuesday Apr 2015

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Today we begin the book of Acts, which was written by Luke. It is written as an account of the beginning’s of the Christian church. In this first chapter we see the ending of Jesus’ time with His apostles and the election of a new apostle, Matthias, to replace Judas. When Jesus died on the cross it left many to wonder if He really was the Messiah because their expectations were very different from what He accomplished with His time on earth. One of the final conversations we see with Jesus and the apostles was their asking when He would return. Jesus’ answer was simple in Acts 1:7, He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. Ultimately, for us, it is not important when Jesus comes back because our mission remains the same until His return; to love and serve others just as He would have done had He remained with us.

2015 Day 92 – Mark 16

02 Thursday Apr 2015

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Today we are reading the last chapter in the Gospel of Mark. In this final chapter Jesus rises from the dead and begins to appear before the people including His disciples. One of the most interesting verses is Mark 16:7 where the angel at the tomb tells the women, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you’ “ The interesting part is where he says “and Peter”. Despite Peter’s denial, Jesus did not disown him. Jesus still had great plans for Peter. For us, even when we fail, Jesus never stops loving us or wanting to include us in His plans. Jesus does not expect perfection, but a willing heart wanting to serve Him and others.

2015 Day 75 – Matthew 25

16 Monday Mar 2015

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Serving God is more than just praying and reading His word, it is about being available to be used by Him to impact others and reflect the love of Christ. In Matthew 25:35-36 Jesus speaks about how it should be when we see Him at the end of our earthly existence,  35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. We all hope these are the things Jesus will say when we see Him at the end of our life. When we look at others, we should see them as if they are Christ Himself and treat them accordingly. What are we doing today to make this a reality?

2015 Day 74 – One Man’s Special Delivery

15 Sunday Mar 2015

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I came across this video last week while I was watching “CBS Sunday Morning”. It struck me as so special that two men wanted to make a difference in the world in what some would call a small way. But to one man, it made all the difference in the world. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

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.

2015 Day 63 – Luke 19

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

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God loves to use His creation to testify of His existence and love. While we humans are at the top of the food-chain, it is still God’s choice to use us, though he does not require our testimony to express His love to others. In Luke 19:40 Jesus says, “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” We should feel privileged that God wants to use us because the reality is He does not need us. God loves us so much He wants us to be a part of the His story through our witness of Christ’s sacrifice changing us for eternity. Let us never forget the honor it is to be loved and used by God for His Kingdom.

2015 Day 54 – Luke 16

23 Monday Feb 2015

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Money is the great deceiver. It promises happiness and fulfillment, but often delivers neither; only God can truly do those things for us. In Luke 16:13 Jesus says, “No servant can serve two Masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.You cannot serve both God and money.” While money in and of itself is not evil, the love of money is. It can become a god that takes our attention away from serving God. If money, or the pursuit of money, keeps us from fulfilling God’s purposes for our lives, then we are focused on the wrong things. Whatever we choose to put into our lives should allow us to be more productive for the Kingdom of God, not keep us from fully serving Him.

2015 Day 51 – Luke 14

20 Friday Feb 2015

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As believers, we are supposed to be the salt of the world. Without the knowledge of God and Christ’s sacrifice, this world has no meaning or purpose, which is why that knowledge brings flavor and meaning to our existence. In Luke 14:34 Jesus says, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” Even as believers, we can lose our “saltiness” and lose our impact on this world. This is the reason why a growing and healthy relationship with God is so important. Without His presence in our lives and constant guidance, we are at risk of losing our way, and in turn, losing the impact we are supposed to have on this world.