Devotion
Growing in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ
Chipo Biti
One of the best things that we can desire, as Christians, is for us to continue growing in the knowledge that we have of Christ. The more we learn of Christ, the more we learn of the nature of God and His love. Jesus Christ is referred to as the express image (the direct representation of God) - Hebrews 1:3. At the time of Jesus' arrival to the earth, humankind had adopted many misconceptions about God and His nature. Jesus came to correct all misconceptions and show the world who the Almighty God really was.
Many people believed that God was a wicked God who was to be feared. But through Jesus, we learned that God is a loving God, determined to win our affections. We learned that God truly has our best interests at heart and he desires to keep us away from the wiles of the enemy.
The Christian life is a life that if filled with constant moments of growth. The more we focus on the word of God, the more we grow in the knowledge of Christ. The Holy Spirit is also known as the "Spirit of wisdom and revelation".
Everything that we need to know about Jesus Christ is learned through the Holy Spirit. When you read through John14 and John 16, you will gain a very clear understanding on Jesus' reasons for leaving us with the Holy Spirit.
When we know more about Christ and the more we "know him better" we are also led to understand our identity as believers as well. To be Christians means that we are of Christ. In order to truly show the world that we are of Christ, we have to walk in His ways. We have to express and live according to the wisdom that He lived by as well. The only way we can do that is through the growing understanding that we have of the word of God. The word of God leads us into the deeper revelations and the better knowledge. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us understand the word of God in a better light.
To know Christ better, is great gain. When we understand our identity in Christ, and we understand what it means to be a child of God, we become stronger in our convictions and much harder for the enemy to try and toss us to and fro.
Prayer
The word of God fortifies us from the attempts of the enemy, and keeps us firmly rooted in the firm foundation of His love.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
