Devotion
No Exclusions
Chipo Biti
This parable is representative of what God tried to do with the children of Israel. God tried to bring the children of Israel to the Promised Land where they would rest. He had made them the chosen nation. God intended for the Israelites to receive Christ and then He would use them to spread the gospel to other nations. But time after time, the Israelites rejected God's plans. When Jesus, the ultimate plan of God, came to earth, many of the Jews rejected him and saw him as the carpenter's son or a madman - nothing else. After Jesus ascended to the heavens and the apostles became filled with the Holy Spirit, there were still many Jews who opposed the gospel. They rejected the gift that God had given to them freely.
God used Paul to spread the gospel to the Gentile nations, thus exposing them to the free gift of salvation. It was always part of God's plan, for everyone to receive salvation. There was just a particular way in how it would be done. The Gentiles were far more receptive to the gospel than the Jews were, who were still fixated on fulfilling the Law.
God is not a respecter of persons. This means that He loves everyone equally - no race more than the other, no gender more than the other, no person over the others. The love is shed abroad equally and the gift was for everyone. When the Gentiles started receiving the Holy Spirit, the Jews were shocked. Some of them were resentful and tried to impose the Law on the Gentiles but their actions were refuted.
Prayer
We must never think that we deserve salvation more than anyone else - no matter who they are or what they have done. Salvation is for everyone in the world. God's greatest desire is for as many people to receive salvation as possible. He sees everyone as His children.
We, as the children of God, should adopt this mindset and focus on reaching out to everyone. We should celebrate every instance when a person gives their life to Christ. We should see them as family.
Night Prayer
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Inspiration
When multiple flocks of sheep become blended, there is no need to worry. The good shepherd will call out to his sheep, and they come directly to him because they know his voice and will not confuse it with others. As God's people, we often become mixed up in things of the world. Sin is tempting as we surround ourselves with the wrong crowd; God is always watching and calls us back to the fold. We find Him when we are lost because we know the sound of His voice; it's the only one we've chosen to follow, and we do not confuse it with others.
Prayer
Dear God, when we are lost, we listen for You. Your voice is precious and will guide us back to the fold where we belong. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Word of God
Frances Taylor
If there's one thing I know about Christians and the Bible, is that there is an ongoing debate about whether it is the word of God or the word of men, and what that means. We all agree that the Bible is the living revealed word of God, but! There are wide differences in how that is interpreted. There are some who believe that every word of the Bible was dictated to someone who wrote it down. For others it is purely men's thoughts. For others, men were inspired by God to write their experience of God. I don't know where you find yourself on this continuum.
For most people who believe that the Bible is inspired either word for word or as guided by God, the Bible tells God's truth. Unfortunately for those of us who speak English, we have to rely the sources we have had over the years as guides to how the Scriptures should be interpreted. I have had many people ask me which translation is correct, but there's no clear answer.
The Bible has been translated ...
Morning Prayer
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Inspiration
Suffering will be a part of our lives as Christians. The New Testament is filled with warnings about the suffering Christians will incur because of their decision to follow Christ and not the ways of the world. Millions of Christians across the world are subjected to torture, isolation, and mockery just because they have chosen to follow Christ. But Christ has also assured us that we will not endure this suffering alone, and a reward lies ahead for all of those who suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that in times of persecution and great tribulations, may you strengthen me and encourage me to keep going on. I also pray for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who endure great pain and torture for choosing to follow you. May you comfort them in these trying times, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
