Devotion
The God-Kind of Love
Chipo Biti
1 Corinthians 13 has always been the go-to portion of the Bible when it comes to defining God's kind of love. God's love far exceeds any other form of love that exists on earth. We often tend to think the love that is shown in books and romantic movies it the kind of love that matters the most. That love is often an inaccurate description of what love is meant to be. Love is not about the butterflies in the belly or the kisses at the end of the movie. The love that the media shows you is nothing compared to the love of God. Paul described God's love in these few lines but these words are powerful.
Love endures long. This means that love is patient beyond all human reasoning. When others choose to walk away, love chooses to remain and be kind. That is exactly what God did for us. He loved us and still loves us through everything - good, bad, and ugly.
Love is not envious and it is not vain. God put us before His interests many times. He could have chosen to protect his feelings by cutting us off, but he didn't. He could have programmed us to follow his every beck and call but He didn't do that either. He stuck to His promise of giving us the ability to choose - even if we chose against Him.
Prayer
Love is not meant to be about finding ways for you to benefit from other people. God did not redeem us to fulfill His selfish intentions. He saved us so that we would not have to go through the horrors and suffering of paying for our own sins. He did this because of His love for us.
Love does not rejoice in iniquity but always rejoices in the truth. God has always been truthful with His people, no matter what. He is for us and He corrects us when need be. Not only that but he has borne many things with us, believed in us, and always hoped for the best.
Where the words of man have failed, God's love has never failed.
It never has and it never will. We can always be confident of that.
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.
