Devotion
The Importance of the Gathering
Chipo Biti
Part of professing our faith in God is choosing to walk in love with one another. Loving everyone around us, with the love of God, is one of the main ways in which our words and actions can testify of God and His love to the world. The world looks to Christians when seeking the existence and legitimacy of God and the love we preach of. If they do not see that love emulated within us, they will not be convinced of who we say God truly is.
Instead of provoking one another to anger or dispute, we are to provoke one another to love. It may sound a little funny but it is true. We should seek to bring out the loving side of every believer that we come across. This can be done through the words we speak and the actions we carry out. Instead of treating people like strangers, welcome them into your world and consider them to be friends. Pay attention to their needs and their concerns and treat them if you can.
Prayer
Good works are a part of expressing the love of God that resides within us. Good works without love are meaningless - 1 Corinthians 13 goes to extensive lengths to stress this. If you do good works but you have no love in your heart, then it means that you are a pretender.
One of the best places to share our love with one another is when we gather together to worship God as one. This is usually in church, at group bible studies, or other Christian gatherings. Do no treat these gatherings lightly. They mean a great deal to God and He desires that we take them seriously. There is great growth that occurs when believers come together to worship and study God's word.
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.
