Devotion
Detach yourself
David Jacobs
I watched a great movie called Force Majeure the other night. It is a Swedish movie about a family that goes on a ski vacation. The trip is going well until they are eating lunch one day. The ski resort uses explosives to create small, controlled avalanches so that there are no big avalanches, and when they are eating one day, one of the avalanches comes a little too close to the restaurant and seems like it will crush them. In that moment of panic, the mother in the family grabs her children and the father...grabs his iPhone.
In this era of capitalism, consumption and materialism rule supreme. We are taught to constantly want in a manner that is unhealthy not only in preserving our resources on Earth, but also in matter of the soul! This passage says to "Love not the world". It is not a suggestion to not appreciate God's creation. It is a commandment to not get attached to the superficial and fleeting love of worldly delights. With the amount of options available in our times, we can see how society has changed. We can all witness this becoming a larger problem not just for society but also as individuals. As Jesus remarked, we may see that Love of the Lord is the only true route to salvation. Regardless of what a man owns or collects, what he truly owns are the things that he can sacrifice.
Prayer
Blessed Father, I have been weak more times than I could mention. I pray today that you will strengthen the bond between us and help me distance myself from earthly temptations. I ask that you will light my path so that I can see that it is your love, and only your love, that is worth clinging to. Free me from this vicious cycle of consumption, the allure of greed, the temptation of lust and gluttony, and help me manage my pride to give all of what I have, all of what I am, to you. I pray all of this in your name. Amen.
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.
