Devotion
Light overcomes all darkness
David Jacobs
Recently the light in my closet began flickering, making it almost impossible to see anything. Thinking that it would be a fairly easy job, I took off the light and replaced it with another only to see, much to my dismay, the new light bulb also flickered. I remained proactive, and removed the entire fixture and had to eventually replace the transformer (which I admit I did not know existed). After multiple days, voila! The light was back on in my closet, so now I was able to notice the state of complete disarray that my clothes were in. Do we neglect to illuminate our own light in our lives?
Jesus is the light of the world and knows that he must shine so that we may see him. Should we not also hold ourselves to the same standard? Luke 8:16-17 discusses the importance of where a light is used. We would not light a candle and put it under a pot or under a bed (and unfortunately not in my closet). We should hold the light high so that we, and others, can see it. Jesus shined brightly for us, a gleaming example to which we should aspire, and his light was not extinguished even when pressed by the Pharisees. No, he remained confident, knowing full well that he was the truth and the light.
Many Christians do not shine bright enough in their daily lives. Much of society frowns upon it but is accepting of public displays of sex, greed, and violence. We should not put our faith under a vessel! We owe it to God and his son, who is our light in the darkness! We owe it to all those around us, to help lead them when they cannot see. Last, we owe it to ourselves, to surround ourselves with light and drive away darkness. Everything else, we leave to God.
Thought: If you notice darkness around you, do not be afraid to step up and shine, even in public. As Jesus stood up when pressed by the Pharisees, we too, can stand up and shine when we know we are right.
Prayer
Dearest Father, help listen to the words of your Son and my savior. He is your light and mine, my guide, strength, and redeemer. Humble me in thy sight, O Lord, so that I realize that I am lost without your guidance, a lamb without a shepherd. In times of darkness, help me to stand for what I know is good, and shine as an example to others. In your holy name I pray, 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.
