Devotion
Sticks and stones may break my bones....but words can also hurt me!
David Jacobs
I remember my time in high school fondly: I was an active student with a bit of a wild side. Teachers often disagreed with my rebellious streak but put up with my behavior as long as I kept my grades up. One teacher, however, saw my rebellious side for what it truly was: a cry for help. She seemed to understand thoughts and anxieties that I had that I thought I concealed well considering nobody else seemed to notice them. I have her to thank for calming me down, because through conversations with her and her willingness to listen and offer me valid advice, I gained a mentor that I am today grateful for.
John the Baptist offered similar guidance to the masses. He had gained celebrity status, preaching to multitudes of people, crowds that were hungry for direction. He was more than willing to oblige, offering prophecies and advice that had scarcely been heard before. His preaching was viewed as a threat by those in power, eventually costing him his life (Matthew 14:1-12). It was not just the lowly and meek that sought his council and thirsted for his preaching; in these verses, government officials, tax collectors, and soldiers were among the multitudes clamoring to hear his voice. Like my teacher did to me, John was not afraid to speak harshly towards the masses, ridiculing them, calling them a "generation of vipers." This harshness is often what needs to be said but is hard to hear. Without John's preaching, the world would have not been fully prepared to hear and interpret the message of Christ shortly thereafter.
Prayer
Have you fell out of touch with someone because of criticisms that you or they said to each other? Think back about what was said: what was the reason behind it? Were you or they trying to truly help? Be the bigger person in these situations and try to truly listen to the criticism. You often end up improving as a result.
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 ...
