Devotion
A house united
David Jacobs
When my son was a teenager he was constantly getting into trouble. He was acting out in school, getting in trouble with the police, and generally ignoring all of the things that he had been taught by his mother and I. We were befuddled: where was the good, sensitive, and generous boy that we had known all our lives? We knew that he was there, but he was unwilling to show himself all the time. No matter what we tried to do, he had to figure it out on his own.
In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he realizes that he is talking to early Christians or non-believers, and offers to thank the Lord on their behalf. He does it in a way that does not mock or condemn the Corinthians, which my wife and I probably had done too much of with our son. Paul, in his wisdom and generosity, is not blind to their good qualities, in their potential for redemption, and the early church's need for new believers. He patiently extends his hand, asking all who will take it to follow him to spiritual enrichment through Christ. Does God not love atheists, Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews? He does! God is the one that will judge who is worthy or not to join Him in the Heavenly Kingdom. My impatience with my own son drove him to misbehave; if only I had been like Paul! It is not up to us to condemn non-believers; it is up to us to offer our prayers, our thanks, and our hand to them, as Paul did, so that each and everyone has an opportunity to be saved.
Prayer
Patient and loving Lord, give me the strength to stretch out my hand for those that do not know you. Grant them the courage to take my hand, with your word a lamp at our feet as we walk the path towards salvation. Help me to not condemn them for what they do, and instead spread tolerance and kindness. Give me all of this, Lord, and the voices of your believers will grow as we shout our praises to Heaven. 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.
