Devotion
See the invisible, hear the inaudible
David Jacobs
Have you ever been to a different country and worshipped at a church? On a musical mission trip to Brazil I experienced this unique opportunity. I am unable to speak Portuguese, so it was basically impossible to understand what was being said in the service. However, I was part of my church orchestra and we got to share the ministry of our church through music with various churches in Brazil. It was an incredible experience: we were able to communicate our passion for Christ and celebrate our joyous worship to God together, thousands of miles from home, in a place where we could not speak the language. We didn't need to speak the language, because we knew that we all believed in the same things.
Paul writes these letters to churches in places that he may never get to see with his own eyes. He writes these letters to new believers in Christ, thirsting for more knowledge and guidance from Jesus. He writes these letters not knowing the people's situation entirely, but understand the same things that I understood in Brazil: devotees of Christ look at more than just what can be seen; they hear more than just what can be heard; they look at what is unseen and unheard. Christ the man could be seen and heard, but his message, God's word, is eternal. The material world will come and it will pass, tied to a specific place and time. The Lord, our God, Paul's God, the Corinthians' God, is everlasting.
Prayer
Dearest Lord, your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Grant me the wisdom to look beyond that which my eyes can see, beyond what my ears can hear, beyond what my hands can touch. Help me, loving Lord, to deal with loss and give up my temporary possessions. I long to join you and your only begotten son, Jesus Christ, in eternal bliss. You are my God, my strength, and my redeemer. 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.
