Devotion
A letter from prison
David Jacobs
Some improvements need to be made in the prison system in America. The recidivism rate is dreadful, meaning that once you go to prison it is very likely that you will go back to prison upon your original release. The prisoners are not given much opportunity to gain any useful skills, and are basically used for slave labor. It can be a depressing and lonely place, sapping the will to live from many that have entered.
Luckily for us, Paul the Apostle, along with the other Apostles, had made a pact with Christ. He vowed to spread the good news of the gospel to every creature on earth (Mark 16:15). Unluckily for Paul, his doing so landed him in a jail cell. Due to his pact with Christ, the iron bars that kept him caged inside did not stop him from doing all that he could to spread the teachings of Christ. In verse 20, he speaks of being in bondage, able to speak boldly. I am always fascinated by how the authors of books of the Bible conclude their writings. In the book of Ephesians, Paul wishes peace to his brethren, love with faith, and grace to all that love Christ. He does this from a prison cell! He stays faithful and happy, working to spread the love of Christ around the world.
Prayer
Reading this is inspiring but also makes me feel a bit guilty: if Paul can do all of this from the cold confines of a cell, what more can I be doing? Ask yourself the same question. Meditate on it, pray to God, and perhaps you will get an answer to what more you can be doing.
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.
