Devotion
The Knowledge of Good and Evil
Frances Taylor
With one small act of disobedience, sin entered the world. Do you ever wonder what induced Eve and then Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit? You have to admit that the serpent was sneaky! He didn't say that they would get rich or famous, he came at them through their desire to be more than they were, he said they would be like God. Well he was right about one thing; they discovered the difference between good and evil. Original sin! Which was the original sin – eating the fruit of the tree or wanting to be God? Let's face it, this goes right to the heart of the first commandment – you shall have no other gods before me – not even yourself! Could you resist the idea of being God, could I? I like to think no, but then I remember when I put myself and my own wants or needs before God. Satan is still up to his old tricks every day tempting us with ways of trying to be God. I am reminded of the story of Snow White. The wicked queen is jealous of Snow White and sets out to destroy her. First, she pretends to need her help and then offers her the reddest and shiniest apple in her basket. Satan can begin by working on our compassion and then offers the poison. All temptation looks good and that is why we fail.
Prayer
Dear God, help us to see through the lies of Satan in our lives. Give us the grace to rest. 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.
