Devotion
Christ is Always Faithful
Frances Taylor
Paul is writing to Timothy from prison, a "malefactor" in the eyes of Roman law. But Paul can still speak of the Lord's faithfulness to him and encourages Timothy to remain faithful as well. He is also encouraging Timothy to prepare others to carry on the mission of spreading the Gospel. In speaking about the faithfulness of God, he also promises that even when we are not faithful, Christ Jesus will not abandon us. We have a couple of things to think about in this passage. The first is obvious: do we remain faithful in times of crisis or tragedy in our lives? Paul knew he would probably be killed for his work, and he was correct. Yet he did not abandon his faith, but rather, encouraged others to stay the course when things got bad. The second is directed at who will spread the good news once we are gone. Are we encouraging our youth to serve God as missionaries, ministers, deacons, teachers of the faith?
There's a passage in Isaiah that talks about the joy that comes from hearing the good news, but this passage also poses the question of how can people hear if there is no one to tell them. Today, we are on the front line of bringing the message of salvation, we are also on the front line of making sure that the next generation will also share the joy of knowing the great gift of salvation won for us by Christ.
Prayer
Faithful God, be with me as I face the challenges of life. May I never deny you, or be faithless, but rather let all me be a witness to your abiding love and faithfulness. Amen.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
