Devotion
Freedom from the Law of Sin
Frances Taylor
What is this law of the Spirit of life in Christ? Jesus gave us the answer in his last discourse to the apostles during the Last Supper. His law is the law of love. When we obey this law, we don't need to worry about whether or not we are following the commandments. After all, is lying, cheating, stealing, loving? Are we showing love when we act out of anger, refuse to forgive – or ask for forgiveness? Is being prideful, acting out of prejudice, envy or greed, loving? Is neglecting God, having no respect for others or ourselves, loving? You get the picture. When we live lives guided by Jesus' law of love, we don't have to worry about anything else. We are free. God knew the weakness of humanity and gave us Jesus as the model of how human beings should live. When we act according to the "flesh" or pleasure, we can easily be led from temptation to sin. Living in the "spirit" means that we are making choices according to Jesus' law of love. It's not easy. There are times when we face choices where it seems impossible to know what the right thing to do is. The question we can ask ourselves is, "Which choice is the most loving?" Which is the choice Jesus would make? It is then that we need the guidance of the Spirit. We can pray, make our most loving choice, and know that God will not condemn us if we choose wrongly. Remember, Jesus was accused of breaking the law when he healed people on the Sabbath. Would God really have wanted someone to suffer unnecessarily because of the day of the week?
Prayer
Lord, I love you and try to live your law of love each day. Guide me through the difficult decisions that life brings me. 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.
