Devotion
A Declaration
Frances Taylor
Was Jesus confirming his divinity? Some will say yes and others, I don't know. What I know is that John was writing this long after Jesus death at a time when there were debates going on around this very question. Much of the debate centered on when Jesus became divine, or was he only divine and never really human. By that time, the majority of Christians accepted the doctrine of the Trinity and believed as the Prologue to John's Gospel states, that the Son of God – the Word – existed from all eternity and in the fullness of time, took on flesh through the Virgin Mary and became a man, the man Jesus. This statement of Jesus in this passage was not met well by the Jews as this was considered blasphemy. He was saying he was God and this was going against the commandments. For us, as Christians, the debate really doesn't raise the same questions. But how do we think of Jesus? Do we think that because Mary and Joseph must have told him of his origins, he understood what they meant? After all, Jesus had a human brain as we do. We are told by our baptism, that we are children of God, heirs with Christ of eternal life in heaven. Do we really understand what that means? Something to think about! We will never be able to understand the great mystery of the Trinity or the Incarnation, but we should try to understand how our baptism should make a difference in our lives.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we will never truly understand the mystery of the Trinity. Send the Holy Spirit to us to help us understand what it means to be your child. 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.
