Devotion
United as One Kingdom
Frances Taylor
The last time before the Judeans and the Israelites were united with one king was under the kingship of Solomon. Then the lands were divided – Israel in the North and Judea in the South. But both kingdoms fell first to the Assyrians and then the Babylonians and the people were sent into exile. The kings at that time allowed idol worship and other sins against God. They refused to listen to the prophets and suffered the consequences. God is now promising those in exile that they will return to their homeland and there will be one king of the now reunited country. Now we know that they were only faithful for a time and then were conquered by the Greeks and then the Romans. At the Last Supper, Jesus will appeal for unity among his followers. Christianity started out as one, but now is also divided. God must be wondering if human beings will ever get it together and learn from the mistakes of the past. We even sometimes forget that Jesus offered his life to save ALL people, not just a few. Next week at this time we will be standing in front of the tomb in Jerusalem waiting for the stone to be rolled back so that we can witness the empty tomb and rejoice in the promise of eternal life. Let us pray as Jesus did that all may be one in him.
Prayer
Dear Lord, you keep sending us reminders of the fact that you want unity among your peoples. Help us to be agents of unity and not division. 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.
