Devotion
Easter Joy and Hope
Frances Taylor
Alleluia! Happy Easter! I hope you are feeling the joy and hope that this day and season brings. It is a reminder that this is not all there is, that our life continues because of Christ. What does the joy and hope of Easter mean to you? Stop for a minute, take a deep breath and smile! Think about those things that bring you joy. Is it family? Friends? The birth of a child? And hope, what gives you hope? So often we are bombarded with media blasts that tell us how dismal the future looks and how "I" have the answer! Sometimes hope can be hard to come by! If there is one person who can make our future better, it's Jesus! Last Friday, we felt the pain and the hopelessness of the disciples. Today we celebrate the hope and the joy of the Resurrection. If we have walked with Jesus these past few weeks, truly looking at our lives, changing what needs to be changed, asking forgiveness for our sins, it's time to look to the future with confidence and hope. Easter is a day but also a season. Let us work at continuing the hope and joy we feel today each day during these next weeks. Let us look for those things, those moments, those people who bring us joy and celebrate them every day. Today the glass is overflowing with feelings of joy and hope, don't let the glass run dry.
Prayer
Gracious and glorious God, thank you for sending your son to save us. Thank you for the love you have for us. May we always be grateful to you and never take your love for granted. Help us to be witnesses of your love to all we meet. 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.
