Devotion
Keep the Commandments
Frances Taylor
We who believe that Jesus is the Christ and loves him, loves God the Father as well and the way we show this love is by keeping the commandments. It all goes back to that. Jesus told us he did not come to abolish the commandments, in fact he summed them up in his command to love. No matter where we turn in Scripture the commandments come up. The Israelites kept breaking them and the prophets kept reminding them to turn back to God. The psalms ask forgiveness for breaking them and thanks for God's forgiveness. John the Baptist calls people to repent because they had forgotten the commandments. Jesus reminds us of their importance and yet we still ignore them. We lie, cheat, steal, covet and basically do what we want and don't worry about the consequences. I guess we have to decide what loving Jesus and his Father means to us. We know what John says, but! To love like that today is so counter-cultural, we are mocked and scorned as being too pious, or old-fashioned. We're told to get with it and be like everyone else. Sin is nothing but an out of date concept, so why are we in just as much trouble as those who came before us. Where are today's prophets? What will make us wise up? When will we begin to live a life of love?
Prayer
Loving and forgiving God, we say we love you, we say we want to follow your Son, but we keep failing. Give us the grace and strength to love as we should. 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.
