Devotion
Be Prepared
Frances Taylor
What will we be doing when the Master comes? Will we be faithful servants waiting for our Lord's return, or will we be waiting until we're older or sick, or dying? The parable goes on to tell how much more so, if he comes in the second or third watch. As the year winds down we will continue to be reminded to be prepared to meet God. There is a song that was popular several years ago called "Live Like We're Dying." Although not specifically geared toward being prepared to die, it does invite us to live each moment of every day loving others, letting those we love know it and not wasting a single second. In fact the song tells us exactly how many seconds there are in a day – 36,400! If we knew we were dying, who would we want to spend time with or who do we need to forgive? Who needs to know that we love them? If you had answers for these questions, then what are you waiting for? What do we need to do to prepare for eternity? How is our prayer life? Do we need to put a little more time into reading the Bible? Are we as kind to our friends and family as we could be? Each day is a day to witness God's love to others; each day is a day to grow in our faith; each day is important and one in which we need to be prepared to meet our Lord.
Prayer
Dear God, we don't know the day or the hour, all we can do is be the best Christian we can be each day of our lives. We depend on you to help us and we thank you for being there beside us. 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.
