Devotion
Go Preach God’s Kingdom
Frances Taylor
Jesus is sending out the apostles to preach the Good News of God's Kingdom and to heal the sick. But he told them to take nothing with them. What he is saying is that he will be with them so they don't need anything else. We, too, have been sent by virtue of our baptism to preach the Good News, and we have everything we need because Jesus is with us. There's a tradition that St. Francis of Assisi said that we should preach everywhere and if necessary use words. In other words, our actions should speak for us. This passage also tells us that not everyone will be receptive to our message, but that's not our concern. We are only charged with the preaching. What we do need to have is the knowledge of the reasons for our faith. It is one thing to talk about salvation, but others want to know why they should believe. They want to know why it's important to those of us who are Christian. If it's just so that we can get to heaven, I'm not sure that's enough. It wouldn't be for me. To know how Jesus has revealed himself in the ordinary of your days is much more powerful. To learn how our faith has supported us in our darkest days, and has brightened up our good days, will let them understand why God has a part in our life now, not just after we die. Think about the reasons for your faith, so that you will be able to explain it to your children, your friends, and anyone who notices your joy and wants to know the reasons for it.
Prayer
Lord, you sent out your apostles as you send us out to preach the Good News of the Kingdom, the promise of salvation. May we trust that you will be with us as you were with your apostles as we spread your message in our words and in our actions. 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.
