Devotion
Who Is This?
Frances Taylor
Herod was very curious about Jesus. He knew he had killed John, and didn't think he had risen from the dead, even though that was one of the rumors. In fact, Herod was so anxious to see Jesus that he was glad Pilate sent Jesus to him after his arrest. He wanted to see a sign. Did he think that Jesus would "perform" for him? What was he looking for? What are people looking for today? Non-believers come to believe in Jesus and I am always interested in their reasons. What was it that sparked their interest? How did their faith develop? Obviously, the Holy Spirit is at work in them, but I still wonder. The same questions come to my mind when people lose their faith in Jesus and I don't really know why. What were they looking for in Jesus that they couldn't find? Were they hoping to see some sign, some miracle to convince them that Jesus is who he says he is? Of course, the same questions can apply to those of us who do believe and have known about Jesus from our earliest years. Why do we continue to believe? Who is Jesus to us? What signs have we seen that reinforce our beliefs? For some people, the answer might be habit. They were born into a Christian family, were brought to church and belief became a habit and they never really thought about it. For others, they thought about it and came to believe that the Gospels tell the truth of Jesus and his message of salvation. I know my answer, what's yours?
Prayer
Loving and faithful God, you have sent your Holy Spirit to us and given us the gift of faith. May we always stand confident in our faith in you and not look for signs. 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.
