Morning Prayer
Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
Inspiration
Paul was intent on delivering the offering given by the Gentile churches to the poor Jewish saints in Jerusalem. But he insisted everything involving money be done in a manner above all reproach. He had others travel with him to deliver the gift, even though he was trusted by all.
Prayer
Lord, let us act in a way that is honest in not only your sight but also in the sight of men. Let us be sure that our dealings are beyond reproach, particularly all dealings with money. Let everything in our churches be done "decently and in order, " and let this be the rule in our personal lives as well. 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 ...
