Morning Prayer
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Inspiration
We do not go to the doctor to be cured if we are not sick or do not have some physical condition that needs healing. Nor will men go to Christ for forgiveness of sins and spiritual healing if they do not first see themselves as they are, if they do not see their lost and needy condition.
Prayer
Help us, O Lord, to point men to Christ as the One who can heal the disease of sin and cure all its "symptoms. " But teach us to first show men their need of Jesus Christ through presenting your Law. We know men must be humbled by the Law before they can receive the love of your Gospel. Help us to be discerning and sensitive to our audience when we preach your Gospel. 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 ...
