Devotion
Satan Doesn’t Rest
Frances Taylor
Do you know anyone who has suffered from addiction? So many times, a person conquers the addiction to alcohol or drugs only to relapse and finds it even harder to conquer it the second or third time. I have known people who after their baptism felt haunted by past sins. This passage is a warning to us that we should always be on the watch for Satan's handiwork. Just because we have overcome temptation once, or turned away from a particular sin, doesn't mean that we are immune from temptation the next time we encounter the same situations. We tend to think that we can recognize evil when we see it, but that sometimes only is true if we see it in others, not ourselves. Jesus was always warning the scribes and Pharisees because they were self-righteous and hypocritical. He called them blind guides. He warned them and us to remove the planks in our own eyes before we tried to remove the splinter in another's. We can fall into the same traps and judge others while ignoring our own faults. It can also happen that we get away with something and decide if it works once it can work again, only this time we aim for a bigger prize. The embezzler who starts off small, the thief who got away with it the first time, no matter what the sin, it can even become a habit. No matter who we are, no matter whether or not we attend church, or pray every day, Satan is waiting to trap us. We need to be vigilant and rely on God to keep us safe.
Prayer
Lord, you warn us against the power of evil. We live in a world that seems to deny it's presence which makes it even more difficult to avoid. May we recognize the warning and turn to you for help. Amen.
Morning Prayer
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Inspiration
Communion services should be kept solemn, given what they represent. The blood of Jesus shed for us and his body broken for us are precious and not to be partaken of "unworthily. " Christ passed on this ordinance to Paul, who passed it on to the Church at Corinth. It is a holy tradition that goes back to Jesus himself.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, let us take holy communion in remembrance of the great sacrifice you made for us on the cross. Let it not seem a mere routine ritual, but let us sense its true meaning and treat it with utmost respect. And let us learn the Gospel lesson that it signifies and take that out to a lost and dying world. Amen.
Night Prayer
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Inspiration
We face many choices throughout our earthly lives and come to the Lord seeking His will. We intend to make good choices and fail without His direction. We must listen carefully and obey His instruction even though we disagree or fail to understand His reasoning. We are limited in our wisdom and will rely on our Creator when it comes time to make decisions.
Prayer
Dear Father, we have multiple decisions to make in our lifetime. Whether big or small, we will come to You for direction and always seek Your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Evil Prosper
Frances Taylor
This is such a common complaint! Why do the evildoers prosper and the good so often don't? Of course the answer is pretty obvious, those who don't care how they succeed, who are willing to lie, cheat, step on others to get what they want, get it. Often those who do the right thing are the ones that are stepped on. God does hear the cry of those who do the right thing, but people don't always get the answers that they want, or they don't see them. Eventually, those who get to the top by illegal or immoral means get found out. We don't always see their fall from grace because others cover up the issues so that the whole structure of a company won't collapse. Other times, we all know what happens because it makes the front page of the paper and the news. The truth will out, as they say. It can be difficult to watch while it is happening, however, especially if we are the ones getting stepped on! I suppose it doesn't help to know that this has been ...
