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DAILY DEVOTION

10/30/2020

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​
​Attitude of Repentance
  
Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:1-4
 
Scripture Quote: “And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 3:9-10 (NIV)
 
In larger cities, there are a number of destitute homeless. Many of these impoverished people suffer from variouos forms of mental illness, who often shout out weird remarks or talk to themselves, while they are mostly ignored and left to roam the streets. Anyway, it is quite unlikely that those who encounter these street people, take them seriously - Anymore seriously than we would today take the likes of John the Baptist, living his unconventional, locust-eating lifestyle, walking the streets shouting out his warnings to "repent!"
 
John’s ministry was that of preparing his people through repentance for the coming Messiah. Our current Pastors proclaim more than a formal repentance, but also an attitude, a way of living that bears fruit. Repenting of our sin keeps it from controling us, which will enable God free reign. But sometimes it seems that we don't take sin as seriously as we should – That’s foolish and dangerous. God does not desire that anyone be lost to Him, but sin won’t ever be tolerated.
 
Today’s meditation: Repent – God’s Kingdom is at hand!
 
Memory Verse: Mat 3:12  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 
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DAILY DEVOTION

10/29/2020

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Ask As A Child
 Scripture Reading: Luke 11: 9-13
 
Scripture Quote: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Mat 7:7-8 (NIV)
 
When children pray, they never hesitate to ask God for whatever they want. They are too young to filter their requests as adults often do. They are not concerned with asking within reasonable limits, nor do they try to appear unselfish in their requests. Children are open and honest when they pray. Maybe that is why the bible tells us to come to God as little children.
 
So when you pray, reveal your heart, realizing your own inability to provide what it is that you need. Ask with humble confidence because God is ever disposed to give mercy to His children. And when you sometimes must wait on God, persist relentlessly as a child would do, until God grants you answers. Remember, though, that His answer is not necessarily always going to be the one you were hoping for. But be assured that He will always do what is best for you.
 
Jesus said that if you remain in Him and His words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Give it a try and see if the Father isn’t happy to be that involved with your true heart’s desires.
 
Today’s meditation: Ask, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
 
Memory Verse: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13 (NIV)
 
 
 
 
 
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DAILY DEVOTION

10/28/2020

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Are You Ready?
 
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5  
 
Scripture Quote: “And they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:38 (NIV)
 
In front of the United Nations building in N.Y.C. there’s a sculpture of a guy beating a sword into a plow point, with an inscription below from Isaiah 2:4, "they shall beat their swords into plowshares." The UN was formed with high hopes of creating a judging body that would usher in world peace. Oh, but we are still light years away from a world where humanity lives in harmony. Isaiah's vision and the founders of the UN's ultimate goal are very similar, but their source is radically different. The UN believes in human rationality and good will. Trusting in humanity is foolish since we know the depths of people's selfishness and contempt for controls.
 
A peaceable world will be achieved only through an act of God. Isaiah said that God would judge between nations. Our conflicts are a result of people judging from our very limited, biased perspective, but peace and harmony will someday flow through God's totally unlimited supply. We need to be prepared for His coming judgement - There won't be any party preparations or heavenly circulars issuing words of warning. Believers must deliberately seek Christ's righteousness each day - He is our only source and only hope.
 
Today’s meditation: We are quickly approaching God’s judgement.
 
Memory Verse: "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mat 24:36 (NIV)
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DAILY DEVOTION

10/27/2020

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​Anxiety
By, Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Mathew 6:25-34
 
Scripture Quote: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)
 
Christians who have unshaken confidence in God, rarely find themselves anxious - They are also in the minority. The rest of us do suffer from an occasional uneasiness of mind. Many things can distract us until we lose focus on the mercy and grace of God to help deliver us from whatever is messing us up. Once all a person can think about is their problem, they have diminished their own strength, which is found in continually relying on the Word of the Lord.
 
Being flawed Christians with imperfect faith, we will inevitably experience anxiety. But if we can discipline ourselves to recall all the great saves God has already accomplished on our behalf, we can slowly build on those memories until our confidence is renewed. Consider that God first gave you your body, the breath you breath and the life you live. Would He not sustain a reborn Christian who needs help through the traumas of life? Search your own heart and you will undoubtedly find the knowledge of His great love for you.
 
Today’s meditation: Be confident in God’s promises and provision.
 
Memory Verse: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalms 55:22
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DAILY DEVOTION

10/26/2020

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​Anger
 
Scripture Reading: John 3:13-16
 
Scripture Quote: "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." Genesis 4:6-7 (ESV)
 
Jesus’ anger with the money changers was justified. What about the kind of anger you and I deal with? God told Cain that he could make a better offering, which would be accepted. There wasn't any just reason for Cain's anger. It was simply a matter of his own pride that made Cain mad and jealous that his brother, Abel, did bring an offering that pleased God more than his.
 
Injured pride and jealousy frequently hold hands with anger. As always, we can decide between hostility and calm reasoning. Will we do our worst, murder our brother, like Cain, or will we accept rebuff, stop a minute to retrace our steps and see why we started to lose our temper? Most of us have faced this dilemma. As long as we coddle our hurt feelings, enjoying indignation in preference to grace, we lose.  We can, however, push on past that dark and stubborn passion to a changed heart? We can decide to reject our own base instincts and endure whatever sting that may bring, so that we may remain safely in the harmony of God's peace and love. Just ask yourself, "What could possibly be worth giving up the unfathomable peace of God?
 
Today’s meditation: Let the joy of the Lord reign in your heart.
 
Memory Verse: “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” Psalms 37:8 (ESV)
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Daily devotion

10/22/2020

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​Let the Life of Jesus Be Manifest
 
Scripture Reading for the day: 2 Corinthians 4:6-14
 
Scripture Quote: “ We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so that his life can also be seen in us.” 2 Corinthians 4:10 (CEV)
 
       It's easy to proclaim Christ when things are going smoothly. The challenge is in hiding solely in His arms and finding the pure joy of that even as life turns bitter or infuriating. To lay disappointments, defeats, anger and resentments, and even envy, at Christ's feet while picking up His calm, peaceful acceptance of all things, is to truly know the intimacy with which we can come to have with our loving and forgiving Savior.
 
       It is during adversity, in particular, that we see Him all the more clearly as we deepen our “knowing” that He lives, even in us. Trials put us and all we profess to believe to the test. When we can stand in our trials, we prove that Jesus is manifest in us. We can take courage, bear patiently, and persevere.
 
Meditation for the day: We can choose not to pray for “things” anymore, but to seek to know God Himself. The life of the Son of God has been reborn in us and we have the privilege to nourish that life and value it more than we value anything.
 
Memory Verse:   “You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested.” James 1:3(CEV)
 
 
 
 
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Daily Devotion

10/22/2020

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​Is Hope For an Afterlife Realistic?
Scripture Reading for the day: John 4:4-29
 
 
Scripture Quote:  “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (NIV)
 
Jesus told the woman from Samaria that he’d give her water that would cause her to never thirst again. We might find what he said a little confusing at first, but, further study explains that the ever thirst quenching water is actually God’s Holy Spirit. It wells up within us when we first believe and accept Christ into our hearts.
 
The Holy Spirit teaches, comforts and convicts us from that first moment we believed and remains within us throughout our lives. The more we seek to know God's ways, the stronger The Spirit's guidance will be. Conversely, if we should begin to listen more to the flesh, the Spirit’s influence will weaken and we will eventually go off course. The Holy Spirit will never force us to listen to Him. It's up to us to remain in tune with his guidance.
 
Once we understand all that our Father God has provided for us to live with joy and peace in our everyday lives, we will see clearly that we were created to live with our Lord and Savior, Jesus, now and for eternity.
 
Today’s meditation: There is no doubt that as soon as we repent, believe and follow Jesus, we are given the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven.
 
Memory Verse:  “But these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31 (NIV)
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DAILY DEVOTION

10/21/2020

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​An Attitude of Gratitude
 
 
Scripture Reading for the day: Micah 7:13-20
 
Scripture Quote: “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalms 40:1b-2 (NIV)
 
Since the day we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we no longer fear eternal separation from God. He lives inside us now through His indwelling Spirit. It was for our benefit that Jesus suffered tremendous anguish, so that when we call to God for help, He hears and He cares. We are miraculously transformed by the sacrifice Jesus made to save us from our sins.
Are we now able to purposely sin and still be covered by Christ’s blood? Absolutely not! This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. Jesus is an atoning sacrifice for all the sins of those who believe in Him, but we now must deliberately turn from all evil.
God’s love for us compels us to a higher standard of living. Gratitude is the appropriate response to what He has accomplished in our lives, despite our prideful wills. Thankfulness fills our days with His peace and joy.
 
Today’s meditation: Be appreciative for God’s precious gift of eternal life.
 
Memory Verse: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1John 4:10 (NIV)
 
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DAILY DEVOTION

10/20/2020

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​Always Honor Christ
 
 
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-7
 
Scripture Quote: Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news. (Philippians 1:27)
 
We must consider our true citizenship to be in the kingdom of heaven, along with all our brothers and sisters who also belong to the church of Christ here on earth. We are all called to defend and enlarge the Gospel Message. We wrestle together against the enemies of God to bring as many alongside us as we can. We stand strong in our faith and we testify to the unification of our spirits through Christ.
 
It seems suitable that those of us who profess the Gospel should strive for it. There is so much negativity in our world that stands against faith in God that we must have our voices heard. As we speak out for the truth found in God's Word, we can demonstrate to an unbelieving culture a oneness of heart and affection among Christians. We can stand fast with one spirit and one mind. The Bible tells us that we are blessed when men persecute us, for great is our reward in heaven. Opposition to God has always existed in every generation, yet His Word is the most read book in history - His truth will prevail.
 
Today’s meditation: Faith worth anything, is faith worth everything!
 
Memory Verse: “I trust you to save me, LORD God, and I won't be afraid. My power and my strength come from you, and you have saved me." (Isaiah 12:2)
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DAILY DEVOTION

10/19/2020

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​Acting Any Way We Want
 
 
Scripture Reading: Psalms 101:1-4
 
Scripture Quote: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” Romans 6:13 (NIV)
 
Prosperous providence is great and we are certainly grateful for God's provision when our cookie jars are full. Adverse circumstances, however, often bring very different reactions from us. Our praise and worship might not be quite as loud or joyful in tough times. It takes discipline and maturity to have faith that difficult circumstances are in some way beneficial to our walk with God. So, once we have salvation as our reality, how can we deviate from that joy, regardless of our circumstances? Don't we still need to model the conduct of Jesus?
 
God's law illustrates a joyous, perfect lifestyle - We need the wisdom to desire to walk in it, to feel and know the indwelling Spirit of God who is with us to guide us. God does favor those who choose His will over their own. How closely does your will align with God's? Do your family and friends see that your life is centered around God's example, which is Jesus? Believers don't get to act any way we want because we are saved. We are saved to act any way God wants.
 
Today’s meditation: Cherish God’s gift of salvation and walk in it.
 
Memory Verse: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” Romans 6:6 (NIV)
 
 
 
 
 
 
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    2 Timothy 3:16-17New International Version (NIV) 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work
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    Bio: Toni Smothers has written articles for “Total Health”, “Let’s Live”, “People In Action” and “The North American Mentor” magazines.  She is a member of the Faithwriters.com writing community and was previously the editor for the teen section of their on-line magazine. She has written many programs, sermons, and skits and has edited several websites. Additionally, she has answered hundreds of questions for GotQuestions.org, a biblical resource site. Here is just one of their many testimonials: "Thank you for this insightful website! I was able to look up many questions I have asked over the years since becoming saved. The site is easy to navigate and gave me so much biblical background for answers that I feel my armor has been strengthened. You and your staff be encouraged to continue to speak the truth for God's glory." When Toni is not writing, she can usually be found cuddling with her 10 pound, furry, Morky muse, 'Sweet Pea.' Toni Smothers studied homeopathy extensively and became a proficient layman. She wrote about homeopathy for “Total Health” and “Let’s Live” magazines. Smothers describes her experience befriending a refugee family from Laos in her article published in the travel magazine, “People in Action.” Additionally, “American Mentor” magazine has published some of her poetry. Smothers drew upon her fun experiences as a youth pastor to provide the needed insight to function as the editor of the teen section of “Faithwriters” magazine and she is a member of the Faithwriters.com writer’s community. 

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