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Daily devotion

11/30/2018

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​                                                                Faith Like Abram’s
 
Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-9
click here to read the scripture 
Scripture Quote: The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. (Genesis 12:1 NIV)
 
Think back to the last time you moved your entire household to a new place, perhaps in response to a new job or some other motivating factor. Does the memory hold a residual loathing for the strain and extent of details involved? Many of us can relate to the feeling of being out of our comfort zone. But even so, we’d have the realization that we were expected to arrive in this new place and will eventually work toward calling it home. Abram, however, is told to leave everything familiar – He’s to go to some unknown, far off place.
 
It was enough for Abram that God said He would show him where to go.  Never mind that Abram is told that he will produce a great nation of people, while Abram is childless and he's 75 years old. He’s commanded to go, with the promise of many heirs. It's hard to admit but, how likely would one of us be to leave our country and family because we thought God had spoken to us? I venture we'd be spending more time convincing ourselves that we couldn't possibly be hearing from God. We'd rationalize that we were too old to have children or to make a big move. But, if we hold fast to the claim that we are Believers, do we get to second guess God, or negate His instruction? Think about it.
 
Today’s meditation: Go deeper - Recognize God’s voice and obey Him.
 
Memory Verse:  Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7 NIV)
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November 28th, 2018

11/28/2018

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​                                                               Faith is Our Greatest Gift
 
 
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11
click here to read the scripture 
Scripture Quote: “After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more because God took him away.” Genesis 5:22-24 (NIV)
 
Some pretty fantastic reading, right?  And so, it’s hard to explain our faith to nonbelievers. Within faith subsists the peace of our God that can't be fully understood and inspired biblical stories, some of which are difficult to believe. Both our faith and God's peace exist in the Christian's reality, but are strange concepts to express to a
nonbelieving world in turmoil. A Christian’s faith contains the love of God. His love yearns to touch another's heart and is why Christians feel the natural urge to share their blessing of faith with those they care about. Experiencing the tremendous relief of total forgiveness sometimes doesn’t translate well. Often, in secular society, that relief is seen as a crutch or wishful thinking.
 
Faith has power and with the hope God offers, we are filled with the conviction of His truth and the reality of His Word. Unseen with the eye, His truth is deeply rooted within, which confirms God's existence and forgiveness. Our faith may be questioned, even ridiculed by others, but a heart once touched by perfection can never be dissuaded.
 
Today’s meditation: We have God’s blessed assurance.
 
Memory Verse: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
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Daily devotion

11/28/2018

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​                                               Faith Even Through Life’s Storms
 
 
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 41:1-10
 click here to read the script
Scripture Quote: I am the LORD your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you. (Isaiah 41:13 NIV)
 
Do you live your life in victory, never worrying about your future? If you are like most of us, we do know that we are not meant to worry. However, we still let our bills, or our health, or a myriad of uncertainties in our day to day existence, drive us to distraction. We loose the big picture when we take our eyes off of Jesus and allow everything to shrink down to our worries and ourselves.
 
Jesus stood up when He was in the boat with His frightened disciples and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm. Do we have a capable protector, who can control even the wind, or is this fiction that we are reading in GOD'S WORD? We know His Word is true – But we begin to doubt. Instead, we could chose to spend our time meditating on the true, firm, unchangeable promises of our God. Jesus is always with us and if we call on Him in faith, He does not disappoint. When troubles tempt you to forget how much your Lord loves you, remember what He has already done for you - There is nothing that can trump that!
 
Today’s meditation: Hope always in the power of our Savior.
 
Memory Verse:  I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world. (John 16:33 NIV)
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Daily devotion

11/27/2018

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                                                                              Excuses
​

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 15:1-9
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” Deuteronomy 25:19 (NIV)
 
God entrusted Saul, by way of Samuel, with the fulfillment of God's command to completely destroy the Amalekites and everything that belonged to them because of the sneaky attack they made on the Israelite stragglers coming out of Egypt. But Saul’s men desired to keep the best of the livestock, so Saul did not follow God's instructions entirely. Later, when he was trying to make an acceptable excuse for his disobedience, Saul told Samuel that they would sacrifice the animals to God at Gilgal. But which can we expect that God would prefer, burnt offerings or obedience?
 
Instead of confessing our sin, don't we also try to make an excuse for them sometimes? It is disobedient to rationalize sinful actions. Saul wasn’t truly repentant, so he was deprived of his reign as king. There are always consequences for sin - Making excuses to God, who knows all our true motives already, is pretty ridiculous. Repentance and obedience are required behaviors for followers of Jesus and gain us tremendous peace and joy. God always forgives a repentant sinner.
 
Today’s meditation: Walk the narrow path without any need for excuses.
 
Memory Verse: “The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him.” Deuteronomy 28:9 (NIV)
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Daily devotion

11/26/2018

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​                                                                              Enter Boldly
  
 
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:1-10
click here to read the scripture 
Scripture Quote: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." Hebrews 10:15-16 (NIV)
 
In order for us to be God's people, our iniquity must be pardoned, because God is pure and He hates sin. We call a Believer holy when his heart is conformed, as much as it is possible, to the image of God. And even in that state, man can only hope to have God's forgiveness if he has accepted Christ's sacrificial death as the singular means to his salvation. Christ died once for all and that is the only way by which we are able to approach our perfect Heavenly Father as His own.
 
Since sin has been pardoned by Christ's blood, there is no need of any more sacrifice for sin, which was previously always to be repeated by the high priests, along with a long list of human requirements that needed to be met in order to temporarily obtain God's forgiveness. By Jesus offering himself once for the forgiveness of all humanity’s sinfulness, he has perfected forever those set aside for God through faith. By the blood of Jesus, Christians can now boldly enter the Most Holy Place and being justified by His blood, we have a right to all the blessings of the eternal kingdom. Oh, how He loves us!
 
Today’s meditation: God is personally accessible to us.
 
Memory Verse: For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:14 (NIV)
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Daily devotion

11/22/2018

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                                                                      Endless Sacrifices
 
 
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10
click here to read the scripture 
Scripture Quote: “And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews.” 10:21-22 (NIV)
 
The legal sacrifices that were performed endlessly by the ancient priests, were insufficient to permanently remove the people's sin - If this were untrue, there would have been no need to repeat the sacrifices because the people would have been changed and would have stopped sinning. That's why God sent Jesus, who offered for all time, one sacrifice for sins. So, Jesus made perfect forever those of us who believe in Him. What an incredible phenomenon for us to get our finite brains around. The old sacrifices were imperfect but, Jesus ransom paid once for all, proves that His was perfect and complete.
 
God has always sent a message of immense concern for the welfare of His people through His very presence and through His many prophets. He has shown the world manifestations of His great love since the beginning of humanity. Jesus was God's greatest gift to His people. Jesus poured out salvation and grace in such a way as to make it so obvious to believers how holy and pure is God's love for us. Strive, Christian, to return that love to your God.
 
Today’s meditation: We are the blessed chosen.
 
Memory Verse: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
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Daily devotion

11/21/2018

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                                                      Emmanuel - God With Us
 
 
Scripture Reading for the day:  Luke 2:5-21
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
 
           Jesus came to us as an infant, born through the power of the Holy Spirit to the Virgin Mary. Joseph, her betrothed, believed when the angel told him that Mary was truly a virgin and that he should take her to be his wife. The faith that Mary and Joseph demonstrated was tremendous.
 
           Jesus was born in a stable. He was wrapped in bands of material and was laid where cattle were fed. Shepherds came from all around to see the baby the angels told them had come to be their Savior.
 
            Jesus had a very poor beginning, yet, because of His life, we have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness - when he sent Jesus to dwell among us, to teach us and show us by His example, how to love in its truest sense.
          
Today’s meditation: Celebrate Christ’s birth and what His coming has done for believers everywhere!
 
Memory Verse: “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)
​
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Daily devotion

11/20/2018

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                                                          Emmanuel - God With Us
 
 
Scripture Reading for the day:  Luke 2:5-21
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
 
           Jesus came to us as an infant, born through the power of the Holy Spirit to the Virgin Mary. Joseph, her betrothed, believed when the angel told him that Mary was truly a virgin and that he should take her to be his wife. The faith that Mary and Joseph demonstrated was tremendous.
 
           Jesus was born in a stable. He was wrapped in bands of material, and was laid where cattle were fed. Shepherds came from all around to see the baby the angels told them had come to be their Savior.
 
            Jesus had a very poor beginning, yet, because of His life, we have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness - when he sent Jesus to dwell among us, to teach us and show us by His example, how to love in its truest sense.
          
Today’s meditation: Celebrate Christ’s birth and what His coming has done for believers everywhere!
 
Memory Verse: “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)
​
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Daily devotion

11/19/2018

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​Elected Child of God
  
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-8
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)
 
While it’s true that if we use all our mental ability to realize our election as a child of God, it still boggles the mind, as well as the heart. Unless we do accept that we are His own, however, bought by the blood of the Lamb, we are still navigating on a slippery slope of religion-eez. An irritable person, still set on having his own way, doesn’t yet have the joy of adoption in his heart, which makes for a fence-sitting Christian at best. God shouldn’t have to tolerate the hesitance in us, but find us full of spiritual vigor and joy. Our Father will allow us to refuse His grace, though that would never be His choice.
 
God will stand back, allowing the natural consequences of our actions, and the actions of others in our life, to play out - So free will can be a curse, as well as a blessing. We are not robots automatically following God's dictates. We may, and often have, chosen to make our own way, without the Holy Spirit's council. It is much better to seek first, and always, God's wisdom and purpose for our lives - Not as robots, but as His precious children.
 
Today’s meditation: The joy of the Lord is as real as we are.
 
Memory Verse: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Ephesians 4:1 (NIV)
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Daily devotion

11/16/2018

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​Effects of Sin
 
 
Scripture Reading: Genesis 37 & 39
 click to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.” Genesis 45:8 (NIV)
 
Temptation and sinful choices draw people into trouble and can damage relationships, even ruin lives. In Joseph’s story, God didn’t let other people’s sin destroy Joseph - God made sure he prospered. But, that doesn’t always happen. We can’t always expect God to bail us out. Joseph did have to go through many trails until, through God’s help, he came out of them victorious. He was a treasured son, a hated brother, a slave, manager of Potiphar’s affairs, a prisoner, and eventually, a great leader.
 
Joseph first suffered from being tactless with his brothers,(sin)and his father’s favoritism,(sin), which caused his brother’s murderous jealousy,(sin). His servitude as a captured slave was exemplary so God blessed him with a great position. But then Potiphar’s wife, Zuleika, lusted after Joseph,(sin). He refused her and ended up unjustly imprisoned because of her lies,(sin). Except for bragging as a young man, all of Joseph’s predicaments were the result of other people’s sinfulness. It’s like the ramifications of the sinfulness of Adam and Eve. Sin stains everything around it. As Christians, we must avoid temptations, of course, but we also need to avoid others that are living in sin.
 
Today’s meditation: Sin builds like a snowball – Stay out of its way.
Memory Verse: “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.” Genesis 41:39 (NIV)
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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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