Toni Writing for The Master - Daily Devotional

Daily devotion

9/21/2018

Keep Your Eyes On Jesus

Scripture Reading for the day: Philippians 3:12-21

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Scripture Quote: “As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing his death, so that, somehow I can experience the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10

Our priority is not self realization as much as knowing Christ. Understanding that circumstances are not accidental, we can react with understanding when life’s inevitable trouble and problems occur. Christians certainly are not exempt from the consequence of their own sins, as well as the malice encompassing our sinful world. Satan often spends great effort in making things worse for Christians because he wants to discourage and tempt us away from our love of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is determined that we grow to the position that we look for and find Jesus in all happenings in our life. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the worst of times and in the most menial work, as should we. To know who we are in Christ and to spend our lives trying to know Him even more is the most productive thing we can do.

Business success, financial goals and aspirations to fame are all irrelevant - They fade in comparison to the great love and future glory we will be surrounded by. Seek earnestly to know your Lord and Savior and glorify Him in all your actions and attitudes.

Mediation for the day: Train yourself to run the race of life, keeping your eyes on Christ.

Memory Verse: “I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.” Philippians 3:7

Daily devotion

9/20/2018

Judgment Of Sin

Scripture Reading for the day:  Psalm 51:10-17

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Scripture Quote: “So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. The letter instructed Joab, Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 2 Samuel 11:14-17

            So David was indirectly but still quite guilty of murder. Yet we read that he was favored by God. Is our sin less because we haven’t murdered anyone? Does God rate sins on a scale of 1 to 10? He doesn’t, because the Bible tells us that all sin is abhorrent to God. All have sinned and been found wanting and in need of Christ’s cleansing sacrifice for God’s unconditional forgiveness.

            We must learn to loath our own sin as much, if not more than, our brother’s. We all have that blackness in our inner being that can only be healed by Him. We must plead for our hearts to be cleansed and our souls renewed. More than anything we hold dear, we must hold the gift of a pure heart in the highest esteem. The Bible tells us, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”

Meditation for today: “God has promised to forgive and restore those who come to him hating their sins and wanting to be saved from them. He did it for David; He will do it for us, too.” J.J. Packer

Memory Verse: “You may be saying, what terrible people have you been talking about? But you are just as bad and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself for you do these very same things.” Romans 2:1 (NLT)

Daily devotion

9/19/2018

Jesus Is The Good Shepherd

Scripture Reading for the day:  John 10:1-18

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Scripture Quote: “I have other sheep too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” John 10:14-16 (NLT)

            A hired man will tend sheep for pay, but the true shepherd owns his sheep and does it out of love because he is committed to them. Jesus did not merely fulfill prophecy; he did everything that He did out of His abundant love for us. He was 100% willing to reach as many as He could while He was with us and then to pass the message of good news on to his apostles.

            People tend to build fences. We like to see far off places off and make them our own, disinterested in what takes place outside our small realms. We think our own little section or group is blessed of God while the others are not - But Jesus will never be limited by our pathetic barriers. He wants to bless all His sheep, from every corner of the world. Christ’s glorious kingdom will come only after that last lost sheep has been found and brought into the flock.

Meditation for the day: No one could have killed Jesus without His consent and no one can speed up or alter in any way His plan for His church.

Memory Verse: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (NLT)

Daily devotion

9/18/2018

In Hope We Are Saved

Scripture Reading for the day: Romans 8:1-18

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Scripture Quote: “Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 (NLT)

God doesn’t give us an easy life of comfort, or even protection from our enemies, but His presence is always with us. Many Christians across the world suffer persecution. God offers them, as well as all of us, an inseparable bond of love between Him and His chosen people. Because of this love, we can withstand whatever comes to us in this life. We have the unique advantage of an eternal perspective. We know that we are ultimate victors.

God will give us all things that are good for us. Those good things are all things we really need in order to be conformed to the image of his Son. All the things we need in order to attain everlasting joy, not the pleasures offered in this current life. We are only visitors here and can anticipate a great homecoming in our future.

Meditation for Today: “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13

Memory Verse: “Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?

Daily devotion

9/17/2018

Impossible Christianity

Scripture Reading for the day:  Hebrews 11:9-16

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Scripture Quote: “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son Isaac, though God had promised him, Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Hebrews 11:17-18

            To live as a Christian would be inconceivable without God’s Grace – Its dictates aren’t just difficult, but just plain impossible! But that’s the miracle of it: God and Christianity do exist. Only an Almighty God could have devised such a pure yet complicated lifestyle.

            Born into a narcissistic society as we are, to hear God’s call, to turn from the world to Him, to offer your life for His use to benefit His purpose, is nothing short of a miracle. We are all so utterly full of pride and egotism that God would even choose to love us is simply miraculous.

            Make no mistake, the Christian life has its dues and many times we pay a huge price to remain faithful. But as impossible as it seems, we are sure of our eternal future and that makes it all so worthy of all our love.

Meditation for today: “Attempt something so great for God that it is doomed to failure unless God be in it.” John Haagai

Memory Verse: “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger and in this he brought glory to God.” Romans 4:20 (NLT)

Daily devotion

9/14/2018

Scripture Reading for the day: Romans 3:11-18
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Scripture Quote: “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19 (NASB)
            Christ’s righteousness was earned by living a perfect life in full obedience to the Father’s will - No other person has even come close to His perfection. Yet, God allowed Jesus to take on the sin of the entire world and pay the ultimate price for it by giving up His very life as an acceptable sacrifice before God for our sakes. His righteousness has become our own through God’s infinite mercy.
            If there was ever anything more mysterious than God’s plan for our salvation, I don’t know what that could be. Imputing Jesus’ righteousness to us is the most remarkable, sacrificial, mysterious act of compassion that ever was or will be. It stands apart from the very best thing that has ever happened to you here in this lifetime. You didn’t deserve it, you just accepted it and Christ’s sacrificial death on a cross has reconciled you to the Father as clean and sinless as Christ Himself. The only appropriate response to that is wonder and praise.
Today’s meditation: Christians are a chosen and blessed people. Praise God!
Memory Verse: “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24 (NASB)

Daily devotion

9/13/2018

Have a Passion for the Word
Scripture Reading for the day: John 15:18-27
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Scripture Quote: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:16-17 (NASB)
Sometimes we can feel as if we’ve lost touch with a relative or friend that we haven’t spoken to in a long time. They become stranger and stranger to us as our separate lives evolve indifferent to the other, until we wonder if we’d have anything in common to talk about should one or the other try to reconnect. Allowing our hectic schedules to separate us from the Word can produce the same kind of foreign feelings and disconnectedness. God speaks to us through his Word and so we must be available to listen if we are to have an intimate relationship with Him.
In Jesus’ prayer for His disciples He shows us that the secret to sanctification is the importance of God’s Word having residency in our hearts. It is fundamental to our growth process to be entrenched, giving high priority, to the point of being passionate about learning God’s Word. We can only experience the power of God in our lives when we fill ourselves with the truth contained in the Bible. And it’s not just reading the Word, but applying it, taking it with us out into the world in which we reside that makes us separate and different from nonbelievers.
Today’s meditation: “The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears.” Rick Warren
Memory Verse: “I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26 (NASB)

Daily devotion

9/12/2018

Grace

Scripture Reading for the day:  Ephesians 3

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Scripture Quote: “Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.” Ephesians 3:8 (NLT)

            We can all relate to the feeling of being the least Christian because without God’s Grace and Christ’s sacrifice none of us would be able to do God’s will. Gentile and Jew, all have equal share in the riches inherited by God’s children.

            God’s Word is a two edged sword that mirrors and pierces directly into our inner lives. Our sinfulness and helplessness are completely exposed and we are shown our need for Grace. Once we see ourselves as we really are, we long for Jesus to cleanse us with His righteousness.

            We should ask daily for God’s will to be revealed to us and faithfully perform the unique role each of us is to play in God’s plan. His Grace truly is sufficient. His love is total and reaches every area of our existence as we give it permission to abide in us and take control of us.

Meditation for the day: “All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us, and the change is painful.” Flannery O’Connor

Memory Verse: “This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ came into the world to save sinners – and I was the worst of them.”  I Timothy 1:15 (NLT)

Daily drvotion

9/11/2018

Good Works

Scripture Reading for the day:  Titus 2

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Scripture Quote: “Can we boast then that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith.”  Romans 3:27 (NLT)

            How can anything but uncontrollable gratitude flow from our lives once we truly understand our position in Christ? We just naturally glow with the joy of it and we take on more and more of Christ’s attributes as we seek Him out daily. We basically can do nothing other than good things for others because Jesus fills us with a spirit of compassion and confidence in His goodness and mercy. We just want to emulate his love.

            Some people can see the good all around them, while others pick up on everything bad that exists. What do you think is the main difference in these two types of people? Jesus Christ makes all the difference - Knowing Him and following Him changes peoples lives! When we fill our minds with thoughts of our perfect Savior, there is no room for evil to take root. We do good works out of sheer appreciation for all the blessings He has given to us. Jesus initiates all the good we do anyway, and as we invite Him to use us, we become filters for His good purpose and glory.

Meditation for today: Our attitudes and conduct speak volumes about what we believe and who rules in our heart.

Memory Verse: “God saved you by His special favor when you believed. Anhd you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”  Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

Daily devotion

9/10/2018

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 5 pound, furry, Chihuahua muse, “Princess 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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