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Today's devotion

4/13/2017

tasmothers@gmail.com www.writingforthemaster.com

Strong Faith
Toni Smothers

Since we are called by God, the faith entrusted to us is a precious gift that we must guard and cherish. This calling is a higher honor than any distinction arising from birth or family. We are children of the highest God and beacons illuminating the change Christ has made in our lives. We are still human and imperfect, but through life's trials we progress into imitators of our Lord, Jesus. The change is incremental - we still stumble, but God's limitless grace restores us repeatedly until we are permanently resurrected into heaven. Until then, we cling to Jesus and pray in the Holy Spirit.

God is tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. When we take the wrong way, He will convict us and steer us back to Him. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. (Eph 6:12) We can keep our faith strong by relying on the Bible and staying at the center of God's love, keeping our spirits open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our LORD - This is the real, unending life.

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Today's devotion

4/12/2017

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tasmothers@gmail.com www.writingforthemaster.com
Leave No One Out
Toni Smothers

"See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end." (Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV)

Believers are called to speak encouraging words to one another, building up hope so we'll all be together in Christ, with no one left out. It's true that we are already doing this sometimes, but keep on doing it. Make a choice to always be an encourager, especially when it's encouraging someone we deem unworthy of our blessing. In honesty, we are all equally unworthy and it is inappropriate for us to make that kind of judgement - God is the only just judge. We think of ourselves much more highly that we should when we feel superior to anyone. How different would life be if we all decided, without exception, to hold each other up in love?

Also, pray for and honor those Pastors, teachers and leaders who work so hard for us, who have been given the responsibility of guiding us along the path of obedience and commitment. We ought to be generous with our appreciation and support. They need to be encouraged by the people they bless with their dedication and hard work. Reach out to them in love and help keep them consistent through their exhaustive efforts to reach the stragglers and the discouraged souls in need of our Savior. Encouragement is to the spirit what food is to the body - We thrive and flourish when we offer or receive a gracious word. Leave no behind as we all reverently continue to serve and worship our God.

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Today's devotion

4/11/2017

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tasmothers@gmail.com www.writingforthemaster.com

Keeping Our Spirits Yielded
Toni Smothers

When we quietly seek God, He'll be there in no time, His Spirit prodding us to quit dabbling in sin and to purify our inner lives. He wants us to choose to finally get off the fence and keep our decision to follow Him firm. Anytime, we can chose to humble ourselves and get serious about following Christ's example. We can seek His guidance and He will always help - Sometimes by miracles, sometimes by ordinary people or events that bless us in unexpected ways and bring us just what we need. (James 4:8-9) In retrospect, we can often see how God was working in our lives while we were clueless and discouraged at the time. We all struggle, fall and can feel defeated. It's the hope we have in Christ that sustains us. There is not one of us better than the other because we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Believers must not bad-mouth each other. We are all in the same world, struggling to lead godly lives. It's God's Word and crucial Gospel Message that takes a beating in that kind of talk. We are called to honor the Message, not write graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do we think we are to meddle in the destiny of others? (James 4:11-12) It would be good to admit our fault-finding and judgements of others as the sin it is so that we can ask for God's mercy to help us stop it. We have to deliberately choose God's Law over man's. Since God selected us to live on His terms and no longer on the world's terms, we can expect to find difficulty on our paths. But as we lean into the truth, we are refreshed in our spirits. It is imperative that we remember to always seek God's help in all things.

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April 10th, 2017

4/10/2017

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tasmothers@gmail.com                www.writingforthemaster.com

Be Prepared
Toni Smothers

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just think about it - We're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously because it has no idea who God is or what He's about. But, that's exactly who we are - Children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up. What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him, and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own. (1 John 3:1-3)

There are many false teachers who want to confuse us by their smooth and plausible arguments. We must beware of their clever knowledge of the Bible, which they subtlety pervert to suit their deceptions. That’s why Believers need to study and know God’s Word. We can only stand firm against the enemy if we know what the armor of God is and what is and isn’t true according to God’s standards for our lives. Knowledge is the perfect weapon against sinful temptations. God’s Word makes all things clear to those who truly seek its truth. You can be sure that the opposition will know how to trip you up if at all possible.

Co 15:33  But don't fool yourselves. Don't let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. "Bad company ruins good manners."
1Co 15:34  Think straight. Awaken to the holiness of life. No more playing fast and loose with resurrection facts. Ignorance of God is a luxury you can't afford in times like these. Aren't you embarrassed that you've let this kind of thing go on as long as you have?

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Today's devotion

Today's devotion

Today's devotion

April 10th, 2017

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