Jesus Christ

October 14th – 1 John 4:16

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1 John 4:16

God’s Promise – “If you make your home in love, you live in Me and I live in you.”

John tells us that God doesn’t love, but rather God is love. It’s who He is at His core. And as Christians if it’s who we are at our core, God will abide in us and us in Him. That can only happen when we both know and rely on the deep, unending love God has for us. How do we know God’s love? Because He tells us so! In His Word, God repeatedly tells of the great devotion He has for each of us. And He proves it through the gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. How do rely on God’s love? By trusting Him with every area of our lives. And depending on His goodness to provide for our every need. It means going to Him first for guidance, aid, and provision, and knowing in His deep affection God will deliver. God’s love will never let us down. And out of overflowing thankfulness, we need to love others the way He loves us. For when we do, we show the world who we are living for, and who lives in us!

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October 8th – John 1:16

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John 1:16

God’s Promise – “I have blessed you in Christ with one outpouring of grace after another.”

One of greatest ways in which God’s love is exampled, is in the grace He offers. Grace can be described as being given what we don’t deserve. (As opposed to mercy which is not receiving what we do deserve.) And because our Heavenly Father is, “the God of all grace,” (1 Peter 5:10)  the outpouring of grace Gods gives, is a constant, overflowing gift. He take us, who are forever and painfully undeserving, and bestows upon us His gift of love and Salvation. A gift He freely gives through no work of our own. Instead God counts the work of His only Son on the Cross as our payment in full. Once were like tarnished pieces of silver, eternally separated from God. But when we receive Jesus as our Savior, God polishes away the grime and pollution of sin until we become shining reflections of His light. And because of His unmerited grace, we now stand before God as finished, perfect, and wrapped in clothes of righteousness.

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October 5th – Ephesians 2:10

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Ephesians 2:10

God’s Promise – “You are My workmanship, created in Christ to do My good works.”

Do you ever compare yourself to others? Find yourself wishing you had another’s hair, figure, personality, or looks? Did you know doing so is a sin against God? Our Heavenly Father doesn’t use an assembly line where He rubber stamps His creations. Instead, each of us are a one of a kind piece of art, fearfully and wonderfully handcrafted by God Himself. (Ps. 139:14) From the number of hairs on our heads, to the things we are made to accomplish, the Lord painstakingly oversees every detail of who He creates us to be. And to not appreciate His craftsmanship by wishing we were someone else, insults our divine Creator. God also has a plan for our lives that is uniquely ours. A plan of good works for both His kingdom and glory. But we can only fulfill those works by abiding in Him. For it is through absolute surrender that we are able to accomplish our purpose and lead lives for God.

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September 26th – Matthew 5:11-12

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Matthew 5:11-12

Have you ever felt disheartened when someone shuts you down while you’re sharing the Gospel? Or been discouraged when the works you do for God don’t produce the fruit you want? If so, you’re not alone. The Bible is filled with stories of the disheartening, discouraging, rejection of God’s prophets and messengers. And one of these is Stephen, the church’s first martyr. Falsely accused and brought before the Jewish leaders, Stephen faced a sentence of death. Yet instead of giving a defense for himself, he gave a condemning testimony about the sins of Israel. Far from afraid, Stephen was so full of faith that as he spoke, all who looked upon him saw the glory of God. I want to be like Stephen. To be that full of faith. Boldly obeying God’s call no matter the consequences. Joyfully and courageously sharing with others how the Lord has worked in my life, why I place my faith in Him and how they too can know Jesus as their Savior.

 

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August 17th – 1 Peter 4:4

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1 Peter 4:4

There are some people that no matter how hard we try to convince them, will never accept our change as a person. Especially when that change comes from receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior. That’s because those who aren’t  followers of Jesus can’t understand why we would want to lead our life for anyone other than ourselves. And so they pressure us to go back to our sinful, worldly ways of the past. To be who we used to be. And when we don’t, we become targets of their resentment and ridicule. But Peter tells us that those same unbelievers, “will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Pet. 4:5) Until the day when we stand before the Lord, Jesus calls us to stay strong in His Word. And to respond to those who persecute us, the same way Jesus responded to His persecutors, in kindness and love.

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August 7th – 1 John 3:1

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1 John 3:1

God didn’t hold back His goodness waiting for Saul, the persecutor of Jews, to become Paul, the apostle of Christ. Instead He showed grace, love, and kindness to Saul while he was knee deep in his wretchedness. Because God doesn’t want us waiting to come to Him until we’re “all cleaned up”, and ready to go. He wants us to come to Him as we are, dirty, broken, and hurting. To leave the cleaning up to Him. For He showers us with His Spirit who washes us anew, working to mold us into the image of Christ. The truth is, in our own wretchedness we could never get our filthy rags clean enough to stand before Almighty God. So in His unmerited kindness and love, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ. Through whose shed blood we can be transformed from a Paul to a Saul, and most wonderful of all, be called children of God.

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July 16th – Malachi 4:2

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Malachi 4:2

Because of its ability to efficiently kill germs, before antibiotics, sunlight was used to speed up the healing of wounds. Malachi warns us about the approaching “Day of the Lord”. A day in which everyone will feel the heat, but not everyone will receive the healing. Those who reject the life saving message and gift of salvation, will become ashes, tread under the feet of the saved. But for Christians, that day will be a glorious day of complete restoration and joy. For the “Sun of Righteousness”,  will arise. And as a bird spreads it’s wings, He will spread His rays of healing. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, will return to bind the wounds of His people and call them home. And the overwhelming joy that fills our hearts at the sight of our Savior, will cause us to frolic with the happiness of a caged animal set free!

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July 8th – Psalm 27:6

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Psalm 27:6

I love the quote, “safety comes in our nearness to God, not in our distance from our enemies.” The enemies of David were many. Even those he loved turned against and betrayed him. Have you ever felt like that? Like the whole world was against you? These are divisive times in which we live. And Christianity is under attack. But it’s no surprise. For Jesus Himself says that He came not to bring peace on earth, but rather division. (Luke 12:51) Yet for those who are on the side of Christ, victory is assured. Because for all of us who put our trust in Him, the Lord promises to exult above every adversary. When we draw near to Jesus and turn the battle over to Him, we will triumph every time. And like David, we will sing His praises with joyful lips and shout to the heavens of His glory!

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July 3rd – 1 Peter 1:8

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1 Peter 1:8

I can remember as a little girl singing in Sunday school, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart…” I love that song! Even now I can’t hear it without singing along. Because I do have joy in my heart. Joy over the love and fellowship I have with Jesus. Drawing from His unending love, Christ came in the flesh to save you and to save me. And the privilege of having a relationship with my Savior overflows me with gladness! Unlike Peter, I have yet to meet my Lord. But even if  I have not yet been physically touched by Him, I have been touched by His love, mercy, goodness, and care. John tells us that blessed are we who believe without seeing. (John 20:29) But I think the greatest blessing of all, is the inexpressible, glorious joy of knowing how much we are loved by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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June 26th – Psalm 103:8

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Psalm 103:8

Does your heart ever grow heavy from bearing the weight of your mistakes? The truth is, we all fall short and need forgiveness daily. Fortunately, God’s grace comes in an abundant supply. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love. He does not accuse, nor remain angry forever. He does not deal harshly with us, but instead is faithful to forgive our never-ending sin. And although God may let us reap the consequences from the decisions we make, His steadfast love for us is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. A love in full display through His Son Jesus Christ. Who regardless of the mistakes we’ve made, stands ready to welcome us with open arms and not a pointed finger.

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