Thursday, October 2, 2014
MI Daily Devotion: Thanksgiving, Praise and the Glory be Unto Him
MI Daily Devotion: Thanksgiving, Praise and the Glory be Unto Him: “ In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18 King James Version ) Le...
Thanksgiving, Praise and the Glory be Unto Him
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I
Thessalonians 5:18 King James Version)
Let’s be
thankful with our countless blessings of which we can’t even name them one by
one. Be it at home, in your office, at church or in business. Whatever we do
and whatever we have in Him and for Him; it must always be for His name and for
His glory. John chapter seventeen is a record of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus
prayed to God and He gave praise to Him. It means we must give praise to God in
everything, because in this chapter, Jesus showed us on how to be grateful and
prayerful in the midst of trials and suffering or uncertainties.
“1- Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a
new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. 2- Let Israel rejoice
in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3- Let
them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the
timbrel and harp.” (Psalm 149:1- 3 KJV)
When Apostle
Paul was in the dark dungeon and in chained with the jailer watching over him. He
was expecting a death penalty for his stand for God and the truth. Some of his
friends deserted him and some of the churches he started did not support him. And
the sad part, some did not even dare to visit him and comfort him. But in spite
of what he went through, he desired to encouraged the believers when he wrote (Philippians 4:6- 7). It says; “6- Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7- And the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
MI Daily Devotion: My Parents Did Not Give Us All the Luxuries, the L...
MI Daily Devotion: My Parents Did Not Give Us All the Luxuries, the L...: “32- He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8...
My Parents Did Not Give Us All the Luxuries, the Leisure, and Pleasures of this Life
“32- He that spared
not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 King James Version)
My parents did not give us all the luxuries, the
leisure, and pleasures of this life; but they gave us way better than the
former- the fear of God, Jesus, and good moral values. We were very poor when I
was growing up, but they gave us wealth that money can’t buy- spiritual riches.
They led us to God’s riches and grace that our rich next door neighbors failed
to realize. Millions of people are longing for something missing in their lives
that the great apostle Paul has the answer. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
(Ephesians 1:3 KJV)
I thought about this
message when I was driving on our way to the church with my youngest son at the
back seat. When I was young, we usually walk to church for more than a mile in
an early Sunday morning. We seldom get a ride to church because the church has
no bus ministry, and my parents don’t have the money for transportation. But in
spite of my rebellion to my parents, they invested something that made me a man
God wanted me to be. In God’s perspective, we may rebel against Him, and we may
do what may pleases us while it displeases Him; but we cannot deny the fact of
His investment, of His love and sacrifice for us all. He gave us His Son to
reconcile us to Him. The Bible says; “10- For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life. 11- And
not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:10- 11 KJV)
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
MI Daily Devotion: God’s Design for You!
MI Daily Devotion: God’s Design for You!: “15- And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16- And the LORD God commanded the man,...
God’s Design for You!
“15- And the LORD God took the man, and put
him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16- And the LORD God
commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17- But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of
it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-
17 King James Version)
Our
physical part was made of the dust of the earth, but our immortal soul was from
the breath of God’s nostrils. We cannot deny the fact that we came from God.
God made us in His own image and with His own hand. And the good news for those
who knew Him; we will all return in His hand after death. But to those who
reject Him, they will end in the gates of hell. When God created man, He
created us with a purpose and the desire to make us a responsible and a blessed
individual. When He placed man in the
Garden of Eden, it was with a perfect design and destiny until the devil and
sin separated us from God. (Romans 3:10; 23; Isaiah 59:1- 3) Satan introduced
pride and sin to us and led us to his way. Thus, we went our way, instead of
God’s way.
We
focus on the devil’s devices and deception. We entertain the world’s words of
wisdom, and we cling to its temporal pleasures and treasures. Unfortunately, we
disgraced God’s Word, and we rejected God’s way. His perfect design and purpose
for each life were set aside by making bad and sinful choices. His desire for
us is to have an intimate relationship with Him, and to bring honor and glory
to His holy name. We embraced physical death, separation from God, destruction,
and eternal death by our decision. It was imputed to every individual unless we
come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and repentance. (John
3:16; 36; II Peter 3:9; I John 1:8- 10)
Apostle
Paul in the book of Romans revealed God’s eternal purpose for man- eternal life
in heaven. He wrote; “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)
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