Tag: Devotionals

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Pray For Saul

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. ~ Romans 16:7

In his final greetings in his letter to the Romans, Paul mentions Andronicus and Junia, his family, and fellow prisoners. He asked the church there to greet them on his behalf. Then he mentions that not only are they well known to the apostles, but they were in Christ before him.

Meaning that they were Christians and serving the LORD Jesus before he was. So, I thought about it for a moment. Why were they so well known? I believe they were some of the ones who were praying for Saul of Tarsus.

When he was going around terrorizing the saints, putting them in prison, when he was having Christians flogged and killed, Andronicus and Junia and their family were probably on their knees praying on Saul’s behalf.

I wonder, what if they didn’t pray for him? What if they wrote him off as a lost cause? Remember God uses the prayers of the Saints to achieve His good and perfect will. Don’t ever stop praying for a lost soul, no matter how terrible they may seem. They may very well be the ones that God has called to do a great work. And guess what? You will partake in their reward because you were associated with them, even if it was praying for their salvation.

Nobody is ever a lost cause. Pray for your loved ones, pray for the saints, pray for those who persecute you, for great will be your reward.

Father, help us to look past the offenses and the abuse and see the soul in need of redemption. Help us not to lose heart or grow weary in prayer, but to continue steadfast in prayer for the lost and the hurting in Jesus’ name, amen.

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Celebrate His Birth

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ~ Luke 2:10–14

I just want to remind you of the good news of great joy, for today, we celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem, the city of David.

Let’s not get bogged down on the day or the month but let us celebrate and be glad that our LORD got off of His throne to come to this earth to die a vicious and horrible death, to save His people, whosoever will, from their sins.

This tiny little baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger, because there was no room for Him in the inn, was the sacrificial Lamb of God, destined to be sacrificed, to take away the sins of the world.

So, celebrate this Christmas, the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. Accept His free gift, and rejoice that you have eternal life. Merry Christmas.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You this Christmas morning, giving thanks that little baby Jesus did not stay a baby but grew up to become the Savior of the world. Bless all of Your dear Children this Christmas day and help us to remember the real and true meaning of Christmas. In the name of Jesus, I pray, amen.

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Do You Have Room?

7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ~ Luke 2:7

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. The Scripture says that there was no room for them in the inn. This could have happened the day before she was to give birth, which would essentially be what we celebrate as Christmas Eve. Or it could have been days before. Either way, it happened. There was no room for them in the inn.

The Scriptures go on to say that Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. If we hear Him, we must open the door and invite Him in. Well, today, Christmas Eve, Jesus is standing outside your heart’s door knocking, just like His parents were knocking two thousand years ago.

Will He receive the same answer from you now as He did then from the innkeeper? Will He hear, there’s no room here for You, Jesus? I’m packed tight, with work, schedules, soccer practice, and football games. There is really no space here for You. Maybe You can come back by next time You’re in town when the kids are grown, when I’m retired, when I have more time.

Jesus waits for your answer, but He will not always wait, and He may not make it back around to knock on your heart’s door. Today is the day of repentance; tomorrow is promised to no man.

Do you hear Him knocking? If you do, open your heart’s door, and let Him in this Christmas. Don’t let another day go by; receive the greatest Christmas present of all time today while He still knocks. Accept and receive the gift of life. Have a Merry Christmas, and God bless! Heavenly Father, please bring conviction on those who read this, strength, and bless those who are serving. Grant each person a safe, send merry Christmas. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Be Bethlehem

5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” ~ Matthew 2:5-6

God doesn’t just use the greatest and the most powerful of people; He uses all people. Great and small. Rich and poor. God does not discriminate. He has a plan for all people. When He sent His one and only Son into the world, He didn’t send Him to the greatest land in the greatest territory. God reminded Bethlehem that it wasn’t insignificant.

This Christmas season, God is calling out to you as well. You are not insignificant or meaningless. The God of the entire universe knows you by name; He keeps count of all of the hairs on your head, He has a purpose and calling for you. You are not insignificant and unimportant. You are called by God Most High. So, be encouraged this Christmas season.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Bethlehem.

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Be One of the Few

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. ~ Luke 1:35-38

Notice how God needed Mary’s consent? God didn’t force Mary into being the mother of Jesus. And if Mary had said no, God would have found another. Why? Because God doesn’t force any of us to follow Him, nor does He force any of us to fulfill our purpose. God gave us free will from the Garden of Eden, and He has never taken it away from us.

Don’t get caught up in the rush of this time of year. Listen to the subtle call of God. What is God calling you to do this Christmas? What is He leading you to fulfill this Christmas? No one is without purpose or calling. All are called, but only few choose to follow.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be One of the Few.

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Don’t Let Go of His Promises

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy Him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. 15 This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” ~ Matthew 2:13-15

Herod tried to stop the coming of Christ, the Messiah of all the world. He tried to stop the hand of God from moving forward, but He couldn’t. No one can stop the hand of God. No one can keep His promises from being fulfilled. No matter how high up they are, no matter if they are a king, president, ruler, or prince, no one can keep the promises of God from being fulfilled.

God made us numerous promises throughout Scripture. Hold tight to them. Don’t let the Devil stop them. This Christmas Season, remember that nothing can stop God’s promises from coming to fruition. Hold on tightly to the hope of Christ Jesus. Encourage yourself in the Word of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Let Go of His Promises.

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Find the Light

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ~ Luke 2:25-26

Simeon was devout to the LORD, and being a righteous man, God honored him. He gave him the gift of holding the Messiah in his arms. Imagine waiting all of your life for the Messiah that had been prophesied about 4,000 years in advance and then finally getting to hold that Messiah in your arms. It could’ve been very easy for Simeon to become tired of waiting and allow all that he didn’t see to keep him from believing. But he didn’t let doubt and the lack of seeing keep him from believing and having faith that God would fulfill His promise.

This Christmas season, don’t let doubt overcome you. Have faith that God will fulfill His promises. It may not happen today or tomorrow, but if you have faith, it will come to fruition. Don’t be discouraged this Christmas, for Christmas is the season of hope. It’s the season of fulfilled promises, for, at the fullness of time, God sent His one and only Son that we might live. Don’t give up this Christmas season; find the light in the darkness and hold on to it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Find the Light.

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Come in Obedience

5 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. ~ Micah 5:2

The Scripture says to the Little town of Bethlehem, you who are too little to be numbered among the clans of Judah… God does not choose the greatest or the largest. Neither does He choose the richest or the swift. It doesn’t depend on who you are, and neither is your past held against you.

Bethlehem was the smallest because the Benjamites had done an outrageous thing in Israel in Judges chapter 19. When the men of Gibeon wanted to rape the man from the hill country of Ephraim, he sent his concubine out to them, and they rapped her all night long.

In the morning, the man found her dead, her hand still clutching the threshold. A civil war broke out, and the men of the tribe of Benjamin were almost wiped out. Yet, God did not hold their past against them. But because of His servant David, the littlest town in all of Judea was chosen.

If God chose Bethlehem, because of His servant King David, in spite of their ancestors, how much more will He choose us in spite of our failures because of His Son Jesus Christ. He chooses those who are willing. All we have to do is come. For many are called, but few are chosen because few come in obedience.

Come in obedience. Come in faith, and the LORD Jesus will receive you this Christmas.

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing us and loving us even though we were unlovable. Help us to live for You in obedience so that we might be pleasing to You. In Jesus Name, amen.

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Know Your Savior

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. ~ Luke 2:12

Go on to Bethlehem and see so that you can have a personal experience with the Savior, and after you have that personal experience, you will know what to do. That’s what the angel was telling the Shepherds. Don’t just take my word for it; go see the Messiah. Go experience the Christ child, for He has come.

And when you come to Christ, you don’t have to be told what to do next. When you have the Christmas experience, God opens your eyes and shows you what to do next. The angel didn’t tell them that they had to tell others; when they got there, and they were in the presence of God, they knew what to do. When you know your Savior, He opens your eyes to the call He has on your life, for He is Christ the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Know Your Savior.

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The Importance of Telling

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ~  Romans 10:14–15

That is why our Christmas Mandate is so important. Without it, many would perish, but because of the Christmas Mandate, they are now serving God. It is like the domino effect. One event causes another, and then another until it’s all accomplished.

What I mean is: First you must Come and See, so that you can have a personal experience. Then you must Go and Tell so that someone else can have a personal experience, then they do the same, and on and on it goes, in this beautiful circle, and it’s all for the glory of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Tell Someone of the Good News.

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