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MORNING MEDITATION
Morning Meditation: "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over and through all and in all."- Ephesians 4:1-6
The doctrine of Christ's death and resurrection is the foundation of Christianity. To deny the resurrection and yet profess faith in Christ is futile (1 Corinthians 15:17). The Lord deposited within His Church one body of truth, "the faith." These are the saving truths of our religion. "...by this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:2). From the beginning of the Church, the early Christians were unified in the basic doctrines that they taught, defended, and entrusted to others. "...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Timothy 2:2). They preached the same gospel at all times and in all places; and by this faith they lived and died. And the Word of God continued to increase and spread. "So the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7).
The gospel message was committed to faithful ministers whose main work was to remind their hearers of the doctrines of the faith. "...the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3b). The truth of the gospel does not change, but it requires constant exercise to guard against the pollution of false doctrines. We are likely to forget, and slow to learn the things of God; we need constant reminding. The Israelites would recite the Shema as a daily confession of their faith, and a constant reminder to never forget what God has done for them. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). When we teach others we also teach ourselves. The gospel of grace is not written on tablets of stone, or doorposts, or kept in phylacteries tied to foreheads; it is written on the hearts of men by the Holy Spirit who has been deposited within. The Holy Spirit helps to confirm the doctrine of our faith by our good example in the way in which we live our lives. "But you, dear friends, build yourself up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourself in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life" (Jude 20-21). Holy Spirit, thank You for Your presence in our lives which helps us preach a consistent message of the doctrine of our faith with the godly example of our lives. "For without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Help us to daily meditate on the great trust that has been given to us so we can progress in the faith, and then learn to teach and speak it boldly so we can advance Your kingdom. Amen.
"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you,
which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers
at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
(1 Corinthians 15:1-8)
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AFTERNOON DEVOTION
Afternoon Devotion: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:12-15
The life of a Christian is one of labor and suffering. There is a battle from within and without that strives to rob us of the rich treasury of our faith. "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints..." The journey before us may be long and difficult, but we are called to a life courageous endurance without resignation. "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus 1:9). As believers, we are called to content for "the faith" by suffering patiently and courageously for it. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12). Christ Jesus was our supreme example of long-suffering as one who bore with the hardness of men's hearts and the hard treatment from their hands. If God has been long-suffering towards us, then we should be long-suffering to others. "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy" (James 5:10-11).
We have been given the rich deposit of the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability to endure discomfort without fighting back. When we submit to His leadership, guidance and direction He is able to manifest the spiritual fruit of patience in our lives to help us endure difficult people and circumstances. "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, in understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left..." (2 Corinthians 6:3-7). Holy Spirit, help us to contend earnestly for the faith against the ungodly who viciously go after the foundation of the truth and pollute it with their immoral and corrupt ways. Thank You that we have been given the Spirit of holiness with which You enable us to stand steadfast, and continue to advance Your holy kingdom in the midst of trial and tribulation. Amen.
"Preach the Word;
be prepared in season and out of season;
correct, rebuke and encourage -
with great patience and careful instruction.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them
a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears what to hear.
The will turn their ears away from truth and turn aside to myths.
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,
do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
(2 Timothy 4:2-5)
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EVENING PRAYER
Evening Prayer of Thanksgiving: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." - Colossians 3:16-17
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the work of
Your Holy Spirit -
Who is the greatest of Your gifts.
What peace we have in knowing that
all that You have called us to will be
accomplished through Your Spirit.
With all the persecution that is coming
against "the faith," in our homeland and abroad,
we humbly ask: "Now, Lord, consider their threats
and enable Your servants to speak Your Word with
great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal
and perform miraculous signs and wonders
through the name of Your holy servant Jesus."
Give Your people boldness and courage, and "not to worry
about how [we] will defend ourselves or what [we] will say,
for the Holy Spirit will teach
[us] at that time what [we] should say."
We ask that You would allow Your Church to
"enjoy a time of peace," and be "strengthened and encouraged
by the Holy Spirit, and [grow] in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord."
So that the "name of the Lord Jesus [will be] held in high honor...
In this way the Word of God [will] spread widely and grow in power."
With grateful hearts we ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ -
the author and perfecter of our faith, we pray. Amen.
(Luke 12:11b,12; Acts 4:29-30; 9:31; 19:17b, 20; Hebrews 12:2a)
Devotional provided by Trumpet and Torch Ministries
Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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