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Christian Devotional – November 19, 2013
VERSE: Numbers3:4–Nadab and Abihu however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron. TRUTH: God is love and grace, but God is also holy and just. God cannot tolerate sin. Nadab and Abihu were wrong in what they did before the Lord and as a result of their sin, they died and others took their place. We must realize that God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. We are not to just do whatever we want, there are consequences for sins…
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Christian Devotional – November 18, 2013
VERSE: Number 2:34–So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family. TRUTH: The Lord put them together as families and then placed them around the tabernacle they had constructed to worship God. He wanted the people to camp and move together as families. The family is so important to God and the people were a visual reminder of that based on how they set up camp. They also had God at the center of their camp. Do we have God at the center of our…
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Christian Devotional – November 17, 2013
VERSE: Numbers 1:2–“Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.” TRUTH: God tells the people to take a census, so they set about counting the people. Interestingly, in other places in scripture, God tells the people not to count themselves and if they do, they will be punished. The important thing to remember is that it was not the act of counting themselves that was wrong, but the obedience to God that determined whether they were right or wrong. Are we focused on doing what God has told us to do, when and how God has told us…
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Christian Devotional – November 16, 2013
VERSE: Jude 21–keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. TRUTH: We are waiting for the day when we will be brought to heaven, so what should we be doing in the meantime? We are to keep ourselves in God’s love. Would everything we do be considered displaying God’s love? The love of God is demonstrated to others through us, so we are to be a messenger for God every day. RESPONSE: Father, I pray that Your love will shine through me as a beacon to those who are around me today. As I am waiting for…
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Christian Devotional – November 15, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 13:11–So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. TRUTH: After Nehemiah got everything settled, he went back to Babylon to fulfill his duty to the king there. Some time passed and he returned to Jerusalem and found that they had not continued as he had instructed. Nehemiah then set about cleaning house, so to speak. He set things straights and put things back where they belonged. Do we have the courage to point out and seek to correct the things we see where people have been disobedient to God? We…
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Christian Devotional – November 14, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 12:43–And on that day, they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. TRUTH: God had provided for them. He had made it possible for them to rebuild the city walls and they were celebrating. The people were rejoicing and sharing their joy loud and far. When God moves in our life, do we sing, shout, rejoice? Do we let others know of what God has done in our life? RESPONSE: Father, You have indeed done great and marvelous things. You make great sacrifices and You provide us…
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Christian Devotional – November 13, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 11:23–The musicians were under the kings orders, which regulated their daily activities. TRUTH: As the people were determining who would live in the newly fortified city of Jerusalem, the people still had their specific roles and jobs. The musicians were no less important than the others and the king made provisions that they could continue doing what they were called to do. Do we recognize our importance and our role that God has for us? God has a purpose and a plan for each person and He provides for that person to fulfill their plan. RESPONSE: Father, I praise You for having a purpose for me and for…
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Christian Devotionl – November 12, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 10:35–We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree. TRUTH: As the people dedicated themselves to the Lord, they recommitted themselves to the various commands that God had given them. In this case, the people were also agreeing to bring of their possessions a tithe to God. They knew that God owned everything and as such they were responsible to return a portion of it back to Him. Do we treat our things as if God owns them or as if we own them? Do we return the first of our earnings back…
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Book Review – The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley
You will always end up at the destination that is at the end of the path that you choose. That is the guiding principle of the book by Andy Stanley. He masterfully shows how people can end up at the destination that they didn’t realize they were headed toward and wonder how they got there. Yet, they had chosen to get on the path that led to that destination, even if they didn’t realize it. Andy has a great writing style that really connects with the readers and this was a great book to read. The concepts in the book are excellent and will really work to help people take…
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Christian Devotional – November 11, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 9:33–In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully while we acted wickedly. TRUTH: The people of Israel were recounting all that God had done for them over the years. The people stated with creation and went forward telling every instance when God had been faithful to them. Yet, they were also honest about their own failings over the years. This verse is the conclusion of their review of the entire history. We could say the same. God is a God of great mercy and He continues to be faithful even when we don’t. Are we turning back to Him? He is…