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Christian Devotional – April 25, 2015
Read Psalm chapter 99 VERSE: Psalm 99:8–Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. TRUTH: Forgiveness verses consequences. When we sin and do wrong, we can always come to God and confess our sin. He promises to forgive us. However, we will still have to deal with the consequences of our sin. He will give us the ability to make it through the consequences, but His forgiveness doesn’t mean that the consequences disappear. RESPONSE: Father, thank You for Your forgiveness when I mess up. Thank You also for helping me endure the consequences of my sins and seek to glorify…
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Christian Devotional – March 31, 2015
Read Psalm chapter 78 VERSE: Psalm 78:38–Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. TRUTH: This psalm gives a history of the people of Israel and shows over and over again how God has moved and worked. The people would forget and turn away from Him and yet He would forgive them and save them. God does the same in our lives. No matter how bad we have been or how many times we have rejected Him. He is always waiting and ready to forgive us and save us. Will…
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Christian Devotional – October 7, 2014
Read 2 Samuel chapter 14 VERSE: 2 Samuel 14:24–But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king. TRUTH: David allowed Absalom to return after murdering his brother, but he didn’t truly forgive him. David wouldn’t allow Absalom back into his presence. We often treat forgiveness like this. We say and do the very minimal necessary in order to say we’ve forgiven, but we don’t attempt any restoration. The scripture never says that Absalom repented of his sins, but still, David only half-heartedly attempts to forgive. When…
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Christian Devotional – June 28, 2014
Read 1 John chapter 3 VERSE: 1 John 3:11-12–For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. TRUTH: Cain murdering his brother Abel is a perfect example of evil lashing out at righteousness. Abel was pleasing before the Lord and Cain was jealous. Instead of that spurring him to repentance and restoration with God, Cain became bitter and angry and ultimately destroyed his brother simply because Abel was righteous. When we fall short…
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Christian Devotional – May 25, 2014
Read 1 John chapter 1 VERSE: 1 John 1:9–If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. TRUTH: Our responsibility is to confess, not ask for forgiveness. God promises us that He will forgive us and cleanse us if we will only confess. What does it mean to confess? When we confess, we see our sins as God sees them. We understand that God is holy and we recognize the gravity of our failings in comparison to Him. As we come to Him desiring to turn away from these sins, He hears us, forgives us, and purifies…
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Book Review – Forever Loved by Darlene Shortridge
Synopsis from Amazon: “I do believe God can forgive him. I really do. I’m just not sure I can.” Ryan’s revelation shocks Rachel to the core. Are the foundations of a three-cord marriage strong enough to handle even the worst deception? Even when two are willing to give up? Rachel suspects Ryan’s betrayal, but when she finds out the truth, her life is torn upside down and inside out. Ryan hides his past, fearful that when it catches up to him, it will destroy him and everything he has worked to build. When the past finally meets the present, both Ryan and Rachel are lost in a world of confusion,…
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Christian Devotional – February 8, 2014
Read Revelation chapter 8 VERSE: Revelation 8:13–As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels.” TRUTH: As John details the judgment that comes to the earth with the first four of the trumpets, it is hard to realize that judgment from the next three will be even worse. The depth of the disobedience to God is hard to understand and as a result, it is hard to fathom the judgment that will come. However, even in the midst of…
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Christian Devotional – October 28, 2013
VERSE: Hebrews 8:12–For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sin no more. TRUTH: God is speaking here about the new covenant He is going to establish with His people. He indicates that He will forgive and not remember our sins anymore. Some people say, “forgive and forget,” but this goes even deeper than that idea. It’s not that He forgets our sin, but that He doesn’t hold them against us anymore. We are no longer held captive to the consequences of our sins. Instead we are free to live in the forgiveness of sin that He provides. That is such a wonderful place of freedom to worship…
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Christian Devotional – May 23, 2013
VERSE: Ezekiel 39:28–Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for thought I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. TRUTH: The Lord tells the people that even though He will bring about the judgment of the people, He will also bring about their restoration. The Lord will not leave anyone behind who seeks after Him. No matter what we have done or how sinful our lives have been, we can be forgiven and restored if we will come to Him and repent. Are we looking to Him and seeking to be gathered and restored?…
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Christian Devotional – May 2, 2013
VERSE: Ezekiel 18:21–But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live, they will not die. TRUTH: No one is too far gone into sin that they can’t decide to repent and turn and follow God. God spends this whole chapter explaining that people are responsible for their own sin, not the sin of their father or anyone else. Do we believe that God can truly forgive anyone? Have we asked for and received that forgiveness for ourselves? We are to be the message of hope to the world…