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Devotions

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Devotions

Love Your Enemies

1 Min Read

St. Mary Magdalene dei Pazzi said “Never utter in your neighbor’s absence what you would not say in their presence.” I have learned first hand the value of following this advice.

Jesus taught us to go one step further when He instructed us in the Holy Bible to…“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44, King James Version). How wonderful the world would be if everyone followed Jesus’ advice!

Loving people that mistreat you is possible when the Holy Spirit lives inside you and empowers you. Start each day full of God’s love and discover the joy of sharing that love with others. Even those who you feel don’t deserve it.

Prayer: Jesus, pour Your love into me. Empower me to love those who have wronged me.

Devotion by Debbie Simler-Goff

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Spiritual Heart Check

1 Min Read

Great effort is made to educate the public about how to maintain a healthy heart. Equal attention is given to knowing the signs of heart disease. Local hospitals offer “Free Heart Assessments”. Many people take advantage of these offers. They have a Heart Evaluation. They make lifestyle changes. Their lives are saved.

Perhaps we should declare a spiritual heart check initiative. The public would be educated on how to maintain a healthy spiritual heart! Equal attention would be given to knowing the signs of spiritual heart disease. The local churches, empowered by the Holy Spirit, would offer a “Free Spiritual Heart Check”. Many people would come. They would have a Heart Evaluation by the Holy Spirit. They would make lifestyle changes. Their spiritual lives would be saved.

READ: Psalm 119:9, from the Holy Bible, New Century Version “How can a young person live a pure life? By obeying your (God’s) word.”

Prayer: God, I want to have a spiritually healthy heart. Examine the inner me. Remove any disease causing attitudes in my spirit. Empower me to change my ways.

Devotion by Debbie Simler-Goff

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Natural Ingredients

1 Min Read
    Ever look at the transparent bottom of a juice bottle without shaking first? Without reading the label, the first word that pops into my mind when I see the discolored flecks of residue is c-o-n-c-e-n-t-r-a-t-e. Ingredients are solidified, removing natural fluids. When ready to market, water is introduced to return the product to liquidity. Flavor and nourishment are lost in the process. Concentrate is a good word when associated with the thinking process, but all natural, not-from-concentrate word of God is best for Christian nourishment.

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it, (Colossians 2:18-19, Holy Bible, New Living Translation).

Prayer: Lord, keep me connected to You with nourishment from Your pure and natural word. Amen.

    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
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The Ultimate Survey

1 Min Read
    “Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, ‘Who do men say that I am?’ So they answered, ‘John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said to Him, ‘You are the Christ.’ ” (Mark 8:27-29, Holy Bible, New King James).
    Opinion surveys are effective in local issues. Online surveys assess consumer habits. Instructors distribute printed surveys at the close of workshops and seminars to determine if the experience met the teacher’s expectations. When Jesus asked for public opinion, His disciples replied with a variety of responses. When Jesus asked for personal understanding, Peter had the correct answer, “You are the Christ.”
    Prayer :Thank You, Lord Jesus, for asking me this same question. Like Peter, I know You are the Messiah. Amen.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
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God’s Memoirs

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blockquote>And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day (Genesis 1:5, Holy Bible, King James).

    My writing friends journal in notebooks, recording daily events that may blossom into a memoir. I don’t journal, but I carry a small notebook to jot titles and thoughts for devotionals. From those brief scribbles, God inspires me with Scriptures and themes, a reverse approach. In the beginning, God used a straight-forward pattern, separating light from darkness and naming those divisions day and night. Although God created light first, He switched to a reverse order, calling the evening and morning as the first day. With that decision, God established a reverse pattern for the universal law for time. Each day begins in midnight darkness, not sunrise. Read about it in the Genesis, God’s memoirs penned by Moses.

      Prayer:Eternal God, creator of the universe, You established time recognized by every nation. Even those who do not believe in You live by this pattern of time. You are omnipresent in light and darkness. Amen.

      Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
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Faith Keepers

1 Min Read

    I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible, New King James).

      A visiting minister taught our congregation the precepts of being a kingdom keeper using Joash, the keeper of the oil, as an example. Although one of David’s mighty men of valor, Joash was appointed as Oil Keeper. Apostle Paul, orator, writer, and missionary, summed his position as Keeper of the Faith. That position is always open for new volunteers.
      Prayer : Lord, whatever I can do for You, never let me forget that keeping the faith is a top priority.
      Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
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Immeasurable Thoughts

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    How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! (Psalm 139:17, Holy Bible, New Living Translation)
    Precious is described as rare or unique. Something valuable to be treated with care. Although the Psalmist describes God’s thoughts as precious, he proclaims them to be immeasurable. Each of God’s thoughts is precious, a rare jewel, but the highest capacity computer cannot calculate the total.
    Prayer : Dear God, Thanks for thinking about me. Your precious thoughts to me are more than the sands of the sea or the stars in the sky. Their value is beyond measure. Amen
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
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Thanksgiving – a lesson in etiquette

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    Thank you is one of the first phrases a child learns from a parent after please. The Psalmist tells us to make thanksgiving a habit each time we enter into the presence of the Lord. This reminder is more than a lesson in etiquette. On this day dedicated to gratitude, it is a must-do, top-of-the-list reminder for the children of God.

    Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name (Psalm 100:4, Holy Bible, King James).

    Prayer : A gratitude of praise rises from my heart to You Lord on this Thanksgiving day. Amen.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
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Reasoning Power

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    We are born with mental reasoning capacity for everyday living. Along the way, we make advance choices that affect our long-term goals. In extreme situations where quick decisions are required, adrenaline powers the human body to do extraordinary feats on a moment’s notice. Knowing we would have questions about eternity, God reminds us to listen to reason—His reason. He has created the one-size solution for all.
    Prayer : Eternal God, I am blessed by these ancient words that provide a reason for eternal hope. Amen.
    Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
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