Posts from 2020 (Page 6)

Ways to Prepare for Christ’s Return Day 5: Encourage One Another Definition ENCOURAGE “Give support and advice to (someone) so that they will do or continue to do something” Encourage one another The promise that “the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is followed by a command: “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Again, the affirmation that “the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the…

Ways to Prepare For Christ’s Return Day 4: Don’t Lose Hope (Titus 3:4 – 7) “. . . when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become…

Ways to Prepare for Christ’s Return Day 3: Accept the Uncertainties Have you ever set a deadline for something thinking you had plenty of time to get that project done and then before you know it that deadline is upon you and you have made little or no progress towards that goal? Time is one of the few things in life that can simultaneously seem like we have both too much and too little. Parents know what I’m talking about.…

Ways to Prepare for Christ’s Return #2: Be Discerning Ready or Not, Here He Comes!  “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). This is a rather unusual devotional because it is not necessarily written for believers, nor is it helpful for anyone alive today. Explanations will follow. Did you play hide-and-seek as a child? When I was in high school, I disliked Phys Ed so much that…

Ways to Prepare for Christ’s Return Day 1: Live as Though Jesus’ First Coming Mattered (Mark Chapter 13) Did you ever embarrass yourself because you were not prepared for an event? For example, because you didn’t understand what it meant to prepare properly, you might have presented the worst seminar in the history of your business. But you could do much worse — You could go into the next life unprepared. Jesus talks about our preparation for his return in…

The Fruit of the Spirit Day 9: Self-Control “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28) As we end our series, The Fruit of the Spirit, we come to self-control. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, it is important for us to practice self-control. When I was young, self-control was definitely not a strength of mine. I had a short temper and was quick to let those around me…

The Fruit of the Spirit Day 8: Gentleness Definition GENTLENESS “The quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered;” “Soft of action or effect, lightness” Bible verses “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5). SHOW YOUR GENTLENESS TO EVERYONE, TIME IS SHORT. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). YOUR BODY SHOULD BE CLOTHED WITH GENTLENESS. “A gentle answer turns away wrath,…

The Fruit of the Spirit Day 7: Faithfulness I was sitting across the table having a conversation with a friend of mine. Well, actually it was a man who would become a friend in one of the toughest seasons of his life, that was beginning at that moment. Honestly, he was a man that I admired from a distance. However, he had paid a high price for the public life he had created. In the moments we had together, he…

The Fruit of the Spirit Day 6: Goodness The word used for “goodness” in Galatians 5:22 is the Greek word “agathōsynē,” which Blue Letter Bible defines as uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness.1 This word only appears 4 times in the New Testament. Once in Ephesians 5, where a similar call as Galatians 5 is given, calling believers to put aside desires of the flesh and embrace the ways of the Spirit. It also appears in 2 Thessalonians as…

The Fruit of the Spirit #5: Kindness Practice Non-Random Acts of Kindness  “Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see” (Anonymous). You have probably seen the bumper sticker that reads, “Practice Random Acts of Kindness.” The point is that acts of kindness will neutralize random acts of violence. Biblically, acts of kindness are not meant to be random, but via the Holy Spirit, they are to be a way of life (Galatians 5:22). “Kindness”…