Nov 17
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pasta added a link contribution How God Encourages PeopleWe’ve all been there, haven’t we? Because of circumstances… even because of the work of the Kingdom of Heaven, we can be discouraged, downcast and depleted. The infamous spiritual giant Paul experienced this. I guess it’s okay if I do too! I shouldn’t feel out of the range of normal when the emotional and physical tide rolls out. Read more »
Nov 16
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pasta added a link contribution Walking With GodWhat is distinctive about the people of God is that God lives in us and among us powerfully. It may be such a basic thing that it is easily missed. It’s a basic characteristic of God’s people, but how amazingly shocking is it?! God lives among His people. As Paul wrote, we are a temple of the living God! Read more »
Nov 11
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pasta added a link contribution No Butterfly ChasingPaul understood that taking your eyes off of the prize is a real danger. Taking your focus off of Jesus and running off the course – pursuing other things – will disqualify you. You will not win. So Paul is intentional with his life. He pursues a disciplined life as a disciple of Jesus. His flesh serves him and not vice versa. Read more »
Nov 9
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pasta added a link contribution Just Keep ServingThere were believers in Corinth who had become arrogant. They were proud of their new position in Christ. In the arrogance they claimed authority that was not theirs. Paul and the other apostles, but Paul especially, was degraded in their minds. In this chapter Paul lays all of that out. Read more »
Nov 5
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pasta added a link contribution Considered RighteousYou might think that the way to be considered righteous would be to do right things, perfectly and all the time. What humanity learned from the Law of God in the Old Testament is that we are unable to live perfectly righteous before God all the time. Read more »
Nov 4
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pasta added a link contribution Heaping AbuseAs if crucifixion wasn’t a big enough insult, people heaped abuse, both physical and verbal, on Jesus. And the King of Glory took it. He took it from the sinners He was dying to save. Their sin was on display and directed toward Him, the One who could forgive them of sin. Read more »
Nov 3
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pasta added a link contribution Jesus' Confession Led To His Own DeathJesus would go “just as it was written about Him.” But it was His own words that would bring this about. This makes ironic sense because Jesus’ death was God’s will. The Just dying for the unjust. This most significant of all human events would not come about by anyone else’s testimony, just Jesus’! His testimony is true. And wicked humanity killed the Son of the Blessed One, proving again how... Read more »
Oct 28
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pasta added a link contribution God Enjoys NewnessOur creative God enjoys newness! If we were more like Jesus, we probably would too. Instead, most people loathe change. They fear it. Routine and sameness is valued because it is known. Where’s the growth in that? Where’s the adventure? God enjoys the adventure, I think. He loves it when I have faith in Him and join Him in the new thing He is doing. Read more »
Oct 27
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pasta added a link contribution Don't Follow The MajorityThe majority often makes decisions. The majority is most often wrong! Don’t make your life decisions based on what the majority thinks. If you have a single person who is filled with the Spirit of God and who loves you – ask what they think. Read more »
Oct 26
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pasta added a link contribution Become What I AmThis is not arrogance by Paul. The thrust of the Great Commission is to ‘make disciples.’ That’s the imperative Jesus gives to His disciples. Only disciples can make disciples. In essence, we are to reproduce in others what we already are as followers of Christ. Follow me as I follow Jesus. Read more »
Oct 22
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pasta added a link contribution God Accomplishing His Mission Through PeopleThe mission of the church is God’s mission. It doesn’t belong to the church. We didn’t originate the mission and we don’t even carry it out. Oh, we’re involved, but it’s not us doing it. God is carrying out His mission through His people. Read more »
Oct 20
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pasta added a link contribution Answered PrayerPray earnestly. Expect God to answer! He will always answer. Maybe not in the way you would like, but God will always answer. And as we’re learning from Job – regardless of His answer, Almighty God is worthy of our reverence. Worship Him. Read more »
Oct 19
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pasta added a link contribution A Great NumberReaching people for Christ will not happen without Jesus. The Presence of His Spirit must be for there to be a strengthening of His church and a growing in numbers. Without God there will not be victory. Without Him at work in and through His church, great numbers of people will not turn to the Lord. Read more »
Oct 14
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pasta added a link contribution Complete HealingWhat healing do I need? Where’s the brokenness in my life? Complete, not partial, healing comes through Jesus. Having faith in His Name means that I trust Jesus’ position, authority and mission. He is who He said He is and He’s done what no one else could do! The Good News is that redemption and the forgiveness of sin can be experienced through Jesus. This is spiritual healing! And it’s complete!... Read more »
Oct 12
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pasta added a link contribution Same Mission; Same SpiritThis same Spirit empowers me, and all of God’s church, to be about this same mission. We are witnesses for Jesus. We give testimony about who He is and what He has done! Jesus is the Son of God who has redeemed, by His own blood, all who place their faith in Him. Repentance and the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to all the nations! Read more »
Oct 9
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pasta added a link contribution Tempted To PrayTemptation is one of those few things in life that is common to every person. We all experience temptation and Satan’s attempts to unravel our faith in God. What’s our defense? Prayer. Read more »
Oct 8
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pasta added a link contribution A Bias For MovementThere are times for earnest prayer and there are times to get up and get it done. There are many times when I’ve acted when I should have prayed and prayed when I should have acted. Some excuse inaction with prayer. “I’m waiting on the Lord.” I get that, but have you moved so far ahead of God that He needs time to catch up? Are you that fast? Read more »
Oct 7
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pasta added a link contribution Considered WorthyAnswering the Sadducees who were skeptical of the resurrection, Jesus said that those who are ‘considered worthy’ will be part of that age. The feeling I get from Jesus’ words is that most won’t. Most people in this age will not be in that age. Those who are considered worthy will be the minority. This is very different than the pervasive thought that most all people will find their way to Heaven. Read more »
Oct 6
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pasta added a link contribution Don't Hide Your MinaFear can keep me from risk. Fear can keep me from reward, too. Read more »
Oct 5
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pasta added a link contribution Looking For FaithSo Jesus asks the blind man the obvious question. As the Son of God He could see, not only people’s physical condition but their spiritual condition too. Jesus was looking for an answer… He was looking for faith. Read more »
Oct 3
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pasta added a link contribution Receiving True RichesThe stuff of earth can be easily dismissed as unimportant because it’s not the stuff of the Kingdom. This is not the right way to think about worldly wealth. Money and possessions are a proving ground. They hold the variables that are great for testing trustworthiness. If we are found trustworthy with what God entrusts to us, more and greater things – the things of the Kingdom – will be entrusted... Read more »
Oct 2
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pasta added a link contribution Hope In What Doesn't FailGod’s people put their hope in His unfailing love. This is the right thing to do! Why put your hope in things that are weak and frail… in things that will fail? We are often disappointed when we do that. Our hope naturally goes toward what is strong and reliable. There’s nothing more strong and reliable than God’s amazing love for us! Read more »
Oct 1
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pasta added a link contribution Full House!God wants a full house! He is preparing a great feast for all eternity and is inviting the most unlikely of people. Those who were invited but had excuses will not be there. This parable describes God’s grace and anger intertwined, which is intriguing! God’s anger is toward those who did not make Him a priority. His grace is directed toward everybody else. There’s no person who is not invited... Read more »
Sep 30
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pasta added a link contribution Using Up SoilThere are Christians who are using up the soil. There have been seasons where I’ve been taking up space too. We are planted. We have all that we need, but there is no fruit evident in our lives. In the parable the owner says, ‘Cut it down!’ Read more »
Sep 29
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pasta added contributions: Sell Your Possessions And Give To The Poor and Sell Your Possessions And Give To The Poor
User Info
Name: Neil Johnston
User Since: September 2007
Location: Eugene, OR
Website: www.everydaydevos.com
Contributions: 99
Tags: 103