Tag: Christ

God’s True Purpose for You

Romans 11-13

Read these chapters carefully with discernment from the spirit of Christ in you.  They contain great and precious promises that we can claim as Christians.  These chapters give us instruction in who is the church, who is Israel and how to live in true fellowship with God and our fellow believers.  A whole book could be written on this section and not fulfill all that God intends for us to do and think.

Romans chapter 11 continues Paul’s appeal to his fellow Israelites to accept Christ. He sets in order the relationship of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament to the current relationship the church has with the Father.  God meant for Israel to be a national witness of Him to demonstrate grace and love to all the world.  If they had done the purpose they were called for the kingdom of God could have come when Messiah Jesus appeared in the world.  

Romans 11:11-12(NLT) Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. 12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.

Their rejection of the law and then of Christ himself causes their national purpose to be postponed to a future time.  God still has a special heart for those in Israel that loved God’s plan and were anticipating the coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth.  God has never changed in His devoted relationship with all people.  Those that truly seek Him with their hearts are rewarded for faith in every age and time.  Those that trust in the one true God have a pathway to the future kingdom.  

Romans 1:16-17(NLT) For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

In chapter 11 God shows us the true position and attitude we should have with the Old Testament saints and the New Testament church.  Paul writes by inspiration that we are part of the mighty tree of God built on the trunk that is Christ.  It grows from the root of promises made to Abraham, but then the nation of Israel is cut down to a stump.  Jesus is the new tree which grows from the root of promise to Abraham and patriarchs that continues until today.

Isaiah 11:1-5(NLT) Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.

Romans 11:17-18(NLT) But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

When Jesus is the new tree that grows from the stump of the nation of Israel, we the Gentiles are grafted onto the tree by God as it pleases Him.  We are an unnatural branch and even come from a tree which is not really an olive tree.  Look up “oleaster” on the internet to see what a poor branch we were before being grafted.  We weren’t even good olive branches.  God breaks us off the oleaster tree (a tree with no good fruit) and grafts us into the richness of the olive tree nation of Israel with Godly fruit.  Then the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob become available to us also.  This is a wonderful picture of the love that God has for us today joining us into His family.  

Isaiah 11:10(NKJV)  “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”

Does this section change your thoughts about Israel and the church?

Are you more thankful for all God has done for you and me?

In Romans chapters 12 and 13 Paul gives us great encouragement to walk in this new life that we have.  Paul writes to instruct us how to please God and live with others.

Romans 12:1-2(NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

God wills us to present our lives as a sacrifice of praise to Him.  We are not to be “stamped” into conformity with the world but to be “metamorphosed” into the Christ in us by changing our minds to hear the Word of God.  When we put the Word into our minds and hearts and act on it, we will be changed from the death and destruction of this world into people that are children of God with power to do good.  

Romans 13:8-10 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. 9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

How does Jesus fulfill all the requirements of the Mosaic Law?  

He did not do all the regulations of the Pharisees and scribes.  Rather Jesus points us to the righteous life-giving purposes of God.  When he loves God and is obedient to all God asked him to do Jesus is fulfilling God’s purpose for him.  That is acting in God’s true love.  When we are obedient to God and act in true love to Him and others, we also walk in the true purpose God has called us to live by.

Do we have to do the law of Moses today? 

What happens when we do not love others like Christ did?

Love in Christ, Tom Siderius

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Hope of All the Earth Thou Art

Genesis 4-7

Jan 2, 2025 – Day 2 of the SeekGrowLove 2025 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Just a few months ago, my family and I found ourselves in the path of Hurricane Helene. While the storm left widespread devastation, we were fortunate to remain safe, experiencing minimal damage, and counting our blessings. However, like millions of others in our region, we found ourselves without power. Looking back now, I can’t remember exactly how many days we spent unplugged (although I most certainly knew the number at that time with every passing day) As I witnessed the unprecedented number of power trucks traveling in every direction,  I most assuredly knew the power would be restored, it was just a matter of time.  

You better believe that Noah had hash marks on the side of the ark. Noah knew beforehand how many days it would rain, but he didn’t know how long he would be making his home with a boatload of animals.  On day 41, he saw with his own eyes the Word of God fulfilled, for He had completed an unprecedented thing.  So Noah waited, holding onto hope that God would provide a way to get off the ark.

Noah’s enduring faith, to build the boat, to endure the storm, and to hang onto the promise, show the beautiful exchange of God’s grace and protection when we trust and hold onto hope. Noah found favor in God’s sight, but we can declare this to the world:  through Christ, we too can experience the fullness of God’s grace.  As we look to our Savior for this hope, we can emerge from the storms of life victorious.  Through the flooding waters of baptism we are cleansed.  But now, emerged from the flood, we wait.

There is still plenty of work to do.  We do not twiddle our thumbs until the return of Jesus. Noah continued his calling to give life and care for his flocks, herds, and packs while awaiting the return of a dove.  Like Noah, we have been given charge to continue the work of Jesus, giving hope to every nation.  If we are awaiting the return of Christ, we are approaching two-thousand years into our tally, but we are sustained, knowing the promise of God is not fleeting or pending.  It is fulfilled in its perfect time through Christ Jesus.

We would be crazy not to look to the horizon.  The fact that we do shows that we have a founded longing and are aware of the signs. We see the birth pains that lead to the return of Jesus with resurrection power, so let us declare and defend to every nation that He is the reason for the hope we have.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. What have you waited for? While you were waiting what storms did you endure? What was the reason for your hope?
  2. What do we learn from Genesis about Noah? What do we learn about God from the account of Noah?
  3. How was Noah different from the rest of his generation? How can you be like Noah?

You can download and print the whole year’s Chronological Bible Reading Plan in a compact 1 page booklet form:

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Or download and print just one month at a time in an easier to read format:

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Who would you like to invite to be a Bible reading buddy with you in 2025?

Contemplation – Take it to Heart

OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 24-26

POETRY: Psalm 119:17-24

NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 1

Revelation is a tricky book. I will admit that I struggle with it, as I’m sure others do. When meditating on this passage I actually sat down and tried to put myself in John’s place. He is receiving one intense vision, full of important messages, all of which he might not fully comprehend in his time. 

This devotion is less of a devotion today and more of an invitation to join me in a practice of contemplation. 

John introduces himself and tells the reader what he is writing and why he’s writing it. And the first part of this great message is actually a collection of letters to the seven great churches of the time. 

Now these letters are laid out in chapters 2 and 3. However, I’m not actually going into those so I feel like I’m within my realm of Revelation 1 for this little exercise! 

Join me, if you will, in constructing a letter to yourself and/or your church, written by Christ. This can be either written or mental. This devotion will primarily be reflection questions to give you some things to contemplate. 

Reflection: 

Take a few minutes with each of these questions to pray and evaluate: 

Christ, seated at God’s side, knows your deeds. In looking at your current habits and practices, what does he lift up? What is he pleased with? Pray over these things and ask God to continue to help you to grow. Thank him for allowing you the circumstances that allow you to minister and please him. Thank him for the blessings he has given you. 

What about in your church body? What does your church do well in God’s eyes? Pray over your church family now, thanking God for individuals that serve alongside you in the church body. Thank God for the blessings he has given your church family. 

Now, what practices in your life are not pleasing? What do you struggle to turn away from? How would Christ address those? How would he advise you to take action? Pray over these, and ask for strength and guidance in those areas. Pray for mercy and forgiveness. 

Are there practices within your home church that Christ would not be pleased with? Are there attitudes that need changing? Does your own attitude need adjustment? How would Jesus address your church in this regard? How would he encourage you to correct these behaviors and thoughts? Pray now over your church family. Pray for forgiveness and mercy. Pray that God will show you a way in which you can help be a positive force of change in your church body. 

Dear father, I’m so thankful for my fellow believers in churches all over the world. I pray that we would be pleasing to you. I pray that we are able to seek out what we are doing wrong and right ourselves. Please show us the way and also show us great mercy. Thank you for the sacrifice that was made so that we could one day see Christ’s return and see your kingdom established forever here on a perfect earth. Grant us all guidance and strength until we see that great day. In your son’s name I pray, Amen.    – Jenn Haynes

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Children of the Light

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 9-10

Poetry: Psalm 94

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 5

            The start of 1 Thessalonians 5 shares the promising truth of Jesus’s return. We can rest assured as children of light and look forward to Jesus’s glorious return that will usher in the Kingdom of God. This mindset of being children of light or being light itself is shared in the following passages:

“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” Ephesians 5:8

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Our identity is found within the Bible. We can find peace and hope in our identity. You are a child of light. You are light through Christ. This means you are filled with the love and goodness of God, and your life has been sanctified through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. What you have read about in the last few devotionals are all centered around living out this light. Living in a manner that brings glory to God by shining your light to all those around you. 

            I grew up going to Midwest Family Camp every year. One of the most important items I would pack would be a flashlight. The walk from the tabernacle to the girls’ yurts was long and dark at night so that flashlight made it less likely to trip and fall over uneven ground. One of my friends would commonly forget her flashlight so most years we would walk together sharing the light. It would have been selfish to have kept the light to myself and it would have caused her to stumble and fall without it. The same applies to the light we have received from Christ. It is not something to be hidden under a bushel, we have to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Allow the identity you find through Christ to shine forth to those around you. 

            Take Solomon as an example of this. Was he a perfect guy? Absolutely not. But as you read in today’s readings his actions and skills shined brightly to those around him. The queen that visited Solomon saw how much God cared for His people through the actions of Solomon. She recognized the glory of God because of Solomon. He did not hide the light that God had given him. Solomon worked hard and would always point his work back to God, like you have read in the last few days of 2 Chronicles. God’s light and love shines through all His children. Don’t hide it!

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

1- What has been the main takeaway of 1 Thessalonians?

2- How has King Solomon’s life served as an example to you?

3- What is one way you can shine your light to those around you?

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Unexpected Moments

Luke 2

Friday, December 9, 2022

Sheep are stinky. 

Consequently, shepherds stink. 

Tending sheep, especially overnight, was a pretty thankless job, and took a toll on a lot of those who did it. Shepherds were not very well thought of by those who had more respectable agrarian jobs, or those who worked in the city. 

But God chose them to be the first ones to know the messiah is born. They saw him in the manger after the angels made their Christmas announcement!

Old people who spend their days alone can sometimes be weird. 

In fact, some of the best people are the old weird people who spend most of their time in prayer to God. The family of Jesus are accosted when they take him to be consecrated on the eighth day. Simeon and Anna may have been well respected, but they were still both older, and both a little weird. 

But God chose them to be among the first to share the message of the Messiah. They spoke the message, Simeon ready for death, knowing the Messiah had come!

The story of Jesus is full of unexpected moments like this. You didn’t see shepherds shouting out with joy, speaking to all who would listen. You didn’t see Simeon and Anna stopping families to talk on the way to the temple. You didn’t see a twelve year old boy going toe-to-toe, blow-for-blow with the religious scholars of the day. 

But God chose these moments, these people, these places, to give us a clue that in the rest of Luke we’re going to see unexpected moments. 

With the familiarity of the passage at Christmas, it may seem common place. But as you read Luke 2 today, remind yourself again just how radical *and strange* the birth of Christ was. May you find comfort in the fact that no matter if you are

Old

Young

Weird

Normal

Or even stinky

God is choosing you to believe in Christ this Christmas. It is up to you to choose to believe. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you find most surprising in Luke 2?
  2. Do you believe in Christ? How will that change your day, season and life?
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Walking in the Truth

2 John 1

John writes about those who have “come to know the truth” and that he is rejoicing to see some young family members “walking in the truth” (vv. 1, 4).  This “truth” is not some list of doctrines or deep theology but a simple commandment: “that we love one another” (v. 5). Sometimes we can overcomplicate the “truth.” Now don’t misunderstand John; the truth in Scripture is very deep and has many levels. It is not merely comprised of this one commandment. We might say that whatever Scripture reveals on any subject can be constituted as “truth.”

As John wrote about in his previous letter (cf. 1 John 5), biblically speaking love is not predominantly this passionate emotion of desire as some might think of it. Rather, the love that John is talking about is intricately bound together with obedience. And therefore, this is why he says, “And this is love: that we walk according to his commandments” (v. 6).

Why is this so important to John that he is reiterating it again here in his 2nd letter? The reason is likely part of his subsequent warning about the “many deceivers” who are in the world (v. 7). There are many forces at work in the world vying for our attention and our devotion. John raises the danger about these “deceivers” and how they can lead someone astray from the truth, for he declares that “everyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching about Christ does not have God (v. 9).

We need to be aware and watch ourselves concerning those who do not “bring the teaching about Christ.” John is very stern about not entertaining deceivers in our homes. The adversary works in subtle ways and sometimes these deceptive influences can come from unlikely places and people who may not even be consciously or intentionally opposing God and the teaching about Christ, but nonetheless are stealthily subverting the message of the good news with criticism, skepticism, or mockery.

Let us be careful to recognize these evil works and not lose our focus on living according to God’s commandments.

-Jerry Wierwille

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading passages at BibleGateway.com here – Hosea 9-11 and 2 John

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What are you living for?

Saturday, August 7th, 2021

Job 7-8, 2 Corinthians 5

We began this week by asking the question ‘Why?’ Why do you do what you do? What motivates your actions? Knowing our why – the purpose behind our actions – can help us align our thoughts and actions with what we really find important. To help us find our why, we need to ask ourselves another question. This will be the question on which we are judged before we enter into the kingdom (or to the lake of fire). This is the defining question of our lives: “What are you living for?” 

The answer to this question will show us what our why is. When we are living for our next paycheck, every action that we do will lead us back to how we are going to make money. When we are living for attention from others, every action we do will lead us to how we are going to get more likes, more glances, or more applause from others. It’s so important to know what we are living for. But, hopefully, it’s not too hard to figure out that the thing we are living for is Christ. 

When we are raised to Christ, everything we do should be to live for him. Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 5:15, “15 And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.” We live for him! 

What does living for him look like? Paul gives us the answer later in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 “18 Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Christ began the reconciling work when he died for our sins, and now, we continue his reconciling work as we become more like him and inspire others to do the same. We can have the righteousness of God only because Christ did this reconciling work for us. When we are living for Christ, we become ambassadors. We become the hands and feet of Christ in this world, and at every moment, we should be pointing others back to who God is and what he’s done. 

What are you living for? Be the minister, the ambassador, you were called to be in Christ. Point others to who he is, because you live for him!

~ Cayce Fletcher

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading at Biblegateway.com: Job 7-8 and 2 Corinthians 5 .

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All Glory to God

In Ezekiel 28 through 31 God continues to condemn all of the other nations around Israel for their evil.  He dedicates a lot of time to Egypt because they did not give glory to God for the blessings that he had given to them.

“9 Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.“‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” 10 therefore I am against you and against your streams,”

The ancient Egyptians had stumbled upon and settled in one of the most fertile areas on earth and because of the natural flooding of the Nile river at the right times of the year had prospered and grown in numbers and in power in the ancient world.  For all of these blessings they did not thank God and instead had taken the glory for themselves, with their rulers counting themselves as one of the gods, and they took credit for the river and the life that it brought.  

Today we live in a blessed nation that has a history of being mostly God fearing and because of that history God has blessed us for many generations and that has led to us being the most powerful nation on earth.  We do not need to be afraid of foreign nations invading our borders because of the large oceans on either side of our continent, and we do not need to worry about having enough food because the fertile lands of the midwest grow an abundance of food and feed.  We need to remember our roots though, and always give glory to God for the blessings he has given us.  The Egyptians were on top of the world for many hundreds of years and might have thought that their glory days would never end, and likewise many in America feel like we are invincible, but if we stop serving God and giving him glory that can all dry up very quickly.  Covid has shown us how quickly jobs and health can be lost, and how quickly life can change in strange ways.  So let this be a wakeup call to us that we cannot be complacent in the good times, we cannot forget about the one who made the world and gave us all of the good things we have in life.  We can also take this slower time during Covid to dedicate more time to God and work on strengthening our relationship with Him.

Chris and Katie-Beth Mattison 

Because He Accepted Me

Romans 15

Romans 15 7

Hello friends!

I do not necessarily have a set style of writing when it comes to devotionals… so (un)lucky for you, you get to listen to my general thoughts on the chapters this week!  I will list a few of my thoughts that are a little less common or obvious on each chapter and pose some reflection questions that will hopefully get you thinking deeper about what we’ve read this week.  My goal is that something I think of, you hadn’t thought about and you’re willing to dig deeper into the idea.  So, let’s look at Romans 15 according to Sarah’s brain, shall we??

Thought #1 – Vs. 1 – 12: There are some great verses in that small chunk that carry big meanings and can be so relevant to our lives!  Focusing on verse 7 specifically, I think it can be very easily manipulated to satisfy an individual’s personal agenda.  “Accept each other… ” that means you can’t tell me what I’m doing is wrong.  Because maybe it’s wrong for you, but it’s right for me.  How many times have you heard that or said that yourself?  I’ve definitely used that excuse!  And while that statement may not always be abused, or even inaccurate, we need to use discernment when bringing that idea up.  When we finish out that sentence, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you, SO THAT God will be given glory”  we see more clearly into the message Paul was trying to get across.  If we are accepting others as Christ accepts them, we are not letting them do whatever they want.  We are loving them enough to correct them when necessary, pick them up when they need, and not leaving them even when they mess up.  Let’s be honest, interacting with people can be difficult.  Accepting people who are difficult, is difficult!  But yet we are called to do so.  And why are we doing this?  SO THAT God will be given glory.  We don’t have to try to accept people when it’s hard for any other reason other than to bring God glory.  When you interact with difficult people in a positive way, what is your thought process behind it?  Are you doing it with a self-righteous attitude or genuinely trying to bring God glory?

Thought #2 – Obviously we know that prayer is important, but seeing yet another example of how Paul truly and genuinely believes in the power of prayer is very motivating to my own prayer life.  Not only does Paul live out a strong prayer life, he encourages others to join him and asks that they pray for him.  He clearly truly believes and trusts in the power of prayer.  Are you fully utilizing the power of a praying body of Christ?

Thought 3# – Vs. 30: Final thought for today… Sometimes you need to be refreshed by the presence of like-minded believers!  FUEL, Family Camp, ReFUEL, Refuge, Christian Worker’s Seminar…. These are all great places to be uplifted, encouraged, and refreshed.  But, just as Paul writes, I think it makes a difference in the attitude you come with.  If you are not looking forward to meeting with like-minded believers with joy and anticipation, are you being held back from refreshing company?

I hope some of these ideas were able to make you think a little deeper about our text today!

“May the God of peace be with you all.” Romans 15:33

~Sarah Blanchard

Grace for a Sinner

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5

Have you ever felt like you need to get things straightened out in your life before you can ask for forgiveness?  Or before you can pray?  Or before you can draw near to God?  I know I have felt that way.  Is God waiting for us to get everything straightened out before we seek forgiveness or start a relationship for him?  Let’s look at a few verses that I think answer this question:

6 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

 8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

All three of these seem to show that God is reaching out to us and desiring us to reach out to Him while we are still messed up.  These verses say, “While we were helpless”, “while we were yet sinners”, and “while we were enemies”.  This sure doesn’t sound like “after we got straightened out”.

I still feel at times that I need to fix something myself before turning to God and asking for forgiveness.  I also know that sin causes problems in a relationship with God.  However, if we are justified through our faith as we saw in Romans 4, and if we look at chapter 5 closely, we have our order wrong.  We need to turn to God immediately.  We need to accept his grace, and then focus on Him to straighten out whatever our problems are.

Paul closes the chapter with this:

20 “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

No matter what sin we have, no matter what laws we have broken, no matter how far we have turned away, the grace of God is sufficient if we will turn back to Him.  God is seeking us out, and we need to seek Him also, whether things are going well, or everything is falling apart.

– Andrew Hamilton