Our God is Yahweh M’Kaddesh, The Lord Who Sanctifies. As He chose Israel as His people, He chooses us who believe. Not by our works, not by what we do, but because He loves us and sent His Son to pay for our sins. He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us as we become more mature men and women of faith. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been declared righteous. We have been made holy. We have been set apart. And as we continue to follow Him, He will purify us, making us more and more like Christ.
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Be the Church, Go to Church
Growing up, my parents made me go to church. It was a struggle. Every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Wednesday night, every church event, youth group, revival, Billy Graham Crusade, etc. Ugh! And you know what? Now that I am older, I am so thankful that they did. I learned who God was, I saw what it meant to be part of a church community (both the good and the bad), and I saw people who were good examples of how to serve as God would want us to serve. Of course, we all know that the “church” is the body of Christ, it is not a building, it is the people. It is a community, a family. As we discussed in the previous post, we are sons and daughters of God in Christ. We don’t just “go to church,” we are the church. Therefore, we need to gather together and be a part of the church.
Continue reading “Be the Church, Go to Church”The Trinity: The Holy Spirit
Who is the Holy Spirit and what is His purpose? Sometimes I think we don’t really think much about the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t seem to have a physical form, He doesn’t have name (at least that we call Him), but He lives inside us and guides us. What is His purpose? Who is He? The Holy Spirit is probably the hardest of the Trinity to describe.
Continue reading “The Trinity: The Holy Spirit”Laodicea: Today’s Church?
I went on several mission trips and one thing I noticed was the enthusiasm the people had in the church and the love they showed others. Then I think about the church here in America and how we seem to be like the church in Laodicea, complacent, stagnant, neither hot nor cold. Sure, a lot of churches do many good things and have ministries and missions that help others and meet their needs. But how much do we glorify God, help others and share the good news of His grace? How much are we willing to give up for Him and how much do we show our love for Him outside of Sunday services?
Continue reading “Laodicea: Today’s Church?”Philadelphia: Perseverance and Open Doors
The church of Philadelphia (which of course means brotherly love) is one of two churches that Jesus has nothing against. This is the kind of church we want to imitate. Of course, this is the kind of church that is probably attacked the most as well. As with the church of Philadelphia, we are to keep His word, stand strong in our faith, and persevere. We will go through trouble, but God is with us and He will open doors for us. As Paul says, nothing on this earth can compare to the glory that awaits us in heave and nothing can separate us from God’s love if we believe and trust in Him.
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My Daily Scriptures 