Send me!

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

I must say that anyone that has never done any sort of mission work, near or far, is missing out!  This morning I prayed that the Lord would show me what to write about as I just didn’t have anything really on my mind to write.  I briefly checked Facebook and saw a post from my niece that said, “I leave for Dominican in one week.”  I knew then that I wanted to use the scripture from Isaiah 6:8 for today’s devotion. 

Mission work does not have to be to another country.  It doesn’t even have to be out of state.  Although I could go on and on about how amazing it is to do mission work in another country. 

Look around you, we are living in a mission field every day!  With the water situation in some of the cities in Michigan, mainly in the news is Flint, there is a great opportunity for people to serve. 

Too often we sink into the comfort of our own lives and when the question comes up, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”, we hide in hopes that someone else will volunteer so we don’t have to feel guilty about someone not doing it.  Brothers and sisters, I urge you, don’t hide.  Step forward and say, “Here am I.  Send me!” 

Serving others is such a good way to have yourself filled with love.  Look around you today and see how you can go forth for Christ.

Thurs Devo: Salvation Belongs to Our God

Have you ever heard or sung the praise song – Salvation Belongs to Our God? It has a catchy chorus “Be to our God, forever and ever, Amen.” (Several different Christian singers and groups have recordings of it.)  Whenever I sing it at church, I usually hum the chorus in my head the next day or so.

How does this relate to our study of Revelation? Well, the words to this song come right out of Revelation 7!

Revelation 7:9-12     ⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,¹² saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Are you humming the song yet??? I am.

The multitude in heaven, the angels, elders and four living creatures used these words to praise God right after He sealed His servants that were still living on earth (see last week’s devotional). So, the next time you and I hear or sing this song, let’s remember that as followers of Jesus Christ, we are also sealed for eternity. God has guaranteed our eternal salvation through Jesus the Lamb, no matter what happens to us in this life.

Alice

Free Indeed

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”  John 8:34-36

My coming to God felt a bit unique.  Many people come to God when times are at their worst.  They have nowhere to turn to, and there they find God.  In my case, it was more of a revelation.  I was not in any stress nor struggling in any way.  For the longest while, I believed that my sins would forever distance me from God.  It was during that time that I came to give what would become my testimony.  I shared with others that I had indeed been sinful, and by no means would I deserve to be in Heaven.  Instead, my goal was that maybe I could save someone through the tales of my mistakes.  This moment of admitting my own vulnerability to sin became the day of my liberation.  That is when God showed me His grace, and thus, I have been able to tell of this and literally hundreds of other stories because of it.

Showing our vulnerability to God is liberating.  I mentioned that many people come to God when times are at their worst.  Most of those will say they had been fighting and losing their battles with the world, and after agonizing in their sinful ways, they looked to God asking Him to free them from the bondage of their circumstances.  Even though we are saved through Christ, many of us still remain susceptible to believing we are not free.  Jesus said, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”  This is our moment of vulnerability.  We know none of us alone are free from this, but Jesus followed this up saying, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”  Thus through the confessing of our own sins to God, the weight of our past (our guilt, sorrow, pain, suffering, and bitterness) goes away.  To a new believer, they are born again.  To those who have served God for years, they are strengthened and renewed by the power of God to take away that which might hold them down in bondage.

God’s truth gives us freedom.  Jesus said to His believers, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31b-32)  The truth is Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, and through Him, we are saved from God’s judgment.  There is nothing wrong with saying we are vulnerable to sin because we all are.  However if we can meet it with the determination and faith that our Lord Jesus Christ saves us, we are free.  What sins are holding you from the freedom Christ provides us with?  How can you free others through the testimony of your own vulnerabilities?  My prayer is that although we sin, we realize that through Jesus Christ we are free indeed.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Imitation

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” (NASB)

Hello,

What do you think of when you think of imitation? Some think of fake, others think of borrowed inspiration and yet others may think of looking for a role model. When reading through this verse (and surrounding ones as well) notice the 2 sides of imitations are present: those who imitate, and those are being imitated. Obviously, when Paul directs others to imitate someone else – there is a reason there. I think we all ought to look at how we can be on both sides of imitation.

First side – are you conducting yourself before God in such a way that others would be wise to imitate you?

Second side – do you have someone you can look to imitate – someone that has shown the fruits of their faith and choices with God?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill