Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY MONDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, after have a nice relaxing weekend with family. I actually was a little too relaxed, but it was worth it. My Grandmother is still in the hospital, and will be transferring to an extended care facility tomorrow, which is more than any of us expected, so please continue to keep her in your prayers. Our family is coming together through these wearisome times, and I'm trying hard to understand that “it's not my will but God's will be done”. I saw her tonight, and it gave me some peace, because she’s still in good Spirits. I know that Jesus heals by Faith, so I'll continue to keep that in the forefront of my mind. On a lighter note, I was given some information from the alumni liaison at Washington Jesuit Academy last week regarding federal grants for college, for Washington, DC residents. They’re helping DCPS graduates attend any college or university in and out of state, and it's a really good program. If you know of anyone who could use the information, please let them know to visit https://hefs.seo.dc.gov/appforms/seo_logon.aspx to apply. I know how hard it is to pay for college, and loans are no joke, so if your child could get up to $10,000 per year for 5 years, and a stipend for living expenses, that’ll be a blessing. Take some time to look into the DC TAG program. God has blessed our boys (my brother and nephew), to have attended WJA for middle school, and this school follows them all the way through High School and college, giving them the tools needed to become successful and productive men. If you have a son entering into middle school soon, and live in the DC area, I recommend you look into it. This school is surely a blessing to my family. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!

Today's scriptures are about honoring the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Let's take a moment to think about how life would be without Jesus. The Old Testament holds pertinent information about life before Jesus, and the many challenges mankind faced to be close to God. At that time, God mostly had connections with only certain people, such as prophets and High Priests. In order to be forgiven for sins people had to offer sacrifices of clean and healthy animals, on the altar of the temple. I don't know about you, but I couldn't imagine having to do that, especially considering the reality of sin, and how often we fall short. I couldn’t imagine not being able to pray and ask for anything, in the Name of Jesus, and it be given to me. Jesus gives us so much freedom, and we never have to depend on anyone else for our Salvation, forgiveness, or relationship with God. Everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior has been chosen. Without Jesus we have no “direct” connection to God. It’s written: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) Reading through the New Testament, we find several miracles and blessings Jesus performed. He makes it known through His actions that He and the Father are one, yet He leaves it up to us to make the final assumption, and to believe in Him with our whole heart. We must confess that He is Lord with our mouth, and have Faith in that. There was a time when Jesus was traveling with His disciples and He asked them “who do people say that I am?” They told Him what other’s thought, and He asked them, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:16) Jesus is in fact the only “begotten Son” of the living God, yet we are also “children of God”, and joint heirs to His Kingdom. It’s because of Jesus’ life that we get to truly know the love of God. We’ve learned to fear and reverence Him in the Old Testament, but when Christ was born we were truly taught to Love Him with all of our heart, and we see, first hand, His love for us, and that couldn’t have been possible without Jesus. He prayed for us constantly (John 17), and still intercedes for us whenever we call on His Name. Jesus plays a vital role in our life, and through Him we’re granted the Holy Spirit, and through His Spirit we can heal, and are healed. We must be sure to praise Jesus for all that He has done, and is doing in our life because without Him we are nothing. Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Do you know how much He loves you? Jesus was hung on the cross, bled, and died for your sins and mine, for one reason only, because He loves you. His love will overcome anything wrong you’ve done in life, and could bring you out of the darkness. His love conquers all things and makes us who we are. If you’re reading this today, know that He loves you, and He took the time to tell you, through me. If you don’t know Him then you’re lost, and He’s waiting for you to come to Him. God has given us Jesus for one purpose, and that’s to mend our brokenness, by eliminating the ultimate penalty of sin, through the blood of the perfect Lamb, who is none other than Jesus Christ. I urge you to pray and ask Jesus to come into your life as Lord and Savior, and confess and repent for your sins. Don’t forget to thank Him, and give Praise to the one that makes it all possible! My favorite verse today is: To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455208&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943547

I love you!