Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today's scriptures are about our individual duties as servants of the Lord. We are commanded to be good stewards of the Lord. God blesses each of us with individual gifts and talents, which are meant to work together, to somehow benefit the strengthening of His Kingdom. Hard work is something that is instilled within us, starting with the work of Moses, and through the life of Jesus and His disciples. Jesus worked tirelessly for God, and made sure all of His time was committed to fellowship, and teaching the Word. We each are "ministers" in our own right, because we have a story to tell. God makes sure He instills His wisdom within all believers, and the Holy Spirit gives us everything we need to hone, use, and perfect our talents. Ministry isn't only comprised of being in the pulpit preaching, but could be a number of things. Anything in a positive form, that teaches the love of God, is considered a ministry. My church is a "Disciples of Christ" denomination, and we have a number of different ministries. We have the fun ministry, a ministry that feeds the homeless, children’s ministry, seed ministry, and the sick and shut-in ministry, just to name a few. It's written: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matt. 25:18-20) This is Jesus' commandment to all of us, and He meant for us to make His presence known throughout the world, and whatever you feel is the best way for you to do that is okay. If it makes you feel good in your heart, follow that path, because God has laid it out for you. My heart is grieved when I read the news, and different gossip blog sites, because so many are lost. Very few know the truth about life, salvation, or Jesus Christ. Everyone's preoccupied with money, fashion, fame, drugs, alcohol, and lust. The only way the next generation will be able to change is if we form our ministries, and take our duties as disciples, or stewards, seriously. It's up to each individual, because we have an obligation, as followers of Christ, to do so. Do you think I always want to write these e-mails daily? Sometimes I'm not motivated or inspired, and just want to skip it, but there's something inside of me that keeps me going. It's my responsibility to God, and to those of you who rely on His word through my e-mails. It's my ministry, which is a seed that was planted three years ago by God, has been watered, pruned, and cared for by the Holy Spirit, through me. It will continue to grow, as long as I stay true to my calling. There's no better reward than to do what God called you to do. The long nights and cramped fingers don't matter, because I get a greater reward in Heaven. Paul wrote: 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. 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. (Romans 12:1-2) When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we begin this renewal process, where we die to our old sinful self, and are reborn as Holy children of God. In that transformation, we'll go through refinement, cleansing, and as we grow, we'll be given different tasks. These tasks are unique to each individual, though some may seem similar. For example, I've known since I was in kindergarten that I was supposed to teach in some sort of way. Teaching is very much my passion, but I've avoided it for a long time. However, I should've been asking God, what and how I'm supposed to teach. Now that I'm moving toward that path, I feel more at peace, and have an immense inner joy. I want you to reach deep down within yourself, and think about your passion, and what brings your joy. Do you feel like you're fulfilled in your life, or that you're making a difference, if even to just one or two people? God has clearly laid out a path for each of us, and it's up to us to seek out His will, and be open when He calls. There are times that we're meant to just sit, learn, and build our faith, but ultimately, we're created to be stewards for the Lord. If you don't have a personal relationship with Christ, you cannot be an adequate disciple, or build a strong ministry. You may not want to accept it, but that's what we're each called to do. Establish a strong bond with Jesus, and He'll work out the rest. He's a prayer away, and I'll be happy to pray with you if you need help. My favorite verse today is: As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455282&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!