Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you enjoyed this “terrific Tuesday”! I’m doing well, excited about the fact that we’re about to enter into another Lenten season. Today is Fat Tuesday [or Mardi Gras in French], which falls the day before the beginning of the Lenten season, also known as Ash Wednesday. It’s said that today we're permitted to overindulge in the things we're committing to give up throughout our fasting period. My friend sent me this last year, and I wanted to share it with you again: Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. Are you ready to start your fasting process? Fasting doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up food, but something that's near and dear to you, which requires sacrifice on your part. I haven’t given it much thought, because it snuck up on me this year, so I’ll pray on it tonight. I’m so grateful for the love of Christ, and pledge to do my best to follow in His footsteps. Enjoy the remainder of your day, and be blessed family!

Today’s scriptures are about the mercy of God. Sin is the cause of the fall of any man who has and will walk this earth, but one. He was the son of God, and the Savior of all mankind— His Name is Jesus Christ. Because of the merciful heart of our Creator, God the Father, He sacrificed His Son, so that we can be free from sin—the downfall of men. When we’re covered with the blood of Jesus, we have the privilege, and the right, to go to God, in the Name of Jesus, and confess our sins, He’ll quickly forgive us. However, the penalty of sin is death, so we will reap the consequences of that sin, because we in fact went against God, but He’ll never be angry for long, and will always continue to love us, no matter what.

Yesterday I wrote about God loving us as a Bridegroom loves His bride, well today I want to talk about another facet of His love—how He loves us as a parent loves a child. There isn’t too much a child could do to their parents that will make them stop loving them. In some cases it’s a given, you love this child because you gave birth to them, and you have a permanent bond with them. You raise them, and teach them the ways of life, and offer them every opportunity to do the right things, but the child will sometimes fall short, because they’re human. This is how they grow, and learn from their mistakes. The parents also learn and grow from these experiences— there’s the times when the children stop becoming cute little babies, and start terrorizing the house. I’ve experienced the “terrible twos”, when the toddler just learns how to walk on their own, and sets out on their path of discovery. The time when your favorite lamp is broken, or the finger paint is all over your favorite shirt, you’re a bit angry at this precious little baby. What about adolescence and puberty, when so many other things start changing in them. They pick up a little sass, and start pushing the boundaries of the rules, and it takes everything for you not to kill them. God experiences times like these with us, within our Spiritual growth.

We expect most of these things when we become parents, but there are plenty other things that we don’t prepare for. When we live life one day at a time, and we punish the children when they do bad, and reward them when they do well, they’ll be fine. As well as do our best by setting good examples for them to follow, and teaching them the ways and love of God. Everything is a choice for them, and It hurts when they choose not to obey our rules, because we only put them in place to keep them from harm, and from experiencing the past hurts and disappointments we’ve had to face. However, when the fall, we’ll be angry for a moment, but we’ll still welcome them back with open arms, because we love them. We’ll do our best to make the hurt go away, but most importantly, we’ll be there for them whenever they need us.

Jesus said it best: If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:11-13) God’s love goes deeper than anything we could ever imagine, so He will have mercy on us, more so than we could ever be merciful to our children. He created us for a purpose, and His main reason for granting us salvation through Christ, is so that we can stay in close fellowship with Him forever. He understands our weakness, and He wants us to understand that He’s there for us no matter what. He lives inside of us, so He knows what we’ve done, how we’ve done it, and even why we’ve done it. All He requires of us is a confession and repentance, and forgiveness is granted. What if you crashed your mom’s car and try to hide it, and when she finds out about it, you lie to her and say that you didn’t do it. Or, if you crash the car and immediately go to her and say, “mom I’m sorry, it was an accident, I was trying to follow the rules, but I somehow I became distracted, it won’t happen again”. Which scenario do you think would receive mercy and forgiveness quicker?

God already knew everything about us, before we were formed in our mother’s womb, so why try to hide anything from Him? I still struggle with times when I blatantly sin, and am so convicted the next day, that I find it hard to talk to God. I truly struggle with the enemy’s attacks of guilt and shame, so I confess and ask for forgiveness of that sin several times a day, because I’m convinced that God is just way too angry with me to even talk to me. However, that is far from the truth, God has an “Open heart” policy, where He eagerly awaits our prayer, so He could be gracious to us. He anointed us with His Holy Spirit, just so that we can quickly and easily repent, and come back into perfect fellowship with Him, through Christ. Please, don’t ever allow the enemy to place false shame or guilt in your heart, because God already has it in His heart to forgive you; He’s just waiting on you to ask. He’s a gracious, wonderful, and merciful God, and He’s that way to everyone to seeks Him, whether Saint or Sinner.

Nobody’s perfect, but does that give us an excuse not to try our best to make God proud? The most rewarding thing we could ever do for Him is to humble ourselves, and allow Him to be Lord of our life. I can testify that life is so much easier with Him. Some people may think its harder living righteously, however, when we turn to Jesus, we take His Yoke upon us, and He gives us rest for our souls. In all actuality, it may seem harder, but Jesus makes it so easy for us when we trust Him. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, please take a moment to confess to God that you’re a sinner, and ask Him to renew you, by coming into your heart as Lord. The only thing standing between you and freedom is your willingness to just ask—once you ask, consider yourself a sanctified child of God, through Christ, and you never have to worry about that again. If you are saved, but don’t know where you stand with God, He’s been waiting on you to confess and repent, so that you can get to know each other better. For more information, take a few moments to take the God Quiz today. My favorite verses today are: Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 1:18-19)

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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY THURSDAY!

Today's scriptures are about confessing our sins, in order to be forgiven. Some people question the act of confessing sins, because of the fact that God already knows all things. I've heard people say things like, "God knows my heart", or "God knows I'm not perfect", etc., and they go on thinking that they've been forgiven of their sins, without the act of confessing them and asking for forgiveness. That's a very dangerous outlook, and I pray that as of today you will realize how necessary it is to confess your sins to God (be sure to listen to Dr. Stanley’s radio show, found in the link below as well).
It is a known fact that everyone who confesses Jesus as Lord receives Salvation, and will have a permanent place in Heaven. With that being true, you may ask, "why should I worry about sin"? Sin is very dangerous because it literally separates us from God. We cannot truly have a relationship with Him, if we continuously sin against Him. It's written: Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. (Isa. 59:1-2) When we have sins on our soul, it drives a wedge between God and us.
We miss many blessings from God because of unresolved sins. My Aunt gave us a great illustration, in one of our bible studies years ago. She said, imagine God sitting on His throne in Heaven watching over us, and as the enemy throws evil at us, He’s swatting it away, or deflecting it with His hands. However, when we sin, His hands are tied behind His back, because He cannot mix with sin, and He will no longer protect us from these things, or answer our cries for help. Our inequities grieve His Spirit, so He's sitting back watching us suffer, waiting, and even nudging us with conviction, hoping that we repent. It isn't until we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, that His hands are freed up, and we're in His good graces. This illustration helped me first understand why I endured so much unnecessary pain, and avoid a lot of pain to come. It also helped me understand how serious my sins are; even the little sins could have damaging consequences, if gone unnoticed. Since then, I've made it a habit to quickly confess my sin, and ask for forgiveness. "God forgive me" is a very active phrase in my vocabulary, because I cannot have God's hands tied on me. I need His protection at all times, because the enemy is always busy attacking.
It's written: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Why is it necessary to confess our sins? I'm sure there are many reasons, but in my opinion the most important reasons are out of reverence, fear, and/or obedience to God. It also has to do with us acknowledging our frailties as humans, and humbling ourselves before God. There's nothing more humbling then admitting that you're wrong. It takes a strong person to do that, but an even stronger person to forgive that person for their inequities. Confessing our sins also keeps us closer to God, and more aware of our sins. It's written: He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. (Prov. 28:13-14 NIV)
The most comforting thing that I’ve learned from today's scriptures is the fact that it isn't just me. That fact helps me exhale, because I know that God is faithful, merciful, gentle, forgiving, and kind. He knew that I was a sinner, yet He still gave me a way out. He simply wants me to communicate with Him, and try my best to be righteous. He also wants me to believe in the saving grace of the blood of Jesus, and trust Him to make me whole again. He knows I’m weak, and will sometimes fall to temptations, so because of that, He's given me deliverance through Jesus Christ, and all I have to do is ask. This is also true for each believer, so no matter what you've done, God will forgive you, and in some cases deliver you from the urge to commit that sin again. Sometimes we fail to confess our sins, because we think that some are too big, or too bad, for God to even consider forgiving us for, but I'm here to tell you that that isn't the type of God we serve. He has to forgive us because He cannot tell a lie, it's written in His Word that He would, and most importantly because He loves us!
If you haven't confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior, then the only thing that's separating you from eternal salvation, and peace right here on earth, is the confession of your sins, and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you have already confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior, but have a lot of confusion, strife, and pain in your heart, then most likely you have some unresolved sins on your Soul. Stop what you're doing right now, and pray and ask your Holy Spirit to search your heart. Ask for help to understand, see, and confess your sins to God, and ask for forgiveness. Always remember that you don't have to suffer, as a matter of fact, Jesus died so you wouldn't have to, so just take those sins to God right now and everyday hereafter, and be free! My favorite verse today is: I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. (Isaiah 44:22)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455386&dtype=Scripture
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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another hump day. I'm doing well, a little sleepy as usual, but I'll survive. I'm forever grateful for God's presence in my life, and I'm looking forward to another beautiful day. I spoke to my Grandmother this morning, and she's sounding better, and healthier as the days go on. I haven't expected anything less, because God is good! I'm also looking forward to the weekend, even though I have to work on Saturday; weekends are always good, especially in the summertime. I pray you all have a wonderful day, don't forget I post recipes on my website, and I have a few new ones, feel free to post some yourself, it's an open forum, www.divinecuisineepc.com. Have a wonderful day!

Today's scriptures are about confessing our sins. Most people try to rationalize God, and bring Him down to a human level, but in all actuality He's far from human. His omniscience far exceeds anything we could ever imagine. However, He deals with us on a very personal level. We're His children, and He wants us to have the best in life. We will face trials and tribulations, but He doesn't enjoy seeing us hurt. He offers all we need to live a life full of peace, joy, and happiness, no matter what’s going on around us. All He asks of us is to Love Him with all of our hearts. Remember what Paul tells us about love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails... If all God asks of us is to love Him, and each other, we must reverence Him. Let’s try and follow Paul's explanation of love, and a few others found in the bible. You may be thinking what does love have to do with confessing our sins? Well, going to God and admitting our mistakes is sign of humbleness, reverence, and love, because we're admitting to Him that we made a mistake, and asking for His forgiveness. We're showing a sign of respect, and recognizing Jesus' role in our lives. You ever met a person that thinks they're always right? That's a very annoying trait, because we're all human, and no one person has all of the answers. However, we show humility when we're willing to admit that we're wrong. It shows our fear for the Lord, because we know that the penalty of sin is death, and we're willing to confess our imperfections, and ask for forgiveness. It's written in James 4:7-10: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Jesus is living proof of God's love for us, so it's very important to honor Him, by admitting our faults, and casting our cares upon Him. I love reading through some of the Proverbs, it's a very cut and dry kind of way to give us instructions about life. Proverbs 15:33 says: The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. Jesus was humiliated on the day He was killed. Imagine the King of King, and Lord of Lords, hanging on a cross between two common criminals, all for the sake of our sins. After that humiliation, He was given the honor of being Savior of all mankind. Jesus never complained, but He stood on the promises of God's unconditional love and support. Throughout His life He prayed for strength and courage every day, so why do we think we don't have to? It takes a wise person to admit that they're wrong and ask for forgiveness. This reminds me of when I was a kid, if I did something wrong, and my mother caught me, she would always say, "if you tell me the truth I won't spank you". It was something about admitting I was wrong, that diffused a lot of her anger, because it would've been disrespectful if I had lied to her. If I lied my punishment was surely more severe than it would've been had I only confessed. God is everywhere, and knows everything, so sin is the only hindrance in our relationship with Him. If you have unresolved sin, I suggested you stop what you're doing right now, and confess, because there’s nothing we could hide from Him. Ask Him for forgiveness, and the blood of Jesus forgives you. Repentance is necessary to seal this very important act, because we're making an effort not to sin again. God understands our weaknesses, because we're very much mortal, and the flesh is weak. Though He expects us to take responsibility for our shortcomings, and come to Him with a humbled heart. We have the Holy Spirit to convict us when we sin, make it a habit to react to that conviction as soon as possible, and confess. Jesus' death was to free us from the penalties of sin, don't allow His death to be in vain, because we cannot be forgiven until we ask. Take advantage of this very important privilege of being a child of God. If you haven't accepted Jesus as your Savior, then sin is your only hindrance. Go to God, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and ask Jesus to come into your heart as Lord and Savior. Don't ever forget that Jesus came to save the lost, and all of Heaven rejoices when you return home (Luke 15:1-7). My favorite verse today is: I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. (Isaiah 44:22)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455021&dtype=Scripture
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