- MONDAY -

Good morning forever family,

I first used this devotion today back on May 10th 2005. 

We are Christ's witnesses. Corrie Ten Boom (best known from the movie "The Hiding Place") wrote in her devotional called "Each New Day" of how we are witnesses for Jesus everyday and everywhere we go.

Here is what she wrote...

I am my neighbor's bible.

He reads me when we meet.

Today he reads me in the house,

Tomorrow in the street.

He may be relative or friend,

Or slight acquaintance be,

He may not even know my name,

Yet he is reading me!     Corrie Ten Boom

⁸ but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”  Acts 1:8 NASB

Be blessed, be a blessing, be His witnesses!

Randy

- TUESDAY -

Greetings, Christ Followers! 

During my faith journey, I continually find areas (sins/character flaws) that the Lord is prompting me to cast out of my life and spiritual truths that I need to embrace to become more Christ-like. I am currently reading 1 and 2 Thessalonians, books that are often overlooked.  Recently, the Lord pointed out to me Paul's exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5, especially verse 16-18, where we are exhorted to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in everything.

Everything? A relative of mine sends glowing Christmas letters telling about the wonderful things happening in her family. Compared to her glowing reports, in my opinion my family falls short. I resent her life and struggle to even open her letters. However, the Lord has removed that resentment from me--we've been working on it for years. Recently I went to a pre-wedding brunch celebrating her daughter's upcoming wedding. I was surprised at how the Lord had changed my heart. I was able to rejoice with my cousin and her daughter and enjoyed celebrating the upcoming wedding. My resentment was gone and I felt so blessed to participate in the brunch and the celebration in our family. I rejoice in the fact that God changes us as we submit to Him and learn to love others with His love. 

And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil  (1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 CSB).

I pray that each of us can learn to rejoice with God even in the disappointments in our lives.

Be blessed! Be a blessing!

--Jackie

- WEDNESDAY -

Good morning forever family,

The freedom found only in Christ is sometimes hard to even describe. Paul does a good job of it in 2 Corinthians chapter 3.  It's not that the old law is not useful, for it is.  It simply cannot be lived up to fully.  It describes a righteousness that we really can't obtain.  For me the old law teaches the cost of our sin.  Jesus sets us free.  Not free to sin but free to grow in Him!  Free to have the Holy Spirit in our lives enabling us to live and be more like our Jesus everyday. 

¹³ and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was fading away. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. ¹⁵ But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; ¹⁶ but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:13-18 NASB

Got Jesus?

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- THURSDAY -

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- FRIDAY -

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