Digging Deeper~ 5th Sunday after Easter

Acts 17: 22-31: After seeing all the idols to many different gods in Athens. He tells them that he saw an idol to an unknown god. Then he tells them of the real God. 

Ps. 66:8-20:Sing praises unto the Lord who has his eyes on the nations. Sit & hear what the Lord has done to my soul. 

1 Peter 3:13-22:Peter encourages Jesus' followers to stay strong in following Jesus even when people did evil things to them for God would bless them for it. 

John 14:15-21: Jesus promises The comforter to his followers.

In these verses, we read of how Jesus will sent a comforter to his followers to help them be brave enough to follow God & preach the Good news of Jesus to others (John 14:15-21). In the other verses we see how David, Paul, & Peter all shared the Good News to others (Ps. 66:8-20, Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22). As followers of Jesus, we too need to have the Holy Spirit give us the boldness to tell others of God's great news of the freedom they can have in him. And If we end up going through hard times because of our witness, we should rejoice that God has found us faithful & strong enough to go through that. 

Challenge of the week:

This week, go and tell someone about the great news of what Jesus did for them at Easter. 

Accomplishment of the week:

Who id you tell of Jesus? How did you go about doing that? 

Digging Deeper~ 3rd Sunday after Easter

Acts 2:42-47:Those who were saved after Peter had preached to them continued to follow the teaching of the Apostles, the breaking of the bread & in prayers. Signs and wonders followed them as they had all sold what they owned and shared with the those among them so that none had need. They were in one accord with each other and God.They were  happy in the Lord as they did so. God added many people to their fellowship daily. Ps. 23: This Psalm speaks of how God is the good shepherd & what he does for his sheep. 1 Peter 2:19-25:As Christ's sheep follow him & be willing to suffer for Jesus sake for he suffered for your sake. Why? Because you were once wandering sheep but now you are not.  John 10:1-10:Jesus shares with this followers that he is the good shepherd and the door. Who loves, cares for and even die for his sheep. These verses speak of the Good Shepherd who is Jesus. How he takes care of his sheep & how we as sheep should act. Challenge of the week: This week, think about your Good Shepherd Jesus. Think of what he did & continues to do for you. May sure you sing praises to him for that. Also think about how Jesus want you as his sheep to act. Do you need to change some things to correctly follow his example of love?  Have you made Jesus your Good Shepherd yet, by telling him of your sins, ask him to for give them, cover them with his blood, save you from them?  If do so this week.  Accomplishment of the week: Did  you think on Jesus being your Good Shepherd? If you had not made Jesus your shepherd before you read this devotional? If not, did you do that this week? If you are already saved, did you do anything to change how you live your life to line it up better with how Jesus would have had you live? How was that done? How did that go?

Digging Deeper~ Ascension Day

Acts 1:1-11: Jesus appeared to his followers and told them about the kingdom of God for 40 days after he rose from the dead. His followers asked if he would return the kingdom back to Israel at this time? Jesus told them that only God the Father could decide on when these things would happen. Then he told them to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy spirit came upon them. then they were to be his witnesses in all the world.  As Jesus was saying this he began to raise into the sky and a cloud hid him. As they were looking up into the sky, 2 men dressed in white appeared and asked them why they they were looking up into the sky? Then they told them that Jesus would come back some day in the same way he went up. Ps. 47: Let us sing praises to God for he is king over nations, their kings,even over the earth. Eph. 1:15-23: Paul prays for the people of Ephesians that god will give them the spirit that makes them wise in the knowledge of God. That Spirit will give you great power. This is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. God make Jess more important than any ruler & king. In fact, he made him more unimportant than anything. He put everything under his power making him king of all including his church.  Luke 24:44-53: Jesus asked his followers if they remembered all that he had told them about the fact that He must die and raise again as Moses, the prophets & Psalms has said. Well you are witnesses to the fact that this has happened. Stay in Jerusalem until the Holy spirit comes that I have promised you. then go and witness t everyone of me starting in Jerusalem. Then he lead them out of town, raised his hands and blessed them. As he was blessing them he was carried into heaven. They worshiped him and then went back into the city to stay in the temple to praise God all the times.  As we read through these verses we see that Jesus has been made king over everything because he died for our sins, & rose again. But because Jesus wanted his ministry to continue on the earth, before he went to sit at the right hand of God the Father on his throne, he told his followers to be his witnesses here on earth. But Jesus knew that they would need the Holy Spirit in them to do this great work so he told them to stay in Jerusalem until He came upon them. But afterward to start telling people about him in Jerusalem and then spread out telling it until they had done so in the whole earth. We as his followers are still being called to go & tell in all the earth.  Challenge of the day: As Jesus' followers, let us go and tell others of God 's great salvation through Jesus. Accomplishment of the day:  How did you fulfill God's command to go and tell?

Digging Deeper~ 1st Sunday after Easter

Acts 2:14a,22-32: Peter stood up and told the good men of Israel all about Jesus of Nazareth. How he had come preformed miracles, died and rose from the dead. Ps.16: Preserve me, O God. I have a goodly inheritance. I will bless the Lord for you  have not left my soul in hell, nor your will you let your Holy one stay dead. in your presence is joy forever. 1 Peter 1:3-9 :Peter writes to telling of what Jesus'  death & resurrection did for those who believe in him. He tells how believing in Jesus give them an inheritance that never goes away. He encourages them to stay true to that faith even when they are going through very hard times for in doing so is working out their salvation.  John 20:19-31:Jesus appears to the disciples on the day that he arose. He stood in the room that they were hiding in & spoke to them telling them that as his father sent him, he sends them. Then he breathed on them and said, " receive the Holy Ghost." Thomas was not with them and so he did not believe what the disciples told him. Later Jesus came and appeared to them and showed his hands and side to Thomas so that he would believe. When Thomas believed. Jesus said, You believe because you see. But blessed are those who do not see and still believe." Challenge of the week: This week let us take the time to think on how Jesus' death on the cross and raising from the dead gives us a great spiritual inheritance. Then with that in mind let us walk as if Jesus is physically right beside us each step of the way. Lastly, let us walk out our salvation in such a way that others will see and ask us why we are different. this will give us a chance to share the great news of salvation. Accomplishment of the week: So how did this week turn out? How did thinking on Jesus help your ask you walked out your salvation?

Digging Deeper~ 2ed Sunday after Easter

Acts 2:14a,36-41:Peter preached of Jesus being the Christ & Lord. Then the hearers asked,"What can we do to be saved?" Peter told them,"Repent of your sins & be Baptiste. Then you shall receive the Holy Spirit". Ps. 116:1-4,12-19: I love the Lord for he heard me when I cried to him in sorrow. Now I will praise Him for he has given me the blessing of salvation. I will keep my vows to him and give my sacrifices of thanksgiving  in the courts of the Lord house in the presence of his people.  1 Peter 1:17-23: You were called by God the Father to a Holy life. Live it with respect to God. You were not saved by the unholy living that those before you showed you how to live. But you are saved from that worthless life through Jesus' blood which he shed when he died on the cross. then he rose from the dead to give you eternal life with him in heaven. Now live the pure life that God through Jesus has given you by obeying God's truth. One way to do that is to love one another deeply remembering that your salvation came from something that will last forever.  Luke 24:13-35: Jesus meets with a couple of his followers on the road to Emmas. and walks & talks with them sharing of all the things that Christ was to suffer using the prophecies. Then the followers go to the disciples to tell them.  As I read these verses I am reminded of how I have problems seeing through my reading glasses after I have been doing things like cooking that make them dirty. To see clearly through them again I need to clear the dirt away. Our souls are like that. At times as we work through our says, we can get spiritually dirty. this can make it hard for us to see where God wants us to go & do. That is when  we need to go back and remember what Jesus did for us when he died, and then rose again for our sins to give us life. when we do that , we will again be able to see the path of obedience he wants us to walk.  Challenge of the week: This week take the time to check to see if you are on the path of obedience or if sin has clouded your spiritual view. If it is clouded, ask for forgiveness , then ask Jesus to show you the path he wants you to walk is.  Accomplishment of the week:  When you did this challenge what did you find? If you found that your view was clouded, how did you get back on the right path?