Divine Nature

Sin ruins your life – Who is powerful enough to forgive and renew you? Written by Hope on 11/10/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Creation, Forgiveness, Power, Sin God, who raises the dead to life and creates new things... Romans 4:17b It’s no secret that we live in a fallen world of sin. From infidelity in relationships, to cheating, to lying, to stealing, sin is everywhere! This sin ruins our life and tears us down. However, though we live in a world of sin, God is powerful enough to forgive us! But why would he forgive us? And how does he do it? Here are the three pillars to understand about God’s forgiveness of your sins. God Is The Omnipotent Creator The Bible teaches us that with His wisdom and power He created the earth and spread out the heavens (Jeremiah 10:12). The prophets praised Him: God said “I am Powerful” (Psalm 62:11) and “Lord God, you stretched out your mighty arm and made the sky and the earth. You can do anything” (Jeremiah 32:17). The Lord says

The Unlimited Power of God Written by Dan Lee on 05/07/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Attributes, Creation, God, Power O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! Jeremiah 32:17 Don’t be scared when you see a big word like ‘Omnipotent.’ It simply means that God has all (‘omni’) power (‘potent’). God’s power is all around us! His power is shown in many ways, but here are just three that the Bible tells us... 1. God’s Power in Creation The ancient prophets praised God for creating “the heavens and earth” (Jeremiah 32:17). King David wrote, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship” (Psalm 19:1). Our understanding of the “heavens” has changed over time. Now we know that there are many galaxies with many stars, separated by great distances. The more we know about the universe and everything in it, the more we can praise God for His mighty power. 2.God’s Power

Scripture has many expectations for leaders So you’re in leadership! Perhaps in a large corporation, your own business, or even going into ministry—serving God full-time in the church or a Christian organization. If any of these scenarios apply to you, it’s important to clarify the expectations Scripture lays out for you. Below are 10 terms the Bible applies to leadership and ministry. HUMILITY Our culture says, “Believe in yourself! Assert yourself!” But we should not be surprised to learn that the Bible tells us to do exactly the opposite of what the world advocates. We read over and over in the Bible that God pulls down those who exalt themselves and lifts up those who are humble (1 Peter 5:6 ). The Lord highlights humility throughout Scripture, but the culmination of true humility is the attitude of submission to God that Jesus himself displayed and that we are to imitate (Philippians 2:4). Humility often carries the idea of hardship and low position, but it is the only w

Four traits you can learn from Deborah, Israel’s leader. Written by GodLife on 21/05/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Bible, Leadership, Women Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel. Judges 5:7 Leadership comes from some of the strangest places. Over and over in the Bible, God tells us He sees what others do not in terms of capability and leadership. The story of Deborah in Judges 4 and 5 provides great insight into how God shapes leaders, from humble beginnings to wise judgement and even to defending their country. While there are many leadership lessons we can learn from Deborah, four stand out: Great Christian leaders have confidence in their decisions because they depend on a close, personal relationship with God Great Christian leaders trust their team to accomplish the task Great Christian leaders are servants who don’t take credit for winning Great Christian leaders rise to challenges thr

Whom Will You Follow? Written by Susan on 19/04/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Disciple, Jesus, Life, Love, Purpose Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 Why Would You Want to Follow Someone? “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.” Matthew 10:24 Our almighty God, in the form of a human servant, came to reach out to you, me, and all people. We can be followers of Jesus. Remember, there has never been another person like Jesus. He leads us straight into the presence of our heavenly Father. Jesus is perfect in His love for others, His power over evil, His compassion for people and His hatred of sin. His understanding is endless, and His joy is deep. He drew all kinds of people to Himself when He lived on earth. His presence was like a magnet to those who needed hope. He is everything good, and people really wanted t

Don’t let anything — however shocking — keep you from Jesus Written by Dan Lee on 12/06/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Confusion, Identity, Jesus, Discipleship, Lord And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28–29 God’s Word, the Bible, is full of promises and comforting words. But in both the Old and New Testaments we find words that challenge rather than comfort us, or even cause us to be troubled or confused. Some of Jesus’ words are hard because His goal was not our happiness in this life, but our sanctification. That is, that we live holy lives that bring glory to Him. Let’s allow the difficulty of some of God’s words cause us to praise Him in faith, knowing that His wisdom and knowledge are infinite and perfect. And let us rejoice, knowing that though we see Him only dimly now through a clouded glass, we will soon see Him face to fac

Whom Will You Follow? Written by Susan on 19/04/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Disciple, Jesus, Life, Love, Purpose Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 Why Would You Want to Follow Someone? “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.” Matthew 10:24 Our almighty God, in the form of a human servant, came to reach out to you, me, and all people. We can be followers of Jesus. Remember, there has never been another person like Jesus. He leads us straight into the presence of our heavenly Father. Jesus is perfect in His love for others, His power over evil, His compassion for people and His hatred of sin. His understanding is endless, and His joy is deep. He drew all kinds of people to Himself when He lived on earth. His presence was like a magnet to those who needed hope. He is everything good, and people really wanted t

Three ways you can share Jesus Written by Curtis Sergeant on 07/05/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Disciple, Discipleship, Leadership, Great Commission Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... Matthew 28:19a Final instructions are important. In the military, soldiers are supposed to act based on the last orders they receive.  People speaking from their deathbed speak of matters that are truly important. Jesus also emphasized some of His teachings by putting them last. After God raised him from the dead, He spent forty days with his disciples.  As that period drew to a close, He gave final instructions. Who are these instructions for? William Carey is considered by many to be the father of the modern missionary movement.  He said of this passage (Matthew 28:19-20) that “the promise is coextensive with the command.”  By that he meant that if we believe Jesus’ promise “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b) is applicable to every follower

God is with us—for our good and His glory. Written by GodLife on 01/03/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Blessings, Difficulty, Favor, Life, Love, Suffering, Trials The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered...When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes… Genesis 39:2-4 If your life includes some trouble and suffering, you are not alone. Think of Joseph’s story. (Genesis 37, 39-50) He was the favorite of his father's twelve sons. He became second-in-command to the Pharaoh of Egypt. He even saved the ancient world from famine. Surely this was a man in God's favor! Did you notice what was left out of that story? Stay in only certain parts of Joseph's story and it is easy to see his favor with God. But who could forget his brothers’ betrayal? How he was sold into slavery? How his purity was tested in his master's house? How he was thrown into prison for something he

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The Bible says our faith is like gold that needs to be purified and refined in fire. The joy comes when we realize the fire makes the end product more valuable and beautiful. Written by Hope on 13/04/2014 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Challenges, Difficulty, Joys, Trials “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” James 1:2 Why does God allow trials in our life? They help build our faith and dependence on God. The Bible says our faith is like gold that needs to be purified and refined in fire. The joy comes when we realize the fire makes the end product more valuable and beautiful. Expect Suffering Our hope cannot be based on a comfortable, trouble-free life here on earth. Jesus said, “In this world you will have troubles, but have courage! I have overcome the world” John 16:33. Jesus tell us to expect it; He says you will have trouble

Are your tears collected or wasted? Written by Ruth on 14/05/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Joy, Prayer, Success, Suffering, Hannah [Suffering] may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5 The Bible says we are to rejoice at all times, but how can we do that when we are hurting greatly? The Need As we read in 1 Samuel 1, Hannah was a lady with a big heartache. She wanted a child and had done everything she knew God asked of her – she was married, faithful to her husband, and asked God to bless her with a child. (1 Samuel 1:11). Then the time of year came when she could travel to the Tabernacle with her husband, the place where she knew God would hear her prayer. She had not given up on God even though she had been asking for years. How long do you pray for something you would like God to give you? Do you keep asking even when it seems like he isn’t listening? The Prayer As we read in His teaching about prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus wa

What should you do when you go to Church? If at all possible it is good if you can go to church services each Sunday. Series: New Believers Guide What should you do when you go to Church? If you know someone already at church, they can help guide you to activities that would be good for you. If at all possible it is good if you can go to church services each Sunday. Many churches have Bible studies or small groups that meet to study God’s Word; if so these can be a great help to you. You can also begin to help and serve others, even if you are just a very new Christian; maybe there are ways to minister to others at your church. The Church is the Body of Christ The Church is Jesus’ own body on the earth. The Bible says, “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Tha

The church is the Body of Christ — not a building or a passive experience led by professionals Written by GodLife on 05/06/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Church, Church And Community, Fellowship, Gifts, Membership …Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27 There wouldn’t be books named “Mere Christianity”, “Simple Church”, “The Church of Facebook” or “Jesus Without Religion” if we were all comfortable with the way we experience church. Why is there so much appeal in questioning, simplifying and getting back to the basics Jesus intended? Maybe a better way to put the question is, why do people have such a habit of complicating things? Do you have a personal story about how church got complicated for you? I hav

Life with Jesus Written by GodLife on 14/08/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Church, Service, Unity ...we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:5 The Church Jesus built has an enemy. That was clear from the time He introduced it: “…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) In less than 300 years the Roman Empire went from being its most vicious persecutor to acknowledging Jesus as Lord. Preaching “Christ crucified” – which was called “foolishness” by the gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23) – ended up being victorious over the “wisdom” sought by Greco-Roman culture. (1 Corinthians 1:22-30)  But that’s in the past. What about today? Do the “wise” and “strong” still search for “the wisdom of God?” (1 Corinthians 1:27, 30) Yes! Here are a few examples: Facebook’s founder admitted that he wants to imitate the church’s ability to make strong and unified groups. Guy K

The church is the Body of Christ — not a building or a passive experience led by professionals Written by GodLife on 05/06/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Church, Church And Community, Fellowship, Gifts, Membership …Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27 There wouldn’t be books named “Mere Christianity”, “Simple Church”, “The Church of Facebook” or “Jesus Without Religion” if we were all comfortable with the way we experience church. Why is there so much appeal in questioning, simplifying and getting back to the basics Jesus intended? Maybe a better way to put the question is, why do people have such a habit of complicating things? Do you have a personal story about how church got complicated for you? I hav

What should you do when you go to Church? If at all possible it is good if you can go to church services each Sunday. Series: New Believers Guide What should you do when you go to Church? If you know someone already at church, they can help guide you to activities that would be good for you. If at all possible it is good if you can go to church services each Sunday. Many churches have Bible studies or small groups that meet to study God’s Word; if so these can be a great help to you. You can also begin to help and serve others, even if you are just a very new Christian; maybe there are ways to minister to others at your church. The Church is the Body of Christ The Church is Jesus’ own body on the earth. The Bible says, “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Tha

Wherever Christians are -- even if it’s a region in which no-one else can know you follow Jesus – God can use you to bless others. Written by Hope on 09/06/2013 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Evangelism, God, Jesus, Purpose, Work "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the Church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the Church, the Body of Christ." ( Ephesians 4:11-12) What work do you do to provide food, clothing, and shelter for yourself (and your family)? The Apostle Paul did work as a tentmaker (some translations say "leatherworker"); however, he tirelessly preached Christ’s message, evangelizing to everyone he could and teaching new Christians. Today, sometimes, people say they are employed "full time" or "part time" in this or that job or career; as Christians, we could consider that earthly work as how we make our liv

Thinking through God’s Calling and Your Opportunity Written by GodLife on 30/04/2019 Series: Weekly Devotional Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people. Colossians 3:23 Did you know that "God helps those who help themselves" is one of the most-quoted phony Bible verses out there? Remember this: God “know(s) the hopes of the helpless” (Psalm 10:17) and His “power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) If you’ve been praying for a job for a long time, here are a few things to consider. Consider God’s Calling Does God have a plan for you? Yes. The bigger question is, "What is God’s plan?" We all have dreams for our life, but God’s plan is first. He does not want to just be a part of the plans I make for my life. God’s plan involves His “Kingdom” because He is the King, and we owe loyalty to Him. Sin is disloyalty to Him, and “The Lord will not hear me if I hold on to sin in my heart.” (Psalm 66:18) But there’s more to th

A woman is made in God’s image and her body is meant for His glory. Written by Hope on 06/12/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Sex, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Temptation, Self Control Tell the young men to have self-control in everything. Titus 2:6 A woman is made in God’s image. Her body is meant to bring Him glory, not to become a source of ungodly lust. God is working His unique plan in her life. Your life as a Christian man should exhibit the “self-controlled” fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23), not the immoral ways of the flesh (Galatians 5:19). Even if you see her walking alone, even if she is wearing something provocative, even if she is sexually forward with you, resist temptations to be immoral in thought or deed. God has promised that He “will show you how to escape from your temptations” (I Corinthians 10:13). And He asks that you “offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing” (Romans 12:1). God Commands Self-Control In some