Divine Nature

There was something that relationships, drugs and wild parties just couldn't fill. Tags: Partying, Testimony This article was written by Andrew Palau. By the time I attended the University of Oregon, I blended right in with my fraternity buddies. On the outside it seemed like I was a happy guy and could juggle classes, work, and the party life. But on the inside I was miserable. I felt guilty about so many of the poor choices I had made because they were diametrically opposed to the way that I had been brought up. It seemed like there was a void in my life- that something was missing. Something that relationships, and drugs, and wild parties just couldn’t fill. A sense of emptiness continued, even after I graduated from college and began working in Boston. I kept partying, felt no peace, and drank to hide the pain inside. I felt like I was sinking into the depths of despair. I would look into a mirror and ask myself, What really matters? Where can I go? At that point...

eryone has to decide for themselves whether they are going to be followers of Christ. Tags: Salvation, Testimony This article was written by Andrew Palau. Like all people, I had to decide for myself whether or not I was going to be a follower of Jesus Christ. My parents had hoped and prayed that I would make this decision as a child, but I did not. It took 27 years for me to finally decide for myself. I grew up in a great Christian home. Mom and Dad loved me and were truly gentle parents. We went to a great church. Regardless of the tremendous blessings in my life, I wanted what the world had to offer. Although my father, international evangelist Luis Palau, preached to millions, he had no words that could humanly change my heart. When I was about 12 or 13 years old, a friend’s older siblings introduced me to stuff that even the wilder kids weren’t doing. As time went on I began building a reputation of being the wildest and craziest kid around. I just loved to party… and d...

Jesus calls us to be different from the World, while making a difference in the World. Written by Joy on 08/08/2015 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Culture, Life, Light, Sin “Jesus prayed, ‘They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.’” John 17:16-17 We cannot expect non-believers to have godly moral standards and desire to please God. We can, and should, expect Christians to act differently than the culture that they live in—as different as night and day. Darkness of World Culture “This, then is the judgement: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19). Human culture is ruled by sin and selfish desires. Without Jesus people are lost in darkness (Matthew 18:10-14), dead in their sin (Ephesians 2:1-5), separated from God (Colossians 1:21-22) and condemned without hope (John 3:18). When you are in the d...

Have you ever wondered, “Is God there? If He is, why doesn’t He answer my prayer?" Written by Janet Perez Eckles on 18/09/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Anxiety, Peace, Prayer, Stress Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:10-14 If you’ve asked yourself “how long God will take to answer my prayer?” You’re not alone, we’ve all been there! Even the Israelites join us in that grumbling. When Pharaoh ordered the Egyptians to march after the Israelites, they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians?’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than t...

God’s plan for sex Written by  Joy  on 14/06/2016 Series:  Weekly Devotional Tags:  Lust ,  Marriage ,  Sex ,  Sin Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:10 God created sex to be a beautiful gift. In Genesis 2, God says it was not good for man to be alone so God created the perfect partner, a woman, so they could become one flesh. The chapter closes with the statement, “they were both naked and felt no shame.” Sex creates a unique relationship that involves physical, emotional and mental unity and completion. If sex is blessed by God, what makes it immoral? Blessings Lost When we forget God has authority to set limits, blessings are lost.  “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.” ( Romans 1:28 ) . Your phone works best when you use it the way it was ...

Sin in our lives is not inevitable Tags: Help, Holiness, Sin, Temptation "If you do these things you will never fall" (2 Peter 1:10). "He knew so much about the Bible; he had such a great ministry. How could this happen to him?" People often have asked me such questions when a Christian leader has fallen because of money, sex, or pride. The unasked question is left hanging in the air. "Since this happened to such a spiritual man (or woman), am I going to fall, too?" I used to answer, "We’re all vulnerable. It could happen to anyone," echoing what other Christians have said in the past. Some time ago I knew a middle-aged man in South America who was one of the most winsome evangelists that I have ever heard. But he had an attitude toward money that was unholy. He put away money that wasn’t his. Now he is no longer an evangelist. He is doing something else when he ought to be winning souls in the harvest field of Latin America. As...

God’s plan for sex Written by  Joy  on 14/06/2016 Series:  Weekly Devotional Tags:  Lust ,  Marriage ,  Sex ,  Sin Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:10 God created sex to be a beautiful gift. In Genesis 2, God says it was not good for man to be alone so God created the perfect partner, a woman, so they could become one flesh. The chapter closes with the statement, “they were both naked and felt no shame.” Sex creates a unique relationship that involves physical, emotional and mental unity and completion. If sex is blessed by God, what makes it immoral? Blessings Lost When we forget God has authority to set limits, blessings are lost.  “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.” ( Romans 1:28 ) . Your phone works best when you use it the way it was ...

Avoid taking advantage of someone else Written by GodLife on 21/06/2016 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Holiness, Love, Lust, Sanctification, Sex Don’t violate or take advantage of a fellow believer in such matters. As we told you before and warned you: the Lord will settle the score with anyone who does these things. 1 Thessalonians 4:6 First Thessalonians 4:4-7 is about being sexually dishonest. Getting someone to sin with you is violating them, and God promises those who do these things will face consequences. Has someone taken advantage of you? Have you taken advantage of someone else? Here are some things God wants you to know about your responsibility to your sisters or brothers and how to avoid sexual sin and violation. Flattery can be dangerous Flattery means praise that is not honest. The person doing it always wants something in return. Is it OK to call another person ‘hot’ or ‘delicious’? It is not. These words describe food. Why use them for people? A person ...

Regard the curious as thirsty for living water. Written by GodLife on 11/09/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Questions, Answers, Reasons, Evangelism, Apologetics Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. 1 Peter 3:15 Have you ever asked a question, only to get another question as an answer? It’s not that uncommon, and it doesn’t mean the other person is avoiding your question. Here’s an example: “So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’” (Acts 8:30-31) People ask questions for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes they aren’t really asking for information—they either already think they know the answer or are raising a question as a cover for something. Here’s an example: “But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:25–29) ...

How Does it Work? Jesus said, "I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it" (Matthew 16:18). But how is Jesus building His Church? Series: New Believers Guide So how does the Church work? Jesus said, "I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it" (Matthew 16:18). But how is Jesus building His Church? Ephesians 4:16 tells us the answer: "As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow." Did you know that you are meant to play a crucial part in God’s family? "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Acts 2:42 Don't Miss Out! Imagine for a moment a young boy who never wanted anything to do with his family. He never came out for family dinner, but just ran in his room when he got home from school. He never did any chores around the house, refused to clean his room, and pushed...

How can we use our spiritual gifts to serve the Church? Written by Ruth on 24/10/2017 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Church And Community And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 Have you ever wondered why you should be part of a church? The Bible says in Hebrews 10:24-25 that gathering with other believers is something we should not neglect. What is so important about church? Jesus wants us, as a member of a local church, to complete the ministry He began while He was on earth. He wants you to be part of this ministry. But none of us can do this on our own. We need Him as our leader (our Head), and all the rest of the body (other believers) to get the mission accomplished as He has planned. None of us can do it alone, but all our abilities together are used by Him for His purpose. Here’s ...

Let’s find out the true meaning of church. Written by Joy on 30/11/2014 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Church And Community “Do not give up meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 There are church services on television and the Internet. But is it ok to stay at home and watch a church service? Or do we have to go to a physical church building? Let’s find out the true meaning of church. Church: The Body of Christ When God talks about the church, he isn’t talking about a physical building. The church is all the people in the world who have put their faith in Jesus, sometimes called the body of Christ. Christians are instructed to meet together regularly. (Hebrews 10:25) Many Christians go to church buildings (local churches). But if there isn’t a local church near you, don’t worry. You can meet in a house church, a secret meeting place or a public place where you can fellowsh...

Online church services are a great resource — make sure they don’t become your only community Written by GodLife on 04/09/2018 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Church, Church And Community, Fellowship, Online Church And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 Balancing Online and Physical Church My husband and I found a great church. This place has excellent, Bible-based teaching, opportunities to serve, with a young, growing membership. The church offers multiple service times and great music. Unfortunately, we ended up moving. “No problem”, we both thought. “We can just go online and watch the services. At least that way we can still get great teaching while we look for a church in our new town.” Here’s what we discovered. Finding a church can be hard! Especially when the one you attended befo...

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...

The Greatest Published on Nov 25, 2016 -Last Words Of Steve Jobs. Moments Before He Died. -Wise and Inspirational Words Of Steve Jobs Just Before Death. -Please listen all the way through and take what wisdom you can from these words. -Take them in deeply and let them inspire you to live your life to the fullest! -This video was put together to share with more people these inspirational and wise words of Steve Jobs just before he died so they may benefit from them in any way they can. -This is the written transcript: These were Steve jobs last word before he passed away... I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the f...

Guard Yourself Written by Dan Lee on 11/07/2015 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Lust, Pornography, Sex, Temptation “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.” Matthew 6:22 These words of Jesus tell us how important our eyes are, and how diligent we must be to watch what goes into our mind through our eyes. God’s word shows us several ways to do this: 1. Be Careful What You Look At Jesus said, “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). The first step to sexual temptation (and sometimes the sin itself) is looking. Today’s world can be full of temptations for the eyes. Advertisements, movies and television, and things on the Internet can all lead us to sin. You must carefully choose what you watch and where you go. If seeing women in bathing suits makes you think lustful thoughts, then you need to stay away from the beach. If Inter...

Everyone—from presidents to preachers—is subject to sexual temptation. Tags: Sex, Sin, Temptation Adultery. It’s a common word and a common occurrence in our society. But adultery’s stain goes deeper than the individual. More dishonor has come to the name of Jesus Christ by sexual sin than any other sin. You Will be Tempted. C.S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, said, "No man knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good. There is a silly idea that good people don’t know what temptation means." We must learn from the Lord to enjoy full mastery over sex, His marvelous gift. "For God did not give us the spirit of timidity," Paul reminds us, "but the spirit of power and love and self-control." Proverbs 4:23 exhorts, "Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it flow the springs of life." How can we do that? Monitor your fantasizing and daydreaming when your mind is idle. Refuse pornography, whether written or in movies or vid...

The proper place for sex is between a husband and wife. Outside of that relationship, sex is destructive to you and to others, just like an out of control fire. Written by Dan Lee on 22/02/2015 Series: Weekly Devotional Tags: Love, Lust, Marriage, Pleasure, Relationship, Sex, Sin, Temptation “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 A fire provides warmth, light and comfort. But if a fire gets out of control, it can destroy your home, your possessions and even your life. Sex is a lot like that. The proper place for sex is between a husband and wife. Outside of that relationship, sex is destructive to you and to others, just like an out of control fire. Here are 3 importan...