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 Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:07 pm
Easter In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. — Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Forgiveness! What a sweet and precious gift. What we were powerless to fix, make up or pay for, God did for us in Jesus. With him, each day is a fresh start and rebirth of Springtime. But my, such a terrible cost he paid to give it to us! My Prayer...Thank you, Father, for your anguish and cost to forgive my sins by the blood of your Son. I refuse to take lightly the cost of my sin and will live for your glory in appreciation of your grace. In the name of him who sacrificed all for my salvation I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 5:14 pm
April 5 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. — 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse..."What am I living for?" While that is an important question, the most important question of all is "Who am I living for?" Only one person can insure that I will never die because he has already died for me and conquered death! If he was willing to die for me, I'm for sure going to live for him! My Prayer...Victorious Lord, thank you for giving me triumph over death through Jesus, my Lord. Thank you for giving me victory over sin through his sacrificial death. Thank you for giving me victory today in my life as I live it for him. Through the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:32 pm
April 6 Therefor confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. — James 5:16 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...To confess is to do two things with our sin: 1) to recognize sin for what it is in God's eyes and 2) to get rid of our secrets and be honest with another Christian. James' language is powerful. He mentions that this confession doesn't just bring forgiveness. It also brings healing. My Prayer...Holy Father, I have sinned. I now confess my own personal sin of ____________. I ask for your forgiveness and for your Spirit to strengthen me in overcoming temptation. I want to live for you and not let my sin, any sin, entangle me and draw me away from you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:05 pm
April 7 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. — Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...When we were baptized into Christ, we shared in his crucifixion and we were raised up to be a new person. Christ is alive in us. The real challenge is for us to be Christ alive in our world! Our motivation? Not to earn salvation, which has already been given us by grace, but to honor him who sacrificed all to save us. (See Romans 6:1-14) My Prayer...Thank you, God, for loving me and sending Jesus to redeem me from my sin. I commit to you today that I will live by faith in your Son who gave himself so I can spend eternity with you. I ask that by your Spirit, you help Jesus' life be seen in me. Through him I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:48 pm
April 8 If, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life. — Romans 5:10 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus didn't just die for my sins; he lives for me. In fact, he is at God's right hand claiming me as his own (see 1 John 2:1-2). If he was willing to die to save me, what will he withhold now that he lives victorious over death? My Prayer...Holy and Righteous Father, I thank you for Jesus who is at your side and who knows my heart, my struggles, and my world. I thank you for your constant care and protection through all of my difficulties and triumphs. Please make your presence known more clearly today than ever before as I try to serve you with wholehearted devotion. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 6:05 pm
April 9 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. — Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus was God with us. No imitation, knock off, or clone, he was God with us. To this day, he sustains all creation with his word -- so much for "Mother Nature." But now God-with-us has paid for our sins and is not just God-with-us, but he is also God-for-us at the Father's side. My Prayer...Precious Lord, as you have so many times in the past, you take these humble human words and bring them to the Father as my friend and brother. Thank you for your sacrifice for my sins. Thank you for your sustaining presence in our universe. Thank you for your daily intercession. Thank you for being God-for-me at the Father's side. To the glorious, majestic and holy God, who sent Jesus as Savior, be glory, honor, and adoration forever and ever. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:09 pm
April 10 At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus did not die for us because he had some high hopes for who we are or what we would be. No, he died for us because he knew exactly who we are and what we would be without him. Praise be to God; we are now God's righteousness because Jesus took our sin upon himself and gave us God's grace and righteousness in its place (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). My Prayer...Holy God, thank you for Jesus, my Savior. No words are adequate to express my love and devotion to you for such an incredible gift! Through him I give and live my thanks to you. Amen.
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 5:02 pm
April 11 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. — 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...He bore our sins. He didn't just carry them; he suffered the penalty we deserved. His anguish was our healing. His suffering was our righteousness. How can we ever think of going back to sin after he suffered so much to bear its penalty? My Prayer...Holy God, how you could stand to see your precious Son under the weight of my sin, all sin, I will never understand. Thank you for such a great love and for being so great a God. There is none who can be compared to you, O God. Your greatness is beyond imagining and your love beyond my dreams. I will live today to your glory through Jesus who bore my sin so I could be your child. In the precious name of your Son I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:43 pm
April 12 Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. — Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse..."I've just got to find myself." Won't ever happen. We do not "find ourselves" or "find our life" by pursuing it. We find it by losing it in something, or someone, greater than ourselves. We find our life by losing it to Jesus and the work of his Kingdom. My Prayer...Master and Maker of all that lives and breathes, take my life and every breath and use it for your glory. May my words and actions this day be pleasing to you. Through Jesus I offer you this prayer and praise. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 6:06 pm
April 13 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. — Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse... "I blew it!" Come to think of it, we've all blown it! We don't measure up. We're not divine. We might be decent, but decent won't save us. Only the divine, the truly righteous, make it past the grave and into glory. Thank God grace is freely given and the price for our sin was paid by Jesus. While I "blew it," he renewed it! My Prayer...Kind and Loving Father, thank you for being so generous with your grace. May I be as passionate for your righteousness as you were in redeeming me from my sin. Through Jesus I ask this. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:45 pm
April 14 I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according Scriptures. — 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...The story of the Gospel is simple. The grace of the Gospel is glorious. The sacrifice of the Gospel is incomprehensible. The victory of the Gospel is eternal. The core of the Gospel is Christ. My Prayer...Almighty Lord, thank you for the empty tomb and Jesus' victory over the grave. Just as Jesus' death pardoned my sin, his resurrection assures my future. Thank you for grace and glory. May my life be lived each day by the power of the resurrection. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 7:40 pm
April 26 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. — Romans 13:8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...He paid a debt and I owe one. Thank God I don't owe the debt for my sin, but I owe others the same love, respect and grace with which God has treated me! My Prayer...Holy God who owns all things, I thank you for not just owning me, but for having bought me out of slavery, sin, and death. Please kindle love in my heart through the Holy Spirit so I will love others as you do. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 5:28 pm
April 17 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. — 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Power! We love power. We love the sound and fury of power. We love the ability that power brings to change things. But, the greatest power ever unleashed on this earth was the power displayed when the Almighty God held back his might and fury while his Son was persecuted and murdered. He did it so he could save us. Now that's an awesome display of power, and it was displayed specifically for us! My Prayer...Holy and Majestic God on high, I praise you for incredible might and power. But I also thank you for your love which guides the release of that power. Thank you for knowing that I am but dust without your sustaining Spirit. Thank you for saving me by withholding your mighty power so I could be pardoned by your sacrificial power. Because of Jesus' mercy, and in his holy name, I offer this prayer. Amen.
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Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 6:47 pm
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
— Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Imagine Jesus being proud of you! He said if we confess him before others here on earth, he will speak up for us in heaven. Confessing Jesus as our Lord is simply acknowledging the truth. But for believers, it is more than that, since at the close of time every knee will bow and every tongue confess his name. For us, confessing Jesus is anticipating his triumph in which we will share.
My Prayer...
Mighty God, your Son is my Lord. I love him and praise him for his redeeming sacrifice. I thank him for his conquest of the grave. I marvel at his sacrificial and triumphant grace. Jesus is Lord. I know it sounds sweet in your ears so I say it again, Jesus is my Lord. Thank you for being so great that you would be so sacrificial. In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus the Carpenter, I offer this thanks. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 4:17 pm
April 19 Christ has indeed been raised, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. — 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Being eternal is nothing new. Being like Jesus completely, eternally, will be new. But when the moment of glory hung in the balance as Jesus was revived from his death sleep, we too were given the assurance that death no longer claims us. The only death that really matters is our death to sin in baptism with Jesus. If we have shared in that death, we will most certainly share in his resurrection (see Romans 6:1-14). My Prayer...Almighty, Most Powerful God. Because of your grace and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, I know I will see you face to face. Help me now, however, to live that resurrected life being more like Jesus today than any day ever before. In the name of my risen Lord I pray. Amen.
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