Please share your devotions with us...

I'll share a devotion I read today in The Valley of Vision.

Evening Praise

Giver of all,
Another day is ended and I take my place beneath my great Redeemer's cross,
where healing streams continually descend, where balm is poured into every wound,
where I wash anew in the all-cleansing blood,
assured that thou seest in me no spots of sin.
Yet a little while and I shall go to thy home and be no more seen;
Help me to gird up the loins of my mind,
to quicken my step,
to speed as if each moment were my last,
that my life be joy, my death glory.
I thank thee for the temporal blessings of this world-
the refreshing air,
the light of the sun,
the food that renews strength,
the raiment that clothes,
the dwelling that shelters,
the sleep that gives rest,
the starry canopy of night,
the summer breeze,
the flowers' sweetness,
the music of flowing streams,
the happy endearments of family, kindred, friends.
Things animate, things inanimate, minister to my comfort.
My cup runs over,
Suffer me not to be insensible to these daily mercies.
Thy hand bestows blessings; thy power averts evil.
I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces,
the full warmth of faith,
the cheering presence of thy Spirit,
the strength of thy restraining will,
thy spiking of hell's artillery.

Blessed be my sovereign Lord!

 

This devotion comes from "Daily Light" by Samuel Bagster (an English bible publisher 1772-1851)
All of his devotions are scripture only. None of the words are his. He compiled the verses according to subject. I'v never seen this done before.
If anyone is interested, it also comes in various versions...ESV, NIV and NKJV.



Evening - March 14

The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.
The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Christ ... loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Thy word hath quickened me. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. I will not forget thy word. I trust in thy word. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

John 6:63 James 1:18 II Cor. 3:6 Eph. 5:25-27 Psa. 119: 9, 50, 11, 16, 42, 72, 93, 103, 104

 

Hi all,

I walked away from the Church of Christ religion when I was 28 because I had been told I had to gain and maintain my own Salvation. I gave up wondering if I was saved or not. I was 33 when I re-examined Scripture and with fresh reading unencumbered by cofc tradition I came to understand and believe God that it is Christ who gains and maintains Salvation. The last 15 years have been wonderful knowing that when I stumble Christ is there to pick me up.

"Now to him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."-Jude 24-25

I can think of many good devotionals to post but this one hits close to home for me.

ybiC,
Kab

THE WORD OF TRUTH
by Cornelius R. Stam

In Eph. 1:13 the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and believing "the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." This declaration is substantiated by many other passages of Scripture. Our Lord said: "He that heareth... and believeth... hath everlasting life" (John 5:24). This at a time when sacrifices and baptism were still required for the remission of sins. Even then men had to hear and believe to be saved, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
Now, however, salvation is received by hearing and believing alone. Works for salvation are not merely unnecessary; they are forbidden. Today salvation is "to him that worketh not, but believeth" (Rom. 4:5). "For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9).
God has changed His dealings with men from time to time down through the ages, teaching one lesson at a time. This is why it is so important to note the dispensational distinctions in Scripture, "rightly dividing the Word of truth."
Once the works of the Law were required for salvation: "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested" (Rom. 3:21) and men are saved solely by faith in Christ, "being justified freely by [God's] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). We are saved, then, as we hear and believe what Paul calls, "the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" (Eph. 1:13), and we are established in the faith as we obey II Tim. 2:15: "rightly dividing the Word of truth."

 

Women were once bashed and brow beaten for sharing devotions on the open forum, apparently it isn't acceptable on the BB.

 

donnA said,

Share away donnA:godisgood:

Here's one for this morning:

WHAT IS GRACE?
by Cornelius R. Stam
Printer Friendly Version "The father of lies" always hates the truth, but he does not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to succeed as a roaring lion he may appear as an angel of light, suggesting that surely a God of love will not condemn Christ-rejectors forever. Sinners, he will contend, are not responsible for their sins anyway, for does not Eph. 1:11 teach that "[God] worketh all things after the counsel of His own will"? And thus God Himself is supposed to have conceived the idea of sin as "a gracious means to a glorious end," and to have caused man to fall into sin so that He might finally save him from it!
Why an almighty, all-wise, all-loving God permitted sin to enter the universe must, for the time being, remain an impenetrable mystery to us, but one thing is certain: He is not the author of sin, and never accepts the responsibility for it -- except that in grace and love He bore its penalty for man.
God calls sinners "children of disobedience" and "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:2,3), explaining in the clearest language that He hates sin and that His anger is kindled against it (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; John 3:36). But if God meant man to sin and caused him to sin, how was man disobedient and what cause could God have to be angry? Those who would shift the responsibility for sin from themselves to God should remember that He proclaimed His standards of righteousness in the Law "that every mouth may be stopped and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God" (Rom. 3:19).
The contention that all will finally be saved may at first sound like wonderful grace, but actually there is not one particle of grace in it, for it is based on the theory that since God got us into sin it is only just that He save us from its penalty. But grace is God's mercy and kindness to the undeserving. In Eph. 2, after calling sinners "children of disobedience" and therefore "children of wrath," the Apostle Paul goes on to say:
"BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us... hath quickened us... raised us up... and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:4-7).

In Christ,
Kab

 

SaltCityBaptist said,

Seems like I remember hearing he used to be a Pentecostal.
The only body my wife and I have been a part of for the last 20 years is the Body of Christ.

In Christ,
Kab

 

not likely, I have found out what happens when you share anything on this board, you get blasted and beat up.