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Daily Devotion: Practically Practical - Paul's Transition from Doctrine to Practice

INTRODUCTION   The Apostle Paul has transitioned from his amazing declarations of the doctrines of our salvation in Jesus Christ. He begins this transition in Romans chapter 12. You will, no doubt, remember his detailed discourse on the movements of God regarding the salvation of His chosen people.  Paul began by giving his reader a hint when he addressed what he called “the power of God unto salvation.” Of course, this power of God is “the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Paul then adds a very important statement saying that this power is effective “to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (See Romans 1:16 ).  The apostle then gives the reason for this restriction with respect to the objects of God’s salvation. He focuses the reader’s attention in chapter 3 saying, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Verse 23). He has expounded upon this subject throughout chapters 1:18-3:21-22. It is there in chapter 3:21-22 that the apostle re...
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Daily Devotion: Psalm 96:1-4

Psalm 96:1-4    "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.  (2)  Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.  (3)  Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.  (4)  For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods." I placed more Scripture than usual this morning. I probably should take this approach more often because Scripture explains itself. I'm thankful that God ordained preachers to expound upon the Word of God. I don't mean this to sound prideful at all, but I love to preach - When the Lord blesses me to preach. It is a wonderful gift to be able to read the Word of God and sense the Holy Spirit speaking to you concerning the words that you read. I say all that to say: God is very specific and very plain spoken. We tend to make it more difficult than it is. So today, God is saying to us that He created music and we should u...

Sermon (Video): Acts: An Introduction - Acts 1:1-3

Daily Devotion: 1 Corinthians 5:9-11

1 Corinthians 5:9-11     “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” It would appear by the apostle’s words here that the epistle we have as “First Corinthians” is actually not Paul’s first letter to these brethren. The tense of his statement here would indicate that he had previously written a letter to them. In this letter he had admonished them not to company with fornicators. The admonition to “not company” with fornicators carries the idea that these were not people we wanted to be seen hanging out with. We do not want to give the impression that we are partakers in the fornic...

Daily Devotion: Psalm 95:1-3

Psalm 95:1-3    "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.  (2)  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.  (3)  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods." I begin with a very simple statement: Worship is all about God. The Psalmist is instructing us that we are to worship the Lord. We are to engage in that activity. I admit that I do not always know the songs that are used each Sunday, but I can read the words. Even if I do not know the tune, I can read the words and in doing so, I lift my heart and mind toward the Lord of all glory. I believe that, not only does the Lord see our hearts, He hears our hearts. He hears the joy that is in us as we tune our hearts to sing His praise. We are told: "Let us sing.... Let us make a joyful noise.... Let us come before His presence... (again) Let us make a joyful noise.... (Let us understand t...

Daily Devotions: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

1 Corinthians 5:6-8     “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” In a previous verse, Paul has already pointed out that the brethren were puffed up (boastful, proud) over a sinful situation. He rebuked them that they had not mourned over the situation rather than trying to put a positive perspective on it. Here he tells them plainly that their boasting (glorying) is not good. As the children of God, we should always remember that unless we are boasting of our Lord and Savior, our boasting is not good either.Even if we are only boasting in ourselves a little or looking the other way just a little, it is going to have big consequences. Our...

Daily Devotion (Video): Who Am I? - Psalm 8:3-4