Are we hanging out with the wrong bunch of people?

 

An Emoji devotional for Sat, Oct 9 , 2021

Topic: Are we hanging out with the wrong bunch of people?

Take your Bible and read Luke 15

    Highlights:
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7)

·        In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10) For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:24)

·        “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ (Luke 15:28 – 32)

Now the tax collectors and sinners kept gathering around to hear Jesus. The Greek grammar makes clear that this was not just a single incident; it happened time and again. The tax collectors were despised people, because they were collaborating with the Herodian and the Roman Government and as sinner was everyone viewed, who did not strictly adhered to the Jewish Law. The text basically implies that the “bad” people of the Jewish society gathered to hear Jesus to the anger of the Jewish elite and the law abiding Jews. In their opinion something had to be wrong with Jesus. He directed his message of repentance and grace to the scum. Why, for heaven’s sake, could he not address the well behaved, hardworking people like the older son in the parable? They are not only upset, but rather outraged: Jesus fraternizes with the scum of society! The whole chapter gives an answer to the complaint of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law and shows at the same time the immeasurable love of the Father to every lost human being. The first parable shows the Father as a shepherd of one hundred sheep from whom one got lost. He leaves the 99 back in safety and searches for the lost one, till he finds it and can care for it. The context makes clear, that the one, who got lost, repented, whereas the 99 were people like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who live with the conviction of being righteous. In the second parable the Father is like a woman, who lost one of her precious coins and she does everything possible to find it again. The coin may represent people who have somehow been brought into deplorable situations like abuse or lack of appropriate human support. Repentance of one such human being obviously initiates a joyful celebration in heaven. The parable of the younger and older son makes then everything clear. The younger one provokes the Father and requires, what does not yet belong to him. At the lowest point in his life he
decides to go back to his father and to admit his sin against heaven and against his father. That acknowledgment and the turning back to the Father is, what repentance means. “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:18 – 20) His faith in the goodness of the Father redeems him and he gets born again with a new life under the benevolent reign of the Father.

His older brother, however, is full of anger over the course of the father and he blames and accuses him. “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ (Luke 15:28 – 32)

Jesus liked to talk to the tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law rather wanted to talk to well-educated and good-mannered people, who wanted to earn their salvation through immaculate performance in keeping the law. They do not need salvation, repentance or grace. They just need a trainer for reaching a more powerful performance.

Jesus was around the people who needed him. Are we around the people, who crave for change and help? Are we hanging out with the wrong bunch of people?

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven help me to make your goodness and your grace known to the people, who are open to receive your salvation in Christ Jesus. I repent for wasting time with self-righteous people. Help me to make the right decision and to live only under your guidance. Amen.

God’s principles of conduct

 An Emoji Devotional for Fri 8th Oct, 2021

Topic: God’s principles of conduct

By H.U.Wenger

The Bible gives us quite a few instructions on how we are supposed to shape our lives in society. Today I would like to highlight only two general rules God has given to his people. 

Highlights: “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. (Leviticus 19, 2 compare Matthew 5, 48) 

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12 compare Luke 6:31)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Ephesians 2:3 – 4)

The context of these verses in the Old and in the New Testament gives us a multitude of hints on how we should live among our neighbors. The culture in which most of us have been born teaches us exactly the opposite. Look out for yourself! I am number one, first me and then me again and then my friend and that’s me! It is not possible to change the selfish attitude without looking to the LORD, who went so far that he laid down his Lordship and became human and lived among us. He was tempted the same way we are tempted, he felt as we feel, but he remained holy and without any sin. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit loved us so much that they wanted to know firsthand, how life is for us. Although we only know for sure that God’s motivation to save the human beings, who got lost for eternity, was his love, I dare think that Jesus had the thought: What would I wish for, if I were in that dire situation? Could it be that such a thought has moved him to guarantee our salvation before the earth was even created? God wants us to put ourselves into the shoes of the people we are dealing with. What would I like to have done to me if I were in the situation my neighbor is now in? If I just blindly keep a commandment, I do not have compassion and love for another human being, I am only fulfilling a requirement. God expects more from us. The Apostle Paul exclaims in Colossians 3:12 – 14: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity”.

All of us have expectations about how we should be treated by others and all of us have experienced how often times our expectations have not at all be met. 

Our reactions are between disappointment, indignation and outright fury and often time our self-worth is diminished greatly by the negative experiences. No matter how much I have disappointed God, he loves me, he welcomes me in his arms and he wants to save me by giving me life eternal. On the other hand he expects me to totally distance myself from my selfish attitude and to reach out to my fellow human beings with his love and compassion. He wants me to do to others what I would like done to me and by doing so I am fulfilling the Law and the word of the prophets. 

Can you imagine how our world would look like, if all the people, who pretend to be Christians, would wholeheartedly live this out? Let us start today and so spread the love of God to our environment. 

Just by following the two basic rules, being wholly dependent on God and his holiness and doing to people what we would like to have done to us, we will be witnesses of God’s love and point to him as the Savior. 

Prayer: Dear God, you have loved me so much in Jesus that you lived and died for me, just to give me what I most urgently needed: Salvation from eternal death. Help to conduct myself in a way that will invite others to accept your salvation. Amen.

When the Wind Says It's Time

 

An Emoji Devotional for Thu 7th Oct, 2021

Topic: When the Wind says It's time

Highlights:

As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”

When a wind of fortune blows on a person. Things suddenly changes for that man. The wind controls the signal part of life and universe. I believe that the wind comes from God. Everything in this life needs air. 

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

God is talking about the wind of change in the above verse. It is the wind that can make the mountains and hills to burst into songs and make the trees to clap their hands. Even a fire need the wind to burn. 

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:2 KJV

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Ecclesiastes 11:5

The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” 

Prayer: Lord send your wind of grace and mercy to me and my family and let your winds of blessings blow on me today and always in Jesus. Amen.

Blend Jesus Into Your Diet

 

An Emoji Devotional for Tue 5th Oct, 2021

Topic: Blend Jesus Into Your Diet

Highlights:

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

John 6:34

There is a meal made of special nourishment full of vitamins and minerals that can cure hunger, malnutrition and all kinds of disease. A bite of Jesus diet is the key to long and ever lasting life. What is Jesus Diet? 

There are meals that make your tummy hurt with discomfort. Those meals causes a lot of headache and fever. Such are the bad news we read on social media about how people got hurt or hurt others and how people crash one another in pieces. These are meals that give heartbreak and make us feel like unsafe. 

The devil promised Matthew 4:9

“I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” The devil uses bad things to promote his followers when they feed with the news he is spreading all around. 

Jesus is the game. the tasty food and bread of Jacob made so that blessings from the promises of God will be received (Genesis 27:17) while people like Esau were still out there looking for ways to trend in news and chasing clout. Genesis 27:5. You were there staying and learning from Rebecca the mother of delicious cook. You will eat the best food. What did Rebecca did that made blessings flow on her favorite son - She blend Jesus into her diet.

It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” Matthew 15:11

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

The world is a dark place already. It's time to add light into it by adding Jesus into all we are doing. It is time to blend Jesus into our diet today so the world we see and know what we were made of.  Act 4:13, Matthew 11:29, John 8:12. 

Remember to read about Jesus from the Holy Bible as your daily bread every day. Like that you are blending Jesus into the diet of things that goes into your mind daily. 

Matthew 6:11 - Give us today our daily bread

Prayer: Lord Jesus please make it evident that I have been with you. Please give me the resurrected bread that comes from you everyday. in Jesus name I pray Amen. 

Father and Child

 

An Emoji Devotional for Mon 4th Oct, 2021

Topic: Father and Child

Highlights: 

“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!

God is a father to his children. It is the duty of a father to take care of His children. God will take care of you if you accept His love as your father. Any father and Child relationship has to come through Jesus. God said in John 3:16 that if you believe in Jesus, you will have a whole and lasting life. 

It is your heavenly father that is most trusted because He has the whole world in His care and He is a loving God that wants a lasting relationship. That is why our heavenly father blesses all union we have through His Son. He said that though a nursing mother can forget her child, He will not forget you.

God still have you in mind because you matter a lot to Him. You need to find your way through Jesus to Him because John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the way, truth and life to the Heavenly Father. Whatever you want from God, begin to build a relationship with Him over that thing and you may have it. 

Prayer: Able God, I want you to shower your mercy on me through Jesus Christ my Lord. I believe in Jesus name. Amen

You Need only One Stone

 

An Emoji Devotional for Sat 2nd Oct 2021

Topic: You need Only One Stone

Highlights: 

David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt.

1 Samuel 17:49 

Do you yet have that one stone in your pocket? That stone that builders rejected. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.

Luke 10:41 

Jesus is here in front of you. Are you worried or upset about so many things lately? What are those worries? One of the most common and destructive daily habits that people get caught up in certainly must be the habit of worrying.

Like David You need Only One Stone. Do you have it? 

That stone is the word of God. There is a word you can use to challenge that situation that is upsetting you. If you are able to find that word relating to you and confess them over and over like Psalms 23 and Psalms 91. Your worries though may seems to be there but will soon be gone.

You don't need many, just one stone. And the giant will be gone forever. All you need is one stone in God's word. Find it out today from the Bible and use it. There are so many words of encouragement in the Bible you can Google search them and you will find countless bible verses that relate to you. attach your faith into it and use it as your stone.

Prayer: Lord Jesus please give me that one stone from your word through the Holy Spirit today, and let all my problems be solved in Jesus name. Amen 

Hang in There

 

An Emoji Devotional for Thu Sept, 30, 2021

Topic: Hang in there

Highlights: 

And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.

Habakkuk 2:2‭-‬3 MSG

When you forget where exactly you were heading and decide to take another route it means you did not write down the vision God gave you. God gave you a vision which will make you great and you must not joke with it. When you did not write down the vision people could sway you with words of doubts. And if you write it down, God said make.it plain in bold letters so that you will run with it. Do you remember the vision? Move on with it that's what God says. Do not let People you know question your vision because they feel like it's too deep or out of scope. Learn and ask God to help you fulfill it. Write it in a bold words and paste it where you will see it everyday. Do not miss the opportunity in front of you because you feel like postponing your vision because 

“But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

Matthew 24:36 

Funny enough, people who were inspired by your vision but who do not have same vision with you may seize the opportunity while you are sitting down thinking of how to quit.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Though it tarries, wait patiently until it arrives because God says it will arrive. It will definitely arrive. 

Prayer: Father help me to stay safe to remain saved in the end. Help me to keep to the vision you gave me and run with it until I arrive to the goals you aimed for me. Please help me Lord in Jesus name. Amen.

“Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved.