Daily devotions

Thursday

SA Today - Winter Storm Jonas

Hillary Clinton Gets Personal on Christ and Her Faith

- New York Times - " - How you would say your beliefs align with the Ten Commandments and is that something that’s important to you?”

   The question gave Mrs. Clinton a rare opportunity to speak at length about her views on Christianity and the Bible. Below is her complete response:

    “Thank you for asking that. I am a person of faith. I am a Christian. I am a Methodist. I have been raised Methodist. I feel very grateful for the instructions and support I received starting in my family but through my church, and I think that any of us who are Christian have a constantly, constant, conversation in our own heads about what we are called to do and how we are asked to do it, and I think it is absolutely appropriate for people to have very strong convictions and also, though, to discuss those with other people of faith. Because different experiences can lead to different conclusions about what is consonant with our faith and how best to exercise it."

Monday

Cashless Society War Intensifies During Global Epocalypse

- Prophesy NewS Watch - 

"In the fall of 2015, the world descended into an economic apocalypse that will transform the globe into a single cashless society. This bold prediction is based on trends in nations all over the earth as shown in the article below.
    As we enter 2016, we are only beginning to see this Epocalypse form through the fog of war. The war I m talking about is the world war waged furiously by central banks against the Great Recession as the governments they supposedly serve fiddled while their capital burned.
   The governments and banks of this world advanced rapidly toward forming cashless societies throughout 2015. The citizens of some countries are already embracing the move. In other countries, like the US, citizens fear the loss of autonomy that would come from giving governments and their designated central banks absolute monetary control."

Saturday

What I live "through" now … - and always

From Jostein Nielsen´s blog

After the first day in a private apartment after a dramatic week that has caught attention all over the world, it is sufficient for me to live. What I can accomplish of physical activities, is very limited. Even to get into trousers, can be compared to a long physical workout, so apart from doing the necessities of life, I shall just rest. Life is broken down to “just” to live – which is 100% OK. 

Because I love, I feel that I live. I love God, Magna, my family, people, nature, life, in fact anything that is worthy of love and honour. In some moments I have wondered if it was the adrenalin in my blood that helped me stay calm in the midst of it all, and that I had made a made a strenuous effort to compose myself. But this is not my accomplishment. I experienced a rest in God, a rest in the perfect love in the bizarre chaos caused by evil forces.


Of course there has been tears, of joy over life, and of sorrow over all those who have lost so much, but never one tear of bitterness, anger or frustration on behalf of myself. It all comes down to the boundless grace and unfathomable mystery that I live “through” him and “in” him. That is where my heart and my thoughts are kept – and it takes me to the verses were I am in my personal devotions: 


Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
1 John 4:8-9
Today’s ‘manna’
To live through him is to live through love.

Wednesday

Thursday word from Genesis (55)



'And Israel said, “I am convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”' Genesis 45:28. What Jacob now believed revived his spirit, (v 27). A parent who loses a child they love never recovers from the loss of that loved one. Though it is undoubtedly a comfort if they know where that child is and they experience God's closeness and reassurance, there is ever a deep wound, as when a limb has been wrenched from its socket. The scar will always remain; they will always be aware of the absence of that limb. All the parent can do is try and adjust to living with the loss.

Jacob knew not where his son was, believing that he had been devoured by some wild beast (37:33). He never recovered or adjusted to the loss and always feared it happening again, (42:4). Once convinced that Joseph was alive, his spirit lifted. Again we see a parallel with the resurrection of Jesus and the joy and excitement that took the place of sorrow and depression once the disciples were convinced that Jesus was alive. It is something of the transformation that a person experiences when they discover Jesus for themselves.

One thing that struck me forcibly about verse 28 was how Jacob's one concern for going to Egypt was that of seeing Joseph. The brothers may have been more concerned about the food that they would have, or may have been excited at the sight of all the 'best things of Egypt' having glimpsed a sample on previous visits. Jacob's one concern was that of seeing Joseph. With all that awaits us in heaven, the one thing the devoted Christian wants more than any other is to see Jesus face to face. 'Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror,' says St Paul, 'then we shall see face to face.' 1 Corinthians 13:12. God bless you all.

Monday

Israel vs. ISIS

- Prophesy News Watch - 

ISIS is stepping up its rhetoric towards Israel and many analysts believe this will be the year it attempts to expand it's influence in the Muslim world by targeting Israel with direct terror attacks.

A variety of news sources have recently pointed out some key developments in this regard:

The number of Israeli Arabs involved in Islamic State's activities has risen the past year. While eight incidents involving ISIS were uncovered in 2014, there have been 14 incidents and 34 arrests linked to the group in 2015. According to Shin Bet assessments, a few hundred Israeli Arabs support ISIS: 32 of whom have already gone to fight in Syria and Iraq, and seven of whom were killed in the fighting in Syria.


Read more HERE.

Thursday

Looking back at 2015 and Boundless

Salvation Army Today takes a look back on 2015 and The Salvation Army's 150th anniversary celebration in London.

Tuesday

The sound of his voice

David Wilkerson, March 2002

Jesus lived his life on earth wholly dependent on the heavenly Father. Our Savior did nothing and said nothing until he first consulted with his Father in glory. And he performed no miracles except those the Father instructed him to do. He declared, "As my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And...the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him" (John 8:28-29).

Christ makes it very clear: he was led daily by his Father. And his practice of total dependence, always listening to his Father's voice, was part of his daily walk. We see this in a scene from the Gospel of John. One sabbath day, Jesus was walking near the pool of Bethesda when he saw a crippled man lying on a mat. Christ turned to the man and commanded him to pick up his bed and walk. Immediately, the man was made whole. He walked away healed.

The Jewish leaders were enraged by this. In their minds, Jesus had broken the sabbath by healing the man. But Christ answered, "I only did what my Father told me to do." He explained, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work...The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth" (John 5:17-20).

Read more HERE.