Fred's Devo # 43 " The Attitude of the Believer"

Yesterday we discussed What Love looks like. Today, we look at the "Attitude and demeanor of the believer. Our scripture passage reads:
"11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:11-13

According to Paul in this passage, the primary attitude of the Christian should be one of zeal and fervor as we serve the Lord. Why? Because we are serving the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Suppose you finished college and got a job working for President Obama! When you shared with your friends you would share it with excitement and enthusiasm because of the rare privilege of serving such a great man. Even more so, the Lord Jesus Christ is worthy of our zeal and excitement as we talk about his goodness!
The scripture also tells us to be joyful in hope but also patient in tribulation. It's easy to be joyful when things are hopeful but when affliction or trouble hit-we don't get a pass. He says be patient anyway! We can do as we grow in the fruits of the Spirit as found in Galations 5; patience is one of them" Check this out: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Prayer: Lord help me to grow in my zeal and joy for you! Help me, even when I am having a hard day, not to cuss and fuss but instead to be patient in trouble, trusting you and remaining faithful in prayer and service to others.
In Jesus Name Amen!

Fred's Devo #42 What Does Love Look Like

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10

What does love look like when it moves from nice sentimental words to action. It is first sincere, it does not come from surface flattery but from authentic sincerity. Love shows up at the bedside of a friend when they are sick. Love stops by to take a brother to work when his car breaks down. Love is willing to sit and listen as I pour out my pain over a recent loss. Love shows up and loyalty and commitment when everyone else has abandoned me. Love shows up best when it can't be repaid. What does love look like? I Corinthians 13: gives a clue: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres"

Let's pray: Lord, I know that this kind of love is the God kind of love that only comes from you. It does not run out like human love. Lord, help me to grow in this kind of sacrificial, selfless love that is possible only through the power of Jesus Christ. Help me to die to self so that you will be exalted, even as I express your love to others!
In Jesus Name! Amen

Fred's Devo # 41 "Love Must Be Sincere"

Today we continue with how members of the body of Christ are to live and work together. Here's the passage:
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21)

Love must be sincere is how Paul opens this passage. Love is the hallmark of realtionships within the body of Christ. It is the one outward sign that the world looks for to determine if we are followers of Christ! Jesus said in
John 13:34 says: "34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Prayer: Lord,since Love within the body of Christ is so important help me to walk in your love as I go throughout my day.
In Jesus Name. Amen!

Devotional # 40 Life Together in the Body of Christ

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21

This passage is a picture of what living life together in the body of Christ should look like. When others see Christians in community, they will not see perfect people, but they should see relationships motivated by love.

Prayer: Lord as a member of your body, help me to be motivated by love-not selfishness as I relate to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Jesus Name! Amen!

Fred's Devotional # 39 Scriptures on Salvation

Today instead of the regular devotional, I wanted to share some basic scriptures found in the bible on the subject of salvation. Read them, meditate on them and be reminded of what a great gift of salvation we have been given by God through our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Scriptures on Salvation*
Become a Christian
Many people are looking for God. If you're one of those people, we'd like to share with you that the Bible has what you are seeking. It contains answers to life's vital questions, and—most important—can help you understand how to have a right relationship with God. Here are some selected verses:

God Loves You
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. —John 3:16
But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8

All Are Sinners
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. —Romans 3:23
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. —Romans 3:10

God's Remedy for Sin
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. —Romans 6:23
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. —John 1:12

All May Be Saved Now
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him. —Revelation 3:20(a)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Romans 10:13
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. —John 20:31

Receive Christ as Your Saviour Now
Confessing to God that I am a sinner, and believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins on the cross and was raised for my justification, I now receive and confess Him as my personal Saviour.

Seeking a Church
After making your decision to receive Christ, we encourage you to prayerfully seek a local Bible-believing church that will assist you in growing as a new Christian. "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever." Amen. —II Peter 3:18

Assurance as a Believer
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.—Romans 10:9 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. —John 5:24

* I am indebted to Gideons International for providing these scriptures. Visit their website at:

http://www.gideons.org and click on:"Become A Christian"

Fred's Devotional # 38 "The Motivational Gift of Mercy"

"So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:5-7.

The Motivational Gift of Mercy, provides a very important balance within the body of Christ. Christians are called to speak the truth of God's word, which can be challenging to us. We are are called to correct, exhort and rebuke. At the same time, we are also called to show mercy and to help those in need. This is called the gift of mercy. Colossians 3:12-13 says:

2Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (King James version)

The person with the gift of mercy has the "God given ability to show genuine empathy and compassion for individuals, both Christian and non Christian who suffer distressing physical, mental or emotional problems and the ability to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds which reflects Christ's love and alleviate the suffering" *

This gift allows the body of Christ to take it's focus off the business at hand and care for the hurting among us. Although this is not everyone's primary gift, Christ would have all of us to be sensitive to the needs of those around us and be willing to help when we can.

Prayer: Lord, help me to show your love by being sensitive to the needs and hurts of others as I go about my day. In Jesus Name! Amen!

Learn more at:

http://www.victorylifechurch.org/pdf/motivational_gift_of_mercy.pdf

Fred's Devo #37 Jesus Suffering Saves Us

Today's devotional comes from a guest "devotionalist" , Rev. Bill Bauerle.

He talks about the fact that even though Jesus was fully God, he also became a man so that he could identify with our suffering: I especially appreciate this quote. "Christ's suffering is able to save all who obey him."
Read and be blessed!
Fred Williams

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Good morning friends,

Hebrews 5:7-9
"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.'

There are times the question of whether Jesus could disobey God is posed. The writer here seems to anticipate that question himself and points out the reality of Christ being in the flesh. While Christ was not born with a sin nature, he was true humanity none the less. Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, not with some kind of show, but with real anguish. This most likely is a direct reference to the garden, but I don’t think we need to limit it to just the garden. I think that we, at times, discount the hard reality of Christ’s temptations and sufferings as being something less because of His deity. We have already read that Jesus was tempted in all points and this temptation was not just an abstract, but real. We read here that Jesus, though fully God, learned obedience. He did not learn obedience through His Sonship, but through his suffering in His humanity. We read here that it is Christ’s perfect humanity that is what was able to
merit eternal salvation. It was in the fact that he actually struggled with being true humanity, and I think with the bare possibility to fail, that Christ’s sacrifice is able to save all that obey Him. As we consider the humiliation of Christ let us not discount lightly the real anguish and suffering that Christ experience to merit our salvation. As we take the cup and the bread consider the level of anguish and suffering Christ suffered.

Bill Bauerle