Tag: Guided By Grace

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GAVE HIMSELF FOR US / TITUS 2:14

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

GAVE HIMSELF FOR US / TITUS 2:14

Jesus willingly gave His own perfect life in our place to pay the complete penalty for our sins and offenses against God (1 Peter 1:18-19). He did this in order

  1. To redeem (save, rescue, restore) us from all wickedness and from our own selfish desire to defy God’s law and standards (1 John 3:4).
  2. To make us a holy people – spiritually purified, separated from evil and reserved as God’s very own special possession. When facing struggles with our own sinful desires and Satan’s power, we must realize that if Jesus died to restore us to a personal relationship with God, how much more will He now give us enough help and strength necessary to live victoriously over the power of sin and evil (Romans 5:9-11) and “to do what is good” (Titus 2:11; 3:8).

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  1. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Blessings,

Margarita & Stace

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DO NOT CONFORM … BUT BE TRANSFORMED / ROMANS 12:2

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Romans 12:2  
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

DO NOT CONFORM … BUT BE TRANSFORMED / ROMANS 12:2

Paul brings out several things in this verse:

  1. There is a very real pressure to conform “to the pattern” of this world and be squeezed into its likeness on many different levels. Christians must firmly resist the temptation to accept and imitate the world’s ways of thinking and behaving.
  2. The reason we must resist adopting the world’s way is because it is evil (Acts 2:40; Galatians 1:4), it is under Satan’s rule (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19), it is hostile to God and His people (John 7:7; 15:18-21; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17) and it is built on human wisdom and values (1 Corinthians 1:17-25). The world holds a worldview that Christians cannot accept because it rejects God and His standards (Romans 1:18-32; Colossians 2:8).
  3. Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). This world’s kingdom is full of spiritual darkness, deception, and seduction (Matthew 5:14-16; John 3:19; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 12:9). Christ’s followers are called to be a light in the midst of this darkness (Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 5:8-11). Our lives should reflect a positive difference that those in the world cannot help but notice. This includes resisting the temptation to conform to the varied types of worldliness common in society, including greed, selfishness, humanistic thinking, a desire for power, envy, hate, revenge, filthy language, sexual lust and impurity, ungodly entertainment, fashions that are immodest and seductive, substance abuse, relationships that do not honor God and other such things that defy the standards of God’s Word (Ephesians 5:3-16; 1 John 2:15-17).

Instead of conforming to the world’s values and lifestyles, our minds must continually be renewed and transformed (changed) to God’s way of thinking (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5). This can only happen as we spend time reading and meditating on His Word (pondering over and over what it means and how it applies to our lives; Psalms 119:11, 148; John 8:31-32; 15:7). This will allow our visions, values, behaviors and plans to be directed by God’s eternal truth, rather than by the world’s temporary and deceptive pattern.

GOD’S WILL

By having a spiritually renewed mind and a transformed life through a growing relationship with Christ, we are able to discern and follow God’s will – His desires, plans and intentions based on His character and purposes. This is His highest and best way of life for us (though not necessarily the easiest). Some mistakenly regard the references to “good, pleasing and perfect” as three levels of God’s will, but this is really a single description of God’s ultimate purpose. God’s will is “good because it leads to a Christian’s spiritual and moral growth. It is “pleasing” to God because it serves His purposes, even though we may not always understand it. It is “perfect” because we cannot improve on God’s will; it is absolutely what is best for us in our relation to fulfilling His purposes.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. THE SPIRIT HIMSELF TESTIFIES / ROMANS 8:16
  2. THE SPIRIT HELPS US / ROMANS 8:26
  3. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME
Thank you for taking the time to read my Daily Devotion.
Blessings,
Margarita & Stace
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SPOKE WITH A MAN’S VOICE / 2 PETER 2:16

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) 2 Peter 2:16
But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

SPOKE WITH A MAN’S VOICE / 2 PETER 2:16

Peter clearly believes in the miracles recorded in the Old Testament. Today, self-appointed critics (whom we sometimes find within the church) speak with mocking disrespect and unbelief and reject the reality of the miracles recorded in God’s Word; they also reject those who believe in miracles, believing they are unenlightened or naïve. But true believers take God at His Word and accept all the Bible’s miracles, and THE MIRACLES OF THE APOSTLES. They also believe and know that God performs miracles today in response to the prayers and faith of His people (John 6:2).

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  1. GUIDED BY GRACE ABOUT
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MONEY / MATTHEW 6:24

START YOUR DAY RIGHT WITH DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

MONEY / MATTHEW 6:24

  1. To serve money is to place such a high value on it that we
  2. Allow a desire for it to be a main factor in our life decisions and priorities
  3. Place our trust and faith in it
  4. Depend on it for our ultimate security and happiness
  5. Expect it to guarantee our future
  6. Desire it more than we desire God’s plans and purposes.
  7. Greed and the accumulation of wealth soon dominate one’s mind and life so that honoring God is no longer the main priority in a person’s life.

Bible Study Tools I Use

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. GO … MAKE DISCIPLES … BAPTIZING / MATTHEW 28:19
  2. SALT OF THE EARTH / MATTHEW 5:13
  3. YOU ARE WORTH MORE / MATTHEW 10:31
  4. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

Thank you for taking the time to read my Daily Devotion
Blessings,
Margarita & Stace

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THE SPIRIT HIMSELF TESTIFIES / ROMANS 8:16

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

THE SPIRIT HIMSELF TESTIFIES / ROMANS 8:16

As we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and remain in right relationship with Jesus, the Spirit gives us the confidence that we are God’s children (Romans 8:15). He makes us aware that Jesus continues to love us and that He is our constant mediator in heaven (Hebrews 7:25). The Spirit also shows us that God the Father loves us as His adopted children no less than He loves His one and only Son, Jesus (John 14:21, 23; 17:23); and He reminds us of the reward Jesus will share with us in heaven. Finally, the Spirit creates in us the love and confidence by which we cry to Him, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15) – which is an expression of a deeply personal relationship with and access to God.

Bible Study Tools I Use

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

Thank you for taking the time to read my Daily Devotion.
Blessings,
Margarita & Stace
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YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER / ACTS 1:8

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER / ACTS 1:8

This is the key verse in the book of Acts. The primary purpose of the baptism in the Spirit is to provide power to communicate the message of Jesus to others. The purpose of the baptism is to receive power to deliver the message that those who do not have a personal relationship with God can receive His forgiveness, learn to follow Jesus and fulfill His purposes for their lives. The end result is that more people come to know, love and honor Jesus as Lord – the Leader and authority in their lives (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:49; John 5:23; 15:26-27).

  1. “Power” (Greek dunamis) means more than strength or ability; it refers to a power at work or in action. Luke (in his Gospel and in Acts) points out that the Holy Spirit’s power included the authority to drive out evil spirits (to command them to release their control in people’s lives) and the anointing (empowering, commissioning) to heal the sick. These were described as the two essential signs accompanying the bold message of God’s kingdom (Luke 4:14, 18, 36: 5:17; 6:19; 9:1-1; Acts 6:8; 8:4-8, 12-13; 10:38; 14:3; 19:8-12). The baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s way of releasing the power of the Holy Spirit into a Christian’s life.
  2. Luke here does not relate the baptism in the Spirit to the first experience of personal spiritual salvation. He describes it as power coming upon someone who is already a follower of Christ, then working from withing him or her to effectively communicate Christ’s message.
  3. The Holy Spirit’s primary work in proclaiming and promoting the message of Jesus has to do with how he comes upon – or “clothes” Christians with God’s power. The spirit is really the one who convinces people of their need for God’s forgiveness and the truth of how Christ’s death and resurrection makes spiritual salvation and a personal relationship with God possible (Acts 2:14-42).

YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES

The baptism in the Holy Spirit not only provides power to proclaim the message about forgiveness and new life through faith in Jesus it also increases the effectiveness of the Christian’s personal testimony or witness (Acts 13:31). It does this through the strengthening and deepening of a person’s relationship with the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit that comes from being filled with the Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26-27; Mark 1:11).

  1. The Holy Spirit reveals and makes more real to us the personal presence of Jesus (John 14:16-18). Responding to this inner voice or witness from the Spirit will bring us into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus and will result in an increasing desire to love, honor, and please Him as our Savior.
  2. The Holy Spirit witnesses both to and through Christians to convince people of God’s “righteousness” (John 16:8, 10) and “truth” (John 16:13), which “bring glory to” Jesus Christ (John 16:14). This happens through both words and actions. Those who have already received and responded to the Spirit’s testimony about Christ’s spiritually restoring work will show Christ’s character traits of love, truth, and right behavior in their lives (1 Corinthians 13).
  3. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the starting point through which Spirit-filled Christians (those who have received Christ and have God’s Spirit living within them) receive the power to communicate Christ’s message with great effectiveness. This includes the ability to convince people of their spiritual lostness apart from Christ, their accountability to God and their need to get right with Him (John 16:8). This awareness will affect those who proclaim Christ’s message as well as those who receive that message (Acts 2:39-40).
  4. The baptism in the Holy Spirit can be given only to those who have turned toward God in true repentance (admitting and expressing true remorse for sin, turning from their own way, and submitting to Jesus’ leadership, Acts 2:38; 3:26; Matthew 3:2). The power of the baptism is maintained by the same sincere devotion to Jesus Christ and His purposes (Acts 5:32).
  5. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a baptism (an immersion) into the Spirit who is holy (“Spirit of holiness,” Romans 1:4). God’s holiness refers to His purity, perfection, spiritual completeness, and separation from evil. This means that if we have truly submitted to God and His Spirit is at work in us in all His fullness, our lives will become saturated with His character traits. As a result, we will be more like Christ and be an example of His holiness.

In light of these Biblical truths, those who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit will have a strong desire to please Christ in everything they do. That is because the baptism in the Spirit complements (completes, fills up) the saving and spiritually purifying work of the Holy Spirit in Christians’ lives. Those who claim to have experienced the fullness (the baptism) of the Spirit yet live in a way that is contrary to the character of God’s Holy spirit, are revealing the fact they do not

Bible Study Tools I Use

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. SUFFER FOR MY NAME / ACTS 9:16
  2. THEY BELIEVED … THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST / ACTS 8:12
  3. WHEN THEY HEARD THIS / ACTS 11:18
  4. THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THEM / ACTS 19:6
  5. SPEAKING IN TONGUES / ACTS 10:46
  6. GOD DOES NOT SHOW FAVORITISM / ACTS 10:34
  7. THEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 8:17
  8. HAD NOT YET COME UPON ANY OF THEM / ACTS 8:15-16
  9. THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 4:31
  10. FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4
  11. THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:15
  12. THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
  13. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
  14. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
  15. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
  16. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
  17. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME
Thank you for taking the time to read my Daily Devotion.
Blessings,
Margarita & Stace
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TRIALS / JAMES 1:2

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) James 1:2
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

TRIALS / JAMES 1:2

The word “trials” (Greek peirasmoi) refers to persecutions or great pressures in our lives (sometimes from the world or Satan) that God can use to strengthen our faith and develop in us perseverance and godly character. Trials, therefore, become the means by which we may become “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). The believer must see each trial as an opportunity to respond to a transforming work of God, knowing the following:

  1. We are to face our trials with joy (Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 5:3; 1 Peter 1:6) because of the benefits and positive results they will produce if we hold fast to our faith and hope (James 1:12; Romans 5:3-5). James reminds the believers that their faith will grow stronger only as it is faced with difficulties and opposition (James 1:3-4, 12).
  2. Trials can be viewed as a “testing of your faith” (James 1:3). Difficulties allow God to test and prove the sincerity of our faith. God’s Word never teaches us that troubles in life are an automatic sign that God is disappointed with us. Instead, they can indicate that God recognizes our faith and has confidence in our commitment to Him (Job 1-2).
  3. The same Greek root translated as “temptations” in James 1:13. The main difference is that the emphasis in James 1:2-3 is on pressures from outside sources beyond our immediate control, while James 1:13-15 refer to inner moral struggles, such as the temptation to sin. The latter reference is speaking of problems that often stem from our own selfish and ungodly desires.  

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. TO THE TWELVE TRIBES / JAMES 1:1
  2. CONFESS … PRAY … BE HEALDED / JAMES 5:16
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TO THE TWELVE TRIBES / JAMES 1:1

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) James 1:1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

TO THE TWELVE TRIBES / JAMES 1:1

The original readers of this letter were likely Jewish Christians, many of whom had been scattered because of persecution. (The nation of Israel was divided into twelve tribes, or family lines, that descended from the sons of Jacob, the patriarch whom God renamed Israel; Genesis 32:28). As a leader in the Jerusalem church, James was well known to these believers, especially since they may originally have been part of the church in Jerusalem.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. CONFESS … PRAY … BE HEALDED / JAMES 5:16
  2. Guided By Grace About

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Blessings,
Margarita & Stace
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FALSE PROPHET … THE MIRACULOUS / REVELATION 19:20

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Revelation 19:20

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

FALSE PROPHET … THE MIRACULOUS / REVELATION 19:20

John again describes the false prophet by one primary characteristic: he deceived many by performing miraculous signs (Revelation 13:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Since Satan can only imitate the genuine things of God, these miracles will be full of lies and deception, just as in all that Satan does (John 8:44). In the last days, those who desire to remain faithful to Christ and His Word (Revelation 14:12) must not base their perception and evaluation of truth and reality solely on the appearance of success or miracles. The Lord Himself warns: “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – it that were possible” (Matthew 24:24).

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  1. THE LAMB OPENED / REVELATION 6:1
  2. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME
Thank you for taking the time to read my Daily Devotion.
Blessings,
Margarita & Stace
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SUFFER FOR MY NAME / ACTS 9:15-16

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Acts 9:15-16

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

SUFFER FOR MY NAME / ACTS 9:15-16

Saul’s (Paul’s) spiritual transformation not only involved a commission to preach the message of Christ, but also a call to suffer for the cause of Christ. In Christ’s kingdom, suffering for His sake is a sign of God’s highest favor (Acts 14:22; Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12). It is often the way to a truly fruitful and effective ministry (John 12:24; 2 Corinthians 1:3-6), and it results in great reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12; 2 Timothy 2:12). A follower of Christ must experience this process of “dying to self” (rejecting and becoming unresponsive to sin and selfish desires) on a daily basis (Romans 6:2-11; 8:10-14; 1 Corinthians 15:31). “Dying to self” allows believers to experience God’s life flowing through them, bringing God’s love and salvation to others (Romans 8:17-18, 36-37; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12). 

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Some links may be affiliated. By purchasing an item from an affiliate link, I receive a small commission – but you are not charged more or less by clicking or purchasing through the link. Thank you for supporting me!

Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

Thank you for taking the time to read my Daily Devotion.
Blessings,
Margarita & Stace
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