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| Fri. March 19 |
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| SCRIPTURE READING: John 14:15-17 |
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| KEY VERSE: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever" (John 14:16).
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| Apprenticeship in Holiness |
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We can praise with joy and serve with zeal, but unless our love for Jesus is joined by obedience, God will not be impressed. Jesus explains, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Obeying Christ requires more than willpower, but the active presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. After Jesus calls for obedience, He announces the coming of the Spirit, implying that the Spirit helps us know and do the right thing. Unfortunately, His "divine nudges" are not always easy to heed.
Once, after being nudged by the Holy Spirit, I sensed God wanted me to go to a mentor and apologize for my negative spirit. I presumed if I apologized, he would do the same for his part in our misunderstanding. I walked into his office and confessed. I waited for him to respond in kind. Surprisingly, he said, "Thank you!" That was it. I exited a little peeved. Then I realized obedience to God cannot be carried out "with strings attached." The Holy Spirit beckons us to follow and please our Savior regardless of human response. Our motivation is nothing more or less than what led Jesus to Calvary (Phil. 2:8).
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| Janine Metcalf |
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| SING TO THE LORD |
Trust and obey,
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey.
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| "Trust and Obey" by John H. Sammis |
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| REACH OUT IN PRAYER |
| Developing Christian leaders in Antigua and St. Croix. |
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| THOUGHT FOR THE DAY |
| Jesus "props us on the leaning side," and the prop is Jesus himself (W. E. McCumber). |
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| THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR |
| Judges 1-4 |
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All Scripture quotations not otherwise designated are from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
All hymn texts are taken from the hymnal Sing to the Lord. Copyright © 1993 by Lillenas Publishing Company.
Copyright © 2010 by WordAction Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Http://www.WordAction.com |
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