Today Daily Devotional

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Heaven, the New Creation
“For you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” — Malachi 4:2 On the dairy farm where I grew up, it was always fun to watch young calves when they were first released into the pasture. For a few seconds the freedom seemed to paralyze them. Taking in the bright sun and the unfamiliar sights and smells, they stood motionless. Then suddenly they would leap into the air and race around! Soon exhausted, they would stop to rest—and then do it all over again and again. About four centuries before Jesus came, Malachi prophesied about God’s people living joyfully, even frolicking “like well-fed calves.” Today the kingdom grows under the watchful eye of the reigning King Jesus, and when he returns, it will be established permanently and perfectly. With “no more death or mourning or crying or pain,” we will have life to the full, and we may even frolic like young calves! With paradise regained, we will reign with Jesus in resurrected bodies for eternity. But life is often hard for us now. And growing old, as people say, is not for the faint of heart! But one day we will be released from the struggles of this life and freed to live with the Lord forever. In Christ, death has become like a doorway to eternal life with God and the promise of the new creation. Whether we are dead or alive when Jesus returns, the new creation awaits us! Father, we long for the day when we are released from our present struggles to enjoy life with you and in the new creation forever. Strengthen our faith as we begin to experience eternal joy even now, in Jesus. Amen.
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The Body of Christ
God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body. . . . — Ephesians 1:22-23 Maybe you have heard someone say, “I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian.” This is true. Many Christians have been jailed for their faith and have been prevented from going to or attending church worship services. But the church is not a place where we “go.” The church is the body of Christ. Wherever God’s people meet for worship and fellowship, the church is present. The church is found not only in buildings that we call churches but also in prisons, on college campuses, on remote mission fields, in homes within countries that have outlawed Christianity, and more. The Bible likens the church to a human body and says that we are each a part of the body (1 Corinthians 12). Being a Christian and being part of the church are synonymous. Every part of the body is important, and every part contributes to the overall well-being of the entire body. While it may be true that we don’t need to “go to church” to be a Christian, the parts of the body can die if they are disconnected from the whole. A foot, finger, eye, or kidney, for example, cannot live if it is not connected to the body. Only when we minister to others, and are ministered to, can we grow in our faith and flourish! Lord, thank you for the church, your body, in its many different shapes and forms throughout the world. Thank you for joining me to the church. Help me to serve and to be served as a part of it! Amen.
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God the Spirit Lives in Us
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” — John 14:15-17 One Friday each month, the college where I serve as campus minister celebrates “Spirit Day.” On Spirit Day students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to wear black and gold, the college colors, and to attend the college sports games. In our culture we often emphasize having a strong school, work, and team spirit. Many of us develop a strong national spirit as well. As a result, we can tend to view the Holy Spirit more as a power than as a person. But there is much to gain when we realize that the Holy Spirit is God himself living in us (2 Timothy 1:14), along with God’s power being present in our lives. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Advocate,” or “Counselor” (John 14:26), and he tells us that the Spirit will convict us of sin and guide us into all truth (16:7-15). The Spirit will make known to us what belongs to the Father and the Son. There is comfort and joy in knowing that God himself lives within us to lead and guide us. Paul tells us that our bodies are “temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in [us]” (1 Corinthians 6:19). What an amazing blessing it is to have God living in us! When we ask God to lead and guide us, and when we actively follow him, a whole new life of comfort and joy opens up for us. The Holy Spirit living in us changes our lives and the lives of the people around us. Spirit of God, we are honored to have you living in us. Lead us into the truth each day! In Jesus, Amen.
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The Ascension of Jesus
Jesus Christ . . . has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. — 1 Peter 3:21-22 Years ago, I attended an air show. A military jet flew low over the runway and then turned its nose skyward and flew straight up until the clouds hid it from sight! The sound of its engines faded when we could no longer see the jet. But we all knew it would come back! And it did. The disciples were gathered with Jesus when suddenly he rose up from the ground, and “a cloud hid him from their sight.” While the disciples were staring up intently, two angels assured them—and us—that this same Jesus would one day return in the same way. Where is Jesus now? He is seated at God’s right hand, reigning over all creation. Before he left, Jesus promised his followers that he would send his Holy Spirit to be with them. In the power of the Spirit they would bring the good news of Jesus to the nations and teach people what it means to live as followers of the Lord. And one day he will return, and we will live with the Lord forever in a renewed creation! Right now, Jesus, in his resurrected human body, is in heaven, and in his divinity he fills the entire universe. As the King of kings and Lord of lords, he is building his kingdom, preparing for the day when he will return. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the joy, peace, and comfort we have in knowing that your Son, our Lord, is reigning over all creation. Help us to carry out the work you give us as loyal followers of Jesus. Amen.
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The Resurrection of Jesus
Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. — Matthew 28:9 Can an event that took place two thousand years ago benefit humanity today? When Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried, his body lay in a stone-sealed tomb. And then . . . he took a breath; his body stirred; God raised him from the dead. And before some of his followers came to visit the tomb, an angel rolled away the stone so that they could see Jesus had risen. What difference does that make for us today? Well, whatever I am doing today, I know that my Lord and Father will see me as his child clothed in the righteousness of the risen Christ. The Bible teaches us that, as God’s children, we have been crucified and have died with Christ, and we have been buried with him and have risen to new life with him. And we experience this new life in amazing ways as we grow in faith, serve the Lord, and meet with others in Jesus’ name—in our churches, neighborhoods, college campuses, workplaces, and more. We are also assured that when Jesus returns, the bodies of all who have died believing in him will be raised to live with him. Just as Jesus left the tomb in his resurrected body, I will rise from the grave with mine! Yes, an event that took place two thousand years ago offers us a world of comfort and joy! Lord, even as we begin to enjoy new life in you today, we look forward to our own resurrection, when we can live, body and soul, with you! Amen.
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