Emmanuel & Georgina

01/10/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫💥
Jesus teaches what to focus on in our prayers and encourages us to approach God with a humble heart.
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟔:𝟓-𝟏𝟎

Are your conversations with God primarily a checklist of needs? Petitions are certainly appropriate, but prayer is also a time to focus on the Lord in love and worship. When praying to our Father in heaven, we should ponder three things that today’s passage indicates are important to Him: His name, His kingdom, and His will (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭. 𝟔:𝟗-𝟏𝟎).

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞: While the goal is to honor and exalt God, our prayers can easily become self-centered. This can be an issue in public prayer if we try to exalt ourselves in the eyes of others. But it can also happen privately when we focus only on what we want God to do.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: Praying for God’s coming kingdom means setting our hope on Christ’s future reign while submitting to His rule over our life now.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞: No matter how much we want the Lord to answer our prayers the way we desire, every petition must be readily submitted to God’s will. It is a way of acknowledging that His way is always best.

The next time you pray, make a point of pondering the Lord’s greatness, exalting Him, and humbly submitting your will to His.

01/08/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡💥
To conquer our fears, we should identify them but then focus instead on God and Scripture.
𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝟏:𝟔-𝟗

Yesterday we discussed how fear and anxiety can enslave us and color our perspective to the point that we live in a constant state of unease. But as Christians, we have a heavenly Father who has promised to care for us and work all things for our good. Jesus said if we continue in His Word, we will know the truth, and it will set us free (𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟖:𝟑𝟏-𝟑𝟐). But practically speaking, how do we live in such freedom?

𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬: It’s fairly easy to recognize surface causes, but ultimately, the root of our apprehension is a distrust of God. Yet the truth of His constant loving protection and His sovereignty over every situation in our life can dispel all our anxiety.

𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫: Every time dread enters our heart, we must remember that we are in the hand of our almighty, all-knowing, loving Father.
𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝: This is a powerful step in overcoming anxiety since the Bible is an immovable anchor for our life.

In times of trouble, we must hold fast to Scripture because fear is shattered on the foundational truth of God’s Word. When we learn to respond to our uneasiness in these three ways, we will live freely as our Father intended.

01/07/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫💥
Though some apprehension is healthy, fear should not be a way of life for the Christian.
𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝟒𝟏:𝟖-𝟏𝟎

Since our world has many dangers, we have legitimate reasons to be afraid. But Christians should not live in trepidation as a way of life, because God’s awesome promises allow us to be at peace in every circumstance.

For our protection, God has instilled some natural apprehensions in us, like a fear of snakes or deep water. He also gave us a warning system so that we could react quickly to danger. For instance, if a car speeds toward us, an instantaneous reaction of alarm could save our life.

But a constant, all-consuming dread is unhealthy. Most of our fears relate to dangers that might occur, threatening the welfare of loved ones, financial stability, or future security. Our attention is then centered on these concerns rather than on the One who promises to hold us in His hand (𝐈𝐬𝐚. 𝟒𝟏:𝟏𝟎). As anxiety grows, trust in the Lord weakens, and we become consumed with worry.

Instead of going down this route, ground yourself in Scripture, and don’t allow apprehension to blind you to God’s promises. Believe what He has said in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, and ask “the Lord of peace” to “continually grant you peace in every circumstance.”

01/06/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞💥
We who believe in Jesus no longer have to live as sinners; now we should live as children of God.
𝟏 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏:𝟑-𝟓

Did you know the city of Corinth was known for its ungodliness? The believers there had once been no different from nonbelievers—filled with sexual immorality, greed, envy, wickedness, deceit, and malice. But now they were new creations, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and adopted into God’s family. The “Corinthian lifestyle” no longer fit who they had become in Christ.

Paul reminded the believers of that city not to be influenced by their culture or old patterns of thinking (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫. 𝟔:𝟗-𝟏𝟏). The apostle was not warning them that they might miss out on the kingdom. Instead, he was encouraging them to abandon old ways and bring their behavior in line with who they really were—children of God.

We, too, should know that salvation is permanent and faith ought to have a positive effect on our conduct. Our Savior willingly paid the penalty for our sin, satisfying divine justice and the Law’s demands (𝐑𝐨𝐦. 𝟑:𝟐𝟓-𝟐𝟔). No one can undo what God has accomplished in saving us—namely, pardoning our sins, giving us a new nature, and adopting us into His family. Knowing what His wonderful grace has accomplished should motivate us to live in our new identity as His children, reflecting His light in the world.

01/05/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞💥
Because Jesus paid the price for our sins, we can have hope for the future.
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝟐:𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟒

Some people believe ethical behavior and moral character will get them to heaven. Others think a self-improvement plan is the way to get there. And sadly, there are those who assume they’ll be barred because of their past mistakes.
The truth is that character and deeds do not determine our eternal state. Rather, the barrier between us and holy God is our sinful nature. Adam and Eve’s sin caused all mankind to begin life spiritually dead and under a sentence of judgment (𝐑𝐨𝐦. 𝟓:𝟏𝟐). No amount of good works or moral behavior can change our unholy nature—nor do bad choices make our nature worse.

Without direct help from the Lord, the entrance to heaven would be closed to everyone, and we’d all face an eternity of separation from God. But the Father had a plan so we could live with Him forever: He sent His Son Jesus to take our sins upon Himself and receive the punishment we deserved. What we were helpless to do, Christ accomplished for us. Through faith in Him, we receive a brand-new nature and get to live in God’s presence forever.

We don’t have to worry about earning our place in heaven. Because of Jesus, we can be confident of our future there, which gives our life on earth hope and meaning.

01/04/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭
The body of Christ—also known as the church—is made up of all who believe in Jesus.
𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟒:𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟔

As we saw yesterday, the body of Christ is made up of all people who worship Him, no matter where they are. The head of this body of believers is Jesus Christ, whom Paul described as “the beginning, the first-born from the dead” (𝐂𝐨𝐥. 𝟏:𝟏𝟖).

At salvation, you become a part of the body—regardless of what the membership rules may be at your local church. Therefore, if you’re a believer, you are a breathing and active part of Christ, who is at work on earth through His followers. The church acts as Jesus’ feet to carry the gospel message, His hands to care for those in need of love, and His arms to uphold the weak.

But being Jesus to the world isn’t easy—it means making sacrifices, accepting ridicule, and loving our enemies (𝐇𝐞𝐛. 𝟏𝟑:𝟏𝟔; 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭. 𝟓:𝟒𝟒). God may have called us to spread the gospel, but that doesn’t mean people will necessarily like what we have to say. Regardless, we’re to carry out the work of God, even when doing so is uncomfortable.

The gospel is spread through the strength and wisdom of Jesus Christ. And for this task, He has also chosen to use the body of believers united by His Spirit’s indwelling presence. What an honor to be used to reach the world for our Savior.

01/03/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡💥
The church may be separated into denominations, but there are three things that unify the whole body of Christ.
𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟏:𝟏𝟖-𝟐𝟑

The church is one body, made of all believers in heaven and on earth. There are many denominations and approaches to theology, but Christians are united by a common message, mission, and motive.

𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞: There are three parts of the church’s primary belief. First, man is sinful and unable to alleviate the penalty of sin. Next, Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay our debt, was buried, rose again, and ascended to heaven. Third, everyone will someday stand before God and give an account for his or her life. At that time believers will take responsibility for what they did with the truth they knew, but unbelievers will answer for their rejection of Jesus Christ.

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: The church is also united by its goal to spread the gospel around the world and teach new believers how to grow in faith (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭. 𝟐𝟖:𝟏𝟗). We do this by telling others about the experiences we’ve had with God and His Word.

𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: The church’s motive is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and to glorify God the Father. This should be the driving force behind everything a body of believers sets out to do.

The church is not a place where we go to hide from the world—our mission is to spread the gospel to glorify God. There will be varying levels of opposition and persecution, but we stand together as one body and persevere.

01/02/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝💥
God opens doors for us, in the hope that we will walkthrough.

Take a moment to imagine a doorway. Perhaps you envision the entrance to a cozy cabin, or maybe you picture a massive entryway fit for a palace. Regardless of how the image looks in your mind’s eye, what it symbolizes is an opportunity.

God offers each of us a life worth living, though sometimes that means trusting Him and stepping into the unknown. When we encounter such a door, we don’t have to be afraid but can walk through it with confidence, knowing that if our heavenly Father is involved, He has a plan for us once we’re on the other side (𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐫. 𝟐𝟗:𝟏𝟏). What’s more, He Himself goes before us to prepare the way.

This year, be on the lookout for the doors of opportunity God puts before you. And remember, they very well may not be where you expect—He has a way of using unlikely situations or people, after all (𝐇𝐞𝐛. 𝟏𝟑:𝟏-𝟐). So be listening for Him to direct you, and commit to living with your heart and spiritual eyes wide open.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭
How can you become more sensitive to the many opportunities God will place in your life this year?

01/01/2022

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
💥𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬?💥
The disciples learned by being around Jesus, but today we have a Helper from whom we can learn just as well.
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟒:𝟏𝟖-𝟐𝟓

We might think it was easier for the disciples to follow Jesus than it is for us today. After all, they were able to experience His physical presence and learn from His example, whereas we can’t touch, see, or hear Him the way they could.
But Christ made provision for His work to continue after He left this earth: He promised the disciples a Helper who would never leave them—a Helper who would actually live within them (𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟏𝟒:𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟕).
Today we, too, follow Jesus by hearing and heeding His indwelling Holy Spirit. In fact, there’s no better way to get personal guidance. As Jesus did for His disciples, the Spirit guides us each step of the way and teaches us the truths of God. But His work goes beyond that. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out and enables us to serve and obey the Lord. He helps us discover God’s will for our lives and shows us how to walk in His path. All we have to do is follow.
An essential requirement for following Jesus is sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s voice. And the more yielded we are to His guidance, the sharper our spiritual hearing will become.

09/30/2021

𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏
💥𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮💥
𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟐:𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟑

There are many books promising a successful Christian life, but no humanly inspired technique can ever achieve the work of God. Any commitment or rededication that is based on our own effort will not last; true transformation comes from the Holy Spirit alone. That’s why the Lord wants our humble dependence on Him for strength, growth, and perseverance.
Today’s passage reminds us of these basic truths about the Christian life:
• 𝐖𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. This isn’t referring to our initial conversion through faith in Christ; rather, it’s the process of sanctification by which we grow into Christlikeness. An obedient, holy lifestyle is something we must choose and pursue.
• 𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. There should be no flippancy about how we live because God is holy and we must one day give Him an account of our life.
• 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬. Jesus said we can do nothing apart from Him (𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟏𝟓:𝟓). He’s the one who equips and enables us to live in the way He desires.
God has not left us to do the best we can on our own. He is always at work in believers, to fulfill His desired goals for each of us.

09/29/2021

09/29/2021

𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏
💥𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐜𝐲💥
𝟐 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟑:𝟒-𝟔

Have you ever considered inadequacy a blessing? Life is filled with struggles that reveal our insufficiency, and it arouses uncomfortable emotions that make us feel useless, insignificant, and weak. No one likes the frustration and fear of facing challenges that are too big to handle, but God can use them for our good. Our job is to acknowledge our helplessness, depend on His strength, and step out with confidence in Him.
Inadequacy can be a blessing since it...
• 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.
• 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡.
• 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭.
• 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫.
• 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞.
• 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲.
• 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐦.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers have the ability to endure difficulty and accomplish whatever the Lord calls them to do. By claiming the adequacy of Christ, we can face every circumstance with confidence—not in ourselves but in God, who is totally capable.