First Assembly of God

 Daily Devotional

"NO SHORTCUTS" by Pastor Bob Baril

(This is a devotional I used at our Wednesday evening "Praise & Prayer" meeting in August 2009.  I decided to post it here for awhile!  Please scroll down the page to see a Daily Devotional posted by "God's Word For Today" from Gospel Publishing House.)

(Read  HEBREWS chapter 5)

Not long ago, I was reading Hebrews chapter 5 for my personal devotional reading.  What struck me is that most of us want “shortcuts” in life.  We want to “get where we need to go quickly “  (whether that’s literally speaking or figuratively speaking).  My Uncle (by marriage) Jim learned to drive late in life...he was around 48-years-old when he got his driver’s license in the late 1950s.  When I was learning to drive, my father told me that J.P. Keddy had said, “I just want to learn enough to PASS!”  He wasn't really interested in learning all the fundamentals of driving.  So, the first time around he failed his driving test.  He learned that there are no shortcuts.  There are also no shortcuts to spiritual growth.  Even Jesus (v. 8) “learned obedience by the things which he suffered.”  Years ago, old Pastor Westover used to highlight that verse as a difficult verse to understand;  but even JESUS had (humanly speaking) had to learn some difficult things by experience. So, we need to learn the Word of God and the things of God.  It takes a lot of time and effort and thought.  There are NO SHORTCUTS, as verses 11-14 indicate.  But IF we’ll take the time and make the effort and “dig into” God’s Word, there will be some great spiritual insights and rewards for us!

 

 


 

 

 

 

Theme: I Believe in Communion

Blood of the Lamb

Read Exodus 12:7–13

From the first sin, God has made a way to cover sin and erase it from the person’s record. At their root, sin offerings involve blood sacrifice.

The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt (Exodus 12:13).

As the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt, God made a way for them to show they were protected from the coming plague—they put fresh blood on their doorposts. To remember this event, Jewish people even today still gather to relive the night before they left Egypt.

Christians also join together in worship to remember how God provided a lamb for their salvation. We take Communion to remember how Jesus became a sin offering for the world. Anyone can ask God to put the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of their heart. Afterwards, He will remove from them the consequences of sin and pass over them at the time of judgment.

Thought for Today: Because of Jesus’ death, we can have life.

Devotional brought to you by God's Word For Today.
God's Word For Today is available from Gospel Publishing House.

 

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