Dangelo68⚔️🔥

by JDangelo

Christianity Spirituality

Season 119

Access To Grace

Access into Grace Grace has a door, and faith is the key that unlocks it. The grace of God is not passive, sitting idly by waiting for us to accidentally stumble into it; it has been lavishly poured out, abundantly provided through Christ. But just as a bank account filled with substantial funds does not benefit you financially until you make an intentional withdrawal, the grace that God has made available must be actively accessed, deliberately received by faith. Romans 5:2 tells us that faith is our access into grace. Ephesians 2:8 shows us that our salvation is a gift of grace, but it can only be accessed through faith. This is a critical understanding that separates those who merely know about grace from those who experience its power daily. Faith begins where the will of God is known with certainty. You cannot reach out in faith for something you do not know God has provided. This is precisely why the Word of God is absolutely vital to your Christian walk; it is the detailed catalogue of everything grace has deposited in your account. The more you know what God has provided through careful study of Scriptures, the more accurately and confidently your faith can reach out to receive it. The faith you need to access God’s grace has also been measured out to you (Romans 12:3). All you need to do is build your faith so you can access deeper dimensions of God’s grace. The more you know about what grace has provided, the more your faith has substance to grasp. The more your faith reaches out, the more you experience the abundant supply that has always been yours in Christ.

Season 115

Emotions

Emotions Our emotions are a gift from God, and they carry a lot of influence in our lives. Sometimes we express them toward others with joy, happiness, peace, kindness, and goodness. Other times, our emotional expressions are brutal, caustic, harsh, and hurtful. As our emotions ebb and flow through the ups and downs of life, we must always remember that the Father gave us emotions so that we could enjoy life and express our inner being to others. The problem, however, arises when our emotions control us instead of us controlling them. Throughout Scripture, we see many people expressing their emotions. Saul was jealous of David (1 Sam.18:6-9). Hannah expressed great sadness and cried out to God (1 Sam. 1:10). Elijah, supposedly a powerful man of great faith and courage, confessed numerous times in Scripture that he was afraid (1 Kings 19:2-4). And when you look at the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shares three different times with those gathered to listen, “Don’t be anxious … don’t be anxious … don’t be anxious" (Matt. 6:25-34). Not long ago, I took an informal survey seeking to find what emotion was the most prominent in people’s thinking. By far, anxiety was number one. People were anxious about their jobs, health, financial situations, families, schooling, relationships, and national direction and leadership, just to name a few. There’s no doubt we live in an anxious and uncertain time. And “uncertainty” is the key word when it comes to anxiety. When we’re struggling with anxiety, we’re uncertain about what’s going on in the present moment, uncertain about how life will play out in the future, or uncertain about the impact of the past in each of our lives. Anxiety in itself is not a sin. It’s a normal response to the uncertainty we face in the situations that play out before us in everyday life. The issue is what we do with those anxieties and how long we allow them to live within us. Gaining control of this destructive emotion is key to living the life God intended for us to live. And in the days ahead, I’m going to show you how you can gain the upper hand on anxiety and enjoy a victorious, faith-filled life.

Season 112

What Is Praise?

What is Praise?" Whether we should praise God or not has never really been highly debated amongst Christians. What has been debated over and over is how we should best praise God. Those on the hard right say that God only wants the “frozen chosen,” and that our praise should be invisible. We should keep it to ourselves in a manner that is stoic and self-controlled. On the hard right, there is the “charismatic chaos” which would say that our praise should be exuberant, uninhibited and should fall in line with the likes of that of King David as he became “undignified” before the presence of the Lord. I think the real division comes in how we understand worship as opposed to praise. Generally, worship in the Bible is spoken of as an “unseen” matter of the heart. We prize what we worship in our souls, and it makes its way visibly out into our actions. Our praise is these actions. Where worship is an invisible act that takes place in the soul, our praise is a visible expression that can be seen. Every reference to praise in Scripture, from lifting hands, to clapping, playing instruments, standing, kneeling, bowing, falling prostrate, singing, dancing, shouting, laughing, and joyful expressions, is always accompanied by a physical expression. Therefore, praise IS physical. Our inward worship of our Supreme God drives us toward visible acts of praise. These acts of praise are tangibly seen by all through our five senses: we serve in touch and act through our hands, We speak and sing with our mouth, we look at things with our eyes and visualize more in our imaginations, we taste and consume, and we choose what to hear and therefore follow. Praise is physical. There is no way around it. Scripture portrays men and women of physical praise, not as immature, but rather as deeply mature and enriched. If we are on the hard right, and we devalue physical expression, we should ask ourselves to give Biblical answers for our reasoning. We should seek to challenge ourselves to step out in faith and express with our bodies’ our love for God. If we are on the hard left and we count physical displays of praise as important, we should make sure our expressions are for the edifying of the church and that they spring from a wholehearted worship of Jesus, and not simply from emotion.

Season 110

The Fivefold Definition of Grace

The Fivefold Definition of Grace Grace is Love's free gift. John 3:16 tells us that God loved mankind so much that He gave His only Son for us. We didn’t do anything to earn this great gift. It was an expression of God’s grace. When someone loves you so much that they freely give you something of value, that gift is called grace. God is Love (1 John 4:8, 16), and Love gives freely. Nobody earns grace. Grace is free. Therefore, you cannot brag and pride yourself in the grace of God. Grace is getting what you don't deserve or merit. What God did for Adam in the beginning, giving Him dominion over the earth was unmerited. Adam didn't work for the Garden of Eden, or the trees which God planted and from which Adam could freely eat. The only work he had to do was to keep and tend the garden that God had blessed him with. When you are brought into a provision which you did not labour for, that is grace. Grace is the vast limitless and endless provisions of God reserved for you long before you were created. Many parents prepare ahead before having their babies. Some even go as far as opening a savings account for their child, just to ensure they have provisions as they grow up. 1Timothy 6:17 tells us that God gives us freely all things to enjoy. Grace is divine substitution for human gratification. Jesus became poor so we can be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He bore stripes so we can be healed (1Peter 2:24). He became sin so that we might become God’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is grace at work. Grace is the beautiful impact of God’s Spirit on your heart, producing attractive visible results. Grace is the outward reflection of what God is doing in you through His Word and His Spirit. As a believer, you show forth the beauty of God’s grace with the results you produce with your life, and this causes people to be naturally attracted to you. Luke 4:16-22 Now that you understand what Grace is, tomorrow, we will look at how to gain access into the manifold grace of God.

Season 107

September 1- Already Given

September 1 — Already Given “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” — 2 Peter 1:3 NIV You've probably felt like you're missing something. Maybe it's discipline. Maybe it's faith. Or whatever that person two pews over seems to have figured out. Today's verse throws the list out before you finish making it. In today's verse, Peter doesn't say go find what's missing. Instead, he's saying that everything we need for a godly life has already been given to us. Everything, already given, even before you asked. The tricky bit is in the next phrase: through our knowledge of him. Not by trying harder or reading more or finally getting your act together. But just by knowing Jesus. When Peter uses the word "knowledge" here, he isn't talking about information filed away or things one might learn at seminary school. It's the kind of knowing that comes from actually being with someone, the way you know a spouse or an old friend, not a stranger you've read about. The godly life you're straining toward cannot be assembled piece by piece out of your own willpower. It's already there, sitting inside a relationship that you may not be fully living into. Peter isn't handing you a to-do list today. He's handing you an inventory of what you already own. You just need to lean in and take hold. The days ahead keep circling that same inventory. REFLECT: What are you still trying to earn today that God says He’s already given you?

Season 105

Slow Down And Abide

Slow Down to Abide Key Scriptures 1 Kings 20:40 NKJV "While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." Matthew 11:28-30 MSG “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” John 15:4 NKJV "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." Devotional We live in a culture that celebrates being busy. Full schedules, endless commitments, and constant activity are often viewed as signs of importance and success. Yet, God never intended for His children to be driven by busyness. In 1 Kings 20:40, the servant's excuse was simple: "I was busy here and there." His busyness caused him to lose what had been entrusted to him. It's a sobering reminder that being busy is not always the same as being faithful. Sometimes, constant activity distracts us from what matters most. Jesus offers a different invitation in Matthew 11:28. Rather than calling us to do more, He calls us to come to Him. Rest is not found in escaping responsibilities but in abiding in Christ. As we remain connected to Him, He gives us strength, wisdom, and peace to fulfill our assignments without being consumed by them. God is not calling us to laziness but to fruitfulness. And true fruitfulness flows from intimacy with Christ—not from a hurried life. Whether in your career, ministry, family, or on the playing field, lasting impact comes from walking with Jesus, not racing ahead of Him. Today, choose to slow down. Make room for God's presence. Let your life be marked not by busyness, but by abiding.

Season 103

You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone I looked around and it felt like I was the only parent in the room who was struggling. Everyone else stood with smiles and shoulders that seemed relaxed, prideful even. Full of shiny praise for their children who seemed to do no wrong. As I watched with fear tucked deep in my bones that my child might begin to struggle at any moment, I felt the heavy weight of parenting a child who carries invisible battles. If you too know the feeling, I want to walk with you for the next few days and offer a little hope and help in the spaces of your heart that no one seems to understand. For today as you read the verses, don’t just read them as if they are words on a page. Read them like God is telling you something because He is. You are not alone. God is always with you. This is the beauty we have as parents who seek God for our parenting. We hold a unique key to do things differently than the world. We can seek God’s help when we don’t know what to do. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” I want to challenge you to take this truth and make it personal at this moment. Prayer for today: Dear God, You are my refuge and my strength. You are present in my trouble. You see when I feel desperate and don’t know how to help my child. I need you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Season 101

You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone I looked around and it felt like I was the only parent in the room who was struggling. Everyone else stood with smiles and shoulders that seemed relaxed, prideful even. Full of shiny praise for their children who seemed to do no wrong. As I watched with fear tucked deep in my bones that my child might begin to struggle at any moment, I felt the heavy weight of parenting a child who carries invisible battles. If you too know the feeling, I want to walk with you for the next few days and offer a little hope and help in the spaces of your heart that no one seems to understand. For today as you read the verses, don’t just read them as if they are words on a page. Read them like God is telling you something because He is. You are not alone. God is always with you. This is the beauty we have as parents who seek God for our parenting. We hold a unique key to do things differently than the world. We can seek God’s help when we don’t know what to do. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” I want to challenge you to take this truth and make it personal at this moment. Prayer for today: Dear God, You are my refuge and my strength. You are present in my trouble. You see when I feel desperate and don’t know how to help my child. I need you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Season 99

ABBA Father

Abba Father, I long to be a vessel of your glory and for your glory. I long to walk with you step by step, moment by moment each day. Transform my heart, my mind, my soul—all of me. Thank you for the body you have given me, for energy and purpose, for hands, eyes, ears, and senses to enjoy you and your creation. Thank you for the ability to serve you and others. Thank you as well for providing for my daily need and support. Thank you for a full table, an overflowing cup, for appetite, taste, and sweetness. Thank you especially for the relationships of family and friends and most of all for my relationship with you. Your overwhelming kindness and continual good gifts to me draw my heart to love you. Fill me with your Spirit, guide me by your hand. Draw me closer than ever. I want to love you more and more, even beyond my ability to comprehend. Increase my love for you and for others. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen

Season 96

Psalms

The psalms reach deep into our hearts and draw us closer to God. They can lift our heads, our hearts, our spirits! Prayerfully read the psalms; make them your own and speak the truths to your heart. Then pray the prayer provided in the devotional. Allow God to transform your heart by His Word and express your thankfulness to the Lord! Abba Father, I love you. I long to love you more and more. I long to love you far above all else and all others. You are the one and only true God. You are truth itself. Great are you and greatly to be praised! Your greatness is unsearchable (Ps. 145). You are the creator of heaven and earth, the most wonderful, the purest, fairest, greatest, highest, mightiest, brightest, and best, not only in all the earth but in all creation. Oh, the depth of your riches and wisdom and knowledge, O God! How unsearchable are your judgments and how inscrutable your ways. For who has known your mind? Who has been your counselor? (Rom. 11:33-34) You are beyond the ability to comprehend. You are holy, holy, holy. You alone are worthy of all worship and all praise. You are first in my heart and ruler over all in my mind and my soul. My heart truly loves and adores you. It is fixed upon you in awe and in wonder, full to overflowing! I want to pour out that fullness before you in ceaseless praise and thanksgiving day by day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen -

12 of 30