Dangelo68⚔️🔥

by JDangelo

Christianity Spirituality

Season 79

Fan Or Disciple

Fan or disciple? Before a star takes to the stage, it's often: lights out, spotlights on! This ensures that all spectators focus their eyes on one person. We celebrate singers, actors or athletes, but they often can't handle the attention and develop airs and graces. Jesus is completely different, He never needed to be acclaimed by people, even though He more than deserved it. He Himself is the light, but if we want to see Him, we have to consciously turn our gaze to Him again and again. To do this, you have to block out your thoughts, feelings and desires in order to concentrate fully on His voice. The Bible plays a crucial role in helping you to distinguish between what Jesus or the Holy Spirit is saying and what may be your own thoughts or imprinting. It helps you to distinguish between your own and God's thoughts, feelings and will. The deeper you immerse yourself in God's Word, the better you get to know God's nature and the easier it will be for you to recognize God's truth in your life. It is an ongoing process of growth in reading, speaking and listening, in which we often waver back and forth between soul and spirit. An example of this is Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. But in the next moment, his human nature got the better of him and he wanted to stop Jesus from fulfilling His mission. It is therefore important that prophetic utterances are not accepted without contradiction as the ultimate truth, but are always tested. The decisive factor is whether Jesus is testified to as the Christ and whether the words are helpful, comforting or encouraging. We often allow ourselves to be impressed by external characteristics such as titles or appearance and do not really listen. To protect us from this, Paul advises us to examine everything and keep what is good (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:21). By keeping your eyes fully on Jesus, you become His disciple and not just His fan. A disciple listens to God, whereas a fan tends to follow what he himself wants. When you focus completely on Jesus, you will be filled with His light and give Him the honor He deserves. Next Step: Let the Holy Spirit show you what it means for you to honor Jesus.

Season 78

Forgive Again and Again

Forgive Again and Again The second thing the priest shared with me was something I had never heard before. He told me I needed to "reactualize the forgiveness." It sounded like a complicated phrase, but what he meant was surprisingly simple. Sometimes forgiveness is not something we do once. Sometimes it is something we choose again and again. It may seem difficult enough to forgive someone the first time. Yet, even after genuinely forgiving them, you may find the resentment resurfacing weeks, months, or even years later. A memory resurfaces. Someone mentions their name. A similar situation reminds you of what happened, and suddenly the feelings are back. That does not necessarily mean your forgiveness was not genuine. It simply means your heart needs to keep surrendering that hurt to God. The psalmists understood this well. David often wrote about people who opposed him, betrayed him, and sought to harm him. Yet each time, instead of allowing bitterness to consume him, he brought his pain back to God. Again and again he declared that God was his shield, his defender, and the One who fought for him. David teaches us that surrender is rarely a one time decision. It is a posture we return to whenever our hearts begin to wander. Peter once asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sinned against him. Seven times probably felt generous. Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy seven times." Jesus was not asking His followers to keep count. He was teaching them to cultivate hearts that are always willing to forgive. We do not forgive because the offense was small or because what happened did not matter. We forgive because Christ has forgiven us. Forgiveness is not saying that wrong is right. It is choosing to release the offense into God's hands instead of carrying it ourselves. Jesus even taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us." Forgiveness is not just something God asks of us. It is something He weaves into the very way He teaches us to pray. If today you find old feelings resurfacing, do not be discouraged. Instead, see it as another opportunity to place that hurt back into God's hands. His grace has not run out. It is still sufficient for you. Today, if resentment rises again, pause before you react. Bring the hurt to God once more and choose, by His grace, to forgive again. Reflection Is there a hurt you thought you had already forgiven but find yourself carrying again today? What would it look like to surrender it back to God once more?

Season 77

If you don't work, you don't eat

If you don't work, you don't eat What would you do if you knew Jesus would come back tomorrow? What about next week? Or next month? Human nature indicates that if we knew the world was going to end in the next twenty-four hours-even in the next thirty days-we'd be less likely to get up for work in the morning. After all, what's the point of working or planning if we are heading for heaven in a few days? That's what some Thessalonians believed. They were convinced Jesus' return could happen at any time. That was good. But because they believed that, they essentially stopped working. That was a problem. Paul's rule was straightforward and sim-ple: "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thess. 3:10). Yes, expect the Lord's imminent return, but continue being a functioning part of the church and the communi-ty. If they couldn't do that, then they didn't deserve local friendships or outside support. STUDY THE BOOK 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 The Thessalonians needed a proper balance between working and waiting. They needed to avoid anyone who "walks disor-derly" and to continue "doing good" (2 Thess. 3:6, 13). Some folks couldn't work, and that was a different matter. But those who could work needed to work-or they needed to face the consequences of their laziness. MORE INSIGHT Paul advised another group that needed to adjust their focus regarding work. Paul taught the Ephesians how to live as children of God. Regarding work, he wrote, "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need" (Eph. 4:28). Paul challenged those who had selfishly taken from others to generously give to others.

Season 76

The Church's Purpose

The Church's Purpose Ephesians 2:8-10 The church serves as the hands and feet of Christ in the world. As Christ's body, the church seeks to accomplish that mission through a three-pronged approach that reaches up, in, and out. First, the body of Christ reaches up through its worship of God. Believers' worship is a response of trust in God and an expression of gratefulness for what Christ has done for them (Eph. 1:11, 12). Worship is a 24/7, year-round offering made to Christ by Christians who present themselves to Him for His service. We live in the ways God designed us to live: " We are His workman-ship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10; see also Rom. 12:1, 2). The weekly hour in the church building is only a fraction of our worship. Worship includes our treatment of people, our daily work, our free time, our chore time, and everything we do and say. The church's purpose reaches in through its efforts in the area of personal disciple-ship. Believers are called to be shaped in the likeness of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29) and to become "perfect in Christ" (Col. 1:28). Christians have a responsibility to "grow in the grace and knowledge" of Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). For more information about this, see the concept notes on sanctification Leviticus 11:44, 45; Hebrews 2:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; James 1:22-25; Romans 12:1, 2; and 2 Corinthians 2:14, 15. The church promotes spiritual growth through relationships and solid doctrinal teaching. The church reaches out through evange-lism, sharing Jesus Christ with those who still need to know the love of Christ. Before Jesus left earth, He gave His disciples the promise. of His authority and His presence Matt. 28:18-20). These two elements empower believers to continue the work of making disciples of Jesus Christ around the world until the end of the age. It is impossible (and improper) to exclude any of these areas from the life of a healthy church. God expects all three activities from His people, and believers must balance all three areas for His glory. Previous :Colossians 2:18, 19 next: 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Season 74

Illuminated

Illuminated ✨ "All who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." JOHN 3:20-21 NRSV From the beginning of time, humans have known to be ashamed when they have done wrong. Look at Adam and Eve who hid once they were aware of their great sin against God. However, God is light; he is able to expose everything that is hidden. This can explain why we don't like to communicate with God when we know that we have done wrong—we don't want our deeds exposed. But Jesus changed all of that. The Bible says that those theo believe in him are not condemned! We have come to the light and believed in Jesus; we have received the truth and are saved. If you are struggling with sin, remember that those deeds can be forgiven because you are in God. Heavenly Father, sometimes I feel burdened because of my sin and I want to hide from you. I ask you to relieve me of this burden, and remind me that I am forgiven. Let me approach you with boldness, exposing all of my sin, accepting your grace, so that I can walk confidently in ☀️(YOUR LIGHT)☀️

Season 72

Softly Spoken

Softly Spoken A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. PROVERBS 15:1 NKJV Have you ever marveled at how you can maneuver your entire car, often with just one hand? (Not that we would admit this, of course!) It is typically very small parts that control an entire machine. The Bible says that this is the way our tongue works. Have you noticed how easy it is to control an environment not only with what you say, but the volume and tone of your words? Are you guilty of reacting harshly when someone speaks angrily or unfairly to you? Don't worry, we all are. The problem with a harshly returned word is that it stirs up more anger and this becomes a cycle that is hard to break. Are you able to allow God to remind you in these situations that returning anger with softness will help the situation? Rely on the Holy Spirit to give you gentle and wise words and see how God can bring peace to your difficult situations. Holy Spirit, guide me in my conversations and even confrontations with others. Thank I am sorry when I have reacted harshly and said the wrong things to people around me. Give me soft words and a gentle heart.

Season 70

Hill Not Heels 👠

Hills not Heels! 👠 The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. HABAKKUK 3:19 NKJV Make sure you read that verse right. God isn't going to make you walk in your high heels; that would just be mean! Sure, we like to get dressed up from time to time, but we know that high heels should be left behind when we need to do some real walking! When you need strength, the Lord God is there to help. Like a deer, we want to be able to walk through the hard times gracefully and climb our mountains with steady feet. We don't want to be overcome with weariness, and we certainly don't want to be stumbling the whole way through our difficulties. Are you in need of God's strength today? Instead of reaching for your heels, remember the high hills and God's grace that is yours to help you walk up them! Lord God, be my strength today. I have some difficult things to face and I want to be gracious and able to endure the hills. I trust you to guide my each and every step.

Season 69

1 CHRONICLE 28:2

Be strong and of good courage... do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LoRD God-my God-will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. 1 CHRONICLE 28:2 Father, you are the Lord of all, the almighty God, and the everlasting one. Be near to me when I face change. When nothing feels steady, it is hard on me. Give me strength and courage in times of transition. Allow me to see you leading the way. May I rely on you, especially when I feel uncertain. I am so grateful that even when everything around me feels unstable, you are there. You are my rock. I thank you and praise you for that. In Christ's name, amen.

Season 67

Been With Jesus

Been With Jesus By spending time soaking in the presence of the Lord, reading his Word, and learning his ways, people will soon realize that you've been with him. You will be marked as one who has been in his presence and your life will show his glory to those around you. God, help me to long for your presence so much that I cannot go without you. Help me to need your Word the same way I need food. Give me a consistent longing to be with you so that when people see me, they will see the clear mark of Christ.

Season 65

JAMES 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. JAMES 1:5 God you are Jehovah-jireh, the giver of everything. You take care of me even before I can ask for help. You gave me my talents. When I am feeling uninspired and need new ideas, reignite the passion in me. Give me wisdom, and help me use my imagination to create new ways to reach my potential Let me be an effective follower of Christ by using my gifts from you. Help my supporting circle tap into their talents and use them well. Let your glory shine in their skills so we can celebrate the achievement of our efforts through your mighty work. Thank you for the talents you've so generously poured on my friends and me. Thank you for abilities that make us diverse and beautiful in your eyes. In Jesus' name, amen.

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