Tim’s Daily Devotional
A Divided House Cannot Stand
I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them (Jeremiah 32:39, NIV).
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-5).
I have experienced divisions amongst Christians and this breaks my heart. The Lord has given us singleness of heart, yet we see divisions. Why is this? I believe it is because one of the hardest things to do as a human being is “deny self”. James points this out clearly when he wrote:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:1-3).
We see divisions amongst our brothers and sisters, not only in the church itself, but also amongst husbands and wives, children and parents, brothers and sisters, all from the same faith. This is not in accordance with the Spirit you received. If you want to be an effective Christian, then it starts with being effective in your personal relationships. We must agree with God’s Spirit daily that we are to put others before ourselves.
Jesus commands us to “love one another” (John 13:34). God does not cause divisions, people who are walking in disobedience to God cause divisions. Jesus reminds us that, “a house divided against itself will fall”. (Luke 11:17). This is Satan’s hope for you. He is out to seek, kill and destroy all of the goodness of God. By allowing your desires to cause divisions, you are breaking down the defenses, allowing the enemy to achieve his mission, which is to cause divisions that paralyze the body of Christ.
May you walk in the calling that Paul gave to the Ephesians, through one body, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, and one baptism. In doing so, you will see the power of God released, strengthening the church, and seeing others come to Christ; receiving the same Spirit that binds everything together in perfect love.
Be blessed in all you do!
Your brother in Christ,
Tim
A Divided House Cannot Stand
I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them (Jeremiah 32:39, NIV).
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-5).
I have experienced divisions amongst Christians and this breaks my heart. The Lord has given us singleness of heart, yet we see divisions. Why is this? I believe it is because one of the hardest things to do as a human being is “deny self”. James points this out clearly when he wrote:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:1-3).
We see divisions amongst our brothers and sisters, not only in the church itself, but also amongst husbands and wives, children and parents, brothers and sisters, all from the same faith. This is not in accordance with the Spirit you received. If you want to be an effective Christian, then it starts with being effective in your personal relationships. We must agree with God’s Spirit daily that we are to put others before ourselves.
Jesus commands us to “love one another” (John 13:34). God does not cause divisions, people who are walking in disobedience to God cause divisions. Jesus reminds us that, “a house divided against itself will fall”. (Luke 11:17). This is Satan’s hope for you. He is out to seek, kill and destroy all of the goodness of God. By allowing your desires to cause divisions, you are breaking down the defenses, allowing the enemy to achieve his mission, which is to cause divisions that paralyze the body of Christ.
May you walk in the calling that Paul gave to the Ephesians, through one body, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, and one baptism. In doing so, you will see the power of God released, strengthening the church, and seeing others come to Christ; receiving the same Spirit that binds everything together in perfect love.
Be blessed in all you do!
Your brother in Christ,
Tim
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