Daily devotion

Making Time for Kindness

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
God asks us to make time for kindness
No hurried decision or worried collision
Is worth overlooking a friend 

So, when we run late for appointments
And we ‘re making a fuss about those around us
We are missing the chance just to spend

A lifetime of sharing and listening
To stories and tears and the sorrows and fears
Of those He loved right to the end

 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.
Philippians 4:14

Making Time for Kindness
by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
 Mother Teresa

A Little Old Time Religion

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Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice. Philippians 4:4 KJV

If you are considering getting involved in Nursing Home ministry, but are afraid it will be dull and boring, then think again. Just because folks have a pretty good variety of aches and pains doesn’t mean they can’t rejoice. Remember where Paul was sitting when he wrote these words, and it wasn’t from a fancy air conditioned worship center. Nope! He was chained to a guard as a political prisoner in a Roman jail. I’m pretty sure his daily life and prospects for the future on the surface looked grim. But Paul had an eternal connection to  a God in whose presence is fullness of joy. I am so glad that he left behind a testimony of how no matter our situation, that in the presence of Jesus is where joy and  the real old-time religion can be found!

Good Enough for Him!

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments 
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10a

Often we hear people say that this verse means that the beauties of Heaven are beyond our wildest imaginations. But if we read on, we see that the Apostle Paul is teaching that all of God’s promises are beyond our understanding, until He reveals them to us by faith. There are thousands of promises in the Bible, but today let’s just take a look at one

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30 NKJV

Whether we realize it or not we all face challenges today. Our friends, neighbors, coworkers and even family members all have expectations that we try hard to meet. “What have you done for me lately?” is too often the measure of their acceptance and the sad reality of how they value us. Now their expectations are not all bad. After all, we who are fathers, ought to provide for our families, as good neighbors we need to keep our lawn mowed, and coworkers have a right to expect that we do our job. But when we apply that kind of thinking to our relationship with God, everything falls apart, because none of us has the ability to please Him. The Bible tells us that all of us have sinned and missed the mark (God’s reasonable expectations). Our total failure at pleasing God is why the gospel of Jesus Christ is more than just good news, it is better than anything we have imagined even in our wildest dreams! And it is only at the cross that we, through repentance and by faith discover His amazing gift of grace. It is finished forever and in Jesus Christ, God has given us all we will ever need to be good enough for Him!