The Unique View

Lent Devotional March 30, 2014 John 6:27-40 27 "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30 So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 They said to him, "Sir, give us ...

Lent is the Christian season of preparation leading up to Easter that starts on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days. A time to clearly review the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  A time to review our lives, to pray earnestly seeking forgiveness and forgiving others, a time of repentance. To fast. A denial of something be it certain foods, television, social media whatever that has the most of our attention. We all have something we can give up. Something we can deny ourselves all for a better connection to Christ. So much has happened in my life these past 3 months, I can honestly say I have given up nothing. Not that I did not want to. It is because I unintentionally allowed other things to distract me. Today has been a day of reflection. I talk to the Lord as if He is sitting right here with me, which he is. I read the Word of God daily and I meditate on His Word but, I have lost focus. Today is my start in really seeking more, fasting honestly. My weakne...

Lent Devotional March 29, 2014 Mark 7:1-23 1 Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" 6 He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' 8 You abandon the commandment of God ...

Lent Devotional March 28, 2014 Mark 6:47-56 47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. 49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 51 Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or citi...

Learned today that I have cervical spinal stenosis. What is it? It is where the cervical bones in your neck press into you spinal cord causing your body to have severe pain and to loose mobility of your limes, headaches and Lord knows what else. I have been battling chronic pain for years due to Degenerative Disc Disease and Arthritis. In the past few years things have changed, more pain and just shear agony. I am not detered by this. There are many people that live with disabilities, some you can see and some you can not. No disability is the same and no one deals with it in the same way. For me, I keep smiling through the pain and sometimes the inability to walk, sit or stand long periods of time. Even sleep is only a vision. I keep smiling because I know Who I serve. But God. I can not tell you the outcome or that it will all be ok. What I can tell you is that you are not alone. I can tell you that no matter what it is you face, you must keep smiling. If not for you than for oth...

Lent Devotional March 27, 2014 Mark 6:30-46 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." 37 But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, ...

Lent Devotional March 25, 2014 Mark 6:1-13 1 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He...