HACKED BY NESAS_0DAY

Tag: change

  • Why a Christian cannot just “let go and let God.”

    Why a Christian cannot just “let go and let God.”

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    Series: 1 and 2 Peter, by Rosie Moore.

    “I’ll never change the patterns of the past.”

    “I’ll never be free of my addiction.”

    “People must learn to accept me as I am.”

    “I’m just going to let go and let God.”

    Do we have the power to change destructive habits and thought patterns?

    I’ve often heard Christians speak with defeat and resignation about stubborn sins, desires and habits that are causing misery in their lives and harming their loved ones. They argue that the brokenness of our fallen world means that they can’t change their basic impulses and will never be free to flourish in the Christian life, growing more joyful, loving, patient, self-controlled, stable and kind as the years roll on.

    I’ve seen other Christians just “let go and let God”, waiting for a spiritual breakthrough. The implication is that because we can do nothing without God, we must simply wait for him to do the work of transformation in our lives. “Be still and know that I am God” is a verse often misquoted in support of surrender.

    But look with me at what Peter says about the power to change and grow in his second letter to Christians living in AD67, amidst unimaginable obstacles and atrocities:

    “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours. 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 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. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:1-4).

    Divine power.

    There are many superlatives in this passage! The Apostle Peter is convinced that if we’ve been born again, we have the Holy Spirit living in us. Christ’s divine power and his great promises provide us with everything we need to live a godly Christian life! God allows us to ‘participate in the divine nature’ in order to keep us from sin and help us live for him. Grace and peace are ours in abundance, despite our circumstances!

    These privileges and promises of our precious faith are not some pipe dream for a select few special Christians. They were purchased for every child of God by the precious blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:19; 3:18). CH Spurgeon reminds us how staggering this promise of divine power is for every Christian, without exception:

    “These things come to us through His divine power! What stupendous issues are grasped in that term, divine power! It was this which digged the deep foundations of the earth and sea! Divine power! It is this which guides the marches of the stars of heaven! Divine power! It is this which holds up the pillars of the universe…”

    In fact, the same divine power that God used to raise Christ from the dead is available to every believer to live the Christian life. In Paul’s letter to Philippian Christians, it is on the basis of the “power of the resurrection” that the apostle declares “I can do everything through him who gives me strength! (Phil 3:10; 4:13) There’s nothing defeatist or resigned about Paul’s conclusion.

    Jesus has risen! Do we fathom what this means for the Christian life? It’s the basis for our ‘new birth’ and ‘living hope’ (1 Peter 1:3), our brand new identity and new destiny (1 Peter 2:9-10). We are no longer who we once were!

    Divine paradox.

    But as Christ’s royal priesthood and holy people, we cannot live the Christian life in neutral gear, waiting for God’s divine power to propel us forward via a lightning bolt or weekly emotional fix! No, Peter commands us to “make every effort to add to our faith….to make our calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:5-7; 10). We bear the responsibility to strive, run, add and wrestle for our faith. Surrender is not an option!

    Yes, it is God who works in us by his grace to will and act according to his good purpose (Phil 2:13), but our self discipline is needed to persevere (Phil 2:12; Eph 2:10). We do have to run the race that God has set before us (Heb 12:1-2). We do have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). We do have to use the means of grace God has provided—his Word, prayer and his people (Phil 4:6-7; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Heb 10:25; Heb 3:13). We do have to take up the armour of God and stand firm in the evil day! (Eph 6:13). On auto pilot, we will surely drift away (Heb 2:1).

    This a paradox we must embrace if we are to live godly, useful lives.

    Knowing and growing.

    Knowing God is key to living a godly life (2 Peter 1:2-3). Peter repeats the word ‘knowledge’ three times in this passage, because growing comes through knowing. But this is not just head knowledge or information. It is knowing God personally and growing in relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ. It’s nothing like ‘knowing’ someone on social media.

    Lydia Brownback describes this deeply intimate knowledge of God as “a personal, committed relationship in which our deepest satisfaction is found in God’s presence—talking to him in prayer, worshipping him with other believers, and studying all he says to us in his word. This is the knowledge Peter wants for his readers.” (Lydia Brownback, Living Hope in a Hard World).

    We are powerless to change if we ‘look within’ or ‘follow our heart’, because our hearts have no power to transform us (Jer 17:9). But, by knowing God and growing in our relationship with the Lord Jesus, we are empowered with everything we need to live an effective and productive life, even as we face many obstacles and adversities (2 Peter 1:8; 4).

    No matter where we are in life, we need to persistently know and grow in Christ. Then we will be able to look beyond our troubles and recognize his victories of grace in our lives, and be thankful. We will love Jesus more and more in response to his goodness and grace to us.

    Make every effort.

    Precisely because we’ve been forgiven from past sins, and because God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, Peter goes on to describe the active process by which believers change and grow. He gives us the regimen for our faith to flourish, and it involves concerted effort and determination on our part. We are not passive passengers:

    “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election” (2 Peter 1:5-10).

    Reading through Peter’s letters, it’s clear that God’s moral yardstick hasn’t changed. What God hated in the Old Testament, he still hates. What God expected of his people before, he still expects of us today (1 Peter 2:9; 1:16-17; 4: 2-3). Our sinful passions will wage war against our soul until the day we die (1 Peter 2:11).

    But our sin has also been defeated and our chains have been released! “Through Christ’s death, those who turn to him are delivered from both the penalty and the power of sin” (1 Peter 2:24-25). To ensure that we don’t fall from our secure position, Peter concludes, “Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with God” (2 Peter 3:14-18).

    According to Peter, laziness is just blindness and ‘letting go and letting God’ is not an option. Nobody can live the Christian life for us—we must ‘make every effort’. Peter says it three times to make sure we understand our personal responsibility.

    Fruitful faith.

    So, you see, faith is never just believing a set of doctrines, though it is that. It’s a living faith, which either grows and flourishes, or withers and dies. Faith needs to be exercised daily in godly actions and character, in the practice of moral discipline.

    After all, didn’t Jesus say that the seed that falls on good soil always produces good fruit (Mark 4:8)? And his brother James wrote, “Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead…I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2:17; 18). Dick Lucas expressed this connection well:

    “The man or woman who makes an effort is a man or woman of faith.”

    Although these virtues are fruit of the Holy Spirit, they don’t come to us automatically. They are built brick by brick through our effort and willing co-operation. They are not optional, but necessary– like eating well, brushing our teeth and making our bed is necessary for a productive life. They are not stagnant virtues, but more like budding, growing, ripening fruit. We never master one and then move onto the next, but work on all of them at the same time. Our work has always mattered to God (1 Cor 3:13-15; Gen 1:26; 2:15). Let us be good bricklayers!

    If you do these things…

    In the months leading up to his death, Peter implored suffering Christians to “make every effort” to build on their faith foundation: To know God more and more (knowledge); to act with virtue and excellence (goodness); to govern themselves personally (self control); to nurture a steadfast character (perseverance); to act with love (mutual affection) and to imitate God’s holy character (godliness) (2 Peter 1:5-7).

    Jesus, too, told believers to keep seeking persistently the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. To keep on asking…keep on seeking…keep on knocking…For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened (Luke 11:9-10).

    Let’s be encouraged by Peter’s assurance: “for if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”. (2 Peter 1:10-11).

    Prayer

    Father, thank you for your limitless grace and the Holy Spirit. Although we’ll never be perfect, you’ve given us your divine power to grow in goodness every day. Thank you for the small victories of grace we see in ourselves and those we are praying for: the calmer response to stress and illness; the ability to overlook a wrong; kindness to a person who needs our help. We treasure you as the One who gives us victory day by day. When we’re overwhelmed with troubles and our sinful impulses, help us to know that you’re working in us, giving us your strength to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Today we trust in your great and precious promise, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” In Jesus’s precious name, Amen.

     

    Listen to this song by King & Country, which reminds us that the Christian life is anything but passive.

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Why Christ’s calling matters more than our occupation

    Why Christ’s calling matters more than our occupation

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Around 2600 years ago, the prophet Jeremiah wrote:

    “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
        or the strong boast of their strength
        or the rich boast of their riches,
    but let the one who boasts boast about this:
        that they have the understanding to know me,
    that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
        justice and righteousness on earth,
        for in these I delight,”
    declares the Lord. (Jer 9:23-24 ESV)

    This is surely one of the most counter-cultural messages ever recorded! It’s hard to resist our culture’s creed that says we should be doing something bigger, better, somewhere else. Or the self help ideologies that reveal the secret to unleash our inner greatness. The promise is that if we change our mindset, we will change our circumstances. And if we change our circumstances, all our problems will dissolve. After all, what can stand against the power of wealth, intelligence and physical strength?

    Cultural gurus continue to feed the pride, discontent and restlessness that has marked humanity since the Fall. An Amazon bestseller has the sub-title, How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life.  The implication is clearly that your current life isn’t too great! Another by a self-made musical superstar is titled, It’s all in your own head— “a reminder that it starts with YOU, to believe in yourself, and to get out of your own way”. Eckart Tolle’s latest book promises Awakening to our Life’s Purpose and Anthony Ferris gives us the secrets to working a 4-hour workweek in Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. Even in the so-called ‘Christian’ category, we are faced with Soar (TD Jakes); The Power of Favour; I declare and Ten Powerful thoughts for a successful, abundant life”(Joel Osteen).

    As a Christian, it can be hard to remain rooted in God’s priorities for our lives, to be content wherever He has placed us and to serve Christ faithfully in the small, mundane things which make up our current circumstances. That’s why Paul’s words to the first century Christians in Corinth are so apt and freeing for believers today. Today’s text hushes the restless sirens and reminds us that our calling in Christ matters infinitely more than our external status:

    Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God…

    29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. (1 Cor 7:17-24; 29-31 ESV).

    Outward circumstances versus inner calling

    Like us, the Corinthian Christians needed to grasp that their identity and significance was securely anchored in their Christian calling— not in cultural and religious symbols or social status. “Don’t be fooled by your rank!” says Paul, “You are free to serve Christ as Lord in and through every season and station of life—even if you are a slave, the least esteemed of all.” (1 Cor 7:19; 21; 22).

    This is a truly liberating message for Christians in a FOMO culture that assumes we are always stuck in the wrong place, with the wrong people, on the wrong side of the track! Christ’s calling re-sets our priorities and revolutionises our lives from the inside out. When the purpose of our lives is to honour, serve and speak for Christ, every job, no matter how menial, is significant Christian work. If God has placed you where you are, there will be opportunities to serve him there.

    Paul applies this general principle to the two extreme social and religious distinctions of his time: Circumcision and Slavery. His answer to these two cultural boulders was radical in first century Corinth: Paul dismisses them as irrelevant! (1 Cor 7:19; 21) All that matters is serving Christ and being obedient to Him wherever God has placed them. They are first and foremost Christians.

    What a shock to the Jewish believer’s mindset, which regarded circumcision as everything! It was the difference between being an insider and an outsider. The other half of the congregants were Gentile Greeks, who looked down on the circumcised. Similarly, a slave had the lowliest status of all. Slaves were the epitome of insignificance, yet Paul says their work and identity are also shaped by their calling in Christ, not by their status or job.

    To change or not to change

    Paul’s general rule to remain in the condition in which we are called does not mean that change is always wrong (1 Cor 7:17; 20; 24). In fact, in verse 21b, Paul expressly tells slaves to use whatever opportunities they have to buy their freedom and improve their lot in life.

    We also know that Christ’s call demands that we completely shed an illegal or immoral life, which may mean a career change or a big move for some Christians (1 Cor 6:11; Luke 19:8).

    Paul himself encourages us to change our style and methods of ministry to reach diverse people for the gospel (1 Cor 9:19-24).

    Good stewardship of our gifts and opportunities leaves no space for an attitude of complacency or fatalism as Christians. We are always called to make choices with wisdom and prayer. But Paul’s message is clear: When Christ calls us, He is our new Master and we belong to Him wherever we find ourselves. We are freed from sin’s bondage and from cultural practices that have been fulfilled in Christ (Acts 15; Rom 4:9-11; Gal 5:2-4; Col 2:11). The only obstacle to serving and obeying Christ is sin—Not our external circumstances.

    Swimming against the tide

    I consider this passage as one of my favourites because it has often reminded me that the Christian life is simple and liberating. We are bondservants of Christ, not of men! Bought at a price and responsible to Him alone! (1 Cor 7:22; 23-24 NIV) When we serve Christ, God leads us with cords of kindness and ties of love, like a loving parent leads his child (Hos 11:4). His fetters always lead to true freedom and flourishing.

    I turned 50 this year and have spent most of my married life as a stay-at-home mom. I’m now in my twentieth year of school lifts, lunch boxes, homework and exams! It’s impossible to quantify the tears I’ve dried, conversations, trips made to the ER and desperate prayers I’ve prayed for our kids. Yet sometimes in my insecure moments, I’ve felt that I don’t measure up to our culture’s yardstick of success and have wished for a career, title and income to prove my significance. Our third child is now in matric and in her last week before finals, the entire grade dressed up for their future vocation. Many doctors, lawyers and accountants arrived at school, but my daughter and her friends were dressed in an array of outfits, from ultra casual, to baggy tracksuits and slinky gym pants! They didn’t represent any recognisable career category, so I asked them who they were: “Oh, can’t you see that we’re the ‘coffee shop moms’!? You know, the ones who don’t go to work and spend their day at pilates, drinking skinny lattes and things like that!” They thought they were hilarious, but I sincerely hoped they didn’t tar all stay-at-home moms with the same brush!

    The truth is that whatever our occupation or status, most of us feel restless from time to time, wondering if we’re in the right place and doing the right thing. We sometimes confuse our occupation with our calling as Christ’s bondservant. At 18 we worry that we are choosing the wrong career path, and from midlife onwards we wake up in a cold sweat worrying that the grains of sand have finally slipped through the hourglass! Like our culture, Christians also long for significance and fear not being useful or wasting our lives.

    Christians are also tempted to blame our circumstances for not living for Christ in the here and now: My family, my employer, my unemployment, my financial situation, my depression, my sickness, my spouse, my education, my career choice, my singleness, my failure, my local church, my emotional baggage…

    All of these and many others are possible excuses for not serving Christ and being discontent with our lot in life.

    But if Jesus is our master, His yoke is easy. All He asks is that we remain faithful in the small things he has entrusted to us, wherever we are. He calls us to know and love Him, to exercise kindness and justice, and to walk obediently in whatever life He has assigned to us. We are free to ‘use’ the things of this world, but not to become ‘engrossed’ in them, “for this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Cor 7:31 NIV). Perhaps that’s why Paul reminded Timothy:

    “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6).

    Worship

    Listen to one of my favourite songs by Casting Crowns, The Very Next Thing.

    Lord, help me to trust your rule in the life you have assigned to me, and to live for you wherever I am and whatever I do. Forgive me for my grumbling and restlessness, and fill me instead with your Spirit, so that I am content and joyful in any and every circumstance. Fix my eyes on Jesus so that I will seize every opportunity to show others who He is. In Jesus’ name.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]