Welcome
Official Website of the Minnesota State Conference of the Churches of God
Various Articles from the Minnesota Church Conference:
Our identity is found within the Bible. We can find peace and hope in our identity. You are a child of light. You are light through Christ. This means you are filled with the love and goodness of God, and your life has been sanctified through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. What you have read about in the last few devotionals are all centered around living out this light. Living in a manner that brings glory to God by shining your light to all those around you.
There is increased pain in the world these days. Tensions are rising between nations, and there are areas of significant conflict, war, suffering, and death. These may portend earth’s final conflict, prior to the return of Jesus. But, beyond the world scene, there is private pain. Death’s tentacle reach brings profound grief to friends and families. Fractured relationships result in painful, agonizing isolation. The death of hopes and dreams leave deep emotional scars.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Paul discusses one of the ways to live a sanctified life. Paul reminds the readers to love one another which God has taught them previously. In the case of the Thessalonians they were doing well with showing this brotherly love to those around them. Because they are doing well, Paul encourages them to love even more. What a high praise to have received from Paul and great encouragement to continue not only in doing well but to do it even more! If Paul wrote you a letter inspired by God, would he praise you for the love you show others or would he need to teach you what it means to love those around you?
Do you recognize the work of God in your own life? It’s easy to fall into a mundane routine of our lives, living each day the same and simply going with the flow of life. In these moments of routine, we are likely to miss God’s mighty hand working within our lives. When life is peaceful and easy, we tend to forget to lift our eyes to God in praise and thanksgiving.
Individuals walking almost unaware in public while focused on their smartphones serve as illustrations as to how we may be walking by the Spirit. We may have a desire to walk by the Spirit, but worldly cares and attractions easily draw us similarly to focusing on a smartphone. As such, we may wander from the way of the Spirit and not even be aware of the danger.
Jesus said in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” He is explaining to his disciples that his role was to serve the people and to give his entire life to them. Jesus many times flipped the worldview of being the best and greatest to showing that humility and service was above all most important. Paul recognized this about Christ and imitated this selfless and humble lifestyle.
We need to be enlightened as to the greatness of God’s power. The prime exhibit of this power is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. If God’s power working in us is the same power that brought the helplessly dead Jesus back from the grave to immortality, imagine what that power within can do! Not only did the power of God raise Jesus from the dead, it has exalted Him to the right hand in the heavenlies, and has elevated Him far beyond all other powers and authority.
We can scarcely imagine a President, prime minister, or king calling a major press conference to declare the sovereignty of Almighty God, but a Mede ruler named Darius did exactly that. He declared that “he is the living God, enduring forever.” When confronted with the miraculous deliverance of Daniel from the lion’s den, it was abundantly clear to Darius that the true God is living and active in human events. He wisely and humbly acknowledged that the living God’s kingdom and dominion vastly superseded his - an amazing acknowledgment in itself for a governmental ruler to admit.
I feel God‘s daily presence in a deeper way than I have ever experienced it before. I have a greater sense of intimacy with my Lord. When I read the psalms each day, they literally leap off the page. They are not just words or a story from 4000 years ago , they are my story and God is my God.