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You Don’t Have To Be Dead To Experience Eternal Life

“ …If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” - Galatians 6:8

The concept of eternal means without beginning or ending. The concept of eternal life in Galatians speaks less to the life we expect to experience in the future and more to the quality of life we can experience now.

This is the same concept that Jesus describes as the Kingdom of God. At various times Jesus said the Kingdom of God is near, it’s within us, it’s among us, and that some of us won’t taste dead until we experience in our lives with power.

Our experience of this life will remain impoverished if we keep future dating the meaning of eternal life.

Paul’s concept of sowing to the spirit here is a continuation of his contrasts between the life and lives we experience when we are Spirit led versus when we are not.

Reaping eternal life is not to primarily be seen as getting a reward in the next life. Rather it means we begin to experience a love without beginning or end, a joy without beginning or end, a peace without beginning or end, and so on.

We don’t have to be dead to experience eternal life. When we give ourselves over to the Spirit, we begin to experience it now, and the early Christians believed we would experience it without ending.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #positivity #growth #personaldevelopment #Galations6 #fruitofthespirit #eternallife

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When We Feel Like God Is Angry With Us

“For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” - Psalm 30:5

Sometimes life is so hard, so unfair, and so cruel that it feels like God is angry with us. It feels like we are being punished. It especially feels that way when we know we have done something wrong.

Some people see religion as a tool used by the powerful to manipulate and control the masses with its offers of reward and threats of punishment, up to and including eternal damnation.

But God is a God of Love. Where there’s love, there’s warmth, and welcome, and safety. Where there’s love there’s redemption and reconciliation. Where there’s love there’s kindness, compassion, and patience.

Hell is anyplace where there’s an absence of love. God doesn’t send anyone to hell. God is the voice to call us out, the hands, arms and feet to lead and guide us out, to carry and or drag us out.

God’s love is for a lifetime, for eternity. We may be in a night of misery, but joy is coming in the morning.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #positivity #growth #personaldevelopment #Psalm30 #restoration #gladness #joy #anger #hell #redemption #reconciliation

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Hope, Humility, Time and Consistency

“So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan… his flesh was restored… and he was clean.” - 2 Kings 5:14

Healing and restoration seldom happen the way we expect them to. They seldom happen the way we want them to. And they always seem to take longer than we want them to. But the story of Naaman reminds us that healing and restoration can and do happen.

Naaman was healed and restored in part because made the best of his circumstances. He refused to be marginalized by a condition that marginalized many. Over time he rose to become a beloved husband, general, and head of household.

Over time he became the kind of consistent leader his subordinates wished well, the kind of subordinate his leader wished well, and the kind of spouse his wife wished well.

He was healed and restored because he never gave up hope. He was humble and willing to listen to good advice. He was willing to go places he didn’t want to go and do things he didn’t want to do.

We don’t know if his healing took place gradually during his seven times or all at once when the seven times were completed. We do know Naaman’s healing took hope, humility, time and consistency.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #positivity #growth #personaldevelopment #healing #2Kings5 #Naaman

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How To Be An Influencer

“Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.” - 2 Kings 5:2

In a society that valued power and position, she was a slave. In a place that valued tenure and experience, she was a youth. In a world that valued men and manhood, she was a girl.

Nevertheless, her words drove everything that happened in this story. Her words moved her slave mistress, Naaman a top general, two kings, and a prophet. Everything that took place did so because of the words she spoke.

How did she have an impact and influence beyond her position?

First, she did not allow her circumstances to make her hateful of bitter. She did not wish death and destruction on her kidnappers who had likely also injured and harmed people she cared about. She wanted to see her enemies healed and made whole

Second, she did not adopt the values of the dominant culture around her. She knew there was no healing or restorative power in their practices, but she knew there was in hers.

Finally, this girl had obviously been a young woman of character, integrity, and credibility. Her words carried weight because of who she was. It didn’t matter what she was.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #positivity #growth #personaldevelopment #healing #2Kings5 #Naaman #influence #power #influencer

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How We Come to Take Pride in Ourselves

“All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride.” - Galatians 6:4

How do we come to feel good about ourselves? How are we able to take pride in ourselves and in the way we live? These are important questions. Everyone should have a healthy sense of self worth.

For the Apostle Paul, a big part of that answer is for us to stop comparing ourselves to other people, stop judging other people, and start focusing on ourselves.

What are our intentions? Are our actions coming from a good place? Have we taken the time necessary to learn or discern what course of action will deliver upon our good intentions? Once we have settled on a course of action, have we developed the knowledge, skill, discipline, and consistency to see it through?

Then we test our results. Did the outcomes of our efforts bring about positive results? Is there anything we need to learn, relearn, unlearn, or change?

Continual self evaluation, reflection and improvement is how we ourselves get better. It has almost nothing to do with what anyone else is doing. Let us get out of their business and stick to our own. That’s how we come to feel good about ourselves.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #positivity #growth #personaldevelopment #Galations6 #fruitofthespirit

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How Do We Know If We Are Being Spirit Led?

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:25

How do we know if we are being spirit led? Self delusion and self deception are very real things. And many others will pretend to be what they’re not to get what they want.

The first step is that we have to examine the fruit. Is the action or behavior motivated by love or is it being driven by anger, bitterness, fear, greed, lust, or hate?

Are we self disciplined and faithful to our highest ideals and standards or do we give into our baser instincts and bow down in the face of our challenges and problems?

Are we able to be kind, and generous, and patient with all kinds of people, in all kinds of places, under all kinds of circumstances?

Not that we won’t have our low moments, but are we generally joyful people? Do we bring and promote peace and wellbeing everywhere we go? Do we maintain our inner peace in the midst of the storm.

If we want to claim to be spirit led, let us examine our own fruits for evidence.

I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.

#60secondsofhope #Devotion #inspiration #dailydevotion #dailyinspiration #dailymeditation #discipleship #positivemindset #dailydevotional #positivity #growth #personaldevelopment #Galatians5 #fruitofthespirit

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