Good Reasons to Read the Bible

Good Reasons to Read the Bible

Regardless of where you are from, no matter what you believe (or reject), if you truly desire to know God, there are countless good reasons to read the Bible (God’s Word). Listed below are five important topics addressed in the Bible. Open your heart. Open His Word.

Knowledge

• Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
• Knowledge without truth is pointless. Relative truth is absurdity. Absolute truth comes from the one true God of the universe – Jehovah. God gave us His Word so that we can know the truth about Him.

Wisdom

• Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
• Without respect for God there is no wisdom. When we reverence God, the Holy Spirit teaches us how to properly apply the knowledge found in the Bible. Godly wisdom leads to a Godly perspective.

Purpose

• 1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• Worldly wisdom tells us to put the needs of self above the needs of others – pride and pleasure rule the day. But a life with eternal meaning is lived according to the character, instructions and blessings of God. The Bible teaches that we are to bring God glory by putting Him above all else and to put other’s needs ahead of our own.

Salvation

• Colossians 1:21-22 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight
• Have you rejected God? Have you turned your back on His truth, wisdom, purpose and salvation? Jesus Christ, God in the flesh – full of righteousness and truth, died to save us from the punishment we have earned because of our choices.
• However, it is never too late to turn from a life of rebellion and experience the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of God found only through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way to a fully and permanently reconciled relationship with Father God.

Outcomes

• Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
• Living on the path that leads to eternal torment and separation from God is the result of our depraved human nature. A life lived with purpose on the narrow path of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. God’s Word instructs us completely and correctly about reaping what we sow.

God gave the ultimate gift (the life of His perfect and sinless Son) to pay for our rebellion and sin. Read the Bible to learn about true love and complete forgiveness.

• John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Prayer

Holy Father, creator and sustainer of the universe, please use the truth of Your Word and the power of Your Spirit to open hearts and minds to the knowledge, wisdom, purpose, salvation and outcomes found in Your Word. Thank You for loving us perfectly! I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.

There is Hope!

There is Hope!

The prophet Jeremiah was used by God to foretell of the coming judgment against the rebellious southern kingdom of Judah if they would not confess and turn from their grievously sinful ways. But when Judah refused to heed these warnings from God, He sent the Babylonian army to destroy Jerusalem and remove most of the surviving Jews from the Promised Land. Despite the personal torment and suffering Jeremiah experienced during the decades of his prophetic ministry, once judgment came, he mourned deeply for the loss of life, the horrendous suffering, and the exile of his fellow Jews to Babylon.

The book of Lamentations documents Jeremiah’s profound grief during the aftermath of God’s wrath being poured out on Judah. The tragedy of it all. The suffering and anguish of individuals and a nation. However, in the midst his intense grieving, Jeremiah recalls the unchanging compassion and unending goodness of God.

The Burden of Despair
No matter how desperate the situation, there is always hope in the Lord!

• Lamentations 3:19-21 (NLT)
• 19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
• is bitter beyond words.
• 20 I will never forget this awful time,
• as I grieve over my loss.
• 21 Yet I still dare to hope
• when I remember this:

The Basis of Hope
Our merciful Heavenly Father is always ready to receive those who turn to Him!

• Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)
• 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
• His mercies never cease.
• 23 Great is his faithfulness;
• his mercies begin afresh each morning.
• 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
• therefore, I will hope in him!”

The Blessings of Inheritance
The eternal treasures of God are graciously poured out on those who trust in Him!

• Lamentations 3:25-27 (NLT)
• 25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
• to those who search for him.
• 26 So it is good to wait quietly
• for salvation from the Lord.
• 27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age
• to the yoke of his discipline:

All of us endure difficult days, overwhelming circumstances and the burden of grief. This can lead to feelings of helplessness and despair. But praise be to God that there is always hope in Him!

Hope in Him – Turn to Him – Trust in Him 

Prayer

Father, thank You for being unchanging, faithful, merciful, generous and so much more. Help those who have already surrendered to You to find ongoing hope in a personal relationship with You. Please touch the hearts of those who have rejected You, or who have never heard of You. Draw them into a reconciled relationship with You through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I pray these things in His name. Amen.

Come Hungry. Come Thirsty.

Come Hungry. Come Thirsty.

In order to survive, our bodies require food and water. Our bodies express these critical needs in the form of physical hunger and thirst. In order to have eternal life, our souls require a different kind of food and water. Our souls express these critical needs in the form of spiritual hunger and thirst.

After 40 days without food, when Satan tried to get Jesus to sin by proving He was the Son of God (turning stones into bread), Jesus addressed a much more important issue than His physical hunger – He stated the critical truth about God’s Word being an essential aspect our spiritual lives.

• Luke 4:1-4 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”

While talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus turns a conversation about immediate physical thirst to a lesson about spiritual longing for eternal life – He shared the truth that He is the only way to everlasting life. 

• John 4:13-15 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

Physical hunger and thirst are among the most natural experiences in life. Spiritual hunger and thirst are among the many extraordinary supernatural gifts given by God to man.

We hunger for truth. 

We thirst for eternal life. 

Come hungry and listen to Jesus – let Him satisfy your hunger for the truth found only in God’s Word!  

Come thirsty and believe in Jesus – let Him quench your thirst for eternal life that is found only in Him!

• John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for giving us a hunger for truth and a thirst for eternal life. Please continue to use these supernatural gifts to draw many to salvation in Jesus Christ. Also, please keep those who have already surrendered to Jesus hungry and thirsty for You, Your Son and Your Spirit. We hunger and thirst for you!! I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Beautiful Boasting

Beautiful Boasting

We love to boast about what we know, what we have done, and what we have. We tell our family and friends all about it. We post photos and videos on social media. We proudly display our diplomas, trophies and possessions for all to see. We tell everyone who will listen and get our feelings hurt when they aren’t impressed. We form much of our self-image based on these things. And all the while, society applauds and encourages this glorification of self. This aspect of our human nature is ugly!

God clearly tells us not to be this way. He also tells us what we should be boasting about.

• Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. 24 But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken! (NLT)

Jehovah God should be the most important thing in our lives. Our conversations, social media presence, possessions, accomplishments, etc. should point others to Him. We should be celebrating and sharing with others our knowledge of Him, our relationship with Him, and our appreciation for all that He has done for us. We should be telling everyone about His amazing love and His awesome attributes. This is beautiful boasting!!

• Psalm 34:1-3 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. 2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. 3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. (NLT)

It is good to enjoy and acknowledge the blessings of this life. But as followers of Jesus, our goal is to bring honor and glory and praise to our Heavenly Father (not to ourselves).

• 1 Peter 4:11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Beautiful boasting brings glory to God! 

Prayer

Dear Lord, please help us to keep all aspects of our lives in proper perspective as we seek Your face and share Your truth with others. Forgive us when we bring too much attention to ourselves and fail to share Your love with the world. Teach us to boast only in You! I pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Finding Peace in Jesus Christ

Finding Peace in Jesus Christ


Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace! The prophet Isaiah foretold of Jesus’ coming and His gift of peace more than 400 years before Jesus was born!

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


Jesus desires for us to have perfect peace in and through Him.

• John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Read more of Jesus’ Words about His peace as found in Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John. Those who have surrendered all that they are to Jesus can experience His peace by knowing, understanding, believing, applying and focusing on these truths.

• John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
• Jesus is coming back for those who follow Him.
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
• Jesus is the only way to reconciliation with Father God.
• John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
• Father God has been revealed through Jesus Christ.
• John 14:13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
• When we pray in the authority and power of Jesus’ name, and within the will of Father God, our prayers will be answered.
• See John 15:7, 1 John 5:14-15 for additional context about praying in God’s will.
• John 14:15-16 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
• Jesus promises the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit for His disciples.
• John 14:19-20 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
• Jesus promises His followers eternal life and the indwelling presence of Father God.

Peace is a central theme in the Bible. As followers of Jesus, His peace is a key element of our lives.

• Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
• We have peace with Father God – He has adopted us as His children because of our faith in Jesus!
• Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
• We have peace within ourselves – Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we know that all our sins have been forgiven.
• Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
• We should seek peace with all people – As ambassadors for Jesus, we are to represent and demonstrate the love He has for all people.

Seek truth in God’s Holy Word about real and lasting peace.

Learn more about the peace found only in the Prince of Peace!

Prayer

Father in heaven, thank You so much for Your love for us. Thank You for teaching us about the peace we can find in Jesus Christ. Please use Your Holy Spirit to help Christians experience this peace daily. Please draw those who have not surrendered to Jesus as Lord and Savior to believe and receive the wonderful gift of eternal life and genuine peace. I pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Creation

Creation


Have you ever been captured with wonder while gazing into the depths of the heavens on a cloudless night? Have you ever contemplated the origin of the universe? Have you ever trembled due to the ferocity of an approaching storm? Have you ever considered the complexities of the physical laws of nature? Have you ever acknowledged the brilliance of the created order? Have you ever wondered where humanity came from?

There is no shortage of explanations, legends, theories, fairytales, laws, stories, proofs, myths, doctrines, cults, traditions, etc. that attempt to satisfy our deep and desperate longings for truth. But when it comes down to what we believe, we turn and look within ourselves. We ask, ‘What feels good and right to me? What aligns with my experiences, perspectives and desires? Who do I trust for answers?’

But, as a first step towards finding and understanding truth, we should be looking outside of ourselves to the universe we live in. We need to get beyond our personal preferences, desires and motives to see the truth. The realities of creation are not tainted by personal bias (even though our personal interpretations and understandings of these realities certainly are).


What Does Creation Teach Us?


Creation Confirms God’s Existence!

• Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
• God created everything out of nothing. There was nothing physical before He created it. He is where all the inanimate stuff in the universe came from (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, calcium, gold, lead, etc.).
• He also created DNA – DNA is information. Information cannot evolve from inanimate stuff. DNA shows His intelligent design for creation.
• God created and assembled everything inanimate and living according to His perfect plan.

Creation Declares God’s Glory

• Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
• In creation we see God’s magnificence and abundance! He was not limited in what He could do or what He needed to do it.

Creation Displays God’s Intelligence!

• Proverbs 3:19-20 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; 20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew
• The intellect of God is beyond our comprehension. He has perfect:
• Wisdom (judgement, ability to discern inner qualities and relationships)
• Understanding (reason, skillfulness)
• Knowledge (He knows everything)

Creation Reveals God’s Creativity!

• Psalm 33:6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
• He didn’t make a small, barely adequate universe – He spoke into existence something that is beyond our comprehension. He created an infinite expanse of wonder.

Creation Demonstrates the Love of God!

• Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
• God loves us so much, He created us with the ability to think, and speak and be in relationship with Him.

What Does Observation and Contemplation of Creation Do to the Human Race?


Creation Should Humble the Human Heart!

• Psalm 8:3-4 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
• In creation we see the infinite power and genius of the Creator. And in awe, we should wonder, ‘Why would He even notice me? Why would he care about me?’
• Contemplation of creation should be a humbling experience.

Creation Divides Humanity into Three Groups:

• Those who believe in one or many gods that may or may not include the God of the Bible.
• Those who believe only in the God of the Bible.
• Those who deny the existence of any god including the God of the Bible.
• Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.

So now I ask, ‘Have you ever sincerely desired to understand where everything that exists comes from? Do you want to know why you are here? Have you ever read God’s Word and diligently sought after Him with an open heart and open mind about these and other great mysteries?’

Creation declares the existence of a god!

The Word of God teaches about the only true God!

To know God and be in a reconciled relationship with Him

comes only through knowledge of His Word

and saving faith in Jesus Christ!!!

Hear the Word of God.

• Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
• Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
• Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
• Romans 10:9-11 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Prayer

Father, You have revealed Your existence through creation. You have given us Your Word so that we may come to know you in a very personal way. You sacrificed Jesus Christ to pay the debt for our sin. Use Your Word and the power of Your Holy Spirit to save those that are lost. Thank You for creation. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for Your love! I pray these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Having Not Seen

Having Not Seen

I believe that a man named Jesus Christ was sent from Father God to live on the earth about 2000 years ago. I believe that he was conceived and born of a virgin by a divine work of the Holy Spirit of God. I believe that He was fully human. I believe that He was fully God (God in the flesh/the Son of God). I believe that He performed countless miracles during His life. I believe he never sinned. I believe that the Jewish leaders convinced the Roman and other authorities in Palestine to kill Him. I believe that Jesus died a on a cross to pay the debt for my sin. I believe He rose from the dead three days after He died. I believe that He spent time with many of His disciples after He rose from the dead. I believe that, before He ascended into heaven, He commissioned His followers to share the truth about Him with the entire world. I believe He is now seated at the right hand of Father God in heaven. I believe that He will come again to gather and take to heaven those who have trusted in Him. I believe I will spend eternity in heaven with Him.

Having not seen Him, I believe all these things about Him. And because of what I believe about Jesus, most of the world believes that I am foolish, simple-minded, irrational, deceived, hypocritical, etc. Why? Because the world says that, ‘Seeing is believing.’

But the Christian Bible (the Word of God) teaches us that followers of Jesus believe in Him without seeing Him.

• 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

The Bible also teaches us that without this kind of faith, we cannot please God.

• Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

After rising from the dead, Jesus told one of His disciples that those who believe (that He rose from the dead) without seeing are blessed.

• John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

My beliefs about Jesus are by faith. My faith comes through hearing the Word of God.

• Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

My faith in who Jesus is and what He has done is how I am reconciled to Father God (saved from his wrath).

• Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

My faith in Jesus is a precious gift from Father God. Through faith, He assures me that the unseen things I learn about in the Bible are real.

• Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Though I have not seen Jesus, I love Him. My trust in Him brings me glorious, unspeakable joy!

• 1 Peter 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

Do you have faith in Jesus?

If not, diligently seek Him!

Prayer

Father in Heaven, my Lord, my God, my King, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you will give the gift of saving faith to those who will believe it and receive it. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.

A Beggar’s Dozen

A Beggar’s Dozen

Perhaps you’ve heard of ‘a baker’s dozen’? This is generally accepted to mean thirteen. This expression can be used to advertise a sale (get 13 items for the price of 12). A generous vendor may include a 13th doughnut in the order for a dozen from a regular customer. A shopper may ask for a baker’s dozen hoping to get a little extra included with their purchase.

So, what does a baker’s dozen have to do with being a Christian? Consider the following.

• Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Recognizing that God is completely righteous, and that in our humanity we are spiritually bankrupt, is an essential part of turning to Him for salvation. As beggars, drowning in our sin, we see the need for Him to forgive us.
• Luke 18:13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
• Amazed by His glory, power, and perfection, we surrender all that we are to Him. Knowing we don’t deserve His love and blessings, we beg for His mercy.
• Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
• Sins forgiven and saved from His wrath, through Jesus we have the promise of eternity in heaven with Him. Now we long for His presence; we beg Him to help us live a life worthy of who He is and what He has done for us!

We Are All Beggars!

Yes, as followers of Jesus Christ we are fully reconciled to Father God – now we are His children. Yes, the righteousness of Jesus Christ has been credited to us. And yes, we should and can confidently approach His throne of grace with our praises and prayers. Yet we still appeal, plead and sometimes even beg Him to guide us, empower us and help us grow into the person that Jesus Christ died for us to become.

Why don’t we offer up a little extra to God? Instead of a dozen prayers, let’s make it 13. Let’s come to Him with ‘a beggar’s dozen’ of prayers asking for His sanctifying work to be done in our lives.

     1. When I am proud, make me humble.

     2. When I rebel, help me to be submissive.

     3. When I doubt, increase my faith.

     4. When I am afraid, give me assurance.

     5. When I worry, grant me Your peace.

     6. When I complain, help me to be appreciative.

     7. When I am selfish, teach me to be selfless.

     8. When I am lazy, teach me obedience.

     9. When I criticize, help me to encourage.

    10. When I am discouraged, help me find Your joy.

    11. When I am weak, give me Your strength.

    12. When I wrong, help me to admit it.

    13. When I hate, help me to love like You do.

I will be praying these prayers often – will you join me?

Prayer

Father, please hear and answer our prayers to be more like You. Give us victory over the sins and shortcomings that plague us. Fortify us against the weakness of our flesh, the evil influence of the world, and the devious attacks of Satan. We love You and praise You and pray to You in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Have I Become Your Enemy?

Have I Become Your Enemy?

Like the rising and setting of the sun, God’s Word is reliable, unchanging and enduring. The Word of God teaches us that:

• God’s promises will not be broken.
• God’s plans will not be changed.
• God’s rule cannot be challenged.
• God’s judgment cannot be escaped.

Christians believe that the Holy Bible is God’s Word. We believe the Bible is absolute truth. We also believe it is very important to share our beliefs. This is done out of obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and out of love for those who have not heard about or have not decided to surrender to the message of truth found in the Bible.

• Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
• Jesus, the human incarnation of God, commanded and commissioned His followers to teach the truth of the Bible to all the world.
• Mark 12:29-31 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
• Jesus taught that there is only one true God, and that we are to love Him with all that we are. He also taught that we are to love all those we encounter in life (our neighbors).

In order to understand Jesus’ teachings on love, we need to look at the Biblical definition of love. It is important to understand how genuine Godly love is meant to drive the motives for, and methods of, sharing the truth of the Bible with others.

• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
• Love is about putting others needs above our own. Christian love means that we are to make decisions and take actions that pursue the good of others while also glorifying Father God.
• Romans 12:9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
• Hypocritical love is not Christian love. Our love is not so much about feelings as it is about being and doing what shows our love for God and our love for others (even when we strongly disagree with them).
• Ephesians 4:15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
• The truth of the Bible can be a difficult message for someone who has not heard it before, or for someone who has heard but decided not to believe and receive the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. The truth of the Bible is to be shared with love.

Here is a summary of the good news (gospel) message of Jesus Christ.

• All people fall short of God’s commandments, requirements, standards and principles (this is called sin).
• God is perfectly righteous (every person who has ever lived will stand before Him for judgment).
• The penalty for sin is death (physical death – the separation of your soul from your body; and spiritual death – the separation of your soul from God).
• The debt for our sin must be paid (this is the only way to be in a reconciled relationship with God).
• Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, lived a sinless life, died on a Roman cross and rose from the dead to pay the debt for our sin and make a way for us to go to heaven (Jesus is the only way to peace with God).
• When you surrender all that you are and follow Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are saved (saved from God’s wrath).
• When you are saved though faith in Jesus, you are adopted by God as one of His children (washed clean of your sin, indwelled with God’s Holy Spirit, assured that you will spend eternity in Heaven with God).

Here are a few verses from the Bible about the gospel of Jesus.

• Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
• 2 Thessalonians 1:9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
• Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
• Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
• John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
• Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
• Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

In the first century, the Apostle Paul established several Christian churches in a Roman province called Galatia. He taught the people there that being saved from God’s wrath against sin could only be accomplished through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He had been clear in his teachings that nothing else was required. Years later, upon hearing that some of those who had professed faith in Jesus were allowing false teachers to lead them astray by teaching them that to be saved they also had to follow certain rules and traditions, Paul wrote them a letter. In this letter, Paul confronts his friends with this issue. He urged them not to be misled. He even expressed concern that some of them may not have made a genuine profession of faith in Jesus. And then he asks the readers of this letter an important question.

• Galatians 4:16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

Now I ask you the same question,

‘Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?’

My sincere hope is that you will not disregard the truth of God’s Word and the good news about salvation in Jesus Christ. My prayer is that you are, or will become, a child of God through faith in Jesus.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, King of kings and Lord of lords, please use the truth of Your Word and the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit to draw those who don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior into a loving relationship with Him. Please rescue those lost in the darkness of sin by bringing them to the light of life – Jesus. I ask this in His holy name. Amen.

Insurrection

Insurrection

The ‘world’ (the powers and people of God’s creation that attempt to discredit, reject and ignore His truth and love) is rebelling against the sovereign rule of God. Genuine Biblical Christianity is not only unpopular in the world today, it is being ferociously and openly attacked. Why! Because it stands in direct opposition to the lies and lusts of the world. This rebellion, and the associated attacks against God and His Church, are primarily focused on the Bible – the Word of God.

Christians look outside of themselves and into the Word of God for His truth.

• Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Those opposed to the Word of God look inside themselves for self-justification.

• Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

The world is out to destroy faith in the Bible.

The world believes that:

Discrediting the Word of God Makes the Bible a Book of Lies!

Science, philosophy, religion – the intellectual pursuits of man are used to invalidate the truth of God’s Word. The depraved heart of man turns God’s truth into lies and man’s lies into truth.

• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
• The Bible teaches us that the Word of God is absolute truth. The Bible was written by men that were inspired and directed by God. His Word is a wonderful gift to us. To discredit the Word of God is to set a trap of deception. The Bible correctly answers the fundamental questions of life. Where did I come from? Why am I here? What happens when I die?

The world believes that:

Rejecting the Word of God Makes Christianity a Joke!

Go ahead and make fun of me behind my back – or even to my face. Call me stupid or foolish for my faith in Jesus. But don’t make the Word of God the target of your irreverent humor.

• John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
• The Bible teaches us that the very Words the world laughingly discards will be the standard by which everyone will be judged. Rejecting truth is no laughing matter.

The world believes that:

Ignoring the Word of God Makes Forgiveness of Sins Unnecessary!

‘If it makes me happy, it must be OK.’ ‘I am who I am, don’t try to change me.’ ‘Live and let live.’ ‘I’m a good person, just look at all the nice things I do.’ ‘I am certainly better than him. Did you know that he ________?’ Setting our own standards is a great way to feel good about ourselves. We can easily obey our own rules – and if not, we can just change them. Who needs forgiveness if they never do anything wrong?

• Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
• The Bible teaches us that every single person falls short of God’s standards, requirements and restrictions – His Law shows us our sin. God is a righteous Judge. To avoid the eternal condemnation that results from breaking His Laws, our sin debt must be paid in full. Forgiveness of sin is absolutely necessary.

The Bible often uses light as an analogy for life, truth and righteousness. Likewise, darkness often represents death, lies and wickedness.

• John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

Jesus Christ is the light that has come into the world. He gave His life to bring eternal life to all who follow Him.

• John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

As His ambassadors, those who follow Jesus shine His light into the world. Christians live for Jesus to bring glory to God.

• Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

If you are rebelling against God’s truth and love, why not go straight to the source – talk directly to Him through prayer about your questions, complaints, concerns, frustrations, disappointments, etc. If you truly and deeply want to know the truth, He will reveal it and Himself to you.

• Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

When God reveals Himself to you,

Prepare yourself to be humbled!

The rebellion will be over!!

Prayer

Dear Father, there are so many that try to discredit, reject and ignore You. I pray that you will open their minds and hearts to Your truth and love. For those who are genuinely seeking truth, I pray that you will reveal Yourself to them. Please do what only you can do – turn a hater of God into a lover of God. I humbly ask this in the name above every name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

From Beginning to No Ending

From Beginning to No Ending

Surrendering all of yourself to Jesus Christ is the beginning of a new life!  With Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are now reconciled to Father God (the price has been paid for every single one of your sins – past, present and future).  What a blessing to know that God loves you; not just now, but forever!!  The Bible teaches us so much about our relationship with God and our blessings and responsibilities as His children.  This devotion focuses on two essential aspects of salvation.

Beginning – The Immediate Result of Salvation

God identifies you as His child by sending His Holy Spirit to live in you!

• In the scriptures below, ‘sealed’ means to stamp, mark, or attest.  God is lovingly claiming you as His own.  This claim is permanent.  It cannot be surrendered or taken away!

No Ending – The Ultimate Reality of Salvation

God pledges that you will be spending eternity in heaven with Him!

• In the scriptures below, ‘guarantee’ means to make a down payment.  God is legally committing to His relationship with you.  This commitment is eternal.  It cannot be ended or undone!

In His Word, God reiterates the importance of these truths by weaving them into fundamental teachings about our walk of faith.

Our Salvation

The moment we trust in Jesus!

• Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
• When we believe in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit.  There is nothing more we must do for the Spirit of God to come live in us.  The presence of the Holy Spirit is an essential part of our daily walk with Jesus.

Our Stability

God steadies and commissions us!

• 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
• As we learn and grow, God helps us stand strong in Christ (establishes us).  He also sets us apart from the rest of the world (anoints us) to do His work.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power and ability to obey God and live for His glory.

Our Submission

Obeying the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit!

• Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
• Not only does the Holy Spirit empower and enable us, He teaches us the truths of God’s Word.  He also leads and guides us according to God’s purposes and plans.  We should not reject or resist the moving of the Spirit in our lives.  We must trust and obey Him.

Our Security

Looking beyond death to God’s eternal promises!

• 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
• It’s not that Christians want to die, but we are weighed down by the sin, sadness and sickness in the world.  We long for the fulfilled promise of eternal life in heaven.  However, we want it according to His plans and in His time.  There is still so much work for us to do here.  His Spirit is with us every step of the way.

What a beautiful tapestry of truth and assurance.  Praise God for His everlasting love for us.  Thank God for all He has done to guarantee the eternal destination of all who love Him.  Share the truth about Him with those who don’t know or don’t believe.  Never forget, His promises and His Spirit are always with us.

Prayer

Thank You Father for loving us so very much!  Not only have you made a way for us to be with you through Your Son, Jesus, but You have claimed us as Your own and guaranteed our eternal life in heaven.  I pray dear Lord that these truths will comfort and strengthen the hearts of Your children.  Please bring many who don’t know You to saving faith through the truth of Your Word and the unending trustworthiness of Your promises.  I humbly and confidently ask these things in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Ready, Willing and Able

Ready, Willing and Able

Many people have a misperception about God; they view Him as angry and vindictive. Now, God will certainly judge the sin of the world. But that is because He is just. And the Bible teaches us that every single person is sinful and subject to the judgement of God. Once you realize that your sins (falling short of God’s standards and requirements) are grounds for judgment, the last thing you want is justice. What you need is mercy!

When you see God for who He really is (loving, kind, patient, merciful…), and start to understand who you really are apart from His forgiveness (wicked, depraved, selfish, rebellious…), your perspective about everything will begin to change. God derives no pleasure in destroying the wicked.  Quite the opposite, He desires that all people turn to Him for reconciliation.

• Ezekiel 18:23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

Unlike the false hope found in counterfeit ‘gods’ created by man, the God of the Bible is ready, willing and able to forgive!

Ready

Recognize your sin and cry out to Him for mercy!

• Psalm 86:5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Willing

Realize that God is patient and desires everyone to turn to Him for forgiveness!

• 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Able

Receive the good news that you can come to God through faith in Jesus Christ!

• Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

The Word of God given through the Apostle John:

• John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
• John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The Word of God given through the Apostle Paul:

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
• Romans 10:9-11 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Jesus, God in the flesh, paid your sin debt by living a sinless life and then dying on a cross as the sacrifice for you sin! Ask God to reveal this truth to you through His Holy Spirit. Ask God to forgive your sin. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Faithfully follow and obey Jesus. Live forever reconciled to God!!

Prayer

Father God, only you can reveal these truths to the heart of man. Please, merciful Father, open the eyes of the blind to the truth about Jesus. May the good news about Jesus save many lost souls. In the name of Christ I pray. Amen.

The Gift of God

The Gift of God

What is most important to you this Christmas? Special time with your family? Extra days away from work? The gifts you give? The gifts you receive? Doing for others? The parties you attend? The decorations, the food, the songs? Knowing that every good and perfect gift comes from Father God (see James 1:17), it is good to rejoice in the blessings He provides. Solomon acknowledged this truth as he struggled to make sense of life in this fallen and broken world. 

• Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
• Ecclesiastes 5:19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

However, we must never forget what matters most. We must respect and obey God – to glorify Him is the primary purpose of our lives. One day we will all stand before Him and be judged according to how we have lived (because our lives reveal the truth about our relationship with Him). Solomon clearly understood the supreme importance of a reverent and reconciled relationship with God.

• Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Which brings us right back to my original question, ‘What is most important to you this Christmas?’ Well, according to God’s Word, the eternal and absolutely truthful answer to this question is:

What is most important to you this Christmas is

what you have done with The Ultimate Gift of God!!

God has given us many gifts; but most importantly, He has provided a way for us to be in a reconciled relationship with Him for all eternity. Why does that matter? Because without reconciliation, we face judgement. Judgement for what? Judgement for sin (missing the mark and falling short of His righteous requirements and restrictions). God’s provision for reconciliation is His ultimate gift. And the Bible teaches that there is only one way that we can only be reconciled to Him – through faith in Jesus Christ.

• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Christmas is the time of year that followers of Jesus celebrate Him coming to earth to die for our sins. He died to take the punishment for our sins so that, when we place our trust in who He is and what He has done for us, we can stand fully righteous before God. And, amazingly, the very faith it takes to trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior is itself a gift from God!

• Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Jesus, the human incarnation of God, spent the last three and a half years of His time on earth showing people who He was and telling them why He came. In one instance, He traveled out of His way specifically to meet with a woman from Samaria. In the course of their conversation, Jesus told the woman that His being there with her was a gift of God. But she saw Him only as a man.

• John 4:10-11 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?

Yet patiently and lovingly, Jesus continued the conversation. And when the woman mentioned Messiah (a very specific title in the Bible referring to the coming Savior King), Jesus revealed Himself to her!

• John 4:25-26 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

This Samaritan woman came to saving faith in Jesus because He made Himself known to her. And now, perhaps for the first time, or maybe for the 5th, 10th, or 100th time, Jesus is making Himself known to you. Jesus wants you to be declared innocent when you stand before God to be judged. He wants you to spend eternity in heaven with God instead of eternity in hell separated from God.

The miracle of Christmas is that God came to earth as a man. This man, Jesus, lived a perfect life so that He could die as a sacrifice to make payment for the sin of all those who profess Him as Lord. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, do so now. Pray to Him. Admit that you are a sinner. Proclaim your faith in Him – that He is God, that He died for your sins, that He is the Lord of your life!! Accept the ultimate gift of God!

If you already follow Jesus, pray for those who don’t, that they will hear and heed the good news about Jesus.

Prayer

Father, in Your perfect love, grace and mercy, draw the lost to salvation in Jesus. Thank You for the ultimate gift to this lost and dying world, Jesus. I pray these things in His precious and mighty name. Amen.

Why Am I Surprised

Why Am I Surprised

For the past year or so I have been praying with increasing diligence (and sometimes desperation) about the worry and fear I deal with daily. For quite some time, for me and where I am in my walk with Christ, I consider my response to the difficulties and uncertainties in life that drive these feelings to be sinful. Why is that, because what I have discovered is:

I absolutely trust Jesus for my eternal salvation…

… but I am not trusting Him in my day to day life now.

The result of this realization is, that instead of trying to figure out what is wrong with the people and circumstances that trouble me, I am beginning to understand that I must determine what is wrong with me! I am asking, ‘What is the disconnect between my head knowledge about Jesus and my relationship with Him, and the negative feelings I often allow to dominate my consciousness?’

And then this week it hit me, I have been begging Him all year long to help me deal with the persistent sin in my life. Looking back over some of the confessional devotions I have written on this blog in 2018 (for example, see ‘Drastic Measures’ posted on January 27, 2018 and ‘Digging Deep; posted on October 7, 2018), I am wondering, why am I surprised at the difficulties I am facing? He is answering my prayers to get victory over the sins in my life by putting and/or allowing me to be in situations where I have to face them!

Even though God does work in the circumstances of our lives to bless us in very special ways, in His wisdom and love, rather than just eliminating our problems, He helps us to work through them. Although we may want a quick fix to our problems, He is interested in transforming our very nature. He wants us to be more like Jesus! He wants us to depend on Him. He wants us to trust Him! No matter the difficulties of today and struggles of tomorrow, when we keep an eternal perspective, we will see and experience the truths of God’s Word.

• Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Today, I still feel like I am drowning in my own personal ocean of worry and fear. But I know that I must trust Him in all things. I have seen a bright light on the horizon, a ray of hope that pierces the darkness and that can only be found in Christ Jesus! Here are some of the truths I am focusing on as He does His work in me.

• Psalm 37:3-4 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
• Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
• Mathew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
• James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
• 1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for not trusting You today, help me cling to you no matter what comes tomorrow, and fill me with the joy and peace that come’s with embracing your eternal promises. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.

Missing the Miraculous

Missing the Miraculous

In John chapter 6 of the Bible, we find a large number of Jews following Jesus. They were following Him because they had seen Him heal the sick. And as they followed Him, Jesus performed another miracle, He provided more than enough food to feed over five thousand people when all that was available was five barley loaves and two small fish. Because of these miracles, the people started claiming that Jesus was the Prophet (a reference in Jewish law to the coming Savior King). But Jesus knew their intentions to take Him by force to make Him king, so He left them.

However, the next day, motivated by what they had seen and experienced, the people searched and found Jesus. At this point, Jesus confronts the crowd with the truth about their motives.

• John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

Jesus was telling them, ‘You have seen the miracles, but you are missing the miraculous!’ He wanted them to see beyond the obvious physical miracles to a clear understanding of the miraculous spiritual truth about Him!

• John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

But because these Jews were so focused on finding a savior who would address their temporary earthly troubles, they couldn’t see that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah who was sent to meet their eternal spiritual needs. With love and compassion for these lost souls, Jesus spoke to them using graphic physical imagery to express a critical spiritual reality.

• John 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

But they didn’t understand what He was saying to them! They weren’t willing/able to accept what seemed to be appalling statements about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. So, Jesus tells them plainly that He is speaking about spiritual, not physical things.

• John 6:61-63 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
• NOTE: The word ‘disciples’ in this verse literally means ‘students’. Here, Jesus was referring to the people in the crowd who were hearing His teachings, not the 12 disciples He had chosen earlier in His ministry (see John 6:67 and Mark 3:13-19). The 12 disciples were those who spent 3.5 years in close relationship with Him and continued to spread the truth about Him after His death, resurrection and ascension.

And then we read, what is to me one of the saddest scriptures in the Word of God.

• John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Those who walked away from Jesus had seen with their own eyes His healing power. They had eaten the bread and fish that He multiplied. They walked away from the very Messiah for which they went searching. They walked away from God!

They Had

Seen the Miracles

But They Were

Missing the Miraculous

Christians, pray for those who don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Pray that they will see the truth of WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE!

If you are not a follower of Jesus, pray for the one true God of the universe to reveal the truth about Jesus to you.

• Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
• Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
• John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Prayer

Father, may the truth of Your Word and the conviction of Your Spirit encourage believers and draw the lost to You through Jesus. Thank You for Your perfect love and Your amazing grace. I pray these things in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. 

Desperate

Desperate

All of humanity lives in this broken, sinful world. The reality of evil, a cursed planet, and the depravity of man leads to much suffering. Unfortunately, many people find themselves in desperate situations. And sadly, when someone is drowning in pain, sorrow, disappointments, frustrations, feeling trapped, they may consider ending their life. And even more tragic is the fact that many times people do end their lives.

The Bible tells us of four people who directly asked God to end their life.

Moses

Overwhelmed

• Numbers 11:14-15 I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”
• Moses was overwhelmed by the responsibilities and disappointments that came with leading the rebellious Nation of Israel once they left Egypt and headed out for the Promised Land.
• God provided a solution (seventy elders to help Moses bear these burdens (Numbers 11:16-30). And Moses persevered, continued to serve God, led the Nation of Israel, wrote the first five books of the Old Testament, and was present when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (Mark 9:2-4).

Elijah

Persecuted

• 1 Kings 19:3-4 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
• Elijah was persecuted for confronting the evil King of Israel, Ahab, and destroying many prophets of false gods (which angered the wicked Queen of Israel, Jezebel).
• God sent angels to minister to Elijah. God demonstrated his power to Elijah in a very strong wind, an earthquake and a fire. And then God spoke to Elijah in still small voice. God spoke to Elijah and gave him instructions. Elijah was obedient and was eventually taken up into heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). Elijah was also present when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain.

Job

Grieving

• Job 6:8-9 “Oh, that I might have my request, That God would grant me the thing that I long for! 9 That it would please God to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
• ‘loose His hand and cut me off’ means – reach out His hand and kill me.
• Job was grieved by the loss of his children, possessions, standing in the community, support/encouragement from his friends, and not understanding how God was working in these situations.
• God speaks to Job and enables him to see the foolishness of questioning His sovereign rule, almighty power, infinite wisdom and perfect plans. God instructs Job’s friend to go to Job and offer up burnt offerings. He also told them that Job will pray for them. God tremendously blessed Job’s latter days (Job 42).

Jonah

Resentful

• Jonah 4:2-3 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
• Jonah was resentful because God chose to be merciful to a great multitude of people that Jonah hated (the Ninevites). God spoke to Jonah through an unusual object lesson and revealed two things to him: 1. Although Jonah had heard directly from God and was saved from drowning by God, his priorities and understanding of God’s mercy were utterly deficient; 2. God has great compassion for those who are blinded by their sin. (Job 4).
• Jonah’s call for repentance in Nineveh resulted in 120,000 souls turning from their sin and turning to God. And although Jonah is mentioned several times in the New Testament, we don’t know about his life after Nineveh.

The heartbreaking truth is,

Sometimes people end their lives.

The point of this devotion, as demonstrated in the Bible, is that anyone can become so desperate that they want to die. Those who love God are not immune to the horrific realities of desperation and/or depression.

Psalm 88:1-3

O Lord, God of my salvation,

I have cried out day and night before You.

2 Let my prayer come before You;

Incline Your ear to my cry.

3 For my soul is full of troubles,

And my life draws near to the grave.

Whoever you are, whatever circumstance you find yourself in, if you are desperate enough to consider ending your life – immediately reach out for help!

If you have access to a friend or family member who follows Jesus, or if you can talk with a Christian pastor, they should listen to you and help you find the help you need. They can also share with you the message of love and hope found only in Jesus. God loves you and has a plan for your life even if you can’t see past your current circumstances.

If you are not willing or able to talk with a Christian, find someone you trust and tell them what is going on. Let them help you find the resources you need to see and move beyond the issues and/or circumstances that have brought you to this desperate point in your life. There is hope!

Prayer

All-knowing Father, You know better that anyone about the desperation that exists in this world. Please Lord, make a way for anyone considering suicide to get the help they need. I pray in the name of Jesus that desperate people around the world will obtain eternal life in heaven with You through saving faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Truly His

Truly His

For a Christian, salvation is both an instantaneous reality and an ongoing process. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are immediately and permanently reconciled to God, forgiven of all sins, made righteous in His sight, indwelled with His Holy Spirt, adopted into His family, and so much more. Yet, from the time of our salvation on, we also look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of our salvation: receiving our eternal bodies and being in heaven for all eternity with God, His holy angels, and the saints from all time.

If you are His, you are truly His. And if you are truly His, there are five distinct aspects of salvation that have been, are being, and will be revealed in your life. These truths are taught throughout God’s Holy Word, but I have chosen five specific verses from the writings of the Apostle John that clearly communicate these truths.

Salvation is revealed in the life of a Christian as:

Believing

• John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
• In a gracious act of love, God the Father gives a person the faith to believe the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Christians know the truth about Jesus.

Receiving

• 1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
• Once God reveals the truth about Jesus to a person, that person must choose to surrender to that truth. Christians accept the precious gift of saving faith in Jesus.

Remaining

• 2 John 1:9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
• Every Christian falls short of God’s standards, gets discouraged, has doubts, experiences frustrations, etc. But a child of God will never permanently/definitively walk away from their Heavenly Father. Christians are in an enduring relationship with Jesus.

Emulating

• 3 John 1:11 Beloved do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
• The Word of God instructs a Christian about how and why they should become more and more like Jesus. The indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit enables them to do so. Christians obey Jesus – they obey the Word of God.

Inheriting

• Revelation 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
• A born again believer in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with God. Christians are joint heirs with Jesus.

These five distinct truths blend perfectly into

one absolute truth in the life of a Christian.

Prayer

Loving Father, gracious King, I pray that the truth of Your Word presented in this devotion will encourage those who know you and draw to You anyone who does not. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Digging Deep

Digging Deep

Throughout this year I have been struggling in my prayer time. In particular, I have had a very difficult time with confessing my sins. Not that I’ve had any trouble recognizing the sin in my life, but that I had a long list of sins that I confessed over, and over, and over again. Although I desired and attempted to be open and honest during my times of confession, I was finding myself to be distracted and frustrated. Eventually, I began to realize, that even though the sins I was confessing were legitimate, I was not digging deep enough. So, I asked God to search my heart and show me the things that really needed to be dealt with in my life.

To share what He showed me is difficult. But I believe this is necessary. Here are the four specific sins I am struggling with as I walk with Him today.

Pride

• James 4:11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
• I didn’t think I considered myself to be better than anyone else, but I have constantly criticized others. And the really bad thing is, I have felt justified in doing so. What the Lord has help me to see is that, by being critical of others, I have been elevating myself. Instead of focusing on my walk with Jesus and how to become more like Him, I have made myself the judge of others.

Privilege

• Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
• It has been a real slap in the face to realize that I am not nearly as grateful for the sovereign work of salvation God has done in my life as I fooled myself into thinking I am. I know this because I am beginning to see that I often take for granted how blessed and highly favored I am to be a child of the King. I didn’t, and don’t, deserve eternal life. My heart is not filled with gratitude.

Priority

• Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
• Simply put, although I say that Jesus Christ is the most important person in my life, I often put other people, tasks, commitments and interests ahead of Him. ‘I deserve to relax. I’ll get to it later. I’m just too tired right now.’ I was a priority to God the Son when He died for me. I am still a priority of His. He is worthy of the time and energy I have, not leftovers.

Price

• 1 Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
• I am not secretive about my faith in Jesus; but I am not bold and proactive either. I am way too concerned about the potential consequences of sharing my faith. What if I offend someone and never get to share with them again? What if I share my faith at work and lose my job? As much as I want to share, as much as I think I am not ashamed, I am not willing to pay the price.

I am embarrassed to reveal these sins. Yet I want so badly to have victory over them. I know I can only do so in His strength. I know the only reason to do so is for His glory. My prayer is, with the time and effort it has taken to evaluate and describe these specific sins, that now I will pray more fervently about them, more clearly confess and address them, by His power and grace turn from them, and for His glory overcome them.

Are you struggling with some specific sin? Have you considered asking God to help you dig deep to get to the root of the problem? I have only taken the first few steps of this difficult journey; but now I see a path forward to victory and know He is walking with me every step of the way.  Jesus is there for you to. Ask for His help!