Friday 8/16 ~ Solace, Comfort, Reassurance

The scripture for today, August 16 (8/16), is Romans 8:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAIL“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

This is so similar to the scripture of a few days ago on how to know if the Spirit is living in you.  You can use the same approach to determine how the Spirit teaches you that you are God’s child.

Once again, John 14:17 says the Comforter Jesus sent us was the Spirit of Truth. And Jesus said in John 17:17, God’s Word is Truth. So it is through God’s Word that you are taught how to become God’s child. You do not have to guess!

This is what is so wonderful about Christianity. The Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Shamanist and many other religions leave the followers to guess because their “god” has given them no instructions. Ninety-nine percent of them believe they are not children of God.

They also believe there are not saved because they can’t be perfect, so have to be reincarnated thousands of times to try to be perfect. The Muslim religion says followers are slaves, and they won’t know until the Day of Judgment if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds. If they did more good than bad, they get to go to paradise where they have gold couches and wide-eyed virgin servants but God is not there.

In all other world religions, followers never know if they are children of God and saved. As hard as you try, you cannot be perfect.  But Jesus came and was perfect for you.  All the good works in the world will not get a sinner into God’s home ~ heaven~ because we are still sinners. Jesus collected the wages for your sin, thus making Satan’s threats of hell ineffective.  If you believe this and follow what he says in the Bible, you can become God’s child and live with Him forever after you go through the happy door of death.

 Praise God! He has given you The Map, the Way ~ the Holy Bible, God’s Word in written form. Such solace. Such comfort. Such reassurance.

 

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Monday 8/12 ~ I am your light. I am your water. I am your life.

The scripture for today, August 12 (8/12), is John 8:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0000-BK 1-StarSong-Cover-new-Thumbnail“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ “

Jesus had only about six months left to live. He knew the religious leaders were after his life out of jealousy. Before going to Jerusalem, he told his brothers, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me” (John 7:7). Knowing people were wanting to kill him, he slipped into Jerusalem after everyone else got there (John 7:10, 14). Then suddenly he appeared in the middle of the Temple complex ~ the size of many football fields. He knew he was safe as long as there was a crowd.

Jesus answered some private questions, and then “he called out, ‘You know me! You know where I am from!’ ” (John 7:28).

Every day of this feast, a priest would ceremonially pour out some water to represent the water that poured out of the rock when the Jews wandered in the wilderness. But on the last day, the priest did not do this, for it represented their ancestors finally arriving in the Promised Land. It was on this last day of the feast that Jesus “stood and said in a loud voice…  ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him!’ ” (John 7:38f)

First thing the next morning at dawn he returned to the Temple court.  Maybe there was a beautiful sunrise. When the sun was up and the crowds had returned, he shouted something else to everyone, “I am the light of the world!” (John 8:12).

He had compared himself to the water ceremony of the day before, and now he was comparing himself to the new dawn. There he was. God the Son crying out to humanity. “Come to me! I am doing everything I can to help you! Won’t you come? Please listen to me! Please come! I can save you!”

Such stubborn love.

 

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Sunday 8/11 ~ …because your soul is alive.

The scripture for today, August 11 (8/11), is Romans 8:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAIL“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”

Death literally means separation. Physical death means separation from this body on earth. Spiritual death means separation of our soul from God who is Life. Whenever we sin, our soul dies. It happened to Adam and Eve who didn’t think God meant it when he said, “In the day you eat of the fruit, you will die.” They could no longer walk and talk with God in the garden because they were now separated from him, spiritually dead. With that eventually also came physical death.

There are certain spiritual laws that cannot be broken. For example, it is impossible for God to lie. It is also impossible for God to sin. Therefore, God cannot co-exist with sin. We sin. Another law is that sin demands death. For centuries, God commanded mankind kill perfect animals in their place to take their death punishment. Apparently, Satan accepted this so as not to take our souls to hell ~ yet.  It was a temporary fix.

Finally, God sent the Son in bodily form to be killed in your place and take your death punishment. Now, all you have to do is be “in Jesus” which is accomplished by doing what Galatians 3:26 says.

What is the role of your spirit? When someone dies, you say their spirit has left their body. So, as long as they are alive, it means their spirit is still in them. They are not conscious of their spirit being in them; they just know it is because they are still alive.

In the same way, when you become a Christian by believing, repenting, confessing and being baptized, God’s Holy Spirit enters you; Acts 2:38 says so. This is when you become spiritually alive; Romans 6:3-4 says so. You are not overtly conscious of God’s Spirit being in you, but you know it is true because your soul is now alive.

 

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAILTHE ROAD TO HEAVEN begins in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve decided to follow Satan’s advice instead of God, thus taking mankind into his custody, works through God’s magnificent plan to ransom us from Satan, and ends in the heavenly throne room. Come along with me to trace the sometimes treacherous but ultimately glorious path made for us by God.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2yPeURw

 

LINK to all BOOKS by CATEGORY:  http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

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Friday 8/9 ~ Taking the death penalty for someone else

The scripture for today, August 9 (8/9), is 2nd Corinthians 8:9 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Such love!

Jesus gave up streets of gold for streets full of trash. Gave up a heavenly mansion for a barn. Gave up the ability to be everywhere at once, to being confined to a body. Gave up eternal bliss for thirty-three years of pain and struggle. Gave up adoring angels for crowds that hated him. And finally, he gave up sinlessness to take the blame for your sins and allow himself to take the soul and body death penalty for your sins.

What more can be said about God who materialized for you and snatched you out of Satan’s jaws? Unless perhaps it is ‘What have you given up for him lately?’.

 

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LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY:    http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

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Tuesday 7/30 ~ Big plans for you

The scripture for today, July 30 (7/30), is John 7:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Joseph-Cover-Thumbnail“At this, they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.”

Even though during the last two years of his life, many people wanted to kill Jesus out of jealousy or fear or pure meanness, he was never afraid to keep teaching. Why? Because he knew his life was ultimately in the hands of the heavenly Father.

Do we feel fear sometimes because of things going on around us? Do we fear failure, or ruin, or false rumors, or even imprisonment or our life? Remember, each life is in the heavenly Father’s hands.

So do not fear. Keep on keeping on. Hold fast. Stand firm. Do the right thing. Stand up for Jesus. And, when someday, your time does come, know that God has everything under control.  He had big plans for Jesus at his death and he has big plans for you.  Plans you can only imagine.

 

0-Joseph-Cover-ThumbnailJOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER raised Jesus in a violent world.  What an assignment God gives him ~ to keep the boy protected all those years of his growing up. Sometimes Joseph cries out in an impossible situation, “God! Help me protect our son!”  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2LYlfC7

 

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Friday 7/19 ~ How often do you want God to forgive you?

The scripture for today, July 19 (7/19), is found in Romans 7:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do ~ this I keep on doing.”

Doesn’t this pretty much describe you and me in some area of our life?  It may be eating too much, breaking the law by going over the speed limit, laughing at dirty jokes, habitual lying, stealing “little things” at work, cheating on tests, jealousy, impatience, temper ~ any number of things.

Sins of habit and attitude are hard to break. So you go to God over and over asking him to forgive that which, deep down, you know you’re going to do again.

Perhaps this emphasizes the importance of you forgiving others who habitually do wrong to you. You do not know their deep inner struggles any more than they know your struggles.

Jesus said, “IF you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14).

Satan wants you to quit trying to do better. And he wants you to quit forgiving other people. Don’t give in to Satan.  Give in to God. God’s way leads you to ultimate forgiveness of your sins ~ ultimate and complete.

 

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR was insulted by other people; he forgave them. He was harassed by other people; he forgave them. Mocked by other people; he forgave them. Bawled out by other people; he forgave them.  Killed by other people; he forgave them. How did this former coward change?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2M0sjxX

 

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Saturday 7/13 ~ When misery ends with gladness

The scripture for today, July 13 (7/13), is in Job 7:13ff in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-new“When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine. I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”

Job was extremely depressed. It happens to everyone sometimes. His depression was certainly valid ~ he had lost all his income and all his children in a recent storm. Now he had what the Bible translated as “boils” but the symptoms indicate he had a form of leprosy called Elephantiasis.

This particular form leads to nightmares in addition to the physical problems. Job had every right to be depressed. So depressed was he, that he no longer wanted to live, for his life no longer had meaning.

But, as miserable as Job was, he hung on. Patiently he hung on during the bad times. Sometimes during your bad times, the greatest thing you can do is “hang on” ~ be patient.

Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Job loved the Lord. Even in his misery and desire to die,  he continued to love God and trust Him.

And, although at such times you may believe your misery will never end and you will never even smile again, it will happen. The misery comes to an end. It did for Job. He got his health and wealth back and more children to comfort him. God will see you through too.

 

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Monday 7/1 ~ Take the time

The scripture for today, July 1 (7/1), is Leviticus 7:1f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy. The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides.”

Romans 3:23 says the wages of sin is death. The earnings are paid by Satan, the author of death.  God told everyone to appease Satan by killing substitute perfect animals during the Old Testament era. The earnings for your sins were collected by these perfect animals over and over in the Old Testament. But one day Jesus nailed the Old Law to the cross (Colossians 2:14), and with his one sacrifice made it so that no more bloody deaths of substitute animals were necessary (Hebrews 8-9).

In a sense, Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, laid down on the altar of the world where his blood flowed from all sides of the cross to all sides of the earth. Why would anyone want to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and nullify that horror Jesus went through in our place?

Jesus collected your wages from Satan for your sins to save you from facing both body and soul death. You can never, ever thank him enough.  But, instead of temple ceremonies, he asked you to commemorate his death with the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Communion each week.  Do you?  On Sundays, the day he came back to life, do you care? Take time to remember his death. He took time to die in your place.

 

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Friday 6/14 ~ The gratitude day

The scripture for today, June 14 (6/14), is Numbers 6:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“There he is to present his offerings to the Lord…a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering…. “

A lot of people don’t understand what Jesus dying on a cross has to do with going to heaven. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death.” ~ both physical and soul death. It is Satan who pays us our wages. In Old Testament times, God intervened and arranged for people to kill a perfect animal in their place whenever they sinned to satisfy Satan’s bloodthirst.  But it was only a temporary fix because it is impossible for us to be sinless ~ without defect.

Finally, God the Word came to earth as a human, and John the Baptist called him the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Jesus was perfect and without defect; that is, he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Then he took the wages of sin from Satan and died as the perfect Lamb of God in our place ~ both physically (separation from people on earth) and spiritually (separation from God the Father). After Satan released his hold on mankind, Jesus even went a step further and miraculously came back to life!

Then God said, “If you’ll believe and imitate Jesus, I will consider your debt paid in full and consider you perfect too (Romans 6). Then I’ll bring you back to life in heaven.” How amazing!

And, by the way, since he came back to life on Sunday, that’s what makes Sunday so special. It’s an I’m-sorry-you-had-to-die-for-my-sins Day. It’s the “Do-this-in-remembrance-of-me” Lord’s Supper Day.  It’s the Gratitude Day.

 

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Wednesday 5/29 ~ Everlasting Arms

The scripture for today, May 29 (5/29), is Acts 5:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ “

There are many countries in the world today where a person is tortured, imprisoned and/or killed for believing in Jesus Christ or owning a Bible. These believers must stay in the background and try to remain relatively unnoticed in order to survive. But their faith continues unabated, even amidst their fears. Because of brave Christians like these, the church has survived persecution for 2000 years.

Even if they’re not killed, they are by-passed for promotion at work or fired, they are harassed when out shopping, they are threatened in public transportation, they are turned down for a good education, and they must tolerate derision just walking down the street or waiting at a bus stop. But their faith continues unabated, even amidst their fears and tears.

Such events are usually covered up by their governments and news media, and the good people of those countries never know it is happening.

How grateful we must be to those who live life being rejected by others. Let us daily hold up these brave souls in our prayers ~ those who obey God rather than men.

In eternity, God will deal with the persecutors.  In eternity, it will be to God the persecuted will turn to, not men. And there, God will hold them in his everlasting arms.

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail

STEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR was not brave as a youth. In fact, he was a coward. Walk with him over the next ten years as he grows into one of the bravest men you will ever meet.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2wtVwIA

 

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