Tuesday 7/17 ~ What is God’s assignment for you?

The scripture for today, July 17 (7/17), is 1st Corinthians 7:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-Thumbnail“Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.”

In some situations in life, this scripture is hard to accept. Sometimes life gets very, very hard. Sometimes it is difficult to keep smiling, even to keep breathing. When will it end? Will it ever end?

But can it be that this is where God wants you? Can it be that the difficulties in your life right now are your assignments from God? God fights Evil from heaven and it is our place to fight Evil from earth. It is an ongoing battle. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

For some reason that cannot be understood right now, you are where God wants you to be. This is your assignment from God. Remember, we are “ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20). We must show the world that “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:28).

As a soldier for Christ, be brave. Think with a clear head. Stand firm of faith, strong in spirit, pure of heart.

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Sunday 7/1 ~ Satan pays our wages for our sins

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

“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.”

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-ThumbnailRomans 3:23 says the wages of sin is death. The earnings are paid by Satan, the author of death.  The earnings for your sins were collected by substitute deaths of substitute perfect animals over and over in the Old Testament. But Jesus nailed the Old Law to the cross (Colossians 2:14), and with his one sacrifice made it so that no more blood sacrifices 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 horribleness Jesus went through in our place?

Jesus collected your wages from Satan for your sins in your place. We can never, ever thank him enough.  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?

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Thursday 6/21 ~ Satan is just. God is merciful.

The scripture for today, June 21 (6/21), is Romans 6:21ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Inside-AUDIBLE-Hearts-Medium“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sometimes you do things you are ashamed of and decide God would be too ashamed of you to accept you as his child. But God can get rid of the shame, for he can forgive so completely that it is as though we never did those things.

Do you bristle at the phrase “slaves to God” or “slaves to Christianity” or even slavery at all? But we’re all slaves to something ~ a big car, high position, beauty, a hobby, chasing after the opposite gender, reading, eating, music, sports, etc.  What are you a slave to?

From the beginning of time, sin has always been rewarded with death. Death means “separation” and in the case of sin, it means separation from God. God allowed us in Old Testament times to kill a perfect animal in our place, but we had to keep doing it throughout life. Then Jesus came as our perfect Lamb of God and allowed himself to be killed in our place.

The wages were collected from Satan by Jesus.  Yes, Satan pays mankind our due.  He is for justice. God is for forgiveness.  Instead of paying us what we deserve, God pays us what is not just.  It is his love.

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Thursday 6/14 ~ Are you willing to collect the wages?

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 allowed people to kill a perfect animal in their place whenever they sinned. But it was only a temporary fix because it is impossible for us to be perfect.

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; 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). He 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 a Gratitude Day.

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Friday 3/16 ~ Then God played a trick on Satan

The scripture for today, March 16 (3/16), is John 3:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Guess what? Many people have heard there is such a scripture as John 3:16, but they do not know what it says. And among those who do know what it says, many have no idea what Jesus dying on the cross has to do with going to heaven.

It is important for us to read the entire Bible so we can understand the isolated scriptures we hear or read. There was a song written several years ago called, No Man Is An Island. No scripture is an island either. Just as every person influences other people in some way, every scripture influences other scriptures.

The meaning of John 3:16? Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” And Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is [spiritual] death.”

There are certain truths that cannot be broken. For example, it is impossible for God to lie.  Another truth is that both good and evil exist.  It is obvious both are in a battle to win.  Satan is the seat of evil.  God is the seat of good.  God is stronger than Satan.  How do we know? Whatever Satan does, God can undo. When Satan causes someone to be sick, God can heal them. When Satan causes someone to sin, God can forgive them. When Satan causes someone to die, God can bring them back to life.

Satan held mankind hostage because we all sin.  The ransom to free mankind was the death of someone who had never sinned. Only one being had never sinned ~ God.  But God was smarter than Satan. God sent his Word down to us in flesh (John 1:1f, 14) ~ Jesus ~ who lived that perfect life that is impossible for us to live.  Then, the fleshly-part of God paid the terrible ransom: He died physically and spiritually on the cross. 

The ransom was now paid (Matthew 20:28 and I Peter 1:18-21). Then God played a trick on Satan. Only the flesh part of Jesus died. And even then, that body came back to life.

Today, we have a choice: Become a Christian or tell God the way we live is none of his business. Think.  Think about this.  Deeply.  “God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son.”  Understanding the price he paid to keep y out of hell, how can anyone walk away from him?

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Tuesday 3/6 ~ Twists and turns, shortcuts and detours

The scripture for today, March 6 (3/6), is Proverbs 3:6 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailIn all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Is your life full of twists and turns, shortcuts that never work out, detours, mountains to climb and valleys to make your way through?  Welcome to the human race. Life on earth can be hard.  Did you know the Bible calls Satan the god of this world (2nd Corinthians 4:4) and ruler of this world (John 12:31)?

Your path to heaven is another matter. Your path to heaven is straight. God has done everything in his power to straighten your path and make it easier for you to reach him. How? By providing his Son to die in your place for our sins, and by providing you with His Word to read anytime you see trouble ahead (Psalm 119:105).

Do you see a mountain ahead of you that is impossible to climb or valley so full of darkness you cannot bear the thought of entering it? Do you see a curve in the road ahead of you and dread knowing where it will lead you to?

Colossians 1:13 says God can rescue you from Satan’s domain of darkness and transfer you to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. There God takes control. There God says, “Hold on a minute, Christian, while I lower than mountain, brighten that valley, straighten that curve.”

The path to heaven ~ thanks to our merciful God ~ is straight. What path are you on?

Tuesday 2/27 ~ Satan exists too?

The scripture for today, February 27 (2/27), is Jeremiah 2:27 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Old Testament Survey-Cover-thumbnail“ ‘Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,’ declares the Lord.”

More and more people are blaming God for bad things happening in their life. That is their excuse for rebelling against God and declaring he does not even exist. Their view of God is a Santa Claus or Genie in a Bottle who grants their every wish and keeps them from all harm. No one ever dies, no one ever sins, and it is heaven on earth.

Other people sometimes blame God for bad things happening in their life because blaming is one of the ways they handle their grief. They don’t really want to blame God because they want to think God loves them. But there is no one else to blame.

No one else to blame? Oh, yes, there is. There is Satan. We tend to forget Satan is out there too. It is Satan who causes bad to happen, not God.

Is that what you’ve done lately ~ blame God for bad happening, then rebel against him? Or do you know someone who is going through many problems not of their doing or choosing? Are they blaming God and rebelling against him? Help them. Remind them of Satan.

People want to blame someone. They will be relieved to be reminded that Satan exists. Now they can put the blame where it belongs. 

Let us not blame God for the bad. Instead, let us thank Him for the good. Ah, yes. God does love us after all and is the source of everything good.

Thursday 2/8 ~ And Satan laughed

The scripture for today, February 8 (2/8), is Genesis 2:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnail“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.”

Just think: Mankind’s nursery was a garden. How God wanted to spoil us, his children. And dote on us.

He even visited us sometimes and walked with us through the beautiful home he gave us and walked with us in the cool of the evening. It was the first of many times in the future he would walk with man. It was a beautiful time.

Then jealous Satan came along and lied to us. He claimed God was our enemy. How could he say that with God providing tasty food to eat and sparkling water to drink beautiful flowers and trees and…  Well, we had everything.

Satan knew he couldn’t deny that, so he planted in their minds what they did not have. “See that tree over there? God doesn’t like you or he would let you touch that tree.  See that fruit over there? God doesn’t like you or he would let you eat anything you want.”  Oh, and the biggie. “God doesn’t want you to be as smart as him.  Evil is fun, but he is keeping you from knowing what evil is.  It’s the most wonderful thing in the world. Evil is so much fun. If God hates you that much, then hate him back.”

So, they did. And Satan laughed. They were so gullible. Too late they discovered God had been trying to protect them.

Many people even today still believe those lies about God not wanting them to have any fun. They are not true. God does not hate you. God is not trying to keep you from having a good time. The real good time is in heaven and he is trying to get you there.

Do not listen to Satan. He is the one who hates you.  Do not wait until it is too late. Turn around and try once more listening to God. He loves you beyond comprehension. And wants to spoil you. In heaven.

Scripture for Saturday, October 28 (10/28)

The scripture for today, October 28 (10/28), is Matthew 10:28f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Medium“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”

This scripture indicates that sometimes God’s allows us to “fall to the ground” ~ our bodies suffer, or we are killed. How can that be? After all, God is so loving. Surely a good God would not allow any harm to come to someone if he truly loves them.

But we all have our assignment from God in this war between Good and Evil. Just as Job in the Old Testament lost his entire family and entire wealth and then his health, he refused to blame God. He even said, “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

Satan causes bad to happen to us. Why? In order to get us to blame God for it. Our assignment is to refuse to deny God. That way, Satan loses one more battle, and God wins one more.

There is an old Christian song called “Victory in Jesus.” How can we have victory in Jesus if we do not have something to be victorious over? Romans 8:37 says we are more than conquerors. How can we be conquerors if we have nothing to conquer?

Let us say with James (1:2) that we consider it pure joy whenever we face trials. Hard to say? Of course, it is. But it could turn your life around.

 

Scripture for Tuesday, October 10 (10/10)

The scripture for today, October 10 (10/10), is Proverbs 10:10 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Letters-of-Apostles1-Cover-Kindle“He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.”

How can eye winking be malicious? Let’s look further at Proverbs 6:12-14 ~ “A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, who plans evil with deceit in his heart ~ he always stirs up dissension.”

Have we ever said something to someone, but turned to someone else in the room and winked to let the second person know we didn’t really mean what we just said? That made our words a lie.

We might have pre-arranged signals before a meeting such as crossing our feet as a signal we do or don’t like what is being said. Or we may run our fingers over our hair, or tap three times on a table as a pre-arranged signal to someone else in the room. If we are saying one thing but signaling something else to our partner, then our words are lies.

Perhaps we think it is purely innocent and claim that everyone does it. But Satan is the father of liars. And Revelation 21 says “…all liars ~ their place will be in the fiery lake.”

Oh, let us look closer at ourselves and not think we are superior to others. May we look at ourselves as God does.  It can be eye-opening and liberating.