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Matthew 6:8, “For your Father in heaven knows the things you have need of before you ask.” 

Philippians 4:16, And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

This song by Matt Maher was sung in church in church las weekend.  It has been in my mind all week and the words just seem appropriate to share this morning. 

Lord, I come, I confess 
Bowing here I find my rest 
Without You I fall apart 
You're the One that guides my heart Lord, I need You, oh, I need You 
Every hour I need You 
My one defense, my righteousness 
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are 
Where You are, Lord, I am free 
Holiness is Christ in me Lord,
I need You, oh, I need You 
Every hour I need You 
My one defense, my righteousness 
Oh God, how I need You 

So teach my song to rise to You 
When temptation comes my way When I cannot stand I'll fall on You 
Jesus, You're my hope and stay Lord, 

I need You, oh, I need You 
Every hour I need You 
My one defense, my righteousness 
Oh God, how I need You 

Oh God, How I need You.


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Romans 8:31, What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us who can be against us?

Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Words are becoming more fascinating to me.  By that I mean I am trying to slow down when reading God’s Word.  I think we miss so much when we try read a certain amount of verses and then say we have read/studied for the day.  For example, the verses for today were selected because of two words – if and choose.  I did not know until this morning that the word if is used 1.595 times in 1,420 verses of the Bible.  Such a small word that indicates uncertainty, maybe doubt.  When I read the word it indicates to me that someone has a choice in some matter.

In Romans 8:31 above, it might say God has a choice to be for or against us.  In the context of the passage the question is asking the reader to decide who is greater than God that our salvation might be taken from us.  In Deuteronomy 30:19, we are told to choose life.  That is the choice that each of us must make – we have a choice between life and death.

Each day we are faced with many “if” decisions; there are choices to make.  The choices we make are important.  The choice we make to walk in the way that pleases the Father in Heaven will not always please those in the world.  And that becomes the reality behind the choice.  Who do we want to please the most?  Those in the Bible who chose to please God were persecuted in some way – even to the point of death.  There are a lot of “if” decisions that can be made a head of actually having to make them.   Look at the decisions being forced upon us by government at various levels; we are being told what we can and cannot do.  Look at the decisions being made regarding Christianity.  “If” you have to choose between obeying God or the governing authorities what will you do? 

If we choose to obey God, the fourth man in the fire shows up and helps us through the fire.  If we choose to obey God, we know that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

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Genesis 6:8, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

In the midst of the wickedness that caused God to be grieved and be sorry He had created mankind, God found in Noah one man who still desired communion with Him.  One person!  Evidently God had searched, examined the character of every person and found that every heart was continually evil; only Noah kept himself separate from the moral decay around him.  Noah found favor in God’s eyes but not in the eyes of man.  I believe that to be very significant for today in a world where so many are more concerned at pleasing others instead of pleasing God.  Noah’s preaching and the way he lived his life condemned the evil in the world and the world hated him for it.  

We must understand that Noah’s righteousness came because of God’s grace not because Noah was sinless.  It was Noah’s faith and desire to walk with God that kept him close to God when evil and corruption was all around him.  Verse 9 states that Noah “walked with God”.  Noah lived his life in such a manner that he constantly communicated with God and desired to do only His will.  That had to be difficult with the ridicule and hatred that surrounded him.

The world today is no different from the world Noah lived in.  Evil abounds and is growing as the devil roams the earth seeking to destroy and kill all who have given their life to the Lord.  The only way to live a life as Noah did in these evil days is through a walk with God that separates us from the evil around us.  The emphasis must be on a genuine and sincere walk with God; it is not on just being a good person or doing good things.  Noah was chosen because he found grace – the undeserved favor of God.  Noah qualified because he was just.  You and I qualify by accepting the work Jesus Christ did on the cross and through His resurrection; it is not through anything we do ourselves.  Just as God protected Noah, He will protect and bless those who follow Him today.  This is not a one-time commitment - it extends over a lifetime of faithful commitment; those who persevere will finish the race and receive the crown of eternal life.

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Genesis 6: 5-6, Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Matthew 24:37, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

I have often wondered what man was doing that made God grieve in His heart and caused Him to be sorry that He had made man.  Genesis 6:2, 11-12 indicate that the character of man was manifested through their flesh and through violence.  Galatians 5:19-21 is quite clear what the flesh includes, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  There seems little room for misinterpretation that man’s sinfulness causes God to be grieved over the rebellious heart and sinfulness of His creation.  But, to be so grieved and to be sorry He created man meant that He had turned from mercy and longsuffering to that of judgment.

 This certainly gives us insight into the character of God.  The idea that God can feel regret and grief indicates that He has a personal and intimate relationship to His creation.  Here He expresses His disappointment with the willful sin and rebellion of His creation.  They had no idea that their Creator was so grieved that He was about to destroy them.

Jesus, when telling the disciples about the signs of His return, said the time would like the days of Noah.   It does not take much thought to see that human depravity has not changed.  Through the flesh and violence, evil continues to express itself and most people go about business as usual; they have no desire for righteousness or the things of God The people in the days of Noah had absolutely no regard for the message of Noah as he built the ark; they had no idea of what was coming.  People today are living as those in the day of Noah.  The Bible states that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.   What must He think of the life styles of people today?!   He must be grieved.  How much longer will He allow this to continue?

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John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

This verse might have been used in many church services this weekend.  I searched through a lot of verses that speak to honor and giving one’s life to defend their country.  I just did not find what I want to convey today.  I listen to veterans discuss their time of service, their time in war and I am so thankful for what they did to keep our freedoms. 

Days we have set aside to remember the sacrifices of men and women and their families are important days.  It saddens me to think that too many have made these days to be just holidays; they have become time off from work and barbeques.  These special days are good when celebrated with family and friends.  However, these days need to be times of remembrance. We must never forget what so many men and women gave that we might be able to enjoy the barbeques we attend. 

I am not sure why I did not serve in the military.  Perhaps it was God keeping me out for His reasons; perhaps there were other reasons.  Many of my high school classmates served in the various branches of the military.  Friends I have made over the years served as well; to each of you I offer my sincere gratitude!  I have had the opportunity to listen to veterans tell their story, their experiences while serving their country.  I have listened intently to their service while in the World War 2 – both in Europe and in the Pacific Theatres – in Vietnam, and the wars in the Middle East.  Each story was filled with hardship and honor.
 I think one of the things I regret was not hearing about my dad’s service.  As I look back, I wish I would have tried to get him to tell me what he had been through during World War 2.  Two of my uncles served in that war as well.  I believe they served with honor.

To all veterans, Thank you for your service, for protecting the values we have held to be so important to this great country.  Know that you will be remembered for your service.  To those families that have lost loved ones during their service, know that they are remembered for giving their utmost to serve and protect what we have been blessed with in this United States of America.  It is up to us to never forget!

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John 15:7-8, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples.”

I am sure you had a favorite teacher or coach or another school official that really made an impression or made a difference in your life.  I did.  Perhaps it was because I knew he really cared and was going to tell me when I did something wrong; or because he was the first in line to pat me on the back.  I studied him to the point that I recognize many of my mannerisms were his.

My goal is for you to understand the importance of “abiding in Christ”.  “As a Christian, you can enjoy a give-and-take with God.  His words abide in them and their branches abide in Him.  A natural outgrowth of this abiding relationship is prayer” (taken from the Jeremiah Study Bible).  The secret of answered prayer is remaining in Christ.

The way to walk more closely with Christ is to spend time in prayer, fasting, worship, meditation and study of the Scriptures.   In doing so, we start to think like, talk, act like who we have studied for so long.  This becomes really important as we begin to pray and to “ask”.  No longer do we ask selfishly for things but pray according to the will of Christ.  When we desire the things Christ wants, it shall be done.   Our prayers become more effectual when they are in line with the nature and words of Christ.

Jesus also said in John 14:3, “And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  He is not saying whatever you pray for you will get.  No, it is praying in agreement with His nature and His character and His will.  It means that Jesus will answer the prayer that He would have prayed Himself. 

The reason this kind of prayer is answered is “that My Father is glorified”.  I have a lot of my prayers not answered because I was going to get the glory.  No, prayer is answered when we abide in Christ and seek to glorify our Father who is in heaven. If your prayers are not effectual, check to see if you are praying for the Glory of God.  There is a difference between a good prayer and a prayer that glorifies God. 

John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (the Lord Jesus Christ).

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John 15:2, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Since retiring, I have started to take an interest in what I can do to improve the appearance of the yard.  In the back there are areas where grass has stopped growing due to the amount of shade.  In the front, I have planted flowers after removing the crazy variety of vegetation we had there.  Let’s just say I am trying to learn what to do to help the plants grow strong and healthy.

In the past my attempts to make shrubs and bushes look better have earned me the name “butcher” in my house.  I had good intentions but the outcome might not have shown that.

I have learned that removing that which is either no longer growing or producing the desired results helps the plant grow healthier and stronger.  I have seen that “topping a tree or shrub helps it grow fuller at the lower parts and removing limbs from the bottom help it to grow taller.

This verse describes the same thing the Lord does to Christians.  As the true vine, Jesus is the source of all life.  In this passage two types of branches have been identified: fruit-bearing and non-fruit-bearing. The problem lies in that often the two look alike.  Those not bearing fruit may look like the ones producing fruit for a while but failure to produce in the harvest show they are not.  The result is to remove them because they no longer are receiving life from the vine.

I know this is a touchy set of verses for some people.  They speak of Jesus as the true vine and the branches are His disciples.  By remaining attached to Him as the Source of Life, His disciples (that includes all who have accepted Him as their Savior) produce fruit.  God expects all of His disciples to produce fruit.  One can only produce fruit by staying connected to the vine.  Those not producing fruit are no longer connected to the vine; they are removed. 

I want to write about those branches producing good fruit so you will understand those who are not.  Those producing good fruit will have a love for God and a love for others, an unselfishness and confidence about life; they will have a peace that comes from God.  “There will be plenty there for any observer to recognize. Good fruit is any action or quality of character that reveals God to the world and advances his purposes” (from an internet article).  The emphasis for all this is staying connected to the vine!

The branches producing the fruit are doing so because of their enduring faith in Christ.  These branches are further pruned in order to become even more fruitful.  “Pruning occurs when He removes anything that keeps the vital flow of Christ in them.  For us to grow spiritually, become purposeful and remain in a healthy relationship with Christ we have to cut the bad influences and distractions out of our lives. We can't continue to pursue worldly values which don't correspond with godly values” (Alannah Francis). 

This pruning might not feel so good at times!  However, it does bring fruit that brings glory to God through your life and witness.   People are watching you.  “Your life may be the only Bible people ever read” (Dr. Ed Newton). 

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John 15: 4, “Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

In order to get the full meaning of what it means to “abide in Me and I in you” read the entire passage (John 15: 1-17).  In the last page of this blog, Paul said that we are “more than conquerors through Him who loves us”.  The only thing that could cause us to fail in our spiritual walk is our own failure to remain in Him – the vine that John is talking about in this passage. 

When a person believes in Jesus Christ for salvation, he receives eternal life and the power to remain in Christ.  That person must accept the responsibility to remain in Christ; just as a branch has life as long as the life of the vine flows into it.  As long as the Believer stays connected to (abides in) Christ he has Christ’s life flowing through him.  The true vine, Jesus Christ, is the source of all life; this is a fundamental truth of being a Christian! 

The question becomes how does one remain in Him?  Keep God’s Word continually in your heart and mind making it a guide for your actions and speech (verse 7).  Verse 7 also reminds us to spend time in prayer in order to draw strength from Him.  Another way of abiding in Him is to obey His commandments (verse 10).  I know that there are no murderers reading this in the sense of physically taking another’s life; but, what about the things we say about another person?  Verses 12 and 17 speaks of loving each other – what a perfect way to abide in Christ.  There are plenty of verses in the Bible that tell us to keep our lives clean through resisting all sin and yielding to the Holy Spirit’s direction.  There are times we just have to say “no” to temptation when it comes.  Yes, we will sin. But when we do admit it and ask for forgiveness; just do not think this gives license to sin.

Let me close with several verses from this passage.  Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what a master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

We will talk about bearing fruit tomorrow.

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Romans 8:37-39, Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Take a moment today to consider how much God loves you.  John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  These are wonderful verses that tell us God initiated His plan of redemption for all mankind.  Someone reading this today needs to know that God loves you; He has reached out to you through His Son to save you from your sinful life.  You did not need to clean yourself up from sin before He accepted you into His kingdom.

I really enjoy Romans 8 because there is so much hope in it.  For example, verses 31-34 tell of God’s divine grace and love toward those who have believed in His Son.  Verses 35-39 tell that no external forces or overwhelming adversity can separate Believers from the love of God.

Paul is saying that in all these adversities we are more than conquerors and we will be victorious through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Notice again, we are not always kept from the fire but we are victorious as we go through it.

It is interesting in the verses 37-39, that Paul begins with “I know” and then uses the words “I am persuaded”; knowing truth and being persuaded by it are very different things.  Paul knows God’s Word, but he also had experienced much of what he was writing about in these verses.  You and I have so many resources available to us to know God’s Word; we might not have experienced hardships or that which causes us to really be convinced or influenced that it is true.  Does that make any sense?  When Paul states that nothing can separate us from God’s love, he can say that with confidence because of his experience.

We are “more than conquerors” comes from the Greek word hupernikomen which means we are super conquerors (huper means “over, above” and nikomen means “victors, conquerors”).  So, Paul is telling Christians that instead of victims in a fallen world (remember the persecution of Christians at this time), in Christ they were over and above conquerors.   It is God’s love given to us through Jesus Christ who gained the victory for us at the cross.  It is because of His victory and the Holy Spirit living in us that we are able to be “more than conquerors” in our struggles of life. 

Let’s go back to how we began today.  Consider how much God loves you; nothing can separate you from His love.  We just need to live like it.

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1 Peter 2:15, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Several years ago, I attended a conference and heard two speakers prophetically say that everything we knew was about to be shaken.  Saturday, I read a devotion that stated everything is about to be shaken. The speaker at church was Max Lucado.; during his time with the pastor, he said things as we know them are being shaken.  This morning I could not get that message out of my mind.

We are certainly seeing everything being pretty crazy.  In a recent article written by Michael L. Brown, Ph.D., he quoted Rodney Howard-Brown (a pastor recently arrested for not closing his church during the pandemic), “Every god of America has fallen – sports have fallen, Hollywood has fallen, television shows have been cancelled.  Even the god of some mega churches fell, these churches are empty today.”  Max Lucado mentioned how life has been disrupted due to the millions who have lost jobs with perhaps more to come, government worldwide is in disarray, our top researchers are saying it could take 12-18 months to find a vaccine for this virus, and we are seeing food prices going up because of shortages.

Since writing this blog I have been trying to encourage each reader about the times we are living in.  There is an answer to this – BE READY!   Be ready for what?  This time we are living in is a wake-up call to follow Jesus Christ as He desires.  I have said before – nothing else needs to happen, nothing else needs to take place for the rapture of the Church to occur.  Be ready; even when this world is out of control, remembering it is never out of God’s control.  “Be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”  I want the light of Jesus Christ to shine through me so all will want to know what it is that makes me different.  Will there be a time when people will be searching for hope?  I believe so and I want to be ready to give them the hope Jesus Christ gives through His life, death, and resurrection.

My young pastor friend tells me he likes to read the end of a book first to see how it ends.  Many of you have read the end of the Bible and know how it ends.  Those who believe and are looking for the return of the Lord win!  There is no need to worry about the outcome because victory through Jesus Christ is assured!  Live each day to the fullest, live knowing at any time the trumpet might blow and all who believe will be with Jesus for eternity.  Live so others might ask about the hope you have in you.  Be ready!

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I had computer issues yesterday and am not sure if anyone received it.  You can always click on the LEARNING DAILY at the top of the page and go back to see what has previously been written.

1 John 2:1, My little children, these things I write to you, so that you might not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

I have good and bad news this morning.  The bad news is every one is a sinner.  John knew that born-again Christians were still susceptible to sinning.  In this letter, he exhorts his readers to live without sin; however when one does sin, he must confess it and be forgiven.  That’s the good news.  Here is more good news.  We have an Advocate, a defense attorney in Jesus Christ. 

I do not know how all this works but the Bible hints that Satan still has access to the Father in heaven and is daily accusing Believers of their sinfulness.  It is like a court drama (I’m not sure who wrote about this).  Satan accuses us of the things we have done or said or thought trying to get us punished.  But, each time that happens, our Advocate intercedes for us by telling the Father that we believed in His atoning death on the day we did.  The Father then says the case is dismissed.  It is on this basis that when we do sin, we can confess our sin and know that Jesus Christ is faithful to forgive us (1John 1:9).  To me that is really great news!

1 John 2:2 speaks of Jesus Christ being the propitiation for our sins.  “Propitiation” means Jesus took our sins upon Himself to satisfy God’s righteous judgment against sin.  That forgiveness is offered to everyone throughout the world and is received by those who turn to Christ in repentance and faith.  What happens to those forgiven sins?  Micah 7:19 gives the answer: “He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.  You cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”  Isaiah 38:17 says God “casts all my sins behind Your back”.  And, Isaiah 43:25 tells us God “does not remember our sins.”  In other words when we confess our sins and stand on Christ’s redemptive work, our sins are forgiven and no longer remembered. 

I am so thankful that I, that we have an Advocate in Heaven who declares our faith before the Father.  Be careful to confess that which you do wrong today that it would be forgiven and no longer remembered!  What a promise!  What a Savior!  What an Advocate we have!

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Daniel3: 25, “Look!” he answered.  “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of Man.”

I have several preachers preach on the three Hebrews being in the fire and the fourth man showing up to protect them.  I have even attempted to preach it a time or two as well.  It just encourages me to know that when we “don’t bow we don’t burn” because the fourth man in the fire shows up. 

The three Hebrews knew that God’s wrath against sin and disobedience was far greater than this king’s or any human wrath.  Their unconditional faith in God trusted Him regardless of the consequences.  Understand it was their obedience and determined trust in God that caused the fourth man to show up in the fire.  Before I continue I must interject that many over the years have no doubt had the same faith in God who were not delivered as these three Hebrews were.  I do not have an answer for that except those who were not delivered are now with the Lord in heaven.  I do believe that He walked with those through their fire.

Continue to read in Daniel to see the result of the fourth man showing up.  By the way, scholars do not agree on who the fourth man was.  Was it an angel or the Lord Jesus who showed up?  My belief is the Lord Himself was there. 

When the fourth man showed up the fire had no power; the real power in the universe had intervened.   The binding on the men was loosed and they were walking around in the fire; they were not hurt, their hair was not singed, and they did not smell like smoke.  They had not tried to get out, leaving the entire matter to God. 

Great story to read!  But, the application of it can be so important to anyone who is facing a trial or a difficulty or a temptation of some kind.  Who do you trust in all of what you are facing?  Is God enough for you to trust so you do not bow to whatever is trying to make you bow or give in to?  God wants you to place your trust, your faith totally in Him as you face the fire of your difficulty.  One preacher said, “If you bow, you burn.  Don’t bow!  Instead know that whatever you are facing, whatever your trial is, the fourth man will be there with you to see you through.    

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Daniel 3:17, 18, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

 If you have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember what was written about “what if” books.   Today, this is a “what would you do” page. Let me give some background.

King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image of himself and demanded all people bow down to it.  Three Hebrews refused to do it and the king became so angry at them that he had a furnace heated up seven times more than usual and threw the three who refused to bow down into it. The fourth man showed up, kept them from even the smell of the fire, and the king praised God.  But, this is not the focus of this page of the blog.

Reread the verses above.  The three Hebrews are being told to do something they know is wrong; their choice is to bow or burn!  Worship the idol or worship God!  Isn’t that the choice each of us faces daily?  I doubt that the choice is as dramatic as what these three faced, but the choice is there.  The question becomes what would you do if you were the only one in the crowd who was not bowing?  You are the only one standing and by doing so you put your life in danger of being thrown into the fire!  You know that God can save you, take you out of the situation, out of the temptation.

But, what if He doesn’t?  I believe I have heard only one person say that he wanted all the temptation possible; he wanted to stay behind when the rapture came in order to save people.  He was a crazy youth pastor, by the way.  I do not want to face temptation.  I try to stay away from that which causes me to be tempted.  But, it comes.  I believe that we need to be prepared to face it when it shows up.  We prepare by knowing who God is and that He loves us so much that He keeps us from temptation.  More importantly, He loves us just as much when we go through the temptation.

 Read again the words of the Hebrews to Nebuchadnezzar, “He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not”.  They knew God could save them from the fire.  They also knew if He did not, He was still God.  What a great statement of faith!  They simply stood their ground and told the king they would serve their God to the end, regardless of the outcome.  That is the faith each of us needs today!  “This is God’s promise to His people today – not to spare them from the fire, but to provide for them in the midst of it, be that escorting them to heaven or allowing them to live to see another day.” (Dr. David Jeremiah).

Be encouraged today that the God of creation is with you, to walk with you in whatever you are facing.  He is able to keep you from those things that cause you problems.  But if he doesn’t, He is still God and He will be with you to fulfill His purpose in that trial.

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 John 14:2-3, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 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.”

Let me give the background to what Jesus said in these verses.  He is with His disciples in the Upper Room sharing their last meal together.  Jesus has washed the disciple’s feet, told them one of them will betray Him to the Pharisees, and told them to love one another.  The disciples had been with Jesus for three years, heard His teachings, but still did not understand His purpose on earth.  Now, He is telling them that He is going to leave them; where He is going, they cannot follow.  Imagine the confusion that must have surrounded them.  Peter is willing to lay His life down for Him – only to hear that he would deny Jesus three times that night.  Then Jesus tells them to not let their heart be troubled because He is going to His Father’s house where there are many rooms.  He is going to prepare a place for them and then come back and get them.

In John 2, Jesus had called the earthly temple His Father’s house.  Now He is going to His Father’s house in heaven, the eternal and heavenly temple.  He is going to prepare a place for all who follow Him.  There will be “many mansions” in God’s house.  Matthew Henry wrote that the mansions refer to “apartments” or “distinct dwellings”.  The Jimmy Swaggart Study Bible states, “Heaven is a large place; a place so large actually, that the possibilities transcend one’s imagination and exceeds our comprehension.”

Here again, the promise is to return from His Father’s presence to take His followers to be with Him in Heaven to the place prepared for them.  This is the hope of all who have believed in Him.  This is the reward for doing all we can to live a life pleasing to God!

Jesus’ words, “receive you to Myself” are interesting.  The research I did on this referred to two thoughts to consider.  First, when a Christian dies, the Lord receives or welcomes him or her with His love into the abundance of heaven.  The second thought in this phrase refers to the rapture of the church when all living Believers are “caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord and shall ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  What a comforting thought as we go through this life and all the struggles it brings.  Jesus will welcome us into His presence for eternity!  What a wonderful hope we can have today!

1 Thessalonians 4:18, Therefore comfort one another with these words.

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Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Over the years, I have used these verses in school devotions, shared them with students in chapels, and referred to them often as a reminder of how God desires me to live.  Since they were referred to in the last page of the blog, it seemed fitting to share some thoughts on them today.

Beseech is an interesting word – not one I use when I speak.  It is the Greek verb parakaleo and means “to call to, exhort, or urge.”  Paul uses parakaleo several times in his writings to encourage his readers rather than in a demanding or authoritative way. In doing a little research I found it interesting that a related word is parakletos or Paraclete which is a descriptive name given to the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit comes alongside those who put their faith in Jesus Christ to encourage and exhort them to be faithful.

When we understand just what Christ did for us by taking our punishment for our sinful life, we begin to desire to live our lives differently.  Paul is encouraging his readers (and that would include us today) to live their lives differently than what they did before Christ came into their lives.  The things we do and say become different as we strive to live lives that are acceptable to God. 

Paul encourages us to “not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed”.  There is certainly real pressure to conform to the pattern of this present world system, to fit into a mold that makes us like everyone else.  For example, think of the pressure being put on Christians to accept homosexuality and abortion.  No, we are to resist those things that are contrary to the Word of God.  The reason we must resist this world system is because it is under the rule of Satan (see John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19) and is against God and His people.  You have seen how everything pertaining to God has been attacked and removed from public places.  This world system we live in is based on human wisdom and values, full of deception and darkness.

Believers are called to be a light in darkness and not be drawn into the many forms of worldliness that is present in the world around us.  I am talking about self-centered living, humanistic thinking, the political maneuvering for power, ungodly entertainment, immorality, greed.  Do I need to go on? 

The alternative to conforming to the world’s values and lifestyle is “to be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.  A word that comes from the Greek word for transformed is metamorphosis and indicates change from the inside out.  Paul is encouraging us to let our mind be renewed in order to think and live the life that God wants us to live.  When we fill our mind with the thought of God, we begin to test, prove, and know that God’s will is good and perfect.  Satan slanders God’s will and just the opposite – not good, not desirable and not perfect.

These are pretty intense times we live in.  Those around us need to see the change that Jesus Christ brought to your life in order to be encouraged.  How often the phrase has been used that your life may be the only Bible that another person might read; it is true.  Let them see that difference by the way you live your life. 

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Revelation 22:8-10, Now I, John, saw and heard these things.  And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.  Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that.  For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book.  Worship God.”  And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand.”
What would you do if an angel showed up at your house today and revealed the things of heaven to you?  John fell at the feet of the angel to worship him several times in this vision.  Each time he was told to get up because he (the angel) was not to be worshipped.  Let’s be fair to John; He had just heard the Lord speak that the thing he had seen and words he had written were true and those who keep these words would be blessed.  John’s immediate response was to worship.  Did John confuse the angel for the One who spoke the message? 

Do you enjoy worship?  Too often worship is considered the time singing is done.  How many times have you heard at church something said after the singing about worship being done and the sermon begins?  Worship is continued when the Word of God is opened and proclaimed!  One of the many take-a-ways in The Revelation is that worship is continually being given to God in heaven for eternity.  One of the popular Christian songs today has been “I Can only Imagine”.

It considers what one will do the first time he encounters Jesus in heaven.  Hmmmm.  I can’t imagine anyone not falling down and giving Him worship and adoration.  I have been forgiven much!  What about you?  I suggest giving the Lord worship now – just to get used to it.

Take a moment to reread verse 10.  John was told to keep this book of prophecy open; it was not to be sealed.  It was to be read because “the time was at hand”.  There was urgency for it to be read.  The prophet Daniel was also given this prophecy but was told to seal what he was given (Daniel 12:4) because it was for the distant future.  The prophecy being given John by Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1) is the full and final plan for the end of history and the beginning of eternity. 

Understand that God’s desire is for all to read this prophecy, to scrutinize it.  He is openly showing all who read it what is going to happen; there are no secrets!  It is a call to pay attention and serve the Lord now until He returns.  The word quickly is used here and refers to the action of Christ.  When He comes for his Church, He will come with unbelievable speed. 

He alone is in control of history (His-story!)!  He controls all eternity!  He deserves all the worship that you and I can give to Him.  We worship Him with our mouth, with our service.  Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

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