King James Bible Daily Devotion –
Learning Scripture One
Day At A Time
Date:
Saturday,
October 10, 2015
Chapters:
Matthew 24-25
http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-283.html
Message
Title: Enduring
Tribulations
With Christ
Hello My Friend,
Tribulation,
severe affliction, it literally means to thrash or beat. The last
time I checked no one wants to face tribulation, but there are many
ways a person can be beaten without physical violence, such as
mentally or spiritually. Believe it or not, our own spirit weighs
heavily on the things that we go through, it can drag us down and
beat us up if we have nothing positive to look forward to. Let me
tell you, everyone faces tribulation, and it's going to get worse, we
cannot endure these things alone, they can only be handled through
the power of God's Spirit. “Blessed be God,
even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and
the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation,
that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the
comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the
sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth
by Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.
That
we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble,
interestingly enough, the things that we have gotten through are used
to comfort those who are presently going through the same thing. In
this me, myself, and I world, even as Christians we tend to focus
more on what we are suffering with rather than what others are going
through. If we take our focus off us for a second and turn to others
needs we may learn that our troubles may just even resolve
themselves. As Jesus was sitting up on Mt. Olives His disciples came
up to Him and asked Him when the end times would be. Jesus begins
explaining what will happen before and during the tribulation, a time
of great affliction throughout the entire world.
“And
because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But
he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye
therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the
mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any
thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return
back to take his clothes. For then shall be great tribulation, such
as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor
ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there
should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall
be shortened.” - Matthew 24:12-18,21,22.
And because iniquity shall abound, the
love of many shall wax cold. The wicked and immoral things
of this world are taking over and people are turning to it and
forsaking Jesus. If you think things are bad in the world now, we
don't want to know what it's going to be like through the tribulation
and after that. Jesus explain what will happen immediately after the
tribulation.
“Immediately
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and
the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall
appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till
all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but
my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But know this,
that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief
would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his
house to be broken up.” - Matthew 24:29-31,34-36,43.
He
would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be
broken up. It's very important that we reach all of our
family with the Gospel, severe suffering is coming as well as
judgment upon anyone not saved. Only those who have accepted Christ
will be saved from this, this is known as the rapture. “For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1
Thessalonians 4:16,17.
Many people will be introduced to
Christ, but it's not enough to just know of Him, we must receive Him
personally as our Saviour if we want to be saved. Jesus explains this
further through a parable of talents. “He
also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other
talents beside them.
His
lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then
he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee
that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And
I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo,
there
thou
hast
that
is
thine.
His
lord answered and said unto him,
Thou
wicked
and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and
gather where I have not strawed:
Thou
oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and
then
at
my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take
therefore the talent from him, and give
it
unto
him which hath ten talents.
For
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance:
but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he
hath.
And
cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Matthew 25:22-30.
But from him
that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
The talents are the Gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of
Christ. Those who accept the simplicity of the Gospel, take it, and
receive Christ as their Saviour are saved from being cast into outer
darkness (eternal death), and they are blessed as they teach it to
others. It's not about forcing someone to believe in Christ, only He
can save them, we are merely the ones who plant the seed of the
Gospel. Many, like the man who buried his talent, put it aside and do
nothing with it, not even receiving Him themselves, but we must
personally receive Him to be saved. So many people hear the Gospel,
many religions even talk about Christ and that we need Him for our
salvation, but they do not teach that He alone is needed. Those who
lead these religions have to answer to Jesus, those who are ignorant
to the truth or will not believe will be right there with them.
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of
this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come
to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the
works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter
3:8-10.
Today's Prayer:
God, Thank You for giving us a way to not only endure our personal
tribulations, but endure the tribulation. When we put our faith and
trust in Your Son's finished work, and receive Him as our Saviour we
are saved from being cast into outer darkness. Tribulation has a way
of weakening our spirits and bringing us down, but You are our
strength and through the power of Your Spirit we not only can endure
our own tribulations, we can be of comfort to others who are going
through theirs. In Jesus' name, amen.
God Bless You, I am
praying for you,
Christina
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© 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Put On Your Wedding Clothes
King James Bible Daily Devotion –
Learning Scripture One
Day At A Time
Date: Friday, October 09, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 22-23 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-282.html
Message Title: Put On Your Wedding Clothes
Hello My Friend,
The bride, the relation between Christ and His church set forth under the figure of a bridegroom and bride. The church is called the bride of Christ, and when we all come together it will truly be a heavenly feast. Only those who believe in and have received Christ personally as their Saviour will join Him for the heavenly feast. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:2-4,8.
The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them. One day we will not have to worry about pain, sickness, or sorrows of this life, until then we have to muddle through, but we do not have to muddle through it alone, we have Jesus with us. Those who are saved, not only have the Kingdom of Heaven awaiting them they have God with them right now, and He will help them get through any trial they face. Not everyone who says they are saved are saved. Jesus explains this further with another parable about the wedding feast.
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” - Matthew 22:2,5-7,10-13.
He saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment, many, many people will be called, meaning witnessed to or have the opportunity to know Christ personally as their Saviour, including religious people. However, they will not be chosen to join Jesus at the wedding feast because they relied on their religion, works, or something else to save them. When Jesus returns in all His glory on Judgment Day, He will not be the meek and mild Jesus who came here the first time, He will be powerful, bringing fire upon the entire earth.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” - Revelation 19:11-16.
The scribes and Pharisees were the most influential people in Jerusalem, they ran the temple as though they were true men of God, but what they were doing is deceiving the people. Jesus speaks to the multitudes and His disciples, this time calling out the scribes and Pharisees. “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” - Matthew 23:3-10.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ, Rabbi means master or lord. There is only one Master and Lord and that is Jesus Christ, we must not worship anyone else as such. A phylactery is an amulet. Ever see someone wear the star of David or a crucifix? That is a phylactery, and the clothes Jesus is referring to are those embroidered robes you see the priests and rabbis wearing. These people appear to be religious and godly, but are far from it, and what Jesus is saying here is that we need to be careful of the outward appearance of men who claim to know God. Clothes and possessions do not determine the person a man of God, knowing Christ personally as their Saviour, preaching, and living the Gospel determines that. “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” - Titus 3:8-11.
Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. Do you know how many people try to convince me that I am not saved because I am only trusting Christ as my Saviour. They will even throw in some Scripture to try to prove their point, I have responded with Scripture as well, only to no avail. This is exactly what Jesus does not want us to do, we are not to argue with those who clearly are not following God's Word. Jesus continues to call out the scribes and Pharisees as the hypocrites that they are.
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” - Matthew 23:13-15,37-39.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Until we are willing to open our heart to see Jesus for who he really is there is no hope. This is how false regions and different Bible versions show up, let me tell you, many people know a little bit of Scripture, even the devil himself, it's all a scheme to get those who are truly living in God's Word doubting their salvation and stop telling the truth to others. We are going to be tempted and tried for holding on to the truths of the Bible, it's okay because we have something amazing and great to look forward to.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to save us, through His death, burial, and resurrection, we have a way to be saved from hell. Now, we know that the only way to receive that pardon is to admit that we cannot be saved without personally receiving Christ as our Savior. Lord, open the hearts of those who have not accepted and received Your Son. Use me to show them how much You love them too and do not want to see them in hell either. Use me as a living sacrifice to follow Your Will in my life and to glorify You in the body that You have given me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Friday, October 09, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 22-23 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-282.html
Message Title: Put On Your Wedding Clothes
Hello My Friend,
The bride, the relation between Christ and His church set forth under the figure of a bridegroom and bride. The church is called the bride of Christ, and when we all come together it will truly be a heavenly feast. Only those who believe in and have received Christ personally as their Saviour will join Him for the heavenly feast. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:2-4,8.
The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them. One day we will not have to worry about pain, sickness, or sorrows of this life, until then we have to muddle through, but we do not have to muddle through it alone, we have Jesus with us. Those who are saved, not only have the Kingdom of Heaven awaiting them they have God with them right now, and He will help them get through any trial they face. Not everyone who says they are saved are saved. Jesus explains this further with another parable about the wedding feast.
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” - Matthew 22:2,5-7,10-13.
He saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment, many, many people will be called, meaning witnessed to or have the opportunity to know Christ personally as their Saviour, including religious people. However, they will not be chosen to join Jesus at the wedding feast because they relied on their religion, works, or something else to save them. When Jesus returns in all His glory on Judgment Day, He will not be the meek and mild Jesus who came here the first time, He will be powerful, bringing fire upon the entire earth.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” - Revelation 19:11-16.
The scribes and Pharisees were the most influential people in Jerusalem, they ran the temple as though they were true men of God, but what they were doing is deceiving the people. Jesus speaks to the multitudes and His disciples, this time calling out the scribes and Pharisees. “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” - Matthew 23:3-10.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ, Rabbi means master or lord. There is only one Master and Lord and that is Jesus Christ, we must not worship anyone else as such. A phylactery is an amulet. Ever see someone wear the star of David or a crucifix? That is a phylactery, and the clothes Jesus is referring to are those embroidered robes you see the priests and rabbis wearing. These people appear to be religious and godly, but are far from it, and what Jesus is saying here is that we need to be careful of the outward appearance of men who claim to know God. Clothes and possessions do not determine the person a man of God, knowing Christ personally as their Saviour, preaching, and living the Gospel determines that. “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” - Titus 3:8-11.
Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. Do you know how many people try to convince me that I am not saved because I am only trusting Christ as my Saviour. They will even throw in some Scripture to try to prove their point, I have responded with Scripture as well, only to no avail. This is exactly what Jesus does not want us to do, we are not to argue with those who clearly are not following God's Word. Jesus continues to call out the scribes and Pharisees as the hypocrites that they are.
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” - Matthew 23:13-15,37-39.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Until we are willing to open our heart to see Jesus for who he really is there is no hope. This is how false regions and different Bible versions show up, let me tell you, many people know a little bit of Scripture, even the devil himself, it's all a scheme to get those who are truly living in God's Word doubting their salvation and stop telling the truth to others. We are going to be tempted and tried for holding on to the truths of the Bible, it's okay because we have something amazing and great to look forward to.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to save us, through His death, burial, and resurrection, we have a way to be saved from hell. Now, we know that the only way to receive that pardon is to admit that we cannot be saved without personally receiving Christ as our Savior. Lord, open the hearts of those who have not accepted and received Your Son. Use me to show them how much You love them too and do not want to see them in hell either. Use me as a living sacrifice to follow Your Will in my life and to glorify You in the body that You have given me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
The Kingdom Of God In The Kingdom of Heaven
King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Thursday, October 08, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 20-21 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-281.html
Message Title: The Kingdom Of God In The Kingdom of Heaven
Hello My Friend,
Jesus used the terms "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God" interchangeably in places in the Gospels, most Christians think they are one and the same. They will be, but not until the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when He rules the world for a thousand years on the throne of His father David (descended through the flesh) in Jerusalem. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” - Revelation 20:4-6.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, these are those who are saved and have received Christ as their Saviour before their physical death before He returned. We must first become part of the Kingdom of God before we can join Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. As stated by Jesus in Chapter 19, many that are first shall be last in the kingdom of heaven, He goes on to explain this further.
“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” - Matthew 20:1,11-16.
A man that is an householder, Jesus is the master of the whole family of God, whether they are in heaven or in earth. When He returns He will reign over all the children of God, both in heaven and on earth temporarily for a thousand years in Jerusalem. The Gospel dispensation or times of the Messiah is the distribution of good and evil, in the divine government of God. The first meaning the Jews, they learned of the Gospel first, last, meaning the Gentiles who learned of the Gospel after the Jews, they will be the first to accept Him, while the Jews will follow once they finally realize He is their Messiah. Both Jews and Gentiles will have the same privileges, and while many will try to earn their way into heaven, only those who accept the Gospel and receive Christ will be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven. “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.” - Romans 2:9-11.
For there is no respect of persons with God. There is a reason why our works do not get us to heaven, we would all be boasting about how we got there instead of giving God the glory for it. By now, the twelve disciples were feeling pretty good about themselves, especially knowing that they were going to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven. The sons of Zebedee were James and John, their mother came to Him and asked if He would allow them to sit on each side of the throne when He reigns. Of course, this caused a quarrel with the other ten until Jesus put a stop to it. “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:25-28.
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: there are tons of biblical examples as well as non biblical of men and women who did a great work for God, who led thousands to Christ. While all these things are good, those who humble themselves as servants in the love of Christ are the ones most pleasing to God. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,” - 1 Corinthians 13:2-4.
Now, we come to the Kingdom of God, how do we become part of the Kingdom of God? Jesus explains through another parable. “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” - Matthew 21:28-32.
The Kingdom of God, this is the spiritual Kingdom, righteousness through faith in the risen Saviour who will return to Earth one day and reign in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is when all this is complete and the devil with all his minions will be cast into the lake of fire that He will judge the dead, those who have not received Him as their Saviour. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:12-15.
Today's Prayer: God, You are my witness that I not only believe in Your Son, but received Him as my Saviour, and I am trusting only in Him for my salvation. Until that time comes I want to live the richest life I can here on earth with You leading the way. Lead me and guide me, show me Your ways, and help me to have compassion on everyone You introduce in my life. Let me not be deceived, easily offended, or afraid to tell those I know or come into contact with that Jesus lives in me and I am living my life the way He wants me to live. I love You Lord, and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
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Date: Thursday, October 08, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 20-21 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-281.html
Message Title: The Kingdom Of God In The Kingdom of Heaven
Hello My Friend,
Jesus used the terms "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God" interchangeably in places in the Gospels, most Christians think they are one and the same. They will be, but not until the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when He rules the world for a thousand years on the throne of His father David (descended through the flesh) in Jerusalem. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” - Revelation 20:4-6.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, these are those who are saved and have received Christ as their Saviour before their physical death before He returned. We must first become part of the Kingdom of God before we can join Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. As stated by Jesus in Chapter 19, many that are first shall be last in the kingdom of heaven, He goes on to explain this further.
“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” - Matthew 20:1,11-16.
A man that is an householder, Jesus is the master of the whole family of God, whether they are in heaven or in earth. When He returns He will reign over all the children of God, both in heaven and on earth temporarily for a thousand years in Jerusalem. The Gospel dispensation or times of the Messiah is the distribution of good and evil, in the divine government of God. The first meaning the Jews, they learned of the Gospel first, last, meaning the Gentiles who learned of the Gospel after the Jews, they will be the first to accept Him, while the Jews will follow once they finally realize He is their Messiah. Both Jews and Gentiles will have the same privileges, and while many will try to earn their way into heaven, only those who accept the Gospel and receive Christ will be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven. “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.” - Romans 2:9-11.
For there is no respect of persons with God. There is a reason why our works do not get us to heaven, we would all be boasting about how we got there instead of giving God the glory for it. By now, the twelve disciples were feeling pretty good about themselves, especially knowing that they were going to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven. The sons of Zebedee were James and John, their mother came to Him and asked if He would allow them to sit on each side of the throne when He reigns. Of course, this caused a quarrel with the other ten until Jesus put a stop to it. “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:25-28.
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: there are tons of biblical examples as well as non biblical of men and women who did a great work for God, who led thousands to Christ. While all these things are good, those who humble themselves as servants in the love of Christ are the ones most pleasing to God. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,” - 1 Corinthians 13:2-4.
Now, we come to the Kingdom of God, how do we become part of the Kingdom of God? Jesus explains through another parable. “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” - Matthew 21:28-32.
The Kingdom of God, this is the spiritual Kingdom, righteousness through faith in the risen Saviour who will return to Earth one day and reign in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is when all this is complete and the devil with all his minions will be cast into the lake of fire that He will judge the dead, those who have not received Him as their Saviour. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:12-15.
Today's Prayer: God, You are my witness that I not only believe in Your Son, but received Him as my Saviour, and I am trusting only in Him for my salvation. Until that time comes I want to live the richest life I can here on earth with You leading the way. Lead me and guide me, show me Your ways, and help me to have compassion on everyone You introduce in my life. Let me not be deceived, easily offended, or afraid to tell those I know or come into contact with that Jesus lives in me and I am living my life the way He wants me to live. I love You Lord, and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Become As A Child
King James Bible Daily Devotion –
Learning Scripture One
Day At A Time
Date: Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 17-19 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-280.html
Message Title: Become As A Child
Hello My Friend,
Many people are good at portraying the life of a Christian, perhaps they go to a church, give tithes, donate to charities, are the first to volunteer, and some may even speak of Jesus and how amazing He is. Anyone can look like a Christian, but not everyone who says they are are. Jesus stands at the door of every open heart, knocking and knocking, He will never force Himself in, but comes willingly in those who open that door. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” - Revelation 3:20-22.
He that hath an ear, let him hear, we must open our hearts to Christ if we want the Father to hear us. A father takes care of all his children, but particularly is tender of the littlest ones. Likewise, God takes care of all of His children, that is, the little ones that believe in and accept in Christ. We learn of this when a desperate father pleas with Jesus to heal his son who was possessed by a devil (evil spirit).
“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” - Matthew 17:14-21.
O faithless and perverse generation, Jesus upbraids them for their unbelief. With the length of time He had been with them, He did so many miracles, and yet they still remained unbelieving. He basically tells them that His patience and longsuffering would not always continue, and that in a short time, He would be gone from them, and they will no longer enjoy the benefit of His ministry and miracles. Quite often God will perform miracles on the unbelieving in order to get people to believe in His Son, but His mercies only last so long, in the twinkling of the eye we could be dead and there are no chances of being saved then. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:7,8.
I imagine with all the miracles and amazing things that the disciple witness Jesus do, whether they believed Him to be God or not, even they began wondering just exactly who would be in heaven, perhaps wondering if they would even be in heaven themselves. They came up to Him and asked Him the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus called a child over and began to explain who exactly gets into heaven.
“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” - Matthew 18:3-8.
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, Jesus came to save the lost children of God, those who believe in Him. Children are known for innocence, purity, and faith, and that is why God would have us become as little children. If we do not believe in nor have the faith of little children in what Jesus did for us then we will not get to heaven nor be one of God's children. We are not be offended by those who do not believe, rather continue in our faith, trusting in Jesus to handle it for us. If anything our continued faith will open their hearts to Christ as well. God does not want to see anyone end up in hell, but He will not save anyone unless they open the door of their hearts to receive Him. “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:” - Romans 2:7-10.
There are many people in the world truly trying to live the Christian life, the one thing they are lacking is Christ. The word Christian means ”Follower of Christ” or “Little Christ”, that means you are to live a Christ filled life. God does not want us to sit in a corner and do nothing, He wants us to enjoy life, but live in a way that is pleasing to Him. A man came up to Jesus as asked Him how he could have eternal life, he followed many commands, but would not give up his possessions for God, he walked away sorrowful because he was not going to heaven. Witnessing this left the disciples with a question.
“When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” - Matthew 19:25-30.
Many that are first shall be last, regardless of how long ago or recently we accepted Christ as our Saviour, all who believe in and receive Christ will be in the kingdom of heaven, some will just stay here and be used of Christ longer. A disciple of Jesus is not sinless, but does live their lives with Him in it and understands that they will face some ridicule, criticism, and rejection because of their faith. Have no fear, every person who is not ashamed to proclaim Christ will be rewarded for every bit of their faithfulness. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” - 2 Timothy 2:10-12.
Today's Prayer: God, I want to live a plain and simple life according to Your plan, watch over me, guide me, and keep the truth in me. Help me to learn and grow in Your Word so I can tell whether or not what people are telling me is the truth or lies. In the end, it is You who I follow to the truth, not anyone else. Open my heart to be receptive to You and only You, clear my mind of every doubt and fear and fill it with joy and peace only revealed as I yield myself to You. I love You, Lord and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Do You Know For Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 17-19 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-280.html
Message Title: Become As A Child
Hello My Friend,
Many people are good at portraying the life of a Christian, perhaps they go to a church, give tithes, donate to charities, are the first to volunteer, and some may even speak of Jesus and how amazing He is. Anyone can look like a Christian, but not everyone who says they are are. Jesus stands at the door of every open heart, knocking and knocking, He will never force Himself in, but comes willingly in those who open that door. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” - Revelation 3:20-22.
He that hath an ear, let him hear, we must open our hearts to Christ if we want the Father to hear us. A father takes care of all his children, but particularly is tender of the littlest ones. Likewise, God takes care of all of His children, that is, the little ones that believe in and accept in Christ. We learn of this when a desperate father pleas with Jesus to heal his son who was possessed by a devil (evil spirit).
“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” - Matthew 17:14-21.
O faithless and perverse generation, Jesus upbraids them for their unbelief. With the length of time He had been with them, He did so many miracles, and yet they still remained unbelieving. He basically tells them that His patience and longsuffering would not always continue, and that in a short time, He would be gone from them, and they will no longer enjoy the benefit of His ministry and miracles. Quite often God will perform miracles on the unbelieving in order to get people to believe in His Son, but His mercies only last so long, in the twinkling of the eye we could be dead and there are no chances of being saved then. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:7,8.
I imagine with all the miracles and amazing things that the disciple witness Jesus do, whether they believed Him to be God or not, even they began wondering just exactly who would be in heaven, perhaps wondering if they would even be in heaven themselves. They came up to Him and asked Him the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus called a child over and began to explain who exactly gets into heaven.
“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” - Matthew 18:3-8.
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, Jesus came to save the lost children of God, those who believe in Him. Children are known for innocence, purity, and faith, and that is why God would have us become as little children. If we do not believe in nor have the faith of little children in what Jesus did for us then we will not get to heaven nor be one of God's children. We are not be offended by those who do not believe, rather continue in our faith, trusting in Jesus to handle it for us. If anything our continued faith will open their hearts to Christ as well. God does not want to see anyone end up in hell, but He will not save anyone unless they open the door of their hearts to receive Him. “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:” - Romans 2:7-10.
There are many people in the world truly trying to live the Christian life, the one thing they are lacking is Christ. The word Christian means ”Follower of Christ” or “Little Christ”, that means you are to live a Christ filled life. God does not want us to sit in a corner and do nothing, He wants us to enjoy life, but live in a way that is pleasing to Him. A man came up to Jesus as asked Him how he could have eternal life, he followed many commands, but would not give up his possessions for God, he walked away sorrowful because he was not going to heaven. Witnessing this left the disciples with a question.
“When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” - Matthew 19:25-30.
Many that are first shall be last, regardless of how long ago or recently we accepted Christ as our Saviour, all who believe in and receive Christ will be in the kingdom of heaven, some will just stay here and be used of Christ longer. A disciple of Jesus is not sinless, but does live their lives with Him in it and understands that they will face some ridicule, criticism, and rejection because of their faith. Have no fear, every person who is not ashamed to proclaim Christ will be rewarded for every bit of their faithfulness. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” - 2 Timothy 2:10-12.
Today's Prayer: God, I want to live a plain and simple life according to Your plan, watch over me, guide me, and keep the truth in me. Help me to learn and grow in Your Word so I can tell whether or not what people are telling me is the truth or lies. In the end, it is You who I follow to the truth, not anyone else. Open my heart to be receptive to You and only You, clear my mind of every doubt and fear and fill it with joy and peace only revealed as I yield myself to You. I love You, Lord and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Do You Know For Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I'm Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Be Of Good Cheer, It Is I
King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 14-16 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-279.html
Message Title: Be Of Good Cheer, It Is I
Hello My Friend,
When you look back on your life you often reflect on the years that you had with and without Jesus. I got saved when I was younger, but didn't think much of it and like many just did my own thing. I had trials, and some I have no idea how I survived, it was not until I understood what my salvation really was and dedicated my life to Christ that I realized He was the one protecting me. You see, God will let us do our own thing, and while it may seem like He is no where to be found, when we least expect it, He reveals Himself, and He shows us that He never left us. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 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 other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35,38,39.
Thousands of people began to follow Jesus everywhere He went, many of them just waiting to see if they could catch Him doing something wrong. Regardless of who they were, He never stopped caring for them, even feeding them. As Jesus sent the multitudes away, He tells His disciples to get into a ship, then He needing some time to Himself went up to a mountain to pray. “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” - Matthew 14:22-27.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, this was between three and six o'clock in the morning. God is always above, watching over us, He does not always show Himself, but He never takes His eyes off us. When we are in the midst of our storms, just when we need Him most, that is when He comes to the rescue. There is a reason why He often appears to be hiding in the midst of our storms, and that reason is to get us to trust Him, and not the circumstances we are in. When you stop to think about it, our storms may have come to an end much quicker if we trusted God in the first place. God does not want us to live in fear and search for every way we can to get our of it, He wants us to live in faith, trusting that He will carry us through. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” - Romans 8:13-15.
When Jesus walked the earth there was not a day that went by where He was not being tempted, criticized, or put to the test. He is still being tempted, criticized, and put to the test today, perhaps more by the religious people. The scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, were the ones who claimed to know God above all, yet they were quick to question everything that Jesus did, and now they are questioning the actions of the disciples.
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” - Matthew 15:2-9.
Why do ye also transgress the commandment
of God by your tradition? Transgress, to break or violate
a law, civil or moral. We've been talking about this for a while now,
man made rules do not save us, only Gods rules save us. But
in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men. Thousands of churches claim the name of Jesus, and
sadly they are sending their followers straight to hell because they
are following their traditions and not what God actually commands, He
has one command that all must follow if they want to be saved, and
that is to believe in and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their
Saviour. “The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come
to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the
works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter
3:9,10.Date: Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 14-16 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-279.html
Message Title: Be Of Good Cheer, It Is I
Hello My Friend,
When you look back on your life you often reflect on the years that you had with and without Jesus. I got saved when I was younger, but didn't think much of it and like many just did my own thing. I had trials, and some I have no idea how I survived, it was not until I understood what my salvation really was and dedicated my life to Christ that I realized He was the one protecting me. You see, God will let us do our own thing, and while it may seem like He is no where to be found, when we least expect it, He reveals Himself, and He shows us that He never left us. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 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 other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35,38,39.
Thousands of people began to follow Jesus everywhere He went, many of them just waiting to see if they could catch Him doing something wrong. Regardless of who they were, He never stopped caring for them, even feeding them. As Jesus sent the multitudes away, He tells His disciples to get into a ship, then He needing some time to Himself went up to a mountain to pray. “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” - Matthew 14:22-27.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, this was between three and six o'clock in the morning. God is always above, watching over us, He does not always show Himself, but He never takes His eyes off us. When we are in the midst of our storms, just when we need Him most, that is when He comes to the rescue. There is a reason why He often appears to be hiding in the midst of our storms, and that reason is to get us to trust Him, and not the circumstances we are in. When you stop to think about it, our storms may have come to an end much quicker if we trusted God in the first place. God does not want us to live in fear and search for every way we can to get our of it, He wants us to live in faith, trusting that He will carry us through. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” - Romans 8:13-15.
When Jesus walked the earth there was not a day that went by where He was not being tempted, criticized, or put to the test. He is still being tempted, criticized, and put to the test today, perhaps more by the religious people. The scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, were the ones who claimed to know God above all, yet they were quick to question everything that Jesus did, and now they are questioning the actions of the disciples.
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” - Matthew 15:2-9.
Many religions talk about Jesus and even His death, but do not acknowledge His burial and resurrection. And those that do acknowledge it, add to or take away from the doctrine of the Gospel. This is vain worship and following the traditions of man, in other words, following what others tell them who Jesus is instead of the truth from the Word of God. Again, Jesus makes it clear what will happen to those who follow the traditions of man and not God's Word. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” - Matthew 16:24-28.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. A saved life is a new life with Christ. When we receive Christ and live our lives with Him, we literally change, and people see it. Let me tell you, you do not know true friends until you know Christ, you will lose many friends and even family members as your old life fades and new life with Christ shines. People who live in sin cannot stand to see the light of Christ shining in those whom have turned their lives around through Him. I do not think most people unintentionally seek lies told by man, but the truth is people will believe anything to support their lifestyles, and if they are lies they will live by them rather than the truth. Everyone has their own opinions of who Jesus is, those who truly believe are not ashamed to say that they know Him. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” - Romans 10:10-12.
Today's Prayer: God, We don’t always know where our steps will take us on life’s journey, but we do know where they lead, to Christ, who is always keeping watch over us. Our steps here may lead to cold, dark mountains or deep valleys, or perhaps crooked paths and rough terrain may be part of the journey, but ultimately we will rest where the steps of Jesus take us. We will no longer have questions about You or our future, for we know that we will spend eternity with You in Your Kingdom. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, wisdom, and strength to stand strong and overcome all our storms until You come to get us. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Monday, October 5, 2015
Embracing God's Gift
King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Monday, October 05, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 12-13 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-278.html
Message Title: Embracing God's Gift
Hello My Friend,
God's commands are simple, they keep us living a moral, decent life. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour than you have been brought out of the bondage of sin, and are no longer bound to its chains. Praise God! Christ has set you free! How hard is it then to make a little effort to live in a way that God wants us to live rather than our own. “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:15,21-23.
Back in chapter 10 we read of Jesus sending His disciples only out into the cities of Israel to preach the Gospel, now we learn of why He did that. He could not go anywhere without the Pharisees waiting to catch Him into something that would prove He was a fraud. One Sabbath day they did everything they could to catch Him going against the laws of the Sabbath, including healing a man. It was then that they plotted to kill Him, but that did not stop Him from being who He was, and yet another prophecy was fulfilled by Issiah. “But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” - Matthew 12:15-21.
Till he send forth judgment unto victory, what is the victory of judgment? Christ's sinless death, burial, and resurrection. Christ died to be the sinless, unblemished blood sacrifice needed to redeem a soul from the fiery pits of hell. He was buried, taking every one of mans sins to the grave with Him, He arose three days later to show that even death cannot separate a saved soul from His God, we will be alive with Him for eternity. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:56,57.
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. Sin always bring death, and I am not talking about a physical death, which actually can if the person does not take control of their actions. If there is anything I have learned over the past couple of years, it is this, every person who calls themselves a Christian has their own reasoning as to what sin is, the majority of the time it is man made religious laws that they follow and not God's Word. People are quick to throw Scripture in your face and tell you that this is what God says, but these are the same people who need to work on the very things they are preaching to you about. Referring to fruit again, Jesus confronts the religious people, and calls them out for their idle words.
“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” - Matthew 12:33-37.
That every idle word that men shall speak, idle, useless; vain; ineffectual. Useless words of no profit, they are often brought on by religious people who do not follow their own rules themselves, but every idle word will be judged by Christ. True Christians live godly lives, not because it is required by the law, because they want to please God. We are not perfect, we are all sinners and have something that we need to work on, that is why we need to embrace God's gift of eternal life, not put it to the side like some gift we have no use for. It's not about following a set of rules, it's about living to please God and no one else.
“And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;” - Romans 2:3-6,12.
A parable is a short story that contains a great meaning, people often use parables or illustrations to explain something that one might not understand outright. Since the world is somewhat ignorant, or the better word would be skeptical of the supernatural, at least in God's case anyway, Jesus only spoke to the world in parables. The disciples finally come out and ask Jesus why He spoke in parables. “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” - Matthew 13:12-16.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Jesus knows that those who really have no interest in what He is saying are not really listening, but those who do not only hear what He is saying, but see and be converted. Convert means to believe in Jesus and understand that only His finished work on the cross is necessary. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” - Acts 3:19.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your simple plan, You do not make us follow a bunch of rules that we have no way of keeping, You just want us to embrace You and let the Holy Spirit be our guide to live in a way that pleases You. I embrace Your gift of eternal life that You have given to be for believing in the finished word of Your Son on the cross. I may be weak, but Your Word is powerful to fight off the temptation to sin and reassure me that You are with me even when others may forsake me. I can do this because I know that Christ, who lives in me gives me the strength to do so. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Monday, October 05, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 12-13 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-278.html
Message Title: Embracing God's Gift
Hello My Friend,
God's commands are simple, they keep us living a moral, decent life. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour than you have been brought out of the bondage of sin, and are no longer bound to its chains. Praise God! Christ has set you free! How hard is it then to make a little effort to live in a way that God wants us to live rather than our own. “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:15,21-23.
Back in chapter 10 we read of Jesus sending His disciples only out into the cities of Israel to preach the Gospel, now we learn of why He did that. He could not go anywhere without the Pharisees waiting to catch Him into something that would prove He was a fraud. One Sabbath day they did everything they could to catch Him going against the laws of the Sabbath, including healing a man. It was then that they plotted to kill Him, but that did not stop Him from being who He was, and yet another prophecy was fulfilled by Issiah. “But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” - Matthew 12:15-21.
Till he send forth judgment unto victory, what is the victory of judgment? Christ's sinless death, burial, and resurrection. Christ died to be the sinless, unblemished blood sacrifice needed to redeem a soul from the fiery pits of hell. He was buried, taking every one of mans sins to the grave with Him, He arose three days later to show that even death cannot separate a saved soul from His God, we will be alive with Him for eternity. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:56,57.
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. Sin always bring death, and I am not talking about a physical death, which actually can if the person does not take control of their actions. If there is anything I have learned over the past couple of years, it is this, every person who calls themselves a Christian has their own reasoning as to what sin is, the majority of the time it is man made religious laws that they follow and not God's Word. People are quick to throw Scripture in your face and tell you that this is what God says, but these are the same people who need to work on the very things they are preaching to you about. Referring to fruit again, Jesus confronts the religious people, and calls them out for their idle words.
“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” - Matthew 12:33-37.
That every idle word that men shall speak, idle, useless; vain; ineffectual. Useless words of no profit, they are often brought on by religious people who do not follow their own rules themselves, but every idle word will be judged by Christ. True Christians live godly lives, not because it is required by the law, because they want to please God. We are not perfect, we are all sinners and have something that we need to work on, that is why we need to embrace God's gift of eternal life, not put it to the side like some gift we have no use for. It's not about following a set of rules, it's about living to please God and no one else.
“And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;” - Romans 2:3-6,12.
A parable is a short story that contains a great meaning, people often use parables or illustrations to explain something that one might not understand outright. Since the world is somewhat ignorant, or the better word would be skeptical of the supernatural, at least in God's case anyway, Jesus only spoke to the world in parables. The disciples finally come out and ask Jesus why He spoke in parables. “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” - Matthew 13:12-16.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Jesus knows that those who really have no interest in what He is saying are not really listening, but those who do not only hear what He is saying, but see and be converted. Convert means to believe in Jesus and understand that only His finished work on the cross is necessary. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” - Acts 3:19.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your simple plan, You do not make us follow a bunch of rules that we have no way of keeping, You just want us to embrace You and let the Holy Spirit be our guide to live in a way that pleases You. I embrace Your gift of eternal life that You have given to be for believing in the finished word of Your Son on the cross. I may be weak, but Your Word is powerful to fight off the temptation to sin and reassure me that You are with me even when others may forsake me. I can do this because I know that Christ, who lives in me gives me the strength to do so. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Being A Witness For Christ
King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Sunday, October 04, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 10-11 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-277.html
Message Title: Being A Witness For Christ
Hello My Friend,
This year we have seen more news about Christians being killed simply for admitting they were a Christian. This past week this very thing hit home in America, and while the media and our own president wants to ignore the fact that this was about Christ, we cannot. Jesus said that these times were coming before the tribulation, and as Christians we cannot remain silent on this. We have work to do, we must tell the world the truth about Christ and find as many of His lost sheep as possible before He returns. We have nothing to fear, Christ is right there with us. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that 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 other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35-39.
While Jesus was here on earth, He had quite a few disciples, but twelve of them He chose specifically to be with Him most of His earthly ministry. He instructed them to go out into the Jewish nation and preach the Gospel in every city. “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” - Matthew 10:5-7,18-20.
For a testimony against them and the Gentiles, it wasn't that Jesus did not want any Gentiles to be saved, but it was important that the Gospel be preached to the Jews first. It was their rejection of Him that fulfilled prophecy, and would introduce Him to the Gentiles after they rejected Him. Sometimes God will not let us witness to certain people, while He wants all to have the opportunity to be witnessed to, it also comes through His timing. We must beware of religions that teach they are justified by their religion or race, being Jewish, Baptist, Catholic or Atheist does not save us. Regardless of our race, background, or religion, we are not saved from hell because we choose a particular religion or came from a particular race, we are saved when we believe the Gospel, which is the death, the burial, and resurrection of Christ as the finished work needed to redeem all His lost sheep. “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,” - Psalms 95:6,7.
Jesus explains to them that some will believe in and accept the Gospel, others will not, and if they do not, just move on and go to the next house. He cautions them about those who not only reject them, but persecute them for their faith in Him. “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:24-26,29-31.
One of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father, God knows the persecution we face by not only being one of Christ's sheep, but leading others to the fold. It is not us who will be judged, it is them, all Christian's will face persecution at some point in our lives simply because they chose to follow Christ. Those who are not ashamed to claim Christ and determined, by faith, to keep going for Him will not be intimidated or stopped by family members, friends, or anyone else trying to stop them. We need not fear what man can do to us, but rejoice and say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - 2 Timothy 4:7,8,18.
After Jesus sent His disciples off, He stayed behind and preached as well, when John the Baptist, who was in prison heard of all the miracles he sent some of his disciples to find out if it was really Him. Jesus questions the multitudes of people gathered around Him concerning John and the Scriptures that speak of him. “And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” - Matthew 11:7-11.
He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he, obedience to religious laws and following a man of God has nothing to do with our salvation. Many, many people know of Christ, and even say they believe in Him, but very few know Him personally, to know Him personally as their Saviour. The greatest figure of God today is nothing without Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” - Ephesians 2:8-10,14.
Today's Prayer: God, You know the very intentions of all that I say and do. You have not removed me bodily from this world, but You have raised me up spiritually to abide in Your presence even as I carry out my daily duties, whether it is something You command me to do or in any of my work. As Your presence graciously overshadows me it is there that Your love and faithfulness sustains me and gives me the strength to endure all tribulation and remain not only in Your mercy and grace, but love also. Lord, give me Your power and strength to remain faithful to Your calling to reach as many with the Gospel as I can before Your Son returns, let me not be ashamed to claim Him, and help me to endure all the persecution that comes from it. With You by my side I know I am well taken care of and protected. I love You Lord and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Date: Sunday, October 04, 2015
Chapters: Matthew 10-11 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-277.html
Message Title: Being A Witness For Christ
Hello My Friend,
This year we have seen more news about Christians being killed simply for admitting they were a Christian. This past week this very thing hit home in America, and while the media and our own president wants to ignore the fact that this was about Christ, we cannot. Jesus said that these times were coming before the tribulation, and as Christians we cannot remain silent on this. We have work to do, we must tell the world the truth about Christ and find as many of His lost sheep as possible before He returns. We have nothing to fear, Christ is right there with us. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that 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 other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35-39.
While Jesus was here on earth, He had quite a few disciples, but twelve of them He chose specifically to be with Him most of His earthly ministry. He instructed them to go out into the Jewish nation and preach the Gospel in every city. “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” - Matthew 10:5-7,18-20.
For a testimony against them and the Gentiles, it wasn't that Jesus did not want any Gentiles to be saved, but it was important that the Gospel be preached to the Jews first. It was their rejection of Him that fulfilled prophecy, and would introduce Him to the Gentiles after they rejected Him. Sometimes God will not let us witness to certain people, while He wants all to have the opportunity to be witnessed to, it also comes through His timing. We must beware of religions that teach they are justified by their religion or race, being Jewish, Baptist, Catholic or Atheist does not save us. Regardless of our race, background, or religion, we are not saved from hell because we choose a particular religion or came from a particular race, we are saved when we believe the Gospel, which is the death, the burial, and resurrection of Christ as the finished work needed to redeem all His lost sheep. “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,” - Psalms 95:6,7.
Jesus explains to them that some will believe in and accept the Gospel, others will not, and if they do not, just move on and go to the next house. He cautions them about those who not only reject them, but persecute them for their faith in Him. “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:24-26,29-31.
One of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father, God knows the persecution we face by not only being one of Christ's sheep, but leading others to the fold. It is not us who will be judged, it is them, all Christian's will face persecution at some point in our lives simply because they chose to follow Christ. Those who are not ashamed to claim Christ and determined, by faith, to keep going for Him will not be intimidated or stopped by family members, friends, or anyone else trying to stop them. We need not fear what man can do to us, but rejoice and say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - 2 Timothy 4:7,8,18.
After Jesus sent His disciples off, He stayed behind and preached as well, when John the Baptist, who was in prison heard of all the miracles he sent some of his disciples to find out if it was really Him. Jesus questions the multitudes of people gathered around Him concerning John and the Scriptures that speak of him. “And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” - Matthew 11:7-11.
He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he, obedience to religious laws and following a man of God has nothing to do with our salvation. Many, many people know of Christ, and even say they believe in Him, but very few know Him personally, to know Him personally as their Saviour. The greatest figure of God today is nothing without Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” - Ephesians 2:8-10,14.
Today's Prayer: God, You know the very intentions of all that I say and do. You have not removed me bodily from this world, but You have raised me up spiritually to abide in Your presence even as I carry out my daily duties, whether it is something You command me to do or in any of my work. As Your presence graciously overshadows me it is there that Your love and faithfulness sustains me and gives me the strength to endure all tribulation and remain not only in Your mercy and grace, but love also. Lord, give me Your power and strength to remain faithful to Your calling to reach as many with the Gospel as I can before Your Son returns, let me not be ashamed to claim Him, and help me to endure all the persecution that comes from it. With You by my side I know I am well taken care of and protected. I love You Lord and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Subscribe To Our Devotions: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Do You Know For Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I'm Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
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