King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Quench The Thirst
Date: Saturday July 30, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 43-44, Proverb 30, Psalm 50
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-30
Details of Today's Chapters: The chosen nation redeemed and restored, the promise of the Spirit and the coming restoration, and the exposure and folly of idolatry.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink...Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?..Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” - John 4:7,9-11,13-15.
We all thirst for something, whether it is attention, affection, recognition, or acceptance, the body and soul is constantly in search for something to quench that thirst. While temporal things quench it for a little while it does not last, often leaving a bitter aftertaste and us searching for something more potent and less effective to quench that thirst. The eternal living water that we drink through Jesus Christ, not only quenches the thirst of our soul it also gives satisfaction to the flesh as it receives that attention, affection, recognition, and acceptance from God. Who better to be accepted of than God? What better recognition to get from than by God? Who better to get your attention than God Himself? What better gift to receive that one by God as we drink from the fountain of living water.
Through Isaiah God encourages Israel to not get discouraged and lose faith in Him during their time of judgment. While He does remind them of the rebellion that was the cause of His judgment in the first place, He also reminds them that they are His people and He will never forget that they are His.
“For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” - Isaiah 43:3-7.
God's favor and good will toward His people are a great comfort to true believers, they are so precious in His sight. They do not fear acceptance because they know they are accepted already by God Himself. He delights in them, even when they make mistakes, He sees them as far above any people He created, He formed them as new creatures as they believe and are redeemed with the blood of His Son, the only Savior. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” - Galatians 4:4-7.
God's message was not only for the Jews, but for all who believe in Him, God created everyone and everything, but being a creation is nothing compared to being an heir, a child of God. Once a person accepts Christ as their Savior they, in fact, become a child of God and just like earthly parents can never disown their kids God never disown His kids. God assures Israel that even those whom had fallen into idolatry are still His and He will save them.
“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them...Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” - Isaiah 44:3-7,21,22.
Water is the emblem of the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit comes into the soul, just as water, it is refreshing, cleansing, and thirst quenching. The gift of the Holy Spirit in us is what brings every person to God and even brings the backslider back to Him. The work of redemption bought for us by Christ, encourages us to hope for all blessings from Him as all our sins are blotted out, never to be remembered again. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” - Revelation 3:5.
The comforts that flow into the soul when it receives the living water in it are like no other. That refreshing, cleansing, thirst quenching water quenches away the weight tying you down, the guilt and shame of the past, and the burdens you carry. It mends the broken heart, lessens the worry, and reminds us that we are accepted. “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” - John 7:37,38.
Today's Prayer:
Jesus,
The comfort that flows through my soul comes as you cleanse my mind, body, and soul with Your thirst quenching water. Lord, when I am burdened with the cares of the world, drench me and fill me with Your water. Give me the peace and comfort I need as You refresh and cleanse me of these cares, knowing that they will all come to pass as I keep drinking Your living water. I Love You, Lord, and ask this is Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
In Sincerity And Truth
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: In Sincerity And Truth
Date: Friday July 29, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 41-42, Proverb 29, Psalm 49
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-29
Details of Today's Chapters: The greatness of God and weakness of man, the willingness to shun idols and encouragement to trust in God, Christ, the servant of God, the chastening of Israel, judgment for the Gentiles, and the final restoration.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:14,15.
There is only One God, and that is the Almighty, Jehovah, who created everything here on earth, even the things that are made by man are made of things He created. Among the things made by man are other gods. Other gods are made as people create their own image of who they think God is. The other day I was watching TV and saw something about legalizing gay marriage in a state and the woman who instituted it all said that it came from God. Now, God loves gay people just as much as He loves everyone else, but homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes and God hates sins, not the person, but the sin. By this woman saying that her marriage to another woman was from God was her making a god, not her fearing the Lord and serving Him in sincerity and truth.
Through Isaiah, God shows Israel the destruction that comes from worshiping idols, which was a god to them and was becoming the norm in Judah and even in the Temple of God. God encourages His people put away their idols and trust Him, we also get a glimpse of our Redeemer coming and He even challenges the false gods.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness...For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel...Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.” - Isaiah 41:10,13,14,23,24.
God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, He takes care of His people, even those who have waked away from Him. He eagerly awaits the day they return after realizing that their god was powerless and that there is only one God. The only way to reach Him is through the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, who is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. Those who depend on Christ find strength, peace, and righteousness through Him, they serve Him with sincerity and truth, knowing that He will never fail them. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus...I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:5-7,13.
While God's judgment was a warning to Babylon and the Jews worshiping false gods, it was also for every nation, the same God that showed Himself to Israel would be the same God who would show Himself to the Gentiles. Through Isaiah, God foretells of Christ's coming and judgment upon the Gentiles also.
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth...I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” - Isaiah 42:1-3, 6-8.
God is not only the God of the Jews, He is the God of all, He created all people through two people, Adam and Eve. It is time that all see this truth and come to the acknowledgment of the Son, because no matter how many people try to deny it, Christ is coming and His judgment will be upon all the people He created. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory...But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 15:52-54,57.
When I read these verses I could not help, but cry as it reminded of just how much God has done for me as He freed me from the prison that I had locked myself up in. He freed me and redeemed me and no words can explain the weight, the chains, and the pain that lifted off of my soul. There is no better life that one serving the Lord with sincerity and truth. I side with Joshua, choose which god you want, but me and my house we will serve the Lord. Jesus is the only one who can break those barriers, I know there are trials, but I much rather go through them with Christ than resort to the life I was living before I had Him in my live. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20.
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
You truly are the Almighty God, time and time again you have proved that You have the power to do and make anything happen. Let me never forget the joy of my salvation and what you have brought me out of. Work in the hearts of those who are struggling and help them know the joy and comfort that I have as I serve You. Lord, open my heart and eyes to serve you in sincerity and truth just as you serve me. I love you Lord and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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I'm Following Jesus
Message Title: In Sincerity And Truth
Date: Friday July 29, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 41-42, Proverb 29, Psalm 49
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-29
Details of Today's Chapters: The greatness of God and weakness of man, the willingness to shun idols and encouragement to trust in God, Christ, the servant of God, the chastening of Israel, judgment for the Gentiles, and the final restoration.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:14,15.
There is only One God, and that is the Almighty, Jehovah, who created everything here on earth, even the things that are made by man are made of things He created. Among the things made by man are other gods. Other gods are made as people create their own image of who they think God is. The other day I was watching TV and saw something about legalizing gay marriage in a state and the woman who instituted it all said that it came from God. Now, God loves gay people just as much as He loves everyone else, but homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes and God hates sins, not the person, but the sin. By this woman saying that her marriage to another woman was from God was her making a god, not her fearing the Lord and serving Him in sincerity and truth.
Through Isaiah, God shows Israel the destruction that comes from worshiping idols, which was a god to them and was becoming the norm in Judah and even in the Temple of God. God encourages His people put away their idols and trust Him, we also get a glimpse of our Redeemer coming and He even challenges the false gods.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness...For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel...Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.” - Isaiah 41:10,13,14,23,24.
God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, He takes care of His people, even those who have waked away from Him. He eagerly awaits the day they return after realizing that their god was powerless and that there is only one God. The only way to reach Him is through the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, who is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. Those who depend on Christ find strength, peace, and righteousness through Him, they serve Him with sincerity and truth, knowing that He will never fail them. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus...I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:5-7,13.
While God's judgment was a warning to Babylon and the Jews worshiping false gods, it was also for every nation, the same God that showed Himself to Israel would be the same God who would show Himself to the Gentiles. Through Isaiah, God foretells of Christ's coming and judgment upon the Gentiles also.
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth...I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” - Isaiah 42:1-3, 6-8.
God is not only the God of the Jews, He is the God of all, He created all people through two people, Adam and Eve. It is time that all see this truth and come to the acknowledgment of the Son, because no matter how many people try to deny it, Christ is coming and His judgment will be upon all the people He created. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory...But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 15:52-54,57.
When I read these verses I could not help, but cry as it reminded of just how much God has done for me as He freed me from the prison that I had locked myself up in. He freed me and redeemed me and no words can explain the weight, the chains, and the pain that lifted off of my soul. There is no better life that one serving the Lord with sincerity and truth. I side with Joshua, choose which god you want, but me and my house we will serve the Lord. Jesus is the only one who can break those barriers, I know there are trials, but I much rather go through them with Christ than resort to the life I was living before I had Him in my live. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20.
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
You truly are the Almighty God, time and time again you have proved that You have the power to do and make anything happen. Let me never forget the joy of my salvation and what you have brought me out of. Work in the hearts of those who are struggling and help them know the joy and comfort that I have as I serve You. Lord, open my heart and eyes to serve you in sincerity and truth just as you serve me. I love you Lord and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
A Strong Foundation
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: A Strong Foundation
Date: Thursday July 28, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 39-40, Proverb 28, Psalm 48
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-28
Details of Today's Chapters: Hezekiah’s folly, the Babylonian captivity of Judah is foretold, the preaching of the Gospel, and glad tidings of the coming of Christ, the almighty power of God, the folly of idolatry, and disbelief.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” - I Corinthians 3:10-15.
No matter what we do in life if we build it upon the foundation of Christ it will prosper, to prosper means to favor, to render successful, to succeed. In other words, Christ will not only favor your efforts He will also make them successful. Now, every area of life, work, family, marriage, serving God, has it's difficulties and there will be times when we suffer loss, but as long as we built it upon the foundation of Christ our efforts will not go unnoticed and we will see the blessings and rewards of our faithfulness.
Hezekiah was a godly and wise man, he saw one miracle after an other because of his faith in God, which brought a lot of fame his way, nations all over the world wanted to come and pay tribute to him. However, through all the fame came a boastful attitude, which would prove problems for not him, but all of Judah.
“At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not...Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.” - Isaiah 39:1,2,5,6.
Several reasons why God called judgment upon Hezekiah comes to play, one being his pride, if we are not careful our pride can take over and leave us with a me, myself, and I attitude, notice it says that he showed them of his precious things. Second, Hezekiah erred in showing the outside world everything that he possessed, by showing them everything exposed all his secrets and gave Babylon an advantage to defeat them. We need to be careful when we become prosperous not to forget that it came from God, we are to acknowledge Him in everything, if we don't, we start losing sight of Him and all of a sudden God starts taking things away from that foundation. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths...Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” - Proverb 3:6,9,10.
Although God did foretell Judah's captivity to Babylon He did promise that it would not last. Amazingly, God will chastise His people, but after the chastisement He rewards us, only God can do that. We learn of the amazing coming of our Savior and His help in delivering us from our iniquities.
“Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it...Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” -Isaiah 40:2-5, 10,11.
Chastisement, whether coming from God or anyone else is given to teach us not to do that anymore, but often with chastisement comes knowledge, wisdom, strength, and morality. Above all chastisement from God brings us closer to Him and the promises that He made. Our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ promises us a pardon from all our iniquities. Thanks to Jesus we can look to God and are spotless, sinless, children of God. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” - I Peter 1:18-21.
Jesus is our shepherd, at present, we can not come to Him, but He can always come to us, He reaches down His arm, grabs a hold of us and never lets go of us. When you build your life upon the foundation of Christ all your cares, worries, and sorrows become His and it is only through Him that you can truly find peace and prosperity as you let Him take your hand. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:30. Praise God!
Today's Prayer:
Jesus,
I know that things are not always going to be easy, but I also know that You are with me through every trial, circumstance, and even chastising. You are my Lord and Savior, when I build my life upon Your foundation I know I will find peace and prosperity. Lord, lead me and guide me, help me build every area of my life upon Your foundation. When things get crazy help me to never forget that You are always with me and will give rest to my burdened soul. I love you Lord and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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I'm Following Jesus
Message Title: A Strong Foundation
Date: Thursday July 28, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 39-40, Proverb 28, Psalm 48
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-28
Details of Today's Chapters: Hezekiah’s folly, the Babylonian captivity of Judah is foretold, the preaching of the Gospel, and glad tidings of the coming of Christ, the almighty power of God, the folly of idolatry, and disbelief.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” - I Corinthians 3:10-15.
No matter what we do in life if we build it upon the foundation of Christ it will prosper, to prosper means to favor, to render successful, to succeed. In other words, Christ will not only favor your efforts He will also make them successful. Now, every area of life, work, family, marriage, serving God, has it's difficulties and there will be times when we suffer loss, but as long as we built it upon the foundation of Christ our efforts will not go unnoticed and we will see the blessings and rewards of our faithfulness.
Hezekiah was a godly and wise man, he saw one miracle after an other because of his faith in God, which brought a lot of fame his way, nations all over the world wanted to come and pay tribute to him. However, through all the fame came a boastful attitude, which would prove problems for not him, but all of Judah.
“At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not...Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.” - Isaiah 39:1,2,5,6.
Several reasons why God called judgment upon Hezekiah comes to play, one being his pride, if we are not careful our pride can take over and leave us with a me, myself, and I attitude, notice it says that he showed them of his precious things. Second, Hezekiah erred in showing the outside world everything that he possessed, by showing them everything exposed all his secrets and gave Babylon an advantage to defeat them. We need to be careful when we become prosperous not to forget that it came from God, we are to acknowledge Him in everything, if we don't, we start losing sight of Him and all of a sudden God starts taking things away from that foundation. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths...Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” - Proverb 3:6,9,10.
Although God did foretell Judah's captivity to Babylon He did promise that it would not last. Amazingly, God will chastise His people, but after the chastisement He rewards us, only God can do that. We learn of the amazing coming of our Savior and His help in delivering us from our iniquities.
“Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it...Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” -Isaiah 40:2-5, 10,11.
Chastisement, whether coming from God or anyone else is given to teach us not to do that anymore, but often with chastisement comes knowledge, wisdom, strength, and morality. Above all chastisement from God brings us closer to Him and the promises that He made. Our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ promises us a pardon from all our iniquities. Thanks to Jesus we can look to God and are spotless, sinless, children of God. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” - I Peter 1:18-21.
Jesus is our shepherd, at present, we can not come to Him, but He can always come to us, He reaches down His arm, grabs a hold of us and never lets go of us. When you build your life upon the foundation of Christ all your cares, worries, and sorrows become His and it is only through Him that you can truly find peace and prosperity as you let Him take your hand. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:30. Praise God!
Today's Prayer:
Jesus,
I know that things are not always going to be easy, but I also know that You are with me through every trial, circumstance, and even chastising. You are my Lord and Savior, when I build my life upon Your foundation I know I will find peace and prosperity. Lord, lead me and guide me, help me build every area of my life upon Your foundation. When things get crazy help me to never forget that You are always with me and will give rest to my burdened soul. I love you Lord and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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I'm Following Jesus
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
A Miracle Producing Living God
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: A Miracle Producing Living God
Date: Wednesday July 27, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 37-38, Proverb 27, Psalm 47
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-27
Details of Today's Chapters: God's message to the people, Sennacherib’s message to Hezekiah, Hezekiah’s prayer God and His answer, the destruction of the Assyrians, and Hezekiah’s sickness, recovery, and answer to prayer.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother...Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” - Matthew 22:23,24,28-32.
I do not know how many times I have someone ask me to pray for a person that has died, while it is perfectly fine to grieve and have compassion for those whom have passed on, the truth is, once a person dies no amount of praying can help them. I often tell God to say hi my brother who is up there with Him now, but I know that no amount of praying will change the fact that he is there and that it is eternal. Praying for their family and friends is what we really need to be doing, but those who die before Christ returns receive one of two things, either eternal life or eternal death, and that is unchangeable. Thus those whom have eternal life are still among the living in heaven where they get to see Jesus face to face and God is their God.
Isaiah gives us a recap of how Hezekiah was able to defeat the Assyrians during his reign in Judah, we learned yesterday of how Rabshakeh tried to get the people to lose their faith and confidence in the living God. Now, with them invading Jerusalem Hezekiah did the only thing he knew that would truly help his people, he went to the Temple and began to pray.
“And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD...It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” - Isaiah 37:1,4-7.
The most effective way to defeat our enemy is to pray for them, when dangers are most pressing, it is fitting that prayer should be most lively, for God will be a defense to those who truly look to Him. Satan will turn many people away from God due to circumstances in their lives, but those who ignore the rumors and draw closer to Him through them see much more that victory, they see the hand of God and all His glory in it all. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - I Peter 5:6-10.
We can never underestimate the power of the living God, He and He alone has the power to give life, death, and everything in between. Whether we see a person recover from a deathly disease via earth or heaven it all comes from the hand of the Almighty God and no one can alter His decision. After God promised to deliver Judah out of the hands of the Assyrians Hezekiah became deathly ill, here we learn of the miraculous turn of events as Hezekiah humbly seeks God too prolong his life.
“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” - Isaiah 38:1-5.
Now, having seen quite a few people go to heaven and recover the past couple of years I come to realize one thing that give me peace, God's decision is often made according to the individuals will or circumstances, I saw my brother go from a willingness to stay to a willingness to go. God will never place anything before us that we can not handle and I believe that if the person wants to prolong their life here on earth that He will do it, just as He did with Hezekiah. God can and still does produce the same miracles for us that He did for every person we learn of in the Bible. The key to receiving those miracles is believing in and remaining faithful to the only living God. “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” - I Timothy 4:8-10.
I am going to start adding a prayer to the message, beginning today.
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
I kn ow that you are the only living God and that because I put my faith and trust in Your Son that You are my God. I know the strength of my faith goes up and down like a roller coaster, but I also know that all I need is the faith the size of a mustard seed for you to produce a miracle in me. You already produced one by giving me eternal life, now, I am trusting in You to do more as you help me endure the circumstances in my life. Lead me and guide in me in Your will and Your way, Lord. I love you and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com
Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
I'm Following Jesus
Message Title: A Miracle Producing Living God
Date: Wednesday July 27, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 37-38, Proverb 27, Psalm 47
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-27
Details of Today's Chapters: God's message to the people, Sennacherib’s message to Hezekiah, Hezekiah’s prayer God and His answer, the destruction of the Assyrians, and Hezekiah’s sickness, recovery, and answer to prayer.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother...Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” - Matthew 22:23,24,28-32.
I do not know how many times I have someone ask me to pray for a person that has died, while it is perfectly fine to grieve and have compassion for those whom have passed on, the truth is, once a person dies no amount of praying can help them. I often tell God to say hi my brother who is up there with Him now, but I know that no amount of praying will change the fact that he is there and that it is eternal. Praying for their family and friends is what we really need to be doing, but those who die before Christ returns receive one of two things, either eternal life or eternal death, and that is unchangeable. Thus those whom have eternal life are still among the living in heaven where they get to see Jesus face to face and God is their God.
Isaiah gives us a recap of how Hezekiah was able to defeat the Assyrians during his reign in Judah, we learned yesterday of how Rabshakeh tried to get the people to lose their faith and confidence in the living God. Now, with them invading Jerusalem Hezekiah did the only thing he knew that would truly help his people, he went to the Temple and began to pray.
“And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD...It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” - Isaiah 37:1,4-7.
The most effective way to defeat our enemy is to pray for them, when dangers are most pressing, it is fitting that prayer should be most lively, for God will be a defense to those who truly look to Him. Satan will turn many people away from God due to circumstances in their lives, but those who ignore the rumors and draw closer to Him through them see much more that victory, they see the hand of God and all His glory in it all. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - I Peter 5:6-10.
We can never underestimate the power of the living God, He and He alone has the power to give life, death, and everything in between. Whether we see a person recover from a deathly disease via earth or heaven it all comes from the hand of the Almighty God and no one can alter His decision. After God promised to deliver Judah out of the hands of the Assyrians Hezekiah became deathly ill, here we learn of the miraculous turn of events as Hezekiah humbly seeks God too prolong his life.
“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” - Isaiah 38:1-5.
Now, having seen quite a few people go to heaven and recover the past couple of years I come to realize one thing that give me peace, God's decision is often made according to the individuals will or circumstances, I saw my brother go from a willingness to stay to a willingness to go. God will never place anything before us that we can not handle and I believe that if the person wants to prolong their life here on earth that He will do it, just as He did with Hezekiah. God can and still does produce the same miracles for us that He did for every person we learn of in the Bible. The key to receiving those miracles is believing in and remaining faithful to the only living God. “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” - I Timothy 4:8-10.
I am going to start adding a prayer to the message, beginning today.
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
I kn ow that you are the only living God and that because I put my faith and trust in Your Son that You are my God. I know the strength of my faith goes up and down like a roller coaster, but I also know that all I need is the faith the size of a mustard seed for you to produce a miracle in me. You already produced one by giving me eternal life, now, I am trusting in You to do more as you help me endure the circumstances in my life. Lead me and guide in me in Your will and Your way, Lord. I love you and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com
Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
I'm Following Jesus
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Just One Drop
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Just One Drop
Date: Tuesday July 26, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 35-36, Proverb 26, Psalm 46
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-26
Details of Today's Chapters: The coming of the new Kingdom blessing and the regathering of Israel, Sennacherib’s invasion in Jerusalem, God's deliverance, and the threats of Rabshakeh.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” - I Peter 1:2-7.
Just one drop of the blood of Christ upon your soul is enough to change your life forever, that precious, precious blood not only redeems us, it cleanses us, blots out our sins, brings us to God, and gives us the assurance of eternal life and the Kingdom of God. The true Christian’s hope of eternal life and a glorious inheritance through His death, burial, and resurrection is the hope that quickens the believer to serve Him faithfully, even during times of distress.
Although God did order judgment upon Israel, which included Judah being brought into captivity to Babylon for seventy years and all of God's people to be scattered all over the world in distress, God did promise that the destruction and suffering would not last forever. Through Isaiah, God foretells of the return of all His people and the glorious days of the new Kingdom.
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert...No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” - Isaiah 35:4-6,9,10.
Just one drop of Christ's precious blood is enough to open the eyes of the spiritually blind, deaf, lame, and dumb (can't speak) to hear God for the first time. What will they hear? The Gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Upon hearing these words for the first time will their hearts open up to God, they will not be afraid of Him, they will no longer be lost souls wandering around in the desert, they will be redeemed, thirsting no more for the joy they can not find. Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all, He paid the price for the hell bound soul to be set free, sadly few will allow Him to set the free. He will set anyone free, but the only way to obtain everlasting joy and one day see peace in the world is through Jesus Christ. “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” - I Timothy 2:4-6.
The enemies of God’s people are forever trying to frighten them from their confidence in God, during the time that Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem it was when Hezekiah reigned as king. Hezekiah was a godly man, he was also the last godly king to reign before Jerusalem was completely taken over. Hezekiah would not bow down to Assyrian threats and because of this the Assyrian's caused a lot of friction.
“And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field. Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?..But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.” - Isaiah 36:-4,7,8.
Rabshakeh later on saw first hand that Hezekiah's living God was able to deliver them from their threats. While Hezekiah's faith did not stop God's judgment it did keep Hezekiah from witnessing the destruction. Those who do not know the living God have no idea what the difference is between God and some man made god. Therefore, they see all gods as the same, worthless and unable to deliver. Those who put their trust in these false gods will never see the power of the only God nor will they ever see them produce the miracles that only the true Almighty God can make. The only defense against those who try to corrupt God's people is God's Word and standing by it. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” - I John 2:3-6.
Just one drop of Christ's precious blood is all we need to be saved and to get the privilege to enter the Kingdom of God, Christ has plenty to give away, but to receive it we must ask Him for it. Now, to receive His blood takes 3 steps. 1. You must believe in the Gospel, that us the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. 2. You must admit you are a sinner, we have all done something wrong in our lifetime which qualifies us as a sinner. 3. You must ask Him to save you. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:9,10.
Miraculously those 3 simple steps instantly take you from eternal death to eternal life. Now, only the Almighty Living God has the power to take a drop of Christ's blood and place it on your soul, redeeming you from hell and every sin you ever and will commit in your lifetime here on earth. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” - Romans 5:8-11.
Once you ask Him to save you it is eternal, nothing can take away your salvation, even if you walked away from God fifty years ago, Christ still lives in you and will redeem you when He returns. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” - I John 5:4-6.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com
Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
I'm Following Jesus
Message Title: Just One Drop
Date: Tuesday July 26, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 35-36, Proverb 26, Psalm 46
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-26
Details of Today's Chapters: The coming of the new Kingdom blessing and the regathering of Israel, Sennacherib’s invasion in Jerusalem, God's deliverance, and the threats of Rabshakeh.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” - I Peter 1:2-7.
Just one drop of the blood of Christ upon your soul is enough to change your life forever, that precious, precious blood not only redeems us, it cleanses us, blots out our sins, brings us to God, and gives us the assurance of eternal life and the Kingdom of God. The true Christian’s hope of eternal life and a glorious inheritance through His death, burial, and resurrection is the hope that quickens the believer to serve Him faithfully, even during times of distress.
Although God did order judgment upon Israel, which included Judah being brought into captivity to Babylon for seventy years and all of God's people to be scattered all over the world in distress, God did promise that the destruction and suffering would not last forever. Through Isaiah, God foretells of the return of all His people and the glorious days of the new Kingdom.
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert...No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” - Isaiah 35:4-6,9,10.
Just one drop of Christ's precious blood is enough to open the eyes of the spiritually blind, deaf, lame, and dumb (can't speak) to hear God for the first time. What will they hear? The Gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Upon hearing these words for the first time will their hearts open up to God, they will not be afraid of Him, they will no longer be lost souls wandering around in the desert, they will be redeemed, thirsting no more for the joy they can not find. Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all, He paid the price for the hell bound soul to be set free, sadly few will allow Him to set the free. He will set anyone free, but the only way to obtain everlasting joy and one day see peace in the world is through Jesus Christ. “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” - I Timothy 2:4-6.
The enemies of God’s people are forever trying to frighten them from their confidence in God, during the time that Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem it was when Hezekiah reigned as king. Hezekiah was a godly man, he was also the last godly king to reign before Jerusalem was completely taken over. Hezekiah would not bow down to Assyrian threats and because of this the Assyrian's caused a lot of friction.
“And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field. Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?..But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.” - Isaiah 36:-4,7,8.
Rabshakeh later on saw first hand that Hezekiah's living God was able to deliver them from their threats. While Hezekiah's faith did not stop God's judgment it did keep Hezekiah from witnessing the destruction. Those who do not know the living God have no idea what the difference is between God and some man made god. Therefore, they see all gods as the same, worthless and unable to deliver. Those who put their trust in these false gods will never see the power of the only God nor will they ever see them produce the miracles that only the true Almighty God can make. The only defense against those who try to corrupt God's people is God's Word and standing by it. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” - I John 2:3-6.
Just one drop of Christ's precious blood is all we need to be saved and to get the privilege to enter the Kingdom of God, Christ has plenty to give away, but to receive it we must ask Him for it. Now, to receive His blood takes 3 steps. 1. You must believe in the Gospel, that us the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. 2. You must admit you are a sinner, we have all done something wrong in our lifetime which qualifies us as a sinner. 3. You must ask Him to save you. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:9,10.
Miraculously those 3 simple steps instantly take you from eternal death to eternal life. Now, only the Almighty Living God has the power to take a drop of Christ's blood and place it on your soul, redeeming you from hell and every sin you ever and will commit in your lifetime here on earth. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” - Romans 5:8-11.
Once you ask Him to save you it is eternal, nothing can take away your salvation, even if you walked away from God fifty years ago, Christ still lives in you and will redeem you when He returns. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” - I John 5:4-6.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com
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I'm Following Jesus
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Coming Of The Lord
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: The Coming Of The Lord
Date: Monday July 25, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 33-34, Proverb 25, Psalm 45
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-25
Details of Today's Chapters: The distress of Judah and Jerusalem because of the coming judgment, and the Day of the Lord and Armageddon is foretold.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”- I Thessalonians 5:15-24
Jesus Christ came to earth not only to make a way for the sinner to be saved from hell and God's judgment, He also came here to show man that they can still live in the world and live righteously. What ever Jesus can do we can do, in fact, Jesus Himself said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” - John 14:12. While our works do not save us, our works do help us receive God's blessings, the more we live like Jesus the more blessings we receive, not only in heaven, but here on earth as well. Let me tell you, I am writing this devotional from a brand new laptop, fully loaded, all because I seek to do what Jesus calls me to do. Yes, I mess up and wonder every day why He called me, but count it a blessing and a privilege that even a halfhearted day can be used for God's glory.
Trials come and go, the strength of our faith comes and goes, even the strength of our faithfulness comes and goes. What never leaves is God and His faithfulness to us, while we may face affliction and even judgment from time to time, He preserves His people. Through Isaiah God assures Israel that even though He places judgment upon them for forsaking Him it will not last and He will save them from the worse to come.
“The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man...He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure...For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.” - Isaiah 33:8,15,16,22.
Salvation is more than just the act of Jesus saving a person from hell, salvation is redemption from the bondage of sin and the liability of eternal death, it is the deliverance from our enemies, it is victory from trials and defeat, it is everlasting happiness, and it is the preservation from destruction, danger or great misery upon judgment. We can not escape God's judgment, but we can be preserved upon it, which only comes through our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” - I Thessalonians 5:9,10.
Salvation is not just for certain people, races, or creeds, it is given freely to all who ask Christ for it, while God chose the Jews as the people who would represent Him He still assures all who come to Him that I am the God of all. Through Isaiah God calls all nations and warns them of His judgment upon them all.
“Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter...For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion...For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment...Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.” - Isaiah 34:1,2,5,8,16,17.
The day of the Lord is coming and no person or nation will be exempt from Judgment Day. It is Christ who will come in the clouds of heaven to execute judgment, His sword is the Word of God, all He will do is speak the Word and the war upon all nations will begin. Those who make the Book of the Lord their meditation and rule of life will have complete deliverance from the coming judgment. Idumea illustrates nations at enmity with the church, known as the kingdom of antichrist. They along with Satan and every person that has not asked Jesus to save them will receive the ultimate judgment of eternal death. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever...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 whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:10,12,15.
Once again, works do not save us, Christ saves us, He is the one who places the names of every believer in the Book of Life, without Christ there is no life. So many people abuse their salvation by continuing to live sinful lives, well knowing that they can do whatever they want since they are saved. Of course, we are free to do what we want, but in order to truly be at peace and prosper it is wise to let Christ lead us. No joy on earth can compare to the joy we receive as we not only put our faith and trust in the Savior, we also live the way He teaches us to live. It will definitely save us a lot of heartache until the day He comes to bring us to our new, permanent home.
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” - John 14:1-6.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com
Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
I'm Following Jesus
Message Title: The Coming Of The Lord
Date: Monday July 25, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 33-34, Proverb 25, Psalm 45
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-25
Details of Today's Chapters: The distress of Judah and Jerusalem because of the coming judgment, and the Day of the Lord and Armageddon is foretold.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”- I Thessalonians 5:15-24
Jesus Christ came to earth not only to make a way for the sinner to be saved from hell and God's judgment, He also came here to show man that they can still live in the world and live righteously. What ever Jesus can do we can do, in fact, Jesus Himself said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” - John 14:12. While our works do not save us, our works do help us receive God's blessings, the more we live like Jesus the more blessings we receive, not only in heaven, but here on earth as well. Let me tell you, I am writing this devotional from a brand new laptop, fully loaded, all because I seek to do what Jesus calls me to do. Yes, I mess up and wonder every day why He called me, but count it a blessing and a privilege that even a halfhearted day can be used for God's glory.
Trials come and go, the strength of our faith comes and goes, even the strength of our faithfulness comes and goes. What never leaves is God and His faithfulness to us, while we may face affliction and even judgment from time to time, He preserves His people. Through Isaiah God assures Israel that even though He places judgment upon them for forsaking Him it will not last and He will save them from the worse to come.
“The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man...He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure...For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.” - Isaiah 33:8,15,16,22.
Salvation is more than just the act of Jesus saving a person from hell, salvation is redemption from the bondage of sin and the liability of eternal death, it is the deliverance from our enemies, it is victory from trials and defeat, it is everlasting happiness, and it is the preservation from destruction, danger or great misery upon judgment. We can not escape God's judgment, but we can be preserved upon it, which only comes through our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” - I Thessalonians 5:9,10.
Salvation is not just for certain people, races, or creeds, it is given freely to all who ask Christ for it, while God chose the Jews as the people who would represent Him He still assures all who come to Him that I am the God of all. Through Isaiah God calls all nations and warns them of His judgment upon them all.
“Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter...For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion...For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment...Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.” - Isaiah 34:1,2,5,8,16,17.
The day of the Lord is coming and no person or nation will be exempt from Judgment Day. It is Christ who will come in the clouds of heaven to execute judgment, His sword is the Word of God, all He will do is speak the Word and the war upon all nations will begin. Those who make the Book of the Lord their meditation and rule of life will have complete deliverance from the coming judgment. Idumea illustrates nations at enmity with the church, known as the kingdom of antichrist. They along with Satan and every person that has not asked Jesus to save them will receive the ultimate judgment of eternal death. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever...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 whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:10,12,15.
Once again, works do not save us, Christ saves us, He is the one who places the names of every believer in the Book of Life, without Christ there is no life. So many people abuse their salvation by continuing to live sinful lives, well knowing that they can do whatever they want since they are saved. Of course, we are free to do what we want, but in order to truly be at peace and prosper it is wise to let Christ lead us. No joy on earth can compare to the joy we receive as we not only put our faith and trust in the Savior, we also live the way He teaches us to live. It will definitely save us a lot of heartache until the day He comes to bring us to our new, permanent home.
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” - John 14:1-6.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com
Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
I'm Following Jesus
Sunday, July 24, 2011
To Believe or Not To Believe
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: To Believe or Not To Believe
Date: Sunday July 2, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 31-32, Proverb 24, Psalm 24
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-24
Details of Today's Chapters: Judah again warned against the Egyptian alliance, God’s defense of Jerusalem, the promise of the coming Kingdom, a warning of great tribulation and deliverance from the true King.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” - Luke 12:4-9.
No one on earth is more ruthless and cruel than Satan himself, while anyone is capable of killing the flesh, he is the only one who can kill the soul. In fact, the second a person is born their soul belongs to Satan, it is only when they receive God's spirit in them that their soul is set free. The only way to receive God's spirit is to receive Christ as your Savior. Only those who receive Christ, even if they never did anything else for Him, shall be seen before the angels of God as His and saved from the day of judgment.
God warned Israel time and time again not to align themselves with the enemy, yet they rarely heeded the warning, often becoming slaves to those who refused to listen, even those professing their faith in God suffered because they were living amongst them. Now, after Judah made an alliance with Egypt once again, God gave them one last warning, this time there was no changing His mind, judgment was coming, but gives a glimpse of hope also.
“Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together...As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it. Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.” - Isaiah 31:1-3,5-7.
There is no escaping the judgments of God, but as birds protect their young by hovering over them when danger comes, God protects His children, even if they have gotten away from Him. The truth is, no amount of good saves us from judgment, it is only by our trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior that we are saved or rather made to suffer only for a little while. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” - Hebrews 10:36-39.
The wasting and desolation of the land upon the judgment of God was given because His people were living in the pleasures and corruption of the world, ignoring God's commands in pure rebellion. All who set their hearts upon the worldly things, will find huge disappointment. Through Isaiah, God foretells of the days Christ comes to reign.
“Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken...Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;” - Isaiah 32:1-3,16-18.
It is the comfort of the faithful few that blessed times of righteousness and eternal rest are promised when the Prince of Peace shall come forth to reign. Even those whom have put God on the back burner will find this peace. Why? Our faith in Christ saves us. God knows that the flesh is wretched, I was telling my Sunday school class that I never trust myself because I have this flesh and flesh sticks. It is because we have this sinful flesh that God chose a different way for us to be saved from His judgment and that is through Jesus Christ. “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. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:10-13.
People ask me all the time, “How can God send people to hell?” God does not want to send anyone to hell, but the truth us only those who call upon the Lord shall be saved. You see, God will not force anyone believe in and follow Him, we are all free to choose what we believe. That still does not change the fact that God, Christ, Satan, and hell exists just as much as we exist nor does it change the fact that Christ will return one day only for those who believe in Him. While He does not want to see anyone end up in hell, He will allow them to make that choice as well. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;..The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - II Peter 2:4,9.
The word believe means to be persuaded or influenced of the truth of something upon the declaration of another, in other words, it is only when the heart is persuaded or influenced of the truth of Jesus Christ that it receives Christ. You must believe to be saved, which only comes by faith, just as one believes the wind and air exists without the appearance of it, we too must believe in the presence of the only living God and His Word. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen...Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear...But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,3,6.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com
Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
I'm Following Jesus
Message Title: To Believe or Not To Believe
Date: Sunday July 2, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 31-32, Proverb 24, Psalm 24
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-24
Details of Today's Chapters: Judah again warned against the Egyptian alliance, God’s defense of Jerusalem, the promise of the coming Kingdom, a warning of great tribulation and deliverance from the true King.
Hello My Friend/Guest,
“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” - Luke 12:4-9.
No one on earth is more ruthless and cruel than Satan himself, while anyone is capable of killing the flesh, he is the only one who can kill the soul. In fact, the second a person is born their soul belongs to Satan, it is only when they receive God's spirit in them that their soul is set free. The only way to receive God's spirit is to receive Christ as your Savior. Only those who receive Christ, even if they never did anything else for Him, shall be seen before the angels of God as His and saved from the day of judgment.
God warned Israel time and time again not to align themselves with the enemy, yet they rarely heeded the warning, often becoming slaves to those who refused to listen, even those professing their faith in God suffered because they were living amongst them. Now, after Judah made an alliance with Egypt once again, God gave them one last warning, this time there was no changing His mind, judgment was coming, but gives a glimpse of hope also.
“Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together...As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it. Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.” - Isaiah 31:1-3,5-7.
There is no escaping the judgments of God, but as birds protect their young by hovering over them when danger comes, God protects His children, even if they have gotten away from Him. The truth is, no amount of good saves us from judgment, it is only by our trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior that we are saved or rather made to suffer only for a little while. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” - Hebrews 10:36-39.
The wasting and desolation of the land upon the judgment of God was given because His people were living in the pleasures and corruption of the world, ignoring God's commands in pure rebellion. All who set their hearts upon the worldly things, will find huge disappointment. Through Isaiah, God foretells of the days Christ comes to reign.
“Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken...Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;” - Isaiah 32:1-3,16-18.
It is the comfort of the faithful few that blessed times of righteousness and eternal rest are promised when the Prince of Peace shall come forth to reign. Even those whom have put God on the back burner will find this peace. Why? Our faith in Christ saves us. God knows that the flesh is wretched, I was telling my Sunday school class that I never trust myself because I have this flesh and flesh sticks. It is because we have this sinful flesh that God chose a different way for us to be saved from His judgment and that is through Jesus Christ. “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. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:10-13.
People ask me all the time, “How can God send people to hell?” God does not want to send anyone to hell, but the truth us only those who call upon the Lord shall be saved. You see, God will not force anyone believe in and follow Him, we are all free to choose what we believe. That still does not change the fact that God, Christ, Satan, and hell exists just as much as we exist nor does it change the fact that Christ will return one day only for those who believe in Him. While He does not want to see anyone end up in hell, He will allow them to make that choice as well. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;..The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - II Peter 2:4,9.
The word believe means to be persuaded or influenced of the truth of something upon the declaration of another, in other words, it is only when the heart is persuaded or influenced of the truth of Jesus Christ that it receives Christ. You must believe to be saved, which only comes by faith, just as one believes the wind and air exists without the appearance of it, we too must believe in the presence of the only living God and His Word. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen...Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear...But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,3,6.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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