King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Stay On The Ship
Date: Friday November 18, 2011
Chapters: Acts 26-28
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-november-18
All Scripture quoted comes from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
“Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” - Luke 8:22-25.
The word faith means to persuade your thinking into believing the truths that God has revealed, even when God is not in our lives we live by faith or what people would call fate or destiny. Once in a while you will hear people say that there is no such thing as fate, it's all by chance. Well, nothing is by chance, believe it or not God is in control of everything so whether or not we are in His will He is still in control of every situation we encounter. Now, at times it may seem as though we are faced with one storm after another and that God is no where to be found, but the truth is, if you are saved, He is always with you, He may become dormant in our mind and body, but with a little faith He awakens and calms every storm.
When Paul headed back to Jerusalem he had no idea what would become of him, he heard rumors, people warned him to stay away before he got killed, he got arrested, and even some of the Jews plotted to kill him. I am sure that he was a bit depressed and nervous at times, but the one thing he could count on was that he knew God was with him. After they could not find anything to charge him with he was sent from one country to another in hopes that someone would find something to charge him with and kill him. Now, he is standing before King Agrippa and gets to defend himself.
“For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles...And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.” - Acts 26:21-23,30-32.
Paul never stopped witnessing the Gospel to anyone God led him to no matter what he was going through. Everyone needs to know about Christ, it does not matter what color, race, or religion you are if you are we all face the same fate, which is a second death. The only way we can escape that fate is through Jesus Christ, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” -Revelation 2:10,11.
King Agrippa was about to let Paul go, but he knew he had to stand before Caesar so, he was boarded on a prisoner ship headed for Rome along with 275 other men. As they were sailing a storm was brewing, Paul warned them not to continue in the direction that they were going, but they refused to listen and headed right for it. For 14 days these men were in the middle of a hurricane, many were about to jump ship, but then Paul spoke up.
“Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved...And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship...And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.” - Acts 27:31,39,42-44.
This is an illustration of a person safely tucked in the ship of Christ, those who receive Him, although they face some storms will always come out of them better than they entered them. Those who jump ship or never receive Him cannot be saved and end up in a worse storm. The Holy Spirit warns us about storms that are brewing in our own lives, often we ignore those warnings and it is only when we are in the middle of a hurricane that we realize we should have listened. The amazing thing about God is that even when we do ignore the warnings He will help us out of the storm. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:8-10.
After all the treacherous storms Paul went through and not knowing what was to come of him when he arrived in Rome, he prevailed through his faith in God and was blessed after his suffering, spending two years preaching in Rome. Paul, a man that began his life persecuting Christians, turned his life around and became the most well known and greatest evangelist there ever was. He endured much pain, suffering, and some humiliation, but never lost sight of Christ. He is a testimony that anyone can turn their life around and be blessed by living their lives for Christ. It's not easy to remain faithful, sometimes we may even get shipwrecked, but Christ is always there and when we humble ourselves and abide in His ship He will make sure that we too prevail and are blessed through our suffering. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:1,2.
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, we thank You for the powerful God that You are. Even the winds and waves recognize You as their Creator and obey Your voice. Your Word is the lighthouse that directs us safely toward heaven when the furious waves swirl about us and the water rises up to our necks and Your Son is the ship that keeps us safe in the storm.
Keep us firmly anchored in Your ways so that we stay above the waters and endure to the day we get to see You in Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Confidence in Christ
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Confidence in Christ
Date: Thursday November 17, 2011
Chapters: Acts 23-25
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-november-17
All Scripture quoted comes from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:..For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” - Romans 1:3,4,20-25.
Ask anyone if they believe in God and you will find that the majority of people do believe in God, well, they may believe in a form of God anyway. The reason I say a form of God is because it's much easier to believe in a man made god than in God Himself. The difference, a man made god is one that creates God in an image they perceive Him as. It's much easier to believe and follow the laws and regulations of what man believes God to be than simply following God's truths. You know, the funny thing is that God makes it simple, He says, “Believe in my Son and I will take care of you and even give you eternal life.” yet man makes it complicated by adding all these rules along with it. They enforce things like, you must get baptized, must pay money, must join my church, must get people to join my church, must remain good, must confess your sins to a priest, etc. Can I tell you that none of these things get you to heaven? The only way to get to heaven is by admitting that you are a sinner, believing in Jesus Christ, and asking Him to save you.
This is not new news, it has been before Jesus even came in the flesh, this is what Paul has been preaching during his ministry and why he now being tried in Jerusalem. In fact, he was transferred from Jerusalem and sent to one country after another in hopes that the Jews would convince just one of these foreign rulers that he needed to die for telling people about Jesus. Paul stood before the Sadducees and Pharisees to represent himself, his defense was his personal testimony.
“And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day... But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.“ - Acts 23:1,6-11.
Here are two different religious groups divided among one another, both believed in God, but one did not believe in the resurrection and the other did. It was believed to be that Paul's fate was in the hands of these men, but little did they know that Jesus was with him the whole time and that He was in control of Paul's fate, not them. Jesus is always with His believers, no matter what we are going through, even if we caused the affliction we are facing. God is always in control of our fate, He will stop at nothing to see us accomplish the tasks He has given us. “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. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” - I Peter 1:21-23.
The unbelieving Jews were determined to find someone who would testify that Paul committed a crime. However, no matter where Paul went he was somehow allowed to speak in his defense, he never stopped confessing that he followed God and His Word and no fault was found in him by any of the rulers.
“And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so. Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” -Acts 24:9-16.
Paul lived by the Scriptures and it was by doing so that he knew the truth and also trusted in the hope of God to get him through every one of the circumstances he faced. He knew who God was and he was not about to compromise his beliefs in order to save his life, he knew that his life was saved already because he knew who God was and even if he died he would be right there with Him in heaven. All who are saved can join Paul in saying, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:20,21.
We should all have the same confidence that Paul had when he was faced with adversity, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior we can endure all things through Christ. Then, we can join Paul in saying, “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. Praise God!
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, today we search our own hearts and ask, “Are we ashamed to bear Your name? Do we really know You in whom we believe? Do we fully believe that You are able to keep Your promises?” God, reveal to us the things that need our attention so we can fully gain confidence in Christ Jesus our Lord in all that we do . To live in Christ and to die is gain when we get to see our Lord face to face in heaven one day. Show me the way, Lord, help me to endure my afflictions without taking my eyes off you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Message Title: Confidence in Christ
Date: Thursday November 17, 2011
Chapters: Acts 23-25
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-november-17
All Scripture quoted comes from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:..For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” - Romans 1:3,4,20-25.
Ask anyone if they believe in God and you will find that the majority of people do believe in God, well, they may believe in a form of God anyway. The reason I say a form of God is because it's much easier to believe in a man made god than in God Himself. The difference, a man made god is one that creates God in an image they perceive Him as. It's much easier to believe and follow the laws and regulations of what man believes God to be than simply following God's truths. You know, the funny thing is that God makes it simple, He says, “Believe in my Son and I will take care of you and even give you eternal life.” yet man makes it complicated by adding all these rules along with it. They enforce things like, you must get baptized, must pay money, must join my church, must get people to join my church, must remain good, must confess your sins to a priest, etc. Can I tell you that none of these things get you to heaven? The only way to get to heaven is by admitting that you are a sinner, believing in Jesus Christ, and asking Him to save you.
This is not new news, it has been before Jesus even came in the flesh, this is what Paul has been preaching during his ministry and why he now being tried in Jerusalem. In fact, he was transferred from Jerusalem and sent to one country after another in hopes that the Jews would convince just one of these foreign rulers that he needed to die for telling people about Jesus. Paul stood before the Sadducees and Pharisees to represent himself, his defense was his personal testimony.
“And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day... But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.“ - Acts 23:1,6-11.
Here are two different religious groups divided among one another, both believed in God, but one did not believe in the resurrection and the other did. It was believed to be that Paul's fate was in the hands of these men, but little did they know that Jesus was with him the whole time and that He was in control of Paul's fate, not them. Jesus is always with His believers, no matter what we are going through, even if we caused the affliction we are facing. God is always in control of our fate, He will stop at nothing to see us accomplish the tasks He has given us. “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. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” - I Peter 1:21-23.
The unbelieving Jews were determined to find someone who would testify that Paul committed a crime. However, no matter where Paul went he was somehow allowed to speak in his defense, he never stopped confessing that he followed God and His Word and no fault was found in him by any of the rulers.
“And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so. Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” -Acts 24:9-16.
Paul lived by the Scriptures and it was by doing so that he knew the truth and also trusted in the hope of God to get him through every one of the circumstances he faced. He knew who God was and he was not about to compromise his beliefs in order to save his life, he knew that his life was saved already because he knew who God was and even if he died he would be right there with Him in heaven. All who are saved can join Paul in saying, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:20,21.
We should all have the same confidence that Paul had when he was faced with adversity, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior we can endure all things through Christ. Then, we can join Paul in saying, “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. Praise God!
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, today we search our own hearts and ask, “Are we ashamed to bear Your name? Do we really know You in whom we believe? Do we fully believe that You are able to keep Your promises?” God, reveal to us the things that need our attention so we can fully gain confidence in Christ Jesus our Lord in all that we do . To live in Christ and to die is gain when we get to see our Lord face to face in heaven one day. Show me the way, Lord, help me to endure my afflictions without taking my eyes off you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Monday, November 14, 2011
Godliness With Contentment
King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Godliness With Contentment
Date: Monday November 14, 2011
Chapters: Acts 14-16
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-november-14
Hello My Friend,
“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” - I Timothy 6:3-12.
Take a look at all the mega churches out there, they are televised for all the world to see, beautiful buildings, thousands of people attending, music that stirs the soul or rather the flesh, and a person preaching a positive uplifted message, perhaps mentions God here and there with a bit of Scripture added for good measure, they will even freely give a copy of some version of the Bible to all who come to them to repent. What's missing? Jesus. Oh, they might mention Jesus once in a while, but what are they saying about Jesus? Are they telling people that they need Jesus? Are the telling people why they need Jesus? That He is the only way to be saved from hell? Are they making up extra rules to follow in order to keep their salvation? Mega churches have one goal in mind, that is money, they attract people who are lost and looking for some kind of hope, they will lay their hands on them, chant some strange words, and conform themselves into an ungodly lifestyle. They will do whatever it takes to use God's name to make a profit, claiming their that their gain comes from God, even if it means they have to distort the truth. A true church bases it's doctrine solely on Jesus Christ, and the Gospel.
Paul and Barnabas went from town to town preaching the Gospel in Gentile nations, just like the Jews, some believed and some did not. Quite often the unbelieving Jews caused havoc upon the Gentiles, so much havoc that there would be riots. Of course, they would blame Paul and Barnabas for starting it and cast them out. They found themselves in a town called Lystra, where they met a man who was crippled.
“And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men...Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.” - Acts 14:8-11,14-18.
Paul stressed that he and Barnabas were of the same flesh, that they were no gods, and instead of worshiping their false gods they needed to be worshiping the Living God, whom was the Creator of all things. Those who live in the world will never be able to understand that all the miracles or what they see as fate, comes from the living God. There is only One Almighty Living God and He does not live in a building, animal, or statue, He lives inside of every saved person, but we are not gods, we are living souls, saved by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Godliness with contentment comes first by realizing that Jesus is the only way to God and to be saved. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 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 2:3-6.
Paul and Barnabas met up with Peter and some of the other apostles, there was some confusion going around as to how salvation was obtained, many of the Jews who were converted added that to be saved a person had to believe in Jesus and be circumcised.
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved...But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” -Acts 15:1,5-11.
Now, there are many religions out there that do preach that they need Jesus to be saved, but they add to the doctrine, enforce rules upon them and or the constant need for repentance. The truth is, salvation is by grace alone, you can only be saved once, you salvation cannot be taken away from you no matter how much you sin, and repentance is not seeking forgiveness like people are mislead to believe, it is turning away from sin. Yes, it can lead someone to seek forgiveness for sin, but repentance is turning away from the sin and turning to God. I came from a religion where it taught that you have to work to keep your salvation, that even of you were good there is still a chance that you will be sent to hell. We are all sinners, we have all sinned, we could never do enough good to earn our salvation, that is why you cannot get save yourself by repentance, baptism, or circumcision. You need Jesus and Jesus alone to save you from hell. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” -Titus 3:5-7.
When God set up the law of the Jews it was given to set His people apart from the heathens of the world. God was protecting them, everything that He told them to stay away from and do was for their own protection. While these laws no longer apply to the Christian, God just wants us to live a moral, godly life, so, many of them are still good practice. I had someone comment about something I said, he replied, “You could do that, I thought you were a Christian?” Christians are not perfect, they do not sit in a corner all day praying and reading the Bible, which is probably a good thing sometimes. They do not preach to everyone they see, nor do they throw Scripture around every time they see someone doing something wrong, we do wrong too. Christians let Christ come into their lives, yes, they seek a more conservative lifestyle, not because they are required to, but because they want to. We can find godliness with contentment by seeking the things that are godly, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” - Hebrews 12:28.
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, thank You for Your grace, it is sufficient enough to save me from hell and from every other trial I face. While I cannot work my way to salvation, I can show You my love and thanks by living a more godly life. As Christ lives in me, lead me and guide me in Your will, and help me to serve You in all that I do with contentment, reverence, and respect for You. I love You Lord and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Message Title: Godliness With Contentment
Date: Monday November 14, 2011
Chapters: Acts 14-16
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-november-14
Hello My Friend,
“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” - I Timothy 6:3-12.
Take a look at all the mega churches out there, they are televised for all the world to see, beautiful buildings, thousands of people attending, music that stirs the soul or rather the flesh, and a person preaching a positive uplifted message, perhaps mentions God here and there with a bit of Scripture added for good measure, they will even freely give a copy of some version of the Bible to all who come to them to repent. What's missing? Jesus. Oh, they might mention Jesus once in a while, but what are they saying about Jesus? Are they telling people that they need Jesus? Are the telling people why they need Jesus? That He is the only way to be saved from hell? Are they making up extra rules to follow in order to keep their salvation? Mega churches have one goal in mind, that is money, they attract people who are lost and looking for some kind of hope, they will lay their hands on them, chant some strange words, and conform themselves into an ungodly lifestyle. They will do whatever it takes to use God's name to make a profit, claiming their that their gain comes from God, even if it means they have to distort the truth. A true church bases it's doctrine solely on Jesus Christ, and the Gospel.
Paul and Barnabas went from town to town preaching the Gospel in Gentile nations, just like the Jews, some believed and some did not. Quite often the unbelieving Jews caused havoc upon the Gentiles, so much havoc that there would be riots. Of course, they would blame Paul and Barnabas for starting it and cast them out. They found themselves in a town called Lystra, where they met a man who was crippled.
“And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men...Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.” - Acts 14:8-11,14-18.
Paul stressed that he and Barnabas were of the same flesh, that they were no gods, and instead of worshiping their false gods they needed to be worshiping the Living God, whom was the Creator of all things. Those who live in the world will never be able to understand that all the miracles or what they see as fate, comes from the living God. There is only One Almighty Living God and He does not live in a building, animal, or statue, He lives inside of every saved person, but we are not gods, we are living souls, saved by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Godliness with contentment comes first by realizing that Jesus is the only way to God and to be saved. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 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 2:3-6.
Paul and Barnabas met up with Peter and some of the other apostles, there was some confusion going around as to how salvation was obtained, many of the Jews who were converted added that to be saved a person had to believe in Jesus and be circumcised.
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved...But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” -Acts 15:1,5-11.
Now, there are many religions out there that do preach that they need Jesus to be saved, but they add to the doctrine, enforce rules upon them and or the constant need for repentance. The truth is, salvation is by grace alone, you can only be saved once, you salvation cannot be taken away from you no matter how much you sin, and repentance is not seeking forgiveness like people are mislead to believe, it is turning away from sin. Yes, it can lead someone to seek forgiveness for sin, but repentance is turning away from the sin and turning to God. I came from a religion where it taught that you have to work to keep your salvation, that even of you were good there is still a chance that you will be sent to hell. We are all sinners, we have all sinned, we could never do enough good to earn our salvation, that is why you cannot get save yourself by repentance, baptism, or circumcision. You need Jesus and Jesus alone to save you from hell. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” -Titus 3:5-7.
When God set up the law of the Jews it was given to set His people apart from the heathens of the world. God was protecting them, everything that He told them to stay away from and do was for their own protection. While these laws no longer apply to the Christian, God just wants us to live a moral, godly life, so, many of them are still good practice. I had someone comment about something I said, he replied, “You could do that, I thought you were a Christian?” Christians are not perfect, they do not sit in a corner all day praying and reading the Bible, which is probably a good thing sometimes. They do not preach to everyone they see, nor do they throw Scripture around every time they see someone doing something wrong, we do wrong too. Christians let Christ come into their lives, yes, they seek a more conservative lifestyle, not because they are required to, but because they want to. We can find godliness with contentment by seeking the things that are godly, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” - Hebrews 12:28.
Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, thank You for Your grace, it is sufficient enough to save me from hell and from every other trial I face. While I cannot work my way to salvation, I can show You my love and thanks by living a more godly life. As Christ lives in me, lead me and guide me in Your will, and help me to serve You in all that I do with contentment, reverence, and respect for You. I love You Lord 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
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