Tuesday, November 15, 2011

What Sin Is

The definition of sin is: transgression against God's law or rebellion against God
1John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
The punishment for sin:
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin is long standing: 
Romans 5:13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law
Christ was not a sinner:
2 Cor.5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Christ is our advocate before God:
1 John 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
We have power from Christ to resist sin:
Romans 8:9-11 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
We are covered in saving grace:
Eph.1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
We, the human beings which God created, were born in sin because of the sin imparted to us from Adam and Eve. But there is deeper sin here, the personal ones we willingly commit!
Oh Lord, forgive us, Lord forgive me, when we knowingly rebell against You. Engrave Your Word on our hearts so we will not sin. Burn Your Word in our souls so that when we do sin, we suffer fear! Fear of everlasting separation from You. Amen

Monday, November 14, 2011

A Better Promise

Heb.8:6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
Heb.8:1-2 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.
The old promise held no salvation!
Heb.8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
Christ alone is our hope!!!
Long ago, priest would sacrifice animals and use the blood for atonement, to satisfy God's demand for payment for our sinfulness. But God knew we had need for a real Saviour. One who would pay our debt and offer a salvation that could not be attained through a ritual but through the eternal gift of blood, shed for all time.
Heb.9:11-21 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you." And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Salvation from Christ can not be earned. It is a gift!
Lord, teach us to be bold in sharing the gospel. Let us teach from Your Word, the truth and not get caught up in the things of this world. The truth is that all who deny You suffer! Amen

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Our Life and Death Appointment

Every person of human origin has a long standing appointment with their Creator! By this I mean, before you were ever born, God knew you, even before you had any days of life, while you were still in the secret place that only God knows of. These appointments are when God gives your soul life and when He takes your soul back in death. The soul is spirit and meant to last forever. God's gospel word has been passed down from generation to generation and will stand as truth.
Heb.9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment
Ps.139:13-16 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.Gen.2:7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." We are all perishing, but to where we go at the end, depends on your relationship with the only true, living God, who created the universe! He has made salvation available to all people through the blood of Christ! You will never be good enough, do enough good deeds, or be able to lead a sin free life! Only Christ was able to pay our debt to a holy God for our salvation. He willingly obeyed God! He willingly died! We owe Him everything! 1Cor.15:21-22 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.Ps.90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.2 Cor.5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.Only God holds the power of life after death!Ezek.37:1-14 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD." So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."Lord, how we ache for the lost. We can not understand how the love that is offered by Christ can be ignored. Lord, only You can quicken hearts to receive the truth. Help us as we speak the truth of the gospel. Amen

Monday, November 7, 2011

A Fallen World

Look around you, what do you see? There is death, destruction, disease, sexual abuse, drug abuse, natural disasters, etc! And we ask why! We know why, we live in a sinful fallen world! People have no respect for life or any other thing. They are for self and to heck with everything else. This is not the way God made His creation, it was forever perverted and changed when sin entered through the first man and therefore all men have sinned! But God, through his extravagant grace, made a way for His creation to be forever changed. He sent His Son to be a living sacrifice to satisfy the shame of our rebellion of sin. We have His Word to teach us to follow Him. We are here for His purpose! We live to glory God! We seek to teach others of His hope, by making disciples of all nations, tribes and tongues.
Ps.67 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

So That by the Grace of God He Might Taste Death for Everyone

Heb.2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
How very deep these words are! Jesus suffered death for everyone. Even the people who will deny Him. Please, don't be among the ones who will suffer damnation forever. Jesus is the only way for salvation. He took the form of a man, with all his emotions and will, but He was still almighty God.
Heb.2:10-15  For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." And again, "I will put my trust in him."And again, "Behold, I and the children God has given me." Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.Holy God sent His Son to be the only acceptable sacrifice for the propitiation of our sins.Definition of propitiation: satisfaction before God, appeasementHeb.2:17-18  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.By the power of Your Word Lord, every knee will bow before You. Amen

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Hell Is Real

Revelation 20:9-15
And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
In the words of our Lord Jesus:
Luke 16:19-26
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
Dan.12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Fear God, for he alone has the power to kill body and soul!
Matt. 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
My heart aches for you dear friends. You are lost and on the road to eternal death. God has made a way to be reconciled to Him through the saving grace bought, with a precious price, by the blood of His Son. Will you search for the truth today? The bible holds the keys to eternal life and if you search for God, He will be found.
Lord, today we know that the Word of truth has been exchanged for a lie. There are so called men of God, preaching lies to their flock. How great a judgment will be on their heads only You know. Lord, I pray for these lost souls to hear Your truth. Amen
Eph.4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
1 Tim.2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

November Bible Reading

Date                 Old Testament              New Testament

November 1     Jeremiah 31, 32           Titus 2

November 2     Jeremiah 33, 34, 35     Titus 3

November 3     Jeremiah 36, 37           Philemon 1

November 4     Jeremiah 38, 39           Hebrews 1

November 5     Jeremiah 40, 41, 42     Hebrews 2

November 6     Jeremiah 43, 44, 45     Hebrews 3

November 7     Jeremiah 46, 47, 48     Hebrews 4

November 8    Jeremiah 49, 50            Hebrews 5

November 9    Jeremiah 51, 52            Hebrews 6

November 10   Lamentations 1, 2         Hebrews 7

November 11   Lamentations 3, 4, 5     Hebrews 8

November 12   Ezekiel 1, 2, 3              Hebrews 9

November 13   Ezekiel 4, 5, 6              Hebrews 10:1-23

November 14   Ezekiel 7, 8, 9             Hebrews 10:24-39

November 15   Ezekiel 10, 11, 12       Hebrews 11:1-19

November 16   Ezekiel 13, 14, 15       Hebrews 11:20-40

November 17   Ezekiel 16                  Hebrews 12

November 18   Ezekiel 17, 18, 19      Hebrews 13

November 19   Ezekiel 20, 21           James 1

November 20   Ezekiel 22, 23           James 2

November 21   Ezekiel 24, 25, 26     James 3

November 22   Ezekiel 27, 28          James 4

November 23   Ezekiel 29, 30, 31    James 5

November 24   Ezekiel 32, 33          1 Peter 1

November 25   Ezekiel 34, 35          1 Peter 2

November 26   Ezekiel 36, 37          1 Peter 3

November 27   Ezekiel 38, 39          1 Peter 4

November 28   Ezekiel 40                1 Peter 5

November 29   Ezekiel 41, 42          2 Peter 1

November 30   Ezekiel 43, 44          2 Peter 2