February 16, 2023: 1 Peter 1:17 - And if You Call on the Father

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear…” - 1 Peter 1:17

Each one of us, believer and unbeliever, will be judged by God. For unbelievers, those who choose to reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation, which He paid for with His precious blood, they will be resurrected to life, only to be judged by their works, what they did while they lived on the earth. Because no one can earn their salvation by doing anything other than believing in Christ as their Savior, their names will not be found in the Book of Life, and they will not be denied entry into the kingdom of God, instead spending their eternity in hell, separated from Jesus forever:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Any anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

For believers in Christ, we are not judged by our works when it comes to determining if we are allowed to enter into God’s eternal kingdom because we are redeemed of all our sins through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, as Peter goes on to say in 1 Peter 1:18-19. However, we are judged for our works, that is, what we did for Christ while we were living on earth, so that He may reward us for what we did for His eternal kingdom. As Paul wrote in the Scriptures below, the work that we do for God must be built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ:

“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:5:15)

The Bible tells us that we will be rewarded for the works that we do for Jesus during our time here on earth:

• Revelation 11:15-18: Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying:

  “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

• Luke 6:35-36: But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Jesus Christ

• Revelation 22:12: And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. - Jesus Christ

• Matthew 16:27: For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. - Jesus Christ

Thus, we who are saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and who call on God the Father - who is holy, holy, holy - for His kingdom to come, on earth as it is in heaven, shall be holy. We should have a longing in our hearts to please God and to tell as many people we can about the precious gift of salvation that He has given us, the gift that we ourselves chose to accept. We should live our lives without hypocrisy so that it doesn’t send a stench up to heaven but we live our lives in a way that mirrors and reflects His holiness, producing a pleasing aroma to God. Just as a child desires to please his parents, so should we desire to please and honor our Father in heaven, with a reverent fear of Him. As the four living creatures in heaven proclaimed day and night, may we say to Him:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8) ✝️

February 15, 2023: 1 Peter 1:14-16 - Be Holy, for I am Holy

“…as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” - 1 Peter 1:14-16

As believers in Jesus as our Savior, we are called “children of God,” and as such, we should have a desire in our heart not to imitate the unbelieving world but to imitate Him:

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” (3 John 11)

When we make the decision to follow Christ, to believe in Him as the only One who can save us from all of our sins, we are instantly filled with the Holy Spirit. One of the things the Holy Spirit does within us is to help us become more like Christ if we allow Him to. However, sometimes we fight against the Holy Spirit because we love our sin and we don’t want to let go of it. I am guilty of this. Even the apostle Paul wrote about the battle within him in the book of Romans, saying that he knows what he is supposed to do according to the word of God but he doesn’t do it and instead, he does what the word of God says he is not supposed to do (see Romans 7:13-25). This is true for each and every single believer in Jesus Christ. The reason is that we still live in our fleshly, corrupted, and sinful bodies, and until we die and receive our new glorified bodies and are with Jesus, we will struggle with it. This is why we must put on the whole armor of God, as described in Ephesians 6:10-20, because Satan will do everything he can to make us abandon our faith, give up on Christ, and like a dog that returns to its own vomit, return to Satan.

God hates sin. Why? Because He knows the damage that it does to us - it kills us and assures our eternal destruction. That is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to get us out of our sin and off the path that leads to death and destruction for eternity, the path that leads to eternal separation from Him. However, our salvation was not automatically given to us just by His coming; we must believe in Jesus as the only One who can save us from our sins.

Why does sin separate us from Him for eternity? Because in His heavenly kingdom, God, who is holy, cannot look on anyone who has sin. As the prophet Isaiah wrote of the coming kingdom:

“A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness, The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up to it; 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 singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Though the world may consider us fools for our belief in Christ, we are on the only way that leads to heaven. This is similar to the new heaven, new earth, and a new Jerusalem that the apostle John wrote about in the book of Revelation, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) John confirmed that only those who overcome their sin through faith in Jesus Christ will receive their inheritance, their entry into the eternal kingdom of God:

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:7-8)

“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Revelation 21:27)

It has been said that “imitation is the greatest form of flattery.” Are we choosing to imitate a holy God or the world that is led by the prince of the power of the air - Satan? Do we want to please the One who Redeemed us from all our sins or the one who caused us to stumble and fall into sin in the first place? God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He does expect us to desire to be more like Him and to actively fight against our desire to sin. He has given us the tools that we need to do that. If we don’t fight against our sin, then who are we really following? ✝️

February 14, 2023: 1 Peter 1:13 - Rest Your Hope Fully on the Grace

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” - 1 Peter 1:13

The battle that we fight as believers in Christ is not an easy one. Yes, the war against sin is already won by Jesus Christ, when He came to earth the first time to offer the way of salvation from sins through His precious blood, dying, being resurrected, and ascending to heaven. Jesus paid the price for redemption of our sins, once and for all, saying, “It is finished.” Anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him to save them from all their sins is saved immediately when they do that. They are then called a child of God. While every single person is made in the image of God, only those who have been saved by Him through faith in Jesus Christ are called children of God.

As children of God, we still must live our lives here on earth. We work at our jobs, pay our bills, get married and perhaps start a family, experience death of loved ones and friends, have health issues, etc. We still face challenges that the rest of the world faces, but how we approach and go through those challenges sets us apart from the rest of the world. We also will experience something that the unbelieving world will not - persecution because of our faith in Jesus Christ. During these days of crisis, how have we responded as followers of Christ? How has the unbelieving world responded? During one of those crises, COVID, alcoholism increased significantly. What does drinking alcohol do to your mind? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking alcohol can result in “difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory: Clearly, alcohol affects the brain. Some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when drinking stops. On the other hand, a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety.” (See: https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm). When our brains are affected by alcohol, we cannot think clearly and it impacts our ability to be ready, with the full armor of God, when we go through a difficult and challenging time in our lives. For many people, alcohol may numb them to the things that are causing us to be troubled, but this numbness quickly wears off, leaving us right where we started: with the thing that is troubling us still there.

Peter tells us to gird up the loins of our mind and be sober. According to merriam-webster.com, to “gird up” means “to prepare (oneself) for action” or “to make (something, such as clothing or a sword ) fast or secure (as with a cord or belt).” If our minds are clouded by alcohol or any other drug that affects the mind, we will not be ready for action and we will not be able to act quickly with a clear mind. We are likely to make poor choices that we would otherwise not make when our minds are clear, some of which could affect us for long periods of time. The Bible speaks of the importance of being sober, including:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:6-9: You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

• 1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

• Titus 2:11-12: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

As the Scripture verse from 1 Peter 5:8 says above, the devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We make it an easier task for him to do that when our minds are clouded by alcohol and/or other drugs. We let him whisper the words of doubt into our minds, “God doesn’t really love you, for if He did, he wouldn’t let you go through what you’re going through now. He isn’t a loving God.” Or perhaps something like, “God isn’t real. Do what you want, as long as it makes you feel good.” Or, “Did God really say…” causing you to have doubts about God and His love for you. Remember how Eve was deceived by the serpent in the Garden of Eden when he said to her, “Has God indeed said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” The devil plants seeds of doubt into our minds by making us believe that God’s word is not true and that His commandments really aren’t for our good but instead He just wants to control us, to dominate us.

This is how the devil works. He deceives people. This is absolutely a spiritual battle that we are fighting, a battle for our souls. The devil will do anything he can to get us to turn against God so that he may devour us like a lion and steal our soul. We must remember what the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:10-13:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

What was the first thing that Jesus warned His disciples about when His disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His coming [His second coming] and of the end of the age? Jesus told them, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” He also told them, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:3-11). There are many false prophets and false pastors in churches today that are preaching a false Christ, embracing what is sinful to God, just as the devil deceived Adam and Eve in the garden.

So, what are we, believers in Christ, supposed to do? We keep our minds clear, not impaired by alcohol and other substances, and we keep ourselves ready by reading God’s word and praying to Him every day, which keeps our focus on the hope that we have - which unbelievers do not have - that we have been redeemed of all of our sins through our faith in Jesus Christ, and that at His glorious appearing, we will be resurrected to new life and will appear with Him in glory:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)

We will receive our new, transformed bodies and will have defeated death, and will be allowed entry into the eternal kingdom of God, as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit corruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will 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 has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’

‘O Death, where is your sting? O hades, where is your victory?’

“The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

Is your hope resting on this sinful and dying world, or is it resting fully upon the grace of God through Jesus Christ? ✝️

February 13, 2023: 1 Peter 1:12 - We See that Which the Prophets Revealed to Us

“To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into.” - 1 Peter 1:12

God spoke His word through human men He chose to reveal to the world His plan of redemption for humanity - belief in His only begotten Son Jesus the Christ. Because God is omniscient, all knowing, He knows what will happen before it happens. He knows the outcome of things before they even begin. He knows our thoughts before we even think them. God knew that even when He created a perfect paradise and created man and woman to enjoy it and live in it forever in perfect peace, that they would fall into temptation and sin, and yet, He still created them. He knew that we, too, would sin, and yet, He still created us.

God chose Abram, a 75-year old Gentile, and spoke His covenant to Abram:

“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

Abram was married to Sarai, who was approximately 65-years old when God had made His covenant with Abram. After some time had passed, God officially made His covenant with Abram, that we know as the “Abrahamic Covenant,” which was an unconditional covenant in which God bound Himself to the covenant while He had caused Abram to go in a deep sleep, thus Abram would not be responsible for keeping the covenant; only God Himself.

Many years went by and Abram and Sarai had doubted what God said since they didn’t have any children yet, They took matters into their own hands and had Abraham go into [had sexual intercourse] with Sarai’s maidservant, Hagar, who conceived and bore a child named Ishmael. When Abram was 99-years old, God told him:

“‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.’ Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with your, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’”

God then told Abraham that as a specific sign of the covenant they are to keep, all male children of Abraham and his ancestors shall be circumcised when they are eight days old. God also told Abraham that he is to call his wife “Sarah” from that point on, and that He would bless her by giving her a son and that she would be a mother to many nations. Abraham then once again doubted what God said, even falling to his face and laughing, because that meant that he would be 100-years old and Sarah would be 90-years old when she bore a child - how could this be? Like Abraham, how many times have we ourselves doubted the power of Almighty God?

God then told them that Abraham’s son Ishmael from Sarah’s maidservant Hagar was not the one with whom He would establish His everlasting covenant:

“Then God said: ‘No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.” (Genesis 17:19)

Exactly as God had told Abraham, he and Sarah did conceive a child, she gave birth to him, and they called his name Isaac. Exactly as God had told Abraham, he did make Abraham a great nation and the twelve tribes of Israel were established through him, from Isaac’s son Jacob, whom God would rename to “Israel.” When God renamed Jacob, He said: “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel [which means “Prince with God]; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28) Oh, how have we seen Israel struggle with both God and men, and yet it has prevailed!

One of the twelves tribes of Israel was the tribe of Judah, from which we get the name “Jew,” meaning from the kingdom of Judah. Long before Jesus was born, the prophets foretold of His coming, and that He would be born of the tribe of Judah. On his deathbed, with his twelve sons gathered to him, Jacob (Israel) told each of them of “what shall befall you in the last days.” (Genesis 49:1). To his son, Judah, Jacob said:

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter [a symbol of kingship] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood for grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.” (Genesis 49:8-12)

This passage of Scripture is filled with both prophecies that have been fulfilled and are yet to be fulfilled! I have touched on a few below.

1. Judah is the tribe that would be the leader of the other eleven tribes and the tribe of Judah would produce a line of kings, including David and the King of kings - Jesus Christ. The prophet Micah prophesied that Jesus would come through the line of Judah and He would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

2. “Shiloh” is a messianic prophecy, referring to Jesus. See the article from gotquestions.org for more information: https://www.gotquestions.org/shiloh.html.

3. Judah is represented as a lion here and also in a prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 31:4: “As a lion roars, and a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice nor be disturbed by their noise), so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. Like birds flying about, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it. Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.”

   The book of Revelation refers to Jesus as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” as the only One worthy to loose the seven seals on the scroll that will unleash God’s righteous judgment on a wicked and evil world that has rejected God and embraced Satan: “But one of the elders said to me [the apostle John], ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’” (Revelation 5:5)

4. The donkey would be bound to the vine and the donkey’s colt to the choice vine. At His triumphal entry, Jesus, who referred to Himself as “the true vine” (John 15:1, 5), rode in on a donkey’s colt (Mark 11:1-10). Jacob’s prophecy also seems to correlate to the prophecy by Zechariah of the coming King: “Rejoice, greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 49 that in Jesus alone is salvation found. Jesus would not only redeem Israel, but He would also come as a light to the Gentiles.

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the end of the earth.’ Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhors, to the Servant of rulers: ‘Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel; and He has chosen You.’” (Isaiah 49:6-7)

God even said in the passage above, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel” and that, “You should be My salvation to the end of the earth.” That is an amazing prophecy that God gave to Isaiah! Upon Jesus’ birth and presentation to the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem, a devout man named Simeon was brought to the temple by the Spirit. He had previously been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. When Simeon saw Joseph and Mary bringing in the Child Jesus, Simeon took Him in his arms, blessed God, and proclaimed:

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)

Jesus Himself confirmed that God had sent Him as the way of salvation - the only way - and salvation that wasn’t only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles, when He said the following statements: [I have added bold text for emphasis.]

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe in condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-17)

As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:12, the prophets prophesied of things that would not be revealed to themselves but to people of a future time. When Jesus came to earth the first time, people alive at that time saw prophecy fulfilled with their own eyes. Jesus’ twelve apostles and His disciples would write the gospels, documenting the words of Jesus, and the books that comprise the New Testament so that we would know that Jesus Christ - in whom salvation is found - came to earth and fulfilled all the prophecies written about His first coming.

We who are alive now also have the benefit of having both the Old and New Testaments, which contain prophecies of the rapture of His church when, “in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet,” Jesus will call up all who have ever believed in Him, both the dead and those still alive at the time the rapture occurs, and we will receive our glorified bodies - our salvation will be complete! (1 Corinthians 15:50-58, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) We also read about the prophecies of a 7-year time of tribulation on the entire unbelieving world, known as the time of Jacob’s trouble, that will only end at the time of Jesus’ second coming; His righteous judgment on Satan, the coming final Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all people who chose darkness over light and rejected God’s plan of salvation through His son Jesus; His 1,000-year reign on earth, known as the Millennial Kingdom; and when He will destroy the earth by fire and create a new heavens, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem, where all believers in Christ will spend our eternity, free from sin and sorrow, a world as God intended it to be.

There are hundreds of prophecies yet to be fulfilled, and many have said we are living at a time that is the most exciting time in history to be alive as a Christian. Yes, as Peter said, the prophets wrote of “things which angels desire to look into.” We can choose whether or not to read and believe the prophecies and that they will be fulfilled. The choice is up to us to make. But I can say one thing, with all the evidence that exists that God is real, Jesus is real, and the Bible is real, not only through fulfilled prophecy but also through archaeological evidence, I know that every single word written in the Bible is true, it is written through people chosen by God, including His prophets, and it is for our benefit to understand His plan for humanity, and His plan of redemption for us through belief in His Son Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, our salvation, the only One who can set us free. ✝️

February 12, 2023: 1 Peter 1:11 - The Spirit of Christ was in Them

“…searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” - 1 Peter 1:11

Oh, what it must have been like to be a prophet called by God to testify not only of the coming of Christ, the Messiah, but also to all the suffering He would experience and all of the glory that would come afterwards. As discussed in yesterday’s (February 11, 2023 post), Isaiah was one such prophet. Isaiah was married and had two sons when God gave him a single vision to write down, which became the book of Isaiah. Jeremiah was another prophet but God called him to be a prophet even before he was born:

“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified [set you apart] you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’

“Then said I: ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak , for I am a youth.’” But the LORD said to me:

‘Do not say, “I am a youth,” for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,’ says the LORD.

“Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me:

‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to thrown down, to build and to plant.’” (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

God called both of these men to warn the people of Judah, the southern kingdom of God’s people, who had whole-heartedly rejected God and worshipped false gods and idols, forgetting all that God had done for them. God warned them of the impending judgment that was coming upon them if they did not turn away from their wicked ways, repent, and return to Him. Through these two men, God sent warning after warning after warning, giving the people so many times to stop embracing the darkness and return to Him, the light. One of those times is when God said to Jeremiah:

“The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said would benefit it. Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: ‘“Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” ’ ” (Jeremiah 18:7-11)

Hearing these messages from God was difficult for Isaiah and Jeremiah, and not only did they hear them but they were commanded by God to go tell them to the people, even when Isaiah and Jeremiah knew that the people would not listen. Isaiah and Jeremiah even asked God how long would it be for the things that they were to prophesy would take place. In Isaiah 6:11 when God had called him to be a prophet after God had revealed Himself to him, Isaiah asked God, “Lord, how long?” And the prophet Jeremiah asked God, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” (Jeremiah 12:1b) and “But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, and You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, for the wickedness of those who dwell there, because they said, ‘He will not see our final end.’ ” (Jeremiah 12:3-4)

God told both Isaiah and Jeremiah that evil and wickedness of both His people and of the nations that persecuted them would not go unpunished but that He also would also preserve a remnant of His people through whom the Savior would come. The book of Isaiah is filled with many prophecies about the coming Messiah and how He would be a suffering servant, rejected and despised by men. He also prophesied of the glory of the King:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel [God-With-Us].” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jeremiah also prophesied of the coming Messiah:

“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ ” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

These two prophets suffered tremendously and had such anguish for the people who would not listen. Jeremiah was even referred to as the “weeping prophet.” And yet, they continued doing what God had called them to do, regardless the consequences to themselves. They were steadfast in their faith in God.

After the prophesied judgments came when the majority of the people of Judah were exiled to Babylon, and 70 years returned to Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by Babylon, Nehemiah wrote about the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Nehemiah challenged his countrymen to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem that had been taken down. In his book “Nehemiah,” he wrote of the prophets and their warnings to the people of God’s judgment that at that time was about to come upon them, and he wrote of the people’s response to their warnings:

“…Yet they acted proudly, and did not heed Your commandments, but sinned against Your judgments, ‘which if a man does, he shall live by them.’ And they shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear. Yet for many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful.” (Nehemiah 9:29-31)

God is indeed gracious and merciful. Instead of allowing the people of Judah to be completely destroyed, He preserved a remnant, who after being exiled to Babylon for 70 years, would return to their land, to Judah, thus preserving the people from whom the Messiah, the Branch of righteousness, Jesus Christ, would be born.

Now, nearly two thousand years later after the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, may we also take heed to the warnings of God’s prophets who foretold of His second coming and the events that would precede it. May those who have not put their faith and trust in Him as their Deliverer, Redeemer of all their sins, do that today, before they breathe their last breath on earth and enter into their eternity. There is a time coming soon when the whole earth will be in such tribulation that has never been known to mankind. For those of us who are saved by our faith in Jesus Christ, may we continue to trust in Him, no matter the consequences to our own lives, for we know our salvation is in Him, and our future glory awaits us. ✝️

February 11, 2023: 1 Peter 1:10 - The Prophets Prophesied of the Grace

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you…” - 1 Peter 1:10

The Bible has many prophecies of Jesus, of both His first coming and His second coming. All the prophecies of His first coming have come true, and all of the prophecies of His second coming will also come true. Jesus’ first coming was to offer each and every one of us the way to be redeemed from all of our sins, through belief in Him as the Christ, Messiah, Emmanuel - God with us. His name - JESUS - means Savior. At His second coming, He will come to judge a wicked and evil world.

The prophets were chosen by God to write down what God had told them. As Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “…knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” In some cases the prophets did not understand what they were being told at the time they received the prophecy from God. One example is Daniel, who received a prophecy of the end time, as written in Daniel 12. This prophecy speaks of the 7-year tribulation period, the time of Jacob’s trouble, the time of the end before Jesus would come again and which He spoke about in Matthew 24:21. Daniel wanted to understand the prophecies that he had been told to write about. He wrote, “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said [I believe this is the angel Gabriel], ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.’” (Daniel 12:8-9) As with this prophecy, it may take hundreds of years for the events of a prophecy to take place and be fulfilled. This is what happened with the prophecy of our Savior Jesus Christ when He left heaven and came to earth to offer us redemption from our sins through His precious blood, once and for all. The events were foretold hundreds of years before they happened, but they all happened.

The Bible gives strict guidelines for identifying a true prophet from a false prophet, including in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. This is critical because Satan will use whomever he can to send false prophets to deceive people. It happened in the days before Jesus, it happened during His life here on earth, and it is happening today, and I would say especially in our churches. Moses told us what should be done to false prophets:

“But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ - when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)

The Bible calls out false prophets, including in Lamentations 2:14, when Jeremiah wrote about Jerusalem, God’s holy city, that had been reduced to rubble when it was invaded by Babylon. God had allowed this to happen because of Judah’s idolatry, worship of false gods, and deep and repeated sin against Him. Instead of listening to the one true God, they had chosen to listen to false prophets. Oh, how are we seeing this today in our own country, the USA?

“Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.”

Another example of where the Lord God called out the false prophets is written by the prophet Ezekiel:

“And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ ‘ Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!’” - Ezekiel 13:1-3

Jesus warned His disciples, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-16)

The Bible establishes that there are true prophets who have been called by God and false prophets who speak things of their own mind and who have not been called by God in order to deceive people.

Long before Jesus was born, the prophets foretold of Him. Isaiah was one such prophet. In my Bible’s summary of the book of Isaiah it says, "Isaiah is like a miniature Bible. The first 39 chapters (like the 39 books of the Old Testament) are filled with judgment upon immoral and idolatrous men. Judah has sinned; the surrounding nations have sinned; the whole earth has sinned. Judgment must come, for God cannot allow such blatant sin to go unpunished forever. But the final 27 chapters (like the 27 books of the New Testament) declare a message of hope. The Messiah is coming as a Savior and Sovereign to bear a cross and to wear a crown.”

In chapter 53, Isaiah describes this Jesus, who would be despised and would be a Man of sorrows and yet would take on all our sins, healing those who believe from the shame of our sins. This beautiful prophecy is one of many in the Bible that foretells of the grace of God that provided the way out of sin for all who would believe. Because of its richness in the prophetic words that Isaiah wrote, through our sovereign God, I chose to include the entire chapter below and the last few verses of chapter 52 that describe Jesus as God’s sin-bearing Servant. I encourage you to access this link to see all the prophecies about Jesus not only in the Scriptures below but in the entire book of Isaiah that were later fulfilled: https://www.preceptaustin.org/messianic-prophecies-in-isaiah

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high [lifted up]. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage [appearance] was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; so shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)

“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded [pierced through] for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes [blows that cut in] we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity [sin] of us all.

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not HIs mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions [sins] of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked - but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities [sins]. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Chapter 53 of Isaiah so accurately describes the reason why God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, to this earth to suffer at the hands of those He was sent to save - all of us: To take on all of our sins as He was scourged and beaten beyond recognition, lifted up on on a cross and crucified, pierced with a spear, and be resurrected to life three days later, when He in fact saw His seed, those who believed in Him as Messiah, just as He will see us one day when we are resurrected to new life with Him in glory. He was the intercession for our transgressions. He is our grace. He did what the Jewish Law could not do - He took away all of our our sins - once and for all.

What do we have to do to receive His grace, His free gift of salvation that we do not deserve but which He made available to us? We have to acknowledge that we are a sinner and that only He can redeem us of our sins, just as the thief who was crucified at the same time as Jesus was. Two criminals were crucified when Jesus was crucified. One of them mocked Jesus, but the other recognized his own sin, saying to the criminal who mocked Jesus:

“‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:40-43)

There was no time for the thief on the cross to get baptized. There was no time for him to do any good works. The only thing he could do was to acknowledge his own sin, that Jesus had done nothing wrong, that Jesus would go to Paradise when He died, and to ask Jesus to remember him when He was in Paradise. By doing so, he was given the free gift of salvation, and Jesus told him that on that day, he would be with Him in Paradise.

The only time it is too late to accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation from all your sins is when you die. For the thief on the cross, He was saved. However, for the other criminal, whose heart was hard and prideful and had no room for Jesus in it, he died and took all of his sins with him, forever preventing him from being allowed into the eternal kingdom of God, Paradise. Instead, he went to hell, forever separated from Jesus, in a place of eternal torment, the lake of fire.

Will you accept the gift of grace that has come to you, of which the prophets inquired and searched carefully, or like the criminal on the cross, will you and your hardened heart take all your sins with you to hell, for eternity?

February 10, 2023: 1 Peter 1:8-9 - Whom Having Not Seen We Love

“…whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls.” - 1 Peter 1:8-9

This passage of scripture was written by the apostle Peter. Peter was one of twelve men chosen by Jesus to follow Him. We have many accounts of the times that Peter spent with Jesus. One of those is when Peter and the other disciples were in a boat after Jesus had performed a miracle of feeding more than 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus had told His disciples to get in a boat and go to the other side of where He was going. They did, but that night, there were high winds in the sea, tossing the boat to and fro. Jesus then went to them, walking on the sea, and when they saw Him, they thought He was a ghost and cried out with fear. Jesus said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus did, and Peter did go to Him. Peter was walking on water! However, when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and saw the boisterous wind, he became afraid and started to sink. Peter cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” Jesus did save Peter. Jesus stretched out His hand to his, saying to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” You might read these words and think that Jesus spoke them in a derogatory tone, but I don’t think that would have been how Jesus spoke them. I think it was instead spoken with love to Peter, reminding him that with God, all things are possible, even walking on water. The disciples then worshipped Jesus and said to Him, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33)

Peter was one of only three apostles - Peter, James, and John - whom Jesus took with Him to a high mountain when He was transfigured:

“…and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'‘ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’ And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise, and do not be afraid.’ When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.” (Matthew 17:1-8)

While Peter may have had good intentions in what he said, he had wrongly put Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. Moses represented the Law, and Elijah represented the prophets, but Jesus is God, and He has existed from the beginning. As the apostle Paul would later write in the book of Colossians:

“…giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:12-18)

The words that Peter wrote in today’s scripture verse in 1 Peter 1:8, “though now you do not see Him, yet believing” may have been especially meaningful to him. Peter loved Jesus, and when Jesus told him and the other apostles that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed and on the third day be raised, it was Peter who took Jesus aside and said to Him, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” Jesus rebuked Peter, saying to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23) We might consider this as harsh but Peter did not realize that he was speaking for Satan. Satan wanted to prevent Jesus from going to the cross because Satan does not want anyone to be saved from their sins but for all to worship him instead of God. Peter did not understand the greater plan of God.

Before Jesus was arrested and was crucified, He had told His disciples, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” Peter then said to Jesus, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” “Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And so said all the disciples.” (Matthew 26:31-35) As Jesus had told him, Peter did deny Jesus three times and immediately after the third time, a rooster crowed. What was Peter’s response when he heard the rooster crow? He remembered what Jesus had told him and he wept bitterly.

After Jesus died, was resurrected, and walked the earth for forty days with His disciples before ascending to heaven, He was by the sea, eating breakfast with Peter and six other disciples. Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Peter had denied Jesus three times before Jesus died, and now in Jesus’ restoration of Peter’s faith, Peter answered Jesus three times that he loved Him. The first time Peter answered that he loved Him, Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.” The second time, Jesus said, “Tend my sheep.” And the third time Peter told Jesus he loved Him, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

Peter did go on to feed Jesus’ sheep, preaching the good news of Jesus to both Jew and Gentile. And here we are today, reading the words of Peter, being fed the good news of Jesus. Peter wasn’t perfect, but He believed in Jesus as the Son of God, as the Christ. He had walked with Jesus, eaten with Him, saw Him perform many miracles, heard Him preach and teach to many people, even as many mocked and scoffed at Him. After Jesus was arrested, Peter knew from his own failings that he had denied Jesus, but after seeing the resurrected Jesus, his faith in Him was restored. Then after Jesus ascended to heaven and Peter and the other disciples were carrying out the great commission that Jesus had given to them - to go and make disciples of all nations - Peter pointed out in his first epistle (1 Peter) that here were people who believed in and loved Jesus, whose faith was being tested by persecution, and yet they never even saw Jesus with their own eyes.

Though we too see not Jesus with our eyes, we see Him with our heart. We read His word and we get to know all about Him, from the very beginning in Genesis, to the prophets of old who foretold of His first coming, long before it happened. We hear from those who were with Jesus when He lived and walked the earth, even from His mother when she sang a song before her Son was born, her spirit rejoicing in God her Savior. We get to know Jesus’ love for His disciples and even His love for those who persecuted Him and crucified Him, asking God the Father to forgive them, for they knew not what they were doing. We read of His deep love for us, being obedient to God the Father even to the point of death so that we - sinners in need of a Savior - would be saved from all our sins if only we believe in Him as our Savior. Oh, yes, and we read all about Him in the book of Revelation, and how He is coming again to this earth, but this time in judgment for those who choose sin over redemption, darkness over light, evil over good. We also see Jesus with our heart when we pray and talk to Him. He is always there, and He hears our prayers, all of them. We see Him through His Holy Spirit within us, guiding us and teaching us about Jesus in His word. You see, we don’t need to see Jesus with our own eyes to love Him and to believe in Him, because the Bible has taught us what faith is all about: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)

Peter knew that he would soon die and before he did, he wrote in his second epistle the following passage of scripture:

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:16-21)

As a believer in Christ as my Savior, I urge you to stand firm in your faith as the unbelieving world grows darker and colder, and keep your love of Jesus in your heart by reading His word and praying to Him every single day, reading of all the prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus’ first coming and all that will be fulfilled at His second coming, and the eyewitness accounts of Jesus, including that of Peter. May we hold onto His truth until that day comes when we finally do see Him face-to-face, and oh what a glorious day that will be! ✝️

February 8, 2023: 1 Peter 1:7 - The Genuineness of Our Faith Will be Tested (Part 2)

“…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” - 1 Peter 1:7

This is the second part of my post relating to the genuineness of our faith being tested. The Old Testament book of Daniel provides several examples of what it truly means to have one’s faith in God tested. If you have not read the first post, which was posted on February 7 with the same title, I encourage you to do so first, before reading this one.

Though King Nebuchadnezzar had praised Daniel’s God after Daniel had told the king’s dream to the king and had interpreted it, pride set in with the king, and he built and image of gold that was approximately 90 feet high. He ordered that when they heard a sound of all kinds of music, every single person must fall down and worship the image or they would be cast into a fiery furnace. The Chaldeans then went to the king and told him that Daniel’s three friends,Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, had not done as the king had ordered, they had not worshipped the golden image and that they must be cast into the fire. The king then called them, whom the king referred to as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and gave them a second chance to fall down before the golden statue and to worship it, or else they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. The king then said to them, “And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15b) How did they respond to the king? Did they fall down and worship the image? No! They said to the king:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

All I can say is, “Wow!” What amazing faith they had! They acknowledged first that their God is able to deliver them. Second, they acknowledged that it is God’s will as to whether or not He would save them. And third, regardless of what God did, they refused to worship the king’s false god, the golden image he had set up, for they did not serve false gods but the One true God. Their faith was truly was being tested. So what happened to them? They were bound, with all of their clothes on, and they were thrown into the middle of the fiery furnace, which the king had ordered to be heated seven times more than it was normally heated. The fire was so hot that some of the men who had thrown them into the fire were they themselves burned up. The king then looked into the furnace and asked if they had only thrown three men into the fire, and his men said yes. Then the king, astonished, said:

“‘Look!’ he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’” (Daniel 3:24-25)

There are many who believe, including myself, that King Nebuchadnezzar had seen the pre-incarnate Christ, for the king even said the fourth “is like the Son of God.” The Son of God was with them in the fire.

The king then went to the door of the furnace and called out to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, referring to them as, “servants of the Most High God,” to come out of the furnace. Not only did they walk out of the furnace, but they were not burned at all and did not even smell of fire. I know that when I’m just close to a small campfire, when I leave it, I can smell the smoke of the fire on my clothes.

King Nebuchadnezzar once again praised their God - the One true God, saying:

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!”

What powerful words of truth this Babylonian king spoke of the One true God! Not only did he praise God, but he also made a decree, “that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” The king then promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:8-30)

Again, what faith Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had, to the point that they were willing to go into the furnace and be burned alive because they refused to fall down and worship the king’s golden image, an idol, a false god. They had literally been through the fire, and the Son of God was with them, and their faith in God was found to be genuine. Not only that, King Nebuchadnezzar, after seeing this happen, truthfully praised and acknowledged who the One true God is and that He has the power to deliver those who have faith in Him. Daniel later went on to interpret another of the king’s dreams, and Daniel’s interpretation was once again found to be true, with all that he said having come to pass. And once again, the king praised the One true God.

The next thing the book of Daniel tells us is of the king’s grandson, Belshazzar, ruling Babylon. He would be the last king of Babylon. One night when he was having a great feast of 1,000 people that included all of his lords, wives, and concubines, the king decided to take the gold and silver vessels which had been seized from the Jewish temple when Babylon overtook Jerusalem, and they drank from them and praised all of their false gods that had been made by mens’ hands. In the same hour that they drank from the temple vessels, the king himself saw the fingers of a man’s hand writing something on the wall opposite them. The king immediately was very troubled, and his knees knocked with fear. He cried out, summoning those he thought could read the words, the astrologers Chaldeans, and soothsayers, but they could not. Belshazzar’s grandmother, the queen, then told the king about Daniel, whom his grandfather had called “Belteshazzar,” who could read the words and interpret the meaning. He called Daniel to him and promised to give Daniel gifts and make him third ruler in the kingdom. Daniel told him to keep his gifts and reward someone else. Daniel then told him of all that the king’s grandfather had done and how because of his pride, he had been brought low and deposed by the One true God until, “he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.” Next, Daniel did indeed read the writing on the wall and interpreted the meaning to King Belshazzar. He told him that because he had lifted himself up against the Lord of heaven, his kingdom had been divided and would be given to the Medes and the Persians. The king did as he had promised Daniel, including making him third ruler in the kingdom. That very night, the words that Daniel had spoken came true, and the king was slain. Daniel again had been led by God and spoke His words, and he was not afraid of what any earthly king could do to him.

Darius the Mede was the next king, and he had made Daniel one of three governors that were set over 120 satraps (officials) over the whole kingdom. The king trusted in Daniel and because of it, jealousy ran rampant amongst the other governors and the satraps and they devised a plot to bring down Daniel. They knew that in order to bring him down, they could only do it by coming up with something that was in opposition to the law of his God. They went to King Darius and said he should make a firm decree, one that could not be altered, that forbids anyone from petitioning any god or man except the king for thirty days or else they would be thrown into the den of lions. The king did establish and signed the decree.

Daniel then heard of the decree. What did he do? Did he stop worshipping God, as he always had, three times each day, to pray and give thanks to him, because the government told him he must stop? No, he did as he always did; he prayed and gave thanks to God. The men who had gone to the king then saw Daniel praying and went and told the king and said he must thrown Daniel into the lions’ den. The king was greatly disturbed and the Bible tells us that, “he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” However, the men approached the king and reminded him of what the decree that he had signed said. The king relented and ordered that Daniel be cast into the lions’ den, but as he did, the king said to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” The den was sealed with a stone and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and the signets of his lords.

That night, the king fasted and could not sleep, and he rose early the next morning to go to the lions’ den. Having arrived, he called out to Daniel with a grieved voice, asking if his God had been able to save him. Daniel then answered him! Daniel said, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” King Darius was overjoyed that Daniel had survived and had his men bring Daniel out of the lions’ den. Then the king ordered that the men who had accused Daniel, the ones who had persuaded the king to write the decree, as well as their wives and children, be cast into the lions’ den. The king then made another decree:

“I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on the earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6:1-28)

God used Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in mighty ways. Their faith in Him was greatly tested. They could have forgotten all that they knew about the One true God, all that they had learned about Him, and went on to enjoy the lavish lifestyle of serving the Babylonian and subsequent kings. They could have followed the crowd and worshipped their false gods, thus saving their lives in the process. But they did not. Though it meant putting their lives on the line, the trials and tribulations served a greater purpose: it showed the genuineness of their faith, that it was real and could not be shaken, and it brought praise, honor, and glory not only to them by the Babylonian and Medo-Persian kings, but also to God Himself.

I believe we are quickly coming to the time in our nation’s history, the USA, that the word of God, the Bible, will be considered as “hate speech” and we will be forbidden from speaking of it in public and also from having Bibles in our own homes, just as other countries already forbid. In fact, just last year on December 23, 2022 in Loudoun County, hundreds signed a petition to ban “hate speech” after a member of the public paraphrased a passage from the Bible (see: https://www.foxnews.com/media/petition-seeks-ban-hate-speech-loudoun-county-school-board-meetings). What will we do when our faith is tested as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah’s faith was tested? Will we bow down and worship the false gods that our culture, that most cultures in the world, worship, in order to save our own lives? Do we fear man more than we fear God? Do we fear those who can kill only the body and not fear God, the One who can destroy both body and soul? The times of the end of the age are upon us. As Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Jesus also told us, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

What will the testing of our faith reveal - that it was genuine or that it was never real? I pray that it will be found to be genuine. May we choose to have faith like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, knowing that the One true God is with us, and may the genuineness of our faith be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ✝️

February 7, 2023: 1 Peter 1:7 - The Genuineness of Our Faith Will be Tested (Part 1)

“…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” - 1 Peter 1:7

Our faith - is it real, is it genuine? How do we know that is genuine? What is left of our faith when we have yet gone through another very difficult time in our lives? Does our faith remain intact? Is our faith intact when we are blessed in many ways in our lives? We know that our faith in Jesus is genuine when, after having gone through one difficult time after another, and also during the times when we are comfortable, without trial, our faith in Jesus Christ still remains.

When we are going through a trial in our lives, whether it be in our marriage, with our children, with friends, with our jobs, whatever it may be, to whom do we turn when we are going through it? Do we pray to God, asking Him to help us? Do we praise Him? Is He worthy of our praise in all things, good and bad? Do our circumstances change the fact that He is worthy - so worthy - of our praise? Do we trust in Him to get us through this trial, or do we blame Him for allowing us to go through it? I must admit that for years, I blamed Him for allowing me to go through a very difficult time in my life, for making me feel like a trapped bird, with no way out. I felt like He didn’t love me, for if He did, He would have gotten me out of this mess that I was in, the mess that my own sin contributed to. What happens to our faith if we keep praying for Him to help us to get out of something, but that is not His plan for us? What if there is a purpose in our going through something so difficult that it is only when we go through it, that we fully turn to Him, trusting in Him alone to get us through it?

Let us remember Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all of whom had been deported from Judah to Babylon when they were teenagers, along with “some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s [Jehoiakim, king of Judah] descendants and some of the nobles”. (Daniel 1:3) The Babylonian king was King Nebuchadnezzar. They had been chosen by the one of the king’s staff, the master of his eunuchs (men who have been castrated), to serve in the king’s palace. The book of Daniel 1:4-5 tells us of these young men:

“in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.”

All four of the young men were given new, Babylonian, names and underwent a three-year process of trying to re-educate them to make them forget their past, their Jewish education, history, and even their own names. They were also offered foods and delicacies to eat and wine to drink that previously they did not eat, for it would defile them in the eyes of God. Having approached the chief of the eunuchs, Daniel appealed to him to let them eat vegetables and drink water and if after ten days their appearance was worse than those who ate of the king’s food, then they too would eat of it. However, after ten days, their appearance was found to be better than those who ate of the king’s food and they were able to continue to eat as Daniel had requested. Could Daniel, Hannah, Mishael, and Azariah have not stood up for their faith in God and in what He had commanded them to abstain from eating, and instead eat of the king’s food, with the justification that it was God who had put them there in the first place? Yes, they could have, but they didn’t. Their faith was tested and was found to be genuine. Daniel 1:17 tells us, “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” After their training was completed, they were interviewed by the king and none of the other men who had been trained were found to be like them. Thus, they were chosen to serve the king.

Sometime later, the king had a disturbing dream and had summoned his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. He told them to tell him the dream he had and to interpret it. They said to him that they couldn’t but if he told them his dream, then they would be able to interpret it. But the king stood firm and refused to tell them his dream. He demanded them to do what he had told them to do. The Chaldeans then told him, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.” (Daniel 2:10) The king then gave an order to kill all of them, including Daniel and his friends. When the king’s captain came to kill Daniel and his friends, Daniel asked him why the king’s decree was so urgent. After Daniel found out why, he went and asked the king if he would give Daniel some time to tell the king the interpretation. Daniel was allowed to go back into his house. Daniel then told his three friends about what had happened, “that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” That night, the king’s dream was made known to Daniel. Daniel then blessed God, saying:

“Blessed be the name of the God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with HIm. I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the king’s demand.” (Daniel 2:20-23)

Daniel had passed the test. He could have said something like the king’s magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans had said - that no man on earth could do this. However, Daniel knew that his God could do this, for the God he served is the one true God and He can make the impossible, possible. Daniel trusted in God not only with his life, but with the life of his three friends, all of whom had been dragged away from their families and their homeland to this foreign place of false god and idol worship. And yet, Daniel’s faith in God remained steadfast, without wavering. Daniel went on to tell the dream to the king and interpreted it but before he did, Daniel gave the credit to where credit was due - to God and to Him alone. Daniel said:

“The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days…But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.” (Daniel 2:28-30)

Daniel then proceeded to tell the king’s dream to the king and then Daniel interpreted it. In the king’s dream, there was a great image of a man whose body represented four kingdoms. The first part of the body was the head of gold, which represented King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. The second and third kingdoms would be inferior to the first kingdom. The second part of the body were the chest and arms of silver, which represented the future kingdom of Medo-Persia. The third part of its belly and thighs of bronze represented the future Grecian empire. The fourth part of its legs of iron and feet of iron mixed of clay represented the future Roman empire. In the last part of Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, Daniel prophetically spoke of the eternal kingdom of God, which will never be destroyed and will consume all of the earthly kingdoms:

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44)

Before Jesus the Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords would be born, the angel Gabriel spoke of Jesus’ kingdom when he told the virgin Mary that she would conceive and bring forth a Son by the Holy Spirit:

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall all His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

How did the King Nebuchadnezzar respond to Daniel’s telling of the king’s dream and the interpretation of it?

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king answered Daniel, and said, ‘Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.’” (Daniel 2:46-47)

The king promoted Daniel and gave him many gifts, “and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.” The king also set Daniel’s three friends over the affairs of Babylon. (Daniel 2:48-49)

In tomorrow’s post, under the same title, I will discuss the amazing lives and genuine faith of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and how it relates to us in our own trials and testing of our own faith. ✝️

February 6, 2023: 1 Peter 1:6 - May We Not be Overcome by the Burdens of this World

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials…” - 1 Peter 1:6

“Trials” and “tribulation” - two words we don’t want to hear. We don’t want to have to go through them. After all, if we are born again by putting our trust in Jesus to save us, won’t our lives be easy after that? Sadly, that is what many people believe and expect but the truth is, we will go through many trials and tribulations in our new lives as Christians. Why? Because now we have a target on our back, with Satan and his minions firing many arrows at us. Why? Because he does not have our soul and he wants it. He won’t hunt us down if he already has it. And, he will go after us even more if we have made it our mission in this lifetime to fulfill Jesus’ command to go and make disciples, letting people know that Jesus loves them and wants them to turn to Him and be saved, to be spared from spending their eternity in hell. Satan and all who are deceived by him will relentlessly go after you if you stand up for what God calls good and stand against what God calls evil. We are in a raging war for the souls of mankind, and Satan wants to bring as many people to hell with him as possible.

As I write this today, earlier I saw clips from a video of a music industry award show from the prior evening two so-called “artists” performed a disgusting act, with a Satan-themed set and “she-devil” dancers, that was hailed with thunderous applause and adoration. I pray for all of them, for they are deceived by Satan, as are so many, as once was I. There is absolutely nothing of value in this world that is worth handing one’s soul to the devil.

Can you see how the world, especially the USA, is collapsing in every which way possible, especially spiritually and morally? Every single thing that Jesus told His disciples would happen in the days prior to His return is happening. One of those signs He said would signal the end of the age is that earthquakes would occur in various places. Just last night, Turkey had two very large earthquakes of approximately 7.8 and 6.7 magnitude, followed by a 7.5 earthquake today and many others of lesser magnitude. As of 3:00 Eastern time in the USA today, reports are that at least 2,300 people have died, with some news outlets reporting that as many as 10,000 people are feared dead. It truly is a terrible sight to see, and I can’t imagine having to go through it.

We are in the midst of birth pains upon our nation and upon the entire world. Having given birth to children myself, I know that contractions, birth pains, feel like. When they first start, they aren’t too painful and there is some time in between them, but as that baby is ready to be delivered, they are right on top of each other, so much so that when I was in labor I could hardly take a breath in between them and the pain was unbelievable. That is where we are now. All the signs that Jesus told us to look for are happening; everything is converging. While we are still reeling from one crisis, another starts, and then another.

Based on my understanding of the Bible and as led by the Holy Spirit, I believe we are on the cusp of the rapture of the church, when Jesus calls up His bride - believers in Christ, both dead and alive - to Him in the clouds (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:5-58), and the time when the antichrist will step on the scene, with the 7-year tribulation period beginning sometime thereafter. During this 7-year period, also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble, the world will go through a series of severe judgments from God before Jesus returns to earth the second time. When Jesus comes to earth the second time, it will be very different from the first time. At His second coming, He will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords and will destroy all wickedness and evil and all who reject His free gift of salvation and instead follow Satan. They didn’t want to be forgiven of all their sins by believing in the One - Jesus the Christ - sent by God. For those left on earth, this will be a horrific time on earth as was never known to mankind, nor will never be known again.

Look out in the night sky one evening and focus on one single star. Look at it with respect to all the others stars and to the entirety of the night sky. Then imagine that single star in the vast expanse of the universe. That one single star in the universe is like our time here on earth compared to our eternity. As believers in Christ, may we remember that all the trials and tribulations we go through, and perhaps are going through now, are temporary, just as our lives here on earth are temporary. Yes, I am grieved, distressed by all that is happening, but I also know that Jesus told us it would be this way in the end times, the days before He returns, and that gives me hope, for I know that I will be called up to Him soon with my brothers and sisters. He is my hope, my living hope, and in Him, I greatly rejoice. ✝️

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for our blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.” (Titus 2:11-15)

February 5, 2023: 1 Peter 1:4-5 - Our Incorruptible, Undefiled, and Eternal Inheritance

“…to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” - 1 Peter 1:4-5

Have you ever inherited something? If you did, you may have been a family member of a loved one or a close friend of someone who died. Whatever it was that you inherited, a house, a piece of land, a car, jewelry, or a complete estate, you inherited that which the person who died previously owned. However that person had come to acquire it, you may not know. They may have acquired it legally, or they may have acquired it by some other means. Whatever it was that you inherited, whether it is was in excellent or poor condition, one day, it will fade away. Every single thing we have ever owned will at one time or another fade away. Yes, with maintenance, it can delay the process of decay, but without it, it doesn’t take long for that thing to fall apart.

Have you ever driven out in the country or perhaps even in the city when a building is literally falling apart? I remember driving out in the country and seeing an old wooden home and barn, with wood once vibrant now faded and grey, having sat vacant for years, leaning to one side, just waiting for a strong wind to cause them finally to fall to the ground. As I drove by, I remember wondering what that house and barn looked like when it was first built. Perhaps a family lived there with young children, playing on the front porch and then happily walking to the barn, speaking to and petting the animals within it. There may have been beautiful flowers decorating the front yard, planted by their mother, and a fence built by their father that contained it all, their home, their little piece of heaven. And now, here it was, just an empty, decaying shell of what it used to be. All glory that it once had has now been lost.

As children of God, we who have put our trust in Jesus Christ to save us from all our sins, who have Him as our living hope, will inherit something too, but we will receive our inheritance when we are with Him. The inheritance that we will receive through faith in Jesus is everlasting life in with Him in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a new holy city - Jerusalem - that is built by God Himself, not by defiled human hands. God’s kingdom will be eternal, and will never fade away. All sin will have been removed, allowing believers in Christ to live in complete joy and peace with Jesus Christ. Our inheritance was bought by Him for us with His precious blood. It cannot be bought by us, for it is freely given by Him to all who would believe. No one can receive it by any other means except through Him, for it is incorruptible.

If you have unforgiven sin in your life when you die, you cannot inherit eternal life with Jesus but instead, your eternity will be spent in hell. Hell is a place where Jesus does not want you to go, but if you reject His free gift of salvation, you yourself will choose to go to hell, a place of eternal corruption, defilement, pain, and suffering. Any perceived glory that you had once on earth, even if you were a king or a president, a world leader, or one of the world’s most wealthy people, will all be gone, just like the old house and barn I saw in the countryside.

The Bible tells us many times that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. The only way we can become righteous is through faith - by believing - in Jesus Christ as the only One who can save us from our sins. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 is one such passage of scripture:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

All of us, every single person who has ever lived on this earth, are sinners. The only way for that sin to be washed clean is to believe in Jesus Christ. He took on all our sin when He was crucified, died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven with God the Father, where He is today. And, Jesus did it once and for all, saying, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

I leave you with the words of the apostle Paul:

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

And I ask you this question: Is this inheritance reserved for you? ✝️

February 4, 2023: 1 Peter 1:3 - We Have a Living Hope in Jesus

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” - 1 Peter 1:3

As a child, I used to put my hope in my parents, but I realized at a young age that they couldn’t save me from despair. As a young married woman, I used to put my hope in my husband, but I realized he couldn’t save me from my internal struggles. As a mother, I used to put my hope in my children, but I realized even all their love couldn’t fix my brokenness. As a citizen of the United States, I used to put my hope in our government, but I realized it is made up of people who are sinners just like me and that it can save no one. I used to put my hope in myself and in what I had accomplished in my life, but I realized it was a shallow hope, leaving me feeling even more empty inside. I was always searching, seeking for that which I desperately needed in my life, to fill that void, that emptiness inside, that longing for something more, something that which I didn’t fully understand but I knew that I needed.

Till one day, and I’ve told this story before but it’s worth telling again, all of my hope was gone; I had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to, and God said, “Child of Mine, Turn to Me.” You see, I had already accepted Jesus as my Savior about three years prior, but I hadn’t fully given Him my heart and all my struggles. I held onto them tightly in my pride, still believing that I could fix all of this on my own, without Him. I thought I was strong and yet I was weak, oh, so weak. Yet, it was only by becoming weak, on my knees in my closet crying out to Him, that I became strong in Him. I don’t care if people believe I am crazy, I tell you here and now that there is power in the name of Jesus. He pursued me even when I didn’t pursue Him. Through His abundant love and mercy, and though it took me several years after I had accepted Him as my Savior, I had finally realized that He is my living hope, that I could trust in Him with everything in my life, holding nothing back.

All that exists in the world today is temporary, and nothing in it or on it could ever save us. The only One who can offer us a true and living hope is Jesus Christ. If we put away our pride and humble ourselves before Him, He will lift the heavy burdens off of our backs and do the heavy lifting for us, He will be our strength when we have none. Sadly, the world teaches the exact opposite: we are to be full of pride, even and especially now, in our sin, and we are to do things “our way,” not His way.

When Jesus died, when He gave up His life on the cross, He didn’t stay dead. As foretold in the Bible, and as He Himself foretold His disciples, He rose again, and was resurrected on the third day. Not only was He resurrected, He walked the earth for 40 days, revealing Himself to over 500 people on different occasions before He ascended to heaven, where He is now, at the right hand of God the Father. No matter what the world tells us, God is not dead, and Jesus is not fake news. Jesus is alive. There is a reason that people, entertainment and media industries, world leaders, governments, and countries are so threatened by Him, and that reason is because He is alive! If He were still dead, where is the threat in Him?

As the Bible told us thousands of years before it happened, Jesus came to the earth the first time to offer the way of salvation from sins by believing in Him as our Savior. As the Bible also tells us, Jesus is going to come back to righteously judge this wicked world. Until He does and as long as you have breath in your lungs, you have another day to decide whether or not you will let Him be your living hope, will you believe in Him as your Savior. When we do things “our way,” it leads to sin. If we never turn to Jesus, our sin is never forgiven, resulting in eternal separation from the One who could have set us free, never able to go back and undo all that we have done and turn to Him, for then, it will be too late. In closing I ask you, will you do it your way, which leads to destruction, or His way, which leads to life? As you ponder this question, with the words of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” echoing in your mind, consider what Jesus told His disciples:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) ✝️

February 3, 2023: Philippians 2:17-18 - Let Us be Glad and Rejoice

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.” - Philippians 2:17-18

Jesus had chosen Paul, who at that time went by his Hebrew name of “Saul” and was a Jewish Pharisee, to bring the good news, the gospel of Christ, to the Gentiles. Saul was traveling with others to Damascus to go after Christians in Damascus and bind them and bring them back to Jerusalem. On the way there, Saul heard the voice of Jesus asking him why was he persecuting Him. “So he [Saul], trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’” Jesus told him to go into the city, where he would be told what to do. Jesus then struck Paul with blindness for three days. Jesus then told Ananias to go meet a man named Saul. Ananias knew all about Saul and how he had persecuted the Christians with zeal. Ananias said to Jesus,“Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But Jesus answered him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Ananias did go to meet Saul and laid hands on him, and Saul’s eyes were immediately opened and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 9:1-19). Saul would later refer to himself by his Roman name of “Paul.”

Notice that Jesus said of Paul, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Paul would be severely persecuted by both the Jews and Gentiles during his life after he turned to Jesus. (For further information, see: https://www.biblecharts.org/apostlepaulcharts/15%20-%20The%20Sufferings%20of%20Paul.pdf). And yet, Paul kept going, for as long as he could, telling others about the saving power of Jesus, for he knew that as believers in Christ, he would suffer; all who love Christ will suffer. Paul had previously told the Philippians, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Philippians 1:29)

Did you also notice that when Jesus spoke to Paul on the way to Damascus and asked him why he was persecuting Him, Paul did not disagree that he was persecuting Jesus? Paul could have denied he was persecuting Him and instead said that he was persecuting those who believe in Him. He could have not called Jesus “Lord” when he answered Jesus’ question. He could have refused to do as Jesus told him, but he didn’t. He obeyed Him, and later after meeting Ananias, Paul received the Holy Spirit. Paul didn’t have to follow Jesus, he chose to. Now nearly two thousand years later, we have all the books of the New Testament that he wrote, through the Holy Spirit. In those books we read and learn about all of his teachings on Christ crucified, and of Paul’s own struggles with sin. We learn of his sufferings, but we also learn of his deep love for Jesus and his love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. I think Paul knew that like Stephen, he would be martyred for his faith in Christ, and yet, he said as we read in today’s scripture post, “Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.” We, as Paul’s brothers and sisters in Christ, must remember that Paul’s suffering and his death served a greater purpose, the purpose to which Jesus had called Paul.

Let us remember the account of Paul when he and Barnabas had gone to the Jewish synagogue in Antioch. Paul said to the Jews in the synagogue:

“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

‘Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, a work which you will be no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.’ ” (Acts 13:38-41)

The Bible tells us in Acts 13:42-52:

“So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for the salvation to the ends of the earth.’

“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

As God used Paul in his suffering and persecution, so shall He use us if we remain faithful and obedient to Him, as Paul did. Let us be glad and rejoice that God gave us the apostle Paul as an example for us. We each have people in our lives, including unbelievers, that we know and can boldly and joyfully share the good news with. If they reject it, we dust off our feet, and press on boldly and steadfastly through our faith, eyes firmly fixed on Him, for as in the words of Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) ✝️

February 1, 2023: Philippians 2:16 - Hold Fast the Word of Life

“…holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” - Philippians 2:16

Here we have the apostle Paul speaking to the believers at Philippi, a church in Greece that he had planted, encouraging them to hold fast to the word of life. Remember, these people previously were not believers in Jesus Christ. Paul had brought the good news of Jesus Christ to them. How many of us as believers in Christ have told someone about Him, how He saved us, how He changed us? If there was ever anyone who had a story to tell about the saving, changing power of Jesus Christ, it would be the apostle Paul.

Before Paul had a great conversion to Christianity by Christ Himself, his name was “Saul.” Saul, who was born in the Roman city of Tarsus, was a Jewish religious leader, a Pharisee, who hated the Christians, who at that time were called followers of the “Way,” and Saul even consented to the stoning of Stephen, a devoted and faithful follower of Jesus Christ who had been accused of blasphemy by some in the Jewish synagogue. The Bible tells us of Saul:

“As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” (Acts 8:3)

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2)

One day while on his way with others who were going with Saul to Damascus, “suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” (Acts 9:3-5) Jesus then instructed Saul, whom Jesus blinded for three days, on very specific things that he should do, and Saul obeyed. Jesus then told His disciple named Ananias to go a street called Straight and to the house of Judas and inquire about Saul of Tarsus and that Saul was praying. Jesus also said that Saul had had a vision of Ananias coming to him and restoring his sight. However, Ananias knew about Saul and how he had severely persecuted Christians, and worriedly asked the Lord about him. Jesus answered Ananias, saying, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to hear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Ananias did as Jesus said, and laid hands on Saul, saying to him, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Bible tells us, “Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:10-18) Acts 9:20-22 tells us, “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ‘Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?’ But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.” Some time after his conversion to Christianity and preaching Christ, Saul, whose name was also Paul, started calling himself by his roman name of “Paul” instead of his Hebrew name of “Saul.” (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/Saul-Paul.html).

Paul’s conversion to Christianity was a dramatic one. How in the world could he not tell others of the saving power of Jesus Christ, the One who had removed the scales from his eyes, allowing them to be opened so that he could see and know the truth, the word of life? Paul’s life was spent telling the Gentiles (non-Jews) about Jesus, and Paul suffered heavy persecution for his faith. However, his greatest joy was to see people come to Christ, and to those who did, Paul called “his beloved.” How many of us have unbelievers we are praying for, each and every day, that they too would have their eyes opened to the word of life? How many of us have suffered persecution and have been mocked and scoffed at because of what we have told them? How many of us have lost friends or even had family members who have ended relationships with us because of it? May we remember that even those who persecute us the most may one day have their own conversion to Christ, as Paul did. Let us not stop praying for them, and let us hold fast the word of life. Let us remember the words of John the apostle, who was with Jesus when He gave up His life on the cross, and John was the one to whom Jesus gave the Revelation of Himself, which we now know as the book of Revelation.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us - that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:1-3)

Let us hold fast to this truth, telling others about Jesus, so that one day, when we have finished our race of faith, strong in Him, we will rejoice in the day of Christ, when we are gathered together with Him and with all who decided to follow Him, and oh, what a glorious day that will be! ✝️

January 31, 2023: Philippians 2:14-15 - Let Not Our Disputing Overshadow Our Light

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” - Philippians 2:14-15

Jesus and His disciples came upon a man who was blind from birth. Jesus’ disciples asked Him whether the man or his parents had sinned, causing the man to be blind. Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus then spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva, and anointed the eyes of the blind man, and then told him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” The Bible tells us that “Siloam” means “Sent.” The man did as Jesus told him to do, and his eyes were opened, he could see! Those who knew the man and that he had been blind asked him who had done this thing for him, and he told them, “A Man called Jesus.” They wanted to know where this Man was, and they brought the healed man to the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees. Instead of being amazed by the miracle that Jesus had performed, they were appalled that Jesus had done this on the Sabbath, saying, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” and the Bible tells us, “there was division among them.” The Pharisees questioned the healed man and his parents several times, asking them about the Man - Jesus - who had healed him, and they did not believe the man’s account. The Pharisees cast the man out (excommunicated him) from the temple. (John 9:1-34)

God the Father sent Jesus to the world to shine His light in the darkness, doing the Father’s good works while He walked the earth, so that the eyes of the blind, those in spiritual darkness, could be opened that we all could see that we need the Savior, Jesus the Christ, to redeem us of our sins. When Jesus found out that the man had been cast out by the Pharisees, Jesus went to him and found him. As the Bible tells us in John 9:35-41:

“He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ Then he said, “Lord, I believe!’ And he worshipped Him. And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.’”

The Pharisees chose to remain in spiritual darkness, refusing to believe in the miracle that Jesus had performed and that He had done it as a work of God the Father who sent Him. Though they could see with their eyes, they could not see their own sin, thus they remained in in it.

At another time, Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14) May we not grumble and argue amongst ourselves, being filled with pride and ignoring the miracles that are happening right before our eyes when people turn to Jesus Christ and their eyes are opened for the first time to the truth of God. Are we shining Jesus’ light or are we blending in with the darkness? Can people feel the warmth of the light from us or the cold of the darkness? Do our disputes on Twitter and other forms of social media or in our conversations with unbelievers reflect Him or do they reflect the Pharisees within us? I must admit, I am guilty of having an attitude of the Pharisees, and this has been a convicting and eye-opening devotional for myself.

May I remember Jesus’ words when He was at the temple teaching the people, when the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who was caught in adultery. They wanted to know what Jesus thought her punishment should be - should she be stoned, per Jewish law. Before He answered them, Jesus stooped down and wrote something on the ground. They asked Him again, and then Jesus replied to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Then Jesus stooped down again and wrote something else on the ground. One by one, the woman’s accusers left, with no one casting a stone at her. Jesus then asked her where her accusers were and had any condemned her, and she answered that no one had condemned her. Jesus replied, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” The Bible tells us, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John 8:1-12)

Heavenly Father, as Paul wrote, please help me to do all things without complaining and disputing, so that I may become blameless and harmless, Your child, without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, and with my brothers and sisters in Christ, may I shine as a light in the world. In Jesus’ holy and precious name I pray. Amen. ✝️

January 30, 2023: Philippians 2:12-13 - May We Let God Work in Us

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” - Philippians 2:12-13

I think a major stumbling block for people who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and who haven’t turned hearts to Him is to see people who profess to be Christians living their lives just like the world, living a life of hypocrisy. Let me be very clear that you absolutely cannot earn your way to salvation; it is only by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior that we can be saved. Lest we forget, let us read these words from Jesus Christ Himself:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

Once we are saved by believing in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, we are filled with His Holy Spirit. Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Helper.” Jesus told His disciples:

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:25-26)

Jesus also told them:

“I still have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:12-14)

Before Jesus told His disciples these things about the Holy Spirit, He said to them: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) When Jesus was asked by a lawyer, who did not believe Jesus is the Messiah, what is the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:34-38)

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are immediately saved from all our sins. That is salvation. Next begins a process of sanctification, which is to sanctify us - to set us apart from the world - through the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not be imitators of the world but imitators of Christ. If we let Him, the Holy Spirit helps us to do exactly that. If we fight against this, we should ask ourselves, why do we want to imitate those who reject Christ? Sadly, there are many people who say they are Christians but are embracing the sinful ways of the world in order to be accepted by it. They twist God’s word and say that what God calls sin is not sin and what God calls good they call evil. Truly, what is the point of turning to Christ if we have no intention of letting Him change our hearts to be more like Him? Yes, I know it takes time, and it definitely took time for me, but in the headlines today we hear of people who say they have been saved for decades, with some even leading churches, who look more like the world than they do Jesus Christ.

Putting it another way, how would you feel if you went to a nutritionist or a doctor because you wanted to lose weight and get healthy and he was extremely overweight? Would you trust in his advice? What if you went to a personal trainer who was obese and out of shape? Would you trust in her recommendations when she does not seem to apply them in her own life? The same is true in our faith. If we profess to unbelievers that we are saved by Jesus Christ and yet we live our lives like we did prior to our salvation, perhaps hanging out at bars, drinking, swearing, using drugs, living in sexual sin, what are we saying to those unbelievers who know us? We are saying that Jesus did not have the power to change us, to turn our hearts to Him.

As Paul wrote to his beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, he told them to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” The world is filled with temptation and sin, and it is a battle every single day to fight against it. Satan wants to lure us back into that sinful life we used to live, or perhaps are still living, so that we can casually drift away from God, a little at a time, perhaps not even realizing we are drifting, and then one day, Satan says, “Gotcha!” because we decided it’s too hard to stand out in this world, to stand in our faith in Jesus Christ, no matter the cost. We are quickly devolving as a society in the United States. We are a sad example of what a country that once followed God and was blessed by Him in many ways and has done a 180 and turned completely against Him. May those of us who have not turned against Him continue to let Him work in us, through His Holy Spirit, for His good pleasure. When we stumble and sin, may we not continue in it but ask for forgiveness, and keep on going, keep running this race of faith, until we finally cross that finish line, for His glory and for our good. ✝️

January 29, 2023: Philippians 2:9-11 - God has Highly Exalted Him!

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2:9-11

The name “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation” (see Matthew 1:21). Why did Jesus come down from heaven, leaving His glory, and come to the earth? Was there a purpose in all of His suffering? Was there a purpose in all that He did? Sadly, most people who are alive today and the majority of those who lived before us believe there was no purpose in His life at all; that He was just a man who lived and died and was buried. Or, they may give no thought at all to Him, just living their lives without Him, believing that, as it was before they were born, so shall it be after they die - just a dark void, with no remembrance of anything. Why would this Jesus have come to us? Why was it necessary for Him to do so? After all, the Jewish nation had its Bible called the “Tanakh,” which is what Christians refer to as the “Old Testament” and other religions have their own religious texts, with each one telling us their way of salvation. We also have Satanists who worship Satan and themselves; pride and selfishness - self, self, self - is their “god.” Others believe in Luciferianism and that Lucifer is the “good guy” and he was the “righteous” one who only wanted Adam and Eve to have knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and God selfishly wanted to keep it for Himself. It seems to me that in most religions, the focus is on self, in some form or another - what can I do to get me to heaven or to “enlightenment”?

Belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior is acknowledging that there is absolutely nothing we could ever do ourselves that could earn our way to heaven. Why? Because none of us are without sin. The word “sin” is an archery term that literally means to miss the mark, to wander or to err, to make a mistake. (See: https://www.nerdintheword.com/what-is-sin-the-gospels-5-words-part-1/) Sin is offensive to God, and sin corrupts us. How can we save ourselves when ourselves commit sin? If we could save ourselves by doing “good” things, by whose standard do we use that defines “good”? Your standard of “good” is likely very different from mine, and my standard is likely very different from someone else’s standard. And, to believe that there is no such thing as “sin” is to be lost in it forever. We all sin; we are born with sin, no one has to teach us how to sin. If we could save ourselves, then why would we need Jesus? Sadly, most don’t think they need Him.

So, why did Jesus come to us and why do we need Him? What makes Him different from religion? The answer is simple: God’s perfect standard is Jesus. He is the only One without sin, the perfect Lamb of God, who took on all of our sins as He hung on that old rugged cross. By believing that He is Jesus Christ the Lord, the only One who can save us from all our sins, we can and will be redeemed of all our sins, even those we haven’t committed yet. Throughout the Old Testament, prophecies of Jesus abound, including this one from Isaiah 45:22-25:

“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue that take an oath, he shall say, ‘Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him. In the LORD all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.’”

The last sentence from the above quote from the prophet Isaiah says, the “descendants of Israel.” As Galatians 3:26-29 reminds us that salvation through Jesus Christ is free and available to all and all who believe in Him are all one in Christ Jesus; we are no longer separated by such worldly classifications as Jew or Greek (Gentile; non-Jew), slave or free, male or female:

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Jesus came to earth to provide the way - the only way - of salvation from sins through belief in Him as our Savior. He finished the work that had to be done by Him alone. He came to fulfill all that was written in the scriptures of His first coming to earth, whose purpose was to offer salvation from sins through Him, once and for all:

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ ” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” (John 19:28-30)

After He gave up His spirit, He was placed in a tomb, resurrected to life on the third day, and ascended to heaven forty days later, where He sits now at the right hand of God the Father. All the scriptures of His first coming were fulfilled, and all the scriptures of His second coming will be fulfilled. Each and every single one of us, including those who have lived and died before us, and those who will live and die after us, whether we believe in Him or not as our Savior, will bow on our knees and confess with our tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Will you bow before Him and confess that He is Lord now, in belief, or after you die, when it’s too late to turn to Him and be saved from an eternity in hell, separated from Him forever? The choice is yours alone to make. ✝️

January 28, 2023: Philippians 2:8 - Jesus, the Perfect Example of Humility and Obedience

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” - Philippians 2:8

Jesus Christ - God with Us, King of kings, and Lord of lords - came to the earth as a human being, with all the needs, pain, suffering, and sorrow that all humans face as we live our lives. He hungered and thirsted. He got tired and needed rest. He sorrowed and wept over the death of His friend, Lazarus. He loved, oh, how He loved, and how He still loves. He loves us so much that He was willing to leave heaven, come to the earth and be conceived by the Holy Spirit and a virgin, live a life where He was rejected and despised by men and was truly a Man of sorrows, and willingly died by a method invented by mankind that was designed to inflict as much torture and pain as possible - crucifixion.

To die via crucifixion is to die a death that is excruciating. The Latin origin of the word “excruciating” means “out of the cross” or “crucifixion.” While the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it. According to gotquestions,org (see: https://www.gotquestions.org/crucifixion.html):

“Crucifixion was meant to inflict the maximum amount of shame and torture upon the victim. Roman crucifixions were carried out in public so that all who saw the horror would be deterred from crossing the Roman government. Crucifixion was so horrible that it was reserved for only the worst offenders.

“The victim of crucifixion was first severely scourged or beaten, an ordeal that was life-threatening by itself. Then he was forced to carry the large wooden crossbeam to the site of the crucifixion. Bearing this load was not only extremely painful after the beating, but it added a measure of shame as the victim was carrying the instrument of his own torture and death. It was like digging one’s own grave.

“When the victim arrived at the place of crucifixion, he would be stripped naked to further shame him. Then he would be forced to stretch out his arms on the crossbeam, where they were nailed in place. The nails were hammered through the wrists, not the palms, which kept the nails from pulling through the hand. (In ancient times, the wrist was considered part of the hand.) The placement of the nails in the wrists also caused excruciating pain as the nails pressed on large nerves running to the hands. The crossbeam would then be hoisted up and fastened to an upright piece that would normally remain standing between crucifixions.

“After fastening the crossbeam, the executioners would nail the victim’s feet to the cross as well—normally, one foot on top of the other, nailed through the middle and arch of each foot, with the knees slightly bent. The primary purpose of the nails was to inflict pain.

“Once the victim was fastened to the cross, all his weight was supported by three nails, which would cause pain to shoot throughout the body. The victim’s arms were stretched out in such a way as to cause cramping and paralysis in the chest muscles, making it impossible to breathe unless some of the weight was borne by the feet. In order to take a breath, the victim had to push up with his feet. In addition to enduring excruciating pain caused by the nail in his feet, the victim’s raw back would rub against the rough upright beam of the cross.

“After taking a breath and in order to relieve some of the pain in his feet, the victim would begin to slump down again. This action put more weight on his wrists and again rubbed his raw back against the cross. However, the victim could not breathe in this lowered position, so before long the torturous process would begin again. In order to breathe and to relieve some of the pain caused by the wrist nails, the victim would have to put more weight on the nail in his feet and push up. Then, in order to relieve some of the pain caused by the foot nail, he would have to put more weight on the nails in his wrists and slump down. In either position, the torture was intense.”

The constant attempts to be able to breathe would ultimately end with death by asphyxiation. In order to speed up the death process, sometimes the person’s legs would be broken to prevent further breathing. However, none of Jesus’ bones were broken, fulfilling prophecy.

Jesus knew that He would die and that He would die by crucifixion before it happened. At least three times Jesus had predicted His death and resurrection to His disciples. The third instance of this is documented in Matthew 20:17-19:

“Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.’”

Before Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus went with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. He withdrew from them and knelt down to pray, saying:

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:39-42)

We are also told that an angel appeared from heaven and strengthened Him and then:

“…being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:43-44)

Jesus knew what lie ahead of Him, what He was about to go through.

Before He was hung on a cross, He was brought before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and the Jews were there:

“Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he [Pilate] said to the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’ But they cried out, ‘Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar!’ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.” (John 19:14-16)

Knowing all this would happen, Jesus still went to the cross, in full and complete obedience to God the Father, being humbled as a man, in the most excruciating and painful way possible. The physical pain was absolute torture but I would think the emotional pain was even more so. Jesus came to offer us the way of salvation from all our sins, and yet, instead of being loved by the world, He was and still is hated by the world to this day.

Did Jesus spew out words of hate to the Jews when they demanded that He be crucified? Did He say words of scorn to the Roman soldiers who were at His feet, casting lots for His clothing, while He was in agonizing pain? No. What words did He say? “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Then, about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” and He took His last breath. He was obedient to the point of death. No greater example of humility and obedience have we than that of Jesus Christ. No greater example of love have we than the life He lived and gave so that we might be saved, by believing in Him. ❤️ ✝️

January 27, 2023: Philippians 2:5-7 - Let Our Minds be Like His

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” - Philippians 2:5-7

Jesus has always existed, has always been with God, and never denied that He is God. Let us review some of the Biblical accounts that demonstrate that Jesus, as the apostle Paul said, “who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” (Philippians 2:6).

Let us consider the words of the apostle John. He was the apostle who was with Jesus during His time of ministry on the earth. John was the only apostle there with Jesus when He gave up His life on the cross and the one to whom Jesus would have to care for His mother Mary after His death. John was the apostle who was exiled to the island of Patmos for His faith in Jesus and received the revelation of Jesus Christ, from which we have the prophetic book of Revelation. This John proclaimed these words in John 1:1-5:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

During His time of ministry, Jesus said to the Jews in Jerusalem , “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30) When the Jews heard Him say this, they “took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, ‘Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?’ The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.’” (John 10:31-33) Jesus did not deny that He is God. Jesus then said to them, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:37-38)

Jesus prayed these words before He would be crucified, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5) After Jesus gave up His life on the cross, was resurrected, and revealed Himself to some of His disciples, they went and told the other disciples that Jesus had been resurrected. However, the apostle Thomas did not believe their account, for he had not seen Jesus and His wounds with his own eyes. Eight days later, Jesus revealed Himself to Thomas and said to him, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas then said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:24-29)

Jesus did not come to earth the first time as the mighty, conquering king that the Jews had been looking for and wanting. Instead, Jesus came as a lowly bondservant, as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth:

“He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with His transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:11-12)

Jesus was full of humility, and was the opposite of what we see today in world leaders. He was also the opposite of what the Jews had been looking for in their Messiah. Isaiah had prophesied about Jesus:

“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (Isaiah 53:3)

The prophet Zechariah prophesied of the coming Messiah:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

All of the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming were fulfilled. He came as one of us - human - to offer us the way of salvation from sins, the only way of salvation. If there was anyone who ever lived on earth who deserved to be treated the way a king would be treated, it would be Jesus. Think about how our world today treats kings, queens, presidents, etc. Think about how the Kings and Queens of England have been treated, how the United States presidents are treated. They live in beautiful mansions, eat the best foods, travel via the most luxurious modes of transportation, and are waited on hand and foot. Now compare that to how Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, was treated when He walked the earth. He was hated, despised, spat upon, mocked, beaten, scourged, and nailed to a cross, left to die an agonizing death. He was even mocked while dying, and He is mocked and hated to this day. At every opportunity they get, the entertainment industry uses His name in vain and mock Him and those who believe in Him. World leaders today do the same, including Yuval Noah Harari, who proclaimed, “I mean all this story about Jesus rising from the dead and being the Son of God is fake news.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_fI2hmdOg; 2:07 minute mark) For those who believe in Jesus as their Savior, this should be of no surprise to us, for Jesus told us that the world will hate us because they hate Him.

So, what do we do in this world that hates us for our belief in Jesus as our Savior? What about when the world, sadly, includes members of our own family and our closest friends? Let us remember that they are not saved, just as we once were not saved. Let us remember that Jesus loves them too, and wants them to turn to Him and be saved. May we also remember the apostle Paul, the author of this letter in Philippians, that he once was a persecutor of Christians and how God changed his life mightily and chose him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) so that all might be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Though they persecute and hate us, let us pray for them, just as Jesus did for those who hated and despised Him. ✝️

January 26, 2023: Philippians 4:4-5 - Rejoice in the Lord Always!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” - Philippians 4:4-5

Here we have the apostle Paul imprisoned for his faith, one of several times that he would be imprisoned, writing this epistle (letter) to the church at Philippi, and he tells them in verses 3:1 and again in 4:4 to rejoice in the Lord always. He is reminding them that though we will go through very difficult times in our life here on earth, because our citizenship is in heaven that when we die, we will be raised again to eternal glory with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we can rejoice and give thanks to the Lord!

Below are some other verses in the Bible that remind us that we are to have joy in our lives in all circumstances:

• 1 Peter 4:12-13: Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

• Psalm 68:1-3: Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

• 1 Corinthians 13:7: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

• Romans 12:12: …rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In Philippians chapter 1, Paul wrote that even though he was imprisoned, “my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Because of Christ being preached boldly, he said, “I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:12-18)

Paul goes on to tell his brothers and sisters in Christ in Philippians 2:12-18:

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, workout your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.”

As we live our own lives in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation, may we not let Satan steal our joy in the Lord. As we run this race of faith, let us be light bearers, shining the light of Jesus in a dark world, with joy in our hearts and reflecting Christ’s love in and through us. May we remember what we are running this race for:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) ✝️