Salvation By Faith Alone

The more I learn about Peter, the more I like him. We all know of how he denied Christ on the night Jesus was arrested. We also know of how Jesus forgave Peter. Peter was the sort of man that I would like to be, that is when he was wrong, he was quick to admit it and to start doing the right thing. In the Book of Galatians, again we see Peter doing the wrong thing. He had shifted from preaching Salvation by grace to Salvation by works, namely, the works of the Jewish faith in the Old Testament. Paul called him on it. In fact, Paul confronted Peter in front of "them all". Again, Peter saw the errors of his ways and repented. Lord, teach me to be more like that when I am wrong.

This debate of salvation by works and salvation by faith is one of the biggest dividers among Christians today. Because of what I have read from God's Word, I am a firm believer that we are saved by our faith in Jesus, and not by any good works we can perform. We do good works because we are saved and not in order to be saved. Paul states in Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified." In other words, we can not be saved by going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, keeping the 10 commandments, or any other good work. Sure, we should strive very hard to do these things, but these things don't "earn" us everlasting life. In fact, Eternal life can not be "earned" at all. It is simply a gift from God. And the only way we can accept that gift is by accepting Christ as our Personal Savior. Have you accepted God's free gift? I saw a bumper sticker the other day that read, "Jesus Christ: Our get out of HELL free card."

Father, thank-you for drawing me to accepting Christ. I pray for those who have not accepted Your free gift. Please draw them too, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Assumption

In mathematics, one way to prove that something is true is to assume that it is not true, and then show how that assumption would create a contradiction. A simple example would be to assume that the world is flat. If that assumption is true, then nobody could have ever sailed "around" the world without "falling off". Since we know Magellan sailed around the world and didn't "fall off", then the world must not be flat, which contradicts our assumption that it is flat. I know there is no way to really "prove" that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that we must accept it by faith, but consider this argument: Let's assume that Jesus was not the Son of God.

Then how could He have been born to a virgin? How could He have turned water into wine? How could He have healed a blind man? How could He have healed a cripple? How could He have casted out demons? How could He have walked on water? How could He have calmed a storm? How could He have raised Lazarus from the dead? How could He have endured so much pain and humiliation on the Cross? How could He have been raised from the grave? How could He have appeared to so many people after He was dead? How could His disciples be willing to die for Him (especially if they knew He was a fake)? We can continue this argument, but the point is very clear: Jesus MUST have been the Son of God. I believe it. Do you?

Luke 4:14 says, "And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, 'Thou art Christ, the Son of God'"

Father, I accept Your Son Jesus as my Savior. Thank you for choosing me to be one of His Followers. In Jesus name, Amen.

Believe It Or Not

I got a reply on one of my recent devotions from a man who wrote that I was wrong for believing that a person is a fool just for simply believing there is no God. I don't generally respond to replies since they are just another person's opinion, and we all have opinions. But in that devotion, I did not write my opinion, I quoted the Bible. Psalm 14:1 says, "Only fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God'" The bottom line of the Bible is this: Do you accept Christ as Your savior? Just believing in God is not enough (actually, just believing in Jesus is not enough either). The Bible makes it clear in several passages that in order to be saved from Sin and to receive Eternal Life, one must make Jesus Christ Lord of their life. If somebody doesn't believe this, then what good is the Bible? I mean, if we are "allowed" to pick and choose what we accept as truth in the bible, then God's Word loses all validity. Whether we like it or not, we must accept the Truth, the WHOLE Truth, and nothing but the Truth. Jesus is the Truth! We can't break the Bible up into parts that we accept and parts that we don't. If we do that, then it simply becomes a guessing game. And I don't know about you, but I am a terrible guesser! Jesus is the Way, the whole Way, and nothing but the Way! Do you believe this?

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me".

Father, I accept You as my Personal Savior. Remind me not to judge those who don't accept You, but please use me to help change their mind...and heart. In Jesus name, Amen.

Eerie Coincidence

Country and rockabilly singer Johnny Horton (North To Alaska) was haunted by premonitions of his own death. To those who were close to him, Johnny had an unusual fear of dying. He was married to Billie Jean, Hank Williams Sr.'s Widow. Williams had died on New Year's Day in 1952. Later that year, Horton and Billie Jean tied the knot. On November 5, 1960, Horton was killed in an auto accident. He had just finished performing at the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas. Incredibly, that was also the last place Hank Williams performed before his tragic death. Both men had kissed Billy Jean at the exact same place and on the exact same cheek before each one's death. Coincidence?

Many people didn't believe Jesus was the messiah that had been prophesied generations earlier in the Old Testament. Many thought he was just an ordinary man, despite the mountains of evidence suggesting otherwise. For whatever reason, people chose to overlook His virgin birth, His performed miracles, His raising people from death, and His power over nature. The Bible documents over 50 prophesies from the Old Testament that Christ fulfilled in the New Testament. A modern statistician decided to calculate the odds of any ordinary man fulfilling just 7 of those prophesies. The probability was staggering! He put it into terms that is easier to understand. He said suppose you take one quarter and paint it red. Then you fill up the state of Texas knee-high with regular quarters. Mix all those quarters together, and then blind-fold a man and tell him to walk into that "state" of quarters as far as he wants and pick one. The odds of him picking that exact painted quarter would be the same as any one man fulfilling just 7 of those Biblical prophesies. Coincidence? No way! Jesus is the Christ!

Luke 2:11 says, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

Father, thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to save us from our sins. Help us to truly follow Him in all that we do. In Jesus name, Amen.

A Matter of the Heart

Fred G. Sanford, portrayed by Redd Foxx on the TV sitcom Sanford and Son, was always claiming to be having "the big one". Can't you just see him clutching his heart with his arth-a-ritus-riddled hand, and hollering out to his deceased wife Elizabeth? On the show, he had the "big one" at least two or three times a week. Watching him in re-runs still cracks me up! Ironically in 1991, he did have the "big one". While filming on the set of a new comedy show, Foxx suffered a massive heart attack. Sadly, He was pronounced dead a short time later.

We have all heard that there are two things in life that are certain, death and taxes. We may not be able to get around the taxes part, but death has already been conquered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For Christians, death is only a temporary stage through which we pass. By accepting God's only Son Jesus, the Bible promises that we, too, will have victory over death. Jesus is our eternal hope for everlasting life. It is a gift that God has offered to every one of us. Instead of us hanging on that Cross, Christ took the pain and suffering from us. He died in our place, but God raised Him from the grave! He will raise us from it, too. With Jesus as our Savior, we will never need to fear the "big one".

Jesus said in John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet he shall live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

Father, thank you for loving us enough to send Your precious Son Jesus. I am a sinner. I claim the blood of Christ! In Jesus name, Amen.

You've Got To Believe To Receive

As a teacher, I have to be very careful that I don't use questions on a test that can be considered as "bad". A "bad" question is a question that can have more than one correct answer or be interpreted in more than one way. For example, answer these 3 simple questions:

1. Who discovered America? 2. What was the President's name in 1982? 3. How many months have 28 days?

Typical answers are Columbus, Reagan, and February. Those are considered correct answers. However, depending on how you look at the questions, the answer to the first one could be Native Americans, since they were here long before Columbus. For the second question, another correct answer is Obama, since that has been his name all his life, including in 1982. And the third question, yep, you guessed it, all the months have 28 days. What would be your answer to this simple yes/no question? Did Christ's death on the Cross give us Eternal Life?

It is true that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did die on the Cross for our sins and to give us Eternal Life. But we are not automatically saved because of His death and Resurrection. What Christ did was only an offer for forgiveness and Eternal Life. When people say that Christ died on the Cross to save us, we must remember that we are not truly saved until we receive His offer. We MUST accept Him as our Personal Savior in order to be forgiven for our sins and to receive Eternal Life. So, did Christ's death on the Cross give us Eternal Life? Only if we accept it and choose to believe in Him. Have you received Christ into your heart? If so, you are promised Eternal Life from a God that never lies! But if you have not accepted Christ as your Personal Savior, the Bible explains that you are NOT saved. What Christ did on the Cross was an amazing gift and offer of true love for each one of us. But we must believe in order to receive.

Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." [emphasis added]

Father, thank you for sending Your precious Son Jesus to die for me. Also, thank you for stirring my heart at age 13, and helping me to accept Him. I pray for all those who have not accepted Christ. Stir their hearts, too, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Two-For-One Deal

I love those buy-one-get-one-free deals! It is awesome feeling to get something for free. But this day and time, one must be careful about two-for-one offers. If you notice the new things on TV ads, most will give you a second product absolutely free..."just pay shipping and handling". Ah! That's where they get you. That extra shipping and handling charge is expensive. And guess what? You can't tell them you don't want the extra "free" item. I tried! You must take the "free" item with your purchase. So although the extra item itself may be free, the extra money you will pay for that "free" item is expensive. Beware of two-for-one deals!

But the Bible promises us a two-for-One deal that has no "catch" to it! In 1John, we are told that if we deny the Son, we also deny the Father. But, the opposite is also true. If we accept the Son, we get the Father automatically! Isn't that awesome? In other words, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we also get God, His Father, at "no additional charge". That's not just a god. That is THE God!! God Almighty! As wonderful as this is, there is the other side of it that is tragic. Some people believe in God, but they don't believe in His Son, Jesus. Then according to this truth in 1John, they really don't have the Father at all. As Christians, we must let people know that simply "believing" in God will get them absolutely nowhere. It is only through accepting His Son Jesus that we will truly have Salvation and Eternal Life. Do you want God? Then there is only one way: Accept His Son Jesus. What an amazing two-for-One deal!

1John 2:23 says, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also."

Lord, again, thank you for sending your Son Jesus! I accept Him totally by faith. Teach me to explain to others that in order to gain You, we must first accept Him. In Jesus name, Amen.

Put It On My Tab

Back a few years ago, I had a buddy who spent a lot of time in a local restaurant. Because he was a celebrity in town, I will change his name for this devotion to Mike. Mike was such a regular at the restaurant, that he had his own personal account. I remember one day he told me while I was in there eating to just tell the waiter to put my bill on his tab. I thought he was kidding, but when I told the waiter that, he said, "sure, no problem." You got to be kidding me? That was too easy! I then knew how to get a "free" meal anytime!

That meal might have been free for me, but Mike would have to pay for it at the end of the month. The same is true about all who believe in Jesus Christ. When we sin, we have the privilege of saying, "Please put that on His account." God simple says, "Sure, no problem." What is a freedom for us, cost Him dearly! Yes, it is true that our sins are placed on Christ once we believe in Him. It is also true that because of His work on the Cross, we will never have to "pay" for our sins. But let us not forget who did have to pay, and just how much that payment cost! Don't we serve an awesome God?

Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."

Father, thank you so much for Jesus. Please let us never forget the price that was paid for our freedom from sin. In Jesus name, Amen.

Pomp And Circumstance

For high school Seniors, that long-awaited day is almost here: Graduation! This is my 14th year of teaching high school, and in those years, I have never missed a Graduation ceremony. In fact, I have had the privilege of calling the Graduates names as they walk across the stage for the past few years. As I watch each one walk up to the stage, my memories of their four years in high school splash across my mind like a movie on a Big Screen. It is pure joy to see how they have transformed from clumsy freshmen into young adults. I can only imagine the memories that flood the Moms in the audience. I see it in their tears. Those have to be some of the most mixed emotions Moms ever experience. Those tears represent pride, happiness, and sadness, all at the same time. Just how difficult is it for a Mom to have to let go of her little boy or girl? This is that moment when the parent must stop giving roots and start giving wings.

How hard was it for Mary and Joseph to give their little Jesus wings? We know from Scripture that both Mary and Joseph knew that they were chosen by God for the awesome duty of raising the Messiah. But just how hard was it for Mary to change from viewing Jesus as her little boy to viewing Him as her Savior? That had to be the hardest "Graduation" any Mom has ever experienced! But the day did come when she had to let Him transform from being her son into being The Son Of Man. And in the same way, we must also allow our lives to transform from being ours to being His. When we accept Christ, we "graduate" to the greatest level of our Spiritual lives. We must completely let go of our old self, and allow the Holy Spirit to take over our new self. We must truly let go, and let God! Have you Graduated to Christ? It is a time of great joy!

3 John 1:4 says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Father, be with the many Seniors and their parents as they come to this chapter in their lives. Teach us that we must all Graduate to Your will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Satan Is Alive And Well

I was horrified when I read the national news yesterday! I was believing that I had become some what desensitised to the bombardment of terrible and horrific news stories these days. Not so! Anyone who wonders about Satan, know this: He is alive and well in America! Yesterday in Tampa, FL, a 20-year old man was fussing with his 17-year old girlfriend. He began to beat her and then he started beating her 3-month old baby. He slammed the baby down on the concrete and then scooped her up and fled in his car. When he reached the Interstate, he simply tossed the baby out the window of his moving car like it was a piece of trash. The whole thing was witnessed by several people. I know it's not the Christian thing to say, but I sure wish i could get my hands on that monster for just 30 seconds!

Satan is alive and well! From Bible times to today, we see the result of Satan's power in humanity. He is the ultimate evil, and he has the power to possess any of us. We are completely helpless in our fight against him. There is absolutely nothing we can do to defend ourselves against his awesome power...that is, nothing we can do on our own. But Jesus has already defeated Satan. Where we are completely powerless on our own, Jesus is completely victorious over him! We must use Christ as our constant shield against Satan. We are involved in a spiritual battle everyday that can spill over into reality. As long as we keep Jesus at the center of our lives, we will have power to keep Satan in check. But if take our eyes off the Lord even for a minute, Satan is right there, ready to pounce on us. Do you have the Power and Protection of Jesus? We need Him more today than ever before!

I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

Father, please protect us against Satan. We know he is more powerful than we are, but not as powerful as You. Thank you for loving us enough to want to help us. In Jesus name, Amen.

www.heaven.com

The other day in class, some of my students were wanting to use my computer to check their ACT scores. Colleges all over the United States use ACT scores for student acceptance, scholarships, etc. Back when I took the ACT, I had to wait 5 or 6 weeks to get my results by snail mail. But today, those scores are posted Online in half the time. All a student needs is a user name and password to retrieve their results.

Wouldn't it be nice if Heaven had a website where we could check to see if we were written in the Book Of Life? We could maybe log-on with our Social Security Number and see if we had Eternal Life. We would no longer have to worry if we were heaven-bound or not, as the results could be right there in black and white. Knowing we were saved like that could sure take away a lot of worry while here on earth. But you know what? There is a way we can know if we are saved! We don't ever have to wonder or worry about it, and we don't need a computer to check. The Bible makes it crystal clear how to be saved. If you are not sure if you are saved, then you probably are not. To be saved, all you have to do is confess to being a sinner. Acknowledge that God loved you so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die in your place. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your personal savior. When you do these things, the Bible guarantees that you are saved and have eternal life. Have you done these things? If you have, then you are saved! If you have not done these things, then why wait any longer? College may provide us with a secure future while here on earth, but being saved by Jesus will guarantee us security forever!

Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Father, thank you so very much for saving me and giving me Eternal Life. I pray for every soul who is not saved yet. Lord, please lead them to Your precious Son Jesus. For it's in His name we pray, Amen.

Making Waves

When a pebble is tossed into a pond, small ripples or waves are generated. These ripples form concentric circles. Concentric circles are circles of varying sizes that all have the same center point. The center of the concentric circles is where the pebble lands, and the generated circles grow larger and larger. That is precisely what happens when a tsunami is created. The center point of a tsunami, usually an underwater earthquake (subduction), creates concentric circles that can travel for thousands of miles and up to 500 miles per hour! These waves, virtually invisible until they reach land, generate an awesome amount of energy. I guess we will never forget the devastating tsunamis of 2004 in Indonesia. The waves generated there were over 100 feet high, had as much energy as 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, and killed more than a quarter of a million people! This devastating monster started from a tiny ripple in the middle of the ocean.

When we choose to accept Jesus as our personal Savior, it is like a pebble being tossed into the center of our life. But that pebble can form incredible concentric circles that rush out from us in all directions. As we continue to learn more about, and live more like Christ, those circles send out an awesome amount of energy. Just like the waves of a tsunami, our Christ-generated concentric circles are going to flood over everybody in our path. But our circles don't bring devastation, they bring jubilation! It all starts when we accept Christ. How far those circles travel out from us really depends on us. If we allow Him to, God will send those circles thousands of miles around us and change everything in its path! How far have your "concentric circles" traveled?

Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being."

Father, please generate waves through me that will touch another person's life. I know i can do nothing without You. In Jesus name, Amen.