Need of a Savior

And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Genesis 3:13

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and thus mankind’s first sin was rebellion.

Since then, all mankind has fallen into sin.

God knew that we needed a Savior.

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:14-‬15 KJV

He sent His Son.

In our current culture, where truth is relative and it’s wrong to tell someone what they have done or said is wrong, we seem to be buying into the lie: that our own ideas and values are enough.

What better way to beguile than to tell us we are not guilty and thus there’s no need of the salvation Jesus offers.

Although lies have worked from the very beginning, they can’t stand up to the truth of the scriptures.

Romans 3:23 KJV — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Thus, Jesus was born of a virgin, taught the truth, lived righteously, was executed although guiltless, rose victorious, and ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for those who would believe on Him and be saved.

May we never fall prey to the lie that we are not in desperate need of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your life. Thank You for Your gift of salvation and the promises You fulfilled. Thank You that we can read the scriptures and clearly see the truth. Thank You for working throughout to save us from sin. Lord, please help me to be on my guard against the lies of the enemy. Lord, please help me to hide Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Please reveal my sin quickly that I might repent. Please teach my lips to speak only truth and edification. Please fill me with Your praises. I love You, Jesus. I humbly request these things in Your name. Amen.

July 2, 2022

Today’s prayer:

Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
Psalms 108:12‭-‬13 NKJV

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your mercy, Your grace, and Your goodness. Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your provision. You carried me through yesterday and I am so thankful for Your guidance. Lord Jesus, please continue to teach me from Your Word. As the Psalmist said, help us from trouble, for You alone are our refuge and strength. Lord, thank You that You defeated sin and death on the cross. Thank You that through Your salvation I have nothing to fear. You have trampled down doubt and worry through Your faithfulness and I am so thankful to be able to trust in You for all things. Lord Jesus, I love You. I thank You for Your love. I praise Your holy name, for You are magnificent, there is none like You. Lord, You are God and through You all creation came to be. Thank You for creating me. May my life bring glory to Your name. Amen.

God’s Word is truth

Psalm 119:160 NKJV — The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

What does it look like, to live in complete understanding that all of God’s Word is truth?

For this to happen, we need to be well acquainted with the entirety of scripture.

No small task.

But one worth our time.

Psalm 33:4 NKJV — For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth.

When we understand what God tells us both about Himself, history, sin, and about the world we live in, our relationship grows.

Even if it’s just baby-steps of learning, when we study God’s Word, we find truth.

In these days of uncertainty and skewed perspective, truth seems more valuable than ever.

God’s truth is not only pure, it is from the best perspective, God’s.

Psalm 18:30 NKJV — As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

In the Bible we find not only truth, but salvation, security for our souls.

That’s definitely worth spending time on.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word, for the entirety of scripture. Lord, please help us to not just read it, but truly understand and grow in our relationship with You. Lord, please place Your Word into our hearts. Help us to make scripture a priority and something we find joy in, not a task, not a chore. For in Your Word we find life, truth, wisdom, and knowledge. Please continue to open our minds to Your Word and teach us what You would have us learn today. Thank You for Your Word. May we cherish the gift of Your scriptures and the love You pour out upon us daily. Amen.

Heaven

Proverbs 30:4 NKJV — Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?

God the Father, the great Almighty, LORD, and the list of names continues, but what is His Son’s name?

Jesus.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:11‭-‬13 NKJV

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.
John 1:1‭-‬5 NKJV

Each of these verses is about Jesus.

He is the Word of God.

He is the Son of God.

He is salvation.

And He is in heaven.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9‭-‬11 NKJV

He shall return.

Matthew 25:13 NKJV — “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Heaven is where God the Father and the Son are.

It is a place beyond description.

Jesus Himself called it Paradise. Luke 23:43

John 14:3 NKJV — “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Jesus told His disciples that He had to return to heaven, that He is there preparing a place for those that are His.

It is the confident expectation of every born again follower of Christ Jesus to live eternally with Jesus in the place He has prepared.

There are many other scriptures which describe the wonder and grandeur of heaven.

Heaven is a real place.

Jesus is there and one day shall return.

No treasure on Earth can match the glory of heaven.

Nothing of this world can offer anything like life forever with Jesus.

No one knows the moment of His return from heaven, but everyone can guarantee He is coming.

Will you be ready?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You that You are preparing a place in heaven for those who accept Your gift of salvation. Lord, please let those who have yet to know You be ready and willing to hear and accept Your truths. Lord, help each one of us to see how temporary this life on Earth is and to cling to what is eternal. Lord Jesus, nothing compares to You. Your love, compassion, mercy, grace, and so much more are beyond anything I can comprehend. Truly You are great and mighty and worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. May the whole Earth be filled with the glory of You. Amen.

…with Christ

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NKJV

These words convicted me deeply.

They have returned over and over again, as a reminder of what my life is truly supposed to be.

“I have been crucified with Christ;” Gal. 2:20a

Meditate upon what crucified with Christ means.

My Lord and Savior chose to humble Himself to the point of allowing His own creation to beat Him, scourge Him, and crucify Him.

His words in the garden give us a guide.

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

Jesus did as the Father told Him.

John 5:19 NKJV — Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

As should I.

I no longer live, Christ lives in me, and my life should reflect that in every area.

Not in a ritualistic pride of false piety.

Nothing, but the humble love and devotion to Jesus Christ who loves me.

He loves each and every one.

“I live by faith in the Son…” Gal. 2:20b

Because life lived by works is again striving to do it on our own.

Salvation is a free gift and Jesus was the only One Who could pay such a costly price.

Therefore, my life is a daily practice of humbling myself before God.

Choosing to say, not my will but Thine.

Choosing to look to Jesus and remember His unfathomable love.

Choosing to walk in faith of which rests souly upon that unfathomable love.

Because anything else is a waste.

I don’t have it down yet.

I expect this to be a lifetime lesson of dieing daily, carrying my cross, and walking in faith with Christ Jesus.

Just that thought brings a smile to my lips.

What a glorious adventure!

To walk daily with Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for being our example in all things. Lord, I love that when questions arise I can always turn to You. When troubles come, I can find comfort in You. When life seems frightening, You are my Refuge and Strength. Jesus, You alone are worthy of all our praise. You alone are worthy of every honor. May Your name be glorified throughout the whole Earth!

Right now

Matt. 16:27
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with His angles; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.

The truth of Salvation is beautifully simple.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died once and for all to save us from sin, and that He rose again and ascended into heaven.

That He is God incarnate, and sits in heaven awaiting the appointed time for His return.

For one day He will.

That is why living daily for Jesus, loving Him and obeying His commandments is vital.

No person knows when He will return.

Nor is there a better time to prepare for His return than right now.

Salvation can not be earned by good works, nor can it be bought.

Instead it is a free gift from Jesus Christ, Son of God.

That doesn’t mean that the gift wasn’t costly.

The truth of the matter is it cost more than any human could ever pay.

It cost more than any gift ever did before or ever will again.

It cost more than any one in humankind can truly comprehend.

Yet, what a blessed gift!

Salvation.

The only thing accepting this free gift will cost you is your will freely given over to Christ, Who understands far better than we what He created each one of us for.

He simply wants to have a relationship with each one of us and walk with us daily into the paths He and the Father set down for our feet before our birth.

He promises never to leave us nor forsake, but to supply all our need.

What gift can possibly compare?

A security in Jesus Christ lasts beyond death and the grave.

Eternity in heaven.

A path of service to God, while growing in daily relationship with Him.

Having peace in a world so full of turmoil, because of the precious daily walking surrender to Jesus.

For me, it’s such a wonderful and beautiful choice.

And I look forward to His return with anticipation and joy.

But I fully understand that this choice is repulsive to some.

Foolhardy and slow-witted do they view those who walk in faith with Jesus Christ.

Even as Christ walked among man and did nothing but good, He was despised and eventually executed by those He came to save.

So, I too can choose, as Jesus did, to love others, even those who despise me and my Lord Jesus.

But as for you, dear Reader, I truly pray, as I pen these lines, that your heart shall be soft to the voice of Salvation.

That if you have yet to know Jesus, you would take the opportunity to read His Words in the gospels.

The book of John is my favorite.

Although, each is so beautiful and vital.

Because some day, Jesus will return and each of us will stand before the throne to answer for how we lived on this Earth.

I hope you will be able to stand clean before God, washed in the blood of His Son.