Thursday, September 9, 2021

Thursday, September 9, 2021
The apostle Paul writes that God has given the Christ follower good reason to be confident and courageous.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident and know that, while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (NIV)
The times in which today’s verses were written were uncertain, filled with evil people doing evil deeds – not really that different than today. But God is on the move! When you don’t think He is doing something, He is doing something!
The apostle Paul says “we are confident” because “faith” gives us confidence! We cannot see the presence of the Lord, but we sense the power and presence of His Spirit within us. Secondly, we are confident or courageous, because our citizenship is in heaven and if we die we shall be with the Savior forever.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Wednesday, September 8, 2021
The Psalmist reminds you that God sees and cares when His children die.
Psalm 116:15 The Lord cares deeply when His loved ones die. (NLT)
Why does God care when we die? We are His creation and our existence on this earth was an intentional act of God – we are His workmanship! When He created man He pronounced it “good!” Almighty God is deeply invested in you!
He knows the number of hairs on your head and though He sees the sparrow fall, how much more will He care for you for whom He sent His only Son to die? God cares when we die – because we are an extension of His life! Becoming like Him and bringing Him glory is the purpose of our lives!
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Tuesday, September 7, 2021
The writer of Hebrews explains that Jesus, as Savior from sin, has freed the Christ-follower from the fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14-15 We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. But He also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. (CEV
In today’s verse the writer of Hebrews reveals how Jesus has removed a Christ-follower’s fear of death! Someone said fear of dying comes from a fear that death will be a doorway to hell vs. being a doorway to heaven. How has Jesus removed that fear?
By dying on the cross, Jesus took on Himself all your sins (and mine) and paid the penalty for them. When we believe that fact and trust Christ to be our only Savior from sin’s penalty – it takes away or destroys the ability of Satan to accuse us! Now, in Christ, we have the assurance that death is merely being “absent from the body and present with the Lord”!
Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Monday, September 6, 2021

Monday, September 6, 2021
The Psalmist uses the Shepherd psalm to remind you that God watches over His own even in life’s darkest hours.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (NASB)
When you’re going through a fiery trial . . . time can seem to slow down and you fear the pain will never end! It’s easy to forget that God promises to be with His followers in good times and bad! One of the names for Jesus in the Bible is “Emmanuel” — “God with us”. It was this sort of presence of God in the lives of the three Hebrew young men in Old Testament Daniel’s time, which gave them the courage to refuse to worship the golden image of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.
There are times when the destructive power of death and evil seem to hang over us, and we feel at any moment all could be lost! I once heard that since the valley described is the “valley of the shadow of death”, there must be a light source for there to be a shadow. The light, for the Christ-follower, would be Jesus — the “Light of the World” — who will never leave us!

Friday, September 3, 2021

Friday, September 3, 2021 The unknown author writes that God knows His own and values their service on His behalf. Hebrews 6:10  For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name . . . (NASB) In the world there are those who come close

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Tuesday, September 28, 2021
The apostle Peter reviews the basic characteristics of a Christ-follower.

II Peter 1:5-6 . . . applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, (NASB)

Peter is writing to remind some Christians of a few things they had forgotten – some important things. It’s a little like the great NFL coach Vince Lombardi, who, when frustrated with the way his Packers were playing, said we’ve got to get back to the fundamentals. So, he gathered the players together and said, “This is a football!” Peter says, let’s begin with your faith – where the change for the better began. As a Christ-follower, you’ve been forgiven of sins, freed from their power to enslave you, and you have all the heavenly power you need, daily, to do what God wants you to do.

Now . . . Peter says, move on from the basics, and each day add to your faith, virtue. Virtue is goodness. But it’s more than that – it’s excellence. Seek to be all you can be as a Christ-follower. Be the best man or woman of God you can be – by being like Christ Himself! Strive for excellence. Next, add to your goodness, knowledge. Not just knowledge for knowledge’s sake – like a professional student but applied knowledge. Knowledge that changes the way you live! Finally, add to your knowledge – self-control. It means to control your desires and emotions, instead of being controlled by them.