“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org/
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie
http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht
“Homily Grits Devotional” http://www.homilygrits.com/
1 Peter 3:15… But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (NKJV)
The more people I speak to, about the hope that lies with-in me…the more I realize that there are billions of people in this world, who have false beliefs about what God clearly reveals to us through His inerrant Word, the Bible…about how to receive this hope that true believers in Christ will have…
But unless one believes that every word in the Bible is truth…they have no basis to believe what the Bible teaches… I direct these people to a days writing about one mans mathematical proof that the Bible is truth, based upon 668 of over 1000 prophecies in the Bible, coming true (2 not proven false)… Only God could predict the future, with 100% accuracy !! The balance of these prophecies is for the future end of times… https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/gods-group-thoughts-for-4062013-the-bible-is-nothing-but-the-truth-proven-mathematically/
Once you believe that the Bible is 100% truth…the next step is to understand what God reveals to us in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17)… Jesus tells us this, about getting into heaven…John 14:6… Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. Noone comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV)
I know people who believe that the god of their religion, though not Christian…will lead them to the same God… I know people who believe they are going to heaven because they are a good person… I know many people who believe all of their self-righteous works that they do, all in the name of the Lord (like going to church every week)…are what God requires to forgive them of their sins… And then there are all the people going to those “Feel Good” churches…where the truth about hell and the gospel of Christ are not presented…
This work-based salvation, is clearly warned about by Jesus Himself…when Jesus tells us about the people who falsely believe their good works they have done, should allow them into heaven…but are turned away, when the Lord tells them that He “never knew them” as His child… The Lord tells them to depart from Him…and they are turned away from entering heaven… (The word Purgatory, is not mentioned in the Bible)… Here is the link for this important warning by Jesus, about this false belief in works-based salvation, in…Matthew 7:21-23… http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mat7:21-23&version=NKJV
The Apostle Paul pens this, about hope that all believers should have, in…Romans 15:13… Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the HolySpirit. (NKJV)
So we see that this hope is received by “the power of the HolySpirit”…given to someone who believes… But what does someone have to believe, to receive the Holy Spirit ??
The Apostle Paul tells us, as he pens this, in…Ephesians 1:13… 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 HolySpirit of promise, (NKJV)
This “gospel of your salvation”, is the same gospel that Jesus teaches…in the beginning of His public ministry, in…Mark 1:14-15… Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (NKJV)
This is the only one gospel that saves…and this is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… After an unredeemed sinner is drawn in by God (John 6:44), and they hear this gospel of Christ…upon repenting and turning from their sins…with a regenerated heart given to them by God…God graces them with the gift of salvation through saving faith alone in Jesus Christ…
Ephesians 2:8-9… For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)
Anyone who doubts the need to understand and obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, before God graces them with salvation…should carefully read this eye opening warning, penned by the Apostle Paul, in..
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9… in flamingfire taking vengeance on those who donot know God, and on those who donotobey the gospel of our Lord JesusChrist. 9 These shall bepunished with everlastingdestructionfrom the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (NKJV)
I spent a day writing about how God’s grace is received through obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the following link… https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/gods-group-thoughts-for-10202012-gods-grace-through-obedience-to-the-gospel-of-christ/
The Christian is “sealed with the HolySpirit of promise”, after believing, and receiving the Holy Spirit as their lifelong Helper, at the moment God graces them with salvation…John 14:26…
What is this “promise”, the Christian is given ?? Jesus tells us about this future promise, to calm His disciples down…after they are told by Jesus at the “Last Supper”, that He will be going away to be with His Father in Heaven…
John 14:1-3… “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In MyFather’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will comeagain and receive you to Myself; that where I am, thereyou may be also.” (NKJV)
If you are a believer…these words spoken by Jesus, should bring you a great comfort, and the hope of eternal life in heaven, to be with the Lord… Those that have been sealed with the Holy Spirit by God, should have absolutely no doubt about this promise of a place reserved for them in God’s mansion… I say this without reservation, because of my own personal experience; and because of the following scripture penned by the Apostle Paul, in…
Romans 8:15-17… For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The SpiritHimself bears witness with our spirit that wearechildren of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and jointheirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (NKJV)
Heavenly Father, I pray that Your Word would cut right to the very core of the soul of those that don’t know Your Son Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior…Hebrews 4:12-13… I pray Lord, that You would draw these unredeemed sinners to Yourself…and that their eternal future would be sealed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit… I pray for this fullness of Christ for all of us, in Jesus most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce r mills
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