“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/
John 16:33… “These things I have spoken to you, that inMe you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (NKJV)
In the opening scripture, Jesus was speaking to His disciples (and all believers) at what is now called “The Last Supper”… Jesus had told His disciples that He was going away to be with His Father in heaven…John 14:1-4… The disciples were distraught at hearing this news, that their Master for over 3 years was going to leave them…
Jesus then promises His disciples, that His Father is going to send down the Holy Spirit to help and to comfort them, in…John 14:26… But the Helper,the HolySpirit,(Comforter in the KJV) whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembranceall things that I said to you. (NKJV)
This “peace” that Jesus is speaking of in the opening scripture…is a peace given to the believer by God, when God graces the redeemed sinner with salvation, through saving faith alone in Jesus Christ…Ephesians 2:8-9…
I wrote yesterday, hopefully answering the question… “Is Hell Real ??”… You can find this days writing by going to www.Godsmanforever.wordpress.com and typing 6/26/2013 into the search window…
The point of today’s writing is to understand how to eliminate fear in one’s life… I’m not speaking about just any fear… I’m speaking about fear that anyone not born again from above should be feeling, that Jesus teaches us about, in… Matthew 10:28… “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fearHim who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (NKJV)
Jesus tells Nicodemus (and us) what needs to happen before someone makes it into heaven, in…John 3:3… Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is bornagain, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (NKJV)
There are some Christian faiths that falsely believe being “born again” happens at baptism… Here is an example from one of them explaining what being “born again” means…
“Regeneration (being “born again”) is the transformation from death to life that occurs in our souls when we first come to God and are justified. He washes us clean of our sins and gives us a new nature, breaking the power of sin over us so that we will no longer be its slaves, but its enemies, who must fight it as part of the Christian life”…
(Taken from… http://www.catholic.com/tracts/are-catholics-born-again )
This justification is believed to occur through baptism as an infant… There is much scripture refuting the idea of baptism being a requirement to be justified by God as His child… The Apostle Paul pens this, in…Romans 5:1… Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with Godthrough our Lord Jesus Christ, (NKJV) How can an infant have “faith” ?? And where is the water baptism in this scripture??
Jesus explains to us, that we must go through Him to get to His Father in heaven, in… 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) The “way” is through understanding and obedience to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… The “truth”is found in the Word of God, and it will set the sinner free from Satan’s chains of bondage to sin… John 8:32… “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (NKJV) And the “life”that Jesus speaks about, is eternal life in heaven with His Father…
“The proof is in the pudding”, so to speak… I was graced by God with salvation at the age of 52… Praise the Lord for His mercy and His longsuffering… There was a God given peace and a calmness that came over me that morning in church, after God graced me with salvation…which has to be experienced to be believed… (See link at the bottom, for more on God’s grace)… I wasn’t baptized until a couple of months later…
But I am also here to tell you that Christians who allow Satan and/or their own flesh to take back control from the Holy Spirit…can and will loose this supernatural God given peace and joy, that only “Walking in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) as a Spirit filled Christian (Ephesians 5:18-20) will provide… I lost my peace and joy for a considerable period of time, when I had taken back control from the Holy Spirit…
I believe the best example of God’s supernatural peace that I have ever seen (even with death at the door)…was almost 3 years ago this August; when my 39 year old niece Jennifer, passed away with terminal cancer… Jennifer was a true bride of Christ, because she never married… Jennifer traveled to many countries on numerous missionary trips, to share her love of Christ with hundreds of children… In her last hours, Jenn was at absolute peace with leaving this world…because she knew she would soon be face to face with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ…
The Apostle Paul writes about this God given supernatural peace, in…Philippians 4:6-7… Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpassesallunderstanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
Fear and anxiety (especially about one’s death), should not exist…if the Holy Spirit has total control of a person’s life… Only the Holy Spirit can provide “the peace of God, which surpassesallunderstanding”, that our mortal minds are not capable of providing without the power of the Holy Spirit…
Heavenly Father, I pray that the truth from Your Word will take away the spiritual blindness of those that You don’t yet recognize as a Christian…2 Corinthians 4:4… Help those in need Lord, through the message of the cross, to seek Jesus Christ while He may still be found…Isaiah 55:6… Help us to understand Lord, that absolute peace, even at impending death, is possible through the calming power of the Holy Spirit… I pray for this fullness of Christ in all of our lives, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce r mills
P.S. Here is a link for this most important days writing, about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…
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