God Is our Shield

Where do you turn when it feels like everything is going against you? You might turn to comfort food, drugs, people, parties, or other forms of distraction or even religion. But this is not where the Lord wants you to turn. In Psalm 3 David tells us where he turned and why. In verses 3 and 4 he tells us, "But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill."

Before you get all excited about the Lord being a shield about us to protect us and keep us safe, you must understand that this promise isn't for everyone. It is only a promise for those who have put their trust in the Lord through Jesus Christ. If you have surrendered to Jesus that he is your shield. You will be his servant and he takes care of his servants.

When you walk with the Lord daily, he will bring glory or goodness into your life. When those troubles and trial come, he will bring you through them so that you can hold your head high. You won't be ashamed of what is happening to you because you will know that even the bad stuff that is happening is to shape you into his image and bring glory to Jesus.

But if you think this is automatic then remember that David cried aloud to the Lord. He prayed and kept in communion with the Lord. Then the Lord answered. But this isn't a magic formula. If you know Jesus, then you will also accept that persecution and problems are part of this life. But he brings us through them all.

If you haven't surrendered your life to Jesus, you can call on the Lord all day long and he won't answer until you call on him in repentance of your sinful life and ask for salvation through Jesus. If you want to do that, watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to turn to Jesus for salvation and he will then be a shield around you.

May God Bless you!

Feeling Lost

What do you do when you think you can't be saved?

Listen to David when he was being told the same thing in Psalm 3 verses 1 and 2. "O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God." ESV

Who on earth would ever tell another person that they can't be saved? Only someone who doesn't know the Lord themselves and the devil who wants to destroy that person's hope for salvation in Jesus Christ. We may certainly warn people who are engaging in sinful behavior that if they don't repent in this life time, they won't be saved but that isn't the same as telling someone they can't be saved, ever.
There have been many people who have lived ungodly lives and at the last moment repented and turned to Jesus for salvation. Look at the thief on the cross. Luke 23 verse 42 and 43 summarize his interaction with Jesus. And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” 

There is always hope for a person while still alive to turn to Jesus for salvation. Look at that thief for a minute. He didn't have time to do good works to earn his way into heaven. He simply asked Jesus. But note that his attitude had changed when he contemplated his own sin. This was the Lord working in him. It wasn't him doing any work to earn salvation.

But here is the warning to anyone who thinks they can knowingly live an ungodly life and depend on a last minute confession for salvation. That just smacks of hypocrisy all the way to the end. It isn't true repentance. The Lord know if you are just trying to play the game or if you are sincere when you turn to Jesus for salvation.

If you know that you must turn to Jesus for salvation but keep putting it off because you want to do things your way, there is no guarantee you will have the time to repent. So do it now before it is too late. Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to turn to Jesus for salvation and know you are truly saved.

May God Bless you!

Do You Want to Be Blessed?

Everyone wants to be blessed, right? But what does that mean. I've been posting about Psalm 2 and how people rage against the Lord and how he laughs at them because they can't fight against him. Then he tells us about his Son, Jesus and how he will come and rule over all things. Then the Psalm ends with this in verse 10 through 12.

"Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." ESV

The message of the Bible is clear. If you want to be blessed, you must take refuge in Jesus Christ. He is the Son and he is the Lord. If you want to be wise, then you must serve the Lord Jesus with fear and rejoice with trembling. What a strange mixture of emotions, fear and rejoicing. This awesome fear is not dread but a keen understanding of who he is and who we are not.

We rejoice when we kiss or submit and yield our lives to Jesus because he has died for our sins. If we don't turn to worship and submit to Jesus, we will have to face his anger and we will perish. But Jesus has paid the price so that will not face his wrath in the judgment. That is what it means to be blessed.

If you haven't submitted to Jesus you won't be blessed until you do. Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and will then be able to have a right fear and rejoice in his presence when he returns.

May God Bless you!

Who is the Begotten Son?

I've been going through Psalm 2 and now we get to the controversial part where the Lord calls someone his Son.

This is recorded in Psalm 2 verses 7 through 9.

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” ESV

Why the controversy? Because the Lord, that is Yahweh, is saying that he has begotten a Son with a capital s. The translators of the Bible are saying that this Son is therefore deity. The Son is also God. But people say, how can he be God if he is created. But the psalm doesn't say he is created, but he is begotten. But the nay sayers say that the word for begotten is used hundreds of times and almost every one of them indicates a couple having a baby. Well that is true.

But John 1 verses 1 and 2 is very clear that even in the beginning, the Son existed. It says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." Then in verse 14 it says, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father." So the Word that John is talking about is the same Son found in Psalm 2. The Son or the Word is Jesus. The only conclusion about Jesus being begotten of the Father is that this is a description of his relationship with the Father, not a biological or creation event.

John continues in verse 18, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." That relationship of being in the Father's bosom is an expression of the closest relationship two people can have. It is like that of a babe who lays his head on his mother's chest with complete love and comfort.

Jesus came the first time to bear sins. But back to Psalm 2, we find that this Son is going to rule the world and he will crush all the rebellion that is expressed in the first few verses. When Jesus comes back again, he will rule and then everyone will know there is no controversy about Jesus being the Son of God and God in the flesh. They will have already accepted Jesus as God or they will suffer the consequences.

Do you know Jesus as the second person of the Trinity and are saved from this future wrath? If you have rejected this you can still repent and turn to Jesus for salvation.  Watch my video on Youtube,"The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and will have peace with him when he returns.

May God Bless you!

Does God Laugh?

Hi, guys, today, I'm going to let you know that the Lord does indeed laugh. But you might be surprised at what he laughs at. Yesterday, in my post, I explained that the nations and people rage against the Lord. They want to get out from under his authority. That's when the Lord laughs. Psalm 2 verses 4 through 6 tells us the Lord's reaction to those who think they can separate them from the Lord's accountability. The Psalm says,

"He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

Then again, Psalm 37 verse 13 says, "But the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming."

Just one more instance comes in Proverbs 1 verses 25 through 27 which says, "Because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you."

Where are you going to be when the Lord laughs? Are you going to be one the Lord laughs at because you have ignored him all your life. Or are you going to be one who will only hear joyful laughter from the Lord who delights in you.

Zephaniah 3 verse 17, says, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

 

 

If you don't want the Lord to laugh at you in your wickedness and sin but want him to delight in you, then watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and he will delight in you.

May God Bless you!

Psalm 2 and other verses tell us that the Lord laughs at the wicked and the calamity that comes on them. Wouldn't you rather have him delight in you? #bibledevotion #wickedness #godlaughs #godsdelight #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

The Nations Rage

I'm wondering if you ever think about why we have constant wars and conflicts in the world? I think that Psalm 2 has the root cause of all these problems. It says in the first three verses, "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 'Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.'”

The answer is really simple. They don't want to be governed by the Lord. Even though the Lord has made it clear in the Bible that all nations serve him and he uses them according to his sovereign plan, they don't like it and will do anything they can to get out from under the Lord's authority for them. Sometimes these issues fester like an untreated sore for years before the country goes to war to get what it wants instead of doing what the Lord wants.

But look back at the first verse and you will see that it isn't just the nations that rage. It is the peoples. That means every person who hasn't submitted themselves to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus. All their plotting is in vain. It doesn't matter if they are rebelling by worshiping other gods or they are denying the existence of God. Their thoughts and ideas about who God is may sound compelling to others who don't want to be accountable to the Lord. But that doesn't change the fact that the Lord is sovereign and will bring history to the conclusion that he has determined. And that includes his plan for each of us.

We have a choice. Submit to the Lord Jesus or rebel. I promise you that if you continue to rebel in sinfulness, the end will not be pleasant for you. But submission will bring eternal life and joy. If you are tired of rebelling, then watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and surrender to him while there is still time.

May God Bless you!

Psalm 2 points out that the nations and people are raging against God because they don't want to be accountable to him. Where do you stand? #bibledevotion #rebellion #godsovereign #wars #rage #nations #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Give Thanks

 

The command to give thanks occurs 59 times in ESV Bible. The first occurrence is in First Chronicles 16 verse 8, "Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!" We can give thanks to the Lord because he is always available for us to when we call. We don't need to make a reservation, though it is a good idea to make sure we reserve the time for ourselves to pray to the Lord each day. Because we can call on the Lord at any time, we should be obedient in making his name and his deeds known in all the earth.

 

Another verse about giving thanks reinforces the previous one. First Chronicles 16 verse 35 says, "“Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise." Our salvation is the greatest thing we can praise and give thanks to the Lord about. We should wake up every morning and give thanks to the Lord for sending Jesus to take our sins from us and give us the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us the ability to live godly lives.

 

Colossians 1 verse 3, Paul says, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you." We should always be giving thanks to the Lord for the people in our lives. I know some of them can be difficult and others are a true blessings. But the Lord has put them in our lives for a reason and we should give thanks for all of them.

 

Paul also says in First Thessalonians 5 verse 18, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Whoa! Did you catch that? He says to give thanks in all circumstances. The didn't say to thank the Lord for bad things, but when good or bad happens to us, we thank him during these times. We don't forget to thank him because of who he is and he is in sovereign control of all things. Make no mistake, giving thanks is God's will for all who are in Christ Jesus. Sometimes, giving thanks is a sacrifice as Hebrews 13 verse 15 says.

 

If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, giving thanks is actually impossible because you don't know the one to whom you must give thanks. If you want to give thanks to the Lord properly, watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and then you will have much to give thanks for.

 

May God Bless

you!

 

Giving thanks to God is a big theme in the Bible. But only people in Christ Jesus can truly give thanks to God. #bibledevotion #givethanks #thanksgiving #godswill #inchrist #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

How to be Blessed Psalm 1

The greatest blessing is to be in the presence of the Lord.

Psalm 1 tells what a blessed person looks like then it contrasts blessed people with those who are not concerned with being in the presence of the Lord. They are described as evil and wicked people.

Here is Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (ESV)

Do you want to be blessed? Do you want to live continuously in the presences of the Lord? Then you have to know Jesus as your Lord or you will not. If you do know Jesus, then praise the Lord and do as the Psalm says by constantly studying and memorizing passages from the Bible. Why not start with Psalm 1?

If you don't know Jesus, then watch my video on Youtube,, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and then you will be blessed according to the Bible.

May God Bless you!

Psalm 1 describes the difference between being blessed and being evil or wicked and the results of each. #bibledevotion #Psalm1 #blessed #fruitful #judgment #sinners #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Resurrection of the Dead

 

Who thought up the idea that dead people will be resurrected? Was it just whimsical wishful thinking invented by fearful people? Or was it something that the Lord has instilled over a long period of time?

I'm told that the book of Job may have been written before the other books of the Bible. If so, then it is the first recorded mention of the resurrection as well as our need for a redeemer. Job 19 verses 25 through 27 records Job's confidence in a redeemer so that he will be resurrected from the dead. Here is what he says, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!"

 

King David made mention of the resurrection and they joy it would bring in Psalm 16 verse 11, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

 

But there is also a grave (pun intended) warning about the resurrection found in Daniel 12 verse 2. It says, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." The Lord is telling us that even evil people will be resurrected. This isn't just something for Christians. Jesus also told us in Matthew 25 verses 31 through 45 that everyone will be gathered together for judgment. Then he says in

Verse 46, " And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 

When you think about your resurrection from the dead and then being able to see the Lord with your own eyes, what emotions does that stir up within you? Does your heart faint within you as Job said? Or maybe you don't know the Lord and it stirs up emotions of fear, dread, or even hate because the last thing you would want to do is be face to face with Jesus in the afterlife?

 

If the latter is the way you are reacting you really need to Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and then not to have anything but joy to see the Lord face to face.

 

May God bless you!

 

The promise of our resurrection after death is as old as the Bible. It is a promise for everyone who dies, good or bad. But will it be a joy for you or utter fear? #bibledevotion #resurrection #eternaljoy #eternalsuffering #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

The Answer to All Why Questions

Do you ever ask the Lord a bunch of "why" questions? Job constantly asked the Lord to explain why he was suffering. He alternately accused the Lord of treating him badly, which borders on blasphemy, and expressing his faith in the Lord's goodness. This went on for 35 chapters as his so-called friends accused him of worse and worse sins.

Then in Job 38 verses 1 through 3 we read, "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.'" For the next four chapters, the Lord questioned Job about his creation. From everything from the stars to the time it takes for a deer to birth a fawn. He asked Job, "Where were you when I made or did all this?"

After Job challenged the Lord to explain his suffering, the Lord didn't give the reasons for his why questions. Instead, the Lord revealed himself to Job. The Lord revealed his sovereignty, his wisdom, and his power through creation. The Lord was telling Job and us that he is the answer to all our why questions. We don't need to know the answers, we need to know the Lord.

When we have "why" questions about whatever is happening in our lives or in the world around us, we should always remember the Lord. Everything in the universe points to the Lord and Psalm 54 verse 4 says, "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." Remember the Lord sustains us.

Job answered the Lord in Job 42 verses 2 through 6. Here is part of what he said, “I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” When we are bitter or angry about what is happening to us or around us, we need to do the same thing as Job. We must repent. Of course, if you don't know Jesus, the first thing to do is turn to him for salvation. Watch my video on Youtube,, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and then … you will know the Lord.

May God Bless you.

We all have why question about our lives and the word around us. The Lord is the answer to them all. #bibledevotion #whysuffering #comfort #whyme #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Comforting Suffering People

Have you ever been with someone who is suffering? It may be the loss of loved ones. It may be the loss of possessions. It may be the loss of health.

What do you do? The book of Job has a very brief description of how to comfort. But it also has a very long description of how not to comfort.

Here is the best comfort you can give. Job 2 verses 11 and 13 says, "Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him … And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great."

When all else fails just be there. Wait for you friend to speak and listen. But this is as far as Job's three friends went. When Job expressed his bitterness and anguished they started to speak.

In a nutshell, for 35 chapters they harangued Job with the same theme. You sinned and this evil is a result of your sins. Repent and you will be healed and fortunes restored. Job was driven to despair by his suffering and by their attacks on his integrity.

Paul tells how to comfort others in 2 Corinthians 1 verses 3 through 5 he says, "The Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

If you have suffered then you can point them to the Father who has comforted you. If you haven't suffered you must admit it but you can assure them the Lord does comfort. If you know Jesus and his suffering, you can help if you don't assume to know all the answers.

If you don't know Jesus you really don't have answers to suffering. If you want to know Jesus and have the wisdom to help people who suffer, Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation.

May God Bless you.

There are good ways and bad ways to comfort people in their suffering. The Bible gives examples. #bibledevotion #suffering #comfort #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Satan's Power

 

Is Satan the second most powerful being in all creation? What does his power entail? We can learn a lot from Job as he is tormented by him in Job chapters 1 and 2. First, we find out that Satan had to approach the Lord to do anything according to Job 1, verse 6. Satan is free at this time to wander the earth and he knows us.

 

The Lord asks him if he has considered Job. He also knows that the Lord has been blessing Job. Not only does Satan know who Job is but he even thinks he knows Job's motives. His super power is accusing Job before the Lord.

 

The Lord then authorizes Satan to destroy everything Job has. Here is where we see his other powers. He works in the hearts of evil people to steal his animals and kill Job's servants. He also caused fire to come down from heaven to burn up sheep and servants. He also caused a wind to collapse Job's kid's home and kill them all.

 

Finally, the Lord let Satan afflict his health. Job 2 verse 7 says, "So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head."

 

If you think these things only happened in the past you need to get the Jesus Project newsletters. They often relate how Satan does much of the same thing among tribes. The great thing is that the message of Jesus and the power of the Lord is greater.

 

Here is what you don't want to assume from Job. Satan is the one who orchestrates disasters in our lives. Sometimes that is true but it is rare in our culture. If you think that you need to rebuke Satan to be healed or get out of trouble. Remember it he is truly the one causing the problem, it is only because the Lord has given him permission.

 

But temptations are a different story. He is our tempter and we can and should resist him according to James 4 verse 7. But remember most of our temptations are from our own sinful desire according to James 1 verses 14 and 15.

 

Can Satan or a demon possess a Christian? No way, a Christian is possessed by the Holy Spirit. We are slaves to the Lord and belong to him.  Spoiler alert. Satan is not the second most powerful being in creation.

In Revelation 20 verse 1 an unnamed angel chains him puts him in a bottomless pit.

 

If you are not a Christian, then Satan probably will not bother you because you already belong to him. If you would like to get out of Satan's bondage,

Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation and the Holy Spirit will live in you.

 

May God Bless you.

 

Satan is very powerful as the Book of Job describes in the first two chapters. Be aware and resist him. #bibledevotion #satan #satanspower #holyspirit #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

You Can't Thwart God's Plans

 

Can you change the future? Do you think that you have control over what happens tomorrow?

 

Psalm 115 verses 2 and 3 says,

Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

Our God is in the heavens;

he does all that he pleases.

 

Now, read what happens in Esther 5 verse 9 through 6 verse 11.

Haman has planned to kill all the Jews in the Persian empire.

The date is set and the king has approved.

But Haman hates one particular Jew more than all the others.

So he has a gallows built and plans to hang Mordecai the next day.

 

That night the king can't sleep so he has the royal archives read to him.

That should be enough to put anyone to sleep.

But he hears that Mordecai had save his life perhaps a year or so earlier.

No one had rewarded Mordecai so the king decides to do so in the morning.

 

The king goes to his royal chamber and asks who is waiting outside.

Yup, it is Haman waiting to ask the king to hang Mordecai.

But the king asks Haman what should be done to honor a person the king wants to honor.

Haman's big ego thinks the king is talking about him.

 

So Haman answers in Esther 6 verses 7 through 9

“For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”

 

Then the king tells Haman to do this for Mordecai.

Haman's plans fall apart because they are not the Lord's plans.

Not only does his plans fall apart but he is soon executed.

 

What's the moral of the story?

Get in tune with the Lord's plans.

His plan is to save people who turn to Jesus for salvation.

If you haven't done that, you will end up like Haman.

Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus for salvation.

 

May God Bless you.

 

No one can thwart God's plans. His plan is to save many people and you can find out how to be saved. #bibledevotion #Haman #Mordecai #godsplans #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Satan's Fall

Let's take a look at the Bible to see what happened with Satan's fall. Remember that Revelation 20:2 equates the serpent, dragon, Satan, and Devil. So we need to see him in all these roles.

Satan has more than one fall. Understanding that may clear up the problems. The first is his fall from grace into sin. Ezek 28:11 says he was in the Garden of Eden in perfection. Then, Ezek 28:15 says, " You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In verses 16 and 17 the Lord says he removed him from the mountain of God. And he cast him to the ground. This whole passage is very symbolic as it is a description of the king of Tyre. That was his first fall. It was a fall into sin.

In Genesis 3:1 we find him as a serpent in the Garden of Eden so it is after his first fall. Otherwise he would not have tempted Eve.

Then In Job 1:6-8 We find him coming before the Lord and reporting to him that he has been “going to and fro on the earth, and … walking up and down on it.” So Satan has access to both heaven and earth at this point in history.

Read 2 Chron 18:16-22 and you will that evil spirits are also present in heaven during the reign of the kings of Israel. In fact, one of the evil spirits is authorized by the Lord to become a lying spirit in the false prophets to accomplish the Lord's will. They and Satan can't do anything without permission from the Lord.

Then Jesus says he saw Satan fall from heaven in Luke 10:19. This was after he sent 72 disciple out to preach, heal, and cast out demons. This is his second fall when he loses some of his power.

Where is Satan now? Ephesians 2:2 indicates he is the ruler of the kingdom of the air. He has power in this world. Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us that he is actively fighting against us. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." But we must resist him as Peter says in verse 9 and James says in James 4:7.

There is no doubt that at this time in history Satan is alive and well on planet Earth. He also has access to heaven because Revelation 12:10 tell us that he accuses us day and night before the Lord. Revelation 12:7-10 he loses his access to heaven in a battle with Michael and loyal angels. This is his third fall.

But that isn't his end. In Revelation 20:1-3 Satan is bound and thrown into a pit, not hell, and he is kept there for 1,000 years. That is his fourth fall. But, at the end of the 1,000 years, he will be release to deceive the nations.

Finally, in Revelation 20:10 the devil, that is Satan, is thrown into the lake of fire, that is hell And it says he will be there forever. That is his fifth and final fall.

Anyone who isn't a Christian, that is anyone who doesn't have the Holy Spirit living in them, is by nature following Satan according to Ephesians 2:2. watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus and be freed from Satan.

May God Bless you.

God's Purpose for You

 
What do you think the Lord's will is for you? What is your purpose on this earth? I'm not talking about the things that are clearly in the Bible, Like praying continually according to First Thessalonians 5 verse 17. Or to be holy according to First Peter 1 verse 16. I'm asking about what the Lord wants you to do with your life as you serve him.

We can see that everyone has a purpose as we look at Esther. She was a young Jewish girl, and orphan, taken against her will, to "try out" to be queen of the Persian empire. If she failed, she would become a concubine in the king's harem. Out of hundreds of beautiful young women, she was selected and became queen.

However an enemy of the Jews tricked the king to sign a decree to kill all the Jews in the empire. She was reluctant to ask the king for help, but her cousin told her this in Ester 4 verse 13 and 14 “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Think about the way the Lord arranged her circumstances to put her in the right place at the right time. And so, she was instrumental in saving the Jews. But remember it was the Lord who did it.

Every person in the Bible is an example of how the Lord has a purpose for a greater good. Seemingly insignificant people. The widow of Zarephath fed the prophet Elijah for three years. In a little village called Bethphage, someone owned a donkey and her colt. Their purpose was to loan them to Jesus for his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. A man carrying a water jar led the apostles to the upper room where Jesus held the Last Supper.

Now, you may wonder what the Lord's purpose is for you? If you are fulfilling the specific commands of the Lord, like believing on Jesus for salvation, living a holy life, you are putting other before yourself, you are diligent in prayer and Bible, study, you are fulfilling his purpose for you.

Here is what the Lord says for each of us. Ephesians 2 verse 10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." The Lord does have a plan for you. You may not understand it now.

If what you want to do isn't sinful, Then you are already fulfilling the Lord's purpose for you. Of course that is all predicated on knowing Jesus. If you haven't come to know Jesus, watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to know Jesus.

May God Bless you.

Don't Dis God

 

King Sennacherib of Assyria had conquered many lands and took on Jerusalem. He sent his commander to intimidate Hezekiah by dissing Yahweh. He said this in  2 Chronicles  32 verse 9

 

"Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!"

 

Sennacherib even put it in writing. Do you know what happened? Two things, Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed. Then the Lord sent an angel and wiped out Sennacherib army. Then Sennacherib's sons killed him.

 

How do people dis Yahweh now?

• Saying the Bible isn't true.
• Saying that the universe created itself.
• Saying that marriage doesn't have to be between one man and one woman.
• Saying that your biological sex isn't what Yahweh made you to be.
•  Saying that Yahweh doesn't even exist, there is no God.
• Saying Jesus was only a good teacher or something like that.
• Saying that Yahweh didn't raise him from the dead.
• Saying that Yahweh  will not punish sin.
•  Saying that Jesus' death on the cross isn't enough to save us.
• Saying that you have to follow certain rules to be saved from Yahweh's wrath.
• Saying that you must say Yahweh instead of God or Lord.

Here's one of the worst ways of dissing the Lord. In Matthew 10 verse 32, Jesus says, "But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."

 

If you have disrespected the Lord you can repent. He will forgive you. Don't be like Sennacherib. If you have dissed the Lord by not turning to Jesus for salvation.

Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" It will tell you how to be saved.

 

May God Bless you.

 

Dissing God is disastrous for this life and especially for eternity. #bibledevotion #disgod #disownjesus #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Wisdom Gained and Lost

 

Do you ever ask for wisdom? What do you want to do with that wisdom?

Solomon was much wiser when he first became king than at the end of his reign.

 

When he asked for wisdom, it is summarized in 1 Kings 3:9  when Solomon had a dream and ask the Lord, "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” The Lord was pleased and responded in verse 12 "Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. ESV

 

Don't you wish that our government leaders would ask the Lord for wisdom to run the country and know good from evil? I sure do. But the story doesn't end there. Listen to how Solomon finished his life.

 

In 1 Kings 11:1 it says, "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women." ESV The Lord had expressly commanded that Israelites not marry in these nations because they would turn them to worship their idols instead of the Lord. And indeed, Solomon made idols for his wives. In verse 5 it says he went after the these gods which means he worshiped them.

 

That was the beginning of Solomon's downfall as he threw the Lord's wisdom out the window. Apparently he didn't follow his own advice in Prov 4:5 "Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth." ESV

 

We are told in 1 Cor 10:11-12 that all the things written in the OT were written as examples. They were written as warnings so if we think we are standing firm, we need to be careful that we don't fall.

 

Following in verse 13, we are told that the Lord won't give us anything we can't handle but will give us the way out of temptations. So let us be careful to ask for wisdom but when we get it, to follow it.

 

For anyone who doesn't know Jesus as Savior, getting wisdom means getting saved first. Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" if you want to find how to be saved.

 

May God Bless you.

 

After getting wisdom we need to follow it or we will fall into sin like King Solomon did. #bibledevotion #Solomon #government #wisdom #temptation #falling #leaders #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Cost of a Dysfunctional Family

 

The Bible tells it the way it is. The following is a story of rape, murder, intrigue, treason, and sorrow. It takes place in 2 Sam chapters 13 - 19.

It is to some extent that the fulfillment of God's judgment on David for his adultery with Bathsheba.

 

It starts with David's oldest son Ammon raping his half-sister Tamar. Tamar's brother Absalom rather crassly tells her to forget it. 2 Sam 13:21 says, "When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry." ESV David was King and Father to these three. But David didn't do anything. He didn't discipline in his own family.

 

Absalom plotted for two years then killed Ammon. Absalom fled and was brought back to David's after five years. After David received him back, Absalom plotted to overthrow David. Four years later, Absalom had support and declared himself king.

 

David fled from Jerusalem and regrouped his army. In the battle which killed thousands, Absalom was killed and David returned to Jerusalem. David mourned for Absalom and his obsession over Absalom almost cost him the support of his army and his kingship.

 

That was quite a story. It's the story of what happens when sin is not dealt with in a godly manner. It's the definition of being dysfunctional. David's own sin caused him to not deal with Ammon correctly. He didn't deal with Absalom correctly. He didn't show his appreciation to his army for saving him.

 

Perhaps you are in a dysfunctional family. People don't treat others in godly ways. You can be the first to change and repent of you sinfulness. If it is because you and family members don't know Jesus. You can be first to change. Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" if you want to find how to change.

 

May God Bless you.

 

King David's dysfunctional family cost many lives and great heartache. It all starts with sin.  #bibledevotion #dysfunction #consequencesofsin #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

National Leader's Actions Have Consequences

 

Why did the Angel of the Lord want to destroy Jerusalem? It was because of the pride of David the King. David had sinned by taking a census of Israel. The only reason for a census was to go to war. But David did it to stoke his ego over being the king of a great number of people.

 

So the Lord sent a plague among the people to punish David. David repented and asked the Lord to stop the plague. The plague was being carried out by the Angel of the Lord.

 

In 2 Sam 24:16 the Lord answers David's prayer. "And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, 'It is enough; now stay your hand.'” ESV

 

The sins of public officials have consequences. They affect the whole nation because they are supposed to serve justly. During this upcoming year and future years, you will be required to vote for leaders who will run the country. If you are not careful to vote only for honorable people, You may find yourself suffering the consequences of their sin.

 

The same thing happens to families when the leader sins. Consequences cause problems in the family as I explain in the next post about David. But more important is your own integrity. Who do you affect when you sin? The story today tells us that even in the midst of the consequences, The Lord can change and restore.

 

If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, all you do is counted as sin. But you can repent and be saved. Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" if you want to find how to be saved.

 

May God Bless you.

 

When government leaders sin, there are consequences to the nation. The same with family when the leader sins. Like David, we can repent and be restored. #bibledevotion #elections #government #integrity #leaders #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

Who Made God?

 

No one made God. By definition, God is eternal without begging or end. If any person or force or other entity made God, then that would be God. God can't even make God because the created being would not be eternal.

 

The Bible is clear about this. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (ESV). This is the foundation for who God is. Before there was anything God was there.

 

God revealed his name, Yahweh, to Moses in Exodus 3:14, "God said to Moses, 'I am who I am'" (ESV). "I am who I am" is equivalent to saying "I exist because I exist." The Lord exists only because he is who he is. He is not dependent on anyone or anything, Instead everything is dependent on him.

 

Some religions claim that other gods created God. Mormonism or LDS believes that God was once a man, that man was created by his god and then made to be God. Then God creates all the people on earth and will make some of them to be gods.

 

The fallacy in this is that whoever made the man that became God would really be the God we should worship, not the created god. But they say even that god was a man who was made by his predecessor god. And that god was a man who was made by a god. That goes back into eternity and never stops. It is an endless regression without any true God being found.

 

God is also omniscient, he knows all and this is what he says about that foolishness. Isaiah 44:8 "Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one"  (NIV). Since God is omniscient he would know about other gods. If he were created by another god, he would know about that one. See, there is no other God. Not one who started a progression of gods and not one who created God.

 

Most people who ask this question do so to confound Christian. They are not being honest about the question. They don't really want an answer because that would mean they are accountable to God because God has made them.

 

I pray that if anyone who sees this and gets this far into it and doesn't believe in God, that they would recognize their sin and Are you insecure because you don't trust the Lord or know Jesus is your security? Watch this video I've made https://www.tiktok.com/@bibledevotiondaily/video/7091815127263038762?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7235060026946127406

 

If it makes sense and you want to be saved from your sins, then repent, express your faith in Jesus being your God, King, Savior, Priest, Judge and your righteousness, pray the prayer at the end of the video, if you pray and mean it,

Know God created you and loves you.

 

May God Bless you.

 

Who made God is not usually an honest question. It is usually an attempt to stump Christians. This blog explains the fallacy of thinking something created God. #bibledevotion #whocreatedgod #godeternal #onlyonegod #iam #Yahweh  #mormon #LDS #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves

 

 

We Are All Goliaths

 

How many times have you heard the story of David and Goliath? It seems that Everyone says that just as David faced his giant, we can face ours. 

 

Baloney!

 

More often we are the Goliath. This story is not about how we can face our big trials in life. It's more about how we are Goliaths.

 

Ask yourself, why did David face Goliath? He faced off with Goliath because Goliath insulted God. The soldiers said in 1 Sam 17:26, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (ESV). In defying the armies of the living God, he was challenging God's sovereignty.

 

David was aghast that no one would stand up for the Lord. When David went out to fight him,1 Sam 17:43 says, "And the Philistine cursed David by his gods" (ESV). That's us. We curse God by the idols in our lives.

 

David's response is in 1 Sam 17:45-47 where he says, "I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied ... I will cut off your head ... That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, For the battle is the Lord’s ... and he will give you into our hand" (ESV).

 

This was a cosmic battle. It was about God's honor and that the whole earth will know about God. 

Are our battles about God's honor? No! We fight against Jesus, the descendant of David. When we don't see that our addictions, sexual sin, depression, and other sinful practices, dishonor God, we are Goliaths. We like Saul and his army, they are ineffective and don't challenge us. We don't want to see any Davids in our lives.

 

• We defy God by trying to clean up our own act.
• We defy God when we think that our salvation is about us and up to us.
• We defy God when we focus on fixing ourselves instead of bringing glory to God.
• We defy God when we don't overcome sinful behavior by God's power working in us.

 

The Holy Spirit is like David who comes to us to convict and destroy the sin in us. Our sins make us Goliaths but Jesus came to slay those sins.People who call themselves Christians and live like the world are Goliaths who are defying God. If that's you,  Watch this video I've made https://www.tiktok.com/@bibledevotiondaily/video/7091815127263038762?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7235060026946127406