Daily Devotions

[Berean]

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Here is the Daily Devotional

 

WHY DOES THE BIBLE SHARE REPUGNANT AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF SIN? IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

The fact that the Bible openly shares the sins of different people is one reason it has such credibility. Archaeologists have discovered many histories of kings and kingdoms; most of their battle scenes and depictions of royalty are exaggerated and leave out the defects of main characters, which the Bible does not do.

Even today, biographies skip over or soften the bad and overstate the good. So “telling it like it is” gives people more confidence that the Bible can be trusted. It doesn’t cover up everything or give a glorified picture of Israel or Jesus’ disciples.

The winner of a war often gets to chronicle the story, and it’s often more glorification and propaganda than fact. There are hundreds of examples of efforts to cover up the facts regarding nations that have committed war crimes—even retouching photos to hide the truth. The Bible does not gloss over the sins of even its greatest leaders, such as King David, who not only committed adultery, an acceptable practice of most kings in those days, but also murder to cover up his trail.
Satan wants to convince people that we are such terrible sinners that God could never save us. Yet time and again, the Lord redeems His people. When Israel turned away from the Lord, the nation was exiled into Babylon. Yet God heard their cries and said, “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine’ ” (Isaiah 43:1).

We can learn from David, who repented and was forgiven by God. We can have hope when we read of how Peter denied Christ, but bitterly wept and was restored. Such stories strengthen our faith.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4 

God bless

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[Berean]

Hi to all

Here is the Daily Devotional

 

FORGIVENESS

 

In 1961, 21-year-old civil rights activist John Lewis got off a bus in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Upon entering a “whites only” waiting room, he was attacked and beaten bloody by a young white man named Elwin Wilson. Years later, the two met in person and Wilson apologized for his actions. Lewis responded, “I forgive you. I don’t have any ill feelings, any bitterness, any malice.” The atmosphere in the southern United States during the Civil Rights movement was full of explosive tension.

As the movement for racial equality gained momentum, non-violent demonstrations were often met with violence and even death. Young John Lewis, who would later become a senator, survived more than one brutal attack. But this situation ended differently, with resolution and forgiveness. Wilson apologized, reporting that he had found the Lord and recognized his wrong; Lewis described it as a moment of grace and forgiveness, representing what the struggle was about.

In Matthew, Jesus shares a story with His disciples about an ungrateful servant who, after having been forgiven of his debts, went after a fellow servant who owed him a small sum and threw him in prison. The angry master sent the first servant back to prison. Jesus told the disciples, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

John Lewis made that difficult choice. Rather than harboring anger for how unjustly he had been treated, he chose to forgive from his heart. We might not have experienced a violent physical attack, but most of us have been wronged in some way. Will we choose to forgive?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Matthew 18:32-35 

 

God bless

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[Berean]

Hi to all

Here is the Daily Devotional

 

IF THE BIBLE IS TRULY GOD’S BOOK, SHOULDN’T EVERYONE BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND IT?

Have you ever tried to watch a movie in 3-D without those funny-looking glasses? It looks blurry, right? (You might even get a headache doing it.) Though the industry is working to make these lenses unnecessary, most 3-D films are shown from two projectors perfectly lined up and displaying two images on the same screen. The polarization of those special glasses corrects the fuzzy picture and separates the images, making them clear.

Likewise, some people see only blurry images when they read the Bible. It just doesn’t make sense to them. They wonder, “What is the point of that strange service in which animals are sacrificed in the Old Testament?” And the death of Jesus on the cross appears to be a waste of someone’s life. I believe the Bible doesn’t seem clear to some people because there’s a missing element: Like special glasses, we need to put on the lenses of faith.

Bright people who can understand and explain virtually anything else are often quickly stopped in their tracks when they read the Bible. The reason is that spiritual things “are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The deep things of the Word will never be understood by a secular mind, no matter how brilliant. Unless one honestly seeks an experience with God, he cannot understand the things of God. The Holy Spirit, who explains the Bible, is not understood by the carnal mind. On the other hand, the humble, even uneducated Christian who studies the Bible receives amazing understanding from the Holy Spirit.

So put on faith when you read the Bible. Sincerely pray for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to discern truth. And be prepared to have your vision expanded!

 

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:13-14  

God bless

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[Berean]

Hi to all

Here is the Daily Devotional

WHAT ARE THE GREATEST DANGERS FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY?

 

Obviously, there are many things in our world that threaten our relationship with God. Sometimes people fall rapidly from grace. At other times, moving away from truth happens in a subtle manner. One constant temptation for some—and among the greatest of dangers—is divided loyalties.

Many Christians have two loves that divide their hearts: love for Jesus, and love for the world and its sinful practices. Trying to satisfy both sides won’t work. Jesus warned, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). We must choose one side.

God’s Word says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). It is impossible to love the things that we know are wrong and still give our hearts to Jesus.

Still, too many people want to see how closely they can follow the world and still be considered Christians. They want the benefits of Christianity, but they also desire to conform to the world; they want to fit in and participate in its pleasures. People in this situation aren’t being honest with themselves or with God. They are attempting to walk a narrow thread that doesn’t exist.

In contrast, God tells us that we should “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed” (Romans 12:2). He wants us to be changed and conformed to the image of Christ, not the world. The Bible says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). The Lord wants us to become like Jesus so we can be trusted in heaven.

 

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2  

God bless

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[Berean]

Hi to all

Here is the Daily Devotional

 

SALAMANDERS

Salamanders are timid yet fascinating little animals that look like lizards but are actually amphibians related to frogs and toads. There are about 550 species of salamanders and newts found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, all the way from sea level to altitudes above 13,000 feet. The name salamander comes from two Greek words meaning “fire-lizards.”

Ancient people linked salamanders to fire because they often saw them crawl out of logs that had been thrown onto fires, leading people to believe that these animals could walk through fire. Most salamanders are about 4 to 6 inches long, but range from about 1.5 inches to the giant Chinese salamander growing up to 6 feet long and weighing 140 pounds! Some of these gentle creatures have long lifespans. Hellbender salamanders are capable of surviving for 25 years in their natural settings. Some fire salamanders have survived as long as 50 years in captivity.

Salamanders are earless and deaf to airborne sound, but hear by sensing vibrations from the ground. They have relatively good vision and a keen sense of smell but have little or no voice production. Most adult salamanders have saclike lungs for breathing air, but they can also use their permeable skin as a source of supplemental oxygen.
They eat mainly worms and insects that are caught with a long, sticky tongue. Among the many unique characteristics of salamanders is their ability to shed their tails if a predator threatens them. Once released, the tail twitches about on the ground and confuses the attacker while the salamander slips away and later regenerates a new tail.

Jesus once spoke about symbolically losing part of your body for a good reason. When warning people about things that will cause others (or yourself ) to stumble, He graphically illustrates His point by saying, “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire” (Matthew 18:8). In other words, we should go to great lengths to escape being caught in the sin of hurting others.

Interestingly, salamanders have an amazing ability to regenerate lost body parts. In just a few weeks they can grow a perfectly new limb. Whatever losses we might sustain on this earth, God will restore in the earth made new!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. Matthew 18:8 

God bless

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[Berean]

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Here is the Daily Devotional

DOESN’T LUKE 16:16 MEAN JESUS DID AWAY WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT?

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees “who were lovers of money” (v. 14). Christ had just rebuked those who worshiped “mammon” (v. 13). He now turns to these religious leaders who “heard all these things and they derided Him” (v. 14). Notice Jesus’ pointed words: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (v. 15).

The Pharisees felt no need of Christ. They were blind to His role as the Messiah, who not only fulfilled Old Testament symbols, but had now come to announce the kingdom of God. They scorned the messages of Jesus and were jealous of the growing numbers who turned away from them to this new teacher. The Pharisees claimed to stand firmly on the law and the prophets, but Jesus showed how their self-justifying spirit fell flat before God.

To paraphrase Luke 16:16, “The Old Testament Scriptures bring us up to the time of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Messiah.” The verse then says, “Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” Jesus was telling them, “The law and the prophets on which you think you so firmly stand points to My coming, yet you reject Me and are jealous of all the people who are turning to my preaching.”
Jesus repeatedly upheld the law (Matthew 5:17), as did the other writers of the New Testament (Acts 26:22). The Old Testament was a sufficient guide to lead people to heaven (Luke 16:19–31). The church found its strongest confirmation of faith in Christ through the prophecies of the Old Testament (Acts 7:37). The phrase in Luke 16:16, “Since that time,” refers to the time since John the Baptist began to preach and call attention to the coming of Jesus and the greater light He would bring to the world.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. Luke 16:16 

 

God bless

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[Berean]

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THE BIGEST CUP  

Baskin-Robbins holds the Guinness World Record for the largest cup of ice cream ever made. It weighed in at 8,865 pounds! In celebration of its 60th birthday, Baskin-Robbins decided it would create the world’s largest cup of ice cream. On September 13, 2005, the company made an 8,865-pound cup of ice cream at its Canton, Massachusetts, headquarters.

Which one of their 31 flavors did they use? Vanilla, of course! Though that is a huge cup of tasty ice cream, it is nowhere near the size of a cup of something else the Bible mentions. The author of Psalm 116 praises the Lord for “all his goodness to” him (v. 12 NIV). And in return, he says that he will “take up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord” (v. 13).

Could there be any cup in the universe that is bigger? The “cup of salvation” is big enough for everyone to take from, for God “desires all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). And Christ has certainly made the way for all to be saved, because as He sweat drops of blood in the garden of Gethsemane, He finally took up that cup after pleading with His Father to take it from Him (Matthew 26:36–46). Only it wasn’t 8,865 pounds of vanilla ice cream that He tasted; instead, as He lifted that cup to His quivering lips, the author of Hebrews says that He “tasted death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9)

Thus, there is no reason why any of us should be lost! Christ has tasted death for every man and every woman and now invites us to drink from the biggest cup in the universe—the cup of salvation. Will you respond to His invitation?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 

God bless

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[Berean]

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DOES ISAIAH 66:24 TEACH THAT THE WICKED AREN’T BURNED UP WHEN THE EARTH IS MADE NEW?

Many prophecies in the Old Testament have a dual application. They were first given to the nation of Israel and applied to the land in which they lived. God designed that the Jews would be the center of influence for His kingdom to all the world. The words of the prophets described local enemies and literal places. But the Hebrews failed to fulfill their obligations in these conditional prophecies. Yet the words do not fall into the dust, but rather they are raised up and applied to spiritual Israel in a universal sense.

In the poetic language of Isaiah, we listen to a victorious description of Israel looking upon the destruction of their enemies. Using hyperbole, he visualizes their annihilation. But does this passage mean dead bodies will forever be lying around on the new earth? Like other Bible teachings, we must look at the whole of Scripture on a topic.

God’s Word clearly states, “‘Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘that will leave them neither root nor branch. … You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:1, 3).

In Isaiah 66:24, the tense of the Hebrew verb “does not die” means that the worm doesn’t live forever, but will do its complete work before it ceases to exist. The same is true of the fire that is “not quenched.” The same verb tense suggests that once this fire begins its work, it cannot be stopped until it has completely burned up what it is consuming.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. Isaiah 66:24 

God bless

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[Berean]

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Here is the Daily Devotional

 

WHOM WILL YOU CHOOSE?

According to early Greek manuscripts, the full name of Barabbas, the prisoner who was released instead of Jesus, was actually Jesus Barabbas. The story of Barabbas is an interesting one. The Gospel accounts explain how Pontius Pilate gave the Jewish people the choice of releasing Jesus or Barabbas. Sadly, the people called for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified.

Barabbas was a notorious prisoner who had caused insurrection in Jerusalem, ultimately committing murder. He was a hardened criminal. Yet what is perhaps most interesting about him is his name. According to the early Greek manuscripts of Matthew 27:16, his first name was also “Jesus,” which, in Hebrew, means “the Lord saves.” Furthermore, the name “Barabbas” means “son of the father” in Aramaic.

So the Jewish people were faced with a choice between two saviors. They could choose Jesus Christ or Jesus “son of the father.” The first Jesus came to give eternal salvation, achieved by grace through faith. The second Jesus came pursuing earthly salvation, achieved by violence.
At the heart of the choice between the two was an understanding of what the character of the heavenly Father really is. Either He is a God of vengeance who takes life, or He is a God of love that gives life. And so the Jewish people chose to reflect their understanding of Him and took life.

Yet in their act of taking life, Christ was able to give life.

Of course, it wasn’t them alone who chose to take Christ’s life. All who have sinned have ultimately chosen Jesus Barabbas. But we can start afresh today and choose the life of Christ over the life of Barabbas.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; Joshua 24:16 

God bless

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[Berean]

Hi to all

 

Here is the Daily Devotional

 

LUCY PEACE AT LAST

Lucy is no stranger to grief and loss. At the age of 14, she lost her older sister and her sister’s three children in a house fire. Later she suffered the death of her mother. Shortly after this her daughter-in-law died suddenly, leaving Lucy’s son alone with two children. “My world was being torn apart,” Lucy says. “My head was in a constant spin.”

Lucy was inconsolable and wanted to see no one. When she decided to reach out to the pastor of her church, she learned that he, too, had passed away two months earlier. It seemed that everywhere Lucy turned, there was more loss. “I had no relief from my pain and I felt I had no one to turn to,” she recalls.

Thinking about death and wanting to die, Lucy did an Internet search asking the question, “What happens when we die?” The search took her to an Amazing Facts website where she found the answer to her question. “Pastor Doug’s explanation was so soothing and comforting to my troubled and damaged soul,” she says. “I was able to live again!”

Even though Lucy’s mother was Catholic and her father was Jewish, neither of her parents taught religion in the home. When Lucy found the Amazing Facts website, she found words of comfort which helped her cope with all her losses. “I’m the youngest of eight children,” she explains. “We were never raised with the truth, so everyone went their own way. But when I found God’s truth, I wanted to share it with my family.”

Unfortunately, Lucy’s desire to share her joy was met with laughter and
scoffing. She recalls the sadness of trying to share the truth about death with her brother. Her sister-in-law squelched her brother’s interest by convincing him to believe in reincarnation and ghosts. “When they left my home, I had tears running down my cheeks. Amazing Facts has been the glue that keeps me in the fold of God.”

From despair to peace, the Bible truth about death brought comfort to Lucy’s heart. As she continues to grow, she shares, “My goal is to live my life in the character of Jesus and teach what I have learned to anyone who is willing to receive it.”

Reflect: Have you ever suffered a deep loss and felt overwhelmed by grief? Jesus will put His comforting arms around you. Ask Him to come close and He will.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 

 

God bless

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[Berean]

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ABANDONED AT SEA

Alexander Selkirk was a quick-tempered, hardened sailor and pirate. In 1703, he joined William Dampier on a privateering expedition, plundering Spanish merchant ships in the Pacific. After a quarrel with the captain over the seaworthiness of their ship, the hotheaded Selkirk demanded to be left ashore on the uninhabited island of Juan Fernandez, 400 miles west of Chile. However, when Selkirk realized that none of the crew would join him, he had a moment of regret and begged the captain to be let on the ship—but the captain refused.

So Selkirk was left alone with a few basic supplies: clothes, bedding, flint, a pound of gunpowder, bullets, a hatchet, a knife, a kettle, his navigation tools, and a Bible. What Selkirk thought might be a few days until the next ship came by stretched into nearly four and a half years. The first months were a difficult adjustment. The nights were terrifying: the bellowing calls of sea lions, tree limbs breaking in the frequent storms, and the hordes of rats gnawing on his feet as he tried to sleep. Selkirk was depressed and even contemplated suicide. He was almost glad to be hungry because it diverted his thoughts. However, in time, Selkirk’s mood improved.

He kept busy building a hut, catching wild goats to eat, and taming the feral cats (which eventually helped with the rats). In addition to watching for passing ships, Selkirk spent time singing hymns, praying, and reading his Bible. He later remarked that he was a better Christian on the island than ever before, or, as it seems, after. In 1709, Selkirk was rescued by another English ship. It was then that he learned the fate of his old crewmates: the ship sank soon after leaving Juan Fernandez, most of the crew was killed, and the rest were captured by the Spanish.

As the poet John Milton wrote, “Loneliness is the first thing which God’s eye named, not good.” God knew that we would need human companionship and gave us marriage, family, and friendship for that purpose. But during those abandoned-at-sea moments when marriages fail, families misunderstand us, and friends desert us, we can find the Companion that Selkirk found—the One who promises “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18 

God bless 

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[Berean]

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NAPOLEON’S PERFUMES

Josephine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and the first empress of the French. She received many love letters from Napoleon, and many of them still exist. Her chateau was known for a magnificent rose garden. She watched over it very carefully and collected roses from around the world. Because she did not produce an heir for the king, Napoleon divorced her, but never forgot her. The chateau near Paris, long inhabited by Josephine, still exudes the strong odor of musk with which the empress used to douse her person in life.

Her favorite essence was the Houbigant musk perfume manufactured in Paris. The castle, now a museum, changed hands many times after Napoleon’s ex-wife died in it in 1814. But no effort of the subsequent owners has ever succeeded in eradicating the strong and penetrating scent which clings to the walls, imprinting the empress’s personality on her residence forever.

Napoleon was so enamored of the sweet smell of success that he used 54 bottles of cologne a month and carried them with him to his battlefields. Houbigant fragrances could be found in his campaign chest during the years he went out to conquer Europe. One would think that on a windy day the odor would have alerted the enemy of his presence!

The Bible talks about perfume in reference to the Old Testament sanctuary altar of incense. God gave careful instructions on how to make this fragrant substance using gum resins and spices. The specific recipe was sacred and not to be used for general purposes (see Exodus 30:34-38). This incense was burned morning and evening on the altar that stood in the Holy Place in front of the curtain that separated it from the Most Holy Place.
This golden altar of incense was seen by John in vision in heaven standing before God. On it an angel burned incense, which was mingled with the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3) and represents the ministry of Christ. Like Josephine and Napoleon, it would be well for us to “douse” ourselves every day, not with cologne or perfume, but with the sweet savor of prayer.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the , where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. Exodus 30:35-36 

God bless 
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[Berean]

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• THE HEAVENS ARE THE LORD’S

Our Milky Way Galaxy is part of what astronomers call the “Local Group,” which also includes the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and approximately 30 smaller galaxies. The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, is our nearest neighboring spiral galaxy and is close to 2,500,000 light-years away. It can be seen from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere.

One of the greatest blessings on Earth is the ability to look up into the night sky and gaze upon the beautiful, creative masterpiece that we call the universe. But when we do this, we really have a very weak concept of what we are looking at (even the astronomers among us). There are more mysteries about the cosmos, it seems, than there are stars. Even of our home galaxy we know very little. Nevertheless, stargazing is an awe-inspiring activity. Our hearts are drawn to the Creator as we marvel at such stunning work.

A well-known psalm of David says, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3, 4). It’s mind-blowing to realize that the God who knows every intricate detail of such a massive universe cares for us. He who placed and maintains each star and planet and galaxy—and knows them all by name—this same Creator God is very interested in the details of each of our lives because He loves us so much.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. Psalm 115:15-16  

 

God bless 

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[Berean]

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Here is the Daily Devotional

 

PRISCILLA NO CABLE? NO PROBLEM!

Most people would be quite frustrated if their cable was disconnected, but Priscilla saw God’s hand working in her life. When she couldn’t afford to pay her cable bill, she hooked her computer up to her television and began watching programs through the Internet. Soon she discovered the Amazing Facts website and many sermons that she could watch for free!

Priscilla identified with Pastor Doug’s personal testimony. She grew up in an orphanage and as an adult plunged into a life of drugs, shame, and time in prison. But the greatest pain she’s ever known happened two years ago when her only child, her 21-year-old son, was killed in a car accident. “He had his whole life ahead of him. I attempted suicide in the days following his death. I felt my life was over and not worth living without my son.”

Listening to Bible-based sermons gave her hope. She heard promises of a better tomorrow and sensed God leading her to learn more about the Bible. When she heard about Saturday being the Lord’s true Sabbath day, it caused her to dust off her Bible and read for herself about the seventh day.

She was so hungry to learn about Bible truth that she set aside contact with the regular news in her community and in the world in order to discover the hidden treasures of God’s Word. “I am so interested in Bible prophecy that I sometimes think I bore my friends because it is all I talk about!”

Priscilla has hesitated to join a church because she has never found one that truly teaches the Bible. She has been to services where there was lots of shouting during the sermon, but they never helped her really know more about God. She felt alone and rejected when others spoke in tongues and she did not.

Hearing God’s Word preached through Amazing Facts is changing her mind about church. She shares, “Now I want to be baptized. I’m ready to make a public commitment to serve Jesus Christ. Please pray for me as I make a first step to find a church home. I want to become a member once and for all, and stay there!”*

Reflect: Do you know someone like Priscilla who is searching and about to make a decision for Jesus?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6 

God bless 

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[Berean]

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Here is the Daily Devotional

61 YEARS LATE

In 1946, Robert Probach wrote a prize-winning essay for the Gonzaga University’s student paper. When Robert tried to collect the $20 of prize money, the editor told him to come back later. On each succeeding visit, he got the same message—come back later. He never received the prize money. By 2007, the story had become family lore, and Robert’s son Gregg decided to see what would happen if he contacted the university about the matter.

On May 18, 2007, the university president handed Robert a check for $512 dollars—$20 plus 61 years of interest. Robert donated the check back to the university. Christians have been expecting the Lord’s soon return almost since Jesus’ ascension nearly 2,000 years ago. Is the Lord like an unfaithful newspaper editor—promising a reward that will never come?

Peter warns his readers that in the last days “scoffers” will come saying exactly that. Peter reminds us that God has an eternal perspective on time: “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). The psalmist corroborates this: “For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4).

Peter also reassures us that this apparent delay is not because He’s unwilling to keep His promise or has changed His mind: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

God is waiting to give out the prize so that as many people as possible can receive it. In the meantime, perhaps we can do what Robert Probach did once he finally received his prize money—share it with as many people as possible.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. Isaiah 30:18 

God bless 

https://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/daily-devotional

[Berean]

Hi to all

Here is the Daily Devotional

 

BARBARA WHEN YOUR WORLD FALLS TO PIECES

Barbara threw the Amazing Facts evangelistic brochure in the garbage. She was at the lowest point in her life. Over the last three years her mother had passed away, her husband died of cancer, and her father died from a stroke. As she tried to cope with family challenges, financial stresses, and deep grief, she thought she was going to go crazy.

Just the night before the brochure arrived, she had cried out to God for help. She felt like she was at the end of her rope. The Lord gave her calmness to make it through the night. The next day when the mail came she immediately saw the invitation to a prophecy seminar being conducted by Darrin Bartell. Something called to her heart to pull the big colorful mailer back out of the garbage. She was drawn to the pictures. Barbara later called a friend and they both attended the meetings.

Barbara shares, “When I heard Pastor Bartell preach, I knew God put him on earth to speak to me! I can still see him holding up a Bible and saying, ‘Don’t believe everything you are told. Go to the Bible for answers.’” When the meetings were transferred to a Sabbath-keeping church, she hesitated to attend. She had always been taught that these Sabbath-keepers were a cult.

“So I asked my friend, ‘Should I go?’ She said, ‘Are you learning more about the Bible? Are you growing in Christ? If so, then go!’” The first time she entered this church, she says, “I felt like I was coming home. My best friends in the world are in that church. I have true friends there.”
Barbara gratefully says, in light of her poor health, that if she had not found God’s last-day church when she did, “I would probably not be alive right now. My health was so bad. I was under so much pressure. I hardly knew how to pray. I am so glad I pulled that brochure out of the garbage. My local church and Amazing Facts have been such a blessing to me because they have helped me to grow in Christ.”

Reflect: Can you recall one time you sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? Did you follow the promptings of the Spirit? It will bring you joy!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalm 32:8 

 

God bless 
https://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/daily-devotional

[Berean]

Hi to all

Here is the Daily Devotional

 

ROARING LIONS

 

For nine months, between 1898 and 1899, the two infamous “man-eater lions of Tsavo” terrorized workers employed in the construction of a railway bridge in Africa. As the death toll rose, construction was brought to a virtual standstill. Workers refused to continue until protection could be provided.

In March 1898 the British started building a railway bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya. During the next nine months of construction, two male lions stalked the campsite, dragged workers from their tents at night, and devoured them. Crews tried to scare off the lions. They built campfires and thorn fences around their camp to keep the man-eaters out. It didn’t work.

The construction on the bridge came to a dead halt. A hunter named Colonel Patterson was hired to set traps and tried several times to ambush the lions at night from a tree. He failed many times but finally shot the first lion on December 9, 1898. Three weeks later, the second lion was found and killed. The first lion killed measured nine feet, eight inches from nose to tip of tail. It took eight men to carry the carcass back to camp. The construction crew soon returned and completed the bridge in February 1899.

How many people were killed by the lions? Over the years, Patterson gave several different figures. He once claimed there were 135 victims, but recent research speculates that the number was probably closer to 35—that’s still a large number! The Bible says, “The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass” (Proverbs 19:12). Satan is described like a roaring lion looking for people to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He is driven by hatred and revenge.

But Christ is also described as “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5) whose messages can be like a roaring lion (Revelation 10:3). God is not driven by hatred. When we choose Christ as our Savior, we need not fear the roar of the lion.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12

God bless 

https://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/daily-devotional

[Berean]

HI TO ALL

HERE IS THE DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THE SIGNET RING

Sigillography is the study of seals used to impress a figure into clay or wax or embossing paper with the purpose of authenticating a document. Devices with molds for making a mirror image on a document have been mounted on rings and used by kings since ancient times. In ancient Mesopotamia clay cylinders were used for marking documents or items by rolling them across a piece of wet clay, thereby embossing the product. But one of the more common seals was made by rings. Usually the embossing piece on the ring was carved from gemstones. Metal was also used but it created a weaker material.

A signet ring was worn to show a person’s authority and power and has been an important part of the regalia of many monarchies. Their mark was binding and indicated the rights of the official. Today we do not use signet rings to indicate our signature, but people still wear them to demonstrate their family lineage or connection with an organization, such as a class ring.

The signet made a deep impression in clay or wax forming an official seal. The imprinted seal carried the full authority of the office it represented. You did not dare question it. The royal official’s design was well known. The symbol was not doubted and could be recognized by citizens as authentic. There would be the pain of death to those who violated seals.
King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther authority to protect the Jews. He even went so far as to say, “You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke” (Esther 8:8).

What a beautiful illustration of God’s seal on our lives. When we are “stamped” with God’s seal, we are safe and secure, protected under the authority of the mightiest power in the universe. When you give yourself to God, the impression of Christ is made upon your life.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 

 

God bless 
https://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/daily-devotional

[Berean]

Hi to all

WHAT DOES THE APOSTLE PAUL MEAN WHEN HE DESIRES TO “DEPART AND BE WITH CHRIST”?

In today’s passage, Paul is torn between living and laying down his life. He isn’t saying that he will go to be with Christ as soon as he dies. He uses the word “depart” in reference to his death. The Bible explains that Paul did not believe his “departure” would mean immediate entrance into heaven.

Notice this statement from Paul: “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord … will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6–8, my emphasis).

Paul didn’t expect to get his eternal crown at his departure in death. “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven … and thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). Paul’s desire to depart and be with Christ involved the resurrection that would take place at the end of the world. Since the unconscious sleep of death will feel like only a moment, Paul speaks of death and the coming of Christ as almost simultaneous. He doesn’t refer to the lapse of time in between these events.
In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus referring to two events that were separated by 1,000 years, yet it sounds like they occur one right after the other. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:28, 29).
When we lie down in the sleep of death, we are completely unconscious. It will seem but a moment to awake from death and see Jesus coming!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Philippians 1:23 

God bless 

https://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/daily-devotional

[Berean]

Hi to all

Here is the Daily Devotional

*THE RIGHTEOUS* 

*******

During the dark years of the Holocaust, hundreds of non-Jews throughout Europe risked torture and death rescuing their Jewish neighbors and protecting them from the Nazis. The state of Israel has honored these courageous individuals with the title “righteous among nations.” As the dark wave of Nazi Germany spread across Europe, a few courageous people chose to risk their lives to protect others.

Defying the Nazis’ efforts to exterminate the Jewish population, some families hid Jews in their barns or basements. Others assisted Jews in fleeing to safer countries. In Denmark, the Danish underground movement worked to save the Jewish citizens of their country. In France, where the memory of the Huguenot Protestants’ suffering under Catholic rule remained fresh, the entire village of Chambon-sur-Lignon saved an estimated 3,000 Jews, many of them young children.
Decades have passed since World War II, but the courage of these individuals has not been forgotten. The state of Israel honored these rescuers with the title “righteous among nations.” An organization known as The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous was founded to financially support and provide for the aged and needy among these people. It is a touching reminder of the words of David in the book of Psalms. “I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendents begging bread.”

God honors those who choose to follow Him. The actions of “the righteous” truly reflect God’s character and survive as an example to us all. Will we choose to stand up for what is right when evil surrounds us? Will we refuse to passively sit back but rather follow our Savior at any cost? When we make that choice, He will not forsake us. 

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Psalm 37:26

God bless

https://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/daily-devotional

 

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