DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 12.4.21

An Introduction to Christ Revelation 1:4-8 The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is: Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9).The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: �He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.� Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John19:11; Rom. 13:1). Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God�s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises. Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John�s writing. The Lord�s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken. When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ�s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord. We shouldn�t be shy, either,when we serve so great a Savior. ---------------------------------------- TheDevil Never Rests �And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going toand fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.� (Job1:7) This remarkable scene in heaven provides a striking picture of Satanic activity. The devil, in his opposition to God and His program of salvation, evidently never rests. He is not omnipresent like God because he is a finite, though very powerful and brilliant,created being. To accomplish his goal, therefore, he is never at rest but keeps going from place to place and working deception after deception, bringing everyone he can under his influence. Therefore, God urgently warns us: �Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour� (1Peter 5:8). The same is true of the demonic spirits who have followed the devil in his rebellion against God. They never rest until they can take possession of some person�s body and mind and then control that person�s behavior. �When the unclean spirit is gone out ofa man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out� (Matthew12:43-44). This restlessness that characterizes the devil and his demons often also manifests itself in the unsaved, and this will be the ultimate state of those who yield to the pressures of these evil spirits. �They have no rest day nor night, who worship the beastand his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name� (Revelation14:11). True rest of soul is found only in Christ, with His forgiveness, cleansing, and guidance: �Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shallfind rest unto your souls� (Matthew11:28-29). HMM --------------------------- TheProsperity of the Ungodly “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Whereforedoth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?” (Jeremiah12:1) One of the perennial theological problems is the apparent prosperity of the ungodly along with the suffering of the righteous. Why would God seem to endorse such a system? It has been this way for ages. Some 2,000 or more years before Christ, Job asked essentially the same question as did the prophet Jeremiah in our text above. “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?...They spend their days in wealth,and...say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways” (Job21:7, 13-14). Likewise, the psalmist Asaph complained, “I was envious... when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm73:3). The real solution to this paradox is not in this present world but in the world to come, where hell awaits the ungodly and heaven awaits those whom God has redeemed through faith in Christ. The fact that a man may prosper materially is not necessarily a measureof God’s approval. The previous economic boom in this country made many men very wealthy, and most of them seem either indifferent or hostile to God, but their wealth is very ephemeral. As David said in another psalm, “I have seen the wicked in great power,and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not” (Psalm37:35-36). If God does give a few believers material wealth, it is so that they may use it for the Lord and for others, not to pamper themselves. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but...that they be richin good works, ready to distribute, willing to [share]” (1Timothy 6:17-18). HMM ----------------------------------------- TheDanger of Willful Sin “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterlybe cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” (Numbers15:31) Under the Mosaic law, there was ample provision for forgiveness of sins committed unintentionally. “If any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul thatsinneth ignorantly...and it shall be forgiven him” (Numbers15:27-28). However, as in our text, it was altogether different for one who deliberately disobeyed God’s law. One who would so despise God’s commandment was to be put to death. In this Christian dispensation, many would say that this harshness of God’s law has been replaced by His love. There is abundant pardon for all, since Jesus died for all our sins. Now all we need is to confess our sins and He will forgive us (1John 1:9). But, “if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins...He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, supposeye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?” (Hebrews10:26, 28-29). Even assuming this warning applies specifically only to those who have willfully renounced faith in Christ, the question still remains whether one with true saving faith will willfully sin against the known will of God as revealed in His Word. “He that saith,I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1John 2:4). Only God knows the heart, but those “Christians” who deliberately reject and disobey His Word should at least “examine [them]selves, whether [they] be in the faith” (2Corinthians 13:5). HMM ------------------------------------ Peace with God Romans 5:1-2 One day I posed a question to the waitress at my table: “If you could ask God for anything, what would your request be?” Her answer was immediate. “I want to feel at peace.” She tearfully explained that her grandmother had died and emotional turmoil resulted. Many in our world are like this young woman, in that they desire inner calmness but have no relationship with the Lord. People often seek contentment by trying to improve their appearance, physical fitness, financial situation, or social status—or by abusingsubstances. But such things can’t bring tranquility of heart or mind. Only a relationship with Jesus leads to true peace. Prior to salvation, we were slaves to sin and living in opposition to God (Col. 1:21). Our transgressions had formed a barrier of hostilitybetween Him and us, which we were helpless to cross on our own. Without God’s intervention, we could not have found the way of peace. But our heavenly Father provided the perfect solution to our sin problem. He sent His Son to pay for our iniquities and removethe separation that existed between us and Him. When we trusted Jesus as our Savior, we were reconciled to the Lord (Rom. 5:10) and no longer at odds with Him. In Christ, we have peacewith the Father. Our triune God has provided everything we need for inner tranquility. The Father opened the way for us to be in His family. Jesus continually offers His peace so we can experience serenity of mind and heart (John14:27). And the Holy Spirit cultivates the fruit of peace in our lives (Gal. 5:22). ---------------------------------- Our Heavenly Father Matthew 6:8-13 When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as "OurFather." They had previously heard Jesus say, "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who has been born again into the household of God have this same right. Since our concepts of God are shaped by our earthly fathers, we all have different perceptions of Him, but Jesus is the only one who has a completely accurate understanding of the heavenly Father. Consider some of the ways He cares for His children: • Loves: God's love is unconditional, since it's based on His nature rather than our performance (1 John 4:16). • Listens: When we pray, He gives us His full attention (Ps. 55:16-17). • Provides: The Father assumes responsibility for meeting all our needs (Phil. 4:19). * Guides: He is the one who directs our path when we trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6). • Protects: The Lord shields us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, sifting every experience through His sovereign fingers. (Ps.121:1-8). • Stays: He's not an absentee parent, since He'll never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:8). • Disciplines: The Lord disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Heb. 12:5-11). Though experiences with our earthly dads may have distorted our view of the heavenly Father, we can learn to see Him as He truly is. By viewing Him through the truth of Scripture instead of our preconceptions, we will see evidence of His loving care anddiscover a security we've never known before. ---------------------------- ThePeople Said, �Amen� �Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praiseye the LORD.� (Psalm106:48) Many is the speaker who, after he has made some point that he considers especially good, will then say: �And all the people said, �Amen�� (meaning �that�s right!�). It is interesting to note the biblical examples of such a demonstration. There are 16 times in which this or a similar statement occurs in the Bible�all in the Old Testament. Twelve of these are found in Deuteronomy 27:14-26 with the people so responding afterthe pronouncement of a �curse� on those who commit various sins. The last curse is as follows: �Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen� (v. 26) in agreement with the judgment. King David described his thanksgiving for the return of the Ark of the Covenant with �Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD� (1Chronicles 16:36). When Jerusalem�s wall restoration was being delayed and Nehemiah had to rebuke some of his people for their covetousness, threatening God�s judgment on them if they did not repent, then �all the congregation said, Amen, and praised theLORD. And the people did according to this promise� (Nehemiah5:13). After the wall was finished, as Ezra read the Scriptures to the people, �Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen� (Nehemiah8:6). The final such reference is in our text. If we follow biblical precedent, therefore, whenever God�s Word is read to a congregation, either in denunciation of sin or thanksgiving for blessing and revival, or simply in praising the Lord for His eternal goodness, it is appropriate for the people to respondwith a heartfelt �Amen!� HMM ---------------------------------- Worksof Darkness �And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.� (Ephesians5:11) What are these �works of darkness� that we must avoid? Some of these works are enumerated in Romans 13:12-13: �Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness...not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.� AChristian is thus to �cast off� all such works of darkness from his or her own life, to �have no fellowship� with those who practice them, and even to openly �reprove them.� �This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindnessof their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness� (Ephesians4:17-19). Such works of darkness stem directly from a denial of God as sovereign: �When they knew God, they glorified him not as God...and their foolish heart was darkened� (Romans1:21). This darkening of the heart is soon followed by a darkening of the life: �Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness... Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things whichare not convenient� (Romans1:24, 28). In these days of moral confusion, with attitudes and actions once outlawed by society now being defended and favored (e.g., sexual promiscuity and perversion), and with once-honored attributes now ridiculed (e.g., chastity, spirituality), there are great pressureson Christians to compromise with these works of darkness. God and His standards do not change, however, and He still expects us to shun and reprove them. HMM ------------------------------ TheIntercessor �I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, bemade for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.� (1 Timothy 2:1-2) When we pray for others, we not only are helping to assure a good life for ourselves�as our text indicates�but, more importantly, we are thereby becoming more like Christ. On the cross itself, �he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors� (Isaiah 53:12). Since His return to heaven, He has been continually occupied with His ministry of intercession. �Wherefore he is able also to save themto the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them� (Hebrews 7:25). �It is Christ that died, yea rather, thatis risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us� (Romans 8:34). Not only is our resurrected, glorified Savior perpetually interceding for us in heaven, but also the indwelling Holy Spirit is praying for us here. �For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit [Himself] maketh intercession for us withgroanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God� (Romans8:26-27). Now if both God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are always interceding for us before God the Father, we surely ought to be willing to spend time in prayer for others down here�not only for our loved ones, but even for those who have hurt us. Jesus said, �Prayfor them which despitefully use you, and persecute you� (Matthew 5:44). May God help us to be faithful in this vital ministry of intercession. HMM -------------------------------- IAm Christ's Friend �Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have calledyou friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.� (John15:15) Some things in Scripture are harder to understand and believe than others. Christ, the Sovereign Creator of all things, the offended Judge who declared the penalty for sin to be death, the One who willingly died to pay that penalty and redeem us from bondageto sin, now calls us His friends. Certainly we would like to consider Him our friend; but are we really His friends? If He were telling someone about His friends, would He include us? Somehow this seems too much�too good to be true; but He insists it is. Actually, Christ said, �Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you� (John15:16). We are His friends by conscious choice on His part, even though He knows more about our inward nature than we will admit to ourselves. He has demonstrated His friendship by the greatest act of love imaginable, when He voluntarily died to save usfrom our sins. �Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends� (v. 13). Furthermore, for His friends He promises, �Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you� (v. 16). His love for us surpasses human love. �As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love� (v. 9) �that your joy might be full� (v. 11). He has �ordained� us as friends so that we �should go and bring forth fruit, and that [our] fruitshould remain� (v. 16). What joy! There should be a response on our part to His friendship. Almost as a self-evident fact, He states, �Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you� (v. 14), among other things, �that ye love one another� (v. 17). How can we do less? JDM ------------------------------- Fullnessof Blessing �And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel ofChrist.� (Romans15:29) One beautiful characteristic of life in Christ is its fullness. Jesus Christ is Himself �the fullness of him that filleth all in all� (Ephesians1:23), and He does everything to the full! When He fed the multitude, there were 12 baskets left over (John6:13); when He brought in the miraculous catch of fishes, the nets were so full that they broke, and the boats so full they began to sink (Luke5:6-7). First of all, He gives fullness of grace. �And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace� (John1:16). Then comes fullness of joy and peace: �These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full� (John15:11). �Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing� (Romans15:13). It is then possible�in fact, we are commanded�to be �filled with the Spirit...making melody in your heart to the Lord� (Ephesians5:18-19). Not only does the Holy Spirit indwell us, but so do the Father and the Son, by the Spirit. Jesus said: �If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him� (John14:23). In this way, the triune God indwells us, and thereby we �know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that [we] might be filled with all the fullness of God� (Ephesians3:19). All the fullness of God! In Jesus Christ �dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him� (Colossians2:9-10), �for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell� (Colossians1:19). With the resources of such fullness of blessing available to us, we should be constantly growing �unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ� (Ephesians4:13). HMM ---------------------------- Events �For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride oflife, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.� (1John 2:16-17) In the broadest sense, there are only two belief systems: theism and naturalism. One believes in supernatural influence on the affairs of men and as the foundation of purpose and order, the other does not. The vast majority of the world is theistic (thoughnot creationist) in its worldview. Only the �civilized world� is arrogant enough to consciously exclude the supernatural from its thinking. But this is the key: �For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he� (Proverbs23:7). This is why we are clearly told, �Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life� (Proverbs4:23). Underlying all, of course, is the great Adversary, who seeks to draw the worship of all men to himself and replace all �gods� as the god of this world. Satan is driven, like �a roaring lion,� to devour all who oppose him (1Peter 5:8). The real war is a spiritual one (Ephesians6:12-13). President George W. Bush was correct when he insisted that the campaign against modern terrorism will be �unlike any other we have ever seen.� It will be worldwide in scope, transcultural in impact, and years in the execution. Will terrorists be eliminated and evil conquered? Not until Jesus Christ sets up His millennial reign. But we can �overcome evil with good� (Romans12:21), and we can �reign in life� (Romans5:17). Freedom is administered through truth (John8:32, 36), and Satan, when resisted in �the faith� (1Peter 5:9), will �flee� (James4:7). HMM III --------------------------------- People �God that made the world...hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the faceof the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.� (Acts17:24, 26) The foundation for global conflict lies in God�s promise to Abraham: �I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee:and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed� (Genesis12:2-3). The son of promise (Isaac) and the son of the bondwoman (Ishmael) are at the crux of the issue (Galatians4:22-31). In eternity�s eyes, all the petty politics and power plays of the nations are �dust of the balance� (Isaiah40:15). Anyone familiar with biblical history will know that God dealt with the nations of the world as tools of influence, reward, and punishment to Israel. After Abraham generated the beginnings of Israel�s enemies through Ishmael, and Jacob began another line ofenmity through Esau, the stories of the Canaanite conquest under Joshua and the subsequent 400 years of the time of the Judges relate the conflicts that culminated in the united kingdom under Saul, David, and Solomon. Nearly half of the remaining Old Testament records the efforts by God to deal with Israel and Judah after the civil war begun by Solomon�s son, Rehoboam. That concluded with the Assyrian captivity and disbursement of the northern 10 tribes and the 70-year captivityof Judah under Babylon. The nearly two millennia from Abraham to the coming of the Messiah have been followed by two millennia of a spiritual �d�j� vu� through the church the Lord Jesus started. God�s promise is that both Israel and the church will find satisfaction and success whenHe returns to finalize and fulfill the promise made to Abraham so long ago. HMM III ---------------------------- LetGod Be True �For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid:yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written. That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.� (Romans3:3-4) Many Christians are so intimidated by the arrogant unbelief of the supposed intellectuals of the world that they either reject or compromise or ignore the difficult teachings of Scripture. This is a grievous mistake, for all of God�s �sayings� are �justified� and He will surely �overcome� all those who presume to �judge� Him and His Word. The only reason to believe in evolution, for example, is the fact that most such intellectuals believe it. There is no real evidence, either in the Bible or in science, for evolution or any other form of unbelief, yet many professed believers in Christ seemto have �loved the praise of men more than the praise of God� (John12:43). Therefore they assume that God does not really mean what He says in His Word, thereby making faith in His Word �without effect.� God�s truth is not determined, however, by taking a vote, or by the opinions of skeptics, or by metaphysical speculation. It is determined by God Himself and none other, �for the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth� (Psalm33:4). Therefore, as our text commands: �Let God be true, but every man a liar.� The very criterion of truth is the Word of God. It is good to explain God�s Word to those open to its truth, but never to explain it away by some compromising accommodation to currentscientism. �Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever� (Psalm119:160). The Lord Jesus confessed, unreservedly, �Thy word is truth� (John17:17), and so should we. HMM -------------------------- Intendedfor Good - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say tohim, �What do you mean by doing these things?� �Daniel 4:35 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/intended-for-good/- Listen Sometimes the things that we think are good in life may not be as good as we think they are. And sometimes the things that we think are bad in life may turn out to be actuallygood. Take, for instance, the Old Testament story of Joseph in which his brothers sold him into slavery. God had his hand on young Joseph, and he ended up in a position of greatinfluence in Egypt. Ultimately, he was in charge of the food supply. When his brothers came to Egypt hoping to buy food during a famine, they thought Joseph was long gone. Little did they know that Joseph had become a powerful Egyptian official.At first, they didn�t recognize him, but Joseph recognized them. And, of course, it would have been an opportunity for the ultimate payback. But after Joseph dismissed everyone in the room except his brothers, he finally told them who he was. They probably thought he was going to execute them�and he could have.Instead, Joseph made this amazing statement to his brothers: �You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people� (Genesis 50:20 NLT). God is in control, and He has an endgame, if you will. Most Christians are familiar with Romans 8:28, which says, �And we know that God causes everything to work togetherfor the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them� (NLT). But let�s also remember Romans 8:29: �For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothersand sisters� (NLT). God�s endgame is to make us more like Jesus Christ, because Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. ------------------------------------------------------------ Walk His Way - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. �Philippians 2:5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/walk-his-way/- Listen When the angel announced that Christ had been born, this was the message he delivered: �I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior�yes, theMessiah, the Lord�has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!� (Luke 2:10�11 NLT). The Christian faith is a happy faith and a hopeful faith. We have hope in this life and in our relationship with the Lord, and we have hope for the afterlife. But this doesn�tmean that Christians are happy all the time or that we should walk around wearing fake smiles. After all, Christians have moments of sadness, too. Christians even grapple with depression and other difficulties that everyone else deals with. We have hard times andsetbacks, even if we are God�s children. Being a Christian doesn�t mean that we�ll be exempt from facing a tragedy or a hardship. But what it does mean is that in the midst of our difficulties, we can experiencehappiness. It comes down to something the apostle Paul frequently referred to when he was writing to the believers in Philippi. There are 16 references to the mind in Philippians, which tells us that the secret of Christian happiness is found in the way that we think, not in the way that we feel.So if we want to be happy, then we need to think properly. Paul filled his heart and his mind with Jesus Christ. And why is that important? Because the way we think will affect how we live. For instance, we will walk in the directionthat we�re looking. That�s why it�s hard to look over your shoulder and keep walking forward. In the same way, when we�re looking to the Lord, we will walk in His direction. Every action starts with a thought. And what we think is what we�ll do. ------------------------------- Our Righteousness Ephesians 2:1-10 Anyone who thinks of himself as a pretty good person ought to take a look at God�s assessment of humanity. He says we all come into the world spiritually dead and are ruled by Satan, his world system, and our own sin nature, or flesh. In the Lord�s eyes,we are children of wrath who deserve only punishment. On the other hand, God is so pure and holy that He is totally separated from all sin and cannot look upon it with any favor or approval (Hab.1:13). Everything He does is appropriate and beneficial; by comparison, even mankind�s righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). Yet even though we have nothing of value to offer Him, the Lord wants us for His ownand has done everything necessary to draw us close. Those of us who have placed faith in Jesus Christ have been made spiritually alive in Him, and all our sins have been forgiven. There�s a striking contrast between what we were and who we now are in the Lord. But this change has nothing to do with how good we�ve been. Even the faithwith which we respond to the Savior comes from God. We can never make ourselves righteous; it�s all a gift from Him. And once He declares us justified, we will never be pronounced guilty again. God has said that in the ages to come, He wants to show the �surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us� (Eph. 2:7). Forall eternity, we will be showered with this awesome demonstration of His love. As great as our blessings are now, they�ll pale in comparison to what awaits us in heaven. ------------------------------ If Given the Choice . . . - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body madefor us by God himself and not by human hands. �2 Corinthians 5:1 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/if-given-the-choice/- Listen On more than one occasion, the Bible compares our bodies to tents. Now, tents aren�t a permanent residence, but you can do whatever you want with them. You can paint them,stretch them, and even patch them. But they�re only meant to serve as temporary residences. The apostle Paul said that for Christians, dying is like breaking camp and taking down a tent. He wrote, �For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down(that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands� (2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT). If you like to camp, then you know what it�s like to get everything ready and set up your tent. But the moment eventually comes when you will have to break camp. Paul told the believers in Philippi, �For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. . . . For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be withChrist, which is far better� (Philippians 1:21, 23 NKJV). In the original language, depart was the same term soldiers used to describe breaking camp and moving on. We could also use the word to describe freeing someone from theirchains. And for a believer, that�s what death is like. Lastly, the word depart could describe untying a boat from its moorings. In other words, it�s to set sail. When we lose loved ones, we�re sad because we miss them. But no person who�s in Heaven right now would, if given the choice, want to come back to Earth. You see, departingisn�t sad if you�re setting sail for a better destination. When Christians die, they�re headed to a beautiful place�a place far greater than Earth. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM