JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Daniel 4:25) "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."
Hey! There is no doubt the leaders we have elected in both the Unites States and Canada… now in France and other countries around the world… have disappointed their people big time.
Truly they have failed in providing policy and democratic leadership for their individual constituents… and each of our individual countries are struggling... and though it sounds apocalyptic… are facing economic collapse if something or someone doesn’t intervene with some leadership filled with Godly counsel and direction to get us out of this mess we are in.
Don't like Trump or Trudeau?
Talk to God about it.
He (God) rules in the affairs of our humanity for His good purpose…as this scripture text claims.
As a Bible believer... here are three words that should never exist in your vocabulary; luck… coincidence… and fate.
Replace them instead with the word “providence”… which means “to see in advance and to provide for.”
The Westminster Confession of Faith… written in the seventeenth century states… “God the great Creator of all things… doth uphold… direct… dispose…and govern all creatures… actions… and things from the greatest… even to the least… by His most wise and holy providence.”
That means that God “is in charge”… not us!
But what about our human will?
Can’t we act independently?
Theologian Dr. R.C. Sproul wrote, “God’s sovereign providence stands over and above our actions.
He works out His will through the actions of human wills… without violating the freedom of those human wills.”
Look at Joseph.
His brothers tried to destroy him… but instead their efforts put him on the throne of Egypt and fulfilled God’s will.
Later he said, “You meant evil against me… but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result” (Genesis 50:20)
Judas’ most heinous act… helped bring about the best thing that ever happened… “Christ’s atonement for our sins” on the cross.
Are you confused because of the things going on around you?
One reason is because we only utilize about 10 percent of our mental potential.
Plus… as Paul points out in (1st Corinthians 13:9) “now we only know in part”
When we get to Heaven… God may explain it all… or not.
Until then… we need to trust Him.
And rejoice… He’s got the whole world in His hands… including you!
God knows the beginning from the end! (Isaiah 46:19)
He has a plan for each of us! (Jeremiah 29:11)
That’s why we need to stay in touch with Him thru prayer… bible study… and fellowship with other believers… so that we are constantly made aware of His presence in and around us daily… moment by moment.
If you never spend time around someone a lot… then you won’t know what they are thinking… doing… or learn to trust their decisions.
We all need to spend as much time as we can in the presence of God our Father.
That’s when it becomes easier to trust Him… to follow Him… to understand Him… (as limited as we can with our human understanding).
As parents with little children we naturally assume that they will trust and follow us.
That is a precedent that we need to practice with God our Heavenly Father.
So as the old song and cliché says, ”trust and obey… for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus… but to trust and obey”.
It’s called resting in Him!
Good Day!
(John 8:27) "They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father."
We live in a very flawed society today… with the role of parenthood having been perverted by the lies of an enemy of our soul… whom is bound to deceive and lie and destroy anything that is absolute in our lives.
Especially the role of the man (the husband the father and the daddy)… of a home and family.
To see God as your loving Father may not come easily if you carry the scars of an “abusive” childhood.
So many needs that went unmet in your childhood… affection… security… trust… comfort… nurture… and material requirements… can make it hard to believe that God will provide for your needs now.
So what to do?
Recognize that your internalized father-image is flawed and in no way fits your Heavenly Father.
Even the best father is a “blurred carbon copy” of your Heavenly Father.
God wants you to see Him as a caring… sensitive… generous… dependable Father.
That’s why Jesus taught us to call Him “Our Father…” not just “Almighty God and Lord.”
It’s also why He called God… “your Father”… and not just “My Father.”
Like a good Father… God has anticipated your every need and provided for it (Matthew 6:25-34).
Just as good parents understand the individual characteristics of their children, your Heavenly Father knows your unique needs… thoughts… and feelings.
“As parents feel for their children… God feels for those who fear Him… He knows us inside and out” (Psalm 103:13-14)
His care for you is “tailored” to fit your specific requirements and limitations.
And just as a good earthly father accepts and fulfills his responsibility to provide for his children… your Heavenly Father holds Himself “responsible” for meeting your needs… and He wants you to act accordingly by trusting Him.
“Psalm 37” is a tremendous book that details Gods great benevolence to us as a loving… caring… concerned provider and Father.
Take a moment today and read all 40 verses and then give thanks to God for His great love for you as His child.
I realize that some of you are very busy and probably won’t take the time to go find your bible and then read this wonderful portion of hope and assurance that is found in this scripture text…
But if your reading this devotion this morning on a digital format that is connected to the internet… then just google Psalm 37 in your browser and it will come up.
Don’t leave your house today…or don’t shut this devotional down today… until you have read the wonderful promises of your Heavenly Father and His great passion for you.
And because I know that some of you are going to not take the time, here are some of my most favorite passages from this Psalm.
(Psalm 37:3-5) Trust in the Lord and do good… dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture… take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart…commit your way to the Lord… trust in Him and He will do this
(Psalm 37:18-19) The blameless spend their days under the Lord care,
and their inheritance will endure forever… in times of disaster they will not wither… in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
(Psalm 37:23-26) The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him… though he may stumble… he will not fall… for the Lord upholds him with His right and.
I was young and now I am old,…yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread… they are always generous and lend freely… their children will be a blessing.
(Psalm 37: 39-40) “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord…
He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them… He delivers them from the wicked and saves them… because they take refuge in Him.
If you don’t understand anything else… know and understand that God loves you.
He is your heavenly Father and He has adopted you into His family.
You are not alone and you are a child of the king.
Now lets start to live like it.
Good Day!
(John 8:27) "They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father."
Religious people in Jesus’ day found the concept of God’s “fatherhood”… hard to grasp.
Lord… king… judge they understood… but not Father.
Their Old Testament scriptures barely spoke half a dozen times of God as Father… whereas the New Testament mentions the word approximately 414 times.
This includes references to biological fathers… the concept of God as the Father… and Jesus addressing God as his Father.
Jesus Himself said… “No one knows the Father except the Son… and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him to” (Matthew 11:27)
The truth is… until Jesus revealed the Father… God remained a mystery to them.
And many of us today still don’t comprehend His “Fatherhood”… and the rich blessings we have in Him.
In Scripture there are many different names used to describe God.
While all the names of God are important in many ways… the name “Abba Father”… is one of the most significant names of God …in understanding how He relates to people.
The word “Abba” is an Aramaic word that means “Father.”
It was a common term that expressed affection… confidence and trust.
Abba signifies the close… intimate relationship of a father and his child… as well as the childlike trust that a young child puts in his “daddy”.
“Father”… God’s “all-inclusive name”… incorporates everything you’ll ever need… and discloses exactly how He feels about you.
He exemplifies every trait of the “best father” imaginable.
Whatever a loving father would do for his needy child… your Heavenly Father will do for you… and then some.
Once we recognize God as our Father… our fears dissolve… as we start to realize that all our needs will be met.
Jesus said, “It gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
It makes God happy to give you the resources of His kingdom.
Why?
Because He loves you as much as He loves Jesus!
In (John 17:23)… Jesus prayed we would know with confidence that the Heavenly Father loves us… (in the same way… He God)… loved me” (Jesus).
So treat God as your Father… and start acting like His child and enjoying the benefits of family membership.
(Ephesians 2:19) says… “Consequently… you are no longer foreigners and strangers… but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household”.
The Greek word “Abba”… is always followed by the word Father in Scripture and the phrase is found in three passages.
In (Mark 14:36)… Jesus addresses His Father as… “Abba, Father”… in His prayer in Gethsemane .
In (Romans 8:15) “Abba Father” … is mentioned in relation to the Spirit’s work of adoption that makes us “God’s children” and heirs with Christ.
In (Galatians 4:6) “And because you are sons… God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts… crying… “Abba Father”!
Together the terms “Abba” and “Father”… doubly emphasize the fatherhood of God.
In two different languages… we are assured of God’s care for His children… and if you are a believer in Christ… if you have accepted Jesus into your heart and life as your Savior and redeemer from sin… then you have been adopted into the family of God.
(Romans 8:15) says, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear… but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry… “Abba Father”!
Welcome to the family!
Good Day
(Hebrews 9:27) “For it is appointed once for a man to die and then the judgment”.
The bible declares we only die once… and after that comes the judgment of God.
We live in a time when there is great fascination about life after death.
Why this fascination with the world beyond the grave?
Is it not because death is so final?
Here are the words of Jesus in (Revelation 1:18)… “I am the Living One… I was dead… and behold I am alive forever and ever… and I hold the keys of death and Hades”.
Keys are a sign of authority.
If you have the keys to my house… you can open it and go in anytime you want.
It is often said that the devil owns the gates of hell… that is… he has the power of death.
But that’s okay.
The devil may have the gates… but Jesus has the keys.
We have nothing to fear in the moment of death… for when the time comes… Jesus will personally unlock the gate… and usher us into His presence.
(John 11:25)… “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies… and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”.
Do you believe this?”
If you believe in Jesus… you will never die.
What an amazing promise!
But perhaps your thinking… “believers die every day”.
Yes… but for the believer… death is merely the passing from this life with all its sorrows… into life eternal… into the presence of our Lord.
The question is not… “what happens when we die”… but rather… “what will happen when you die”?
Death is not “the end of the road”… it is only “a bend in the road”.
For the believer… death is the doorway to Heaven.
For the unbeliever… it is a passageway into unimaginable torment and suffering for eternity… Why is that you ask?
(John 3:18-19)… “this is the condemnation that has come upon the world… that men chose darkness and rejected the light of the world”
These things are true… even if we do not fully understand them.
They are true… even if we don’t believe them.
What happens “when you die”… depends on what happens “before you die”.
Make sure you’re ready to die so that when the time comes… you won’t be surprised by what happens next.
One final thought… maybe your wondering… is there a “second chance” after death?
This is a popular view of many people who hope that those who did not accept Christ in this life… will somehow have a second chance after death…either in the after life… or perhaps through reincarnation.
But there is no biblical support whatsoever… for the notion of a “second chance.”
(Hebrews 9:27) declares that “we die once and after that comes the judgment of God”.
Let no one be mistaken on this point.
The only opportunity you will ever have to get right with God is the opportunity God affords you right now.
If you dream of coming to God after you die… you are nursing a vain hope.
What happens when you die… is determined by what happens before you die!
Please… please choose Christ now… while you still can.
Good Day!
(Hebrews 9:27) “For it is appointed once for a man to die and then the judgment”.
The bible declares we only die once and after that comes the judgment of God.
We live in a time when there is great fascination about life after death.
Why this fascination with the world beyond the grave?
Is it not because death is so final?
Whatever one thinks about the reports of “near-death” visions… death when it finally comes… is irreversible.
When you finally cross the line… there is no coming back from the other side.
Death wins the battle every time.
After the doctors have tried the latest wonder drug… after the best minds have pooled their wisdom… after the philosophers have done their best to explain that death is only a natural part of life… we come face to face with the ugly reality… that someday we will all die.
And that death…whether planned or accidental… whether comfortable or painful… will be the end of life as we have known it.
So how can you personally face your own death with confidence?
Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse… beloved Bible teacher of another generation… told the following story.
While he was still a young man in the ministry… his first wife died.
As he was returning from the funeral with his heartbroken children… their car came to a stoplight just as a massive truck pulled up next to them… blocking the light of the sun.
Seeing the immense shadow that had overtaken them… Dr. Barnhouse asked his children if they would rather be run over by the truck… or by the shadow of the truck.
“By the shadow” the children instantly replied… knowing that a shadow could not hurt them.
“That’s what has happened to your mother” he told them.
“Death cannot hurt her because the Lord Jesus Christ took her to Heaven.
It is only the shadow of death that took her from us”.
If you know Jesus… you have nothing to fear when death knocks at your door.
Death comes to all of us and it will come for you… one of these days.
Do you know Jesus?
If so… then you need not live in fear.
Death may be quick or slow… painful or painless… but when that moment comes… you will find yourself ushered into Heaven where you will see Jesus face to face.
Now for the most part I am talking to believers re this part of the subject.
For unbelievers it’s a completely different story.
For unbelievers they should be concerned because with out Jesus then your destination is a completely different story!
Some people wonder if they will have “enough faith”… when they die.
They worry about losing their faith… and wonder if that will cause God to turn them away.
When she was a young child in Holland… “Corrie ten Boom” worried about her own death and whether or not she would have enough courage when the moment finally came.
Her father… “Papa ten Boom”… knew of her fears and calmed her heart with these words… “Corrie… when I am going to take you on the train… when do I give you the ticket?”
Corrie answered… “Just before we get on board… That’s right… her papa said.
Dying is like taking a trip to see the Lord Jesus.
He will give you whatever you need… just when you need it.
If you don’t have the courage now… it’s because you don’t need it now.
When you need it… the Lord will give it to you… and you won’t be afraid.”
In another generation behind us… believers used to talk about “dying grace”.
They meant or were referring to that “special enablement”… that God gives to His children as death draws near.
Its that same grace that many martyrs of the past were able to draw from as there lives were taken from them… as they stood for the Gospel of Christ.
Countless Christians who worried about their last moments on earth… have exited this life “full of faith”… because the Lord gave them grace… faith …confidence… just when they needed it most.
If you know Jesus… you don’t have to be afraid… He won’t let you cross over Jordon (deaths river) on your own.
We’ll talk more on this tomorrow.
Good day
(Hebrews 9:27) “it is appointed once for a man to die and then comes judgment”
In answering questions about life after death… we are left with only two sources to consult.
Either we turn to human experience… or we turn to the Word of God… the bible.
If we turn to human experience… we find many guesses… many ideas… many theories… but no sure answers.
That’s because in the nature of the case… no human… has a sure answer.
The only “people” who have or know the answer… are dead!
That leaves us with the Word of God.
In God’s Word… we find ample… abundant answers.
God who knows the future… knows what happens when we die… and He hasn’t left us to wonder about it.
What happens at the very moment of death?
I have already given the general answer: What happens when you die… depends on what happens before you die.
The Bible classifies the whole human race into two broad categories… “the saved” and “the lost”.
The saved are those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The lost are those who haven’t.
What happens to the “saved”… is radically different from what happens to “the lost”.
Yesterday I talked about what happens when the “saved”… the believer in Jesus Christ” dies.
Today I want to talk about what happens when the “unbeliever”… or… “those who die with out believing in Christ”… they are called “the lost”.
Now… let me warn you right now… some of you are not going to like what you read here this morning.
But I cannot help that.
Truth is truth… and there is no way to “sugar coat it”… or “dress it up”… any other way.
The bible tells us that humanity is in one of two states… we are either “lost” or “saved”.
Yesterday we looked at what the bible says will happen to the saved when they die.
Today lets look at what the bible says about “the lost” when they die without Jesus Christ.
“The lost”… fear death and with good reason.
(Job 18:14) calls death “the king of terrors”.
(Hebrews 2:14) reminds us that the devil holds people in bondage… through the fear of death.
And (1st Corinthians 15:26) calls death… “the last enemy.”
Before saying any more… I should note “one similarity” between the fate of the “saved and the lost”.
At the moment of death… the body is buried in the grave… while the soul enters a new realm.
For the believer… the moment of death brings him into “the personal presence of Christ”.
For the unbeliever… death begins an experience of unending “conscious” punishment.
We can summarize the fate of the lost in four short statements:
1) At the moment of death… the soul of the lost is sent to hell… where it is in conscious torment.
In (Luke 16:19-31) Jesus told of a rich man who upon his death… went to hell and suffered in the flames of torment.
It does not matter whether you think this passage is literal or figurative.
If you say it is literal… then it must be a terrible punishment.
If it is figurative… the figure itself is so awful to consider… that the reality must be much worse.
2) That punishment is eternal.
Though this is being debated in some circles today… Christians have united across the centuries in their belief that the Bible teaches… “an eternal punishment” for those who do not know… or… whom have rejected salvation through Jesus Christ.
(Mark 9:43-48) speaks of “the fire that is not quenched” and “the worm that does not die”… a reference to the continuing existence of a human personality in hell.
3) The body is raised at the Great White Throne judgment.
(Revelation 20:11-15) describes an awesome scene as the “unsaved dead” are raised to stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment… and receive their final sentence of doom.
The “unsaved” are then cast into the lake of fire… where they will reside forever… eternally separated from the presence of Almighty God.
If this is unbearable to think about… if we shrink from such a thought… then let us by all means… “do whatever is necessary”… to make sure that such a fate does not befall us… or the ones we love the most.
This is the final destiny of those who do not know Jesus Christ.
To make it more personal… it is the final destiny of your friends and neighbors… your loved ones… your parents… your brothers… your sisters… your children… if they die without Jesus Christ.
And it is your destiny as well… if you die without Jesus Christ.
Let that thought linger in your mind.
The “reality of hell”… is more than just a “theoretical doctrine”.
There is a place reserved for you in the lake of fire unless you… “by a conscious choice”… put your complete trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
What happens “when you die”… is determined by what happens “before you die”!
Please… choose Christ now while you still can… while there is still opportunity!
Good Day!
(Hebrews 9:27), “It is appointed for men to die once… but after this the judgment”.
At the point of death… the soul goes to be with the Lord in Heaven, and the body is buried until the day of resurrection when Jesus returns to the earth.
(1st Thessalonians 4:14) says, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus… those who have fallen asleep in him.”
Here you have both sides of the truth.
Christians who die are said to be “with Jesus”… that’s the soul of a man in the conscious presence of the Lord… and “have fallen asleep in Him” (that’s the body which “sleeps” in the grave).
Listen to Paul’s description of that great reunion of body and soul: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven… with a loud command… with the voice of the archangel… and with the trumpet call of God… and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1st Thessalonians 4:16)
This is a clear promise of the future “bodily” resurrection of the believer.
(1st Corinthians 15:51-55) adds the crucial fact that our bodies will be “raised imperishable"… that is… with a body that is perfect in every way… free from the vestiges of death and decay.
In this life our bodies wear out… like a clock continually running down… but when we are raised… it will be with bodies that will never decay… never wear out… never suffer injury… never grow old… never get sick… and thank God… never die.
If you know Christ… If you believe in Jesus… you are going from the land of dying… to the land of the living.
Here are some of the images the Bible uses for the death of a Christian:
“going to sleep and waking up in Heaven . . .
moving from a tent to a mansion . . .
walking from the darkness into a well-lit room . . .
coming home to see your family and friends . . .
being set free from prison . . .
taking a long journey to a new land . . .
riding a chariot to the New Jerusalem . . .
moving into a brand-new home . . .
opening a gate to a brand-new world.”
Christians have always faced death with confidence.
The very word “cemetery” comes from a Greek word meaning “sleeping-place”… which refers to their confidence in the promise of the resurrection.
I have been asked more than once how God can raise the dead… if the body has been burned or lost or vaporized in some terrible explosion.
I don’t think that’s a difficult question at all.
If you can raise the dead… you can raise the dead.
Resurrection is God’s problem… not ours.
We don’t need to know “the how” of the resurrection… as long as we know “the Who””
As he lay dying… the great Evangelist D. L. Moody proclaimed… “earth recedes… Heaven opens before me.”
Catherine Booth… wife of the founder of the Salvation Army cried out… “The waters are rising… but I am not sinking.”
And George MacDonald, the English novelist said… “I came from God… and I’m going back to God… and I won’t have any gaps of death in the middle of my life”.
The great English cleric… theologian… and evangelist… who was a principal leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism… summed up the faith of the early Methodists with four simple words: “Our people die well”.
Once our bodies are raised… we will be with the Lord forever.
Wherever He is… there we will be… rejoicing… praising… singing… and celebrating throughout the ages of eternity.
(1st Thessalonians 4:17 says)… “We will be with the Lord forever.”
Speaking of his own return, Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms… if it were not so I would have told you.
I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you… I will come back and take you to be with me… that where I am… you may be also". (John 14:2-3)
What is ahead for us when we die?
Our soul goes into the conscious presence of the Lord.
Our body is buried until the day of resurrection.
When Christ returns… our bodies will be raised from the grave.
Body and soul reunited… we will be with the Lord forever.
There’s an old quote that comes from Tony Evans that says, “Have a good time at my funeral… because I’m not going to be there”.
Tomorrow… I’m writing about what happens “to the lost” when they die!
Good Day!