Tag: eternal life
God-breathed Scripture
Scripture reading for September 21st: 2nd Timothy 3, Psalm 39, Proverbs 3
2nd Timothy 3: 12-17 “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
The psalmist knew that his life was short and very ephemeral. He asked God to reveal his end and the measure of his days. Jesus revealed to mankind God’s offer of eternal life in God’s presence. God’s Word makes us wise for salvation–the forgiveness of our sins and restoration to God’s forever family. Paul told Timothy to receive Scripture as breathed out by God Himself. Through the Word, each believer, especially those called to preach and teach, would find all that they needed to equip them for ministry and a life of good works. God’s teaching that is kept, according to Proverbs, brings forth lengthened days on earth and peace. It is profitable to seek out and apply the Sacred Scriptures! Pass it on!
Psalm 39:4-5 “”O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am.” Behold you have made my days as a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!””
Prayer: Father God, thank You for breathing out Your Holy Word and having those You chose to write it down for us. Thank You for preserving Your Word! Help me to remember that heaven and earth will pass away, but Your Word lasts forever. Thank You for revealing eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Use me today to share this Good News and equip Your people for every good work.
Proverbs 3:1-2 “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.”
Overcoming faith and love!
Scripture reading for November 28th: Zechariah 9-11, 1st John 5
1st John 5:2-5 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
John concludes his letter to encourage the church with a simple test of believer’s love for God and salvation. If we truly love God, we willingly seek to obey His Word. Obedience is not hard or begrudging, but joyful and freely given, coming from faith in God and His holy Word. This willing obedience of faith is the key to victory over the world and the forces of darkness and the antichrist. Simply believing on Jesus Christ as God’s Son gives us confidence of our salvation and God bears witness in our spirit that we possess eternal life and that God is our Father. Faith requires humility and the choice to trust God’s Son for all needs and promises. God want’s us secure in Christ, not in fear of the world or Him.
1st John 5:12-13 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for these encouraging truths about the simplicity of salvation. I place my trust fully in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for my salvation and the gift of eternal life. I seek to live each day in obedience to Your holy and true Word, awaiting the fullness of all You have promised. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me open doors to share Your great Son with a lost and dying world.
Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Jesus–the Light of Life!
Scripture reading for October 26th: Ezekiel 7-9, John 3
John 3:16-20 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the Light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his works should be exposed.”
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, had come to Jesus at night to ask some questions. Jesus spoke plainly to him concerning his need of new birth by faith. He then declared to Nicodemus the path of eternal life–believing on Him! Nicodemus coming to Jesus in darkness to find true ‘light’ is a parabolic story. All mankind is in the dark concerning the Father and eternal life. Sin has darkened each soul. Darkened souls don’t like the light, because it exposes them. They think they can hide in the darkness and continue to do their own things. But God sees it all and has provided a remedy by sending Jesus Christ. Those who believe on Him will escape God’s wrath against sin and find grace and life in the Light.
John 3:35-36 “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your great love. Thank You that You did not justly condemn me to eternal death under Your wrath but offered Your only Son to take my place and bear the curse of my sins on the cross of Calvary. My prayer today is for each of my family to receive that love through believing in Jesus Christ and living a life of faith and holiness out of honor and respect for all Your love provided.
Ezekiel 8:12-13 “Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, “The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.” He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.””
Blessed assurance!
Scripture reading for November 26th: 1st John 5
Key Scriptures: 1st John 5:10-13 “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning His Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”
John wanted the believers to understand that they could absolutely know that they had eternal life. The fear of punishment or fear of failure to do enough causes people to shrink back from God and not enjoy a life of faith and the joy coming from no condemnation and justification by faith. John said it was simple. When we believe in the Son of God, we have that testimony in us in the confession “Jesus is Lord.” Because of the gift of the Holy Spirit, we know God as our Father and also cry “Abba, Father” from a heart that has experienced new creation. When we have the Son of God as Lord, we have eternal life and cease from a life of sin. If we do not have the testimony about Jesus the Son of God and continue in a life of sin, we do not have eternal life. Check your heart today and receive blessed assurance by the Holy Spirit!
1st John 5:18 “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for the blessed assurance that Jesus is my Lord and Savior and that I have eternal life in Him. Thank you for delivering me from a life of sin and selfishness and calling me to Your eternal kingdom and preaching the Gospel. Guide my steps today in Your pathways and give me opportunity to share Your love and help the lost to gain this blessed assurance of eternal life through faith in God’s Son.
1st John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him Who is true; and we are in Him who is True; in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
Believe and receive!
Scripture reading for October 26th: John 3
Key Scriptures: John 3:12-17 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
Jesus was having a conversation with an inquiring Pharisee, Nicodemus, who came to Him at night seeking further insight. Jesus challenged his thinking by telling him that he must be ‘born again.’ Nicodemus struggled to understand how that could happen in the natural. He asked Jesus how this might happen and Jesus then shared with him heavenly truth, based in the Old Testament Scriptures that Nicodemus had studied and recognized as God’s Word. Jesus took him to Moses in the wilderness instructed by God to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. The plague of serpents that attacked the Israelites had cost many lives already and God’s remedy was this bronze serpent. All who would look in faith upon this remedy would be saved and healed. Jesus said that He also would be ‘lifted up’ in crucifixion and that whoever ‘believed on Him’ would be saved and given eternal life. Hallelujah!
John 3:18-19 “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for sending Your only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, to be lifted up on the cross of Calvary. I believe He was made sin for me and all lost mankind that whoever would believe on Him would not be condemned, but would have eternal life. Amen! Empower me to proclaim this truth with all my heart, soul, mind and strength! Use me to share this truth with lost people that they would be delivered from Your wrath.
John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
The Word made Flesh!
Scripture reading for October 22nd: John 1
Key Scriptures: John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John, the beloved, was one of the youngest of the apostles. He was the only one not to die a martyr’s death. He was one of Jesus’ inner circle and one of the ‘sons of thunder’ who wanted to call down fire from heaven. In one of the depictions of the apostles at the Last Supper, John is pictured with his head on Jesus’ chest and the one to whom Jesus assigned care for His own mother from the cross. As a result of John’s love for Jesus and his faithfulness, he was given the assignment of writing this Gospel account. John exalts Jesus as existing from eternity with God. He equates Jesus with the “Word” of God and states that through His Word, all things were made. Jesus alone is the source of eternal life–the very life of God Himself, and the light of mankind in the truth taught and displayed. His life, truth, death, and resurrection shine brightly in the darkness of human sin and ignorance to reveal the Father and His plan of salvation!
John 1:11-13 “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for Jesus Christ, the Word of God, Creator, Life-giver, the Light of the World and my Lord and Savior! By faith I have received You and have been born again from above by You. I thank You that I am Your child and desire to reflect Your love and life and light to this world, bearing fruit for Your kingdom and glory!
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” vs 18 “No one has ever seen God; the only God, Who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.”
Eternal punishment
Scripture reading for August 2nd: Matthew 25
Key Scriptures: Matthew 25:41-46 “”Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
Jesus was again very clear about God’s judgment of mankind. God the Father has given all judgment to His Son. When the Son of Man comes, He will gather all nations before Him and then separate people one by one into either the sheep, who will be placed on His right hand, or the goats, which will be placed on His left hand. The Son will reward the sheep with eternal life and commendation while the goats will be sent away in disgrace to face eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. This place of punishment was prepared by God for the devil and his angels but will also be the lot of those who refused Christ’s mercy and went their own way, rebellious as a goat. From Christ’s description, there will be many surprises on that day among both the sheep and the goats. These surprises will be eternal life and blessing or eternal damnation. No intermediate place is ever mentioned!
Matthew 25:30 “‘And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, You are loving and good in all that You do and Your Word is flawless and true. Help me to listen carefully and obediently and share it as clearly as Jesus did that none might suffer eternal fire. May Your sheepfold be full of those brought to safety through the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:11-12 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, Myself will search for My sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when is is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out My sheep, and I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.”
Through many tribulations!
Scripture reading for April 23rd: Acts 14
Key Scriptures: Acts 14:19-22 “But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the Gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
God’s ways are not always our ways. Saul, when first converted on the Damascus road, was confronted by Jesus and repented and followed Him. He was told how much he would suffer for Christ’s Name, as he himself had caused suffering among God’s people. Now Paul and Barnabas were sent out by the Holy Spirit on a mission to reach lost souls. They preached and Jews, zealous for God, brought persecution and even now stoned Paul (Saul) to the point they though he was dead. The disciples gathered around his lifeless body, and Paul was raised up and continued preaching and even returning to the place where he was so stoned! He learned personally the truth that “through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:23 “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in Whom they had believed.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for this record of the tribulations of those beginning the mission of taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Strengthen me and Your people to stand firm and boldly proclaim Your Good News! Help us to rejoice in tribulations and trials, knowing that the testing of our faith brings patience.
Mark 10:29-30 “Jesus said, “Truly, I say unto you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.””
Holding fast to Life Eternal
Scripture reading for January 11th: 1st Timothy 6
Key Scriptures: 1st Timothy 6:12-16 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, Who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will display at the proper time–He Who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality, Who dwells in unapproachable light, Whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
Paul ends his letter to Timothy where it began in the first chapter. He encouraged Timothy to hold fast to eternal life by living by faith. He encouraged him to live a holy life in expectation of Jesus’ promised return and ended with worship of the King of kings and Lord of lords! Honor and eternal dominion are found in Him alone! He dwells in unapproachable light and is without beginning or end! What a blessed Lord we serve!
Leviticus 11:44 “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy for I am holy.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God, crucified for my sins, buried in a tomb, raised on the third day to eternal glory at God’s right hand. I praise and worship You as King and Lord! Give me grace to hold fast to eternal Life and enjoy eternal pleasure with You!
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Seeing His Face!
Scripture reading for December 30th: Job 40-42, Psalm 150, Revelation 22
Key Scriptures: Revelation 22:3-7 “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His Name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place.” “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.””
Adam began life with a vision of God’s Face as He breathed into him the breath of Life. God put Adam (and Eve) into a beautiful garden and put them in authority and fellowship with Him. Sin destroyed their fellowship with God and their ability to see God’s face and live. Through Jesus Christ, the Lamb, man is now restored to fellowship with God and they will again see His face and know His Name. They will live in His eternal Light and be restored to rulership and authority forever and ever. John was told to write down this final revelation and the final Words of Jesus as “trustworthy and true.” Jesus Christ is “coming soon!” Blessed are those who keep His Word!
Psalm 150:1-2 “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary’ praise Him in His mighty heavens! Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, thank You for restoring my sight by Your love and light. I look forward to seeing You and God my Father face to face, and enjoying Your smile forever and ever! Give me grace each day to obey the prophecy You have declared eternally true!
Job 42:10 “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”