People Need Answers That Bring Hope To The Equation Of Life

This bumper sticker states two true statements, but gives no true answer. If I didn't know the Lord personally I would be left with nothing after reading this. My thoughts and opinions are not worth anything, but  God's thoughts and plans are eternal. People need answers that bring hope to the equation of life! Let it read, "If evolution is just a theory, and religion is just an opinion, then a relationship with Jesus Christ is the fulfilling answer." 

The following verses are far beyond theory and religion. They are not just words that are here today and then gone tomorrow. They are words from the Bible that speak of a reality with Jesus Christ that emphasizes a personal relationship with him that will last forever. 

Reading and believing these verses as it relates to you and your position with Jesus will change your life today.

1 Corinthians 15:22

For just as [because of their union of nature] in Adam all people die, so also [by virtue of their union of nature] shall all in Christ be made alive.

John 10:27-28

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, I am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live; And whoever continues to live and believes in (has faith in, cleaves to, and relies on) Me shall never [actually] die at all. Do you believe this? 

John 4:14

But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life.

John 6:47

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life.

John 6:51

I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body). 

Psalm 23:6

Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Romans 6:22

But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life.

Titus 3:7

[And He did it in order] that we might be justified by His grace (by His favor, wholly undeserved), [that we might be acknowledged and counted as conformed to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action], and that we might become heirs of eternal life according to [our] hope.

1 Corinthians 2:5

So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.

Hebrews 10:22-23

Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water. So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.

Hebrews 11:1, 3

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].

Psalm 37:4-5

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. 

Romans 10:17

So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself). 

If Your Heart Is Hard Toward God A Miracle Might Only Deceive You

Miracles have nothing to do with creating faith....that is, the faith that Jesus wants us to have in him. In fact you could see a sign or wonder performed, and it would do nothing for you unto salvation. It might make you gasp in wonder, but it wouldn't make any difference if your heart isn't right.  The religious leaders in Jesus day knew that he was performing miracles, but their hearts were hard so they weren't believing. They did not want to believe in him, and told the people not to believe in him because they were filled with other things. 

The Bible says that the Anti-Christ is going to come on the scene in the last days, and he will have a religious leader as his sidekick. These guys are going to perform signs and wonders/miracles that we have never seen before in an effort to prove their authority. Are you going to put your trust in them or will you put your trust in what the Bible says? Where is your heart? Is it looking for a "savior" or THE Savior. 

“When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.” Mark 8:11-13 NLT

This issue of believing in Jesus goes far deeper then the material world. It is a state of being that is not bound by time or space. Think seriously about this passage where Jesus is speaking about those who have already passed on from this physical world and their concerns for us who are still on earth:

“Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded EVEN IF SOMEONE RISES FROM THE DEAD. ””

Luke 16:19-31

I believe Jesus was referring to himself when he said, 'even if someone rises from the dead.' The deep issue is, why do people believe in the truth vs. why do they believe in something that masquerades as the "truth"? 

The Bible says that the Anti-Christ is going to be severely wounded with a head wound but that he will "miraculously" come back to "life."   It says that he's going to fix all these problems that we have in the world, and that people are just going to "believe" in him as the "answer." But neither will the Anti-Christ Religious Leader nor this Anti-Christ Political Leader tell you anything about about or your hard-hearted sin and how it is keeping you from being healed, forgiven, justified by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Don't be deceived by lying signs and wonders. Pharaoh's magicians mimicked Moses' signs, and the Anti-Christ will mimic Jesus' miracles.  Yes, Jesus did miracles to help prove his authority, but he did those miracles out of His Spirit of Love. He genuinely cared for the sick so he healed them, and he genuinely loved us, the walking dead people, so much that he went to the cross to suffer for our sins and give us a chance to be with him forever in an awesome relationship. He only rose from the grave because death could not contain him, nor hold him down. He is literally LIFE itself. And if you believe in Him he will also raise you from the dead. We ought to believe in Jesus because we love him for loving us, and for dying for us, and because he is the real Savior of the world...the real Peace Maker. 

If your heart is hard towards this truth no miracle will ever make a difference, in fact, it most likely will only deceive you. 

Without Question The Most Important Thing In Life Is To Love One Another As Jesus Has Loved Us

Love is the manifestation of faith. 

I have had the most powerful devotion this morning, and I pray that it lasts; takes root and endures through my every living day until I pass away. It's a reoccurring devotion I have because he who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. Without question the most important aspect of our lives is that we love one another as Jesus Christ has loved us. If you're like me, you know the turmoil within that results from circumstances of life that keeps us, challenges us to perform this one ultimate goal....to really love. Although it is somewhat of a mystery, I know that all things I face and experience in life are meant to build me up to become a loving person. I know the same is true for all people as well. The type of loving person I am referring to is the one who endures every circumstance yet still acts like Jesus. I've only lived 38 years and I realized a long time ago how unloving I truly am toward God, and my family and my friends and my coworkers. Yes, there is some love, and it's all genuine, but it is imperfect. In the flesh we say it's impossible to love like Christ at all times, but in the spirit of God it is possible to love like Christ. To be a follower of Christ means that you read the Bible and run toward Jesus in faith working to believe all that he has said and commanded us to do. He has commanded us to do things that we cannot do on our own, but that are possible: "be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect," "love one another as I have loved you." Just these two commands alone reveal the impossibility to us within ourselves to do them, but if we were not able to do them why did Jesus tell us to? But "All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me!"..... is something you hear and read as a Christian as well, but in the battle of life we know all too well how fleeting it is, because we depend on our own strength to achieve it. You also read in the Word of God that Jesus stated, "remain in me, abide in me so that you can bear much fruit." This is found in John 15. 

Have you ever experienced a moment in life where the power of God poured out upon you which enabled you to become completely resolute and committed to something He wanted you to be? In 2nd Chronicles 1:7-10,  I remember reading that Solomon was asked by God, "ask me anything and it will be given to you." Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge, and God granted it to him, and Solomon became the wisest man on earth. I've always told myself that I would ask to love as God loves, and after this morning's devotion and God's persistence on this one issue, I would still ask for the same thing. What would you ask for? If I only had two prayers left to give I would pray that all people in the world would come to desire the love of God, to receive the love of God, and be empowered to pour out the love of God on others through Jesus Christ and for His glory. And this would require a revelation about Jesus Christ that most do not know about today. Even Christians do not fully comprehend the powerful love of Jesus Christ to change things. I do not fully comprehend it. So something needs to happen in our lives that will change things to this effect. The 2nd prayer is below. 

In Galatians 5:1 it says, "for freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." The freedom that is in Christ is absolutely incredible. Freedom in Christ means His promises are real and available now to experience. Two out of thousands of the promises in Christ are: "when you pass through the rivers I will be with you," "the mountain shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you." All of the promises of God are yes and amen in Jesus Christ this very moment. Those who believe have access to those promises immediately. All of this speaks to the grace of God. It does not speak of how poor we are, about our sinful record, or our human efforts, but it speaks only to what God has done through Jesus Christ. In Christ we have permission to approach His throne at all times....at midnight or in the middle of the day. Galatians 5:1 proclaims this, but our human nature, our flesh, our focus on the world and the unrelenting Devil all keep us from coming to that place where we might fully encounter the blessing.

In my fight for the good faith, I have come to believe these promises, and commands are possible, but haven't fully experienced the promises for lack of consistency in one area. If this is true for you as well it can also be narrowed down to one reason.  I asked the Lord this morning again what condition is required in my full freedom and to access all your power before you will act and fulfill the promises? What must I do to have a full expectation, and full experience of your provision for all that I need in every circumstance?  When will you impart, give, anoint? When will you multiply the fish and the bread before me?! When will I walk on water with you?! When will you heal my blindness, and make my lame legs walk?! When will you raise my dead soul to life?! When will my shadow heal others?! When will my command cast out demons?! When will the Red Sea split at my voice?! When will the fire not consume me and my friends as we stand in it?! When will the hungry lions lie next to me content?! When will the poison of the snake that bites me not harm me?! When will we be able to love as you love?! I want to experience the fullness of the Lord! Do you? To love as He loves in every circumstance! 

And the Lord gave the answer: The path everyone must walk through in Jesus Christ to receive greater measures of loving power is COMPLETE SUBMISSION to Him and His will. This is the anointing we need, and this is the second prayer I would pray: that all people would completely submit their lives to the only One, Jesus Christ, who can make this happen in our hearts. This is the path way to complete submission to Christ:

Faith, hope and love.

Be considerate of God in all things.

Work to perfect our adoration of God.

Be resolute in ridding difficulties toward these ends by overcoming through Christ...completely surrendering.

Seek and embrace how God is humbling us. 

Be willing to not do the things I want to do, and be willing to do the things I don't want to do. Be a living sacrifice for God in every moment. 

Completely submit to the Lord Jesus realizing this is the requirement for him to work out is great promises in me and through my heart, mind, and will. 

Being perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect is possible through depending on God's grace in greater measures. 

We can do nothing without God's grace. 

We have been created in such a way to depend on God for all our needs. We are capable of depending on him in such great measure. Completely! If we weren't, we would be dragged down by the world, our flesh and by the devil. Go deeper into Grace....complete dependency on what God has for us. 

Love is the manifestation of faith.

Powerful and Loving Jesus, nothing else matters but your love being poured out in greater measure. There is no greater love than to lay down our lives for our marriages, children, families, friends....for you Jesus. How can we become resolute in this one thing for the rest of our days on this earth. Pour out your spirit upon us to be completely surrendered and submitted to you out of love and faith in you. We thank you Jesus. Amen.