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Heart Disease This past week I ran into an old coworker of mine. She was in town getting some tests at the hospital. She was having heart problems, and it was believed that she might have some type of heart disease. The problem she had physically is one that we all have spiritually! The Beatitudes are a portion of Scripture many are familiar with and love to quote: Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. But then a few verses later, we come to this Beatitude - one of my personal favourites: Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. According to God, we need to have a pure heart to see Him, to spend eternity in His presence. That would be a blessing indeed! The problem is: noone who has ever lived or will live in the future (except Jesus Christ) has had a pure heart! The heart of the pr...

Not Ashamed The Apostle Paul was not ashamed - despite all the trials and persecutions he faced for being a Christian. Though his message was rejected by many, he was not ashamed to keep preaching the truth - even if it meant imprisonment or martyrdom. 1) Not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ - he knew what he believed. God used the Apostle Paul to write half the books of the New Testament. One of the earliest that he had written was the book of Romans, which was written during his missionary journeys. As an Apostle and missionary, he was not ashamed. Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By w...

The Reasons Why Jesus Came Note: For this devotional, I quote the lyrics of a song that I really appreciate (as performed by The Sons Of Tennessee), though this is not an endorsement of the songwriters, or any specific musical group that has performed the song. When you read and study the Word of God or hear it being taught, do you meditate on it, treasure it? When you learn something new about the Lord Jesus Christ, do you ponder it in your heart? Mary, the mother of Jesus, did. Luke 2:19, 51b But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. ...but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. I am sure some things puzzled her about why Jesus came to earth as a baby, but there were some things she did understand. Mary, Did You Know? (Mark Lowry , Buddy Greene / 1991 Word Music) Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would someday walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy Has come to make you ...

Who Is A Child Of God? For those who believe that everyone is a child of God, this is a study to show you what the Bible has to say on that subject. Please pray about what I am saying and look up the references/passages in your Bible. One thing to always take into consideration when reading and studying the Bible, is the context -  who is the writer talking to (for example, to believers or non-believers), what does the rest of that book and the rest of the Bible say about that person, issue, doctrine, etc. (don't throw out a clear teaching on a subject by one or several not-so-clear passages)? The Bible doesn't contradict itself (at least the King James Version doesn't!), so if you arrive at a conclusion that seems to contradict other passages, you are probably overlooking something. For your own reference, the teaching that we are all children of God and all will be saved is called Universalism. For this topic, I looked up all the New Testament references to child, childre...

  Three Appointments There are three appointments that each of us will be faced with. The first appointment is one none of us can avoid. The second appointment will depend upon our response to the third appointment: 1) The First Appointment: The Day Of Death The Bible teaches that everyone who has ever lived or will ever live will face this appointment (except for two Old Testament individuals, Enoch and Elijah, and those believers still alive at the time of the rapture) - there is no avoiding it. We don’t know when each of us will die, but the day of our death is appointed by God! Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die , but after this the judgment: Ecclesiastes 8:6-8 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: a...

An Honest Doubter Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. John 5:39 Read John 20 Are you a doubter? Are you a skeptic? An honest skeptic? Are you like Thomas who wouldn't believe that Jesus Christ had really risen until he saw Him with his own eyes? Are you the type of person to carefully seek out and consider all the evidence and then make up your mind, or are you the kind of person that rejects anything that makes you uncomfortable, makes you consider life from a whole different perspective? Consider Thomas. He was one of the twelve personally chosen by the Lord to be an Apostle. He walked with Him for three years, hearing His sermons, watching His miracles, witnessing His power and His compassion. Thomas even stated that he was willing to die for Him. (John 11:16) The Apostles were waiting for Jesus to set up His kingdom on earth, but then something happened that they didn't fully expect. Though Jesus taught th...

Cities Of Refuge Read Joshua 20 This is exactly the type of scenario that the cities of refuge made provision for. If a man had slain another man accidently, he was to flee to one of the cities of refuge, for safety and protection. Deuteronomy 19:4-6 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. In Numbers 35:11-12, we read, Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee th...

Six Things The Lord Opened 1) He opened the tomb to prove that sin's debt has been paid, and the Saviour has risen after being three days and nights in the grave, just like He said He would do. Luke 24:1-9 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered His words, And returned from the ...

Abba, Father There are three times in the New Testament where we find the phrase "Abba, Father" repeated - each time showing the closeness and intimacy that the Heavenly Father wants with every single person He has created. The word "Abba" is an Aramaic term meaning "Daddy." When we realize the closeness this term implies, these passages take on a whole new dimension to our hungry hearts. The first time is found in the Gospel of Mark. Here we see Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, the Son of God (the second person of the Trinity), praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:34-36 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. Jesus Christ knew that within...

The Simplicity Of Salvation 2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Salvation is so simple that even a child can understand it. The Bible teaches that there is a simplicity in Christ. (See 2 Corinthians 11:3) The Lord never intended salvation to be hard. You must realize that you are a guilty, condemned sinner in need of a Saviour, and that you can't save yourself. Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, is the only Saviour that can save you. In fact, He has done all that is needed to save you from the penalty of your sins (eternity in Hell) when He shed His blood and died in your place upon the cross, was buried and rose again on the third day. It is now up to you to repent of your sins and trust in His finished work of redemption. Nothing could be simpler. Here are ten ways the Bible describes the simplicity of salvation in Jesus Christ: 1) Having a childl...