BS-38 ‘What about You’ – Dale's Devotionals

BS-38 ‘What about You’

Have you ever thought about what God might be thinking as he looks down from the heavens and wonders ‘what in the world is happening on planet earth’? How does a person living here on earth get to Heaven? Isn’t that where God dwells? So, a couple of questions?

Is BUDA the God of Heaven?

Is ALLAH the God of Heaven?

Each person who professes a bit of religion somewhere on the journey of life makes a choice in a belief. Mormon and Jehovah Witness folk don’t believe in a Triune God. Remember back a few years; there were followers of David Koresh and Jim Jones; then there were the Moonies. A few people who self-proclaimed they were Devine, but weren’t.

Even the old Jewish bible had a single Deity if you think about it; Moses wrote about YHWH; it was written to the ‘Sons of Israel’; Moses provided the Torah; the first 5 books of the Jewish bible, which was the covenant or the LAW. Over the next few hundred years other men, prophets, wrote of God, over different topics; explaining how men should live.

Then Jeremiah was given the words of 31:27-40 with the main text in verses 31-34 telling of a newer covenant coming. There are mysteries in the bible; what do they mean? Daniel chapter 12 tells of “at the time of the End, knowledge and travel would increase”. [The computer age is now on us. Flying to the moon was science fiction to Honest Abe back just over 150 years.] Then, Isaiah 52-53 tells about a Suffering Servant, which was to come. It was Jesus. Then in Micah, the 5^th chapter tells where Messiah will be born; it’s Bethlehem; just where Jesus was born from the virgin. God chooses David’s linage, Judah, not the Levite tribe for Jesus, the future High Priest, to be born; then to die as the sacrificial LAMB.

Like no other religion; the Christian faith has a triune Deity. Not even the Jewish faith speaks of the triune God. The Jeremiah prophecy was fulfilled through Messiah. Jesus is the crossover point to that newer covenant. The LAW which was legalistic became obsolete based on what Hebrews chapters 8-9-10 say. What does it mean? Take it literally! Scripture says what it means and it means what it says, in context. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand God’s Word. Fishermen wrote and spread the gospel.

The theologians like to separate the Covenant into 3 topics; the Civil, the Ceremonial, and the Moral. The Civil and Ceremonial Mosaic covenant became obsolete. Jesus is our advocate and High Priest now; we observe the Lords Supper as our Ceremonial. Israel and other countries now have their civil government & laws of the land. How does each country write their Laws could be a question; do they follow the words or direction of God?

God’s Moral LAW is everlasting. It is the LAW of Love. Matthew 7:12 is the Golden Rule, which is an example the Christians should follow. Love is 1 Corinthians 13; the love chapter. Verse 13, tells of Faith, Hope, and Love; the greatest is Love. The 10 Commandments is our BASE to use. We use the Lords Day instead of Sabbath for the 4^th Commandment in the Christian Faith because Sunday was the day Jesus arose.

The basic word of the New Covenant is LOVE. It is to Love the Lord your God and to Love your neighbor [it means everyone you come in contact with] as yourself. A COMMENT – You can’t begin to love like that if the Holy Spirit is not within. An unsaved person does not have the Holy Spirit. There are many-many nice unsaved people, who do good deeds and serve in public functions but the context today; is God’s work; those who are followers of the Lord. Do the secular people or does God’s people read the scriptures for insight?

So, ‘what about you’; how do you become a Christian? What does John 3:3 tell you? What it means is that a person must have a spiritual transformation. The first birth is physical; you get a heartbeat and begin to breathe; the second birth is that the Holy Spirit indwells you. It only happens when a person puts their trust in Christ. The person makes a commitment that they will use the gospel as their roadmap. It includes service to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. What about you? Is that your belief?

Who did Jesus shed his blood and die for? Wasn’t it ALL? So, ALL can make the choice to repent and believe the gospel, which is found when reading the first four books of the New Testament. Scripture says that few make that choice to follow Jesus; many reject that choice and travel the wide road, which leads to a woeful eternal life in Hell. People who are Born-again or SAVED accept Christ as their atonement. Jesus is their substitute; he shed his blood and died in our place. All have sinned and need to have a clean slate before they can enter the pearly gate into heaven. Romans 3:23 and 6:23 are the verses to read.

There is only one-way for a person to make it to marriage supper with Jesus as the Bridegroom. What does Mark 1:14-15 tell you. It tells you to repent and believe the gospel. Repent means to make a U-turn; quit living the sinful life and start following the scriptures. Believe is a stronger word. My commentary says it means to fully TRUST Jesus. My Thesaurus uses ‘to commit to, to place confidence in, to count on, and depend on’. Go look at James 2:19; it reads ‘the demons believe in Jesus but they tremble’. If you believe like they do, your belief is in vain. They have a head knowledge of who Jesus is BUT have never put their trust in him as their Savior and Lord. What about Satan, Antichrist, & the False Prophet? They know and believe Jesus is Christ the Lord.

Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin. Jesus is ‘God the Son’ and that is why his blood is the only thing that covers the sinner’s guilt. God pretty much takes care of the sin issue; what is it that God provides for we who put our TRUST in Jesus?

God Provides

Adoption Jesus made me a part of God’s Family Romans 8:22-23

Forgiveness Jesus paid for my Sins (Took my place) Col. 1:14

Justification Jesus made me ‘Right with God’ Romans 5:1

Propitiation Jesus satisfied God’s justice 1John 4:10

Reconciliation Jesus made ‘peace with God’ possible Romans 5:11

Redemption Jesus purchased my Salvation w/his blood Galatians 3:13

Substitution Jesus died in my place (Took my place) Romans 5:8

God has taken care of the provisions; what does a person have to do to be SAVED?

Here is a short list of what I had to do.

A person must be convicted that they need and want Jesus. John 16:8.
A person must REPENT and BELIEVE the gospel. Mark 1:14-15.
A person must with their own mouth confess Jesus as Lord. Romans 10:9-10.
When you confess Jesus; what does he do? Matthew 10:32-33.
God provides the GIFT; you have to accept it before it is yours. 2:8-9.

If you are not convicted that you need Jesus, more than likely you haven’t got him.

So, once the person becomes Born Again; the Holy Spirit dwells within until death. At death the body goes to the grave and the Spirit of the SAVED return to Paradise or to God in heaven. Remember one thief on the cross accepted Christ; the other rejected. One is in paradise now and one is waiting in Hades for judgement. Look at Luke 16:19-26. It’s the parable of Christ teaching on the rich and poor man; an example of two dwelling places.

What happens IF a Christian falters? Once salvation occurs can a person who has the Holy Spirit within lose their salvation? A QUESTION. Does the bible say what it means and mean what it says? __. Does the person genuinely repent or was it lip service? A person can make a profession without actually meaning it. You can believe mentally but never trust totally on Jesus. In other words they made a profession without meaning that their total desire is to commit their life to Jesus.

When a person totally commits to Jesus; that is when the Holy Spirit enters the person. AND they never lose their salvation; that person is still mortal, and they will sin again. The Apostle says, “he does what he doesn’t want to do and he doesn’t do what he wants to do.” He is telling us there is a battle within of two natures; it is a struggle. Romans 7:14-20. All Christians have the battle at times.

What a follower of Christ is to do when they mess-up and sin, is to confess to our advocate; the one who is at the right hand of the father; our High Priest; the one we call Jesus. HE is our Messiah. Read 1 John 1:9 and it gives us the answer. “that if we confess our sins HE is faithful and just to forgive.” This is a Precious Promise from the Lord.

If you are truly a born again Christian; you are saved forever.

Scripture is Attached below..

Scripture

Jer. 31:27-34 – A New Covenant ²⁷“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of mankind and the seed of animals. ²⁸And just as I have watched over them to uproot them, tear them down, ruin, destroy, and bring disaster on them, so I will watch over them to build and to plant them,” declares the Lord.

²⁹“In those days they will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt.’ ³⁰But everyone will die for his own wrongdoing; each person who eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will become blunt.

³¹“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, ³²not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. ³³“For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ³⁴They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.”

Hebrews 8:1-13 – A Better Ministry; Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ²a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, not man. ³For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. ⁴Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; ⁵who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things by the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.” ⁶But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

A New Covenant; ⁷For if that first covenant had been free of fault, no circumstances would have been sought for a second. ⁸For in finding fault with the people, He says,

“Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will bring about a new covenant
With the house of Israel and the house of Judah, ⁹Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt;
For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care about them, says the Lord.
¹⁰For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel After those days, declares the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. ¹¹And they will not teach, each one his fellow citizen, And each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ For they will all know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. ¹²For I will be merciful toward their wrongdoings, And their sins I will no longer remember.”

¹³When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear. [What does verse 13 mean? What does the theologian say?]

[The writer of Hebrews is repeating scripture to get a point across.]

God was and is gracious to “we the people”.

HE provided a NEW way for salvation because of sinful mankind.

Daniel 12:1 – The Time of the End; 12 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. ²And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. ³And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. ⁴But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret [a mystery] and seal up the book until the end of time; many will roam [Travel.] about, and knowledge will increase. [Computer age and rockets that fly to the moon describe the end of time. What other mysteries are still to come?]

Isaiah 53:7-12 – He was oppressed and afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
⁸By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off from the land of the living For the wrongdoing of my people, to whom the blow was due? ⁹And His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. ¹⁰But the Lord desired To crush Him, causing Him grief; If He renders Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. ¹¹As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, For He will bear their wrongdoings. ¹²Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the plunder with the strong, Because He poured out His life unto death, And was counted with wrongdoers;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the wrongdoers. [Suffering Messiah]

Micah 5:2-4 – 1 -But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” ³Therefore He will give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth. Then the remainder of His kinsmen will return to the sons of Israel. ⁴And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth. [Messiah, Jesus, will be born in Bethlehem. Check Luke 2:]

Hebrews 9:1-28 – The Old and the New; 9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. ²For a tabernacle was equipped, the outer sanctuary, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the sacred bread; this is called the Holy Place. ³Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Most Holy Place, ⁴having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s staff which budded, and the tablets of the covenant; ⁵and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the atoning cover; but about these things we cannot now speak in detail.

⁶Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle, performing the divine worship, ⁷but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. ⁸The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, ⁹which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, ¹⁰since they relate only to food, drink, and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.

¹¹But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; ¹²and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

¹⁵For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. ¹⁶For where there is a covenant, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. ¹⁷For a covenant is valid only when people are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. ¹⁸Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” ²¹And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. ²²And almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

²³Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these things, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴For Christ did not enter a holy place made by hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year by year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, ²⁸so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. [Scripture says what it means and it means what it says. Christ Jesus is the crossover point from the OLD to the NEW. Take it literally. Hebrews Chapter 10 is a continuation.. ‘the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient.]

Matthew 7:12 – Golden Rule; ¹²“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. [Be nice to everyone; don’t you want the same?]

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 – ⁸Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. ⁹For we know in part and prophesy in part; ¹⁰but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. ¹¹When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. ¹²For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. ¹³But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

John 3:3-5 – ³Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” ⁵Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [To enter heaven a person needs to be born of the Spirit; it is the 2^nd birth]

Romans 3:23 – ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [ALL means ‘all’; if you have sinned, then you have to repent and ask the Lord for FOREGIVNESS.]

Romans 6:23 – ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Only through Christ can your sins be erased. You must be sinless to enter heaven.]

Mark 1:14-15 – ¹⁴Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” [Commit yourself to following the teachings of Christ.]

James 2:19 – ¹⁹You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. [The word believe can cause you to ask; is it a belief of TRUST or is it an intellectual belief in mind only?]

Romans 8:22-23 – ²²For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ²³And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body.

Colossians 1:14 – ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [When we become justified; it means God no longer sees our sin; it is erased.]

1 John 4:10 – ¹⁰In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [God has the power to atone; Christ blood satisfied the requirement]

Romans 5:11 – ¹¹And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. [Christ is the bridge between hell-heaven. When I was unsaved, I was on my way to Hell; my destination has been changed; I found that bridge.]

Galatians 3:13 – ¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. [It was MANKINDS failure to NOT obey the rules.]

Romans 5:8 – ⁶For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. [Gods blood cleanses our sin. HE took our sin and provided the atonement needed.]

John 16:7-9 – ⁷But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper [Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: ⁹regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; [Have you been convicted?]

Romans 10:9-10 – ⁹that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. [Do you commit your life to Christ; are you fully trusting HIM for your salvation.]

Math. 10:32-33 – ³²“Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. [Does a No Comment default to denial?]

Ephesians 2:8-9 –⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [Not works; it is God’s Grace.]

Luke 16:19-26 – ¹⁹“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day. ²⁰And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, ²¹and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores. ²²Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. ²³And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. ²⁴And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ ²⁵But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ [There is a distance between Paradise and Hades; are you Saved or Unsaved.]

Romans 7:14-20 – ¹⁴For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. ¹⁵For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. ¹⁷But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. ¹⁹For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

[The struggle within mankind. Though we don’t want to sin; it happens.]

1 John 1:9 – ⁹If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

[A Precious Promise.]

THE END