Promise for Today - More Than a Hope

And this is the testimony: God has given 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. 

1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)

If you walked around a park today and asked people if they were going to heaven or hell, you’d likely hear many of them say, “I hope I’ll go to heaven.” But hope just isn’t good enough. I pray that’s not your answer. Your eternal destiny is too important not to know for sure.

You’re not guaranteed another minute on this planet, much less another hour. The most recent statistics show that mortality rates worldwide remain at 100 percent! Death is inevitable—so it’s foolish not to be prepared. Don’t put off the most important choice you’ll ever make.

Our Scripture for today tells us, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the testimony: God has given 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” (NIV). That’s about as clear as you can get. If you have Jesus, you have life. If you don’t have Jesus, you do not have life. You have a choice.

You won’t go to heaven because of someone else’s faith. You’ll never go to hell because of someone else’s choice.

It’s your choice! You get to decide where you’ll spend eternity.

This is why we celebrate Christmas and Easter. If Jesus hadn’t come at Christmas—and then if he hadn’t died and come back to life on Easter—our situation would be hopeless. Nothing you do would matter. You wouldn’t have this choice.

The Bible says, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14 NLT).

The cross is the answer to your deepest problem: your separation from God. Make the choice today to be reconciled to God through Jesus and secure your eternity in heaven.

Talk It Over

None of us are promised another second on earth. How does that reality give more urgency to either your decision to follow Jesus or the decision your friends and family need to make?

Who in your life needs to read the message in this devotional? How can you develop your relationship to a point where you can share this message with them?

If the decision to follow Jesus and have life—or reject Jesus and not have life—is so clear and stark, why is it still hard for some people to choose?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          Your Word tells us, “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!" We are blessed if we choose to follow Your commands and cursed if we choose to reject them. Father, we want the security of Your Word, Your promise of eternal life with You. Give us the wisdom and Your strength to daily walk out that choice. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - It's a Big Deal

6 “The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! 7 The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you. 8 Then you will again obey the Lord and keep all his commands that I am giving you today.

9 “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. 10 The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

11 “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. 12 It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ 13 It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ 14 No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.

15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Deuteronomy 30:6-16 NLT

These are great promises; however, reading through the Old Testament can be very difficult for many reasons. BUT, at the same time, it makes me SO grateful for the new covenant through Christ our Lord. He took upon Himself ALL the sin of mankind and nailed it to the Cross at Calvary, becoming the sacrifice for us. Why? To REDEEM us from the CURSE of the Law!

Christ's death and resurrection ushered in the Age of Grace - you may have heard it called "The Dispensation of Grace". From its beginning at Pentecost and continuing through the Rapture of the Church, THIS is why we should be overwhelmingly grateful! God freely offers salvation to 'whosoever will' by grace through faith in Christ's sacrifice in place of keeping the Law. If you've ever read even just Leviticus and Deuteronomy, you would know it's a big deal. HUGE...

Prayer:

Father,

           I have a new understanding and appreciation of Charles Wesley's hymn, ♪♫ O for a thousand tongues to sing praises to our King...♪♫.  It would not be enough to properly express our gratitude! You, O God, King of the universe, knew we could never live up to Your perfection, and in Your great love created Your perfect plan of salvation through Your Christ before the foundation of Earth. It's almost too much for our hearts and minds to grasp. We give You all glory and honor and praise, in Jesus' Name. Amen