Deaf Devotion 8/29/2011

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!“ (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)

Suppose someone asks you to choose between a million dollars and a candy bar.
That seems to be an easy decision to make.
Suppose you are asked to choose between a million dollars and two million dollars.
Again, the answer seems pretty obvious.
Easier yet!
Now suppose someone asks you to choose between a million dollars and a penny, or choose between a candy bar and a penny.
One would say that is a “no-brainer.” The answer would be automatic. We would not need to put much thought into our response.
It’s no big deal.

But suppose someone asks you to choose between two of your favorite candy bars? Now we would need to think a little harder about that. How many choices do we make every day?

If you could estimate how many choices the average person makes per day, what would you say? 5? 10? 100? 1000? Probably the higher one goes, the closer we get to the correct number of decisions are required every day. Sometimes our choices even have choices! When did it get so complex?

There are big choices and little choices. Sometimes we make big decisions about little things and easy decisions about something important. No matter how big or small, each choice will affect us in some way.

Now, God fully knows that we face choices every day. The Bible makes it very clear that we have some decisions to make, and that the decisions you make will very much affect you.

Pastor Adrian Rogers writes:

“Years ago I was witnessing to a young lady in Florida. I asked her if she had received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She became teary-eyed and said, “I just don’t seem…no…I can’t do it today.” I asked her, “Don’t you realize that if you don’t receive Him, that you’re going to deny Him?” She said, “Oh, I wouldn’t deny Him for anything.” I said, “But there’s no middle ground.” And yet she refused.

I said, “Before you go, would you shake hands with me?” And she said, “Well, certainly.” And so I said, “If you’ll take Christ as your Savior, take my right hand. If you’ll take hell and refuse Christ, take my left hand.” She refused to take either of my hands.”

Choosing between life and death is like choosing between a million dollars and a candy bar. It seems like the decision is obvious, right? As obvious as the answer may seem, no matter that the answer is right in front of our faces, there are those who are still waiting to make a decision between life and death. Waiting can be the same as refusing or denying what is right in front of us.

So, there it is. To choose life, is to have a relationship with the Savior. Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

So, in choosing Jesus, we do not just have an ordinary life, but we have a life that is tremendous, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, plentiful, extraordinary, above the ordinary, and more than sufficient. Choose life. Choose Christ.

Don’t waste the life we have in Jesus Christ. Don’t settle for second best. Don’t go through life just existing, coping, or getting by. We are not put here on earth to just get by. God created each of us for a reason, for a mission, a purpose. That starts by asking the question, “Is this the best use of my life?”

Deaf Devotion 8/22/2011

“I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the LORD your God!” (Numbers 15:41 NLT)

At times, I have heard someone say, "I've made Jesus a part of my life." But this statement really misses the point. The truth is, Jesus can never be simply a part of life. At salvation, Jesus becomes our life. Everything revolves around Him and His finished work at the Cross, once and for all people, all because He is the central focus.

For the believer, the real meaning of living is to follow Jesus with the simple un-questioning faith of a child. We must fully trust Jesus and what He has done. That means we point toward His righteous life simply by living by faith in Him. To do this, we depend on the power of the Holy Spirit for showing us God’s plan for us, and God’s grace for forgiveness when we stumble. And we will make mistakes because we live in between two kingdoms that are in constant conflict. On the one hand, there's the pull of the world, and on the other, the pull of God. In other words, Satan throws temptations our way, but from God comes the appeal of holiness, peace, and joy in Christ. You and me are somewhere in the middle.

That's why Jesus taught as written in Matthew 6:33, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

And what is God’s desire for us? “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

The battle is ongoing. And it is not happening just in the areas of education, science, politics, and finances but also within every human heart. The only way to sort out what is happening in the universe is to keep Christ at the center of our universe. He is not a part of the universe. He is the universe. He is the breath and life and salvation of the universe. There is simply no way to make it in life if Jesus is not the center.

Jesus is not a part of our life. JESUS IS our life. JESUS IS our today and our tomorrow. JESUS IS our eternal life.

If Jesus is your Savior, He is everything. There is no other. It has already been done. If Jesus is not your Savior, He may only be a “part.” What are the other “parts” doing? Jesus says to come to Him and give Him your everything. He has already said He is THE way, THE truth, and THE LIFE. Not one of many, but THE only. Once Jesus is Savior and Lord, we cannot lose what He has promised.

It's critical that we keep God's priority as our own seeking His will and His righteousness to keep us focused on the center of our universe: Jesus Christ Alone.

Deaf Devotion 8/15/2011

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Hebrews 9:27 NLT

Jesus came to save all people but it’s a sad reality that only “many” will choose to accept the offer of God’s grace and salvation through Jesus Christ.

One of the most important things to remember about life as we know it is this: We are not living the life God created us to live. After Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden due to their sin in Genesis Chapter 3, everything changed. And no change is bigger than death. Mankind was created to live eternally; but that eternal life is to be interrupted by death as the ultimate result of sin, followed by resurrection to eternal life. The question is, "Where will one's eternal life be spent?"

What is death? Death is eternal separation from God. Eternal life is living, breathing, and worshipping in the presence of the creator and Savior Forever!

Again, the Garden of Eden is the model. God created mankind to fellowship with Him for eternity. Therefore, the Bible speaks of only two options for eternal life: with God (heaven) or not with God (hell). The question is not "if" we live eternally, but "where."

I received an email from a good friend:

“Hi John,
I have those rare mom/daughter times sometimes. Ever since she got home from her mission trip to WVA, she has totally changed (for the better!), and of course I swell with pride...and oh yeah, of course, love. :)

Anyway, after I picked her up from her friend's, we got home and just sat in the car, parked in front of my building. It happens every now and then for us to just sit there and enjoy. You know? So we were just chatting and she shared with me how she's changing so much for the better, growing in her relationship with Jesus (she has stopped listening to certain types of music!!!) and how she's been having a couple friends (atheists) coming to "Uth Night" (Youth Group) with her on Weds....and she said, "I'm workin' on 'em mom. They need Jesus!"

Then I shared about going to a funeral and how sad it is to know that the person wasn't saved and hard to stand there looking at the empty shell of the body but knowing where his soul might be right now. If one truly know the person was NOT saved, they are in hell. Eternal.

The question she asked, "Mom, wasn't there somewhere where you are given a 2nd chance? Anyway, her question was if a person not saved, but shows up before God, he/she will still be sent to hell, because they haven't accepted Christ, right? Isn't there another place they go? If they were really sincerely sorry? I did say there are only 2 places--- Heaven or hell. No ifs or buts about it.

I told her I'd ask you to clear that up a bit, to make sure I was clear about that, and she is clear and we all are clear!

Thanks, Pastor John. “

Wow. Can you imagine forever separated from God? Here is my response:

That's a tough question because we all want hope. Doctrine teaches there is no "second chance."

The story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus point to this. The rich man in hell was looking for the "second chance" to save himself and find the "water" to quench his thirst and thus save himself and also to warn his family and others about hell. All this while Lazarus was safe in the "bosom" of God. God pointed out that basically Dead people can't talk. God pointed out that he did nothing about salvation while he was alive and had the chance, what makes him think anything would be different now. The man protested and said then let me go tell my family. God said that because people (including the rich man) would not listen to the truth when they were alive, they most certainly will not listen to a "ghost."

Also, if there were a second chance, then it would mean one could lose their salvation over and over again. Jesus died one time for all people. In that same thought, If there were a second chance, then it would mean that Jesus died only for the people needing the "second chance" and not for all people as God had originally planned. Jesus came to save all of God's creation from hell.

A "second chance" is based on people's own idea and interpretation of righteousness. I will change so I DESERVE the "second chance" and God should give it to me. God does not see it that way. Everything was finished BY GOD, BY JESUS, AT THE CROSS. Righteousness is based on God and what He does through grace and what Jesus Christ did through love. We cannot become righteous. We are MADE righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Some religions preach "Purgatory" as the second chance. This is defined as the place someone's soul goes until things are made right by those who are still living. The living can "buy" what are called indulgences. They pay to light a candle. They donate to this or that. Once they feel that God is satisfied, then they can be assured that their loved one has entered heaven. This also is not true. No one can buy their way into heaven or can buy forgiveness from God. Again this is based on people "buying" their way into heaven. It is based on people's works rather than God's gift and Jesus finished work at the cross. The problem is, there is never enough "assurance." And also, how much is enough to "buy" God's forgiveness?

God's cost of forgiveness was His Son. Our cost of forgiveness is obeying in faith and trusting our lives to the risen Savior. Jesus' cost was His life, given for us not taken from Him, to satisfy once and for all the sin-debt mankind owes to God. Once it is satisfied by faith and trust in Jesus, while the person is alive and has the opportunity to respond and act, it is a done deal. It is sealed by God's Word.”

What are you and me to do now? Make sure you and those you know have answered the question of "where" you and they will spend eternity by believing in Jesus Christ.

Pastor, writer, and evangelist J.C. Ryle said, “The beginning of the way to heaven is to feel that we are on the way to hell.”

Deaf Devotion 8/1/2011

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT)

Even though the Bible clearly states that every believer receives a spiritual gift, some people nevertheless think they were overlooked. So these men and women wander through life refusing opportunities to serve. Other folks are so busy wishing they had a different ability that they do not use the one bestowed by the Holy Spirit. Both of these attitudes are sinful.

God has a specific purpose and ministry for every Christian. Our spiritual gifts help us to fulfill His plan. Our spiritual gifts are also meant to keep us busy until the day Jesus calls us home. We learn which gift we have been given by getting involved in the life of the church. Sometimes it is more than one gift we are given. What a blessing! In other words, a believer will know their God-given abilities when they begin to use them in the life of the church and in service to others.

Moreover, God has a general purpose for handing out spiritual gifts.

Christians are to use their special skills for the common good. “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT) Everyone profits when believers do God's work though the power of the Holy Spirit.

We're to use our gifts for equipping, teaching, and encouraging one another. “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT)

To appreciate how this works, it may be helpful to better understand words like evangelist, prophet, and teacher. Biblically, these terms describe co-laborers who share Christ with others. They are spiritual mentors who explain biblical truths to new believers. They are friends who uplift the discouraged, and others doing similar work. Butthe "titles" can be used for any person also. You do not need to be a Pastor to spread the Gospel. You do not need to be a teacher to tell someone about Salvation in Jesus Christ. You just need to be willing.

Every member of the Christian fellowship is important, and each one has a work to do. There are no excuses for ignoring God's plan for us. Where He has gifted us and opened doors of opportunity for ministry, He also provides the strength and courage when He calls us to use our abilities.

The gifts He gives us are not to be used to build us up, but to serve others. His purpose is not that we should use our gifts to please ourselves or to hide, but to help and bless other people.

As we wait for Christ to return, keep using whatever gift or gifts God gave us to help and bless others.
What can we do until Jesus comes back?
We can stay focused and keep praying.
We can love others with our attitude and actions.
We can serve God by using the gifts He has given us to help and bless others.

Jesus has given us plenty to do. He does not want us to be sitting around, complaining about how we wish He would hurry and get here. He wants us about our Father’s business, until it is time to go home.

What are you doing for God and how are you using the gift or gifts He has given you as you wait for Jesus to come back?