“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. -EPHESIANS 2:3-9
As a young man, Allen Stewart was troubled because he wasn’t sure where he would spend eternity. a Christian friend talked with him about this and told him he only had to believe on the Lord Jesus. But Allen thought this was far too easy, so he decided to follow his own ideas.
He joined a church, sang in the choir, and became a busy worker, hoping that through these effort he would gain salvation. Yet nothing he did brought him inner satisfaction and he was struck by the verse, “Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12) As he pondered the last phrase, the truth suddenly dawned on him. “will you look at that!” he exclaimed. “Even the devil knows that a man finds forgiveness if he just believes!” He turned from his own works and trusted Jesus-finally finding the peace he had so desperately sought
Many people stumble over the simplicity of the gospel. Thinking they can win divine approval through their good deads of religious efforts, they try to establish their own righteousness. But it is Jesus’s work, not ours, that is the key to heaven!
Henry Bosch
From What Really Matters. Our Daily Bread devotional published by Discovery House. Sept. 19: How to be saved.
Jesus Reigns
He shall reign for ever and ever-Revelation 11:15 KJV
Jesus reigns. He reigns in life, He reigns in death, He reigns in the heavens, and He reigns overall. He reigns above kingdoms and He reigns above kings. He reigns above darkness, every demon of hell, and He reigns above every circumstance of life.
He reigns above every sorrow of the heart, every need of the body, every choice of the will, and every emotion of the soul. He reigns with all authority, He reigns with all justice, He reigns with all righteousness, He reigns with all goodness, and He reigns with all might.
He reigns over the plans of men and the schemes of the devil, He reigns over the laws of the universe and the laws of nature, He reigns over the earth, the climate, the storms at sea, and His reign and of His kingdom there will be no end.
His Footsteps My Pathway by Roy Lessin. Sept. 19th Devotion
"...Hallelujah! For our LORD God Almighty reigns." Revelation 9:6 NIV
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I have a comment on your statement above : “Jesus Reigns”
“He shall reign for ever and ever-Revelation 11:15 KJV
Jesus reigns. He reigns in life, He reigns in death, He reigns in the heavens, and He reigns overall. He reigns above kingdoms and He reigns above kings. He reigns above darkness, every demon of hell, and He reigns above every circumstance of life.
He reigns above every sorrow of the heart, every need of the body, every choice of the will, and every emotion of the soul. He reigns with all authority, He reigns with all justice, He reigns with all righteousness, He reigns with all goodness, and He reigns with all might.
He reigns over the plans of men and the schemes of the devil, He reigns over the laws of the universe and the laws of nature, He reigns over the earth, the climate, the storms at sea, and His reign and of His kingdom there will be no end.
His Footsteps My Pathway by Roy Lessin. Sept. 19th Devotion
“…Hallelujah! For our LORD God Almighty reigns.” Revelation 9:6 NIV”
I have heard many folks during the “Return” event this past weekend testify that “God is in Control” . If that is so, then God is responsible for my father’s early death caused by smoking (God COULD have Made him stop) and the death or 6 million Jews under Hitler. (God COULD HAVE changed Hitler’s mind)
BUT – as the verses quoted above in your post indicate “God Reigns!”. “God Reigns” is substantially different than “God is in control”. The Queen of England reigns over England, but she is certainly NOT IN CONTROL of most things English. She is “in control” of what happens in her palace, as God is certainly in control of what happens in Heaven. BUT God gave the power over human events to MAN, back in Genesis 1: 26-28. God did not reserve control fo Himself over Earthly situations which may seem “Out of Control”. Like our current political and social milieu. So what do we need too do as men and women “created in the likeness of God?”
We need to exercise our God given powers and STOP sitting on the couch waiting for the rapture, or waiting for a miracle of God to change the course of world events prior to the election. So, rather, we must ask ourselves,”What can I DO to cause events on Earth to be more like events in Heaven?” When Jesus said “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” he wasn’t kidding, because under the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13) our separation from God caused by Adam’s sin, is removed. We now have complete access to God through our belief in His divinity and sacrifice for us, as the only faultless man. When we ask, we receive forgiveness of our sin. Wen we give Him authority over our lives, we submit our will to His. As we continue to seek His wisdom (James 1) He will continue to lead and guide us.
The key phrase here is that we must voluntarily and without coercion GIVE Jesus and His Holy Spirit authority over our lives. Without that submission of our bodies souls and spirits, we cannot expect that our entreaties for “God’s will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” to miraculously manifest.
So… church get out of hiding. Meet in person and encourage one another. Pastors, you are held to a “Higher Standard” (James 3:1) than your congregation, but they cannot meet as a church, without your intervention against Government COVID restrictions. Church, if your pastor refuses to lead you through the crisis, then gather your friends and fellow congregants together and meet on the streets in a “Protest March” against the State’s revocation of your Second Amendment Rights, as one group did successfully in California.
As we used to say in the 70’s “Right On!”
Thanks Jack for your comment! I don’t want my site to become “political” but appreciate your thoughts and comment. Each state and community is different