Jesus Took Our Place!

 Jesus Took Our Place

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Proverbs 3:6)

Jesus didn’t deserve to be crucified. He didn’t need to go through all that suffering, all that pain. He didn’t have to be humiliated, tortured, killed, and separated from God.

And yet He did. He did it for us. He did it because of us.

He took our place on the Cross so we can go free.

He was punished on our behalf so we can have the peace that He deserved.

He was scourged, beaten, tortured, so we can be perfectly healed.

He was humiliated, so that we can stand in all His glory and authority.

He died, so that we can live.

What is this love, that God is willing to die for man?

What is this power, that the chains of death can be broken?

What is this grace, that the undeserving can be redeemed?

He took our place, so that now we can take His.

His place as God’s beloved child.

His places as the spotless, blameless, and righteous one.

His place in God’s presence.

He has taken our place. Will you now take His?

Be Greatly Blessed!

Action Steps:

Realise who you truly are. You’ve been redeemed, saved from the clutches of the evil one.

All that Jesus deserved is now yours. He has taken your place on the cross.

So now take your place as the beloved child of God!

Let’s pray…

 

Prayer:

Father, thank you for sending Jesus to save us.

It’s only because of what He has done that I can now speak to you as your beloved child.

Through His sacrifice on the Cross, Jesus took my sins, my shame and my guilt.

He took my place as a sinner, so that I can take His place as a righteous child of God.

What mercy! What grace! What love!

How can I ever thank you enough for what you’ve done for me?

Yet I’ll sing praises to you! Let my heart never forget all that you’ve done for me.

I’ll not let the evil one cheat me of my inheritance anymore.

I’ll take the rightful place that Jesus has bought for me.

I’ll stand boldly, as your righteous, beloved child.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

What Bible says about Judgement?

 

Bible Verses about Judgment Day, Our Final Judgment

• Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.1 Corinthians 4:5
• “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10
• But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”Matthew 12:36-37
• I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his manifestation and his Kingdom2 Timothy 4:1
• “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”Revelation 20:11-15

Sexual acts forbidden in the Bible

Let us focus  on Romans 1:18-32 where the theme of God’s wrath is spoken of in relation to the idolatry of sexual sin, including the clearest prohibition against homosexuality and only mention of lesbianism in the entire Bible. Before we do, it is important to make note of all the sexual acts forbidden in the Bible.

1. Fornication (Gen. 38:24; cf. Lev. 21:9; Deut. 22:21; 1 Cor. 6:18, 7:2; Heb. 13:4).
2. Adultery (Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18; Prov. 6:32; Matt. 5:27-32, 15:19; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).
3. Polygamy (Gen. 2:1-8 cf. Matt. 19:4-6; Gen. 4:19-24; 1 Ki. 11:1-9; 1 Tim. 3:2,12)
4. Rape (Gen. 34:1-31; Jdg. 19:1-30, 2 Sam. 13:11-14)
5. Incest (Lev. 18, 20, 27).
6. Homosexuality (Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9)
7. Bestiality (Ex. 22:19; Lev. 20:15-16; Deut. 27:21)
8. Prostitution (Lev. 19:29, 21:9; 1 Cor. 6:16).
9. Sexual Immorality  (referring to numerous sexual sins including pornographies) (Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 6:13, 6:18; Eph. 5:3; 1 Thess. 4:3)
10. Pagan sexual activity (Ex. 32; Is. 57:7-8; Hosea 4:12-14; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5)

As we read this list, the truth is we are all guilty of sexual sins in varying ways and to varying degrees. I was guilty of the first category before becoming a Christian and repenting of my sin by the Spirit’s power. All of us has at some point violated the ninth category with lustful thoughts about someone other than our spouse. The point is not to excuse the sins of others because of our guilt, but instead to show that only Jesus Christ is without any sexual sin in His heart or hands, and the rest of us need his forgiveness, healing, and power to live as God created us to.

Our foundation!

 Our Foundation

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“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (NIV).

We each face trials in our lives that we must face head on. But we certainly do not face them alone! Isn’t it good to know the Lord is there by your side? His hand guides you through the rushing currents of your trials, and delivers you from the fires of fate.

For this reason we must extend our hands to meet His. Do not hesitate during times of trial! These are the times when you need Him the most, and luckily for us, he is always there! In Mark 10:27, Jesus said “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” What a power to have on your side!

And on your side He is! There is no force that can stop Him nor harm you when you are sheltered by our Lord. For all things are possible with God. Pray to him often when you find yourself in need, and the Lord will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory.

Let Him be your foundation in times of distress. Allow him into your life if you find yourself hesitant. The currents may attempt to pull you away, but His is the strongest foundation of all. When all things are possible, you can overcome the odds!

Prayer:

“Lord, be my foundation through times of trial. When I walk through swift waters and roaring fires, I will be by your side. Thank you for that, Lord. I seek to walk with you during these times. I extend my hand to meet yours so that you may guide me.”

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

Final Thoughts:

There shall be no force that cannot be overcome when the Lord is on your side. All things are possible through him, seek not to forget this! With him by your side, you can confidently face down the swiftest of currents, the strongest of winds, and the hottest of fires. For as long as you have a foundation as strong as the Lord, you shall prevail through it all!

Be Greatly Blessed!

Why we need God?

 

12 Reasons We Need God

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I know I need God, but too often, I act the opposite. I strive to achieve out of my own strength and knowledge instead of relying on God. I pretend to know all the answers and act like everything is under my control instead of acknowledging God as sovereign over all.

What I see as personal strength, God sees as pride. When I rely on myself instead of God, I reject the relationship God intended for us.

God set Himself up as our helper because He knows, our own limited ability will never be enough.  He invites us into a personal relationship with Him because He meets the needs no one else can meet.

God wants to demonstrate His love and faithfulness to us, but first, we must get out of His way; we must admit our weaknesses and realize our desperate need for Him.

12 Reasons We Need God

1. He gives eternal life.

Without God, life is temporary. And even our short earthly life is not life at all without God.

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” Ephesians 2:1-2 (NLT)

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” John 6:63 (NIV)

2. He provides us with everything we need.

God knows all of our needs, and as His beloved children, He looks after us.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” Matthew 6:31-32 (ESV)

3. He alone can forgive our sins.

As Romans 3:23 states “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” As sinners, we need the saving forgiveness only God offers.

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

4. He sends the Holy Spirit to be our helper.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God sends the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 (ESV)

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)” Romans 8:9 (NLT)

5. He gives us the power of His grace.

God’s grace not only covers our sins, but it gives us strength when we are weak, and trains us in God’s ways.

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” Titus 2: 11-12

6. He bestows wisdom and guidance upon us.

With God we do not need to rely upon our own limited knowledge, for He gives us wisdom and directs our steps.

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26 (NASB)

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;” Psalm 37:23 (ESV)

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,” Jude 24 (NASB)

7. He protects us.

God is always present, offering refuge in the storms of life.

“For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 (ESV)

8. He makes us a new creation.

With God, we can leave our sinful past behind us, and become new in Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

“he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:5 (ESV)

9. He allows us to partake in His righteousness

We owe all our goodness to God.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

10. He fills us with peace.

In a world where stress and anxiety are the norm, we can call on God’s peace to reign within us.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

11. He covers us with Mercy

God demonstrates His compassion for us every day.

“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

12. He frees us from being slaves to sin.

God frees us from the bondage of sin by breaking the strongholds in our lives and bringing us out of the darkness.

“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:38-39

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” Colossians 1:13

As we seek the life God intended, a life as a kingdom citizen, we need to humble ourselves before God and regularly acknowledge our need for Him.

Why I should worship God!

 Why Should We Worship God?

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In the end, everyone will bow before God and worship him as Lord. When we all stand before him, his glory and majesty will overwhelm each one. We will bow then, not because we are forced to, but simply because we will acknowledge that he is worthy of our worship.

Why Should We Worship God?

Why worship God? For some people, the answer is because it’s what they grew up with. It’s just what they do. At the other extreme are those who refuse to worship God, who say that if there really is a God and when they ultimately stand before him, they will refuse to worship him. In their minds, the God of the Bible is not worthy of worship. This article will look at some reasons why we should worship God. And why everyone, in the end, will also worship him.

What Is Worship?

Before discussing why we should worship God, it would be good to understand just what worship is. For many Christians, worship is what we do on Sunday morning. Singing a few songs, listening to a teaching, sharing communion/Eucharist, and doing whatever else is scheduled for the Sunday morning meeting time.

But worship is so much more than that. And, all too often, what we call worship is not really worship at all. What we call worship is all too often entertainment. And we evaluate the effectiveness of worship by how it makes us feel. But worship is really about what we give. Not what we receive. 

Worship is bowing before our superior, in this case, God. True worship costs us something. In Romans 12:1 that cost is described as the sacrifice of self. When we come before God in worship, we humbly give ourselves up to his Lordship, proclaiming that he is worthy and exalting him in praise.

Because He Is the Alpha and the Omega

Periodically, I will encounter an atheist who will boast that, even if God does exist, he will never worship him. That if he ever stands before God, it will be he who judges God rather than the other way around. In his mind, the God of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is a sadistic monster who is not worthy of his worship.

In the end, every knee will bow before Christ and will acknowledge him as Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). When that time comes, those who do not believe may think they will act in defiance of God, but, instead, they will fall on their faces before him and acknowledge that he is worthy of their worship. Unfortunately, it will be too late for it to make any difference, but it will happen nonetheless.

Because He Is the Creator

In the fourth chapter of Revelation, John sees a vision of God on his throne in heaven. And surrounding the throne are four living creatures and 24 elders. They are worshiping God and saying,

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

They are proclaiming that God is worthy of our worship because he created all things. Because all things have their being in him. 

This creation that we are a part of is truly amazing. The size and complexity of the universe are incomprehensible to most of us. From the smallest particle to the largest galactic clusters, it is all intricate and well designed. The more we learn of this world we inhabit, the more wonderful it is revealed to be. 

We look at an artistic masterpiece, an amazing athletic performance, or an amazing feat of engineering and express praise towards the one who created or performed it. They are thought to be worthy of praise because of what they have done. How much more so for the one who produced the universe we inhabit?

More than any other person, place or thing, the creator of us all is worthy of our praise and worship.

Because He Is Lord

Lord is not a term that is used much in our world today, at least not in the west. But it was a widely used term in biblical days. You find it in the Bible mostly in reference to God, but it is also used for a sovereign or master. It is one who is in charge. And that is a good descriptive term for God. He is the sovereign Lord, the ruler of heaven and earth. And as such he is worthy of our worship.

In 1 Chronicles 16:29, we are told to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” The Lord alone is worthy of our adoration and worship.

The Psalms are filled with calls to praise the Lord including Psalm 95:6, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” And Jesus also tells us that “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

Because He Is the Redeemer

God is worthy of my worship because he is my creator and Lord. But he is much more than that. Throughout the pages of the Bible, you can find him working to call people to himself. And, more personally, he has called me to himself.

I am a sinful human. One who was separated from the love of God by my sin. But God provided a suitable sacrifice for my sin. He imputed to me the righteousness of Christ. He adopted me into his family. And he has prepared an eternal future for me with himself.

Why did he do all of that? It was not because of anything that I did. It was simply because he is my creator and he loved me. As my creator, God is indeed worthy of my worship. But how much more worthy of my worship is he because he is also my redeemer and heavenly Father.

Because He Is Worthy 

In the end, everyone will bow before God and worship him as Lord. When we all stand before him, his glory and majesty will overwhelm each one. We will bow then, not because we are forced to, but simply because we will acknowledge that he is worthy of our worship.

But how much better if we worship him now. He is our creator, Lord, and redeemer. Our natural response to him should be to mimic the elders and living creatures in Revelation 4:9-10 and bow before him,

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.

So, fall down on your face before God and worship him

Experience God,s Mercy!

 Experience God’s Mercy

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O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:1)

How amazing is the mercy of God! If not for His mercy, we’d have no hope of redemption. If not for His mercy, we’d all be resigned to a life of hardship, curses, and eternal damnation.

Let’s be clear, God does not owe us anything. He didn’t have to send His Son to die for us. But if God only gave us what we deserved, we’d all be condemned for eternity.

Yet, that’s not what God wants for us.

He wants to show us mercy. He wants to redeem us. He wants to hold us close in His embrace.

It’s because of His mercy that we are now free from all Judgement. It’s because of His grace that we’re now deserving of all His blessings.

So give thanks to the Lord today! Appreciate His mercy, live in His grace, and receive His blessings!

Be Greatly Blessed!

Action Steps:

It can be easy to forget how great God’s mercy is and take things for granted.

So remember His mercy today. Read through the verses on curses and damnation in the Bible and see how much God has delivered us from because of His mercy, through Jesus Christ.

That is why those verses are there. To help us have a deeper appreciation of God’s mercy, not for us to preach hellfire and brimstone in order to scare people into submission.

See also all the blessings and promises of God. For they are what Jesus gifted us with through the divine exchange on the Cross.

We’ll literally been lifted from the depths of hell into the inner courts of heaven.

Hallelujah!

Let’s pray…

Prayer:

Father, I’m reminded again of your great mercy and grace.

It’s only because of what Jesus did that I can be redeemed from eternal damnation and all other curses.

I was not deserving, but yet you chose to love me.

You forgave all my trespasses, rescued me from the depths of hell, and lifted me up into your glory.

How can I ever thank you enough Lord? How can I ever love you enough?

While I live and breathe, I’ll continue to praise you and bless your name.

For you alone are deserving of our worship.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!