YOU ARE GOD’S BELOVED
Ephesians 1:6 - to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
At the Jordan river, Jesus heard His Father say to Him, You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. (Luke 3:22) Later, in the wilderness, Jesus heard the devil say to Him, If You are the Son of God (Luke 4:3)
Notice that the devil not only questioned Jesus sonship, but he also dropped the word beloved when he said to Jesus, If You are the Son of God You see, the devil cannot remind you that you are Gods beloved because when you know this truth, whatever he wants to bring against you will not succeed!
Many girls are giving away their virginity because they need to feel wanted and loved. And young boys join gangs to feel accepted because they have been rejected and made to feel worthless by others.
But when you know that you are Gods beloved, no temptation can succeed against you, not even the giants who may taunt you. Consider David who slew Goliath. David in Hebrew means beloved. It takes a David to knock down a giant. In other words, it takes someone who knows that he is Gods beloved to win the fights of life!
You are Gods beloved not because of what you do. Christ did everything. He is Gods Beloved. But God put you in Christ. That is why you are accepted in the Beloved. And what God said to Jesus, He says to you today: You are My beloved son. In you, I am well pleased.
So if the devil tells you, Hey, you call yourself Gods beloved after what you just did? have the assurance that it is not based on what you have done, but what Christ has done. And you are still Gods beloved because you are in Christ!
When you say that, I believe the devil screams in frustration because he has no power over you when you are conscious that you are Gods beloved. There is truly a place of safety when you know that you are His beloved.
My friend, we are not being proud when we call ourselves Gods beloved. How can we boast when we know that it is God’s grace that has made us accepted in the Beloved!
THE WORD FROM THE TOP (5)
'You shall not commit adultery.' Exodus 20:14 NIV
The seventh commandment says, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But Jesus takes it one step further by saying, ‘Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery… in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better…to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.’ (Matthew 5:28–29 NIV) You’re not responsible for what you see, but you are responsible for what you continue to look at. Paul told Timothy, ‘Flee…youthful lusts’ (2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV); and James writes, ‘After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, gives birth to death.’ (James 1:15NIV) Immorality in practice or in thought can result in the death of your marriage, your self–respect, your influence, and your joy. In The Door, theologian Mike Yaconelli writes: ‘Author Susan Howatch made a fortune writing blockbuster novels… She had houses in several countries, drove a Porsche, and after divorcing had a number of “transient liaisons”. But at age thirty, she said, “God seized me by the scruff of the neck... and shook me until my teeth rattled.” Now a Christian, she reflects: “I was promiscuous, but finally one morning I woke up and said, ‘What am I trying to prove, and to whom?’ I knew exactly what—that, even though my marriage broke up, I could still attract men. The fact that I could control men boosted my fractured ego.” What was her conclusion? Promiscuity is a sign you’re not aligned right with God or yourself.’
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO THE FATHER
John 14:5 - "Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"
Thomas knew Jesus. He just didn't realize Jesus was "the way." Likewise, people today know portions of God's Word but they don't realize that God's Word is their way to victory. Often, people cry out for God to speak to them while their Bible lays unopened on their nightstand. God has spoken to us through His Word. We just need to believe it and receive its truths as our way to victory.
Jesus didn't say: "I am a way, a truth, and a life." He claimed to be the only way, truth, and life. No man can come to the Father except through Jesus. This means that anyone who claims to honor Jesus while advocating other ways to get to God, truth, or life, besides Jesus, is deceived or a deceiver.
Jesus' claims about Himself, of which there is only one, left no room for other means to salvation. He is either who He says He is, or He is the greatest deceiver of all time. His own statements about Himself leave no other alternatives. Therefore, other religions that recognize Jesus and His teachings as wonderful examples, but don't believe He is the only way to achieve salvation, are false.
The Word of God is a spiritual book written under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It was not written to our head but to the innermost part of our heart. This is why some people find the Bible so hard to understand. They are trying to comprehend it using only their mind. The Word of God has to inspire our heart before it can enlighten our mind.
DAILY COMMUNION WITH THE LORD
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” - Matthew 26:27–28
Why do we take the Holy Communion? Is it to get something out of the Lord? No, taking the Communion reminds us of what Jesus has already provided and accomplished for us at the cross.
My friend, has Jesus already made provision for our sins at the cross? Yes! Then you no longer have to live feeling condemned for your sins. Has Jesus already made provision for our healing at the cross? Yes! Then you no longer have to accept the disease in your body, and you can start believing Jesus for total healing. Has Jesus already made provision for our lack on the cross? Yes! Then you no longer have to accept lack and can start believing Jesus for His abundance to start flowing and manifesting in your life.
Beloved, take the Communion daily and have a fresh revelation of all the good that Jesus has already made provision for through His finished work.
UNDESERVED PRAISE
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. —Luke 5:32
Even before I could afford a self-cleaning oven, I managed to keep my oven clean. Guests even commented on it when we had them over for a meal. “Wow, your oven is so clean. It looks like new.” I accepted the praise even though I knew I didn’t deserve it. The reason my oven was clean had nothing to do with my meticulous scrubbing; it was clean because I so seldom used it.
How often, I wonder, am I guilty of accepting undeserved admiration for my “clean” life? It’s easy to give the impression of being virtuous; simply do nothing difficult, controversial, or upsetting to people. But Jesus said we are to love people who don’t agree with us, who don’t share our values, who don’t even like us. Love requires that we get involved in the messy situations of people’s lives. Jesus was frequently in trouble with religious leaders who were more concerned about keeping their own reputations clean than they were about the spiritual condition of those they were supposed to care for. They considered Jesus and His disciples unclean for mingling with sinners when they were simply trying to rescue people from their destructive way of life (Luke 5:30-31).
True disciples of Jesus are willing to risk their own reputations to help others out of the mire of sin.
Dear Lord, give me a heart of compassion for those who are lost in sin. Help me not to be concerned about what others think of me but only that Your holy name will be honored.
Christ sends us out to bring others in.
THE WORD FROM THE TOP (4)
'You shall not murder.' Exodus 20:13 NIV
The sixth commandment says, ‘You shall not murder.’ Now, most of us don’t need a lecture on murder, so let’s address the real issue: the tongue, which kills by destroying a person’s self–worth and future hopes. Paul writes: ‘All the law is fulfilled in…this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!’ (Galatians 5:14–15 NKJV) Who can forget the 1994 tabloid headline, ‘Killer bug ate my face’? The reporting was sensational, but the stories were based on factual cases of invasive streptococcal bacteria found in Gloucestershire. When invasive Strep A (which isn’t the same as strep throat [Bacterial tonsillitis]) takes hold, necrotising fasciitis can begin, which causes the victim’s flesh to die at the rate of several centimetres per hour. Meanwhile toxic shock sets in, shutting down organs and causing death. Dr Jeffrey Crowley describes what happens after the deadly microbes take hold: ‘The bacteria multiply rapidly, producing toxins… For three days the patient may suffer swollen lymph nodes, rising fever, and excruciating pain at the site of infection. Penicillin can stop the attack at this stage, but by day four, infected tissues start dying. Bacteria saturate the bloodstream, destroying muscles and organs, sending the body into shock, and death can follow within hours… invasive streptococcus is rare, but unforgiving.’ You say, ‘That’s gruesome!’ Yes, and so is gossip, and slander! They’re deadly. They make people feel worthless by destroying their self–esteem and undermining them to the point where life doesn’t seem worth living. Learn to guard your tongue and speak words that bring life, not death.
Ephesians 1:6 - to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
At the Jordan river, Jesus heard His Father say to Him, You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. (Luke 3:22) Later, in the wilderness, Jesus heard the devil say to Him, If You are the Son of God (Luke 4:3)
Notice that the devil not only questioned Jesus sonship, but he also dropped the word beloved when he said to Jesus, If You are the Son of God You see, the devil cannot remind you that you are Gods beloved because when you know this truth, whatever he wants to bring against you will not succeed!
Many girls are giving away their virginity because they need to feel wanted and loved. And young boys join gangs to feel accepted because they have been rejected and made to feel worthless by others.
But when you know that you are Gods beloved, no temptation can succeed against you, not even the giants who may taunt you. Consider David who slew Goliath. David in Hebrew means beloved. It takes a David to knock down a giant. In other words, it takes someone who knows that he is Gods beloved to win the fights of life!
You are Gods beloved not because of what you do. Christ did everything. He is Gods Beloved. But God put you in Christ. That is why you are accepted in the Beloved. And what God said to Jesus, He says to you today: You are My beloved son. In you, I am well pleased.
So if the devil tells you, Hey, you call yourself Gods beloved after what you just did? have the assurance that it is not based on what you have done, but what Christ has done. And you are still Gods beloved because you are in Christ!
When you say that, I believe the devil screams in frustration because he has no power over you when you are conscious that you are Gods beloved. There is truly a place of safety when you know that you are His beloved.
My friend, we are not being proud when we call ourselves Gods beloved. How can we boast when we know that it is God’s grace that has made us accepted in the Beloved!
THE WORD FROM THE TOP (5)
'You shall not commit adultery.' Exodus 20:14 NIV
The seventh commandment says, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But Jesus takes it one step further by saying, ‘Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery… in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better…to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.’ (Matthew 5:28–29 NIV) You’re not responsible for what you see, but you are responsible for what you continue to look at. Paul told Timothy, ‘Flee…youthful lusts’ (2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV); and James writes, ‘After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, gives birth to death.’ (James 1:15NIV) Immorality in practice or in thought can result in the death of your marriage, your self–respect, your influence, and your joy. In The Door, theologian Mike Yaconelli writes: ‘Author Susan Howatch made a fortune writing blockbuster novels… She had houses in several countries, drove a Porsche, and after divorcing had a number of “transient liaisons”. But at age thirty, she said, “God seized me by the scruff of the neck... and shook me until my teeth rattled.” Now a Christian, she reflects: “I was promiscuous, but finally one morning I woke up and said, ‘What am I trying to prove, and to whom?’ I knew exactly what—that, even though my marriage broke up, I could still attract men. The fact that I could control men boosted my fractured ego.” What was her conclusion? Promiscuity is a sign you’re not aligned right with God or yourself.’
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO THE FATHER
John 14:5 - "Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"
Thomas knew Jesus. He just didn't realize Jesus was "the way." Likewise, people today know portions of God's Word but they don't realize that God's Word is their way to victory. Often, people cry out for God to speak to them while their Bible lays unopened on their nightstand. God has spoken to us through His Word. We just need to believe it and receive its truths as our way to victory.
Jesus didn't say: "I am a way, a truth, and a life." He claimed to be the only way, truth, and life. No man can come to the Father except through Jesus. This means that anyone who claims to honor Jesus while advocating other ways to get to God, truth, or life, besides Jesus, is deceived or a deceiver.
Jesus' claims about Himself, of which there is only one, left no room for other means to salvation. He is either who He says He is, or He is the greatest deceiver of all time. His own statements about Himself leave no other alternatives. Therefore, other religions that recognize Jesus and His teachings as wonderful examples, but don't believe He is the only way to achieve salvation, are false.
The Word of God is a spiritual book written under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It was not written to our head but to the innermost part of our heart. This is why some people find the Bible so hard to understand. They are trying to comprehend it using only their mind. The Word of God has to inspire our heart before it can enlighten our mind.
DAILY COMMUNION WITH THE LORD
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” - Matthew 26:27–28
Why do we take the Holy Communion? Is it to get something out of the Lord? No, taking the Communion reminds us of what Jesus has already provided and accomplished for us at the cross.
My friend, has Jesus already made provision for our sins at the cross? Yes! Then you no longer have to live feeling condemned for your sins. Has Jesus already made provision for our healing at the cross? Yes! Then you no longer have to accept the disease in your body, and you can start believing Jesus for total healing. Has Jesus already made provision for our lack on the cross? Yes! Then you no longer have to accept lack and can start believing Jesus for His abundance to start flowing and manifesting in your life.
Beloved, take the Communion daily and have a fresh revelation of all the good that Jesus has already made provision for through His finished work.
UNDESERVED PRAISE
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. —Luke 5:32
Even before I could afford a self-cleaning oven, I managed to keep my oven clean. Guests even commented on it when we had them over for a meal. “Wow, your oven is so clean. It looks like new.” I accepted the praise even though I knew I didn’t deserve it. The reason my oven was clean had nothing to do with my meticulous scrubbing; it was clean because I so seldom used it.
How often, I wonder, am I guilty of accepting undeserved admiration for my “clean” life? It’s easy to give the impression of being virtuous; simply do nothing difficult, controversial, or upsetting to people. But Jesus said we are to love people who don’t agree with us, who don’t share our values, who don’t even like us. Love requires that we get involved in the messy situations of people’s lives. Jesus was frequently in trouble with religious leaders who were more concerned about keeping their own reputations clean than they were about the spiritual condition of those they were supposed to care for. They considered Jesus and His disciples unclean for mingling with sinners when they were simply trying to rescue people from their destructive way of life (Luke 5:30-31).
True disciples of Jesus are willing to risk their own reputations to help others out of the mire of sin.
Dear Lord, give me a heart of compassion for those who are lost in sin. Help me not to be concerned about what others think of me but only that Your holy name will be honored.
Christ sends us out to bring others in.
THE WORD FROM THE TOP (4)
'You shall not murder.' Exodus 20:13 NIV
The sixth commandment says, ‘You shall not murder.’ Now, most of us don’t need a lecture on murder, so let’s address the real issue: the tongue, which kills by destroying a person’s self–worth and future hopes. Paul writes: ‘All the law is fulfilled in…this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!’ (Galatians 5:14–15 NKJV) Who can forget the 1994 tabloid headline, ‘Killer bug ate my face’? The reporting was sensational, but the stories were based on factual cases of invasive streptococcal bacteria found in Gloucestershire. When invasive Strep A (which isn’t the same as strep throat [Bacterial tonsillitis]) takes hold, necrotising fasciitis can begin, which causes the victim’s flesh to die at the rate of several centimetres per hour. Meanwhile toxic shock sets in, shutting down organs and causing death. Dr Jeffrey Crowley describes what happens after the deadly microbes take hold: ‘The bacteria multiply rapidly, producing toxins… For three days the patient may suffer swollen lymph nodes, rising fever, and excruciating pain at the site of infection. Penicillin can stop the attack at this stage, but by day four, infected tissues start dying. Bacteria saturate the bloodstream, destroying muscles and organs, sending the body into shock, and death can follow within hours… invasive streptococcus is rare, but unforgiving.’ You say, ‘That’s gruesome!’ Yes, and so is gossip, and slander! They’re deadly. They make people feel worthless by destroying their self–esteem and undermining them to the point where life doesn’t seem worth living. Learn to guard your tongue and speak words that bring life, not death.
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