May 13th - Heavy Burdens of Religion

Jesus said this about religious leaders of His day:

"For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders." (Matthew 23:4).

The rules and regulations found in the religions of the world leave humanity frustrated, guilt ridden and depressed. Jesus came to set humanity free from rules and regulations of religious institutions, whether Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu or any other religious system.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18).

"God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting humanity’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation...it is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Galatians 5:1)

Sinful humanity, all of us, will eventually be set free from death - the wages of sin. Our final destiny is to be resurrected to eternal life.

"Upon this rock I will be building my church, and the gates of the grave shall not be prevailing against it." (Matthew 16:18)  

"...there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." (Acts 24:15)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

"...I give to you the gospel that I accepted, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was then entombed, and then rose to life the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3)

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

May 12th - A Righteousness from God for Humanity

"Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest, being attested by the law and the prophets, yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God. Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:21-24)

At this point in Paul's Roman letter he has clearly set forth that all humanity...the good, the bad, and the religious... are ALL sinners who are lacking "in the glory of God". Humanity's only hope is the mercy, love, and grace of God. Paul then relates the good news of God's love for humanity:

"...yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes.  Much rather, then, being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from indignation, through Him." (Romans 5:8-9)

"For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so He could have mercy on everyone." (Romans 11:32)

Humanity will be saved because God is rich in mercy, love and grace.

"God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us...vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved)" (Ephesians 2:4-6)

In summary:

1. "a righteousness of God" has been brought to light for all sinners.

2. This righteousness is "Jesus Christ's faith" in God, as opposed to humanity's lack of faith in God.

3. Jesus Christ's faith is sufficient for God to justify (declare righteous) all humanity.

4. "There is no distinction" between the believer and the unbeliever.

5. This righteousness is "for all", but it rests "on all" who believe.

6. Both believers and unbelievers have "all sinned and are wanting of glory of God".

7. Because of the love of God for humanity, all are "justified gratuitously (freely) in His GRACE through the deliverance which is in Jesus Christ.

8. Jesus will deliver humanity from death, its "last enemy", by abolishing death.

"Christ has been raised out from the dead, the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep. For since death came by a man, so also by a man has come the resurrection of the dead. For as indeed in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive...The last enemy to be abolished is death." (1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 26)

If humanity would believe what God says - all would rest in peace when they die, knowing their salvation from death is what God will do for us all.

May 11th - Believe the Truth

Again, the truth is the truth whether people believe it or not!

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3)

What did Paul mean when he said Jesus “condemned sin in the flesh”? Sin condemned humanity to "death" as Paul tells us. Christ condemned death to be swallowed up in Victory at the resurrection. And this Victory Christ obtained is for ALL humanity.

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all humanity, because all sinned…just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for ALL humanity…so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also GRACE might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord...for as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive...death is abolished...that God may be All in all” (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:22-28)

May 10th - We Win

The truth is the truth whether people believe it or not.

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His MERCY endures forever.” (Psalm 118:29 KJV)

“For by GRACE are you saved…” (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

GRACE and MERCY are the flip sides of God’s coin of Love. MERCY is not giving humanity what it deserves….staying dead. GRACE is giving humanity what they do not deserve….the free gift of being resurrected from death to immortal life. This is the coin that God flips to determine our eternal destiny, Regardless of which side turns up - WE WIN!

“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54)

May 9th - "Lions and Tigers and Bears - Oh My!"

"In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 56:11).

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6)

Faith does not save anyone from the consequence of sin, which is death. The mercy, love, and grace of God takes care of our salvation by our resurrection.

"God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us...vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved)..." (Ephesians 2:4-6)

Faith in His mercy, love, and grace delivers us from the fear of death and enables us to have peace and joy in the midst of difficult circumstances we have from time to time.  And of course, that kind of faith does "please God".

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:26)

When our salvation and transformation to immortality is complete we will have eternal abundant life.

"It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies." (1 Corinthians 15:52)

Don't fear "Lions and Tigers and Bears" Dorothy - Rejoice in God's "Mercy and Love and Grace - Oh My!

May 8th - The Knowledge of Salvation

Those who have "the KNOWLEDGE of salvation" are to share it with the rest of humanity. Salvation involves the remission of our sins through the tender MERCY of God.

"To give the knowledge of salvation to His people by the pardon of their sins, because of the merciful compassions of our God..." (Luke 1:77)

The mercy of God is shown in the shed blood of Christ Jesus for all humanity. 

"For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all die; and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

His death is the basis for the pardon of the sins of Israel, for making all humanity righteous (justification), and for saving all out of death.

"...the atoning sacrifice for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." (Romans 5:8-9)

The wrath of God toward humanity ends with the death of human beings. Humanity will not perish (stay dead), they will be saved out of death as a free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"For all sin and come short of the glory of God...The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 3:23; 6:23)

Again, those of us who have this "knowledge" should tell others about it. We are not to OFFER salvation, but declare the certainty of salvation through the finished work of Christ Jesus. We are to share the GOOD NEWS of the SUCCESSFUL, completed, and finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ - the work of saving the world!

"...we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." (John 4:42)

God does not need the help to save the world, but He does like for us to share our "knowledge of salvation" with the people who do not know about it!

May 7th - Craziness

The Apostle Paul, writing to his friend Timothy observed this about some people he knew...

"...he is puffed up with pride and has no true knowledge, but is crazy over discussions and controversies about words which give rise to envy, quarrelling, revilings, ill-natured suspicions, and persistent wranglings...blinded to all knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 6:4-5)

This is what I see on TV over and over with regard to our political candidates. Most everything the network media says about them are based on suspicion. These "ill-natured suspicions" often has "blinded them to all knowledge of the truth".

All of us should consider whether our thoughts and opinions about others are based in truth or just "ill-natured suspicions"?

I learned years ago that I could get "crazy over discussions" that usually led to "quarreling" and I continue to fight that craziness from time to time.

The Apostle Paul went on the say to his friend Timothy...

"...godliness is gain, when associated with contentment..." (1 Timothy 6:6)

I rarely, if ever, change another persons mind by debating an issue so I have quit trying. It is enough for me to have "contentment" in what I believe to be true, sharing the basis for my views from time to time on social media as I await the return of Jesus who will settle all differences of opinion.

"...for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return." (2 Timothy 1:12)