September 10 born once, die twice

Born once. Die twice. Every one of us were born. Someday we have an appointment with death. Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Enoch and Elijah are the two exceptions. At some future time, Christians will be caught up into the clouds to be with Jesus and go to Heaven. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Since each of us have turned our back on God and gone out of the way to sin we are going to face God’s judgment. Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Now we have a choice. Kneel Spiritually at the foot of the cross confessing we are sinners and asking Jesus to save us. Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Or we have the choice of rejecting God’s gift of salvation, dying and going to hell, and then be resurrected to stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne… Revelation 20:13 … and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Since those at the Great White Throne Judgment will have refused to repent and receive Christ they will be cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Those who repent in this lifetime are “born again.” John 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.Those who are born twice will die once and immediately go to Heaven to be with Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. However, those who are not born again will die, be tormented in hell, (Luke 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…) and then be resurrected to stand before Jesus. Then they will be cast into the eternal lake of fire. This is called the second death. Revelation 20:14-15  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once. A fairy tale or the Word of God? To those who are born again the Holy Spirit in our heart confirms that this is the Word of God. 

Salt on your steak. Occasionally I get to eat steak. I put a generous amount of salt on it. No steak sauce. I want to enjoy the natural flavor. Apparently, God likes salt on His steak too. Ezekiel 43:24  And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD. Jesus is telling us through Ezekiel that during the millennial reign of 1000 years animal sacrifices will be offered in His coming temple in Jerusalem. Revelation 20:5-6   But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Yes, Jesus is coming to this earth again. Coming to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What glory that will be. Literally a thousand years? I think so. I can hardly wait. The old devil will be cast into the bottomless pit for that reign. Revelation 20:2-3 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled… Since Jesus is the final sacrificial lamb who takes away the sins of the world, why will there be animal sacrifices in the future? Let me ask this, why do we observe the Lord’s Supper? To remember His death and resurrection. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 …That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembranceof me. 26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Likewise, it would seem in the coming Kingdom animal sacrifices will be a memorial of His sacrifice. Before the cross sacrifices looked forward to His sacrifice. During the millennium the sacrifices will look back as a reminder of His death and resurrection. By the way. We are the salt of the earth.  Luke 14:34  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? Are you living for Jesus as a preservative of righteousness in a world of wickedness? 

Good for nothing. Three boys aged 7 were discussing what their fathers did for a living. Proudly the first boy said, “My father is a doctor so I can be sick for nothing.” The second said, “My father is an attorney so I can be bad for nothing.” Said the third boy, “I’ve got both of you beat. My dad is a preacher so I can be good for nothing.” Good for nothing. It’s amazing that our God works with damaged goods. Even though we have sinned against Him His love still reaches down to us. Many people try to earn points to appease Him, but they don’t realize He is not impressed with our good deeds. Isaiah 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. It is not logical that God is not impressed with our good deeds. After all, normally if someone gives you special attention and treats you with kindness and gifts you would be pleased and want to continue to have this person’s friendship. Gifts can influence a person. Proverbs 17:23  A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment. If our good deeds or gifts to God could influence our entrance to Heaven, we could brag we deserve to be there. Ephesians 2:8-9   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. How horrible Heaven would be if all day long we had to listen to people brag about how they deserve to be there. No boasting in Heaven. Praising Jesus yes. Calling attention to ourselves? No. Do you realize that without Jesus you are good for nothing? Oh, you may be a blessing to mankind. You may invent something great like the transistor, or penicillin or a cure for cancer but even then, it is God who gives the idea and mentality to labor to make the dream a reality. James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Once you realize you are “good for nothing” you can humble yourself as a child and approach God as a sinner needing a saviour. That is the type of person Jesus can take and forgive, remake, mold, transform and make to conform to His image. Then you who were a nobody become a somebody in Jesus. Just be careful that the temptation to think you are “somebody” doesn’t ruin you and make you a “nobody.” You are a nobody until Jesus makes you somebody. However, when you think of yourself as somebody you make yourself a nobody. Realize God has blessed you. Give Him the glory. 

Are you tired? Some of us seem to be tired most of the time. Being out of shape doesn’t help. Lack of exercise contributes to it. Not sleeping well is a reason. Depression weakens us. Anxiety tires us. Family pressures and world events drain us. After all, we are human. That being said if Jesus is your saviour He lives in your heart, and you have become a super human. Gifted and talented. Still in the flesh, but able to tap into the peace, joy, excitement, energy, love, comfort and knowledge of God’s will for your life. Satan drains us. Even the disciples slept when Jesus told them to pray. When Jesus was transfigured. Luke 9:32  But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. When Jesus was about to be betrayed by Judas. Matthew 26:43   And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. Jesus needed them to be prayer partners. They failed Him. Tiredness and the need for sleep are part of living in our human body. Fear, stress and anxiety caused Elijah to need to sleep. 1 Kings 19:5-7  And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6  And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7  And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. Jonah ran from God and when he thought he had outsmarted God he slept. Jonah 1:5-6 …But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6  So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.  Jesus Himself needed sleep so much that He too slept while a boat was about to capsize. Matthew 8:24-25  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. While sleep is a necessity too much sleep keeps us tired. Too little sleep keeps us tired. World pressures make us want to sleep. Christian, please don’t be asleep on guard duty. The world needs Jesus. He has called us to tell them the Gospel. Lord, please help us to keep awake. Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 

Was Jesus Sinless? Yes. Then why will He offer a sacrifice for His sin during the coming Millennium?  A Jewish Rabbi attempting to explain why Jesus can not be the Messiah explained that during the coming Kingdom the Messiah will offer a sacrifice for his sins. Ezekiel 45:22  And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering. This verse clearly states that in the future the prince, (Messiah) will offer a sacrifice for himself and for all the people. Since the prince will offer a sacrifice for his sins, he will be a sinner. The New Testament proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God and proclaims Him to be sinless. John 10:30  I and my Father are one. John 17:21   That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us…  John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus was sinless. Hebrews 7:26  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Hebrews 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 1 Peter 1:18-19   Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 2:21-22   For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 1 John 3:5   And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.  We cannot expect a Jewish Rabbi to believe the New Testament. But He knows enough about the New Testament to know that Christians believe Jesus was sinless. Since the Messiah will offer a sacrifice for His sins, Jesus cannot be the Messiah. What the Rabbi doesn’t understand is Jesus allowed our sins to kill Him. He was the final sacrifice for sin. Our sin was put on Him and killed Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21   For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Jesus died when He took our sins from us. Then He arose. Yes, He was sinless. But my sin put on Him killed Him. The sacrifice He will offer for Himself in the coming kingdom will be because our sins were put on Him. How blessed we are to be saved. Are you?

The Eastern Gate. Walking on the temple mount in Jerusalem you can see the inside of the Eastern Gate. Also referred to as the Golden Gate. It is believed the present gate was built around 520 A.D. above the earlier original gate.  It has been sealed and unsealed several times and was last sealed in 1541. Muslims want the gate sealed because the Bible teaches the coming Jewish Messiah will enter Jerusalem through that gate. They do not want any “Messiah” going through that gate. Ezekiel 44:3  It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. The prince in this verse is understood to be the coming Messiah. Christians look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Revelation 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Jude 1:14-15 …Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. The Devil will be shut up in the bottomless pit for 1000 years and Jesus will be King Of Kings on this earth. Revelation 20:1-3  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled… Thousands of Muslims are buried outside the Eastern Gate. They thought no Messiah would walk on a Muslim grave thus preventing Jesus from coming through the Eastern Gate. Jesus can walk on water, and He can pass through locked doors to see the disciples in the upper room that Sunday night after He arose. No cemetery and no sealed door will stop Jesus. He is preparing the world to accept the Antichrist, Satan’s son to be the world leader to deceive the nations. Don’t be deceived. Ask God to reveal the truth and read the Gospel of John and He will show you how you too can be saved. 

Knock yourself out. This phrase has several meanings. 1. To cause yourself to become unconscious. 2. To work hard at a task until you collapse. 3. To tell someone to go ahead and do something they insist on doing. Frequently it has the notion of “If that’s what you want to do… do it.” I want us to think about people who did not believe the Bible to be the Word of God who decided to disprove it and got saved along the way. Sir William Mitchell Ramsay was a respected atheist archaeologist who was knighted from Scotland. He spent 15 years researching and digging to prove historical inaccuracies of the book of Acts. He concluded the book was accurate and became a Christian. His work was a disappointment to atheists because they were waiting to see his results disproving the validity of the Bible. Lee Strobel. A journalist for the Chicago Tribune who decided to disprove Christianity after his wife got saved in 1979. He was an atheist with a law degree from Yale University. After 2 years of research, he proved to himself the Bible is the Word of God and that Jesus rose from the dead and he put his trust in Jesus as his saviour. Josh McDowell went to the university to pursue a law degree where he met some Christians who challenged him to examine the evidence for the Bible and Jesus Christ. He set out to write a paper to expose Christianity as a myth. His research convinced him the Bible is accurate and he put his faith in Jesus. He wrote an influential book called Evidence That Demands a Verdict. Andre Kole was a magician creating tricks including making the statue of liberty disappear for David Copperfield. He set out to expose the miracles of the Bible as magic tricks instead of works by God. He became a Christian and now uses magic to spread the Gospel. Many people are so “educated” that they pay no attention to God. Romans 1:22   Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, Paul was highly educated and determined to stamp out Christianity. On the road to Damascus Jesus confronted him and he became a believer. Later he was accused of having too much education. Acts 26:24 … Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. Paul wasn’t mad.  Paul had an encounter with the living Christ. These five men had a personal encounter with the living Christ too. I have a suggestion. If you are an atheist, why don’t you set out to disprove Christianity? Prayerfully you too will investigate and realize that Jesus and His salvation are real. If you accept the challenge this is what I have to say to you. “Go knock yourself out.”

I’m Movin On. Since I received Christ as my personal saviour my final destination is Heaven. Like Abraham I am looking for a city not made with hands. Hebrews 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. My ultimate destination will be the Holy City, New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The present heavens and earth shall be done away with due to fervent heat send by God. 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Even the oceans, lakes and rivers will burn up. How can water burn? Water is H2O. Two molecules of hydrogen attached to one molecule of oxygen. God who put the molecules together can separate them. When He does both hydrogen and oxygen are highly inflammable. 2 Peter 3:11-12  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Don’t get too attached to your treasures because cars, mansions, diamonds, gold and everything on this earth shall melt with fervent heat. But before Jesus ends this world, or we are called to our eternal home, we can enjoy some things down here. Snorkeling in the San Marcos River. Jumping waves at Galveston. Riding through the mountains. (Especially on a motorcycle). A beautiful sunrise or sunset. So much beauty to take in and enjoy. But when Jesus comes back to reign for 1,000 years, I am looking forward to going to the city from which He shall reign from. We call it Jerusalem. But there is another name for that city. “The Lord is there.” Ezekiel 48:35 … and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there. The Lord is there. People from all around the world will come to “The Lord is there.” to worship the King. People from Australia will come there? Well let’s put it this way. During the 7 year tribulation before He comes on a white horse from Heaven the whole earth will be shaken. Islands will disappear. Mountains will collapse. But those who live to see the Second Coming will certainly come to “The Lord is here” to worship the king. Do you worship Him now? Is he your saviour? Are you just dying to go to Heaven? I am. I hope you are there too. 

Is there blood? Sometimes when a child is hurt, he runs to his mother crying. Frequently his mother says, “Is there any blood?” Implying that if there is no blood the injury must not be too bad. Of course, a broken ankle or arm may not have any blood but is a serious injury. But if there is blood, even a little scratch we have conditioned the child to look for blood and push the “fall apart button”. Another saying we frequently say pertaining to a newborn is “Thank God he has 10 fingers and 10 toes.” That is reassuring that apparently the child is normal and in good health, but what about the child that is deformed? God uses people with deformities. For example, if you have access to YouTube search for “Nick Vujicic.” He wanted to commit suicide as a child because of his deformity but now is a radiant Christian evangelist. We need to be careful about the words we use. Is there blood? That is a question God asked. A sacrifice without blood was rejected. The blood from an innocent lamb had to be placed on the top and side posts of the doors for the death angel to pass over the houses of the children of God. Exodus 12:21-23 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
22  And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23  For the LORDwill pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. The blood from those Passover lambs and all of the animals sacrificed from the Lord sacrificing animals to make clothing for Adam and Eve to the cross Jesus died on looked forward to His shed blood. Christianity is bloody. If Jesus was hanged, taken out in a lake and thrown overboard with a mill stone tied to His neck and drown, if He died from poison, if Jesus died without shedding His blood, He could not have been the final sacrifice for sin. The beating, the whip, the thorns, the nails and the spear in His side caused His blood to flow down the road to the cross and down the cross. 1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Is there blood? The only way to get into Heaven is to repent and be washed in the blood of the Lamb. 

A Flowing Stream. Someday Jesus will be King of Kings on this earth. He is coming back. He will rule the world. Psalm 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Revelation 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. Christians will rule and reign with Him. 2 Timothy 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: Revelation 20:6… but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. He will reign from the city which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. Revelation 11:8   And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem. However, during the millennial reign Jerusalem shall be called “The Lord is there.” Ezekiel 48:35 and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there. See the devotion for September 17 titled “I’m Movin On.” Someday I will worship my King in the city that will be called “The Lord is there.” A stream shall begin at the alter and flow through the south side of the Eastern gate and down into the dead sea. Ezekiel 47:1-2 … behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2  Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. Ezekiel 47:8-9   Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 9  And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. The Dead Sea shall come alive with fish and plant life. Today you and I can enjoy the Springs of living water which causes us to come alive in Jesus. John 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Are you drinking from the springs of living water?