"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE WHEN YOU ARE IN TROUBLE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE WHEN YOU ARE IN TROUBLE"

Psalm 108:12 Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.

Psalm 108:13 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

This 108th Psalm was written by King David. It is a Psalm where he praises God, and expresses his faith and confidence in God, and in God's ability and strength. He is also looking to God for help in the midst of trouble.

1. God will give you help when you are in trouble.
Psalm 108:12a Give us help from trouble,

David was specifically asking God to give him help from the trouble he was experiencing. We are not told what the trouble was, but David needed help, and he was looking to God for help in that trouble and with that trouble.
The word trouble here, means, enemy, adversary, distress, affliction, foes, narrow, strait. It was used to speak of being in a narrow and tight spot, to be in hard times. To be experiencing oppression.

2. The help of man is really useless.
Psalm 108:12b For the help of man is useless.

David was not discounting the love and support of his friends and of his armies. But, rather, he was comparing what God can do with what man can do. And, there is no comparison. God can do what man cannot do.
And, God does not call us to put our hope and trust in either ourselves, or in others, but rather in God Himself.
And, that's what David was seeking to do.

3. With God's help we can do mighty things.
Psalm 108:13a Through God we will do valiantly,

Here David expresses what man can do with God as his helper. This is what David was counting on, and it's what we can count on as well. That through God we can do valiantly. Or as the NLT reads, "With God’s help we will do mighty things," How true this is. Is there anything that is too hard for the Lord. Nothing is impossible with God, even though circumstances may look otherwise. God is all powerful. There is no one greater than He is. No one can thwart the plans and the intentions of God. And, God want us to put our trust in Him.

4. God is the one who will deal with our enemies.
Psalm 108:13b For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Now David specifies why he needed God's help. It was because of the enemies of David. David did not want to try and deal with his enemies by his own strength, or in his own power. Rather, He was looking to God to deal with them. He realized that God could tread them down. He knew that God could trample down His foes.

This is also how God calls us to act and to trust. Leave your enemies in God's hands. If anything, pray for them as Christ has instructed us. But, leave them with God. Let the Lord take care of the situation. He is faithful. He will deal with them in His own way, and in His own time, of that you can be sure. David was.

Some questions:

1. Are you in some kind of trouble at this very time?

2. Do you know that God will help you if you look to Him?

3. You can try to fix it yourself, and even enlist the help of others, but God is the better one to look to.

4. God is able to really help you. His power is unlimited. Will you take a moment and pray right now.

5. Also, it is good to pray for our enemies. As mentioned, this is what Jesus told us to do. Will you do it now?

A prayer:

Father, You never told us that life would be without trouble. In fact, You have told us just the opposite. But, You have also told us to look to You during times of trouble, and to cast our cares upon You, because You care for us. So, today, we would like to take whatever trouble we may be facing or dealing with, or that has come upon us, and give that over to You by prayer and faith. Lord, help us through the day, to continually look to You, and to remember how great You are, and how You are able to deal with our troubles. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HOW TO LIVE OUR LIVES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HOW TO LIVE OUR LIVES"
1st Samuel 12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
1st Samuel 12:21 “And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.
1st Samuel 12:22 “For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
1st Samuel 12:23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.
1st Samuel 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
1st Samuel 12:25“But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:
These are some of Samuel's closing words the Children of Israel. They had been so blessed by the Lord in so many ways, yet they had gone astray, and gone after other gods. But, now they were coming to their senses as it were. And, Samuel is giving them words of wisdom. Wisdom that would bring blessing into their lives from God.
And, He gives them a warning about how to stay out of trouble also.
1. Do not fear, and do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve Him with all your heart.
1st Samuel 12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
The children of Israel had done many great evils. And in this case, it was rejecting God, and wanting a man to rule over them. But, they began to see what they had done, and were seeking Samuel's counsel and help.
The above verse is his answer to them.
Essentially, he was saying, "Yes, you have done all this wickedness" Yet, he encouraged them not to fear, and not to turn aside from following the LORD, but serve Him with all your heart. In other words, seeing what you have done, is one thing, but move forward now, you have confessed your sins, and here is the path to follow and pursue.
2. Don't turn aside from the Lord, because they you will be going after empty things.
1st Samuel 12:21 “And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.
Samuel continues to guide them with God's wisdom. In other words, don't go back to worshipping worthless things. These things, these idols cannot help you, nor can they rescue you. They are entirely useless. So, don't turn aside from the Lord. Don't go after empty things.
3. The LORD will not forsake you.
1st Samuel 12:22 “For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.
In other words, God is not going to abandon His people. If He did, that would dishonor His name. God has made you as a special people for Himself. He will not forsake You.
4. Keep praying, and be teachable. That's what Samuel said.
1st Samuel 12:23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.
In fact, Samuel considered it a sin to not pray. He also wanted to teach the people the good and the right way.
These are two very important activities in the life of the Christian. To talk to God, and let God teach you what is good and what is right. That's what you will find in His Word.
5. Fear God, Serve God in truth with all your heart. And, remember what He has done for you.
1st Samuel 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
Here Samuel is saying a number of things.
(1) Be sure to fear the LORD.
(2) And sincerely worship Him.
(3) Think about all the wonderful things He has done for you.
6. If you do wickedly, you will be swept away.
1st Samuel 12:25“But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
This is Samuel's warning to the people. Or as the NLT puts it, " But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be destroyed.”
They had sinned, and were now acknowledging their sin, and were being taught and encouraged to move forward in God's will. But, this is a reminder, to not repeat what they had done, or the same consequences would come upon them. Don't forsake the Lord to Your own hurt is the idea. It will only bring destruction into your lives.
Some questions:
1. Do you know, that even when we sin, and do wickedly, that God still loves us and, wants us to come back to Him.
2. Can you see all of the many simple and clear steps to take that bring you into the realm where God is able to bless your life?.
3. Please take a moment to just go back over the verses and pause a little, and consider the instruction of God that leads to the blessing of God.
4. Remember, warnings are good for us. Warnings serve to help keep us out of trouble. Would You take just a moment, to see if God is warning you about anything, and if He is, would you thank Him, and then let Him know You want to obey and respond to His warnings?.
A prayer:
Father, Your Word is so rich and encouraging. You have given these wonderful true OT stories for our learning.
Please help us to not take them lightly, or for granted. But, to be sober minded, and to be serious about our walk with You. You are serious about wanting to bless and lead us in Your ways. May we reciprocate by being serious believers and doers of Your Word. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ON HOW TO DEAL WITH ANGER, AND OTHER BITS OF WISDOM"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ON HOW TO DEAL WITH ANGER, AND OTHER BITS OF WISDOM"

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

It has been said, that the " Book of Psalms, was written mostly by King David tells us how to look up", and that the Book of Proverbs, largely authored by David's Son, King Solomon, "tells us how to wise up"

"The Book of Psalms helps us to fill us with praise to God, but we also need guidance in the most practical of matters each day. These two books are at the heart of the Bible. Psalms keep our thoughts on heaven; Proverbs keeps our feet on earth" Dr. David Jeremiah.

These 3 verses give us God's guidance on several issues we as we walk this pilgrim path towards our heavenly home with Jesus Christ.

1. Here's God's wisdom on how to deal with an angry person.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Or, to put it another way, if we answer someone with a gentle answer, it will help to turn away their wrath, or their anger. But, if we answer them in a harsh way, it will stir up anger. Perhaps in them, and in us.
There is no end to the potential angry encounters we might face on any given day. But, what we have here is God's prescription on how to deal with those angry encounters. God is the wisest person there is. And, He does not lie, in fact, He cannot. So, His teaching for us on how to deal with an angry encounter is found right here.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Soft means, tender, delicate, gentle. Harsh on the other hand, means, sorrow, labour, grievous, pain, hardship.

2. Here's how to be wise in the use of our tongues. And, also what a fool does with his tongue.
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

A wise man will use knowledge in the right way. Or, as the NLT says, " The wise person makes learning a joy"
Isn't that interesting. We can actually, by God's grace, power, and guidance, use the knowledge He has given us, and, when speaking actually experience joy. We can learn as we speak, and have joy in doing so,
But, and, how many times have we experienced this next part.
Proverbs 15:2b But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. Or again, as the NLT says, "Fools spout only foolishness"

Wise means, a wise man, cunning, subtle, skillful, learned, prudent. Wise ethically and religiously.
Fools means, foolish, stupid, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one.
Lord, please help us to be wise, and not foolish.

3. Here is a comforting or uncomfortable truth about our LORD and His eyes.
Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Now, I say comforting, but, it may not sound comforting if a person is trying to hide something, something they know is not right. On the other hand, it is comforting to know that God who is all knowledgeable is constantly watching everywhere, and He is keeping His eye on both the evil and the good.

We can't see everything, but God can without any trouble. He is very aware of everything that is happening.
He sees both the evil and the good.

Sometimes we wonder about evil that is going on, and think where is the Lord, doesn't He see this? Yes, He does. And, what a joy to also know, that He sees the good that is taking place. What a great and awesome God we serve and know.

Some questions:

1. Can you remember the last time you "flew off the handle?. A nice way of saying, "you lost your self control, or temper?

2. Do you remember how it made you feel? I'm sure you do. It's not very pleasant.

3. Do you know that God is not mad at you for getting mad?

4. Do you know that God will help you if you ask Him to?.

5. How would you measure the use of your tongue at this time in your life?. Are you using it wisely, or foolishly?.

6. Are you concerned about someone or some persons who are doing evil things?.

7. Will you please take comfort in knowing that God knows about it. And, He will deal with it in His own perfect timing.

8. How about this. What about the good that is being done, either towards you, or by you towards others.
Will you take great delight in knowing that God sees it, and it matters to Him. And, He is very aware of every detail involved.

A prayer:

Father, Your Proverbs through Solomon and others are so close to home. They hit us right where we live.
Thank You for giving them to us. And, we ask that in Your giving them to us, that You would also give us hearts that understand Your wisdom, and want to put it into practice in our day to day lives. Thank You in advance, In Jesus name, Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE CONCERNING THE WILL OF JESUS CHRIST"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE CONCERNING THE WILL OF JESUS CHRIST"

John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

John 6:39 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

John 6:40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”“This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

1. Jesus came from heaven to earth.
John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Please notice that Jesus was in heaven, and then came down from heaven to the earth. Heaven is thought to be above. The Hebrew word for Heaven is Shamayim, which means "the heights" . So, Jesus was in heaven above, but He then came down from heaven to earth. We call this the incarnation. When God became man and dwelt among us. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

2. Jesus did not come here to do His own will.
John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Jesus explains that the purpose of His coming to earth was not to do His own will ( which He had by the way ) but, rather it was to do the will of the Father who sent Him to the earth.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” The Word serve means, to minister unto, to be an attendant, to wait upon, to attend to anything that may serve another's interests. And of course, His greatest act of servanthood, was His death on the cross for our sins.

3. Jesus came to earth to do the will of Him who sent Him.
John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Being a servant, Jesus's mission was to do the will of the Father. So, He came not to do His will, but the will of another, even of God the Father, our Father in heaven. How wonderful and interesting it is, to consider that our Lord and master while He was here, was actually here serving His Father. What an example for us.

4. Jesus came to receive those given Him by the Father.
John 6:39 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
Now Jesus explains in some detail what the Father's will was for Jesus, and what it is even today.
Here it is. All that the Father would give to Jesus, (those who would believe) that Jesus would not lose one of them. Wow. What a comforting truth from God. We who have believed are said to be those that are given by the Father to Jesus. And, Jesus who has received us is telling us that He will not lose even one. The word lose means, to perish, destroy, be lost. To be ruined and to be destroyed.
So, we have been given to Jesus, and His will is to make sure we are safe and sound with Him. Thank You Jesus.
1 Peter 1:5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

5. Jesus's mission was not to lose any who were given to Him, but to raise them up on the last day.
John 6:39 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
Not only are we given to Jesus, and His mission was and is not to lose any of us, but also that He would raise us up at the last day. So, We are given by the Father to Jesus. Jesus receives us and holds us. And, then at the last day, Jesus is going to raise up our bodies from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

6. Jesus explains further detail about the will of God.
John 6:40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”“This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
For all who believe, we have received everlasting life, and are promised to be raised on the last day. We are also promised that Jesus will not lose any of those who believe. ( in fact, in these verses, He has said this twice )
So, we have believed, and have received everlasting life. We have believed and have the promise from Jesus that two things are going to happen.

(1) We will not be lost by Jesus.

(2) We will be raised up on the last day.

Some questions:

1. Are you looking for an example to follow in your life? Jesus would be the best one there is.

2. We have the choice to do our will, or to do God's will. Which do you think is better to do?

3. How would you describe your life at this time? Are you doing your will, or God's Will?

4. How does it make you feel to know that the Father has given you to Jesus to keep and to hold?.

5. Do you ever worry if your going to make it to heaven?

6. These verses, ought to bring you great comfort. Are you believing them?

A prayer:

Father, thank You for this beautiful Gospel of John. And, thank You for sending Jesus, and thank You Jesus for coming to the earth. Father, thank You for giving us to Jesus. And, Jesus, thank You for receiving us, and for promising to hold onto us, and not lose us. Thank You also Lord, that we have Your promise that we will be raised up, in the last day. In Jesus name. Amen,

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT, GOING FROM DEFEAT TO VICTORY"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT, GOING FROM DEFEAT TO VICTORY"

1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

1st Samuel 6:4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

The above verses come on the heels of a 20 year period where Israel was lamenting their sad condition. They were being beaten down by the Philistines, and would experiencing what you might call a "Spiritual Drought" All due to the way they had been living. Which was in direct disobedience to the Lord. They were suffering the consequences of their actions. But, the two verses above also tell us how God brought them out of defeat and into victory through His servant Samuel.

1. You can return to the Lord if You have been drifting or away from Him. 1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD. If you were to read backwards from 1st Sam 6, you would see the ungodly way God's people were living. They were not much different from the pagan nations around them. In fact, it would be more accurate to say they were living just like the pagans were. But, as we are going to see they did return to the Lord, and they did so through the counsel of Samuel, who was God's deliver to them. The following verses contain the counsel that Samuel gave the children of Israel. They show how they went from defeat to victory. And, if you are in defeat at this time, you also can come to victory.

2. You can return to the Lord with all of your heart. 1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, This was the first thing that Samuel told them. It had to do with their hearts and a one step process. Look what Samuel told them. “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts". So, two things here.

(1) Return to the LORD. This is speaking of repentance. The word means to turn, turn back, recover, come back.
Rom 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

(2) With all your hearts. The idea here is "If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD" In other words, this meant a true, total, full on, commitment to the Lord. A complete and total heart consecration to the Lord. Not half heartedly, but fully. Ps 119:2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! The words "whole heart" means the entirety of who you are, your complete inner man, your mind, your will, and your understanding.

3. You return to the Lord by putting away things that don't belong in your life. 1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, As mentioned earlier, the people had begun living like the pagans around them. They had given themselves over to idolatry and perversion. Returning the LORD, repenting means, to put the things out of your life that do not belong in your life. If you are to return to the Lord, You must put away the things that God does not want you to have in your life.

Matt 3:8 “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

Acts 17:30 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

2Ch 7:14* 2nd Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

4. You return to the Lord by preparing your hearts for the Lord..
1st Samuel 6:3b and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” The idea here is that of determining to obey only the LORD. Then there is the promise that He will rescue you from your enemies. ( which they had been plagued by ) In their case, it was the Philistines, in our case, it can be our own fleshly nature, the ungodly world around us, and the enemies of our souls, the devil and his demons.

5. Your return to the LORD is a real possibility. It can be done. It was done by the children of Israel.
1st Samuel 6:4 So the Israelites destroyed their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD.
The children of Israel acted upon the Word of God given them by Samuel. They were not just hearers, but doers also. And, that's God's prescription for You and I.

Some questions:

1. Would you say you are at this very time, living in defeat or in victory?

2. Have you in the past been brought from defeat to victory?

3. Can you see the principles above are the way to victory?

4. Is there anything you need to do ( if you are in defeat ) taken from these verses and do?

5. Would You thank the Lord today for His unfailing love for you, and that it's His goodness that leads you to repentance.

6. Do you know anyone whom you might be able to share this devotional with, that would be helped by it?

A prayer:

Father, Your Word never ceases to bless us. You correct us, You reprove us. You guide us, You instruct us, You help make us strong, You give us wisdom. And we see Your grace, love and mercy everywhere we look. Thank You for the truth of Your Word. You are the deliverer. We are the one's in need of what You alone can provide. Please help us to act upon it. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT PASSING FROM DEATH INTO LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT PASSING FROM DEATH INTO LIFE"

John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

This verse was spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. This entire 5th chapter is filled with many things Jesus said about who He was, and why He came to the earth, and what would happen in the future. This particular verse has to do with a number of very specific and most important truths. Let's look at them carefully.

1. God's Word can be heard. John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word. Or to put it another way, for those who listen to the message of Jesus Christ. Listening to God is really a choice that a person makes. A person can choose to listen, or not to listen. It's really up to them. The fact is, that God's Word can be heard, and if a person wants to hear it, they will definitely hear it. Here's what Jesus said in Mark 7:16 “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” God is speaking and He wants people to listen to Him.

2. God's Word can be believed. Just as hearing is a choice we make, either to hear or not, so is believing. Here Jesus is talking about the fact that when God speaks a person can believe in the Father who sent Jesus. John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me.
Jesus was sent by the Father into this world to deliver the message of God to mankind. And, that message is to believe in God. Here's another way that Jesus put it. John 12:44 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. So, God's Word can be believed.

3. God gives everlasting life to those who believe His Word. This is of course what God wants man to have, and that is "everlasting life" by believing or having faith in God through Jesus Christ. What is everlasting life?
First of all, it is not just referencing the fact that now by believing in God you will live forever. No, it's not that.

The fact is, that all men are going to live forever beyond the grave. But to have everlasting life, means you will live forever with God in heaven. The phrase "everlasting life" means that when you repent and believe in Jesus Christ, and receive Him as Your Savior, You come into union with God through Jesus, and you come into communion with God through Jesus Christ. It means that you come into a relationship with God. John 17:3 and this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

4. God's Word believed, means you will not come into judgement. Here is another blessing, it's one of the greatest blessings a person can have. When you believe in Jesus Christ, and receive everlasting life, ( coming into a relationship with God ) You will not come into judgement. The judgement spoken of here is the great white throne judgement for sinners. Here are some verses that give us a lot of detail about this judgement.

Rev 20:11 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.

Rev 20:12 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.

Rev 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

What Jesus was saying is this. “I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins. Isn't that wonderful?

5. God's Word believed means you have passed from death into life. This is another way of explaining what happens to the person who listens to Jesus, and believes the words of Jesus. They not only have everlasting life, but, they also pass from death into life. John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

In the Bible, sinners are spoken of as being dead in their sins. And, for those who come to faith, they are as we have seen said to have life. Believing in Jesus, is like walking over the bridge from death to life. And, Jesus is that bridge. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Some questions to ponder:

1. When did you hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and when did you believe in Him?.

2. Do you recognize and have the assurance that you now have everlasting life?

3. Have you come to understand that You are no longer dead in Your sins, but You have passed into life?

4. Do you know that You are not headed for the great white throne Judgement because You have believed?

5. How has this verse spoken to you today? How has it affected you?

6. Will you pause to consider for a moment where you are not going because you have believed, and what you have now because you have believed?

A prayer:

Father thank You for sending Jesus into this world to die for our sins. And, thank You for giving us faith to believe in Him. Thank You for giving us everlasting life, that relationship and union with You. Thank You Lord that by believing in Jesus we have literally passed from death into life. Praise God. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FOLLOWING THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FOLLOWING THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST"

John 5:14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”

John 8:10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

John 8:11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

The scriptures above are taken from the same book, the Gospel of John. They involve Jesus talking with two different people. One a man, and the other a woman. The man had been healed by Jesus, and the woman had been caught in the very act of adultery. And, then some of the religious leaders brought her to Jesus to see what He would say about her, and her adultery, and how He would apply the Law of God, ( which called for her to be stoned to death) They were trying to trap Jesus, and make Him look bad ( discredit Him ) in the eyes of those who were following Him.

1. Jesus told the man to stop sinning or something worse might come upon him.
John 5:14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”

Not all sickness is brought on by sin, but apparently in this man's case, it was sin that had caused him to be sick.
Jesus had healed him just a little earlier. And, now as they saw each other again, Jesus told him "so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” John 5:14

This incident was a blessing, an explanation, and a warning. Jesus blessed the man by healing him. Jesus also explained, without giving the detail of the particular sin, but stating very clearly, that it was this man's sin that had made him sick. Sin can lead to all kinds of sickness. Both physical and spiritual. Sin is a powerful destroyer of men's lives.

And, this incident is one of warning. Jesus had blessed him by healing him, explained to him why had become sick, and now gives him a good warning, designed to help him in the future. ""so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” John 5:14 God knows what is right and what is wrong. He knows what is best for us, and He knows what will hurt us. Sin will hurt our lives, that is certain. Warnings are often disregarded, and we don't know if this man took Jesus's warning to heart or not. I hope for his sake he did. I do know, that you and I can either ignore or take heed to the warnings of God. Let's pray that we take heed. God wants to keep us from hurting ourselves.

2. Jesus told this nameless woman John 8:11 “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

The woman had been caught by some religious leaders in the very act of adultery and then brought to Jesus and thrown on the ground in front of Him. The leaders were trying to trap Jesus, by seeing how He would apply the law which called for her to be stoned to death. They thought that if He said go ahead and stone her, it would make Him look cruel and mean in the eyes of His followers. Or, if He avoided applying the law, they thought it would make Him look as if He had no regard for the Law, and therefore discredit Him in the eyes of the people.

John 8:10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

This verse comes at the end of Jesus kneeling down on the ground and writing things on the sand in front of the men. We don't know what He wrote, but the scripture says, John 8:9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Then we have these two verses

John 8:10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

John 8:11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

There are two things here to consider.

(1) Jesus did not condemn her, nor does He condemn you. John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. And, for those in Christ, here's what we are told in Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

(2) Jesus also told the woman to "go and sin no more" Clearly she had sinned. But, here is Jesus not condemning her, but giving her Godly instruction, and the best counsel a person can get, "go and sin no more"
Don't repeat the sin that you have just committed. Stop it. Of course, we can not do this on our own, but with God's help, He can work in our lives to help us not to sin. We will never be sinless this side of eternity, but we can be by His grace, sinning "less and less" May it be so Lord, may it be so.

A few questions:

1. What stands out to you in both of these incidents?

2. What is God saying to You as you read these Scriptures?.

3. What might you say to the Lord right now after reading this devotional?.

4. Wouldn't you agree that our God is so gracious, loving and caring?.

5. Would you please take a moment to just talk to the Lord right now and thank Him for who He is.

A prayer:

Lord, what a wonderful and gracious God You are. Thank You for telling us the truth about life, and thank You for not casting us away when we sin, but rather, teaching us what to do, and what not to do. Your ways are right and true. May we walk in them this day, in Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia