Tag: hell

Will You Open The Door?

On By The DiscernerIn Daily DevotionsLeave a comment
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation‬ ‭3:20‬

Jesus is alive, real, and draws people to Himself (knocking). We must put our faith in Him to receive forgiveness of our sins and be cleansed of them. This results in eternal life! It is such an amazingly simple thing, probably the most simple thing in all of existence: to trust in the God who literally created your soul. Yet, it can be so hard to get to that place of full surrender and faith. Why?

Because humans tend to trust in what they can see, and disregard what they cannot see. Our tendency is to trust in the tangible and reject the unseen and spiritual. Because of our sinful nature, we suppress the existence of God in our hearts because we can’t see Him, and put all our trust in humanistic ideologies, theories, ideas.

We all do this, every single human being. Until we come to a place where we acknowledge that God is real, He is who He says He is, and we do what He requires.

Thankfully, God is so incredibly amazing that He requires very little from us, because He Himself did all the work. He came down from Heaven, lived the perfect life we couldn’t live by following the law perfectly, and died for us a tortuous and painful death. The death that we deserve. All He requires from us? Our trust. Our faith in Him.

It takes one moment, one act of faith that sets your soul on a secured path to heaven. He is drawing you, and you must respond. This decision of whether or not a person opens the door to Jesus Christ will be the because decision in our life, and it has eternal consequences.

God is so beautiful, even though people deny Him and are children of wrath (before a person is born-again they are a child of God’s wrath) even though people deny Him and reject Him, He is still ready and willing to have a relationship with those who turn to Him! All it takes is faith in Him.

It’s as easy as letting go, humbling yourself and surrendering to the Almighty God. And when this happens, you’ll have a close, intimate, unending relationship with Jesus Himself! He’s waiting and knocking at your door, He wants you to open to Him, repent and trust in Him.

Once that door is open, it can never be shut and the Lord will keep you close to Him forever. You’ll be covered by the blood of Christ and born-again, your soul protected before you die and you’ll be taken to heaven after you die. There’s nothing greater on this earth than that. Open your door to Him (faith) and you’ll experience salvation for your soul and the true love of Christ. ♥️

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 1:16-25♥️

When You Live Your Life Apart From God

On By The DiscernerIn Womanhood2 Comments

apart from God

When you live your life apart from God…

You may seem like you have things under control. You feel like you don’t need Him, because you can’t see Him, and if you can’t see Him, then you don’t need Him. You trust in yourself and what you can do. Your heart feels like an empty pit of darkness and purposeless because you walk around this earth not even knowing why you have breath in your lungs. You spend your life trying to fill that emptiness you have with things like sexual immorality, pornography, gambling, drinking, money, or even good things such as family, security, job, and staying busy. Family is one of the most beautiful things given to us by the Lord in this life, but if you have a family without God? Meaningless. It’s all meaningless without God. But with God, everything is meaningful.

Yet apart from God, no matter what you turn to, whether it be something dark and sinful like pornography, or something “clean” and seemingly fulfilling such as family, your strivings to fill that void within your soul are in vain because you realize at the end of the day, you’re still empty. You yourself can never fill that void, nor the things you try to fill it with.

You thought climbing up the ladder socially, financially, educationally, and occupationally would give you the “perfect” life and the ultimate happiness. The American dream, right?

Wrong. Because in this quest for total life fulfillment you failed to turn to the only One who can give your heart and soul purpose, the only One who can give you fulfillment and satisfaction, the only One who can save your soul. You spend your life denying God and His existence, yet you seek lesser and temporal joys that always leave you more and more empty. You realize you have it all on the outside but are still empty in your heart.

When you live your life apart from God…

You fall into to addictions such as drugs, prescriptions, pornography, and alcohol because that desire to fill that void inside of your heart and soul became out of control and the need to fill it was unquenched, so thus began the seed of addiction. Your need to be filled has spiraled into complete uncontrollable urges to keep up with that dopamine hit and that rush. But it always leaves you feeling empty and in despair, once it is over. And, it will always end. It is temporal and leaves you more shattered every single time you indulge in these things, because even though these things may give you a pleasurable hit, it is devastating to the well-being of your soul.

When you live your life apart from God…

You are walking on this earth and your eternal destiny is hell. You work and work and work to get ahead in this life and stock up the riches and the big family and the big house with a pool, only to die and live in eternal judgement where none of the things you acquired on this earth will even matter to you in the slightest, because it’s all over. You spent your life seeking everything but God, and now it’s too late and there are consequences. You will live your life apart from God, and then die and see His glorious face in judgement. There, you will realize that you’re entire life was spent in vain and you will weep and gnash your teeth and cry for a second chance…but there will no longer be any chances.

When you live your life for God…

for God

You recognize that you are a sinner and you have sinned against a holy, righteous, perfect God. You recognize that God is just and good, and that you will be judged because you have broken His law. You recognize that you are completely useless to try and save yourself or win God’s favor by anything you do. You recognize that all of your “good works” are filthy rags because everything you do is tainted by sin, and God sees all things – even a grain of impurity. You recognize that because of this, you are destined for eternal punishment in hell because just like a just judge in a courtroom will not let broken laws go unpunished, a holy God even more so will not let those who broke His perfect law go unpunished. Hell awaits once you die.

When you live your life for God…

You become helpless to do anything to go to heaven yourself. You recognize that you are desperate for a Saviour, and it is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One true God. You recognize that He is absolutely perfect, lived the perfect life you cannot live and kept God’s law perfectly the way you would never be able to. You recognize that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, shedding His perfect blood for you, and rose again three days later.

And you put your faith and trust in Him, letting go of everything and falling into His eternal arms, trusting in His forgiveness and love and mercy and grace. When this happens, your soul is saved for all eternity.

When you live your life for God…

You realize that your time on earth is short, but you are on your way to Heaven. Death no longer scares you, and you know that you are loved immensely by the God who made you. You now have a desire for Him, to talk about Him, read His word, preach the gospel – you live, breath, and live more for God! He captures your every thought, and He fills your mind. You fall in love with Him as you see His creation as a display of His own beauty. You live your life with the burdens of sins on your shoulders lifted. You live your life with your soul satisfied knowing you have a personal relationship with Christ that will never, ever, ever end. You know that whatever happens, God is in control. You have peace that any hardships that occur, God will work it out for your good. You know that the things of this world are only temporal, so you don’t put your heart or trust in them. You are free from the bondages of this world to live for Christ and Christ alone, and you have the love of God in your heart for the first time – a love that is so immense that it takes your breath away.

When you live your life apart from God…

You are dead.

When you live your life for God…

You are truly living.

bible

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 1:1-2)

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13.50)

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2: 1-10)

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matthew 22:37)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

 

Glorify God!

On By The DiscernerIn Daily DevotionsLeave a comment

🙌🏻 Let’s glorify Him. As believers, everything we do should be with the mind and heart to glorify God. Eating, drinking, sleeping, serving, loving, talking, working, playing–we should always keep this in the forefront of our mind: that as His redeemed people, glorifying God is our purpose on earth. And an astounding privilege.

The smallest things in our lives can be done to the glory of God. Even things that seem like it would never glorify Him, such as paying bills or creating a budget. Or putting the shopping cart back in the shopping cart area. Or being on time. Or choosing silence over saying something unpleasant. Or choosing an apple over junk food. Or keeping our home clean and in order. Or washing our bodies and taking care of ourselves. Yes, everyday, small, mundane things can be done to the glory of God!

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are living sacrifices poured out as an offering to Him. And the beautiful thing is, He accepts it with gladness.

Yes, the holy, unworldly, glorious God who created the heavens and earth accepts us as a living sacrifice unto Him – a pleasing aroma that is constantly reaching to His heart in Heaven.

Let’s marvel at the amazing truth that God uses us as vessels for His glory here on earth. We are able to glorify the God of Heaven. That’s a high position and not to be taken lightly.

Let’s glorify our Father in all we do!

‭‭{Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬}
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

{Zephaniah 3:17}
The LORD thy God is in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

{Revelation 8:5}
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

Deeper in God 

On By The DiscernerIn Daily DevotionsLeave a comment

This is my heart’s cry: Father, Abba, my Saviour, the One Whom my soul loves! Take me  d e e p e r.  I desire to go deeper into the depths of your love. I want to drown in your living waters, your rivers of delight. You are such a precious God and I want n o t h i n g more than to serve you and glorify you and love you and lay at your perfect feet.

Let me go deeper into fellowship with you, deeper into communion with you, deeper into trusting in you, deeper into walking with you, deeper in my obedience to you.

D e e p e r.

D e e p e r.

M o r e.

Brothers and sisters in Jesus, let us never reach a point where we’ve had enough of God. Let’s stay burning hot for Him all of our days! He is so worth our passionate devotion and our hearts on fire for Him.

If we abide in Him, we will be delighted in Him. Because we can’t be delighted in Him without abiding in Him! And when we abide in Him, we go deeper with Him. When we are delighted in Him, we are on fire for Him. So let’s delight and abide.

He’s so  w o r t h y,

He’s so  w o n d e r f u l.

The depths of His love are
i n c o m p a r a b l e.

Let’s drown in His warm embrace and go deeper.

{Psalm 36:8}
They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.

‭‭{Psalms‬ ‭42:1-2, 7-8‬}
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

The Glory of God

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✨Worship our Maker this morning and reflect on His glory! He is a glorious King and so deserving of our praise. Don’t let this day pass before you magnify His greatness in your hearts. He knows when you notice Him. When you pause to soak in the beauty of His glory and majesty. When you delight in Him just for who He is. And it moves His divine heart.

Sing to Him in your hearts and praise Him for His:

M e r c y
L o v e
G r a c e
G o o d n e s s
T r u t h f u l n e s s
T r u s t w o r t h i n e s s
G e n t l e n e s s
K i n d n e s s
F o r g i v e n e s s
P at i e n c e
F a i t h f u l n e s s
T e n d e r n e s s
S e r v i t u d e
L o n g s u f f e r i n g
W r a t h
C a r e
J u s t i c e
S o v e r e i g n t y
J e a l o u s y
B e a u t y
E x c e l l e n c e
P u r i t y
F la w l e s s n e s s
I m m u t a b i l i t y
H u m b l n e s s
R i g h t e o u s n e s s
M a j e s t y
P o w e r
P e r f e c t i o n
H o l i n e s s
W o r t h i n e s s
S a l v a t i o n

Praise and worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. For He is glorious in all of His ways.✨

K I N G . J E S U S . F O R E V E R

‭‭{Psalms‬ ‭96}
Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord!
He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.
The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
Let all the earth tremble before him.
Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.
He will judge all peoples fairly.
Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.

God is L O V E

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17200913_1057768084329980_7068717181274942926_n.jpg

And apart from Him there is no love at all – only a phony substituted version of love that will never satisfy our hearts and always leave us restless. But in God’s love, we find t r u e rest for our hearts. How can there be real love outside the God who created everything into existence? The One who actually stitched your heart together and is making it beat this very moment?

Pause and take a moment to feel your heart beat inside of your chest. He’s the One making it beat.

He‘s the One who defines love, and therefore there’s no possibility of finding love, real love, outside of Him.

If it isn’t His love, what is it?

It’s good emotion but is tainted with personal desire, lust, and selfish motive. Even in our best efforts our love is stained with sin.

But Jesus Christ showed us true, pure, real love in while we were yet sinners, He died for us in the greatest sacrifice that has ever touched man. And this great sacrifice is the free gift of salvation. Jesus took the penalty of your sin, if we accept Him as our Lord and ask forgiveness. He endured what we should have received from a righteous, just, holy God.

This God is true love, but in perfect unity He is also perfectly just and wrathful towards our sinful nature. But, if we turn to Him and cry out to Him for salvation and forgiveness, you will receive this beautiful gift.

Won’t you accept True Love today?

Once you taste the real thing, you’ll never settle for plastic.

{1 John 4:7}
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus is Salvation

On By The DiscernerIn Daily Devotions2 Comments

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Worship the Lord of glory! Praise His beautiful, Holy name. Jesus is our God. The One God. The only God. There will be NO other, never has been another, and never will be another God.

He’s my Creator, and He’s your Creator. He gave us breath, and the most significant thing we can do is give our breath back to Him by praising Him and honouring Him. Loving Him and obeying Him. Seeking Him and laying down our lives for Him. He’s so perfect and majestic and mighty and wonderful.

Look at this beautiful things He has made by His hand and respond in adoration. He is the o n l y God, the only way to salvation, and He is breathtakingly glorious.

Jesus Christ is the seen image of the invisible God who offers the only way out of this meaningless existence on earth. He’s the only freedom we have. When you turn to Him, your life can have meaning and you can be set free! Without Him, you will be imprisoned and your life will have no meaning because you are separated from the very One who made your heart beat and gave your lungs air.

He’s the One your soul craves, yet you do not realize this. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Tell Him you want His love. You will experience meaning and purpose and you will begin living a supernatural life with the presence of the Most High God living inside of you and surrounding you. Don’t you want the favour and mercy of God poured on your life?

Jesus Christ isn’t just my God because I love Him. He’s your God too, even if you hate Him. He’s the atheist’s God, the Muslim’s God, the drug addict’s God, the alcoholic’s God, and even the satanist’s God – even though these people worship evil things and deny the very One who created them. There isn’t a million ways to Heaven, there is only o n e way.

One way.

Just because someone doesn’t believe in Him does not mean that person will not have to face Him when they die on earth. And when you see Him, if you have rejected the truth all of your life, you will cry in utter terror at what you chose instead of Him. You’ll see the King in His majestic perfect splendour and you’ll scream in shame and horror because you’ll want Him but it will be too late. You have time today to choose Him. Tomorrow you may die.

Please choose the beautiful God who spoke you into existence. Speaking from experience, He is so worth it. Now that I have Him, there isn’t a single thing I’d give Him up for. All I want to do is express my love to Him all my days until my last breath.

I belong to King Jesus, and I will never get over Him.

J E S U S

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved, for God has provided no alternative for salvation.”
{Acts 4:12}