The Changed-Heart Religion

Christianity is exclusive in that the God of heaven will change man's heart ... it is His work, completely without human works.

Unlike any other religion, Christianity represents a forgiving God Who seeks to change man’s heart … it is supernatural and requires no works:

From TimelessTruths.org:
If you are interested in finding what is really truth—what the Bible really teaches, then the subject of this article will be of great interest to you.

After dealing with the backsliding of the children of Israel, warning them of sure judgment for their sins and transgressions, the Lord promised a remedy for their unconverted and hardened hearts. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”* (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

We see from this promise that God is in the business of actually changing people’s hearts. God is able to operate on the cold, hard, stony heart with no love for right or for Him and change it into a soft, warm, responsive heart, full of love for the things of God and everyone else. What a mighty God we serve! A willful, wicked heart into a submissive, obedient heart. Praise His Name!

…

A Godly Life as Distinguished From a Good, Moral Life

Many people are trying to live a Bible life without a changed heart. They are attracted to the beauty and virtue of a godly life and try their very best to live such a life. It does not work as it reads in their Bible. Their faith stands in the wisdom of men instead of the power of God (I Corinthians 2:5). The blessing is not there as it should be. There is no real victory.
The Changed-Heart Religion.

READ MORE AT THE LINK.

Bible Book of the Day … 2 Corinthians

Book of the Bible

This letter is the most biographical and least doctrinal of Paul’s epistles. It tells us more about Paul as a person and as a minister than any of the others. That being said, there are a few things we can take from this letter and apply to our lives today. One thing is stewardship, not only of money, but of time as well. The Macedonians not only gave generously, but “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Corinthians 8:5). In the same way, we should dedicate not only all we have to the Lord, but all that we are. He really doesn’t need our money. He is omnipotent! He wants the heart, one that longs to serve and please and love. Stewardship and giving to God is more than just money.

READ MORE HERE.

Book of the Bible – 2 Corinthians

Book of the Bible

This letter is the most biographical and least doctrinal of Paul’s epistles. It tells us more about Paul as a person and as a minister than any of the others. That being said, there are a few things we can take from this letter and apply to our lives today. One thing is stewardship, not only of money, but of time as well. The Macedonians not only gave generously, but “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Corinthians 8:5). In the same way, we should dedicate not only all we have to the Lord, but all that we are. He really doesn’t need our money. He is omnipotent! He wants the heart, one that longs to serve and please and love. Stewardship and giving to God is more than just money. Yes, God does want us to tithe part of our income, and He promises to bless us when we give to Him. There is more though. God wants 100%. He wants us to give Him our all. Everything we are. We should spend our lives living to serve our Father. We should not only give to God from our paycheck, but our very lives should be a reflection of Him. We should give ourselves first to the Lord, then to the church and the work of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

READ MORE AT GotQuestions.org

What glory that shall be!

30 Second Devotional

Colossians 3:4 — When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God and the Christian’s Bridegroom shall soon return! The true life of our very soul is hidden in Him and when He appears at His Second Coming, then an eternity of REAL life will be fulfilled in Him. His obedience unto death has given us that eternal life (cf. Romans 5:19 and Hebrews 5:8). His suffering and death was invested on behalf of all men. And His resurrection has yielded new life to those who call on Him in belief. Finally, His personal appearance at the final day shall be a glory for all His saints. So consider as dead the earthly things that easily beset us until His coming and we shall be crowned in His glory.

Books of the Bible – 1 Corinthians

Book of the Day

The Corinthian church was plagued by divisions. The believers in Corinth were dividing into groups loyal to certain spiritual leaders (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:1-6). Paul exhorted the Corinthian believers to be united because of devotion to Christ (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Many in the church were essentially approving of an immoral relationship (1 Corinthians 5:1-2). Paul commanded them to expel the wicked man from the church (1 Corinthians 5:13). The Corinthian believers were taking each other to court (1 Corinthians 6:1-2). Paul taught the Corinthians that it would be better to be taken advantage of than to damage their Christian testimony (1 Corinthians 6:3-8).

Many of the problems and questions the Corinthian church was dealing with are still present in the church today. Churches today still struggle with divisions, with immorality, and with the use of spiritual gifts. The Book of 1 Corinthians very well could have been written to the church today and we would do well to heed Paul’s warnings and apply them to ourselves. Despite all the rebukes and corrections, 1 Corinthians brings our focus back to where it should be—on Christ.

READ MORE HERE.

What is the truth?

The Bible is the most widely printed and published book in the world. It is the source of the Christian religion and contains what Christians need to know about God, Jesus, salvation, and the Christian life.

Truth is not a feeling. Truth is not an idea. The truth is found in the Bible. The cults are wrong because they do not have the truth. That is, they have a false understanding of God the Father, of God the Son, of the Holy Spirit, and the work of Christ on the Cross. Because they are in error in these things, they are in error concerning the doctrine of salvation.

Sincerity and good works do not bridge the gap of sin between God and man. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse a person (Heb. 9:22; John 14:6). Sincerity and good works are merely the reliance upon what is in the individual to merit favor with God. Sincerity is a form of pride when it is appealed to as a justification for being accepted by God: “But God, look at my heart. See how sincere I was? I deserve to be in heaven.”

No. If sincerity and good works were good enough to satisfy God, then He wouldn’t have given us the Bible to correct our sincerely wrong ideas, and He wouldn’t have sent His Son to do what our good works cannot.

Truth is what God says is true.

The truth is important not because it is simply true. It is important because truth is what defines whom and what we believe. Is Jesus the brother of the devil as in Mormonism? Is he an angel who became a man? Or, is He the creator of the universe, second person of the Trinity? Only one is right.

Faith is vital. But faith placed in something false is the same as having no faith at all. Faith is only as good as the object in which it is placed. That is why it is important to have the true Jesus. The one of the Bible, not the one of Mormonism, nor the one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Eternity is a long time to be wrong. Especially about Jesus.

READ MORE HERE.

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

He used to talk to farmers about corn and mustard, wheat and tares, sheep and goats, and such like matters, all purely agricultural, and which they thoroughly understood. He used to talk to fishermen about matters widely different, and such as belonged to their craft—nets and fishes; to gardeners about vines and fig trees; to women about domestic matters, such as come within their province—kneading dough and sweeping houses. By means of these familiar figures He teaches lessons unheard of before—lessons of Divine wisdom, of supreme value, of sweet interest, of infinite love, and of eternal importance. ~ Griffith Thomas

Bible Names for God — El

Bible Names of God

The Hebrew Name of God – El

The name for God meaning “strength, might, or power.” The basic form El appears over 250 times in the Tanakh. Appears primarily in construct relation when describing the God of Israel.

In Scripture, the primary meanings of this root are “god” (pagan or false gods), “God” (the true God of Israel), and sometimes “the mighty” (referring to men or angels). When used of the true God of Israel, El is almost always qualified by additional words that further define the meaning that distinguish Him from false gods.

El Echad.
The One God (Mal. 2:10).

El Hanne’eman.
The Faithful God (Deut. 7:9).

El Emet.
The God of Truth (Ps. 31:5).

READ MORE HERE.

Do you actually pray for your pastor?

Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life. -- Jonathan Edwards

One of the most effective ways you can minister to your pastor is to pray for him. As normal, ordinary men, pastors are fallible and must consistently pursue the character God requires of them, as well as faithfully completing the many duties attached to their roles. Knowing that others are praying for him is an encouragement to the heart of a man who longs to give his best to God! As you seek to pray for your pastor, consider praying for two areas of his life: his personal needs as well as his spiritual needs.

Personal Needs

• Effective use of time. There are many tasks to accomplish during your pastor’s workday. Pray that he will use those hours in a way that will allow him to accomplish much.
• Strong relationship with his wife and children.
• Time with family. Often church activities occur in the evenings or on weekends. Ask God to provide other times when your pastor can have quality time with his wife and children.
• Physical and mental strength. Pastors often work much more than a forty-hour week studying and preparing for speaking and counseling, being available to those who need advice or friendship, and attending church meetings and functions. It can be an exhausting life.
• Opportunities to relax. Ask God to give your pastor time away from the rigors of ministry to do things that he enjoys.
• Wisdom. We often think of this as a spiritual need, and it is. However, pastors have to make decisions for their own families for which they need guidance from God.

Spiritual Needs

• For Christ to live through him (Galatians 2:20)
• Faithfulness to spend time reading God’s Word every day (Psalm 119:11)
• An intimate knowledge of God (Philippians 3:10)
• Fear of God — respect and awe for Him (Proverbs 1:7)
• Strength to stand firm for the principles of God’s Word (Ephesians 6:10-11, 13)
• To live according to the Holy Spirit’s direction (Galatians 5:25) and worthy of his calling (Ephesians 4:1) as a good soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
• Accuracy as he presents the truths of Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15)
• Contentment in his present ministry (Philippians 4:11-13)

From AllAboutPrayer.org

Bible Book of the Week – 1 Corinthians

Book of the Day

The apostle Paul founded the church in Corinth. A few years after leaving the church, the apostle Paul heard some disturbing reports about the Corinthian church. They were full of pride and were excusing sexual immorality. Spiritual gifts were being used improperly, and there was rampant misunderstanding of key Christian doctrines. The apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in an attempt to restore the Corinthian church to its foundation—Jesus Christ.

Many of the problems and questions the Corinthian church was dealing with are still present in the church today. Churches today still struggle with divisions, with immorality, and with the use of spiritual gifts. The Book of 1 Corinthians very well could have been written to the church today and we would do well to heed Paul’s warnings and apply them to ourselves. Despite all the rebukes and corrections, 1 Corinthians brings our focus back to where it should be—on Christ. Genuine Christian love is the answer to many problems (chapter 13). A proper understanding of the resurrection of Christ, as revealed in chapter 15, and thereby a proper understanding of our own resurrection, is the cure for what divides and defeats us.

READ MORE AT GOT QUESTIONS.

Stength for the Day

Verses of the Day

Colossians 2:9-10 — For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

It’s the simple things that count

30 Second Devotional

1 Corinthians 1:27 — But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

It is remarkable to consider how God chooses folks to accomplish His will. Sometimes, and perhaps more often than not, the things of God are attended to by the “least likely” candidates. Have you even made a personal judgment about someone you didn’t consider would amount to much in this world? I have … and much to my embarrassment, he turned out to be one of the finest missionaries I have ever known.

The simple act of declaring the infinite love and glory of God is one of the “foolish” things that God has asked us to do. He wants the good news to be brought to a dark world … His Word will not return without results. Give praise to our mighty God today for the wonderful privilege of sharing his love with others.

What does it mean to pray without ceasing?

Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! For prayer is a great deterrent. -- Leonard Ravenhill

How can I pray without ceasing? Praying without ceasing is a biblical term found in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Thessalonica: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV). The Greek word “without ceasing” means continuous action. Therefore, “praying without ceasing” means to pray continuously.

How to pray without ceasing — a heart attitude

How does one pray continually? We cannot always be on our knees. With the daily demands on our busy lives, we are fortunate to kneel in prayer even a few minutes each day. However, the context of this passage gives us a clue. This passage focuses on heart attitude. “Rejoice always” is an attitude of joyfulness. Giving thanks in everything also requires a mental attitude of thankfulness. How do we rejoice and give thanks? Through prayer! Therefore, effective prayer is a proper heart attitude: a mental outlook of joyful thanksgiving. It expresses itself throughout the day with silent prayers of vital communication with the LORD.

If we are praying without ceasing — even while driving, changing the baby, washing dishes, or running a lawn mower — we can be open to the leading of the Spirit when He urges us to pray for something or someone. At that time, we can agree with God and make a mental note to add that concern to our later prayer time.

READ MORE HERE.

Bible Book of the Day — Romans

Book of the Day

The Book of Romans is primarily a work of doctrine and can be divided into four sections: righteousness needed, 1:18–3:20; righteousness provided, 3:21–8:39; righteousness vindicated, 9:1–11:36; righteousness practiced, 12:1–15:13. The main theme of this letter is obvious of course—righteousness. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul first condemns all men of their sinfulness. He expresses his desire to preach the truth of God’s Word to those in Rome. It was his hope to have assurance they were staying on the right path. He strongly points out that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16), because it is the power by which everyone is saved.

The Book of Romans tells us about God, who He is and what He has done. It tells us of Jesus Christ, what His death accomplished. It tells us about ourselves, what we were like without Christ and who we are after trusting in Christ. Paul points out that God did not demand men have their lives straightened out before coming to Christ. While we were still sinners Christ died on a cross for our sins.

READ MORE HERE.

Psalm 77 ~ The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works

Depression and self centered focus has become an ever-increasing problem with many folks who don’t know the Lord. It has even spilled over into the ranks of the people who do profess Christ as Savior. This Psalm shows some interesting details that happen when we go through different problems and it also shows us some very interesting cures in helping us to overcome the depressions and self-centeredness that tends to occupy our lives, especially those without God.

The psalmist was in a gloomy state and was irritated and depressed. Interestingly, he does something that we, too, can use as we also go through these times. He starts to make an evaluation of what is the matter. Maybe there is sin in his life and God has to use some discipline to correct it. Maybe God is just allowing a refining trial or problem to help him to focus on God and His Word, rather than on self and self’s very limited resources. A very useful acronym for daily godly focus is this: ECoPE. Evaluate-Confess-Plan-Execute. E-valuate your life daily before God and His Word. Be willing to C-onfess sin as needed and daily meditate on and memorize His Word in personal devotions. Make a P-lan each day for what God would have you spiritually focus on for that specific day. Obediently E-xecute that plan. Follow through with what God has shown you through His Word to live your life in obedience to Him. This has helped a lot of God fearing Christians to live their lives in a way that is different from the world. They begin to experience the awesome power of God, as His Word is put into practical and daily use. They begin to focus on their Creator and their Savior rather than on the problems and difficulties. They begin to experience the sanctified, fulfilled life of a believer, as God fully intends our lives to be. When we compare the wonderful riches of God’s Word to the very limited areas of our own sinful attitudes and self, we begin to realize that what God says is true and that realization begins to bring us up out of the miry clay. May we fully trust and focus our hearts on Him!

O Heavenly Father, as we go through great difficulties and problems, forgive us for not trusting You fully. Help us to turn our eyes and our hearts back to Your Glory and may You be exalted above all. Amen.

From Liberty Ministries.

Moments in Proverbs — Proverbs 20:11

Proverbs 20:11-12 — Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Proverbs is a literal gold mine of advice and counsel for every area of life. And applied to the raising of children, it is doubly so. As children grow up, it is a parent’s responsibility to help them develop a Godly character. Without a Biblical foundation, a child will have only himself and the secular principles of his parents & friends to guide his decision making process. And because sin is “tangled up” in a child’s heart, those decisions can never glorify God without an understanding of God’s Word.

Everyone fails and children will act naughty sometimes. But when unruly deeds are repeated over and over without proper Biblical guidance, they will establish a cement a character that is, first, out of touch with God, and second, out of tune with society. Have you ever known someone who is consistently late? Or someone who is a habitual liar? If you live long enough, you’ll have the opportunity to pass by many of these kinds of people, or even work with them or be supervised by them. Observation alone should be enough motivation to make Biblical instruction a consistent part of parenting. And … we should make sure we “enforce” those lessons to ensure they are learned. Living a disciplined life is always a coordinated effort between God, parent and child … and it is vital that our children understand the meaning of obedience as it is lovingly demonstrated in our own lives as we obey God and His Word.

The Mighty Power of God

30 Second Devotional

Proverbs 29:25 — The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6). We say so often, mostly when trying to comfort others, “Trust God!” But do we really? Do our daily expectations, goals and plans “really” include that element of TRUST IN GOD?

We should place our day in perspective … it is God who daily provides our needs. At His hand is the very breath we breathe. He is our constant source of life and strength. If His mercy & grace were lifted from mankind for even a second, we would cease to exist. So why not trust in the almighty hand of an almighty God? Perhaps some musical lyrics from Isaac Watts might be in order …

I sing the mighty pow’r of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flow’r below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God, art present there.

What does it mean to pray without ceasing?

Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! For prayer is a great deterrent. -- Leonard Ravenhill

How can I pray without ceasing? Praying without ceasing is a biblical term found in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Thessalonica: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV). The Greek word “without ceasing” means continuous action. Therefore, “praying without ceasing” means to pray continuously.

READ MORE HERE.

Is Christianity the One True Religion?

Yes, Christianity is the one true religion. That may sound awfully dogmatic and narrow-minded, but the simple truth is that Christianity is the only true religion. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6), that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Christians do not go around saying Christianity is the only way because they are arrogant, narrow-minded, stupid, and judgmental. They do so because they believe what Jesus said. They believe in Jesus, who claimed to be God (John 8:58; Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20; 7:48), and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29; John 2:19f). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth. He is the only way.

Christianity is not just a religion; it is a relationship with God. It is a trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1-4), not on what you can do for yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Buddha didn’t rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn’t fulfill detailed prophecy. Alexander the Great didn’t raise the dead or heal the sick. And though there is far less reliable information written about them, people believed in them.

The scripture is right when it says in 1 Pet. 2:7-8, “This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,’ and, ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.” (NASB).

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Quotable

Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificed on the altar of conformity and popularity.
~ Charles H. Spurgeon

The Hebrew Name of God – El

The word El comes from a root word meaning “might, strength, power.”

In Scripture, the primary meanings of this root are “god” (pagan or false gods), “God” (the true God of Israel), and sometimes “the mighty” (referring to men or angels). When used of the true God of Israel, El is almost always qualified by additional words that further define the meaning that distinguish Him from false gods. These other names or titles for God are sometimes called “construct forms.”

El Echad.
The One God (Mal. 2:10).

El Hanne’eman.
The Faithful God (Deut. 7:9).

El Emet.
The God of Truth (Ps. 31:5).

READ MORE HERE.