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Depend on Jesus to Give You Eternal Life

January 11 is my deceased mother’s birthday. Had she lived on, she would have been 96 today. She was a devout believer in Christ. I know she has gone to be with Jesus, to a special place prepared explicitly for her. In her long time in long-term care, she loved singing hymns with the Pastor, who visited frequently and the facility’s community,

Her favourite scripture was quoting Jesus from John 14:2 NLT: There is more than enough room in my Father’s home… I am going to prepare a place for you…

In addition to knowledge of the facts of the gospel and approval of those facts, to be saved, I must decide to depend on Jesus to save me. In doing this, I move from being an interested observer of the facts of salvation and the teachings of the Bible to being someone who enters into a new relationship with Jesus Christ as a living person.

Therefore, we may define saving faith in the following way: Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. This definition emphasizes that saving faith is not just a belief in facts. Moreover, believing faith is a personal trust in Jesus to save me.

Much more is involved in salvation than simply forgiveness of sins and eternal life, but someone who initially comes to Christ seldom realizes the extent of the blessings of salvation that will come. Moreover, we may rightly summarize the two major concerns of a person who trusts in Christ as “forgiveness of sins” and “eternal life with God.”

The main thing that concerns an unbeliever who comes to Christ is the fact that sin has separated him or her from the fellowship with God for which we were made. The unbeliever comes to Christ seeking to remove sin and guilt and enter into a genuine relationship with God that will last forever.

The definition emphasizes personal trust in Christ, not just belief in facts about Christ. Because saving faith in Scripture involves this personal trust, the word “trust” is a better word to use in contemporary culture than the word “faith” or “belief.” The reason is that we can “believe” something to be true without personal commitment or dependence.

I can believe the sky is blue or one plus one is two, but I have no personal trusting commitment or dependence on anyone when I simply believe those facts. On the other hand, the word faith is sometimes used today to refer to a commitment to something despite strong evidence, to the contrary, a sort of irrational decision to believe something that we are pretty sure is not valid! 2

The word trust is closer to the biblical idea, since we are familiar with trusting persons in everyday life. The more we come to know a person, and the more we see in that person a pattern of life that warrants trust, the more we find ourselves able to place trust in that person to do what he or she promises, or to act in ways that we can rely on. This fuller sense of personal trust is indicated in several passages of Scripture in which initial saving faith is spoken of in very personal terms, drawn from personal relationships. John says, “To all who received him who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12). Much as we would receive a guest into our homes, John speaks of receiving Christ. 3

John 3:16 tells us that “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Here John uses a surprising phrase when he does not simply say, “whoever believes him” (that is, believes that what he says is true and able to be trusted), but rather, “whoever believes in him.” There is a sense of trust or confidence that goes into and rests in Jesus as a person.

Faith, for John, is an activity which takes men right out of themselves and makes them one with Christ.” There is a significant indication that New Testament faith is not just intellectual assent but includes a “moral element of personal trust. 1 Such an expression was well suited to express that personal trust in Christ is involved in saving faith.

Jesus speaks of “coming to him” in several places. He says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out” (John 6:37). He also says, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). In a similar way, he says, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30). In these passages we have the idea of coming to Christ and asking for acceptance, for living water to drink, and for rest and instruction. All of these give an intensely personal picture of what is involved in saving faith. 3

The author of Hebrews also asks us to think of Jesus as now alive in heaven, ready to receive us: “He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). Jesus is pictured here (as many times in the New Testament) as one who is now alive in heaven, always able to help those who come to him.

With this understanding of true New Testament faith, we may now appreciate that when a person comes to trust in Christ, all three elements must be present. There must be some basic knowledge or understanding of the facts of the gospel. There must also be approval of, or agreement with, these facts. Such agreement includes a conviction that the facts spoken of the gospel are true, especially the fact that I am a sinner in need of salvation and that Christ alone has paid the penalty for my sin and offers salvation to me.

It also includes an awareness that I need to trust in Christ for salvation and that he is the only way to God and the only means provided for my salvation. This approval of the facts of the gospel will also involve a desire to be saved through Christ. This personal decision to trust Christ is made with my heart, a commitment to believe with my whole person.

The beauty of this is that the Holy Spirit will lead you into a deeper trusting faith. You can be sure from the very beginning:

…everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. John 3:15

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life… And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life … (John 3:36)

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:15)

For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” …Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. (John 6:40, 47)

1 Leon Morris

2; Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology

3 Ibid

4 Ibid

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The Providence of God

When the scriptural guidelines are understood, it becomes clear that all atomic movement in the universe and among his creation only occurs with Christ’s oversight and allowance. This makes sense since he is the co-creator of this world. (Col 1:15-18)

There seems to be nothing in Scripture that would indicate that some things are outside God’s providential control, or that these ways of God’s acting are unusual or unrepresentative of the ways in which he acts generally. Moreover, many of the verses that speak of God’s providence are very general: Christ “continually carries along all things by his word of power” (Heb. 1:3), and “in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). He “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). Such Scripture passages have in view more than exceptional examples of an unusual intervention by God in the affairs of human beings; they describe the way God always works in the world. 1

Notably, two historic, well-studied church leaders, John Calvin and John Wesley, agree on the importance of understanding the doctrine of Providence for our Christian encouragement, albeit their differences of view.

Ignorance of providence is the ultimate of all miseries; the highest blessedness lies in this knowledge. – John Calvin

Among the foremost classic Christian doctrines, “there is scarce any that is so little regarded, and perhaps so little understood” as providence. – John Wesley

Here, we will begin with a the following excerpt from Wilhelm Braekel, Puritan Theologian. The Christian’s Reasonable Service. Edited by Dr Joel Beeke. 2

Consider the providence of God concerning all His creatures…that is, the immediate provision for, and dispensation of all things. This is to be observed in Genesis 22:8, “God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” Providence is also referred to as ordinance (Psa. 119:91), God’s way (Psa. 77:13), God’s hand (Acts 4:28, 17:28), God’s upholding (Heb. 1:3), God’s working (Eph. 1:11), God’s government (Ps. 93:1), and God’s care (Job 12:10, 1 Pet. 5:7, Acts 17:28).

The Heidelberg Catechism clearly and devoutly describes providence as follows: The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by His hand, He upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by His fatherly hand; that we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from His love; since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move.

Providence is a divine power. This is not merely due to providence being executed by the omnipotent One, but particularly in reference to the extrinsic execution of this power towards His creatures. It is therefore stated with emphasis, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him …” (Mark 5:30). Providence is an omnipotent power. When perceiving the magnitude of the work of creation; the innumerable number of creatures; the unfathomable diversity of their natures and appearance; the existence and continuation of each created object according to its own essential nature; the movement of animate, rational, and inanimate creatures; the precise order of all things both as to movement and the manner in which one object initiates the motion and progression of another object—one must lose himself in amazement regarding the infinite power and wisdom of God by which all things are maintained and governed. By this power God irresistibly executes whatsoever He wills, and no one can prevent Him from doing so. “For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” (Isa. 14:27); “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isa. 46:10).

Providence is an omnipresent power of God. This is not merely true in reference to the omnipresent Being of God, but particularly in reference to His energizing power in all His creatures. This power of God does not merely manifest itself generally in all things. Neither does it merely affect the initial secondary causes, which in turn further initiate motion and activity in all other secondary causes. This power of God penetrates the existence of every creature, and thus, in an immediate sense and via all secondary causes, affects the ultimate outcome of all things. The power of God is therefore in all things and manifests itself in all that exists and moves. If we had clear perception, we would observe this power in everything.

1 Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 342.

2 Excerpt: Wilhelm Braekel, Puritan Theologian. The Christian’s Reasonable Service. Edited by Dr Joel Beeke.

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Avoid the Status Quo

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I dip into a leadership devotional every morning while my wife prepares coffee before our joint bible devotional. The following is from the renowned business speaker John Maxwell: 1

The status quo is Latin for “the mess we’re in.” But leaders see beyond the mess. They have a vision for what could be and are never content with things as they are. To be leading, by definition, is to be in front, breaking new ground, conquering new worlds, and moving away from the status quo. This proactive and visionary approach sets leaders apart and empowers them to make a difference.

Leaders are not just those who lead but are willing to be different and take risks. A person who refuses to risk change fails to grow. A leader who loves the status quo soon becomes a follower. Raymond Smith of the Bell Atlantic Corporation once remarked, “Taking the safe road, doing your job, and not making any waves may not get you fired (right away, at least), but it sure won’t do much for your career or your company over the long haul. We’re not dumb. We know that administrators are easy to find and cheap to keep. However, leaders who are risk-takers are in very short supply. And the ones with vision are pure gold. As a leader, you are not just a follower but an integral part of the process.”

Many people seem afraid of the risk because they are more comfortable with old problems than with the challenge of devising new solutions. The difference is attitude. When you seek out potential leaders, look for people who seek solutions.

1 Source: Leadership, John Maxwell

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Predestined explained by John Stott

When studying theology, theologians often see the truth differently, depending on their denominational upbringing. For example, reformed preacher John MacArthur holds to the doctrine of election, as does the reformed theologian John Stott. Stott explains predestination here, in contradistinction to the opposite view:

Predestination, often misconstrued as fostering apathy, actually maintains a delicate balance. While salvation is indeed God’s work, it does not absolve us of our responsibility before Him. Scripture’s emphasis on God’s sovereignty does not diminish our responsibility, but rather, it underscores the harmony between the two.

Instead, the two lie side by side in an antinomy, an apparent contradiction between two truths. Unlike a paradox, an antinomy is not deliberately manufactured; it is forced upon us by the facts themselves. We do not invent it, and we cannot explain it. Nor is there any way to get rid of it, save by falsifying the very facts that led us to it.

A good example is found in the teaching of Jesus, who declared both that ‘”no-one can come to me unless the Father … draws him” (John 6:44) and that “you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:40). Why do people not come to Jesus? Is it that they cannot? Or is it that they will not? The only answer which is compatible with his own teaching is: Both, even though we cannot reconcile them.

Predestination is said to foster narrow-mindedness, as the elect people of God become absorbed only in themselves. The opposite is the case. The reason God called one man, Abraham, and his one family was not for their blessing only but that through them, all the families of the earth might be blessed. Similarly, the reason God chose his Servant, that shadowy figure in Isaiah whom we see partly fulfilled in Israel, but especially in Christ and his people, was not only to glorify Israel but to bring light and justice to the nations.

Indeed, these promises were a great spur to Paul (as they should be to us) when he courageously broadened his evangelistic vision to include the Gentiles. Thus, God has made us his own people, not that we should be his elite favourites, but that we should be his witnesses “to proclaim the glorious deeds of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2:9). So the doctrine of divine predestination promotes humility, not arrogance; assurance, not apprehension; responsibility, not apathy; holiness, not complacency; and mission, not privilege. 1

1 Stott, J.R.W. (2001) The Message of Romans, Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press (The Bible Speaks Today), pp. 251–252.

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The Predestined Elect: Made live with Christ

We herein primarily focus on Ephesians 2:1–7. While Jesus and Peter explain regeneration through the imagery of birth, Paul explains regeneration through the imagery of resurrection from the dead. As the theologian Dr. Hoekema states, for Paul, “regeneration is the fruit of the Spirit’s purifying and renewing activity, that it is equivalent to making dead persons alive, that it takes place in union with Christ, and that it means that we now become part of God’s wondrous new creation.” 1 Paul speaks of God making dead persons alive in Ephesians 2: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1–7)

In Ephesians 2 we see a powerful picture of what takes place in regeneration. The sinner is dead but God makes him alive. The sinner is in the grave but God resurrects him from the dead. Notice that, contrary to Arminianism, there is no contingency or intermediate stage here in which God begins to make a sinner alive whereby the further outcome of that act is dependent upon the sinner’s decision. Rather, the transition is immediate, instantaneous, and unilateral as the sinner is at one moment dead and the next moment alive (Ephesians 2:10). The situation is comparable with the resurrection of Christ. Christ was dead but God in great power resurrected him bodily from the grave (Ephesians 1:19–20). Or consider Lazarus, who was dead, rotting in the tomb for days, and suddenly, at the command of Christ, was resurrected and walked out of the tomb alive (John 11). The theologian Reymond observes, “The conclusion cannot be avoided that God’s regenerating work must causally precede a man’s faith response to God’s summons to faith.”

Moreover, the sinner who is “made alive” is in a situation not only comparable to Christ’s, but also receives new life that is actually found in and with Christ. Paul states that God made us alive together with Christ and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), so that in the coming ages we would know the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ. Paul’s readers have come to life with Christ, who was dead and rose again; their new life, then, is a sharing in the new life which he received when he rose from the dead.

It is only in union with him that death is vanquished and new life, an integral part of God’s new creation, received. Because the believer’s previous condition has been spoken of as a state of death (Ephesians 2: 1, 5), there is no direct reference to Christ’s death or to the believer’s participation in it. Instead, the sharp contrast between our former condition outside of Christ and being made alive with him is presented. The theologian O’Brien is right in identifying being made alive with the resurrection of Christ. As Sinclair Ferguson states, “Regeneration is causally rooted in the resurrection of Christ” (1 Peter 1:3).

Like produces like; our regeneration is the fruit of Christ’s resurrection.” It is Christ’s resurrection which is the very basis of the sinner’s coming to life with Christ, as is further demonstrated in Ephesians 2:6 where the sinner is raised up and seated in Christ. Our spiritual resurrection to new life is made explicit by what Paul contrasts it to, namely, deadness in trespasses and sins and bondage to the world (“following the course of this world,” Ephesians 2:2); and Satan (“following the prince of the power of the air,” Ephesians 2:2); and the flesh (“once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,” Ephesians 2:3). Like the rest of mankind we were “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). Therefore, being made alive, as O’Brien states, implies not only forgiveness, but also “liberation from these tyrannical forces.” Paul’s words here in Ephesians 2 closely parallel his words in Colossians: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses” (Col. 2:13; cf. Rom. 6:11).

Finally, Paul also states that being made alive together with Christ is by grace (“by grace you have been saved”). O’Brien comments, “He draws attention to a mighty rescue which arose out of God’s gracious initiative, which had already been accomplished in Christ, and which has abiding consequences for them: it is by grace you have been saved.” As seen throughout Paul’s epistles, grace stands opposed to merit or any contribution on the part of man (Ephesians 2:8–10). 2

Grace is God’s favor toward sinners in spite of what they deserve (Rom. 3:21–26; 4:4; 5:15). The word “save” (“by grace you have been saved”) can and is many times used to refer to an eschatological reality, the deliverance from God’s wrath and final judgment. As Dr Thielman observes, in some passages Paul can “describe it [saved] as an ongoing event in the present (1 Cor. 1:18; 15:2; 2 Cor. 2:15) and say, ‘Now is the day of salvation’ (2 Cor. 6:2; cf. Isa. 39:8). But Paul “normally refers to it as something believers will experience in the future, presumably at the final day (1 Thess. 2:16; 1 Cor. 3:15; 5:5; 10:33; Rom. 5:9–10; 9:27; 10:9; 11:26).

However, as O’Brien explains, the case differs in Ephesians 2, for “saved” refers specifically to what “has already been accomplished and experienced.” It describes a “rescue from death, wrath, and bondage and a transfer into the new dominion with its manifold blessings. In a roundabout way, the periphrastic perfect construction draws attention to the resulting state of salvation.” Paul is referring to salvation as something that is “emphatically present for believers” even though the “use of the perfect tense in Ephesians 2:5, 8 for salvation is unusual.” 3

Paul does draw our attention to the future eschatological consequences of this salvation in verse Ephesians 2:7, being seated with Christ in the coming age. However, in Ephesians 2:5–6 Paul shows that being saved by grace means that God making us alive together with Christ is also by grace. Therefore, being made alive or regenerated is neither an act that is accomplished by man’s works of righteousness nor an act conditioned upon man’s willful cooperation. Rather, being made alive is by grace and by grace alone, meaning that it is purely by God’s initiative, prerogative, and power that the sinner is resurrected from spiritual death.

Grace is not merely unmerited favor in the sense that one may choose to receive or reject a gift. Grace is the impartation of new life. Grace is a power that raises someone from the dead, that lifts those in the grave into new life. Grace is not merely an undeserved gift, though it is such; it is also a transforming power. Grace imparted life when we were dead, and grace also raises us and seats us with Christ in the heavenlies. (Ephesians 2:6)

Therefore, it will not do to say with the Arminian that God’s grace is a gift to be accepted or resisted. Yes, God’s grace is a gift, but more than that it is a powerful gift that actually and effectually accomplishes new life as God intends.

The Puritan, Matthew Henry notes: Those who have experienced the grace of Christ for a longer time are under more special obligations to glorify God; they should be strong in faith and glorify him more eminently. Yet to glorify him should be the common goal of all. We were made for this, and we were redeemed for this; this is the great intention of our Christianity and of God in everything he has done for us: it is unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14). He intends that his grace and power and other perfections will by this means become clearly visible and glorious, and that his people will exalt him.

Further Henry states: Election, or choice, respects that lump or mass of mankind out of which some are chosen, from which they are separated and distinguished. Predestination has respect to the blessings they are designed for; particularly the adoption of children, it being the purpose of God that in due time we should become his adopted children, and so have a right to all the privileges and to the inheritance of children. We have here the date of this act of love: it was before the foundation of the world; not only before God’s people had a being, but before the world had a beginning; for they were chosen in the counsel of God from all eternity. (Ephesians 1:4)

I like to summarize it this way: God predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— not our free will alone. Free will must be preceded by God’s will to chose us, then He opens our minds to the Spirit’s proclamation of the gospel when heard, as he in continuum also sends the teaching preacher to reveal Christ to that individual.

1 Theologian notes: The Effectual Call of Election, Ron Rhodes 

2 Ibid

3 Ibid

4 Ibid

 

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Understanding the origin of Evil

One of the best definitions of the mystery of evil is philosophically developed by Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jew. Herein, I have selected some of his best deductive reasoning.1

In popular culture, evil is often depicted in an almost cartoonish form. Because of this, its existence is often dismissed. But its presence is real, and its impact on our world is critical. We do so at our peril if we should dismiss or ignore it.

What is evil? And how did it come into existence? It is both a mystery and a problem. The mystery is the problem. The problem is that it is attempted to be used in countless arguments to disprove God’s existence or nature.

To find the answer, we must start with the foundations. That evil exists cannot be debated. To deny it is to deny reality. But the fact that evil exists does not disprove the existence of God. Nor does it disprove the existence of a supernatural or spiritual realm—far from it. If there was nothing more to life or existence than the material realm or the physical universe, we could not speak of good or evil. Then war, death, murder, and destruction would not be evil or even a problem but simply the playing out of forces and the rearrangement of molecules and atoms.

If there was nothing more to the universe, then we could not judge the Nazi murderer of Jewish children to be evil, or the righteous who risked their lives to save the lives of Jewish children from Nazi murderers to be good. Nor could we esteem life to be of greater value than death. As with meaning, values, and significance, good and evil require a reality beyond that of the physical. Without this all values, all moral codes, are meaningless, arbitrary, and valueless.

Evil, like good, is ultimately transcendent. Its existence does not disprove that the spiritual realm exists, but proves that it does. This leads to the next question: If evil exists, then how did it come into existence? More specifically, if God is good, then how could there be evil? And if God created evil, then how could God be good? But if God did not create evil, then how could evil exist? Or how could God be God? Therein lies the problem and the mystery. But the very problem of evil contains its answer.

If evil was created, it would not be a problem, nor would it be evil. Evil is a problem for the very reason that it was not created. It should not exist, because it was not created, and yet it does. The existence of evil defies the created order. It is not of the creation and thus exists in opposition to the created order.

Evil exists in defiance of existence. Evil is not simply a force, like that of an earthquake, a hurricane, or a fire. All these bring calamity and destruction. But none would constitute true evil. Both hurricanes and serial killers bring death. But hurricanes are not evil. Serial killers are. Why? The hurricane is an impersonal force. It acts without consciousness, will, choice, volition, or intent. But the serial killer commits his acts with conscious intent, will, and volition—and so is evil. And so evil is not an impersonal force—but a personal one, requiring consciousness, volition, will, and intent. Thus in our search for an answer to evil, we are led to personhood.

The Anti-Being What is it that makes evil evil? Evil is an inversion—an inversion of truth, of reality, of existence. Evil is, by nature, inverted and, by nature, inverts. It twists, bends, and turns existence in upon itself. It exists as anti-existence. Its being is anti-being, and its nature, anti-nature. It is a negation and therefore seeks to negate, a nullification that exists to nullify. It has no true, ultimate, or absolute existence and therefore acts to bring that which exists into nonexistence. And so evil, by nature, seeks destruction. It opposes that which is. Possessing no absolute or true existence of its own, evil is, as well, by nature, parasitic.

Being not of the created order, it can exist only by drawing its existence from that order. Evil must use the good. And so though good can exist without evil, evil cannot exist without good. Truth can exist without falsehood, but falsehood cannot exist without truth. Laws can exist without crimes, marriage without adultery, and life without murder.

Clarifying Note: Satan opposed Yahweh God, with his intent to usurp God’s sovereignty saying: “I will ascend above the top of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.” Isaiah 14;14 In this sense evil was not created by God, but by the misuse of a fallen angel’s free will.

But crimes cannot exist without laws, adultery without marriage, nor murder exist without life. Destruction requires structure, immorality requires morality, and sin requires the holy. The good is primary. Evil is the parasitic inversion of the good. And so the existence of evil inadvertently testifies not against the existence of the good—but for it. It bears witness, unwillingly, to the existence of the good—the existence of God.

As Jonathan’s book develops he helps us understand the headship of evil powers referred to Satan, the antithesis of good effecting our universe and which nations are at the forefront of satanic representation in the current ongoing saga prior to the prophesied Second Advent of Christ. A very important book for our time. I have posted a YouTube by Jonathan Cahn below. 2

1 Cahn, Jonathan. The Dragon’s Prophecy: Israel, the Dark Resurrection, and the End of Days (pp. 6-7). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.

2 Video by Jonathan Cahn

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When trouble comes your way

I waited patiently for the LORD, And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. Psalm 40:1-2

I suggest reading the Psalms regularly, especially the Psalms of King David, whom God called “a man after my own heart.” I herein share one of my evening devotional readings noting a Davidic Psalm from Dr. David Jeremiah:

King David knew something about suffering, particularly suffering caused by his own actions. But he also knew to whom he could turn during those times of trouble.

What great comfort and joy come to us when we understand that God is rich in grace and mercy and forgives, restores, and redeems! The Lord lifts us from our personal pits of despair and puts us in right standing with Him, transforming our lives in ways we could never imagine.

When times of trouble arrive—even trouble we bring on ourselves—we must turn to God and wait patiently for His help. He’ll never fail us. Remember these truths about the God you serve, then proclaim them to everyone who will hear. It’s our responsibility and privilege to share God’s truths with others, empowering them to find hope and comfort in Him.

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God helps you to understand your Life’s Purpose

“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible … everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” —Colossians 1:16 (MSG)

Your life’s purpose is not about you;  it’s about God. God put you here for his own purpose, to do what he wants you to do, so any search for the meaning of life has to start with him, not with you. “God has … planted eternity in the human heart.” —Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

Your life here on earth is nothing more than a short stopover before you move on to eternity. Instead of focusing on your life here, try to remember that this existence is nothing more than a preparation for your eternal life to come. “Everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory.” —Romans 11:36 (LB)

The glory of God is all around you, from the tiniest grain of sand to the beauty and majesty of the universe. You are here to give glory to God. By incorporating the five purposes into your life, you can work toward adding to God’s glory. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” —Mark 12:30 (NIV)

When you are worshipping God, you must do so with your whole self. Partial worship is an insult to God—he isn’t interested in the how or where, he cares only for the why. So don’t pay too much attention to saying the correct words or singing the correct songs; focus yourself on God, give yourself fully to him, and he will be pleased. “How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony!” —Psalm 133:1 (TEV)

When a large group comes together to worship at church, that’s wonderful. But true fellowship takes place in smaller groups, at Bible study or Sunday school, for instance. In smaller groups, the interactions can be deeper than mere superficial small talk—people can share their burdens and help one another find their purpose.
“You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way.” —Ephesians 4:3 (NCV)

God wants his children to worship together and to share their lives. Therefore, focus on what is good in one another and in the Church, while trying to find a way together to address whatever problems may exist. Allow other Church members to be different from you without judging or correcting them. Don’t gossip. Remember, you are one family. “I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do.” —John 17:4 (MSG)

You are here to serve God, and the way to do that is by serving others. God did not put you on earth to think and work only for yourself—he wants you to make a difference! Your job is to figure out what your ministry should be, and then do it. That’s the best way to honor God. “Don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance.” —2 Peter 3:17 (CEV)

Rick Warren who wrote the Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?  and the basis for this summary by Worth Books, says that the five purposes are all equally important—you cannot be godly by focusing on only one or two, or only on those you are most passionate about. You must find a way to balance all five.

Summary Source: Worth Books, Summary and Analysis of the Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (New York, NY: Worth Books, 2017).

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How to receive God’s best blessings

And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

This verse gives us an almost forgotten beatitude. Jesus spoke it, but it was not recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. However, the apostle Paul knew of it and recalled it in Acts 20, thus preserving it in Scripture.

This verse presents us with a unique super-beatitude, a rare occurrence in the Bible. While there are many beatitudes when a sentence begins with the words Blessed is… or Blessed are…, the phrase ‘more blessed’ is a singular occurrence. It guides us on a path to a greater double blessing, a concept worth exploring further.

First, there is the blessing of receiving, which interests our personal selves. God created us as recipients. He is the Source, the Supply, the Endless Provider who gives universal, daily, and spiritual blessings.

But there is one blessing greater than receiving. It’s the blessing of giving. Why is it more blessed to give than to receive? When we receive, we’re acting like ourselves; but when we give, we’re acting like God. Receiving is me-like. Giving is Christ-like.

Never forget that at the very heart of the Gospel is the whole principle of giving. – Stephen Olford

Meditation Source: David Jeremiah, Pathways

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Scriptural proof of predestined election

The following Bible verses are offered here for your meditation as you ask the Lord to guide you by His Spirit to understand the teaching of a predestined election. God chose whom He will, and that choice was made before the foundation of the world’s creation. (2 Timothy 1:9) God the Father draws men and women to Christ while enabling them to believe and accept His adoption of them as His children to be transformed by His Spirit into holy and godly living.

John 15:16: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Ephesians 1:4-5: Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…

Acts 13:48: And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Romans 8:28-30: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

2 Thessalonians 2:13: But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Timothy 1:9: Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…

John 6:37: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

John 6:44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Revelation 13:8: And all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

Romans 9:16: So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Matthew 22:14: For many are called, but few are chosen.

Mark 13:20: And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

1 Peter 1:2:According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Romans 8:29-30: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 9:11: Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls…

Titus 1:1: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,

Ephesians 1:11: In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…

Romans 8:33: Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Romans 8:29: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Mark 13:27: And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Luke 10:22: All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

1 Peter 1:20: He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you…

John 17:9: I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

1 Timothy 5:21: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

Revelation 3:20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Ephesians 2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…

2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people who are called by my name 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.

2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 1:10: Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Colossians 3:12: Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…

Ephesians 1:5: He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 9:1-33: I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. …

1 Thessalonians 1:4: For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you…

John 6:39: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

Luke 18:7: And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

1 Timothy 2:1-2: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Revelation 1:1-20: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood …

Romans 11:2: God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

John 17:6: I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Isaiah 42:1: Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

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

Romans 8:30: And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

John 6:65: And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.

Ephesians 2:1-3: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

1 Peter 2:8: And “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Amos 3:2: You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Isaiah 45:4: For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.

Romans 9:11-13: Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

1 John 2:2: He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Acts 9:15: But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Revelation 17:14: They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.

Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Matthew 24:31: And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Revelation 17:8: The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

2 Timothy 2:10: Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

1 Timothy 2:4: Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Romans 11:5: So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

Proverbs 21:1: The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

1 Peter 2:6: For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

Romans 9:15: For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

John 17:2: Since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

John 12:32: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Luke 6:13: And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…

Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

1 Peter 5:13: She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.

Revelation 5:9: And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation…

Ephesians 1:3-14: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, …

2 John 1:1-13: The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another…

1 Timothy 4:10: For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Romans 11:5-7: So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened…

Galatians 1:15: But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace…

Romans 9:13: As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Psalm 22:28: For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

Romans 9:22: What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction…

John 3:16-17:  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1 Peter 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

Romans 11:1-36: I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace…

John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 10:15: Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Romans 10:1-21: Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them…

Matthew 22:21: They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Revelation 1:1: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John…

1 Timothy 2:1-4: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Romans 10:14-17: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 5:18-19: Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

1 Peter 2:13-17: Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Romans 9:18: So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

Romans 9:17: For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Romans 8:7-8: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

2 Timothy 3:14-17: But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Romans 13:1-5: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

Acts 17:30: The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent…

Exodus 18:21-25: Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Ephesians 1:1-23: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…

Matthew 24:22: And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Romans 9:19-20: You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

For further reading: God predestines and calls sinners unto life in Christ.