Tag: new birth

Daily Devotions

Daily Devotions: November 3, 2014

randymcpheron

Today’s Bible reading is James chapter 1

(Read the entire New Testament in 2014 by reading only one chapter each day)

God is the Giver of every good gift, and He is the Giver of the greatest gift of all. Every good thing that has come into your life and mine came from God. Everything God gives is good, and every good gift is from Him. The good gifts of family, job, health, food, shelter, clothing, friends and on and on, it all came from God. He gave us His creation. He is the “Father of lights.” The only time this phrase is found in the Bible is James 1:17. God made the sun, moon, planets, and stars. God gave us everything we need in His creation. God is generous and good, and He likes to give. No one can out give God. He is the greatest Giver. God is also the Giver of the greatest gift of all. He gave the perfect gift! The perfect gift is the gift of Jesus Christ. We receive His greatest gift through a new birth experience. We must be spiritually born into the family of God. It is God’s will that we be saved. James 1:18 says, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” The word “begat” indicates a new birth. New birth is “of His will.” God took the initiative in our salvation. It isn’t by your will, or my will, but God’s will that we are saved. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received Him (Jesus) to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” God gave us His greatest gift Jesus, but we must receive that gift by placing our faith in Christ alone for salvation.

Prayer: If you don’t know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior but you’d like to receive His gift of forgiveness, pray these simple words from your heart to God… “Dear God, I know that I have sinned. I ask You to forgive me of all my sins. I believe Jesus died for me, and that He rose from the dead. I ask You to come into my heart and life and save me. I give my life to you. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Randy J. McPheron

Daily Devotions

Daily Devotions

randymcpheron

Today’s Bible reading is I Corinthians chapter 2

(Read the entire New Testament in 2014 by reading only one chapter each day)

“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Corinthians 2:14)
There are only two kinds of people in the world. First, there is the natural man. A natural man is a lost man. Natural refers to our fallen state, the state we were born in. We are sinners by birth and by choice. No one needs to teach us to sin, it comes naturally. Our sin separates us from God and leads to death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We cannot do anything on our own to understand spiritual things. We must be born again before we can develop a spiritual understanding. Spiritual refers to those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. We become spiritual through the new birth. A spiritually born person in Jesus Christ has spiritual discernment, and has been given the mind of Christ. Through Christ we can know God and have His understanding. We don’t have to live in spiritual darkness but we can enjoy the light of God’s wisdom and truth.

Prayer: “Dear Father, thank You for the privilege of knowing You through Your Son Jesus Christ. May we bear His image for Your glory, in Jesus name. Amen.”

Randy J. McPheron