Tag: saved

Daily Devotions

Daily Devotions: November 24

randymcpheron

Today’s Bible reading is 1 John chapter 3

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

What a great privilege it is to belong to God! We who have been saved are sons and daughters of God. It does not yet appear what we shall be. But God has given us the hope that when Jesus appears we shall be like Him. Since we have this hope, and since Jesus is holy, we must strive for holy living. An unholy life reflects that we do not belong to God. John stated, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil…” 1 John 3:8 ESV) The evidence that we are saved is that we practice righteousness, and that we possess a love for other believers. Anyone who does not love the fellowship does not know God. Jesus taught us how to love. Jesus laid down His life for us and He is our example. We must be willing to lay down our lives for the brothers. What are you willing to sacrifice, what are you willing to endure for the sake of your church family?

Prayer: “Lord, let us experience a confident hope, and may we demonstrate our relationship to You by the way we live and by the way we love. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Randy J. McPheron

Daily Devotions

Daily Devotions: October 22, 2014

randymcpheron

Today’s Bible reading is Hebrews chapter 6

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

True believers can never lose their salvation. Jesus Christ is our hope and the anchor of our soul (verse 19). When we are anchored in Christ our salvation is steadfast and sure. Those who profess Jesus but do not bear fruit are not true believers (verse 8). We will recognize true followers of Christ by their fruit. Where there is no fruit there is no salvation. Genuinely born-again believers may sometimes stumble, but they will not fall away and remain in that condition. If they have been saved they will return to the Lord. When a believer sins they feel convicted and corrected by the Lord. If you can sin with little or no regret then you have never been saved. One of the indications that you have been saved is that when you sin you are chastened by the Lord. Whom the Lord loves He chastens. God wants us to grow so that we can give evidence of our salvation, and bear fruit for His glory. However, we must put forth an effort. Spiritual growth and progress in the Christian life demands that we be diligent. Let’s move on to maturity!

Prayer: “Lord, help us to move from the milk to the meat of the Word. Thank You that we are anchored in Christ. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Randy J. McPheron

Daily Devotions

Daily Devotions: October 13, 2014

randymcpheron

Today’s Bible reading is Titus chapter 3

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

The Gospel changes lives. When God saves, it is not because of any good that we have done, but it’s because of the goodness and mercy of God. When God saves, He forgives our sins and they are washed away. We are given a new birth. Why do we need a second birth? Because our first birth messed us up. The new birth is a spiritual birth. It is a work of God’s grace and a work of God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the evidence of our salvation. The fact that the Holy Spirit lives in us is an affirmation that we belong to God. Through the Spirit we become new creatures in Christ Jesus. The Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God. He gives us assurance of our inheritance, and He transforms our lives. Because of the Spirit’s Presence in our lives, we will never be the same again.

Prayer: “Dear God, thank You for Your great kindness and love in providing forgiveness of our sins, thank You for generously pouring out Your Spirit in our lives. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Randy J. McPheron

Daily Devotions

Daily Devotions

randymcpheron

Today’s Bible reading is John chapter 3

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

There are sixty-nine books in the Bible. The Bible has one thousand, one hundred and eighty- nine chapters. There are thirty one thousand, one hundred and two verses in the Bible, but none sweeter than John 3:16! There are some numbers that remind me of certain things and that are special. When I see the numbers 1126 I immediately think of my wife because we were married on November 26. No matter if it is a clock or a calendar or wherever it is some numbers just stand out. When I see the number 828 I always think of Romans 8:28 “all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.” There are not many numbers that quite stand out like 3:16. This one verse really sums up the entire Bible in a single sentence. It is the Gospel in a verse. The Gospel declares God’s love for people. Someone taught me to read John 3:16 by placing my name in it. I encourage you to try it. God loves you and His purpose for your life is that you be saved. John 3:16 shows us how to be saved. It shows us that we are perishing because of our sin, and that the only remedy was for God to give His Son. Jesus paid the full penalty for your sin and if you will place your faith in Him you will live. That is why John 3:16 is the sweetest verse in all the Bible.

“Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.”

Randy J. McPheron