Shake It Off!

“Shake it off” means don’t let certain nagging thoughts bother you. For example, you’re bothered because you can’t please people who will never like you. If you follow Jesus, the Lord wants to guard your heart and mind with His peace (Phil. 4:6-7).

Jesus told His disciples, “And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet” (Matt. 10:14). He told them not to let rejection bother them, but to shake it off and move on. If we let rejection stick to us, we’ll carry it with us wherever we go. That’s why we must shake it off.

The apostle Paul was on a ship that struck a reef. The passengers were stranded on the island Malta, and the natives built a fire to keep them warm. As Paul placed a stick on the fire, a viper came out the woodpile and fastened itself to his hand. He shook it off into the fire and suffered no harm (Acts 28:5).

Satan is a snake (Rev. 12:9) and wants to attach himself to your spirit so he can inject his venom. When the snake bites, you can either let it hang on—or you can shake it off. People who are bitter are full of venom because they didn’t shake it off when it first bit. When Paul shook off the snake, he suffered no harm. And if you’ll shake it off, you won’t either.

When people hate and reject you, shake it off. Don’t let condemning thoughts that aren’t from God to bother you. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace because it trusts in You.”  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

*****************************************************************************************

Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

IF Jesus Rose From the Dead, THEN. . .

So what difference does Jesus’ resurrection make? If He rose from the dead, then…

1. It verifies that everything Jesus taught is true. Heaven is real, Hell is real, Angels are real, Satan and demons are real, etc.

2. It proves that Jesus is the correct spiritual leader to follow. Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6)—not Mohammed, Buddha, or anyone else. “There is salvation in no one else; there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

3. It establishes the fact that Jesus is more powerful than death. “But now Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Cor. 15:20).

4. It means He’s still alive today in heaven. He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). He lives in an eternal kingdom beyond this world (John 18:36).

5. It means everyone will stand before Him to be judged. “For we must all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10)

6. It gives assurance to all His followers there’s no need to fear death. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25)

7. It means everyone who believes in His resurrection will be saved. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

Out of all the events that have occurred in the history of the world, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important. And that means those who trust in Him have a reason for living.

If you aren’t sure that Jesus rose from the dead, I encourage you to watch the movie Case for Christ (NOW IN THEATRES). Click to WATCH MOVIE TRAILER. Based on a true story of an atheist investigative journalist, Lee Strobel, who set out to disprove Jesus’ resurrection.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

*****************************************************************************************

BIBLE STUDY: Did Jesus die on Friday or Wednesday?

Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett 

How Do We Know Jesus Rose from the Dead?

Is the resurrection of Jesus fact or fable? If it’s a fable, you can live any way that you would like. But if it’s a fact, it changes everything about our reason to live:

1. Old Testament prophets predicted the Messiah would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10, 30:3, Acts 2:27-31, 10:43, 13:33-35, Matt. 12:40). The prophecies were recorded hundreds of years beforehand.

2. Jesus predicted His own death and resurrection. (Matt.16:21, 17:9,23, 21:19, 26:32,56, John 2:19,21). Even the unbelieving Pharisees remembered His prophecies about rising from the dead (Matt. 27:62-64)

3. Jesus’ disciples, who fled when He was arrested, were so convinced He rose from the dead they were martyred for Him. They remembered Jesus had prophesied His own resurrection (John 2:22). Peter, who had previously denied Him three times, boldly preached He rose from the dead (Acts 2:24,32, 3:15, 4:2,10, 5:30, 10:40-41).

4. Pontius Pilate ordered Roman soldiers at the tomb to keep His body from being stolen. (Matt. 27:62-66). The Roman guards reported to the chief priests that He rose from the dead (Matt. 28:11-15).

5. After Jesus rose from the dead He appeared to over 500 people. (1 Cor. 15:4-8)  

6. Paul, who had murdered Christians, was changed after met the resurrected Jesus and preached for years about His resurrection. (Acts 9:1-6, 13:30,33-37, 1 Cor. 15:8)

If you aren’t sure that Jesus rose from the dead, I encourage you to watch the movie Case for Christ (NOW IN THEATRES). Click to WATCH MOVIE TRAILER. Based on a true story of an atheist investigative journalist who set out to disprove Jesus’ resurrection.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

*****************************************************************************************

Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

What REALLY Happened on the Cross

Two thousand years ago, people watched Jesus die on a cross. But what really happened on the cross couldn’t be seen by the people watching Him die because it occurred in the spiritual realm. What happened? Every sin that’s ever been committed from Adam and Eve until the end of the world was placed in His body--including every sin that you and I will ever commit. 

   Sins are bad thoughts, words and deeds that separate us from God. Dying for all sins is a hard concept to grasp, but Scripture reveals that it’s true:

***  “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24)

***  “(Jesus) offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” (Heb. 10:12)

***  “He Himself is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2)

***  “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18)

Even though Jesus paid for all sins for all time, it doesn’t mean everyone has been forgiven. He made forgiveness and salvation available to all. Since forgiveness is in Jesus, we must receive Him into our lives to receive forgiveness for all sins. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “He who has the Son (living inside you) has eternal life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). No matter what evil things you have done, God will cleanse you if you’ll receive Jesus Christ into your life.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

*****************************************************************************************

TESTIMONY: I received a message this week from a woman in South Africa. “I love The Sure Cure for Worry. It's helping me a lot. Now I know I can trust God alone and not use my own understanding. God is speaking to me through this book.”

Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett