Wrongly Believing in the Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most significant event in human history. You might think that His birth was the most important thing to have ever happened, or maybe it was His death. But if Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead, it would have cancelled out His birth and His crucifixion. The apostle Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15:17). Paul had seen Jesus in His resurrected body, and was pointing out the importance of believing that He arose (1 Cor. 15:8).

What do you really believe about the resurrection of Jesus? The Scriptures make it clear that you must “believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead” for you to be saved (Romans 10:9). However, there are two ways to wrongly believe in the resurrection.

1. Wrongly believing Jesus was raised spiritually, but not physically.  This belief actually denies the resurrection. The Jehovah’s Witnesses wrongly believe Jesus became a spirit and not in a physical body. However, Jesus confirmed that it was His physical body, “See My hands and My feet…for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). He had His same body, but it had undergone a miraculous change.

2. Wrongly believing in His resurrection with your head, but not your heart. Roman 10:9 says you must “believe in your heart.” Some people will mentally acknowledge the fact of His resurrection, but this isn’t real faith. When you truly believe in your heart, it will radically change your life. You realize that His resurrection validates everything that Jesus taught about Himself, the afterlife, and the importance of following Him as your Lord.

So then, do you believe in your heart that Jesus was raised in His body? If so, it’s extremely important for you to tell others about the most important event in history. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Would you like to receive these devotionals 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 Does Jesus' Blood Cleanse Us?

The Bible tells us that only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from sin, but how does this happen? Two realms exist—the natural (physical) realm and the spiritual realm. Jesus shed His blood on the cross in the natural realm, but His blood also has a tangible element in the spiritual realm that exists for all eternity.

JESUS TOOK HIS BLOOD INTO HEAVEN AFTER HE DIED. In the Old Testament, the high priest sprinkled the blood of a goat on the mercy seat in the temple to cover for the sins of Israel for one year. They followed this ritual for centuries, which taught the people what Jesus would do with His blood after He died.

On the cross, “Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit, and behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom (Matt. 27:50-51). Hebrews 9:11-12 tells us Jesus entered into heaven with His own blood to obtain eternal redemption. I believe that in His Spirit Jesus took His blood to heaven and sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat in Holy Place in heaven.

This explains why the veil in the earthly temple was torn in two from top to bottom (heaven to earth). At the moment Jesus made atonement in heaven, God split the veil apart to show that He had opened the way to heaven for us. This happened immediately after He died, not when He later ascended into heaven in His resurrected body.

HOW HIS BLOOD CLEANSES US. Although Jesus made it possible for all to be saved, it is up to each person to receive salvation. Jesus came to “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). A sin is any unholy thought, word or deed. No one has ever seen a sin because it exists in the spiritual realm. In the natural realm, we understand sins only as actions, but apparently each sin also has a tangible element in the spiritual realm. You must be cleansed from all sins on your soul before you can enter into heaven after you die.

When you call out to Jesus to be saved, His blood is applied to your sins (even the worst sin imaginable), which completely cleanses your soul. Just as soap is more powerful than dirt, His blood is more powerful than your sins. He has “released us from our sins by His blood” (Rev. 1:5). 1 John 1:7 says that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Therefore, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (Acts 10:15). And this is why Jesus came to earth—so you can spend eternity with Him in heaven. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Would you like to receive these devotionals 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

Asking God for a Sign

Have you ever asked for “a sign” from God? A sign means to ask the Lord to do something in an unusual way to confirm His will. Moses, Hezekiah, Gideon, and others received miraculous signs from God. A sign can be as simple as a door of opportunity opening or closing, or as complex as a set of circumstances miraculously coming together. No sign by itself should be taken as proof of His confirmation, but should always be affirmed through God’s Word.

In Judges 6, an angel told Gideon that the Lord had chosen him to lead Israel to defeat the Midianites. Gideon asked for a sign to prove he would be victorious. He placed a fleece of wool on the ground and asked the Lord to send dew on the fleece, but let the ground around it remain dry. The next morning, the fleece was wet and the ground dry. Then Gideon asked for another sign—to make the fleece dry and the ground wet. The Lord fulfilled both signs.

Although it's reassuring to have confirmations, signs are often followed by a severe testing of faith. Gideon had to fight the Midianites with his army reduced to 300 men. If you ask God for a sign, be prepared to have your faith tested. Beware of 3 dangers.   

1. The danger of becoming sign-dependent. Some people think they should ask God for a sign about every decision they need to make. This is dangerous because they’ll always need to see proof before they will trust God. Some religious leaders told Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You” (Matt. 12:38-39). He had already performed miracles before their own eyes, which they had refused to believe. If they wouldn’t repent after seeing indisputable proof that He was the Messiah, why should Jesus give them another sign?

2. The danger of seeing a sign that is not a sign. Some people interpret everything as a sign from God. While watching a movie, they will hear an actor quote a line and believe that it is a message to them from the Lord. Although God can speak to you in any way He desires, don’t assume that everything you see or hear is a sign.

3. The danger of misinterpreting a sign. A farmer saw “G P” written in the clouds, which he interpreted to leave the farm and “Go preach.” After he preached his first sermon, the congregation told him the sign was actually telling him to “Go plow.” When God gives a sign, the message will be clear.  ...to read more click “Asking God for a Sign”

Would you like to receive these devotionals 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

Human Guinea Pigs

Scientists conduct experiments on guinea pigs to find out if a certain treatment works and if it will have any adverse side effects. Some guinea pigs grow tumors, get sick, or even die from the experiment. If the test harms the guinea pigs, it will probably harm humans in a similar way.

The world is filled with human guinea pigs. We can avoid a lot of heartache by learning from others’ mistakes. Humans have experimented with risky behaviors thousands of times, so there’s no need for you to experiment with them too. Don’t say, “It happened to them, but it won’t happen to me.” Just open your eyes and carefully observe everything that happened to them. The side effects won’t be obvious at first, but given time the results are guaranteed to show up.

Human guinea pigs have experimented with drugs and alcohol to get a brief thrill, but the side effects will show up later—addictions, ruined families, poverty, and sometimes death. Humans have caught incurable diseases by experimenting with immoral lifestyles. You don’t need to perform the experiment yourself because the consequences will happen to you too. Don’t kid yourself into thinking you’re the lone exception in the entire world.

King Solomon, who was the wisest man on earth, learned lessons from human guinea pigs. He observed a naïve young man who visited a harlot, which ended in a tragic result (Prov. 7:6-27). He observed a lazy man who didn’t take care of his property, which led to financial ruin (Prov. 24:30-34). He also observed how wise people lived, which resulted in a life of peace and happiness (Prov. 3:13-18).

Everyone gets to choose how they will spend their life on earth. In making your decision, you would be wise to closely examine the human guinea pigs. They will show you exactly what will happen to you if you choose to follow their path. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com 

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net Twitter:  @Kent Crockett

Life is a Jigsaw Puzzle

If you are going to be a God-follower, you must learn to see the big picture of what He wants to accomplish in your life and not get upset by what you’re going through right now. Life can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle. 

The puzzle has a picture on the box of what it will look like after all the pieces are in place. But when you open the box, all you can see is a bunch of funny-shaped pieces that seem impossible to connect. As you get started, some pieces will make you puzzled. They look unnecessary, but they are all essential to form the final picture. It takes patience to trust God to make the pieces fit correctly, but once they are all in place, you will understand why they were necessary. It’s not obvious when you’re going through difficult situations, but later you’ll see how God used them as a part of His plan. 

God gave Joseph in the Old Testament a couple of dreams of the future to show him what the final jigsaw picture would look like (Gen. 37:5-11). He would one day be a world ruler and save Israel during a severe famine. Joseph had to keep the completed picture in mind as he experienced some terrible trials. One piece of the puzzle was being thrown into a pit in the wilderness. Another piece was being sold into slavery. Another piece was being falsely accused and thrown into prison. But if you left out any of those pieces of the puzzle, the final good outcome would not have occurred.

When someone throws you in a pit, sells you into slavery, or falsely accuses you, remember that God didn’t cause those things, but He will overrule them and use them for His purposes (read about the Chess Game in my February 1 Devotional). This is why you must not become bitter at the people who mistreat you, but by faith keep a good attitude, knowing that God has the final say on everything. He will make the final picture of your life look amazing, just like He did with Joseph. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com 

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE? READ 71 Answers to Bible Questions

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter:  @Kent Crockett

Satan Can Plant and Remove Seeds

Jesus told a parable, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. . . The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’” (Matthew 13:24-28)

In this parable, the enemy came at night and sowed weeds in their field while the slaves were sleeping. They didn’t realize what the enemy had done because it wasn’t obvious at first. But after the wheat and tares sprang up together, the slaves couldn’t understand how tares got in the field when the landowner had only sown good seed. The landowner explained to the slaves that his enemy had done it. Even though he hadn’t seen the enemy do it, he figured out the tares came from bad seed that was sown by someone who hated him. Here are 2 tactics that Satan uses:

1. Satan can remove good seed planted in people’s hearts. In the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23), Jesus said the evil one has the ability to snatch away good seed sown in a person’s heart (v.19). The good seed is God’s Word (Mark 4:14) which will produce good fruit (13:8), so the devil’s first tactic is to attack the Bible. When someone hears God’s Word, he or she must decide to receive and act upon it. If someone doesn’t do this, the evil one can actually take it away, presumably through making the person forget about it before it can take root.

2. Satan can plant immoral seeds in people’s hearts. His second tactic is to plant immoral seeds in people’s hearts while they are “sleeping.” This means they aren’t aware of what’s happening to them in the spiritual realm. The enemy isn’t noticeable when he tempts people. He plants his tares in people’s hearts and it is not until later that the harmful consequences become obvious.

He’s busy sowing seeds of hate and discord, seeds of unfaithfulness in marriages, and discontentment in people’s hearts. The world is in such a mess today because the immoral seeds sown by the devil have taken over the field. Yet some people have never figured out their troubles began as tiny seeds sown by a spiritual enemy while they were sleeping.

How can you prevent tares from being sown in your heart? By staying spiritually aware and refusing to let him trespass on your property. “Let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober” (1 Thess. 5:6). Let the good seed produce its good fruit, and keep the corrupt seed from entering your heart. If it’s already in there, you can pull the weeds out (repentance) and let the Holy Spirit germinate God’s Word in your heart. It will change your life. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net Twitter:  @Kent Crockett

NEW BIBLE STUDY: "What was Urim and Thummin?" 

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net

Reaping What We Sow

Reader's Digest told a story about a company that glued a tiny seed to a brochure that was advertising their product. The brochure said, "If you have the faith as a mustard seed in our product, it will produce profound results for you." Several months later, a customer wrote back saying, "You will be very interested to know that I planted your mustard seed and now I have a beautiful plant covered with tomatoes!"  It was a tomato seed, not a mustard seed. Keep two principles in mind:

1. We reap what we sow.  Galatians 6:7 says, "Don't be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." If a farmer plants corn, he’s not going to reap okra. If you plant watermelon seeds, you will reap watermelons, not asparagus. I can look at a field of wheat and tell you exactly what kind of seed was sown, even though I wasn't there to watch the farmer plant it. We always reap the kind of seed we plant.

The Scripture warns, "Don't be deceived" because many people think they can sow evil seeds and not suffer any harmful consequences. But they will. On the other hand, wise people sow good seeds because they want to reap a good harvest.  And they will.

2. We reap later than we sow.  What we are planting doesn’t become obvious until much later. The consequences, whether positive or negative, will be delayed—sometimes for years. People who do evil will not get away with it. And people who do good will be thrilled when the harvest comes. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary." 

So keep planting good seeds. And don’t lose heart if nothing seems to be happening. The harvest is coming! www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net  @Kent Crockett

NEW BIBLE STUDY: Boiling a young goat in its mother's milk?

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net