Facebook Follower of Jesus?

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What good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you?  If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food,  you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help?   Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!  Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.” I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.”   You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.

James 2:14-19

I often hear someone say that "All you have to do to be saved is to believe in Jesus!" And there is a sense in which that is absolutely true, but what about the fact that Demons believe and shake with fear? Does their fear and trembling belief do them any good? Well obviously it does not. Demons and Satan himself know for certain that Jesus Christ exists and that God is the Father, but they refuse to obey Him!

So the difference in Demon faith and your faith must be the simple four letter word, OBEY! You can actually "believe" in Jesus but refuse to obey Him and you will be just like the demons.

For many people Jesus is like a "Facebook" friend. They know lots of stuff about Him, and they even believe that He exists, but He makes no difference in their daily lives. You may "keep up" with what is going on in the life of a friend through Facebook, but if you do not have a relationship beyond Facebook, then that person is not truly a friend! If your belief in Jesus is just knowing and believing what you read in the Bible, but He is not a part of your daily life and experience, then He will probably say to you, "Depart from Me I never knew you!"

Certainly, you could meet someone on Facebook and ultimately marry them, but there is no such thing as an "on line" marriage. An intimate relationship in marriage is essential if the human race is to continue. And an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is essential is you are to spend Eternity with Him!

"Lord Jesus, help me to know You better today and give me the desire to be obedient to Your every Word so that my belief in You will not be like the belief of Demons. May You be praised forever. Amen."

Blessing for Suffering!

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I saw thrones, and sitting on those thrones were the ones who had been given the right to judge. I also saw the souls of the people who had their heads cut off because they had told about Jesus and preached God's message. They were the same ones who had not worshiped the beast or the idol, and they had refused to let its mark be put on their foreheads or hands. They will come to life and rule with Christ for 1,000 years.  These people are the first to be raised to life, and they are especially blessed and holy. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests for God and Christ and will rule with them for 1,000 years. No other dead people were raised to life until 1,000 years later.

Revelation 20:4-6

It is just as the Bible predicted.  There are those who are having their heads cut off because they are followers of Jesus and refuse to deny Him! 

Someone told me of seeing a picture of a young women who was in a group of Christians who were about to be beheaded for following Jesus.  In the photograph the girl had a big smile on her face as she was apparently calling on the name of Jesus!  You see she must have known that the Bible has this special blessing promised for those who give up their lives for Jesus!

The great thing that Jesus did was to give up His life for you, and He promises to bless you specially if you do the same for Him!

Does that mean that you should seek to be martyred as a follower of Jesus?  Not at all.  You should seek to live every day for Him as long as He leaves you here on this earth.  But if that day ever comes that you must declare your faith in Jesus or lose your life, then at that moment you can know for certain that you will be blessed beyond anyone's imagination for remaining faithful.

"Lord Jesus, help me to know that if that day ever comes when I must lose my life for refusing to deny You, that I will be blessed!  But Lord, the greatest blessing of all is to know You and be filled with Your Spirit!  May You, Lord Jesus be praised forever.  Amen."

Pay Attention to the Message!

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Then I was told: These words are true and can be trusted. The Lord God controls the spirits of his prophets, and he is the one who sent his angel to show his servants what must happen very soon. Remember, I am coming soon! God will bless everyone who pays attention to the message of this book.

Revelation 22:6-7

Paying attention to the message of the Book of Revelation will bring a blessing from God. That is the promise of the Book of Revelation. Does that mean you will understand all the prophecies in Revelation? I believe it does not. But it does mean that you will be comforted as you see God moving in the world and know for certain that He is in control and will bring everything to the conclusion of His choosing!

I can assure you that there will not be a catastrophic END OF THE WORLD that is outside of God's purpose and plan for planet earth! Of course, such a thing may indeed happen, but it will be in perfect sync with God's will!

A well known leader in the world today said that the most important thing he could do is to "fight global warming!" Without question, he needs to be put on notice that the future is in the hands of God, not the will of a king!

Are things happening today that signal the soon coming of Jesus Christ. I believe that they most certainly are! The "birth pains" seem to be everywhere. But my response must not be panic and alarm. Instead, I must draw closer to and rest in the arms of Jesus Christ. That is the only place of peace and safety!

"Lord Jesus, I desire the blessing of paying attention to the message of the Book of Revelation. Whatever that blessing is, I also desire the peace and joy that comes from resting in You and Your love for me! May You be praised forever. Amen."

Do You Want to See Jesus?

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In a little while the people of this world won't be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you will live. Then you will know I am one with the Father. You will know you are one with me, and I am one with you.  If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like.

John 14:19-21

If I could only have walked with Jesus while He was on this earth and seen Him every day! If I could have been there when He healed the sick and taught the people as no man has ever taught before, then I know my life as a follower of Jesus would be so much better today.

Have you ever wondered why you cannot see Jesus in the world around you like many other Christians say they can? Are they just pretending that Jesus is really there or is there something that you need to do to see Him?

Jesus Himself said it, and it was very plain. "If you love Me, you will do what I have said, and My Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like."

If you want to see Jesus you must love Him and be obedient to His Word! You may be thinking "How can I just choose to love Jesus?" I could say that I love Him, but what about the reality of loving Him in my heart? How do I get that? The answer to that is really quite simple. Choose to love Him by choosing to obey His every Word! When you read the Word of God and decide that you are going to do what it says, your heart will change as you obey Him. Remember the old song that says: "Trust and Obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey!"

If you obey Jesus, you will come to love Him and you will see Him, because He will show Himself to you! Pick up the Bible and ask Jesus to show you what you can do today to be obedient to Him. Then when you see it, DO IT!

"Lord Jesus, I want to see You today. Speak Your Word to my heart and give me the courage to obey You no matter what I hear You say! And may You be praised forever. Amen."