The Resurrected Life, Ephesians 2:1, 4-5; The Missing Second Half of the Gospel

After I rescued Buddy from an abusive situation via a foster mom, he began a new life. Kisses and hugs replaced slaps and kicks; food preferences and treats replaced having his food yanked away for amusement.

Most Christians understand how to get saved—“by grace through faith”—but not what happened WHEN they got saved.

Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1, 4-5:

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),…”

Before a person gives their life to Christ and repents of their sin, they are spiritually dead. When a person becomes born again, God gives them spiritual life.

Jesus warned the religious leaders of His day that they knew the Scriptures, the Law of God, but were “unwilling to come to (Him) so that you may have life (John 5:40).”

The problem destroying the human race isn’t that we sin.

The problem is: We sin because we are sinners.

Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority to define right and wrong; they wanted to decide for themselves (Genesis 3:1-8). As a result, all their descendants—the entire human race—are born spiritually dead, running away from God.

Spiritually dead people sin and disobey God.

We are “dead in our trespasses and sins (vs 1),” till Jesus gives us spiritual life through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

When you’re unsaved, you are dead, “by nature children of wrath (vs 3).”

After you’re born again, you become a “new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)” with a new “heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)” that desires to obey God (Ezekiel 36:27) because the Holy Spirit lives in you (Ephesians 1:13).

You were once a slave to sin (John 8:34).

But are now a “slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18)”.

You were once dead in your sins, but…

Now you are alive in Christ Jesus, resurrected with Him into the “newness of life (Romans 6:4)”.

Live life, rejoicing in God’s kindness.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)”

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

As you read above, when you’re not born again, you’re spiritually dead. It doesn’t matter how many good deeds you’ve done in your lifetime, dead people cannot enter heaven.

People mock Christianity as narrow-minded because we claim there’s only one way to heaven, and that’s through Jesus Christ.

But we aren’t being mean. The truth is, only Jesus can give you spiritual life. Obeying laws, doing good, or chanting or meditation cannot give you life. You are “dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Please don’t be unwilling to come to Jesus for life. It’s a free gift. You can never be good enough to earn eternal life.

Jesus promised:

“How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (Luke 11:13)”

If you’re ready to ask God into your heart to give you new life in your inner being, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I’m sorry for my sin and ask You to forgive me and blot out all my sin. I believe that Jesus died for my sin on the cross and was resurrected bodily to give me new life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Thank you for giving me eternal life as a free gift. In the name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you are born again. Please start reading the Bible. Just as your body needs food daily to be healthy, so your soul needs daily soul food, God’s Word, the Bread of Life. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please join a Bible-believing church or Bible study. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these three ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). These aren’t the only godly ministries out there, but it’s easy to be misled till you understand the Bible better. These are my favorites and each has its own emphasis.

God bless. May Buddy and I see you in heaven one day.

Why Did Jesus Have To Die? Hebrews 9:22 (The First Half of the Gospel)

***

Buddy irritated with me.

Buddy is basically a good dog. And I tell him that he’s the cutest, best pal in the world; no, the universe.

Is it true that he is the bestest dog ever?

At times Buddy acts like a little monster or does foolish things. He snaps up dried toadstools when we’re taking a walkie so that his panicked human has to snatch it out of his mouth before he swallows it. He sometimes pees on the pad in front of the door, instead of telling me he has to go outside, when he’s angry at me. He even surprised me yesterday by sticking his nose into my pita sandwich to grab the meat wrapped inside (as if I starve him to death).

But to me, he’s the best dog in the universe because he’s my pal, part of my family.

I can overlook Buddy’s bad behavior out of my love for him, but the Lord cannot overlook our sin. The human race rebelled against His authority when Adam and Eve decided to choose for themselves what was right or wrong. Since then, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)”. God is loving, but He also loves justice and must punish sin.

God does not grade on a curve. Everyone sins, so everyone must be punished. “There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11).”

So that puts God into a bind, because He must punish sin yet loves us immensely. He wants sinful people to repent of their rebellion and enter into a love relationship with Him.

So God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth, God born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14), to live a perfect life as a man. Because Jesus never sinned, He never had to be punished for His own sin. As a result, He could die in the place of sinful people.

“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).”

Because an innocent God-man died for our sins, we don’t have to bear the punishment of eternal separation from a holy God. Only God is perfect, so only God Himself could live a perfect life. We can enter into a relationship with a holy God through faith in Christ’s death for our sins.

As the Apostle Paul explains in his letter, Colossians 1:19-20

“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Jesus) and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His Cross;”

Because Jesus shed His blood for our sins, “by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified…And their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:14, 17).”

Jesus’ last words before He died on the Cross were, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), because the punishment for our sins were paid for by His death.

Just like I overlook Buddy’s bad behavior because he is a part of my family, so God sees us as righteous and holy if we accept His invitation to join His family through faith in Jesus.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (John 1:12).”

God bless you as you celebrate God’s love for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

PS. The Bible teaches that there is one God in three Persons, which Christians call the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Nonbelievers may not know that the Trinity is actually described in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah 9:6 and is clearly present in the New Testament at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:16-17.

***

You might look around you and think, “I could never be as nice as that person.” Or, “I need to clean up my act to please God before He’ll accept me.” As stated above, God doesn’t grade on a curve. Even our best efforts to behave, He condemns as “filthy rags” because only He is perfect—and we never can be.

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (Isaiah 64:6).”

So don’t think God will reject you for not being “good enough”. No one is. He just wants you to be willing to come to Him for forgiveness of your sins. Then you’ll work together to clean up your act. He wants to help you do that by giving you the Holy Spirit to live within your heart (or spirit, I’ve heard it said different ways; it’s mysterious). It’s what “born again” means.

If you’re ready to change your life, please repeat the following prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that Jesus was born into the human race to die for my sins. I don’t understand much right now, but I ask Jesus to be my Lord God and Savior. Forgive my sins, because Jesus took them away at the Cross. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations you’re born again. Just as our bodies need daily nourishment, so your soul also needs soul food—the Word of God. The Bible is a supernatural book, so please read it daily and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand and you’ll learn about Jesus.

Also, please join a Bible-based church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these ministries: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be deceived by bad teaching till you know the Bible somewhat. These three ministries are unique in their approach and will give you a broad understanding of what the Bible teaches.

God bless you. May Buddy and I see you in heaven.

Unwilling To Seek Safety, Matthew 23:37

Buddy bolted last night. He slipped out the back door through my parent’s garage. When I tried to retrieve him and lead him back into the safety of their house, he darted off. I ran after him but was no match for this speedy fourteen-year-old. I cried out for Jesus to protect him, as Buddy was racing toward the main gate and the five lane major road. My dad picked me up in his SUV and we discovered him by the clubhouse, sniffing a bush.

I leapt out half a block away and my dad pulled alongside Buddy. Since Bud loves car rides, we were able to coax him into the car, while I kept an eye on the main gate behind us. Fortunately, it was nighttime so there was little traffic in the neighborhood as the elderly residents were ensconced in their homes, off the road.

The fact is: Buddy is car stupid. He was raised on a Silky farm as the owner’s pet, away from vehicle traffic. He doesn’t hesitate to dart in front of a moving vehicle. I’ve even seen squirrels look both ways before crossing the street when I lived in Washington State.

Buddy doesn’t even have the wisdom of a squirrel, when it comes to avoiding danger.

Most people are just like Buddy. Jesus bemoaned, as recorded in Matthew 23:37:

“How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.”

Jesus invites everyone into the safety of His loving arms, but most people are unwilling. They think it’s more fun to dart around in the spiritual darkness, experiencing the freedom to wander where they desire, but like Buddy, they don’t realize that they’re actually heading toward danger.

“The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy. I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”—Jesus, John 10:10

Jesus desires to rescue every person from the hazards of living in the kingdom of Satan, the thief who leads us into the path of destruction. Sure, running free from all restrictions can seem fun for a time. But keep darting around on the roads outside the safety of the House of God, and eventually you’ll meet that speeding car that’ll run you down and destroy or severely damage your life.

Buddy is now lying at my feet, safe within an air conditioned house and behind closed doors. As long as he remains under my watchful guard, he’ll stay safe.

Please stop running away from Jesus. Run toward His loving and protecting arms. Stop running in the other direction—into danger.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”—Jesus, Matthew 11:28

God bless you.

Love from Dawn and Buddy

***

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him.”—Jesus, Revelation 3:20

Though you are running in the opposite direction, Jesus is always waiting for you to stop and allow Him to gather you into His kingdom. It doesn’t matter how far you’ve rushed into the darkness of life or how long, He’s waiting for you to invite Him into your life to be your God and Savior.

You see, Jesus issues an invitation but doesn’t force you to honor Him as Lord. He desires you to freely choose a relationship with Him. And once the Holy Spirit enters your life, you’ll learn to love and obey Him. Like any relationship, you’ll learn to trust God as your loving Father the more time you spend with Him.

Are you ready to stop running in the rat race and allow Jesus to embrace you in His loving arms? If so, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m tired of living life on my own terms and running away from You. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins. I invite the Holy Spirit into my life. I give my life to You. Please reveal to me how much You love me. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations. You are born again. Please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, so does your soul. God speaks to your heart and mind through His Word. And during prayer. Please ask Him to guide your understanding as you read. I recommend starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these three ministries which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be deceived until you become familiar with what the Bible teaches.

God bless. May Buddy and I see you in heaven.

PS. I write “may” not “will” as only you and God know if you truly prayed for Jesus to be your Lord.

Overcoming Overwhelming Odds, 2 Chronicles 32:7-8

Buddy

Buddy likes to walk around our building every night before going to bed. I think he wants to be sure that his home territory is secure for the evening.

A few nights ago Buddy and I had walked about 25 yards behind the building when coyotes began howling from one end of the golf course which runs alongside our complex. Then several different voices started yipping. I feared they had seen the led light swinging from Buddy’s harness and were calling to one another to attack. I snatched Buddy up into my arms. Usually Buddy fusses when I don’t allow him to have his way on our nightly walk, but this time he permitted me to hold onto him tightly. I ran around the corner to the relative safety of the front and into the courtyard, my heart pounding in my chest.

Buddy was kept safe from danger by remaining in my arms and allowing me to protect him.

I love what my pastor, Jon Bjorgaard of Holy Cross Lutheran, says: “God keeps the devil on a leash, so stay out of his reach.”

However, there are baffling events in our lives; we try to obey the Lord, yet bad things still happen. It’s because all believers live in the territory of God’s enemy:

“The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”—Apostle John, 1 John 5:19

During the time of the kings who ruled over the ancient Jewish land of Judah, a godly king arose named Hezekiah, who destroyed the false idols and altars in the kingdom, consecrated the temple and priesthood, and restored the celebration of the Passover.

Yet, “After these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities…”—2 Chronicles 32:1

Hezekiah immediately took action to stop up all the springs to prevent the invading army from obtaining water, fortified the walls, built weapons, and appointed military leaders.

An earlier king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, also faced invasion from an army of a “great multitude (20:12).” On both occasions the nation was delivered from a mighty enemy because both kings relied upon this Biblical truth:

“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.”—Proverbs 21:31

“Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” He assembled the people to unite in public prayer and acknowledged that God was omnipotent, that the Jewish people were helpless to defeat the enemy in their own strength, that they didn’t know what to do but were depending upon the Lord to deliver them (2 Chronicles 20:3-12).

The leader of the Assyrian army mocked Jehovah God, declaring that no god could stand before their undefeated forces. That Jerusalem would also fall before them.

But Hezekiah had faith and encouraged his military leaders with these words:

“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because all of the horde that is with him; for the One with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”—2 Chronicles 32:7-8

King Jehoshaphat sent people to sing and praise God before the Jewish army as it marched to battle. In response God set the invading army, comprised of different nations, to slaughter one another. The Jewish people never had to fight; instead, they looted the camps of their dead enemies.

Hezekiah’s army, also, didn’t have to battle the Assyrian invaders. An angel of the Lord slew 185,000 enemy soldiers during the night. The humiliated king returned to Ninevah and was murdered by his two sons “while worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god (2 Kings 19:37)”.

In summary, how do we gain victory when facing overwhelming odds?

I believe this topic is timely as it seems as if the Western nations are being enveloped by an onslaught of evil. Ungodly people literally appear hellbent on destroying Western culture, democracy and freedom. It can feel so overwhelming at times that it can be tempting to just give up and hide, hoping that we won’t suffer too much when the invading hordes gain victory.

But these two godly, Jewish kings of ancient times gained victory over mighty enemies by doing the following:

1. Praying and seeking the Lord.

2. Acknowledging that the battle is the Lord’s (20:15), that He had the power to deliver and that victory would only be achieved through God’s intervention.

3. Godly people united together and were encouraged to trust in God alone.

4. Sang praises and worshipped the Lord, despite the overwhelming odds against them.

5. Did not take the enemy’s threats to defeat them to heart.

6. Acted. Had a plan.

7. Did what they could then relied upon God for victory (Proverbs 21:31).

These are two great, Biblical stories. I encourage you to read the entire texts of 2 Chronicles 20 and 32 for yourself. The above points are just a few lessons that these stories relate.

I heartily encourage you to imitate Buddy and these godly kings: Let Jesus carry you to safety, and victory over, evil. Don’t get discouraged and lose heart. “For the one Who is with us is greater.”

Hope this encouraged you.

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

The truth is: No one is good enough to please God. There’s just too big a gap between our best efforts and His holiness. That’s why Jesus had to die for our sins to make us right with God. Only a perfect man—Jesus, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23)—could die to satisfy the punishment for sin. Only a sinless man could die for someone else, because He didn’t have any sin of His own to atone for.

God is a loving and giving Lord. He showers blessings even on those who despise Him: talent, wealth, food, clothing, power, homes, etc. But if you are a child of His, He promises to be with you in every circumstance of life, to give victory or strength to endure.

If you’d like to know that God Almighty is on your team, then join HIS team. If you’re ready, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to join Your family. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and my Savior. Please forgive my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. I don’t understand much now, but I invite the Lamb of God to be my Great Shepherd and lead me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you’re a child of God. Please start reading the Bible daily, as it is your soul food. Just like your body needs daily nourishment, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible Study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these three ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but until you know the Bible fairly well, it’s easy to be misled.

God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven.