…[Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
—Romans 4:24
One of the first revelations God gave me in the Word was on righteousness. By “revelation,” I mean something you understand to the point that it becomes part of you. The knowledge isn’t only in your mind, but it is in your heart. You are assured of a truth.
Righteousness is God’s gift to us. It is “granted and credited” to us by virtue of our believing in what God did for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, Who knew no sin, became sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Above all else, the devil does not want us to walk in the reality that we are in right standing with God. He wants us to feel insecure, ashamed, guilty, and condemned so that we shrink from God instead of enjoying closeness with Him.
Jesus wants us to know that we are right with God because of what He has done for us. He wants us to enjoy Him and enjoy living in relationship with Him. Receive the gift of God’s forgiveness, mercy, and right standing today and embark on a journey of freedom and joy.
You can have a revelation of the gift of righteousness by meditating on God’s Word and believing what it says about who you are in Christ.
Sleeping Christians
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”
Luke 22:45–46
Church services in colonial America tended to be several hours long. Many churches had ushers who were equipped with long sticks that they could use to rouse sleepers during the sermons. A Puritan named Obadiah Turner recorded the story in his journal of one of these men named Allen Bridges who had placed a fox tail and a thorn on his stick. “On the last Lord’s day, as he strutted about the meetinghouse, he did spy Mr. Tomlins sleeping with much comfort, his head kept steady by being in the corner, and his hand grasping the rail. And so spying, Allen did quickly thrust his staff behind Dame Ballard and give him a grievous prick upon the hand.
“Whereupon Mr. Tomlins did spring up much above the floor and with terrible force strike his hand against the wall; and also to the great wonder of all, profanely exclaim in a loud voice, ‘Curse ye, woodchuck!’ He was dreaming so it seemed that a woodchuck had seized and bit his hand. But on coming to know where he was, and the great scandal he had committed, he seemed much abashed, but did not speak. And I think he will not soon again go to sleep in worship.”
We may laugh about people who fall asleep in church, especially if they wake up in such an amusing fashion. But there is nothing funny about Christians who are not alert to the threat of temptation and the needs of others. Too often we simply do not realize the nature and seriousness of the threats we are facing in spiritual warfare. Like the disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, we are oblivious to the approaching enemy. It is time to wake up.
Luke 22:45–46
Church services in colonial America tended to be several hours long. Many churches had ushers who were equipped with long sticks that they could use to rouse sleepers during the sermons. A Puritan named Obadiah Turner recorded the story in his journal of one of these men named Allen Bridges who had placed a fox tail and a thorn on his stick. “On the last Lord’s day, as he strutted about the meetinghouse, he did spy Mr. Tomlins sleeping with much comfort, his head kept steady by being in the corner, and his hand grasping the rail. And so spying, Allen did quickly thrust his staff behind Dame Ballard and give him a grievous prick upon the hand.
“Whereupon Mr. Tomlins did spring up much above the floor and with terrible force strike his hand against the wall; and also to the great wonder of all, profanely exclaim in a loud voice, ‘Curse ye, woodchuck!’ He was dreaming so it seemed that a woodchuck had seized and bit his hand. But on coming to know where he was, and the great scandal he had committed, he seemed much abashed, but did not speak. And I think he will not soon again go to sleep in worship.”
We may laugh about people who fall asleep in church, especially if they wake up in such an amusing fashion. But there is nothing funny about Christians who are not alert to the threat of temptation and the needs of others. Too often we simply do not realize the nature and seriousness of the threats we are facing in spiritual warfare. Like the disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, we are oblivious to the approaching enemy. It is time to wake up.
Today’s Growth Principle:
God’s people need to be awake and alert—not just in church, but in every part of life.
The Gift of Righteousness
by Joyce Meyer - posted October 16, 2016…[Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
—Romans 4:24
One of the first revelations God gave me in the Word was on righteousness. By “revelation,” I mean something you understand to the point that it becomes part of you. The knowledge isn’t only in your mind, but it is in your heart. You are assured of a truth.
Righteousness is God’s gift to us. It is “granted and credited” to us by virtue of our believing in what God did for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, Who knew no sin, became sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Above all else, the devil does not want us to walk in the reality that we are in right standing with God. He wants us to feel insecure, ashamed, guilty, and condemned so that we shrink from God instead of enjoying closeness with Him.
Jesus wants us to know that we are right with God because of what He has done for us. He wants us to enjoy Him and enjoy living in relationship with Him. Receive the gift of God’s forgiveness, mercy, and right standing today and embark on a journey of freedom and joy.
You can have a revelation of the gift of righteousness by meditating on God’s Word and believing what it says about who you are in Christ.
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