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We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. --Romans 6:4 There are many ways that you and I can express our faith. But one of the most significant ways is through baptism. Interestingly, the word baptism in the New Testament wasn’t a religious word originally. It was used to describe the act of immersing or submerging something in water, like when someone submerged clothing in water while washing them. So when we think of baptism today, this is just how we should think. When Jesus was baptized, he was submerged and then brought back up out of the water. And throughout the New Testament, when a person became identified with Christ, there were baptized. They didn’t raise a hand or join a church. So let me ask you today, have you been baptized and publicly identified with the Lord Jesus Christ? Embrace what Jesus has done for you and follow him in the symbolic act of baptism, letting others know that your past has been buried and you’ve been raised to walk in newness of life!   HAVE YOU BEEN BAPTIZED AND PUBLICLY IDENTIFIED WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST?

Why the Law Lacks Power

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Romans 8:2–4

So many people all around the world think that if they can do enough good things or follow the moral law laid out in the Bible or other religious teachings that will make them acceptable in God’s sight. The reality, however, is that no amount of doing good or following laws, no matter how sincere or diligent can remove the stain of sin that each of us carry from the moment of our birth.
Charles Spurgeon highlighted the reason for the law’s inability when he said, “The law, as originally given to Adam, a perfect man, had he carried it out, would have glorified God, and would have produced in him a perfect life. But we are not in the same position towards God as Adam was, and we are not free from the taint of evil as he was. We have fallen.”
The same principle that applies to our salvation applies to our Christian life as well. There is no way that we can walk in the Christian life as God commands in our own strength. Even after salvation and the new nature, we lack the ability to overcome sin. It is only as we walk in the Spirit, obeying the Word and receiving His power that we can live in victory. This is not an option—it is a requirement. But if we work to obey God by following the law in our strength we are doomed to failure.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Rather than seeking to overcome sin in our strength, we must rely on God’s Spirit for victory.

Day 18 - Oceans will part

Is the Bible corrupted?

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“… Everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” --Luke 12:8-9 When you and I look at the New Testament, we see that every person who came to Christ came openly and publicly. There were no secret disciples – each person who followed Christ took up his or her cross and followed Jesus openly. In fact, public confession of the Lord Jesus is one of those “things that belong to salvation,” (Hebrews 6:9). Confessing Christ simply goes hand in hand with salvation. Now, in Jesus’ time, when you saw a man carrying a cross, you could be quite certain he was on his way to a public execution. In this same sense, when Jesus calls us to pick up our cross and follow, he’s not only bidding us to die to ourselves, but also to live openly for him! So while salvation is intensely personal, it’s never private; it’s always public! Have you made a public confession of your faith in Christ Jesus? In black and white, today’s verse says that if we want Jesus to acknowledge us before God, we must acknowledge him before men. This is more than walking down a church aisle and shaking hands with a pastor. If Jesus lives within you, use your God-given breath to tell your world about him!   WHILE SALVATION IS INTENSELY PERSONAL, IT’S NEVER PRIVATE; IT’S ALWAYS PUBLIC

Rest in the Yoke

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

In Bible times, the fields were often worked and loads carried by oxen. To distribute the weight of the farm equipment or wagons, wooden yokes were made to fit over the shoulders of a team of two oxen. If you ever see an old wooden yoke you will find it quite large. And if you try to pick one up, you will find that it is very heavy. And if a yoke were not made properly, it would greatly irritate the animal wearing it so that they would find it nearly impossible to work.
Jesus did not promise His followers that they would be freed from wearing a yoke. God has service for Him that each of us is to carry out—if not there would be no reason not to take us to Heaven immediately upon our salvation. Rather Jesus promised that when we came to Him we would find that His yoke rests easy upon us, and we will not be burdened by His service.
Many people “burn out” after they have served God for a period of time. Where once they were faithful to do His work, now they find it burdensome and have laid it aside. What is the problem? Though there are many reasons, one of biggest is that too many Christians try to work for God in their own strength. Jesus said that we are to learn of Him, which speaks to a growing and deepening relationship. When we work in His strength, we will not find the burdens more than we can bear. Instead we will find rest, even while we labor and wear the yoke.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Rather than complaining about what our service for God requires, we should rejoice in the privilege.

Day 17 - The best is yet to come

Jews Beliefs

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… Yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. --Hebrews 6:9 Do you realize that there are things that come with salvation? That’s exactly what today’s verse says. There are things that “belong to” or accompany our salvation, things that help you and me grow into maturity. And these are things are worth acknowledging with praise and gratitude to God. In fact, it would take eternity for us to express all that Christ has given us in salvation, but let’s take a moment to think about a few of these things. For instance, with our salvation comes new life… a newfound significance. God has given each of us a meaningful purpose and extraordinary plan for our lives. Also, with our salvation comes his unconditional love and forgiveness through the grace of our Heavenly Father. And through our salvation in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit who provides for every aspect of our lives. It is the Spirit who strengthens and enables us to overcome destructive habits, who comforts us in our hurts, and who empowers us to witness to others about Jesus! Can you see the things that have accompanied your salvation? You have been given so much, it’s immeasurable. And still, the best is yet to come. With your salvation, comes everlasting life… eternity with your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Never doubt his great love for you… he has revealed it in the “things that belong to salvation!”   YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN SO MUCH, IT’S IMMEASURABLE! AND EVEN SO, THE BEST IS YET TO COME! Angels by Jack Graham Walk through Scripture,  to reveal the truth about angels and what they offer us. Focusing on practical application, Dr. Graham separates fact from fiction and demonstrates that the main role of angels isn't to draw attention to themselves, but to point us toward Christ.

The Value of Dependability

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”
Genesis 18:17–19

I read about a man who was preparing to leave for an important business trip when he realized that one of his suits was badly in need of cleaning. Remembering that there was a cleaners with a huge “One Hour Dry Cleaning” sign, he drove across town to drop off his suit. As he filled out his ticket, he told the clerk, “I’ll come back in an hour on my way to the airport to pick this up.” “Oh no,” she said, “It won’t be ready until next Thursday.” Somewhat taken back he pointed out the sign hanging over the door. “That’s just the name of the business,” she responded. “We don’t do dry cleaning in an hour!”
Though it is true that our character is even more important than our reputation, it is still important that we maintain our testimony. It should never be truly said of a child of God that he or she cannot be counted on to do what is right. Others should learn from their interactions with us that we live up to our “advertising” in terms of our lives matching what we say we believe.
The best way to develop a reputation for dependability is to simply do what we say we will do—over and over and over again. Each of us should desire to have the reputation of Abraham, as God described him as a person who could be trusted to do what was right.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Each day you either enhance or detract from your reputation as someone who can be relied on.