1-Minute Daily Devotion

There ARE Treasures You Can Take With You to Heaven!

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal." - Matthew 6:19-20

God tells us (quite logically) that it is impossible to take our earthly things with us to heaven. Sometimes, I have to shake my head at some people who seem to think otherwise. However, because we CAN'T, God warns us not to emphasize the collection of material possessions while we walk the earth. They have no permanence - not during our brief stay on earth (where moths and rust will destroy them), nor in heaven, where they most certainly cannot be brought along. But, while God makes it clear that collecting things is futile, He does tell us that there are some treasures we can take with us to heaven and He urges us to begin building those ingredients right now!

Really? What treasures?

The most glorious treasures waiting for us in heaven are those relationships we have with people that we pointed to Christ here on earth, as well as those we had with fellow Christians. In fact, the only things you can take with you from this life into eternity are those relationships! God is clear. He wants us to choose relationships over material.

So, what choice have you made? Are you living for things? Are you living for power? Are you basing your decisions on what you want? Or are you putting God first and seeking to point others to Christ from your witness, service and gifts? This leads to the treasures you will experience in heaven. Investing in people for Christ has lasting returns.

What kind of treasure are you building in heaven?

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Are There Any Second Chances?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who were once disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water." - 1 Peter 3:18-20

This devotion can be a little hard to follow, so read it slowly and pay close attention.

I am often asked, do people get a second chance to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior after they die? My answer may surprise you at first. If they died before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the answer is "yes." What? A second chance? Now, pay attention here - it’s very clear from today’s scripture reference - 1 Peter 3:18-20 - that Christ went and preached to the captives of death. If you recite the Apostle’s Creed, you know it says that “Christ, dead and buried, descended into hell and rose again on the third day.” That’s very offensive to a lot of folks who aren’t used to reciting the Apostle’s Creed. But, it’s very Biblical in understanding what Christ did between the time of His death on the cross and His resurrection. Are you still with me?

So, for the people who died before Christ came, yes, they had a second chance. But, if they died after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and rejected Jesus Christ, there’s no Biblical indication of a second chance to receive salvation. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that, to face judgment.”

But, the Good News is that salvation and eternal life are available to all who come to Christ in repentant faith. 1 John 5:12 tells us, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” If you are not sure you have it, pray today - trust Christ alone for salvation and eternal life. If you have Christ in your heart, you have sureness of eternal life. But, don't wait, because now, there will be no second chances!

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Going From a Desire to Get to a Desire to Give

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." - Luke 19:10

During Jesus' ministry the crowds around Him were even greater than football fans around Peyton Manning...and that's a lot of people!

Jesus was coming to his town and there was a short man named Zaccheus who was determined to see Him; so he climbed a tree to get a better look. (Not every day does the richest and most despised man in town climb a tree to do anything, much less to see someone like Jesus!) Of course, Jesus saw him and knew he was searching - looking for meaning - something that money and power just can't bring. So, Jesus walked over to the tree, looked up and asked ole' Zach if He could come to his house for lunch. Can you imagine how surprised he was?

The crowds were appalled, because Zach was such a well-known and hated man. They considered him to be evil and rich from the money they worked hard to earn. Yet, Jesus had other plans and meeting Jesus changed Zach's life forever. He not only recognized that Jesus was the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, but he knew he needed to make restitution and paid back all those he had defrauded and even gave money to the poor. What a change! He went from a desire to get, to a desire to give.

Jesus told the crowd that He had come to seek and save those who were spiritually lost. Zaccheus was definitely spiritually lost. That's mighty good news for those of you who feel far from God, for whom money or power has left you feeling empty and alone. Jesus came for people like Zach. And He came for people like you and like me. Invite Him in and you, too, will discover the true meaning of life.

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Think You Got Away With It?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, [and] from a deceitful tongue.” - Psalm 120:2

Every time I tell this story, I get a variety of responses. But I think it's an excellent example of how lying will eventually catch up with you and backfire. Here goes:

An excited husband called to tell his wife he had been asked to accompany the boss on a fishing expedition to Canada. The husband had to leave that evening and asked his wife if she would mind packing a few things for him. He added, "Be sure to include my new silk pajamas."

She thought that sounded 'fishy', but said nothing. When the man returned from his trip, his wife asked how it went.

"Great," he said.

"Did you catch anything?" she asked.

"Yes, pike and walleye. What fun!" Then he asked, "But why didn't you pack my blue silk pajamas?"

"I did," she said, "They were in your tackle box."

Lying is, most of all, about stupidity. You will be found out. You may be getting away with it for now. But in the end, the truth comes out. It may not be until you die, but God has on file everything you've ever said. You'd be wise to seek His forgiveness and start telling the truth. Always! Otherwise, you'll eventually look like a stupid fool.

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The Bible Always Withstands Scientific Challenges

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." - John 1:1

Here is something I find interesting about the book of Isaiah. It was written 2700 years ago. Why is that so amazing? Because in 700 BC, the conventional wisdom was that the earth was flat. Not only did the common man think it was flat, but the intellectuals were also convinced of this. (The prevailing scientific theory was that the earth was supported on the back of a giant turtle. What the turtle was standing on has never been fully explored.)

Yet even though all mankind was convinced of the flatness of the earth, note this verse from Isaiah 40:22 "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth."

The word circle would have never been used if a mortal had written that book unassisted. But, God inspired the man that wrote it, ensuring that the Bible was correct in its terminology. The Bible will always withstand scientific challenges thrown at it. In fact, not only has science never proven any part of the Bible wrong, it actually continually proves it to be right.

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Don't Be A Fool!

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:6

I'm sure you'll find this hard to believe, but you make a fool of yourself when you argue with an ass! The Bible tells of a man named Balaam in Numbers 22. He was headed in the wrong direction. He wanted to please himself and was ignoring God, and so God spoke to him through his donkey. Balaam was furiously mad at the animal! He argued with it and almost beat it to death until he realized that God was seeking to speak to him, to help him get on the right path.

Sometimes, God will go to extraordinary means to get our attention when we are hell-bent in going our own self-destructive way. It could come through a financial jolt or through a rebellious child. When those times come, getting angry may be foolish, but taking time to listen may be the key to seeking God’s guidance about the right way to go.

Is God trying to get your attention to keep you from making a fool of yourself? Take time to listen and He'll change your course and get you where you need to go.

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Healthy Relationships

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. - Matthew 18:21-22

Having healthy relationships is central to being a part of the body of Christ. These are to be healthy, loving, and forgiving. And this is true not only within our immediate circle of fellow Christians, but also with our neighbors, business acquaintances, and even our enemies! What this means is that we must seek forgiveness when we have wronged others and we forgive others when they have wronged us.

Do you have relationships where things aren't right? It could be in your marriage, with your children, with your parents, or somebody at your church. Someone close who you have trusted may have burned you. Let this be the day when you ask God for the power to forgive. Or it may be that you've let somebody else down and you're estranged because of what you have done. Today is the time to say, "Lord, forgive me. Help me to have the courage to go and seek forgiveness from that person, so that we can be reconciled." Because, my friends, the ultimate meaning of life is found in healthy relationships with God and with our fellow man. Don't wait. Decide today to get those relationships right.

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