Glorious Deliverance
By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
In I Thes. 1:10, the Apostle Paul, by divine inspiration, assures believers that the Lord Jesus Christ has “delivered us from the wrath to come.” He refers, of course, to deliverance from the penalty of sin. But in other passages he declares that we are also delivered from the power of sin.
In Col. 1:12,13, for example, he gives thanks to God “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”
This deliverance, and the glory of our heavenly position and blessings in Christ, we may enjoy experientially now, by grace. Rom. 6:14 says: “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace.” This does not mean that it is not possible for the believer to sin, but rather that it is possible, in any situation, not to sin. Thus the same passage in Romans goes on to say that we should not yield ourselves as servants to sin, but to God, who, in grace has broken sin’s power over us.
Finally, the believer in Christ will one day be delivered even from the presence of sin, for at our Lord’s coming for us “we shall all be changed” (I Cor. 15:51). Believers should long for Christ’s coming for them, not merely because these bodies of humiliation will then be glorified, but because from that moment on they shall never again be tempted or defiled by sin. What a change that will be!
In II Cor. 1:10 the Apostle includes all three tenses of the believer’s deliverance. Here he tells how God has “delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us.” This is why he could write to the Philippians about his confidence that “He who hath begun a good work in you will perform [complete] it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
Some may not feel the need of deliverance now, but we all need deliverance from sin and its results. If you have not yet experienced this deliverance, why not place your trust in Christ who died to “deliver us from the wrath to come.”
Today's Devotional Sponsor:
What About ‘Heaven Is For Real’?
By Pastor Ricky Kurth
Back in 2014, a popular film called Heaven Is For Real told the story of a 3-year-old boy who had a near-death experience. Afterwards he told his parents stories about his trip to Heaven. This story is often touted as “proof” that Heaven is real.
But as the Lord said, “no man hath ascended up to heaven” (John 3:13). We know that later, when Paul was stoned to death (Acts 14:19), he was “caught up to the third heaven” (II Cor. 12:2), but this was so he could continue to “come to visions and revelations of the Lord” (v. 1). Now that the Bible is complete, there is no need of any further revelations from God, and so there is no need for anyone to be caught up to heaven and return.
The only reliable information about heaven is found in God’s Word. After describing the vision of the kingdom of heaven that the Lord gave him, Peter added that the Word of God was “more sure” than what he had seen with his own eyes (II Pet. 1:16-19).
It’s tempting to think that this boy’s experience will persuade people to believe, but Abraham was right: “if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31).
Oven Fried Chicken
Ingredients
• 1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup mayonnaise
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl or gallon size resealable plastic bag, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme and paprika.
3. Coat the chicken pieces with mayonnaise. Place chicken pieces in bowl/bag with bread crumb mixture and coat/shake until well coated.
4. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.
DAILY SMILE:
Why We Vote In November
Political Jokes
Submitted by Mac
Old man walks up and says, "For sixty years I've been trying to figure out why we vote in November. Finally found the answer this year."
"Why's that?"
"Better selection of turkeys!"
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