Tag: James 2:10

A Mother’s Heart – Day 13 – Deep Sin

On By KateIn A Mother's Heart, DevotionalsLeave a comment

In my grief for my own wayward son, the Lord spoke to my heart. He spoke to me through a recent message that I heard where the Pastor pointed out that we should be telling the world what we are learning, and not what we have learned. I definitely learned a lot in the past eighteen months as I grieved the loss of my prodigal son. However, I stopped there! I didn’t realize that I could continue learning how to deal with this until the Lord impressed upon me to write this devotional series! There are definitely many different facets of this ever-changing “diamond in the rough”! Each situation that the mothers shared with me gave me another view from life’s “pie.” In your mind’s eye, if you place an entire pie on the table and cut it up into equal shares, you will understand what I mean. Now stand in front of the first piece and look across the room and do this for every piece of pie. The view you see will be slightly different than the previous view. Everyone looks at their prodigal trial with blinders on. That’s not wrong, but there are quite a few different views being experienced by countless mothers out there. Each perspective adds depth to the experience, allowing us to gather insights that may have otherwise escaped our notice. When you lean in and listen to one another’s stories, you begin to see how universal themes of love, pain, and hope intertwine in the lives of these mothers. The emotions run deep, and through this shared journey, bonds are formed as hearts connect in ways that words often cannot fully express. I pray that this series will speak to the heart of at least one mother, offering encouragement and reassurance that they are not alone in this challenging chapter of their lives.

I reached out to mothers on an online group that I’m a part of and asked them to share their ideas on this very topic. I never realized how many different scenarios there are for our wayward children. Today’s will be about mothers that have children who have gone the way of the world into deep sin and now will not communicate because they know the parents disagree. They also take it a step further and create lies that fit the scenario in order to justify their position. This can cover a number of sins from homosexuality to drug addiction. But according to James 2:10, sin is sin and all of it is a putrid smell to the Lord. That is why He sent His Son to die for those sins. The poor mother who has to live through this type of scenario! How many tears have been shed? Countless, I’m sure. She wonders what she did wrong to have her child turn out this way. The Lord knows each and every tear you have shed, dear mother!

Psalm 69:3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

Psalm 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

Oh, how I cry out Psalm 69:3 as I continue to walk through my trial!! Let’s face it ladies, the Lord has recorded many of our tears! He knows exactly what we are walking through, each moment of pain and heartache meticulously noted in His loving memory. In times of difficulty, when our spirits feel weary and our hearts burdened, it’s comforting to remember that we are not alone in our struggles. God sees our struggles and understands the depth of our sorrow, assuring us that every tear we shed holds significance in His eyes. As we travel along these challenging paths, may we find solace in the knowledge that our Savior walks beside us, bringing healing and hope even in the midst of the storms of life.

I believe the prodigal children who don’t speak to you because they know you will disagree with their sin know deep down that they are sinning. They are often aware of the moral implications of their choices, even if they choose to ignore them in favor of immediate gratification or temporary relief. They do not want to be held accountable according to Scripture, nor do they want to be reminded that they are sinning, as this would require them to confront the uncomfortable truths about their actions and reconsider their paths. This inner conflict can lead to avoidance and denial. They are accountable for their own sins, and they will be dealt with by the Holy Spirit in the same manner we were dealt with when we came to the realization that we needed salvation. The process that leads to salvation can often involve moments of discomfort and reflection that challenge our current beliefs and actions. It is through this Holy Spirit guidance that they may find their way back, leading to healing and restoration, not just for themselves but also for those they have distanced themselves from.

As for the lies that have been spread against the parents, it has been my experience that there is nothing that you can do to stop them. Each one that has heard those lies will either not believe them or will believe the wayward child. Trying to intercede and correct the lies will fall on deaf ears or create further problems. It is best to leave it to the Lord and wait for Him to open the door. You can then deal with the lies as they are personally brought to your attention. It’s God’s timing that is of the utmost importance. When we meddle in His business, we may be hindering the work of the Holy Spirit. Instead, trust God’s Word when He says:

Psalm 31:18-19 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.  (19)  Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

This prodigal child will have quite the testimony when he finally comes to Christ, and it will be a powerful story of redemption that inspires others. The faithful praying mother, who has poured her heart and soul into interceding on behalf of her child, will have her prayers answered one day in a way that brings her immense joy and peace. We can hold tightly to the promises found in Proverbs 22:6, which assure us that the seeds we have sown in faith will bear fruit in due time. Together, as a family, we did our best to teach our children the ways of the Lord, instilling in them values rooted in faith and love. I truly believe that God, in His infinite wisdom and grace, will honor our efforts by giving our children ample opportunities to be saved and restored, guiding them gently back to His open arms where they will feel His unconditional love and forgiveness!

Don’t give up! Keep praying! It may not happen tomorrow or next year, but it will happen. I have heard from mothers who have waited years, and the healing is starting to happen!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice evermore.  (17)  Pray without ceasing.  (18)  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

The Apostle Paul encourages us to rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing and give thanks for everything. Wow Paul, you don’t ask for much, do you?! Do you notice that the rejoicing occurs before the praying and giving thanks? How can we possibly do that? We can do that by rejoicing at our salvation and the Great God who provided that salvation! What more do we need? The same God who supplies salvation and keeps it without failing, can restore your family. How? By praying and giving thanks in everything! I understand how we can pray, Paul, but how do we give thanks for this trial? It is through this trial that you and I will learn to trust God more deeply. Hasn’t each trial you’ve been through turned out for the glory of God? It is through this same trial that we find ourselves scootching in closer to His side than ever before, thus receiving that comfort we so need! As we live life’s ups and downs in our challenges, we realize that they lead us to a greater understanding of God’s unwavering love and support. He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow; therefore, He never changes in His love and support. (Hebrews 13:8) We may begin to see that there are lessons hidden in our struggles, shaping our character and bringing us greater resilience. Therefore, we give thanks in everything, even when the circumstances seem bleak, because we know that it will be according to His will. His faithfulness can be depended on so there’s no need to fear! That’s a LOT to be thankful for, isn’t it? Even during the darkest moments, His light shines through someone He has sent to encourage you; you know, that “Jesus with skin on,” to remind us that God is watching! There are so many things God does to remind us that we are never alone on this journey, and that His plans for us are always for our good and especially for His glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Peace Through Troubled Times – Disobedient

On By KateIn Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled TimesLeave a comment

Rom 1:28-32  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  (29)  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  (30)  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  (31)  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  (32)  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Today’s topic has to do with disobedience. Is it me, or are there more disobedient children in our society? It makes me so sad when I see children left to their own devices and they rule the house with their tantrums. Rather than deal with teaching them and disciplining them at that moment, they are too tired and leave them alone. The problem with that is that no directions from Dad and Mom let the children know that your silence means accepting their behavior.

But today’s devotional is not about a child’s disobedience, although it fits in nicely. It’s about adults’ disobedience. Notice verses 29, 30 and 31! Look at all those sins! They are not normally committed by young children but by grown adults! Verse 32 even attributes it to those who know the judgment of God!!! Children do not know in the early years, but adults sure do.

Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:9-10 that disobedience to the Law, meaning the Ten Commandments, is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In his second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:1-5), Paul says that these sins will increase in the end times. These warnings are not in the Bible for nothing, Reader. You must take heed to what God wants you to know! You commit these sins because you have not repented of your sin to be saved. Repentance is a reversal of one’s direction in life. When you were born, you inherited a sinful nature handed down to you by Adam and Eve. You don’t have to teach a toddler to do wrong because it is part of him from birth. You DO have to teach that toddler to do right. Jesus said:

Luk 5:32  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Friend, repentance means that you must consciously make a decision to follow Christ and His teachings. The Law, the Ten Commandments, prove to us that we are sinners because there is not a day that goes by in a person’s life where he doesn’t break at least one of those commandments. The first of those commandments is to love the Lord God with all your heart, mind and soul. Do you? Ding, ding, ding! You have broken one. Have you lied to someone today? Ding, ding, ding! There’s another. They add up after a while. But even if you only had ONE sin (which is virtually impossible), you are found guilty before God of breaking all the commandments!

Jas 2:10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

So know that the Ten Commandments teach us about sin. That was God’s old covenant to the Jewish people. People needed to realize that they could not possibly live a sin-free life, a righteous life, because they failed every day. Israel had to sacrifice lambs to “cover” their sins. They had to shed the innocent blood of a lamb.

From the beginning of time, God provided a way to be reconciled to Him. He gave us a new covenant. Jesus became the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb to die for our sins. The blood of goats and lambs could not wash away our sins. But the blood of Jesus can. When we repent and confess our sins, Jesus hears us. His blood on that cross gives Him the power to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all sin. Furthermore, He is faithful so this will always be!

1 Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Some believe you can go to confession and tell a priest your sins and that is it. You’re good to go. But that is not repentance, friend. So what exactly is the repentance? The Greek word is:

μετάνοια
metanoia
met-an’-oy-ah
From G3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision): – repentance.

Strong’s concordance

Notice the one in needs to have repentance must feel the guilt and shame of his sin. Secondly, that person must be reformed (John 3:3, 3:7, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Thirdly, to be repentant means to change directions. If you were facing South and wanted to go in the opposite direction, you would go North. In the case of repentance, means you turn around from your current sinful path and go in the exact opposite direction – meaning, you go toward the Lord. Fourthly, you change your mind completely. Instead of giving in to sin, you seek salvation through Jesus Christ and say no to sin. There is no other way to be saved!

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Sin is a choice after salvation. You are no longer a slave to sin. You can now say no to it.

Rom 6:20-23  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  (21)  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  (22)  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  (23)  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Friend, do you know how many so-called “Christians” are out there that have not repented? They go to church and think about God during the service (if they are not sleeping or reading their phone). But after church, they go back to their lifestyle and they’re happy with that. That is not repentance. These people do not feel guilty or remorse for their sin.

After you have read today’s devotional, do you see the difference of what believers call nominal Christianity and true Christianity? You can call yourself a Christian, but if you haven’t changed from your old life, you are not. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

If you are not truly born-again, you won’t see today’s topic as a sin. But there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus – Day 17

On By KateIn Devotionals, Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled By JesusLeave a comment

Prophecy of Messiah:

Lev 17:11  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Good morning! As we continue our series, we see many of these prophecies revolve around His blood sacrifice and the reason it was needed. Today’s post rests on this same topic; however, it never gets old and it always blesses!

As we see in today’s Scripture, it’s all about the soul. The soul lives eternally, not at the moment of birth, but from the moment we are conceived.

Jer 1:4-5  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  (5)  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

The destination for our soul is dependent on whether or not we are saved by the blood of Yeshua, Jesus the Christ: we will spend the rest of eternity either in Heaven or in Hell. There is no other choice. We don’t all just simply sleep, get reincarnated or just cease to exist. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 that everyone’s physical body dies but afterwards come judgment! And should you live until Christ’s return at the Second Coming and are not saved, you will be judged (2Timothy 4:1). The only way we can enter God’s Kingdom is if our sins have been atoned and forgiven by the blood of the Lamb of God. There is no other way.

Jesus Christ laid down His own life, shed His own blood and placed Himself on Heaven’s altar. The life is in the blood according to today’s verse. Therefore, His life and His blood were given in place of yours. There is only one altar that matters and that is the one which is in Heaven. As I wrote in the last post, that altar could only be accessed by the One and only High Priest who could offer the sacrifice which would forgive all of mankind’s sin.

Prophecy of Messiah Fulfilled:

Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mar 10:45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Friend, Almighty God is Holy. He cannot and will not allow any sin in Heaven. He created man with a free will, placed him in a perfect utopian type world, and there man could live forever in fellowship with God. At the beginning, earth was like a terrarium. (Genesis 2:5) This “green house” was misted and watered in this manner. No bacteria entered and everything was pure, healthy and flourished. This is what God intended for His creation. But because man had a free will, man chose to listen to Satan and as a result, man sinned. God’s initial intention was for man to live in a perfect world where no one ever got sick. It was not intended for women to have pain when they delivered their child (see Genesis 3:16). Man was not intended to deal with weeds; he was tending to the gardens and weeds did not even exist (see Genesis 3:17-19). But because of their own choices, they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and had to live in a fallen world where sinning would be easy. God could no longer walk amongst them because of their sin and because He is holy.

A price had to be paid at this point; a ransom had to be given. Prior to Christ, a sacrificial lamb had to be offered. Its life and shedding of blood would make an atonement for the soul of man. The whole process of the sacrificial offering was pointing the Jews to look for their Messiah. But they preferred to only see Him as the Conquering King, which He will be when He returns at His Second Coming. They didn’t want to see Him as a sacrificial Lamb, a suffering Messiah. Israel’s sacrificial offerings of the time was a picture of what was to come. Because they missed His first coming, the Gentiles were given the blessed opportunity to be saved. Today, we believers look back to the cross because Jesus was the Perfect Offering for our sins. Once He comes again at the Second Coming, Israel will recognize their King as the One who died for their sins. (Zechariah 12:10) Their eyes will be opened and they will see that He suffered, bled and died for them!

Jesus gave up His heavenly throne to come to earth in human form because He knew that we could not gain entrance to Heaven because of our sin (James 2:10). He lived a sinless life so He could be that perfect Lamb of God to shed His own blood and be that perfect sacrifice. We owe Him a lot, Reader! There is nothing we can do as human beings that will ever pay for our sins. Only Jesus Christ the Messiah can do that. Do you know Him personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!