April 2nd Devotional

Read:

Matthew 27:51

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

Also Read:

Matthew 27:54

54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

There are many things that happened when Jesus took His last breath on the cross. Jesus hung there, and He took all of the sin for us upon that cross. The bible says that we have been crucified with Christ, baptized with Christ, and risen with Christ as new born again believers. How many times though, do we really repent of our sins, are washed in His blood, but somehow down that road of salvation start loosing that focus and revelation of what Christ really did for us on that cross. I know I do at times, and I have to get back in pure worship with Him completely or my joy will go down the tubes, my lack of hunger for God's word will not be pure, and the enemy will attack us with thought after thought. One day I was in my devotion with the Lord. I saw an image in my head of the veil. The veil that I saw in a vision was the Lord's body being torn spiritually upon the cross. Then I saw the actual veil in the temple of Jerusalem as well. I looked at the veil and it was only torn about seventy percent of the way down. I asked the Lord, "what is this?" I felt like the Lord was telling me that many who have truly repented don't have the full revelation of what I did for them, and neither do you son." I had to repent for not walking in the revelation that the veil of the temple was torn, I was buried with Him, and I was resurrected with Him. The torn veil gave us entrance now to enter into the most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus Christ. The bible tells us in Hebrews that we can enter boldly into this place by the blood. Thank God for the blood that was spilled for us, but we really need to thank God for the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead can quicken unto us our position in Him. I want to encourage you today to see yourself complete in Him. See yourself today as God sees you in Christ Jesus. I want to yell a word to you right now by the spirit of God. IT IS FINISHED!

Prayer:

Lord, forgive us for not walking in the victory of what you already did for us. So many times Lord we try and put you back on that cross. Help us see us how you see us by your spirit, and help us realize today that It is finished, Amen.

by Keith Edwards False Conversion December 4th Weekly Devotional by Keith Edwards Read: Acts 2:37,38 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the years, I have met many that claimed that they have been saved but there was no mark whatsoever of there conversion. They would say, "I have been baptized when I was a child, or they would tell me that they said a prayer and shook the preachers hand after the service." Now there are true born again Christians that may be lacking in spiritual growth. I'm not talking about this subject. I'm talking about someone that has no remorse whatsoever for sins or things that we know as Christians to be morally wrong. It is something on the inside of us that tells us that this or that is definitely wrong. I had a young guy that was working for me when I was a manager at a grocery retail store tell me that he goes all of the time and has his girlfriends get an abortion when they had an accident. I asked him, "Being that you are saved like you say you are, do you think that this is wrong?" He would tell me that he don't think that it is wrong, I'm still saved though. Then I would pull him aside and give him a foundation of repentance. Sometimes they were cut to the heart when I would explain to them that the Lordship of Jesus will bring you to a place of total surrender to God, and that means making Him the Lord of your life. There is a change in you when you get born again. I would encounter this situation time and time again in the secular world. Another story that comes to my mind is when a famous athlete claimed that he was a Christian, but would party and do unethical things in his life. He had no remorse for them, but said, "Yea! I'm a Christian. Many would be confused because they didn't see a change in him. One day, a minister who was once famous in sports confronted this young man. He looked straight through his eyes and asked, "So, are you a Christian like every one says you are?" He answered, "No man! I just say that I am. It's kinda cool huh? That minister looked straight through his eyes and said, "You might as well take that cross necklace off of your neck and swallow it, because maybe it will get in your heart and do you some good!" Now I wouldn't advise that you do this unless you really felt led, because he was a big boy and would probably pound someone's head in that wasn't led by God. But this minister was led by God to bring him to a place of true repentance. He was cut to the heart that day, and now he is on there ministry team and touches many lives with gospel. If it wasn't for someone to have a little guts and confront this young man, he would have been lost in his sins on his way to hell. Thank God for God's grace though. You see friend, you can have a big bible on your coffee table, have a necklace cross around your neck, or a bumper sticker on the back of your car. But if your heart isn't really changed, then you haven't been born again. You can raise your hands and sing He is Lord, He is Lord all you want to, but unless you truly repented then you are lost. I'm not talking about struggles we all face being Christians. I live a life of repentance daily, and repentance isn't condemning to the Christian, but the lost sinner is condemned already because he or she hasn't really come to that place of repentance. I want to ask you today, "Do you know the Lord, or are you just going through the motions? You really don't feel a change at all within you, and you just maybe raised your right hand with nobody looking. You shook the preachers hand and boom! your saved. I'm not saying that there haven't been some that have been saved that way. I'm talking about those who do it because there friends did it and they feel like it's the right thing to do. They do it because maybe there mom and dad forced them to. Ask Jesus in your heart right now and repent. Prayer: Lord, I ask that you will forgive me today. I need you Lord to change me and make me new in you. I repent and believe in your resurrection. I believe that you died for me on that cross, and I believe that I am saved in Jesus name. Lord, I am saved but need to get closer to you in my walk. Forgive me Lord of any sins in my life, and help me Lord to walk in your Spirit, Amen.