Devotionals – Page 5 – The Kingdom Sat

August 12, 2024

What Hell Is Like

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matthew 25:41). Read Luke 16:19-31. During His earthly ministry, Jesus talked more about hell than He did about heaven. Hell is serious business, and He wanted people to understand that apart from Him, that’s where they are headed. Out of love, He warned people about hell in the most caring, heartbroken, and compassionate way. Today, however, hell is not a popular subject. Many pastors avoid it altogether, not wanting to be labeled a “fire-and-brimstone preacher.” But if Jesus thought it was important to talk about hell, shouldn’t we? Some people wonder, If God is so good, how could He send people to hell? But the Truth is the everlasting fire was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). While Satan and his demons have no choice about their […]

August 5, 2024

What Heaven Is Like

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them’” (Revelation 21:3). Read Revelation 21:2-7. In heaven, we will see Jesus face to face. There will be no barriers, no limitations to seeing the reality of our Lord. Of course, without Jesus, heaven wouldn’t be heaven. But praise God, Jesus is in heaven, and He is preparing a place for us there. One day, He will come back and take us to our eternal home. When we close our eyes one final time on this earth, we’ll also experience uninterrupted fellowship with our loved ones who have gone before us in faith. Now, you might have heard that your departed loved ones are “asleep” until Jesus returns—maybe it’s been called “a state of unconsciousness” or “soul sleep.” That is not in Scripture. The Bible does speak about those who have “fallen asleep” […]

July 29, 2024

Overcoming Insecurities

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Is fear standing in your way of accomplishing great things for God? Do you pray for opportunities to share Christ but find that, when the time comes, you are too timid to speak up? Everyone experiences fears and doubts. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we see that even this young apprentice of Paul fought his own personal insecurities. Paul encourages Timothy: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:7-8). During Paul’s time, Christians faced hardships and persecution. Today is no different. Around […]

July 15, 2024

The Grace of Election

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16a). As Christians, we must remember God chose us not because we are lovable but in spite of our unlovable condition. His love is unconditional. His choice was a function of His sovereign will. Why He chooses one and not another is a mystery known only to God. And because His sovereign election of you and me is an act of His sovereign grace, we have no reason to be arrogant. His election of us drives us to our knees in humility and brokenness before Him. We can only cry out to God and say, “Lord, I don’t know why You love me, why You called me, why You chose me, why You predestined me—but in utter amazement and humility, I say thank You, I believe in You, and I want to spend all of eternity […]

July 8, 2024

There Is Power to Our Witness

“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:8). In spite of the hostility and persecution all around them, the Thessalonians welcomed the Good News with the joy of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit gives power to our witness. He is at work in us as we witness, and He is at work in those we witness to. He gives power—dynamite—to our words, and He opens the eyes and ears of those who see and hear us. Some of those who hear our witness will receive it with joy, and others will not. Some will even be angry. Don’t be intimidated; don’t be fearful. Share your faith boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t think you can be a witness for Christ in your own strength—let the Spirit of God speak through you. One thing is clear about these […]

July 1, 2024

Three Indispensable Traits

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). In the opening verses of 1 Thessalonians, Paul describes ten distinctive traits of the Thessalonian believers: (1) They had a working faith, (2) they had a laboring love, (3) they exhibited an enduring hope, (4) they displayed humility before God for His election and power, (5) they were genuine imitators of Christ, (6) they had joy in the midst of trouble, (7) they lived exemplary lives, (8) they had zeal in their witnessing, (9) they demonstrated transformed lives, and (10) they expectantly awaited the return of the Lord Jesus. To summarize, Paul said that the Thessalonian believers were characterized by faith, love, and hope—the three indispensable traits of a genuine Christian. Each of these traits is outgoing, not inward; active, not passive; visible, not hidden; public, not private. Faith […]

June 24, 2024

Making a Difference

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives” (Proverbs 11:30). Only the Holy Spirit can change someone’s heart, but God is calling us to be a part of the process. We can make a difference in the eternal lives of others. We can tell our neighbors how Christ changed our lives. We can share with our friends why we have peace in the middle of difficult times. We can train our children in the ways of the Lord. And we can unite together in prayer for the souls of nonbelievers. We can pray that we will continue to have the freedom to openly speak Jesus’ name in public. We can pray that we remain free to share the full Gospel message, without being confined to a politically correct version. We can pray that God will continue to use His people to spread His Gospel to the ends of the world. […]

June 10, 2024

The Importance of Salt

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). Jesus said that we are “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). The value of salt, especially in the ancient world, cannot be underestimated. Roman soldiers received their wages in salt. The Greeks considered salt to be divine. The Mosaic Law required that all offerings presented by the Israelites contain salt (see Leviticus 2:13). When Jesus told His disciples that they were “the salt of the earth,” they understood the metaphor. While the universal importance of salt is not as readily apparent in our modern world, the mandate that Jesus gave to His first disciples is still relevant and applicable to His followers today. What are the characteristics of salt that caused the Lord to use it in this context? Theologians have different theories about what “salt” represents in Jesus’ sermon. Some think that its white color represents […]

June 3, 2024

A Tale of Two Cities

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14). The Bible is a tale of two cities: the City of Man and the City of God. We can trace these two cities from the opening pages of Genesis to the closing paragraphs of the book of Revelation. The City of Man is symbolized by Babylon, Rome, and even today by Western civilization. In contrast, the City of God is symbolized by the elect of God from every nation, tribe, and generation. For believers currently living their earthly lives in the City of Man, it may appear to be the worst of times. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ promises that one day all believers will experience the best of times. Read Genesis 4:1-16. Here we see these two opposing cities begin to take shape in the lives of […]

May 27, 2024

The Only Remedy for Guilt

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). Adam and Eve owned up to their sin, and they regretted the break in their relationship with God. However, this was not true for their son Cain. The story of Cain and Abel is familiar to us, as is the defiant question Cain asked God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Cain’s anger led him to murder his own brother. He was angry that God accepted Abel’s offering while rejecting his own. Cain had brought an offering to the Lord from his harvest, and Abel had also brought an offering, the firstborn from his flock. The brothers’ offerings were consistent with their occupations: Cain tilled the ground, and Abel raised sheep. Outwardly, both brothers seemed to be performing a righteous act. But Cain wanted to approach God on his own terms. The Bible doesn’t specify how either […]

May 20, 2024

Your Enemy’s Camouflage

“When [Satan] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). One day, a famous English art critic took his daughter to the ocean. No matter how hard he tried, he could not persuade her to join him in the chilly waters of the Atlantic. He built a fire, heated a teakettle of water, and, with a great flourish, poured the steaming water into the ocean. At that point and without further hesitation, the child ran gleefully into the icy waters. This was a father’s harmless trick. However, this is exactly what the enemy does with us. He mixes small amounts of Truth into an ocean of falsehood, and people wade into the icy pool, not realizing that they have been deceived. When Satan first came to Eve, he didn’t come on a whim. He carefully planned his attack. Also, understand that before the fall of man, the serpent was not […]

May 13, 2024

The Greatest Lie

“He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’” (Genesis 3:1). In Genesis 2:16-17, God told Adam, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, . . .” But later when the serpent asked Eve to confirm what God had commanded Adam, she added something that the Creator had not said. She added “. . . and you must not touch it” (Genesis 3:3). Perhaps she had already begun to question God’s command. Every tree in the garden was hers to enjoy except one—yet it seems her attention was focused on that one forbidden tree. Eve was fascinated by the tree, and Satan knew her area of weakness and how best to attack it. So, Satan hit her with a lie contradicting God’s words; he said, “You will certainly not die, . […]