GOD’S WORD FOR  MARCH 21

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

ENDURE TO DEATH

Acts 2:24

“God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.”

D.L. MOODY

I can imagine when they laid our Lord in Joseph’s tomb, one might have seen Death sitting over that sepulcher, saying, “I have Him!  He is MY victim!  He said He was the Resurrection and the Life, but now I hold HIM in MY cold  embrace!!!   Ha ha!!   They thought He was never going to die; but look at Him now!   HE has had to pay tribute to ME!!!”

NEVER!!! The glorious morning comes, the Son of Man bursts asunder the hands of death, and rises, a Conqueror, from the grave! 

“Because I live,”   He shouts, “YOU shall live also!!”

….YES!!   WE SHALL LIVE ALSO!  IS THAT NOT GREAT NEWS??!!

ERWIN LUTZER

For the Christian, (those who have repented of their sins and believe in forgiveness of sins because of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection alone), death is simply following Jesus to the grave and entering heaven where He is today.  Jesus will never ask us to endure something that He Himself has not already endured.  Thankfully, our body will be raised and, “Because He lives, we too shall live”  (John 14:19).  We will be shepherded through the door of death by the One who was dead and is alive forever more.  He will take us all the way home to the Father.

Is it any wonder Jesus invites us to follow Him into suffering? 

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account …for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  (Matthew 5:11-12).  Someday the suffering will end, conflicts with the world will vanish, and we will be free forever, knowing that it was well worth it all.  The resurrected Christ will make us alive and Paul says our bodies will be transformed to be like His glorious body.

Let us live in light of eternity for we have trusted the living Savior who has promised to share His resurrection life and eternity with us.

PRAYER

Father, please help me to live for Christ in all things without fearing death, knowing that Christ will meet me on the other side.

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Philippians 3:10

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

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I Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

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2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

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John 10:27-29

My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me:  And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My My Father, which gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.

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Romans 8:38, 39

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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John 6:37

All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out.

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Ps 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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John 6:27

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.

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