GOD’S WORD FOR JULY 23

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.

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HANDS IN HARMONY

John 10:28-30

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of  My hand.  My Father who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

D.L. MOODY

These are precious verses to those who are afraid of falling, who fear they will not hold out.  I is God’s word to hold.  It is the Shepherd’s business to keep the sheep.  Whoever heard of the sheep going to bring back the shepherd?  People have an idea that they have to keep themselves and Christ too!  It is a false idea.  It is the work of the Shepherd to look after them and to take care of those who trust Him.  He has promised to do it

A sea captain, when dying said, “Glory to God, the anchor holds.’  He trusted in Christ.  His anchor had taken hold of the solid Rock.

ERWIN LUTZER

Years ago, I preached a sermon based on John 10 titled, “Held in God’s Hands.”  We are in the hands of BOTH the Son and the Father, and no one can snatch God’s sheep out of those hands.  “But,” you say, “what about free will?  Can’t I pluck myself out of His hands?”  It cannot be done, because we are not only held  by dual hands, but even more precious, we ARE His hands!  We become “members of His body” (Ephesians 5:30).

God’s sheep are secure, belonging to Him forever.  He will see to it that they arrive home to be with Him forever.  True children of God might backslide, but they return to the Father having seen the high price they are paying for their sin.  No good shepherd arrives at the sheepfold in the evening with fewer sheep than he left with in the morning.  The bottom line is this:  The basis of our own security is His faithfulness and promises –not our own.

PRAYER

Father, please comfort me by reminding me that I am one of Your sheep.  Grant me the gift of assurance.

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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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 1 John 5:13 – These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

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 Ephesians 1:13-14 – In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

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 2 Timothy 1:12 – For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

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 Hebrews 10:22 – Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

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 Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

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 1 Peter 1:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath 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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Romans 8:16 – The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

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