These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

There are many things in life that we don’t have an answer for. Even the most knowledgeable and educated people in the world will never be able to solve some of life’s greatest mysteries.

Today we can be so thankful that is not so with salvation.

The Bible teaches that this may seem like a deep mystery, but you can know for certain that you belong to Christ. As John was writing his letter to the church, some were questioning how to have eternal life. As he was concluding his writing he stated, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

John simplifies the question. “Believe in the name of the Son of God.” It can’t be that simple, can it?

YES! Jesus has provided the answer for eternal life. To add to what He did for us only complicates things and makes God unknowable.

You don’t have to be the most knowledgeable and educated…you just need to believe! Can you believe it? Can you help someone else believe it today?

Prayer for today: Father, help me today to accept the settled fact of my salvation as it is settled in Heaven. Give me the courage and wisdom to share the simplicity of the most complex plan ever devised called salvation with those around me today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s Verse: Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8  Peter tells the believers that there is an enemy out there looking for the right time and opportunity to attack. He says that the devil is like a lion waiting for the best time to attack his prey. It means that the devil’s tactic is to always catch us off guard. He never attacks when our guards are up. That is why Peter’s advice is to discipline ourselves and be alert always. The devil cannot defeat us when we are on guard because he knows that God is with us and we commit everything to God. However, if we stay away from God and ignore His commands, we go off guard and open ourselves up for the enemy’s attack. To be disciplined means to be obedient to God’s Word and keep focused on Him. The choice is yours. – Commentary by Jeremy B. Trio  Today’s Prayer: Lord, I do not want the devil to have the opportunity to attack me. Please help me to be alert, on guard, and to understand Your Word so that I will know what to do. Amen.

In Hebrew, policemen are called ‘shomreem.’ In ancient times the guards were also called the ‘shomreem.’ Shomreem comes from the word ‘shomair,’ which means to ‘keep.’ It’s a real important word in the Bible.

The Lord is called ‘Shomair Yisrael,’ the Keeper of Israel. Yet the word isn’t just for the Lord. It says in God’s word… ‘You will be blessed if you shomair.

It’s important to keep. Keep the covenant. the command, keep My way, keep My word, keep My Torah… keep.

It’s all a matter of keeping. It’s written, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. It’s not enough to have a treasure. A treasure must be watched, treasured. A treasure must be kept. It’s written that Miryam, Mary, kept all these things in her heart.

If you want to live a life that is precious you must do the same. Become one of God’s shomreem. Become a keeper. Keep His word in your mind, His love in your heart, His wonders in your testimony, His presence in your Spirit. Learn to be a keeper. For what God has given you… is for keeps.

TODAY’S MISSION – Memorize Jude 1:24 – and dwell on it today.

Skeptics claim that the Bible is not from God, but from men. So the question then is, what kind of men?

Bad men wouldn’t want to write the words of the Bible. For the words of the Bible condemn sin and judgment on those who live in evil. Bad men could not come up with Psalm 23, John 3:16 or the Beatitudes. Even if they could, they would certainly take credit for it. To come up with it and not take credit is evidence of great virtue and extreme humility. The words of the Bible turn bad men into good men.

The problem is, good people wouldn’t do very bad things. And so, to say that the Bible was the Word of God, when it was really their own words and stories they just made up, would be a very bad thing–a hoax and fraud. The fact is, whichever way you go… you’re led back to one thing. The Bible is the Word of God.

So read it, study it, receive it, treasure it… and live it. It’s the Word of God and it will transform your life for blessing, whether you be good… or bad.

TODAY’S MISSION – Give thanks and rejoice for the Word of God. Take a word today, ponder it, take it specifically to your life, and go with it.

Today’s Verse:
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16 

We are all familiar with the definition of grace which is undeserved favor.

Grace is help when we need it most yet least deserve it. This gift of grace is offered to each and every one of us. God dispenses His grace like a surging waterfall that can’t be stopped or a broken candy dispenser that drops out all of the candy with just one coin.

Why would God do that when we certainly don’t deserve it?

Because of His immense love for us. He freely, joyfully, lavishes His grace on all of us out of His overflowing love. As the verse says, we need to accept His offer of grace, accept that we are worthy of it, and ask for it boldly even when we feel we least deserve it. God can’t wait to show us His love and bestow graces upon us.

Take a moment now and ask that God gives you His gift of grace so that we may withstand the trials of this life. – Commentary by Colleen Mallette

Today’s Prayer:
Dear Lord, when times are tough it is hard to remember Your love. Give me boldness to come to You with my problems so that You can lavish me with Your love, mercy, and grace. Praise be to God! Amen.

Please share this with someone that might need a fresh administration of grace today.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9

I hope you were able to attend church with us online yesterday for Easter Sunday. I also hope that you were filled with God’s power as you received the engrafted Word of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

But if all we do is sit and listen to the Word without doing anything with it, all we did was get a little “juiced-up” by some talk that probably motivated us enough just to get off the couch. It is the reason that we should each pray for one another that we “would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

In other words, we don’t just receive the Word, we apply it through the wisdom and understanding that comes along with it. So as each of us head into a new week let’s pray for one another that our walk with Christ has so much more meaning than what happened on Sunday. Our Monday needs Jesus in our lives as well!

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We live in one of the darkest hours in human history.

I want to remind you that more than 2,000 years ago, a woman named Mary ran, while it was still dark, towards an empty tomb.

She ran not when things were pristine or perfect. She ran while things were still dark. It’s what we do in the darkest hour that defines us

The darkness of depression cannot impede us from running towards the empty tomb of joy.
The darkness of despair cannot hinder us from stepping into the empty tomb of hope.
The darkness of destruction cannot obstruct us from looking into the empty tomb of destiny.

Are we willing to run towards the empty tomb?

Are we willing now, in the midst of this darkness, to run towards the reality that Jesus is Lord and Savior?

The day Mary, Peter and John ran towards the empty tomb and found nothing, you and I discovered everything. We discovered an empty place that filled our hearts, our families, our destinies, our purposes, our passions and our promise.

Hebrews 9:12 tells us, “With his own blood, not the blood of goats and calves, he entered on that third day the Most Holy Place once and for all time and secured our redemption forevermore.”
You see, It’s not about what we do for God. It’s about what God already did for us.
He came down so we could get up.
He defeated darkness so we could be light.
He died so we can live.
He said it is finished, so we can get started.
He came out of the tomb, so we can come out of sin, failure and captivity and change the world around us.

Because He lives, what Jesus did cannot be undone.

If Jesus came out of the tomb, then you can come out of misery.
You can come out of depression, anxiety, and fear.
You can come out of panic.
You can come out of addiction.
You can come out of sin, temptation and the very pit of hell since Jesus came out of the tomb.

Let me remind you of Romans 8:11: “The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives inside of you.” Here is a word of the Lord for us this Easter: It’s time for us to come out of our tombs.

Whatever we may be going through at this very hour, the Spirit of God is calling us out.

He’s calling us into a new life. Because the blood of Jesus shed on the cross sealed our past, the empty tomb secures our future.

Once again, we are celebrating Jesus’ resurrection in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic. And while it may be dark outside, the tomb is still empty.