Grace Both Ways
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When I had to attend a retreat out of town recently, I started putting the items I felt I would need together, days in advance. But I got there and still realized I had forgotten a shoe I wanted to take along!
I have come to observe that we prepare for almost everything in life: education, careers, marriage, holidays, retirement and many more. The series, “Money Heist,” gives us a sneak peek into the preparation that goes into even committing certain crimes! Unfortunately, many people do not want to hear about preparing for life beyond this life, or life after death! We don’t want to hear about death, though we know it is inevitable. When South African entertainer, Zodwa Wabantu, splashed 150,000 Rand(about £8540) on her own coffin some months back, it became global news! The Mirror newspaper said the action sparked confusion among her followers!
However, two Baptist Ministers I have a lot of respect for took this topic by the horns recently! One said,
“We have to pursue the Great Commission with speed! We have little time here, and we can go anytime!”
The second one, in a message entitled, “The grace to live, and the grace to die” said,
“Whiles we are alive, we live our lives in such a way that even when death comes, we still are in the perfect plan of God.”
These are timely pearls of wisdom, in these times when everyone is beginning to know someone close, that died of Covid-19. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote:
We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
(Romans 14 : 7-9 NRSV)
Believers in Christ also believe that Jesus came to die, and rose again. And that His victory over death removes the hold of death on us. Paul wrote elsewhere that
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (Romans 6:9 NRSV)
Christ, being the firstborn of all God’s children, this is our inheritance too. As believers, death has no dominion over us!
Believers don’t die; they only transition from this life into the next. The grace we carry follows us into the next life. It works in life, and works in death. It works both ways!
But you need to be a believer first. Check the “URGENT CALL” section below, or click HERE if you are not.
MEMORY VERSE
“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”.
( Romans 14:8 )
QUESTIONS
Have you been planning your life, career, education, vacations etc?
Have you planned your transition to the next life too?
PRAYER TIP
In the devotional entitled “Sniper On Rampage”, I shared the stories of two people I know closely that have died of Covid-19; and gave two ways to prepare for it. Two more, a High School mate, and a Pastor I saw just last month, also passed on recently. It’s getting closer and closer. Are you prepared?
Let us all pray that God helps us to always be prepared, by living in His will.
URGENT CALL
Every soul is valuable to God, far more than the entire world! But by nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God, and we ultimately face his wrath!
God in His mercy and love made a way for us to remedy this. He gives us a chance to reverse this downward spiral to destruction, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God! A soul, much, much more valuable than the world, has been saved from destruction!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer”
for guidance if you want
to make that decision.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page, or the ones at the top of this page. Don’t delay. Make this very personal decision today!
God richly bless you
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website.
We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.
We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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