Revelation 5:6-10 (NIV)

⁶Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. ¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

There are five words that every believer should know and be able to explain. I have defined and discussed all of them many times in sermons and writings, but I am doing so again because they are so essential. Being confident in our beliefs is ever more important as cultures become bolder about persecuting Christians.

Jesus’ shed blood redeems believers (1 Peter 1:18-19). This means that we are purchased from a life of slavery to sin. Furthermore, we receive forgiveness—the wrongs of our past, present, and future are totally washed away (Ephesians 1:7-8). For the rest of eternity, God views His children through the “veil” of Christ’s blood, which makes them pure and holy. Everyone who trusts in Jesus is declared no longer guilty (justified—Romans 5:8-9) and brought into relationship with God (reconciled—Colossians 1:19-22). This unalterable change in status from sinner to saint happens the moment a person receives Christ as Savior.

The final word, sanctified, describes the life-long maturing process that begins when a person trusts in the Savior (Hebrews 13:12). A saint is set apart from the rest of humanity for the purpose of making him Christ-like. Through discipleship, testing, and teaching, God “drains out” our old self and pumps the life of Jesus into our heart and life.

These five words tell the story of our faith. Meditate upon the verses related to each one, and pray that God will write the meanings on your heart. When we’re confident in our beliefs, we can be a light to others instead of crumbling at the threat of pain.

(by Dr. Charles Stanley from the April 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)

What Prayer Can Do

By Rabbi Yonassan Gershom, Sandstone, Minnesota
April, 2009 – Guideposts Magazine

(Mark 15:26-32)

Some people jeered at Jesus as He hung on the cross. “The Son of God should be able to save Himself,” they taunted. These men and women thought that Christ’s death proved Him weak. But in fact, the opposite was true. The Lord’s power was so great that Jesus died with the world’s sin on His shoulders, and He arose three days later. Furthermore, anyone who believes in Him doesn’t have to pay his or her own death penalty. God’s awesome power sets captives free.

I treasure a letter from a former addict who described God’s power in his life. One night, just before drugs stole his consciousness, he heard through an open window a single sentence from a radio preacher: “No matter who you are, God loves you and cares for you.” Weeks later, while searching for a program on his own radio, he came across a familiar voice. Intrigued, he listened to that entire In Touch broadcast. What happened, in short, is that he got the message, received Christ, cleaned up his life, and reconciled with his family.

The cross’s power is life-changing. God used a phrase heard in a drug-induced haze to prepare a man’s heart. Then, once the Lord had his attention, He yanked that fellow out of a deep pit of despair!

Human strength is insufficient to rid ourselves of sin. The truth is that we are all in need of a Savior. Jesus Christ humbled Himself to die in our place, which was not a show of weakness. On the contrary, He made the most powerful sacrifice He could — and He did it for you and me (John 15:13).

(from April 2009 issue of In Touch magazine by Dr. Charles Stanley)

With a multitude of activities cluttering our daily schedules, it is difficult to hear the still, small voice of God as He whispers His answers to our greatest needs. We gain clarity and direction when we voluntarily separate ourselves from the clamor of life, sit in God’s presence, and quietly pray.

Scripture reveals a few powerful glimpses of Jesus’ example of prayerful solitude:

• Before he called the 12 apostles to service, Jesus spent an entire night praying alone (Luke 6:12).
• In the transfiguration account, Jesus and three apostles ventured off for a time of prayer on the mountain (Luke 9:28).
• Jesus took refuge in private prayer after feeding the masses (Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:46; John 6:15).
• The most memorable account of the Messiah separating from the crowds to pray involves the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-46). The biblical account of this moonlit prayer session reveals clues to how we can develop our own effective prayer life:

Seek God’s will – Jesus understood that the Father’s will was the most important goal (Matt. 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36). Likewise, our aim needs to be obedience to Him.
Understand the importance of time alone with God – Jesus kept praying, regardless of whether others would intercede on His behalf (Matt. 26: 43-44). Though friends and family may want to support us, we have the ultimate responsibility to personally talk to the Lord about our needs.
Wait for God’s answer – Jesus’ soul was heavy with the grief  of knowing that His crucifixion was imminent, yet He prayed three different times (Matt. 26:39-44). We must have a commitment to seek God repeatedly  in prayer.
Embrace the comfort of God – Jesus was comforted by an angel (Luke 22:43). The Father will also see to it that we are comforted in our troubles, especially when we take time to earnestly seek His answer to our problems.

Questions for Reflection
1. Do you spend time alone with God each day?

How can you improve the quality and focus of that time?

2. Jesus took His most private longings to God.

What prayers are on your heart today?

Take time to share them with the Lord in a quiet environment.

(from April 2009 issue of In Touch magazine)

Only God knows the depth of love that we have for Him. He said of King David, “He is a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22 – NKJV). Yet we know that David was a man of war. He lied, had a man murdered, and on at least one occasion, committed adultery. How could God love such a man? Better yet, how could God allow this man to rule over the nation of Israel? The answer is wrapped up in one word: GRACE – not ordinary grace but God’s grace, which is something we cannot earn on personal merit.

Despite his failures, David had a passionate love for the Lord. He could not help but love the One who gave him life and offered forgiveness for his sin. Though he failed many times, the desire of his heart was to love and obey God. And it was this love that both propelled King David to greatness and allowed him to petition his heavenly Father when he was utterly undeserving.

If we are ever to abide with our heavenly Father the way David did, we must first come to a place where we realize our complete helplessness before God. It was impossible for David to be “good” apart from the goodness and love of the Lord. The same is true for us. We cannot live the Christian life independently of God’s grace.

Easter is a time when we come face to face with the reality of the cross, where God’s passionate love for humanity was displayed. It was here that Jesus died for our sins and, in doing so, erased all of our guilt and shame.

Jesus said, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). For eternity, God’s love and passion has been fixed on you. No matter who you are or where you have been, His love reaches out to you. If you will accept Him as your Savior, realizing that His atoning death paid the full debt of your sin, then you will be saved. The passionate love of God will fill your heart, and you will receive the greatest gift of hope this world has ever known. (See “Do You Know God?”)

(from April 2009 issue of In Touch magazine – by Dr. Charles Stanley)

Have a great day!