. . . bursting from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego's hearts after escaping the firey furnace unburnt. Amazingly, their hair was not singed, and their clothes were not scorched with no smoke-smell. But more amazing is Jesus walking with them in the fire. Don't you know they wanted to tell their mamas. But their mamas were not there.
Captured by Nebuchadnezzer and taken to Babylon, these guys and their friend, Daniel, had done well in captivity until the 91' golden idol appeared. When commanded to worship it, they refused. The king threatened to throw them in the fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:17-18 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
They stood firm on their convictions, stunning the king when they didn't burn and the fourth man appeared. Its amazing that he recognized Him as the Son of God.
In the midst of your trials, Jesus is walking with you through your fire, able to deliver you.
2 Timothy 2:7 For God hat not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
. . . then why did Christ die on the cross? His death, burial and resurrection are the key truths of the gospel. We are saved by faith in Christ (He died for us). We live by faith in Christ (He lives in us). Furthermore, we are so identified with Christ by the Spirit that we died with Him (see Romans 6). This means that we are dead to the Law.
We have been "raised to walk in newness of life" and don't need the "help" of the Law. To go back to the Law is to "set aside" the grace of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.
The only Gospel that saves is the Gospel of the grace of God as revealed in Jesus Christ -- not Law and grace.
Liberty in Christ isn't a license to sin, but its enjoying freedom in Him as we submit to His will for our lives. We obey God because of love.
Are you trusting in your morality, good works, or religion to get you to heaven. A true Christian is one who trusts Christ alone
. . . blazed from the pathology report handed to me three weeks before Christmas. Though stunned, I told Gale not to worry; we would get through it. He wasn't convinced and gave me an early Christmas present when we got home -- a nicer set of wedding rings to replace the cheaper ones.
The sober reality didn't hit me until I woke up, weak and vulnerable, after breast cancer surgery. I've told this many times, but the spiritual experience that followed is ever so precious to me today on my seventieth birthday.
With tears, I prayed, "Lord, what's going to happen to me? I'm not afraid to die, but I'm a wimp when I think of chemotherapy. I don't like nausea. I don't think I can handle this."
Suddenly, I literally felt God wrap His arms around me, telling me He would help me through it, and then He gave me a song:Sheltered in The Arms of God. I sang it in my mind.
I recently told Gale that not once did I think of dying during the year of chemotherapy, two additional high dose sessions, radiation, no hair, and learning to eat again after being fed by tube a couple months. I had very little nausea. God is good. Happy birthday to me.
. . . when he sent two disciples to fetch it. We can learn something from this animal.
The untamed colt was tied by the door on the outside as Christ said it would be. If you've never accepted Jesus as your Savior, you are on the outside of Christ, the door to heaven. You are tied to sin, bound by a sinful life style. Some unbelievers make excuses like, that's just how I am. I was born that way. That's why they need to be born again.
The colt was at a cross road where two ways met. If you are tied to sin, you too are at a cross road, and its decision time. Do you go man's way -- Satan's way, your way or God's way?
Isaiah55:6 Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; call ye upon him while He is near:
They untied the mule and brought it to Jesus. To be free from your sins, you have to come to Jesus. God's grace for salvation gives you a new walk. Christ is the truth, the way, the door, and the difference maker.
