Daily Devotional By Archbishop Foley Beach

Your Certainty of Earthly Death is 100%, But God’s Grace Gives You a Choice

MESSAGE SUMMARY: Your certainty of Earthly death is 100%. However, God’s Grace, through the death of Jesus and His resurrection, has given you a choice – Eternal life through your faith and acceptance of Jesus and your Lord and Savior, or not. After the Easter Resurrection, Jesus rose from the dead to live so that we might live and not die an eternal death. Our eternal life comes from our acceptance of and belief in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but He will never force Himself on us -- "acceptance" must be from our own free will. As the Apostle Jon tells us in John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.", Also, in John 5:23-24, Jesus confirms our path to Eternal Life: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”. In fact, this quote from Jesus confirms that His followers, even though they are still living physically their earthly lives, are, already, alive in their Eternal Life.

 

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

THIS SUNDAY’S SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt", at our Website: www.AWordFromTheLord.org/listen/.

 

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S VIDEO: “The Interior Life – The Power of the Will (Red Bank Chapel; Chattanooga, TN),  https://www.lightsource.com/ministry/a-word-from-the-lord/`

 

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 5:1-5; Galatians 2:17-21; John 17:1-3; Psalms 50:1-23.

God Has Given Us Eternal Life Through His Son

This Sunday’s Sermon: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Resurrection: Part 2”, at our Website: www.AWordFromTheLord.org/listen/.

 Message Summary: We have eternal life through God’s Son, Jesus. When we do not have the Son of God, we do not have eternal life; but when we have the Son of God, we have eternal life. Jesus’ death and resurrection not only transforms our lives; His death transforms our deaths – the grave is no longer the end. Cancer is not the end and getting old is not the end. As Paul tells us in Romans 5:18-19: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.". Our decision for how we lead our earthly life determines both the end states of our remaining earthly life and our eternal life – either our lives are with God or without God.

Today’s Affirmation: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, Nothing compares with knowing Jesus. (Philippians 3:7f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:14).

Scripture Reference (ESV): Romans 6:19-23; Matthew 19:25-30; Galatians 6:6-10; Psalms 93:1-5.

 Website Link to Archbishop Beach’s Video Sermon – “He is Risen”:  https://www.lightsource.com/ministry/a-word-from-the-lord/ (Note: This link is to both an introductory One-Minute Video Clip and the complete video Sermon.).

What Does It Mean to Be a “Citizen of Heaven”?

This Sunday’s Sermon: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Resurrection: Part 1”, at our Website: www.AWordFromTheLord.org/listen/.

 

Message Summary: First of all, the moment you become a follower of Jesus, you have immediate Eternal Life; and you become a Citizen of Heaven.  Jesus tells us, in John 5:24, that His followers have Eternal Life and are Citizens of Heaven here on earth in their earthly lives: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.". As Christians and Citizens of Heaven, we know that the Lord is coming back -- either to greet us when we die or before we die. For most of us, however, our vision of Heaven is clouded by looking backwards; therefore, the return of Jesus does not have any power in our life. Paul reinforces the return of the Lord of Heaven in Philippians 1:6: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.". When He returns, we will put on our spiritual bodies, as promised. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”.

 

Today’s Affirmation: Today, Because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Evil Ways. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Goodness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).

 

Scripture Reference (ESV): 1 Peter 1:1-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-27; Luke 22:20; Psalms 88:1-18.

 

Website Link to Archbishop Beach’s Video Sermon – “I Am the Resurrection”: https://www.lightsource.com/ministry/a-word-from-the-lord/ (Note: This link is to both an introductory One-Minute Video Clip and the complete video Sermon.).

Be Ready, for the Day of the Lord Will Come

Website Link:  www.AWordFromTheLord.org/

 

Message Summary: Be ready for the end of your earthly life and the return of the Lord. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, Paul writes to the Christians at the church in Thessalonica: “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So, then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”. Make yourself ready and keep ready!

 

Today’s Affirmation: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Past Failures. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Grace. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

 

Scripture Reference (ESV): Matthew 10:37-39; 1 Corinthians 9:12-23; James 3:13-18; Psalms 74:1-23.

What About My Death?

Website Link:  www.AWordFromTheLord.org/.

 

Message Summary: Most of us don’t like to think about and plan for death, especially our own. However, Paul in. Romans 6:23, made our life and death position very clear: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.". As part of our preparations for eternity, we should take one time each year to evaluate and to reflect on our position for facing death and realizing eternal life by identifying those changes we must make in our lives and in our relationship with God. This preparation for our death will be a blessing for us and our families. Are we prepared to face our death? Will we have eternal life? What about those we leave behind – are we being good stewards?  Also, what about our families; are they prepared for their earthly death and to receive eternal life? In Matthew 28:18, Jesus gave us His Great Commission for our life focus: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.". Have we followed Jesus’ Great Commission, for our own families, by making disciples of our family members?

 

Today’s Affirmation: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be anxious. (Philippians 4:6f).  “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:14).

 

Scripture Reference (ESV): Romans 5:12-15; Romans 7:24-25; Matthew 28:18-20; Psalms 73:1-28.