Ixtheus Christian Devotionals

What are you willing to give up for the spreading of the Gospel ?
Job ? Reputation ? Career ? Wealth ? Health ? Life on this earth ?
None of These ? All of these ?

As Christians, we are given a mandate from Jesus Christ to 
"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature".
Mark 16:5

One of the great ironies of our modern time and culture is that while we
have technology that if properly utilized could spread the Gospel 
to the whole world in about one week, 
we also are under such fear and intimidation of being politically incorrect, 
or un-separating church and state, or offending other people's feelings
that we are afraid to speak up publically the truth of the Gospel to anybody.

Satan is laughing at us, because we have fallen for the lies he tells.
He threatens us with loss of reputation, loss of career, loss of friends,
loss of job..whatever is most precious to us in this world, 
just so that we keep our silence.
 And as long as we just keep our silence, he will leave us alone.

HOWEVER...God will not leave us alone!!!
 He is trying to save as many souls out of this corrupt and sinful world as He can
in the short time we have left. He is giving us all the tools to do greater things than Jesus did...but as long as we refuse to use them, or are afraid of the
consequences if we do use them..their advantage is cancelled out.

John 14:12 (KJV) 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
 the works that I do shall he do also; 
and greater works than these shall he do; 
because I go unto my Father.

As a boy growing up, I used to take it for granted that there would be
a Nativity Scene on the courthouse lawn in the town where I grew up.
No longer. Thanks to the ACLU and a few whiney atheists, this small and
silent testimony to our Lord's incarnation is gone.

This year as football season starts, groups of parents and students at
certain public schools in Texas decided to have a simple prayer at the 
stadium before the game, to protect and bless the athletes as they played.
SORRY...UNCONSTITUTIONAL !!!
 Again, spurred on by the ACLU, and a few whining atheists supposedly felt offended by this horrible public display of "Religion", and corruption of  the so-called "separation of chuch and state".  They sought and obtained a court injunction to put a stop to this "offensive public behavior. " (I was glad to see that at least some of the schools went ahead and prayed anyway).  And so we have one more excuse to just crawl into our safe little shells and pull up our little warm blankies, keep silent, and let the rest of the world go to Hell. 

Meanwhile, the devil and his colleagues become bolder and bolder,
and feel they can take more and more of our religious freedom,
and find more and more ways to intimidate us into silence.
And we, as members of the body of Christ, find more and more excuses 
for our silence and lack of obedience to the Savior's commands.

I sometimes wonder what would happen if American Christians would just say, 
"enough is enough",
WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN,
we will pray at the football game if we want to,
we students will bring our Bibles to school and pray in the lunchroom,
we will put a manger scene on our lawn if we cant have one at city hall,
we will keep a Bible open at our desk at work,
and keep a Jesus Poster in our work area,
we will witness at work, even though it is against the rules,
we will put Jesus Stickers on our envelopes when we pay our bills,
we will wear Jesus tee-shirts and christian logos on our clothes,
we will put large signs with Bible verses on our lawns,
any public display of your faith you can think of...
just do it !!!
no matter what the rules...

Maybe then we will be given the grace to say, 
"I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord"
when someone puts a loaded gun to our face and asks...
"do you believe in Jesus..come on, do you???"
....In the Middleton School libraries of  our lives...

What is the worst that can happen??

ABSENT FROM THE BODY, PRESENT WITH THE LORD. (2 Cor 5:8)

Mat 10:32-39 (KJV) 
Remember, Jesus said...
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, 
him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 
{33} But whosoever shall deny me before men, 
him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 

{34} Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: 
I came not to send peace, but a sword. 
{35} For I am come to set a man at variance against his father,
 and the daughter against her mother, 
and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 
{36} And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

 {37} He that loveth father or mother more than me 
is not worthy of me: 
and he that loveth son or daughter more than me
 is not worthy of me. 
{38} And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me,
 is not worthy of me. 
{39} He that findeth his life shall lose it: 
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Mat 16:24-27 (KJV) 
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, 
If any man will come after me, 
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
 {25} For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: 
and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
 {26} For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, 
and lose his own soul? 
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

 {27} For the Son of man shall come 
in the glory of his Father with his angels; 
and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
...............

Acts 5:12-42 (selected verses)(TLB)
{12}And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch....
{14} And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) {15} Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. {16} There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
 
{17} The High Priest and his relatives and friends among the Sadducees reacted with violent jealousy {18} and arrested the apostles, and put them in the public jail. {19} But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail and brought them out. Then he told them, {20} "Go over to the Temple and preach about this Life!" {21} They arrived at the Temple about daybreak and immediately began preaching! ....

{25} Then someone arrived with the news that the men they had jailed were out in the Temple, preaching to the people! {26} The police captain went with his officers and arrested them (without violence, for they were afraid the people would kill them if they roughed up the disciples) and brought them in before the Council. 

{27} {28} "Didn't we tell you never again to preach about this Jesus?" the High Priest demanded. "And instead you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring the blame for this man's death on us!" 
{29} But Peter and the apostles replied,

 "WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN. 

{30} The God of our ancestors brought Jesus back to life again after you had killed him by hanging him on a cross. {31} Then, with mighty power, God exalted him to be a Prince and Savior, so that the people of Israel would have an opportunity for repentance, and for their sins to be forgiven. {32} And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to all who obey him." 
{33} At this, the Council was furious and decided to kill them. {34} But one of their members, a Pharisee named Gamaliel (said).... {38} "And so my advice is, leave these men alone. If what they teach and do is merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. {39} But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them, 
lest you find yourselves fighting even against God."
 {40} The Council accepted his advice, called in the apostles, had them beaten, and then told them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, 
and finally let them go. 

{41} They left the Council chamber rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for his name. {42} And every day, in the Temple and in their home Bible classes, they continued to teach and preach that Jesus is the Messiah.

God Bless you as you serve Jesus Christ, The Lord.
In Christ........brother bob.....<><
 

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 IXTHEUS CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONALS 
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God Bless You.....brother bob.......<><

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