#gospelofchrist – herbcotton.org

How Close Are You to God?

Today Somebody Prayed for You

Today’s Bowl of Encouragement by Herb Cotton

Bible Text for Today’s Meditation and Application:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 King James Version (KJV)

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

My Reflections on the Word of God Today:

I cannot imagine any person I would rather be closer to than God; what about you? Have you thought genuinely about that question?

I remember as a child I did not like to go to wakes or funeral services. I had a fear of being close to dead people. Thankfully, I overcame that fear when I was thirteen years old, and my grandmother died in our home.

How shall we live in this world with all of the troubles, and deaths happening every day of our life on earth? What does the Bible say about God’s plan for our lives?

Galatians 3:26 King James Version (KJV)

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

John 10:10 King James Version (KJV)

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 1:1-2 King James Version (KJV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

John 1:14 King James Version (KJV)

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

O, my friends and family, do you know Jesus? Is He close to you? Is Jesus alive, and you know He is because He lives in your heart? Have you been born twice? Those who are only born once will have to die twice. Listen to what God says in the Bible, The Word of God.

John 3:6-7 King James Version (KJV)

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Now, here is an invitation that God extends to you; it has your name written on it, and it comes with a promise from God.

Romans 10:11-13 King James Version (KJV)

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Oh, I beg you; I plead with you to accept the gift of salvation that God offers to you; it’s the only way to know God, and be recognized by Him as His adopted children.

2 Corinthians 5:21 King James Version (KJV)

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Prayer Offered to Our Father in Heaven:

Father God, I pray that no-one who reads this message today will leave this place of prayer lost and undone; without hope in this world, and the world to come.

Father, I pray that each will come to know Jesus and receive His invitation to come to Him and accept the gift of eternal life provided by the death of Jesus on the center cross at Calvary.

John 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

How Much Do You Love the Word of God?

Text:

Psalm 119:97-104 (NLT)

97 Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.

98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.

99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws.

100 I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments.

101 I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word.

102 I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.

103 How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.

104 Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.

Observation:

How much do you love the Word of God? Are you like David; can you say what he said about the Word?

Psalm 119:97-98 (MSG)

97 Oh, how I love all you’ve revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long.

98 Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete.

Are you willing to let God be your teacher, and not man? Learn all you can from the good resources of man, but don’t neglect letting God be your teacher.

John 14:26 (NLT)

26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 16:13-15 (NLT)

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.

15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, thank You for being our teacher, and our guide through the Holy Spirit that You have poured out into our hearts.

Father, help us to always remember that knowing is not enough, we must do the will of God.

James 1:22 (NLT)

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

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God’s Plan for You

Text:

John 16:7-11 (HCSB)

7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you.

8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:

9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me;

10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;

11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Observation:

The disciples had walked with Jesus, and had the pleasure of seeing Him do wonderful and amazing things. In their minds Jesus leaving them was the worst possible outcome.

However, God had something better, and God’s best required that Jesus must return to be with the Father, and then the Holy Spirit would come and live in them.

Jesus leaving was God’s plan for His disciples then, and for us today. It is a part of God’s plan for the redemption of fallen mankind.

God has done His part; Jesus has been lifted up, and the Holy Spirit has come down to dwell in the hearts of God’s people.

John 3:14-16 (HCSB)

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 14:16-17 (HCSB)

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.

17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.

God has done His part, and He has given a command to His people to do our part.

Acts 1:8 (HCSB)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Mark 16:19-20 (HCSB)

19 Then after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the accompanying signs.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for sending Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Your people to be Your witnesses to the whole world that You so love. Father, may we be faithful in going, so that others will come to You and find redemption in Christ. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

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Are You Living A Life Worthy of the Gospel of Christ?

Text:

Philippians 1:27-30 (HCSB)

27 Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith ?that comes from? the gospel,

28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your deliverance—and this is from God.

29 For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,

30 having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Observation:

This passage is one that begs for our full attention. In particular, verse twenty-seven is one that I have meditated on, and will post in a prominent place in my prayer closet.

All of us who belong to Jesus should conduct our life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

It is very important in every age that the people God remember this essential truth. God’s people should unite in Christ, and oppose the enemy of our soul, and not one another. The Apostle not only taught this, but he lived it.

Acts 23:1 (HCSB)

1 Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day.”

Here is an example of how Paul lived out his life in Christ.

Philippians 1:14-17 (HCSB)

14 Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly.

15 To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will.

16 These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;

17 the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Paul knew how to get along with people that were different, and so should we.

Prayer:

Father, I exalt and extol Your name. Father, I thank You for giving Your people the power to unite against our enemies, and to unite with one another in the proclamation of the gospel of Christ. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

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Are You Telling the Story of What God Has Done for You?

Text:

Philippians 1:12-14 (KJV)

12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Observation:

Today my attention is focused on another aspect of this passage. Last week we focused on the circumstances that we face in our walk. Today, my focus is on the gospel of Christ.

It is clear from verse twelve that the Apostle Paul’s priority was the furtherance of the gospel of Christ. What is the gospel of Christ? Well, Paul answers that question in another letter.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJV)

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

This is the basic message that Paul delivered (vv. 3-4) everywhere he went. This is the message that we are called to share everywhere we go.

Acts 1:8 (KJV)

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The lyrics to “I Am Redeemed” by Jessy Dixon is speaking to me.

“I am redeemed, bought with a price,

Jesus has changed my whole life.

If anybody asks you, just who I am,

tell them I am redeemed.”

This verse records Jessy’s response to the Lord.

“I’ll tell of His favor, I’ll tell of His love,

I’ll tell of His goodness to me.

He purchased my redemption with His own precious blood,

and from sin I’ve been set free.”

O, may each of our response be like the people that Paul wrote to in the church at Philippi, and of Jessy Dixon in the excerpts from his song.

Philippians 1:14 (NLT)

14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, give us the confidence and courage to boldly tell others of Your goodness to us by providing the means for our redemption by the blood of your darling son, Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry