5/9 - Maranatha Devotionals

Members

~Mark 9:43-48 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

The Lord meant business when he preached. He was preaching words of life to a lost and dying people: people who were thieves, adulterers, liars … sinners. Yes, but Kate, I merely took a pen from work and it didn’t hurt anyone. Ah, but sin is sin, whether big or small (James 2:10). Jesus Christ, our Lord, thought it so serious that He painted very poignant pictures of what we should do. If your pet sin (you know, the one that you can’t seem to shake) is stealing then rather than enter Hell with two hands, cut off a hand! There’s no sense cutting off a hand if you’re going to continue in your sinful ways. Unless one is born-again, it’s impossible to enter Heaven.

But to the born-again Christian, we no longer have to worry about our sin debt because Jesus paid it for us! Now that we His child, we must live like His child. Any child born into a family looks like his parents, learns his parents ways, and lives like his parents. It’s no difference now that we are a child of the King! Amen?

~Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Is it any wonder that the world does not recognize Jesus Christ in the church today? The church lives like the world and acts like the world. There is no difference whatsoever. Sadly, the world recognizes its ‘father’ (the devil) in the church! Since we are most definitely in the end times, it may be too late for this earth to repent, but it is never too late for an individual to repent.

Only once in God’s word does He say the words, “I counsel thee”! We should take heed to what the Great Counsellor says. He speaks them to today’s church age, the Laodicean church:

~Revelation 3:18-20 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

God’s word is priceless – everything we need can be found in it! It is tried and proven (Psalm 12:6-7) and is eternal. Through it, we find salvation and are clothed in white raiment (Revelation 3:5). Our sins have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and He covers us with beautiful robes of white! Daily we should pray that the Holy Spirit anoint our eyes so that we may behold great and wonderful things from His holy word! The Lord, Jesus Christ, desires to meet us through His word, dine with us, and meet our very need. Revelation 3:20 is used many times as a salvation verse but it is spoken to the church. This church age is busy with many things but not the right thing: fellowship with the Saviour!

So what are our members up to today? Are we going to enter eternity ashamed? Let’s get busy and put our members to work – doing righteously for the Lord, Jesus Christ!