THINGS WE MUST HAVE 2

WE MUST HAVE THE BLOOD OF JESUS

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Man is not now nor has he ever been able to keep the whole law. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and that none of us are righteous. God is a Righteous God and He demanded punishment for sin. "The wages of sin is death."
Jesus took our punishment in His own body and shed His blood to pay for the sins of the world. He was perfect yet the Bible says he became the sacrifice for our sins, he took the punishment and offered His own blood as a sacrifice for our sins.
This may be difficult for us to understand but what it really means is that Jesus took the punishment we deserved and offers us salvation if we believe Him and accept Him as our Lord and Savior.
There are lot of things you might be able to do without but if you are planning on spending eternity in Heaven you must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

THINGS WE MUST HAVE 1

WE MUST HAVE SALVATION

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye
can do nothing.

Sometimes we get the idea that there are some things that we just
must have. If we take time to think about it we would realize that
many of the things we consider so necessary are things that people
have been getting along quite nicely without for thousands of years.
If we are going to live a fruitful Christian life there are some
things that are absolutely essential. I will be discussing some of
these in the next few devotionals. Speaking of fruitful if we are
going to bear fruit we must realize that we are only the branches.
Jesus is the vine. We must be connected to Him and allow His
strength and His life to fill us or we will never be able to be
fruitful. When a branch is separated from the vine, not only will it
stop bearing fruit, it will wither and die.
Make sure you are alive and vibrant and filled with Jesus by staying
connected to Him through study, prayer, service and fellowship with
other believers.

NO OTHER WAY

JohN 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
We are living in a time of compromise when everyone seems to be accepted except conservative Christians. We are called mean spirited and narrow minded because we believe that Jesus is the only one who can save you.
Actually we are not mean spirited. Jesus loved the lost and so do Christians with the proper attitudes. We still believe that they are wrong. We still believe that they are lost in their sin if they have rejected Jesus. Loving someone does not mean you have to accept their beliefs or behavior.
True Christianity does not want to see the destruction of other people. We do not want to kill them if they do not convert. What we do want is for them to know that Jesus is the only way. Jesus is the truth and all else that promises salvation is a lie. Jesus is the only one that can give us eternal life and any other path leads to death and destruction.
Many will be shocked some day when they stand before God and He rejects them because they tried to come to Him some other way than through His only begotten Son, Jesus.

LIFE IS SHORT

James 4:13-14 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: (14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

I can remember when I was a child. I could not wait to be a teenager and get my driver's license. Then I could not wait to be 21 and be considered an adult. It seemed that the year between birthdays lasted forever.
I can also remember when I turned 39. It dawned on me that I was a middle aged man. Now when I go into a restaurant they ask if I get the senior citizen discount. Unlike when I was young it seems that I have a birthday about every month. I guess you go much faster when you are going downhill.
The one thing I have learned is that life is short. As James says it is like a vapor, here only briefly. Your life is not just made up of decades and years. It is made up of days and of moments.
Time is the stuff that life is made of and that is why it is important to use it wisely. Let us learn to savor the moments, the days, and get the most out of life. Let us dedicate every day to the Lord and allow Him to fill it with blessings. It is way too short to waste even a part of it.
(I woke up at 3:00 am on the day of this writing. I tossed and turned for thirty minutes trying to go back to sleep. I decided that it was a waste of time. I got up and began to work on my devotionals. I feel a whole lot better than I would have if I had just got up and sat there and pouted.)

JUMP START

Isaiah 41:6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

I was driving down the street earlier today and I saw a car in a parking lot with it's hood up. There was another car there and they had the jumper cables connected. It brought back a lot of memories for me. I think I have had more cars that needed a jump start to get going than anyone I know. My jumper cables were one thing I didn't leave home without.
We can be like that in our personal and spiritual lives and we might not even notice it. There have been many days that I felt like canceling due to a lack of interest on my part. Sometimes when I get up I need a jump start.
I have found if I start my day in prayer and ask God to help me get started that I am much like those old clunkers I have driven. Once I get started I have more than enough power and energy to keep me going. As a matter of fact, I have found if I give someone else a boost that it doesn't take anything away from me.
Sometimes it might just be a good deed, a compliment or a smile that helps to give someone a boost. Jump start your own day by spending time with God and then carry your cables with you. You might meet someone else who needs a boost.

ONE WAY

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I wouldn't even venture to guess how many people have been ticketed going the wrong way on a one way street even after explaining, "But I didn't see the sign."

It is not the policeman's responsibility to point out the sign. It is the responsibility of the motorist to pay attention and know the rules of the road, after all they are for our own benefit and for our safety. The Bible contains the rules of the road for those of us on our way through this life to a home in heaven. If you are trying to get to heaven any other way than through Jesus Christ you are headed the wrong way.

There will be many excuses given. "I was religious", "I was a good person", "I was a church member", "I was baptized", "I was generous," are just a few. None of that matters if you have not gone the right way. Jesus insisted that, "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." It is only through accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior that you can be going the right way.

Imagine again that policeman on the one-way street as you try to convince him not to give you a ticket. "I don't know why I should get a ticket," you explain, "I have on my seat belt, I gave a signal before I turned in here, I wasn't going over the speed limit, I have not been drinking, I am watching for pedestrians."

The policeman would probably say, "That would all be in your favor if you weren't going the wrong way."

Are you going the right way? There is only one right way and that is Jesus Christ.

FOR SALE

Mt 16:26 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?
As you drive down the road you see many For Sale signs as well as the road signs. There are houses, land, vehicles, and many other things there with For Sale signs to attract buyers.
I wonder how many people would that have completely negleted their spiritual life should have a For Sale sign around their necks. Some are willing to sell themselves for popularity, some for pleasure, some for riches.
I want you to imagine that you are on sale at an auction. There are only two bidders. There is Satan and there is Jesus. As you are being auctioned you are the one that takes the bidding and makes the decision.
Satan says "I will give riches."
Jesus says, "I will make you joint heirs with me and all things are in my Father's hands."
Satan says, "I will give you pleasure."
Jesus says, "I will give you peace, and joy, and comfort."
Satan says, "I will give you an exciting life."
Jesus says, "I will give you life eternal and life abundant."
I could go on but you get the general idea. Satan is the father of all lies and all the promises he makes are broken in the end.Jesus demonstrated His willingness to keep his promises by purchasing you with His own life and suffering. He has already paid the price for you. It is just a matter of giving yourself to Him.