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Today is Tuesday June 22, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Job, chapters 30-33. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-june-22

Today's Message: A New Creature

Christians who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior can rejoice in the fact that they are saved and received the gift of eternal life because of their faith in His death, burial, and resurrection. However, Satan has a great was of trying to get us to doubt our Salvation. I do not know how many times I said the sinners prayer in order to be saved yet again before knowing the truth that once I am saved, I am always saved. The one that stands out the most was on June 10, 2004, so, I hold on to that as the day I truly wanted to live my life for Christ. Amazingly, once we truly want Christ in our lives a transformation begins, one no longer wants to live like the world does, but as Christ did when He was here. You can be sure that when you do take that step to follow Christ Satan is right behind you trying to stop you. He will even make you think that you are not living a godly life in hopes to doubt your transformation and stop all together. The problem is when we doubt ourselves we are doubting God and the amazing things that He has done to make us who we are today. We are children of God and He knows the transformation that has been made so we do not have to be afraid to speak up and say, I am a new creature. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - II Corinthians 5:17.

Job felt humiliated, all his friends did the hole time they have around him was criticize him and call him a hypocritical liar, his family, and even his wife ignored him. He was in pain and no one seemed to have any compassion for him at all. “They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me. Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction...I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me. Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.” - Job 31:10-12,20-23. For Job, there seemed to be no end to the cruelty of the people who made his suffering even more painful and miserable, but, by far, the most troubling to Job was that it seemed that God did not care and was not hearing his prayers. During times like these our faith is put to the test, this is where we are to not lean on our own understanding, but our faith.

Job began thinking about some of the common sins known to man and pointing out that there was no way that he could have done them. “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?...Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.” - Job 31:1-4,35. Job points out that God knows who I am, I have not committed any of these sins, but he also asks why God does not answer his prayers. One of the most difficult trials for a Christian is to pray, and continue praying, without any apparent sign that God has heard, but the effectiveness of our prayers cannot be judged by immediate results. There are many reasons for delay. Sometimes God does not grant our request because He will provide something better. At other times, He withholds material benefits in order to impart spiritual understanding. The very fact that our requests are sometimes granted and sometimes denied is proof in itself that we are cared for by a God of love whose ways are governed by His wisdom and always for our own good.

We can praise God for the accusations and persecutions because we were chosen by Jesus Himself and are going to face the same criticism that He faced. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you....If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.” - John 15:16,19-21. Godly men and women are often falsely accused, criticized, and condemned as hypocrites. The best saint often receives the worst indignities from a self-serving, scornful crowd. People who are living in sin do not want to see God blessing those who are living righteously. But guess what? We will be blessed. Praise God!

If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you are a new creature, chosen by Christ Himself, you are going through a transformation and just like Job you can say, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” - Job 23:10. Do not let anyone make you doubt your Salvation or faith in God. He knows what is going on, He knows your heart and knows the path you take. Keep trusting in Him and remember, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” - Hebrews 11:1. We will see God's blessings, He is listening to everything we are saying to Him and one day you will see just how much all that patience and persistence will pay off.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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