Dearly Beloved
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God’s Unfathomable Grace to Us

Dearly beloved of God, there is not a man, woman, or child among us that does not need God’s great grace, His divine favor in our lives. The good news is that He provided us access into this grace wherein we now stand through the accomplishments of our Lord Jesus Christ; not by any works on our part.

All we can do is receive what God has freely given us in Christ Jesus our Lord. None of us is worthy in ourselves of deserving His divine favor, or merit all the things that He determined to freely give us with His beloved Son.

All that is ours in Christ is due to our Heavenly Father’s goodness and kindness toward us through Christ. Without the good pleasure of His will toward us in Christ we would be nothing, have nothing, and could do nothing; we would truly be just sheep for the slaughter, but nothing could be further from the truth!

Our Father is not a man that He should lie. His Word is true and faithful, and He sent His Son to declare Him; to prove His will by his words and his works.

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When Did Judas Die?

Dearly beloved of God, changing our minds once we think we already know something is often difficult for us. This is nowhere more apparent than when we are working the Scriptures.

We cannot afford to establish an opinion concerning any subject in God’s Word before considering the revelation God reveals to us in His Word; His Word interprets itself.

Beloved, we must be as honest in our study of God’s Word as we would be in any other field of learning. We cannot afford to determine an answer before all the evidence is in.

One such subject concerns the timing of Judas Iscariot’s death. Rather than starting with what we assume to be true, let’s read the clear scriptures concerning the subject.

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The One True God and the Deceiver

Dearly beloved of God, God gave us His Word to reveal His Will to us. The further we get away from His Word, the less we can know the truth concerning spiritual matters that God alone determined.

We must allow God to speak for Himself without adding extraneous ideas into His Word, such as the traditions of men, philosophical ideas, and other persuasive arguments which come from men’s ideas; not from the One True God.

We must study to show ourselves approved unto God as workmen who do not need to be ashamed of our workmanship as we rightly divide God’s Word so that we have the Word of Truth that He intended us to have.

The Apostle Peter was on the mountain when the Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured and he was an eyewitness of his majesty; he heard God the Father say to Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”

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Who Was the Missing Apostle?

Dearly beloved, how do we know who the missing apostle was when the Lord Jesus appeared to them that evening spoken of in Luke 24 and Mark 16:18? The Gospel of John reveals the answer.

“Then that same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, 'Peace be unto you.'
And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, 'Peace be unto you.'” John 20: 19 and 20

We learn who was missing among the twelve in the verse 24:
“But Thomas one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.”

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That Evening

Dearly beloved of God, the two disciples that saw Jesus on the road to Emmaus “…rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven [Thomas was not present according to John 20:24] gathered together, and them that were with them,
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon.” Luke 24:33, 34

Sometime after Peter's second visit to the tomb, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him, and he had reported it to the others.

“And they [Cleopas and the other disciple] told what things were done in the way, and how he [Jesus] was known of them in breaking of bread.” Luke 24:35

Let’s briefly summarize the events of the day thus far. While it was yet dark, Mary saw the stone had been rolled away from the tomb and ran to tell Peter that they had taken the Lord out of the sepulchre and she did not know where they had laid him.

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What Were They Thinking?

Dearly beloved by the Lord Jesus Christ, the records following Jesus’ resurrection give us account after account that prove that he rose from the dead, yet thus far his apostles, nor his disciples believed that he had risen.

Only weeks earlier they saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. Lazarus was given a proper Judean burial, wrapped in about hundred pounds of grave clothes (othonion) with myrrh and aloes, in the same way that Jesus had been buried by Nicodemus.

In Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples who he was, and Simon Peter responded, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Jesus charged his disciples that they should not tell anyone that he was Jesus the Christ.

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On the Road to Emmaus

Dearly beloved of the Lord, after hearing the women’s report, Peter headed back to the sepulchre for a second look.

“Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes [othonion] laid by themselves, and departed, wondering [“marveling”] in himself at that which was come to pass.”

Peter left marveling as he realized what had occurred.

“After that he [Jesus] appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.” Mark 16:12

Luke 24 expounds on this as these two men walked toward Emmaus, which is about seven miles from Jerusalem. Take note that Jesus appeared to them in another form demonstrating his ability to change his appearance in his resurrected body.

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What a Day This is Shaping Up to Be

Dearly beloved by the Lord Jesus Christ, when we consider the events of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, they are electrifying.

The resurrection started with a great earthquake caused by an angel descending out of heaven and rolling away the great stone across the graveyard, and sitting on it giving unobstructed access to the open sepulchre, and the empty grave clothes lying intact. The about one hundred pounds of linen and aloes and myrrh in the shape of Jesus' body were undisturbed yet his body was no longer in them.

How do you get a body out of a face hold only large enough to cover with a napkin? In his resurrected body, he sat up right through them!

Peter and the disciple that Jesus loved saw the evidence, and then Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden while it was yet dark.

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Mary’s Report

“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. Mark 16:9

Aldus Manutius invented punctuation marks in the fifteen century. Punctuation does not carry any God-given authority when it comes to interpretation; it is man-made, and there was none in the original uncial and cursive manuscripts.

The editors of the King James Version of the Bible added the italicized words as well as the punctuation, which at times affected the meaning. In Mark 16:9 they added the comma after the word “week”, which makes it sound as if Jesus arose on Sunday.

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The First Witness

What happened after Peter and the other disciple left?

“But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.” John 20:11-18

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What Did They See?

Dearly beloved of God, Jesus was raised from the dead on the weekly Sabbath before dusk according to Matthew 28:1-4. The next event is recorded in John 20.

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.” John 20:1

The Hebrews numbered their days, and their days ran from sunset to sunset. This occurred on the first of the week, our Sunday morning before daybreak. Mary came to the sepulcher alone. It was very early, and “it was yet dark.”

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What a Turnaround

Dearly beloved of God, Jesus Christ our Passover was slain for us, but God raised him to life, never to die again. He is the firstborn from the dead among many brethren who will receive the inheritance of eternal life at his coming, and be glorified together with him. Rejoice and again I say rejoice!

If there was ever a hero, it was the only begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He accomplished what not a one of us could do for ourselves. It was all by his good work.

How did we come to be written into this will? We received it by the grace that God and His Son showed us, by believing that Jesus is the Lord and that God raised him from the dead.

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Utter Dependence on God

Dearly beloved by the Father, our lives are the sum total of what we believe. To believe is to have trust and confidence in the information God gives us by the revelation of His Word. God requires us to believe Him if we are to receive what He promises.

In a specific situation we may receive the manifestation of a word of knowledge. The manifestation of believing believes that the revelation He has given us will come to pass, the same as renewed mind believing believes the promises of His written Word will come to pass.

In Christianity, to believe is to have trust and confidence in what God says; to utterly rely on His faithfulness to perform His Word.

Christians are to believe the Scriptures as our only rule for faith and practice. If we believe the divine revelation God makes known to us, we should act on it with confident certainty knowing His declarations are trustworthy. Consider these examples of believing.

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Do You Understand How Important You Really Are?

Dearly beloved of God, you may not understand how important your life really is until the day Christ returns to gather us together, and you see those you witnessed to are there with you. You are the light in this evil world.

Around the world, the adversary is behind many organizations whose goal is to extinguish Christianity from the earth. It is not only happening overseas or beyond our borders; it is happening right where you live, on your TV, and social media.

The religion of human secularism is moving like wild fire through our schools, our government, our churches, and our communities. What is it? Politically it is the religion of socialism. Spiritually it is the idolatry of mankind.

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Have Two Cups of Coffee Today; You'll Need Them

Dearly beloved by the Lord Jesus Christ, and I don’t say that lightly, we live in the greatest time since the beginning.

Jesus Christ has accomplished what all of those who lived before him anticipated it but they did not live to receive it. They all died believing the promises, but they did not obtain them; but the day is coming that they will because Jesus accomplished their salvation and ours.

We are born of the spirit and have an entrance into the kingdom of God, and we will inherit the coming glory thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord.

I want you to think about Jesus’ love for us for a moment. He entered Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday to shouts of adulation, exaltation, and praise – a triumphant entrance, but within a few short days they all turned on him and said, “Crucify him!”

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When You Pray, Remember

Dearly beloved of God, my coffee cup has inscribed on it:
Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord Ever Present
Jehovah- Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness
Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Rophe: The Lord our Healer
Jehova-Nissi: The Lord our Battle Fighter
Jehovah- Jireh: The Lord our Provider
Jehovah- Rohi: The Lord our Good Shepherd

Dear ones, all of these descriptive names describe the God Who is now our Father, and He does not change.

He is the God of Love, the God of Light, the God of Grace, the God of the Hope, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, the God of Peace, the God of Forgiveness.

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Time to Wake Up; the Son is Up

Have you had your coffee yet? Dearly beloved of God, and you are, God, our Heavenly Father opened His heart to us and laid His “feelings” out for us in His Word, and He has not changed His mind since the day He had it penned by His holy apostles and prophets.

Our Father will always be the God of love, of comfort and compassion, of forgiveness and mercy, of care, healing, and deliverance; He says so – He is the LORD; He does not change! Why do we have such a hard time believing it?

Do you think you are so different from every other believer in Christ? God saved a man named Paul, who often committed God’s people to prison, who persecuted them unto death. He couldn’t have been further from God’s will; he even described himself as “chief sinner.”

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Levers of Power

Dearly beloved of God, our Father does not want us to be ignorant of His will, nor of the tools and levers of power He has provided us with; that’s why we study to show ourselves approved unto Him, a workman that does not need to be ashamed.

Let’s consider prayer for example. There are various kinds of prayer mentioned in the scriptures, such as in I Timothy 2:8. In this verse, supplication, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks are mentioned.

“Supplication” is prayer that expresses a specific object. It is to call you aside for a special objective.

The word “prayers” comes from the Greek word “euchomai”, which is prefixed with “pros.” It carries the sense of “to vow” and it includes the commitment you make to God concerning your personal devotion.

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Count it All Joy

Dearly beloved ones, our God looks on the heart; He hears our cries, and He is our ever present help. Take Him at His Word; He guarantees the end from the beginning.

We must not faint in our minds. I know that worries and fears confront us at every turn, but at every turn our Heavenly Father works for our good; it is the good pleasure of His will to exert His almighty power to deliver us. You are not alone.

We must continue in faithfulness, which means we must continue to look to Him and believe what He says. Cast your cares upon Him and expect Him to supply your every need; He cares for you. He is able and willing to help us, and He wants to; we are His inheritance.

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Truth or Religion

Dearly beloved of God, religion is like fast food; it tastes good, but it leaves you with a good case of heart burn. On the other hand, the truth nourishes us spiritually and sets us free.

Religion is made up of man’s ideas about God. The ideas come from many different sources such as tradition, philosophy, mythology, various creeds, councils and committees that men formed; not from what God has revealed about Himself in His Word. Religion does not reveal God’s wisdom concerning Christ and what his accomplishments mean, nor does it have the power of God behind it.

Godliness, on the other hand, is a true, vital, spiritual relationship between God and you due to the work of Jesus Christ.

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In Times Like These

Dearly beloved, there are times in life that we just don’t have the answers we need in our selves. In times like these we need to go to our Heavenly Father with our whole heart and trust Him to be who He says He is, and to lead and guide us by His hand into deliverance.

Life is fraught with challenges; it’s a spiritual minefield out there, and without His help and guidance we could end up as spiritual cripples or worse; casualties of the fight. Beloved, the only safe place to walk is in the footprints of God's Word, the same as a baby hind carefully follows in his mother’s tracks as they scale the heights of a mountainside.

We are mortal, fleshly thinking humans made out of the dust; how could we ever place our trust in ourselves? God is Spirit. He is almighty in power; He cares for us and He says that He supplies our every need: we should look to Him and take Him at His Word: He is our Father.

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The Day of Salvation

Dearly beloved of God, today is the day of salvation; there will be no other. God is the one who orchestrates the move of His Word. He works in people’s hearts and stirs their hunger as they hear His Word. He draws them unto Him.

He presents us with situations to minister to people and bring them answers and bring deliverance to them. He does not see as man sees; He looks on the heart. This is our life; don’t let it slip through your hands.

Prayer and worship come first in our lives and that is what builds us up spiritually so that we can be effective witnesses and hold forth His Word with boldness.

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Deliverance from Bondage

Dearly beloved by the Father, it is a great day to be alive. We know our Lord is coming back to redeem and save us, and we are completely filled with everything he accomplished; our Father freely gives us all things with Christ!

When God led Israel out of the captivity of Egypt He stretched forth His mighty hand and delivered them by a series of marvels never before seen. Their Passover Lamb delivered them from their captivity; it was the LORD’S Passover.

God changed the Hebrew calendar to mark the significance of the deliverance that came with the killing of the Passover Lamb. They were never to forget it. God had even greater deliverance in mind than what Israel received that day; He saw the deliverance of the true Lamb of God in the distance; this deliverance was to typify what that Lamb would provide His people.

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A Day to Rejoice

You are God’s dearly beloved and highly favored child, that’s why I write these letters to you each day. He does not want you to forget who He created you to be in Christ; you are His workmanship! Think of these as His love letters to you.

You are no longer just one of the human race, you are a son of God filled with all that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for you. You are one who is set apart as God’s people and a member in particular in the body of Christ.

God completely filled you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, including the gift of holy spirit, all the sonship rights that pertain to your sonship, and the special privileges that accompany your sonship. You have power from on high; the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwelling in you!

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It Is Available

Dearly beloved, God gave us His Word and His spirit in the new birth to profit us. They should work together so that we can know the will of God and do those things that please Him. The two should work harmoniously together in our lives.

For example, God reveals that He is the LORD that heals us; that is His will, but healing is not automatic – if it were there would not be any sick Christians around us.

To minister healing to someone requires the operation of the nine manifestations of the holy spirit. These all come from the ability that comes in the one gift of holy spirit we receive in the new birth, which is the spirit of sonship.

The Word of God was written by men who operated the spirit of God and God revealed His Word to them by the revelation manifestations: word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and discerning of spirits.

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