Head or Heart Knowledge?

Scripture Reading: Romans 10

Focus Verses: Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Some people don’t realize it, but there is a big difference between having head knowledge about God and having faith in God in your heart.  If you know facts about God that is totally different than having faith in God.  You could actually miss heaven by 45 centimeters.  That’s the distance between your head and your heart.

Maybe you’ve got all the facts about God in your head, but you have never repented (turned away from) your sins and accepted by faith (complete trust) in Jesus.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says by faith you are saved, not what you know or what you have done.  You can speak the Christian language, go to church, be a kind person, give money to the poor and not really be saved.  You can fool others and maybe even fool yourself, but you can’t fool God.  He can see right through a fake relationship with Him.  The question is, have you ever been transformed through God’s saving power through Jesus Christ?

Isaiah 29:13 “The Lord says, These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught."  Don’t resist yielding to God with all the head knowledge that you may have of Him.  He wants you to come to Jesus with a childlike faith and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.

If you never have humbled yourself, bow your head now.  Ask forgiveness of your sins in humble repentance, and accept Him into your life as Lord and Savior.  John 3:3 Jesus said, “except a man is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Additional reading for assurance of salvation.  1 John 5:13 Are you placing your complete hopes on Jesus or yourself?  Colossians 3:12 You also have a new nature that brings new desires; godly desires.  That's how you know.

Courage to Stand

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4

Focus Verse: 1 Peter 4:14 
"If you are reproached for the name of Christ, Blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you.  On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."

Throughout history many Christians have been persecuted for their faith.  Today we still hear of Christians mistreated in so many countries.  God gives a special grace and courage during these times.  These people are unwilling to deny Jesus, and unwilling to turn away from the One who has changed their lives.  Some would say "what a tragedy that a person had to die for their faith."  In reality we are all going to die one day.  What an honor to die for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Not that I desire to die today, but I would much rather die that way, than to die living for myself.  Those who have died for their faith not only knew how to live well, but knew how to die well.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:28  "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Jesus' disciples understood this, because many of them were killed for their faith.

You may not be sure if you could face persecution like that.  But if God allowed you to be put in that situation, then he WOULD give you the strength to endure it.  As Christians we know that this earth is not our home.  Jesus is preparing us a home where we will live forever.  Not just any home, but a perfect home in heaven.  As children of God we have much to look forward to.  I hope that you can say that you are living well, and also some day you will die well.

Bobby Johnson

director, Interlocking Ministries

Storms We Encounter

 Storms We Encounter

Scripture Reading:  Mark 4: 35-41

Focus Verses:  Mark 4: 35-37. “As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples,  " Let's cross to the other side of the lake."  So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).  But soon a fierce storm came up.  High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.”

We can all encounter a type of storm in our lives. This week my first cousin had to have brain surgery to remove a tumor on her brain.  This is a storm in her life that she never expected to happen.  She is born again and is trusting God. We prayed for her, and God answered, and she survived the surgery and seems to be recovering well. We continue to pray for her, her husband and two boys as they go through this storm.

In our scripture reading the disciples also encountered a storm that they weren’t expecting.  This story tells us how God is in control of even the worst of circumstances we find ourselves in.  Some of these disciples were very experienced fishermen, and I’m sure they had seen bad storms before.  But this one was really bad because they feared for their very lives that they might drown.

Even though Jesus was asleep in the boat, He was fully aware of the storm and the situation the disciples were in.  And Jesus is now also aware of the storms you may be going through right now.  And Jesus will answer when He hears your call for help, just as he did for the disciples.  Jesus didn’t prevent the storm, but He calmed the storm.  Sometimes God will allow our storms to get so severe that we can do nothing except call on God for relief.  We are all going to face hardships in this life.  But we take comfort in knowing that God is in the storm with us.  Life is not always smooth sailing, but God is there with us.  

Paul said in Philippians 1:6  “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”   Storms will come, and storms will go, but God is always with us.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries