Floodgates of Heaven Devotions: Salvation

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Salvation, Plain and Simple!

Today’s Reading: Job 34-34, Acts 15:1-21

Today’s Reflection: Acts 15:10-11 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Here, we are reminded once again that salvation is by grace through faith alone. There is absolutely nothing we can contribute in order to earn redemption. It is all unmerited favor. However, there would be some who would pervert the Gospel by adding works, laws, and requirements that the Scriptures simply do not teach nor support.

In today’s text, there were some who were teaching new Christians that they must not only trust Christ as their savior, but that they also should be circumcised and keep the law of Moses in order to obtain salvation. This simply was not true, as Peter clearly taught, and it is still not true today.

It is sad that there are yet still so many people today trying to get saved some other way besides a simple child-like faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the common lies you might hear taught today are that you need to be water baptized to be saved, or that you need to become a member of a certain denomination to be saved, or that you must speak in tongues to be saved, or that your good must simply outweigh your bad in order to be saved, or that you must attend church faithfully in order to be saved, or listen to a certain kind of music, or say a certain kind of prayer, or feel a certain kind of way, or any number of things.

The simple truth is, none of this is true. Salvation really is a work of God which is brought about by grace through faith, plus NOTHING and minus NOTHING.

You can be saved and never join a church (although church is essential for your spiritual growth after salvation). You can be saved and never be water baptized (look at the thief on the cross). You can be saved and never speak in tongues. You can be saved and never affiliate with a denomination. I hope you’re getting the idea.

Salvation REALLY IS by grace through faith ALONE! Never let anyone tell you that you must do this or do that or even quit sinning before God will save you. Here’s the truth; you CAN’T quit sinning until you already ARE saved. But here’s what you CAN do. Turn your heart and mind from your sin to Christ, place your faith in Him alone, and receive forgiveness for sins. THAT will work!

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Floodgates of Heaven
Volume 2
Entry 188 of 365

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copyright © by Gary D. Caudill

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The King is calling your name!

Today’s Reading: Esther 1-2, Acts 5:1-21

Today’s Reflection: Esther 2:14b …she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.

Oh, to have audience with the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords! Even as this earthly king in our text did not allow others to approach him who had not been called by name, one might wonder what strict protocol God our Creator, King of the Universe, might have before others can approach His throne!

And here is the truth of the matter, dear reader; you can hear Him calling YOUR name before His presence even now! You might say, “But I don’t hear my name being called!” Ah, but you must. Hear it for yourself, as you read Rev. 22:17 out loud to yourself even now: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Can you hear it now? Not yet convinced? Then let us consider another in Heb. 4:16, which says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

You see, all who will come to God the Father through Christ the Son, are not only granted access upon request, but actually called, in essence, by name, into His Kingly presence! Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

That said, if you will trust Christ as Savior and Lord, then you have a personal “whosoever will” invitation to come before the Father to find grace to help in time of need. Dear friend, He knows you by name; the only question now is, do you know Him?

The Word also says in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This promise is so sure, that you can plug your name into the spot where “whosoever” is, and it will be just as personal as God intended for it to be!

Do you hear the King calling you to Himself through Christ today? If so, do not turn Him away! It is not often that men are beckoned by name before kings, but this is not just any ordinary king!

Jesus said in Rev. 3:20, “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.” Now we see Him not only call us to Himself, but bringing Himself to us! Can you hear your name now?

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Floodgates of Heaven
Volume 2
Entry 171 of 365

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copyright © by Gary D. Caudill

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Jesus Christ TRULY IS all you need!

Today’s Reading: Ezra 1-2, John 19:23-42

Today’s Reflection: John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

From the same One who said “I thirst” flows forth blood and water. The blood for the cleansing of sin, and the water for the washing of water by The Word! There is the redemptive work that only the blood can bring (Heb. 9:22), and then there is the sanctifying work that only The Word can bring (John 17:17)!

Both are essential for the initiating and perpetual work of The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. And neither could be made available to depraved humanity without first a Savior who depraved Himself on our behalf.

To think of Christ, who made the oceans, seas, rivers, creeks, springs, and wells, to deprive Himself of water so that you and I could take a drink of His living water and never thirst again, is a soul stirring truth from which we can draw from now on through eternity!

I have come to Him time and time again for a drink, and never left empty-handed! Are you discouraged? Then He has a cup of encouragement for you! Are you sad? Then He has a cup of joy! Heartbroken? Then take a sip of His heart-healing waters! Lonely? Then try a taste of His very presence!

O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him (Psalm 34:8). When you are weak, He is strong; when you are depressed, He offers happiness; when you are lost, He knows right where you are, finds you, and brings you into His fold! When you are weary, He makes you lie down in green pastures. When you are thirsty, He makes you walk by cool, refreshing, still waters. When your soul is cast down, He lifts your spirit to heights unknown.

Jesus is your all in all! And He offers all of this through His sacrifice on Calvary. Everything you need, from redemption, to sustaining power, to sanctification, to separation, to service, to supply, till The Lord calls us home, is made possible because that from His side “came there out blood and water.”

All this He did FOR THEE! Romans 8:32 goes on to say, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Did you catch that? ALL things! Whatever you need! Listen, dear reader, WHATEVER you NEED can be found in Jesus Christ! Trust Him with your life, and you will be in good hands for now and forever!

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Floodgates of Heaven
Volume 2
Entry 162 of 365

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Breaking Generational Curses!

Today’s Reading: 2 Chron. 13-14, John 12:1-26

Today’s Reflection: 2 Chron. 14:5-6 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.

King Asa, under the blessing and favor of The Lord, was able to break a generational curse not only for himself and his family, but for the entire nation of Israel.

His father who had reigned before him rose up in rebellion against The Lord and his people, by both worshiping false gods and making war with them. Furthermore, he paid for his sins both in great defeat and eventually in his own early grave, as punishment from The Lord for his wickedness.

Now enters his son, King Asa, who is a vastly different leader. Instead of following in his father’s footsteps like so many kings of the past had done, he chose rather to take away the high places and the false images that were set up by his father and that generation.

No doubt he truly understood that these very idols were the snare that brought his father down, and he did not want to experience the same fate. And so we see him choosing to go in the exact opposite direction of his father.

King Asa worshiped The Lord, broke down those high places of false religion, and as a result, experienced a peace in the land that only The Lord could have given him. This resulted in a season of blessings and prosperity that were drama-free!

Now, I write this to encourage some dear reader who, for the longest time (perhaps even your entire childhood) has had to deal with nothing but drama in your home due to your parent’s sinful lifestyles, void of faith in Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you’ve been fearful that you will experience a similar fate; that the sins of your fathers will be passed down to your generation. Perhaps you’re afraid that because no one in your family has ever been able to break the chains of sin and addiction, that ultimately this will be your fate, and that you are trapped and thus will never experience true peace in your heart and life.

Well, I’m here to bring you good news! Jesus Christ is in the curse-breaking business! Like King Asa, you DO have a choice; choose Christ, and LIVE! Make Him your Lord and Savior, and you can be the first to start a new legacy of faith in your family tree!

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Volume 2
Entry 151 of 365

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If this don't put you on "shoutin' ground", nothing will!!

Today’s Reading: 2 Sam. 14-15, Luke 17:1-19

Today’s Reflection: 2 Samuel 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

According to Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death. Romans 5:12 also says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Simply put, we ALL are going to die, because we ALL have sinned! That’s the New Testament rendition of this Old Testament verse.

We MUST needs die. We ARE as water spilt on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again! And because with God, there is no respect of persons, this means that there are no exceptions. HOWEVER, or as the Bible put it, YET!! Read it again, “…yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.” I’m glad there’s a YET in this verse!! In other words, God made a way to bring us back into fellowship with Him. Although we were BANISHED from His presence, YET He makes a way to bring us back into His presence.

Looking at the original Hebrew word for what has been translated “banished” and “expelled” in our selected text, we find that both words came from the exact same Hebrew word nâdach, which means, among other things, to banish, cast out, push off, drive away, etc. It is very similar to the Hebrew word shâlach used in Genesis 3:23, when the Bible says of Adam that “…the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden…”

So we see here that our sin sends us forth, banishes us, casts us out, drives us away, or expels us from God’s presence, however you want to put it. And because our verse today has the Hebrew word used twice in the same sentence, it COULD be translated, “Yet doth he devise means, that his BANISHED be not BANISHED (instead of expelled) from him.” In other words, an exact reversal of this harsh judgement is made possible through a means that God Himself has devised.

How, you may ask? Look to none other than The Lord Jesus Christ! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says speaking of Jesus, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” In other words, since death MUST be paid for our sin without exception, Christ Himself paid for our sins, dying the ultimate death of the cross, and by the shedding of His blood, all who call upon Him in faith and repentance are thereby forgiven of their sins, and allowed back into God’s presence, because the sin debt has been paid in full!

Header Artwork courtesy of www.michellejohnsonfairchild.com

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Floodgates of Heaven
Volume 2
Entry 112 of 365

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Are YOU in the lineage of The King???

Today’s Reading: 2 Sam. 9-11, Luke 15:11-32

Today’s Reflection: 2 Sam. 9:9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

Ziba’s master, King Saul, is dead. He and his sons, who were once servants to King Saul, are now unemployed from the King’s service. Then, seemingly from out of nowhere, the new king, King David, has need of them, but NOT for himself!

As it turns out, King Saul had a crippled grandson down in Lodebar, who was just struggling to survive with his young son Micha. As providence would have it, one day it came into David’s heart to show kindness to the house of Saul for his son Jonathan’s sake, whom King David had made a covenant with before he died in battle. When he began to ask if there was any in Saul’s house that he could show kindness to, Saul’s grandson (Jonathan’s boy) Mephibosheth came up!

So, it turns out that no matter how bad it looked for Mephibosheth, his blood line is what ended up saving him! Little did he know the covenant that was made with his father to ensure that his family would be taken care of would employ Ziba, his sons, and his servants just to tend to his needs, as if he was king.

I said all of that to say this; just as the power of the blood line coupled with the power of a covenant saved Mephibosheth, even so the power of a blood line and the power of a covenant is available for salvation to all who place their trust in Jesus Christ!

You see, we were all born into sin under a cursed blood from our father Adam (the first Adam). Then Jesus Christ (the second Adam), King of Kings and Lord of Lords, gave His perfect blood on an old rugged cross for the sins of the bloodline of the first Adam.

Meanwhile, God the Father (Jesus’ Father) had made a covenant with Jesus, that whosoever shall call upon His name shall be saved from their sins. At that point, the blood of Jesus Christ washes our sins away, and thus makes us to become kings and priests in His kingdom, and heirs and joint heirs with Christ Himself.

Why? Because of the blood line! He REDEEMS us (buys us back) from the old cursed blood line of the first Adam, gives us essentially a spiritual blood transfusion, and therefore gives us the pure blood line of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

So, if you are saved today by HIS grace, you have ROYAL BLOOD running through your spiritual veins. Like Mephibosheth, He may have found you in Lodebar, but He hath made us to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus (that’s the King’s table)!! Rejoice with me today that faith places us in the lineage of Christ!

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Floodgates of Heaven
Volume 2
Entry 110 of 365

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No Sinner Too Vile

Day 56 (Category: Salvation)

Today’s Reading: Num. 9-11 & Mark 5:1-20

Today’s Reflection: Numbers 9:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the Passover unto the LORD.
There were certain ceremonies with which the unclean were not permitted to participate under the Mosaic law of the Old Testament. It is, then, no wonder that the question was raised to Moses exactly what to do in a situation where a man touched a dead body, thereby defiling himself. The inquirer no doubt had concerns that, should he make an assumption either way that was not the will of The Lord, then his very life might be endangered. So, to be sure, he asked Moses, and Moses in response asked The Lord, and our text verse is The Lord’s response. I selected this to be the verse of focus today because of the long term and prophetic elements and implications found herein. Know first that the Passover was a shadow of the work that Christ would complete on Calvary. Just as the death angel passed by those who had the blood applied to their doorposts, so eternal death in hell passes by all who’s hearts have had the blood of the Lamb of God applied by faith! If you look at verse twelve, you will also notice that, just as they were not to leave any of the Passover unto the morning, even so the Bread of Life who hanged on the tree was not left over night, but was taken down to be prepared for his temporary burial. Also, you will note that just as not one bone would be allowed to be broken, so also not one of Christ’s bones were broken on the cross, so that He would fulfill the prophecy of Scriptures as THE Passover Lamb that would take away the sins of the entire world. Now, having said that, I can now point out to you the reason why verse ten is so significant. It is significant because, even as the defiled were required to still participate in the feast of the Passover in the Old Testament, so also are the defiled required today to participate in the redemptive plan of Calvary for remission of their sins. In other words, your defilement or your uncleanness does not eliminate your ability to become a recipient of the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice, but rather they are the reason you CAN partake of His grace! Sinner friend, do not think that your defilement or your distance are too filthy or too far for God’s reach. Just as you are, right where you are, Christ the Passover Lamb will cleanse you of your sins and make you accepted in His beloved family, if you will with repentant heart confess your sins to Him, and receive by faith His forgiveness and salvation.

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Casual at the Foot of the Cross

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Day 46 (Category: Salvation)

Today’s Reading: Lev. 17-18, Matt. 27:27-50

Today’s Reflection: Matt. 27:36 And sitting down they watched him there;

When I read this verse, I am confounded. Knowing the gravity of the hour, and understanding that at this very moment in history, the Christ child is giving His life a ransom for many; knowing that, as The Lamb of God, He is paying our sin debt with His own blood, the text seems to suggest a disturbing level of casualness amongst the soldiers who nailed Him there. So, on one hand we have the single most significant moment in all of time and eternity, and on the other hand, we have those looking on, as if totally clueless to what is actually happening. Dear reader, is your soul also at ease beneath the foot of the cross? Do you also, with rested posture and careless ease, look on as if Christ’s death is but another pointless day in the life of a soul grown numb to tragedy and pain? Oh, but listen! Do not make the tragic mistake of watching the Lamb while missing the opportunity for redemption. While you look upon Him, understand that your sin put Him there, and that His blood will wash away that same sin in a simple prayer of repentance and faith. While you are so close to Calvary’s flow, be plunged in His blood and be made as white as snow! Not one unrighteous soul has come with his sin for cleansing, only to return disappointed. No, all who come with all, leave with none! He will not only wash some of you, but all of you! Friends, we are not just to watch Him there; we are to embrace Him there. In this moment of time, perhaps the greatest scripture of all is fulfilled in Christ, namely, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus taught us here in John 15:13 what the greatest level of love would look like, and then He set the example by living out what He preached. Do you realize the depth of Christ’s love for you as He hangs there on the cross while you watch? If it ever occurs to you, like it has so many others, you too will be forever changed by His love. For, you see, while you are watching Him die on the cross, even more importantly, He has been watching you! Can you see the love in His eyes as He watches to see when you might give your heart to Him? Know assuredly that if you will call on Him today while He is near, He will save you by His grace, and your gazing at the cross will turn to your redemption!

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