Daily Devotional for Sunday October 18, 2020

The death of someone we love!!!

(Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12; Hebrews 9:27)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, please help guide me through this day with joy in my heart. Even though the day may have its ups and downs, the normal challenges of life, give me Your joy throughout every second today. No matter what my challenges I will praise You. No matter what my victories I will praise You. Help me to praise You in the valley and on the mountaintop and have Your joy in my heart at all times. In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!!!

***LIVEPRAYER CHURCH!!! Haven't been to church yet this week? Join me for this week's service at the LivePrayer Church. This week’s message is: “Praying to avoid temptation!” Please visit the website at: http://liveprayerchurch.com and be part this week’s worship service. Each Sunday there will be a new service at 12:01am EDT

***THE DAILY LIVEPRAYER TV NUGGET: Stevie Nicks recently said that without her abortion, Fleetwood Mac probably would not exist. First, we will never know that. Second, despite bringing joy to millions around the world with their music, was that joy worth the life of her child? Of course Nicks isn’t looking at it like that, nor are many women who were recently featured in an article from Planned Parenthood, “Women share powerful stories how PP changed their lives!” Over the past decade, we have seen women proudly celebrating the fact they killed their baby through articles like this, t-shirts, and other public acknowledgments. That never used to happen, so why now? Well, with the better percentage of the last 2 generations having never been to church, women growing up with no faith foundation but having their beliefs shaped by a Godless culture, there is a level of callousness we have never seen before. Add to that the culture of death that hangs over our land like a huge black cloud. Several generations having grown up with violent video games, violence in all forms of media, abortion on demand as a legitimate option if you get pregnant, euthanasia, and glorifying suicide. They have grown up not appreciating how precious and special each life is. In years past, parents I ministered to after a child overdosed would tell me their child had become an addict and really didn’t want to die. It was their addiction. Many parents today tell me their child didn’t care if they had died or not. So in this atmosphere it is almost understandable how women actually believe the lie that having an abortion was a wonderful choice. As Believers we know life is from Almighty God Himself and each life is unique and precious. It is a message that is mocked and laughed at by our culture today. Until we move on hearts and stop slaughtering apx. 4,000 innocent babies each day, the lie of satan that life is meaningless will continue to be believed by the masses as the truth!!!

*Don’t miss the Liveprayer TV program, airing “LIVE” every Monday thru Friday from 11pm EDT to Midnight! For details on viewing options for the Liveprayer TV program, “LIVE” or “On Demand,” go to: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm

***Action steps: 1) Pray for the nation to turn back to the Lord every morning for at least 5 min. 2) Share the Gospel every day with at least 1 person you know is no saved. 3) Every day share something Biblical with everyone you know via email. 4) Every day encourage at least ONE PERSON you know about the responsibility we have to VOTE in November. 5) GET ONE PERSON YOU KNOW TO DO ACTION STEPS 1-4!!!

The death of someone we love. As the Holiday season is just around the corner, one of the prayer requests that we see a big increase in are people having a hard time dealing with the death of a loved one or friend. That is natural. During the time from Thanksgiving through Christmas, I find myself thinking often of my father who passed away a few weeks after Christmas in 1974, and my mother who died the day before Christmas in 1998. I have wonderful memories of the holidays growing up. It was always a special time of year in our home. So it is understandable that we think of and miss those who have died who were once part of our lives.

As difficult as it is to lose someone we love and care about, we can never forget that death is part of this journey we are on. The Bible clearly teaches us that tomorrow is promised to nobody. Probably the hardest thing about death, apart from its finality, is the burning question...why? Why does a baby, such precious gift from God, get sick and die? Why does a teenager, with so much life yet to live, have to die? Why does an accident, suddenly and without warning, take the life of a mother or father? Why does that wonderful grandfather or loving grandmother have to die?

Sadly, there is never a good answer to why. This is why our faith in Christ is so important. It is at those times in our life, when there are more questions than answers, that our faith MUST BECOME REAL. It is at those times that we must let our faith become real and trust God. What exactly does that mean? It means knowing that God is in control at all times. Nothing happens in this world apart from God allowing it to happen. God did not create death. Just the opposite. God created man to live forever. It was MAN that chose death when he sinned. Death became a byproduct of man's choice, and we all inherit that fact of life.

However, because God loves us so much, while we must accept the consequences of our sin and face death one day, that is merely physical death. By His grace, He has made a way for us to be eternally with Him if we will repent of our sins, and accept by faith His Son Jesus Christ into our hearts. THIS IS HOW WE BECOME VICTORIOUS OVER DEATH!

Even though these clay tablets we occupy during this brief journey may be dead, our soul lives on eternally. While sin not only destined our bodies to die, it also separated our eternal soul from God our Creator. But God so loved this world, that He sent his only Son to die on a wooden cross to pay for the sins of all mankind. And WHOSOEVER believes in Jesus will not eternally perish, but have LIFE EVERLASTING!!!

THERE IS VICTORY OVER DEATH THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!

If as you read these words you do not have the assurance that if you died this very moment you would be eternally with God, then please pray and ask God to open your heart and go to, https://liveprayer.com/salvation.cfm

I love you and care about you so much. I know many of you will be missing a loved one or friend during this holiday season. Know that while we will all one day face death, we live on long after we are gone through the lives of those we were able to touch along our journey. Your loved one and your friend lives on through your life! You will live on through those lives you touch! Death is NOT something we should fear, but an event we should accept.

We must also accept that we don't know when or how it will happen. We never know if there will be a tomorrow. That is why I share so often that NOW is the time. We must not waste the precious time God does give us in this life. We must not take it for granted, but strive daily to serve and glorify God the best we can. After all, that is the purpose of this life.

So as you remember your loved ones, your friends that are no longer with you this Holiday season, never forget that this journey we are on is very short indeed. Even if you are fortunate enough to live into your 80's and 90's, the time goes by very quickly. Can you believe there are only 76 days left in 2020? Make the most of each day and treat it as the precious gift from God that it is. Do all that you can each day to share His love and hope with those you encounter. You will be living on through their lives, long after you are gone from this earth and with the Lord for all eternity!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller