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Choice Gleanings Devotions 2006

Posted on | By krkeyser

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:22

Whereas all who are linked to Adam die, all who are in Christ are given eternal life. The Lord has lifted man to heights where he could never have been before. Phrases like “accepted in the Beloved” and “seated in the heavenlies” describe the exalted position where redeemed humans now find themselves (Eph. 1:6; 2:6.) This tremendous blessing was accomplished through the Son of God becoming a man, forever assuring mankind of their importance to their Maker. “”For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham” (Heb.2:16.) Hallelujah, there is a man the glory!

Thou wouldst like sinful man be made
In everything but sin,
That we, as like Thee might become, as we unlike had been.
-Joseph Stennett

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Change Born Out Of Tragedy

Posted on | By krkeyser

May 14, 1988 witnessed one of the worst bus accidents in United States history. A church bus returning from an outing at an amusement park near Cincinnati, collided with a Toyota pickup truck traveling the wrong way on Interstate 71 outside of Carollton, Kentucky. The driver of the pickup was found to be intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of .24 %. While the gross negligence of this repeat offender caused the initial crash, the twenty seven dead and thirty four injured passengers were mainly the result of inadequate safety precautions on the converted school bus. Most of the dead and injured were killed or hurt by smoke inhalation and fire. The NTSB investigation after the tragedy determined that there was only one viable emergency exit available for evacuation after the collision. The subsequent media and public outcry motivated the Kentucky legislature to adopt some of the strictest safety standards in the United States for school buses. Many of the survivors and victims’ families aggressively combated the scourge of drunk driving through involvement in organizations like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving – one even became the national president of this organization.) Today a sign marks the site of the accident along the Interstate highway.
It is sad that it often takes a terrible calamity such as this accident to bring about change. The human tendency is to ignore problems as long as they do not encroach on one’s daily life. It is only when trouble comes to our door that we contemplate amendment. When we behold momentous happenings like the World Trade Center / Pentagon bombings or the more recent Tsunami, then we act to do whatever we can to avert future disasters. Certainly it is far better to implement corrections before catastrophes occur.

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Angry With God

Posted on | By krkeyser

There is a great deal of anger in the world. At the present, several wars are raging on at least three continents. During these troubling times, it is disturbing to see that many people direct their rage and angst towards God. Do they have a right to be angry? Is man entitled to harbor resentment against his Maker? Let us examine the evidence from nature, everyday life, & history.
It is an audacious thing that people could be angry with God, for first of all, He made us. Even in human affairs, the creator has a right to do whatever he likes with his creation. A computer engineer or a car manufacturer can use their computer or car as they please. They may sell their creations, keep them, give them to friends, or even destroy them if they so desire. The Bible recognizes the sovereignty of God our Creator by portraying Him as a potter & human beings as the clay (e.g. Jer.18:1-10.) Rom.9:20-21 puts it this way: “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” By virtue of creating us, God has the right to do with us as He pleases. This certainly offends man’s pride & sense of freedom, but let us see how God chooses to exercise His control over mankind.

The Lord created man sinless & good. He placed him in the ideal setting of the Garden of Eden. He gave him dominion over the natural creation & meaningful work to perform. God also gave the first Man a helper who was suited to him for blissful companionship. In short, He placed Adam & Eve in paradise with every opportunity to succeed & enjoy their Creator & His Creation. The Almighty Himself communed with them daily, doubtless, instructing them in the best course of action in performing their pleasant tasks in the Garden. Regrettably, the world today is a far cry from what it was then. In the Garden there was no pain, death, disease, or natural disasters. Today there are wars, crime, suffering, & various kinds of catastrophes. They lived in a simple, idyllic world. Modern man lives on a planet plagued by cancer, heart disease, diabetes, AIDS, & many other maladies. What brought about this drastic change? It surely was not the Lord; He created the world & said it was “very good” (Gen.1:31). Rom. 5:12 provides the answer: “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.” (Italics mine) Man has made the world what it is today. We are responsible for “Paradise Lost”, because we brought sin into the world. Thus, we must look to ourselves for the origin of the world’s problems; our rebellion against our perfectly benevolent Creator caused it all. Therefore, one cannot blame God for the evil and pain in the world.

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Passion & Purity in Thessalonica

Posted on | By krkeyser

In an unholy world the Christian gospel stands out for the dramatic change it makes in the lives of its adherents. Like the contemporary world, ancient Thessalonica was a depraved sink of iniquity, but the liberating glad tidings of Christ effected a great change in the lives of the first believers when it came there. Their experience, coupled with the testimonies of many other ancient and modern Christians, shows that the gospel is indeed “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). What is more, their conversion demonstrates the purity that stems from receiving the new life that the Lord gives to those who receive Him.

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Passion & Purity in Thessalonica

Posted on | By krkeyser

In an unholy world the Christian gospel stands out for the dramatic change it makes in the lives of its adherents. Like the contemporary world, ancient Thessalonica was a depraved sink of iniquity, but the liberating glad tidings of Christ effected a great change in the lives of the first believers when it came there. Their experience, coupled with the testimonies of many other ancient and modern Christians, shows that the gospel is indeed “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). What is more, their conversion demonstrates the purity that stems from receiving the new life that the Lord gives to those who receive Him.
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