True Freedom ~ Raul Ries

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:2

There is a lot of talk in our world about freedom.

However, the freedom’s that are discussed in society today are often desires to do evil. Classic Christian Pastor Richard Newhaus said, 

“Freedom standing by itself inevitably degenerates into license. License, which is unbridled freedom, quickly becomes the enemy of freedom.”

The Bible tells us that true freedom sets us free from the bondage of sin. When the Spirit sets us free, He frees us to obey God and live holy lives.

The freedoms that people desire today are merely a license to sin.

Thought for the Day:

Freedom is not the right to do as a person pleases,
But the liberty to do as he ought.

Paying the Price ~ Raul Ries

“And come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

John 5:29

The Great White Throne Judgment is the final judgment that God commences on human beings.

Reserved for unbelievers of all ages, the unsaved will be resurrected and appear individually before the great white throne on which Jesus Christ is seated.

John calls this judgment “the resurrection of condemnation” that is reserved for those who have done evil. Imagine every evil deed that a person has ever committed being brought to their attention and judged?

By God’s grace, we are no longer under condemnation. Believers will not have to hear about their evil actions or stand in judgment.

Truly, this is the love of God!

Thought for the Day:

Without salvation in Jesus Christ,
People have to pay the penalty for their sins.

Pushing On ~ Raul Ries

“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him,
If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”

2 Timothy 2:12

Teddy Roosevelt said, “The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one that never fails…but rather the one who moves on in spite of failure. For better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat.”

Don’t give up when you fail.

Keep pressing forward and remain faithful. Is there an area in your life that you are tempted to just give up?

Thought for the Day:

We learn from our failures. As Christians,
We keep pressing toward the goal.

To Forgive is Divine… ~ Raul Ries

“…bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…”

Colossians 3:13

Billy Graham said he believes that 75 percent of patients in hospitals would be made whole if they would forgive.

An unforgiving spirit cripples us mentally, emotionally,
spiritually, and physically.

E.L. Hamilton, a brother in Christ, once rebuked a Christian worker for manifesting and unforgiving spirit towards another Christian. After a moments thought, the lady replied, “Well, I guess I will pardon her, as you suggest, but I never want to have anything more to do with her!”  Hamilton said,

“Is that how you want God to treat you? Do you want Him to say that He will forgive you, but that He will never have anything more to do with you? Remember, when Christ forgave you, He cast your sins into the sea of everlasting forgiveness!

Thought for the Day:

 
“If you are suffering from a bad man’s injustice,
Forgive Him lest there be two bad men.”

--Augustine

Savior or Judge? ~ Raul Ries

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them."

Revelation 20:11

Once a young man was drowning. He cried for help and a man passing by the water jumped in and saved the fellow from death.

Several years later, this same young man had fallen into sin. He had stolen a car and was brought into court. He was greatly relieved to see the man who had saved him from a watery grave sitting as a judge on the bench. “He will save me again, I am sure,” he thought.

The trial came to an end and the judge giving the verdict said, “You are guilty and I must condemn you.”

“Oh, but you are the one who saved my life before,” said the young man. The judge said in response, “Young man, one day I was your savior, but now I am your judge. Your day of grace has come to an end.”

Is Jesus Christ your savior or your judge?

Thought for the Day:

If Jesus is not your savior,
One day you will face Him as your judge!

It’s Over ~ Raul Ries

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they
will be tormented day and night forever ever.”
Revelation 20:10

The above verse shows us that God does not put up with Satan’s final attack. In an instant, in just one word, God strikes those rebelling and they are devoured. Satan, once and for all, is thrown into the Lake of Fire to join the Antichrist and false prophet in eternal damnation.

After this all takes place, unbelievers throughout the ages finally stand in the presence of the Lord and are judged. 

Do you feel like wicked people get away with their evil deeds? Does it upset you if you are unfairly treated? 

Let today’s devotional encourage you and help you to understand that God sees everything that is taking place in your life and in the world!

Thought for the Day:

Satan is a defeated foe!
God will judge the Devil and all unbelievers!
No one gets away with anything.

The Deafening Silence ~ Raul Ries

“..that before they call, I will answer;
and while they are still speaking I will hear.”
Isaiah 65:24

Have you experienced the silence of God? Does it seem at times that the Lord is ignoring your prayers?

Oswald Chambers said, “Some prayers are followed by silence because they are wrong, others are because they are bigger than one can understand. It will be a wonderful moment for some of us when we stand before God and find that the prayers we clamored for in the early days and imagined were never answered, have been answered in the most amazing way, and that God’s silence has been the sign of the answer.”

Thought for the Day:

Some of God’s loudest answers come in silence.

God of the Impossible ~ Raul Ries

“For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Luke 1:37

George Mueller once said, “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.”

More than 30 years ago, I was considered an “impossible” case by psychiatrists and society. However, the love of God touched my heart and changed my life radically.


 I have been serving the Lord ever since.

Thought for the Day:

“We have a God who delights in impossibilities.”
--Andrew Murray

We are sinful people who act out the wickedness that is in our heart! ~ Raul Ries

“…he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” - Revelation 20:3

Believe it or not, Satan will be up to his old tricks after he is released from prison. He will try, one final time, to overthrow God and His Kingdom. And, once again, Satan will try to win human beings over to his side.

It blows my mind that there will be thousands and thousands of humans (whose number is as the sand of the sea) who, after living in a perfect environment under the Lord’s reign, will side with Satan and rebel against the Lord’s authority.

Our human nature is sinful! We are not basically good people who make wrong choices – we are sinful people who act out the wickedness that is in our heart! Aren’t you thankful for God’s salvation and the process of sanctification that takes place in your life? In what areas do you struggle with rebellion?

Thought for the Day:

Human nature is in opposition to God And Satan’s character never changes.

What it Takes to be a Leader ~ Raul Ries

“And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.”

Matthew 20:27

What does it take to be a leader? Did God only pick those who were successful and elite to lead His people?

Samuel Logan Brengle says, “Leadership is not won by promotion but by many prayers and tears. It is attained by confessions of sin, and much heart searching and humbling before God; by self-surrender, a courageous surrender of every idol, a bold, deathless, uncompromising and uncomplaining embracing of the cross, and by and eternal, unfaltering looking unto Jesus crucified.”

Thought for the Day:

Do you meet the qualifications of leadership?

Melt Down the Saints ~ Raul Ries

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

James 4:8

Chuck Swindoll reports that when Oliver Cromwell ruled England, the nation experienced a crisis: they ran out of silver and couldn’t mint any coins. Cromwell sent his soldiers to the cathedral to see if any silver was available. 

They reported back that the only silver was in the statues of the saints, to which Cromwell replied, “Let’s melt down the saints and get them back into circulation.”

Sometimes God must do that with us. 

We must be melted down so that we will get into circulation in the world for Him.

Thought for the Day:

Does your Christian life resemble a lifeless statue —a monument to a time when you were and active saint?

Reaching People Where They Live ~ Raul Ries

“…Go unto the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Mark 16:15

In a disastrous church fire, a beautiful painting of Christ was endangered. Two men went inside and rescued it. People came and watched the fire, but stayed long after to look at the painting. The church leaders were amazed because people had never before been interested in the painting, which had hung for years in the church. Finally one man explained, “When the church caught fire and moved Christ into the streets where people could see Him, they were interested.”

The Lord wants us to reach out to friends, family, co-workers, and everyone we meet with the Gospel!

Thought for the Day:

Have you taken Christ into the streets? Can people see the Lord in your life?

The Reign of Christ ~ Raul Ries

“Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
and faithfulness the belt of His waist.”
Isaiah 11:5

Along with Jesus Christ, those in their resurrected state will have positions of authority. Specifically, David will have special responsibilities over the house of Israel. The twelve apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel who will enter the millennium in their natural human bodies. Church-age- believers and tribulation martyrs will also have a part in the rule and reign of Christ’s government.

It is easy to see why the Lord tells us not to be concerned with power and authority in this life. He is grooming us, through humility, to serve in powerful positions in eternity. This life is but a training ground for our real life that will be played out in eternity.

Thought for the Day:

“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”

--2 Timothy 2:12

Building Endurance ~ Raul Ries

“But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

Matthew 10:22

The Christian walk requires endurance. God will use trials and tribulations to build our faith. The famous runner Jim Ryun, who set a mile record when he was eighteen years old, talked about his training:

“I would run until I felt I couldn’t take another step; then I would run until I felt my lungs were going to burst. When I came to that state, then I would run until I thought I was going to pass out. When I did this, I was making progress.”

Thought for the Day:

“Faith that fizzles before the finish had a fatal flaw from the first.”

--R.K. Kendall

The Government of Christ ~ Raul Ries

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
Revelation 3:21

The millennium is real. There will be physical as well as spiritual attributes on earth. As I have mentioned, human life will co-exist with believers who have died and will be in their glorified bodies ruling and reigning with Christ.

Unlike human government, Christ’s government will be completely righteous. There will not be war in the new millennium. In fact, it will be a golden age – a time of peace, where people will enjoy health, long-life, and justice. Since Jesus Christ has overcome the world, we as believers, inherit the same victory. In the near future we will be ruling with the Lord over the entire earth;

Thought for the Day:

Jesus Christ will be the King of kings and Lord of lords - He will rule the entire world!

Destroying the Idols ~ Raul Ries

“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.”
1 Thessalonians 1:9

When Mahmud of Ghanzi invaded India, his conquering forces entered a celebrated temple to destroy it. Mahmud was entreated by a priest to spare a certain idol, but he refused. Instead, he rained repeated blows upon it. Suddenly the image burst open, and a stream of precious stones cascaded from its hollow interior. In the same way, for each idol the Christian destroys in his life, he gains more than he loses! Every idol that is demolished brings him new treasures of grace and removes another hindrance to a powerful life of prayer.

Thought for the Day:

Have you destroyed the idols in your life, or are they destroying you?

Blessed are the Encouragers! ~ Raul Ries

‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ Says your God.”

Isaiah 40:1

The Lord tells us to encourage one another. That shouldn’t be a difficult task since the Lord does so much to encourage us through His word. William Barclay said, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement… It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”

Thought for the Day:

People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be – not what you nag them to be.

The Davidic Throne ~ Raul Ries

“He shall build a house for My name,
and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever.”
2 Samuel 7:13

At the second coming of Christ, David will rise from the dead and reign with Christ as a prince over the house of Israel, serving His people like a shepherd caring for its sheep.

Psalm 89 links the second coming of Christ and His reign with the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. The psalm states that in spite of the sins of Israel, David’s posterity will be established on the throne forever. This should give us hope. David failed tremendously before God, committing vile sins, yet the Lord forgave his repentant confession and promised him a glorious future. The same holds true for us. Though we may fail miserably, God will hear our repentant confession and give us a great future as well.

Thought for the Day:

“I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn to my servant David: ‘Your seed I will establish forever, and build up you throne to all generations.’”

--Psalm 89:3-4

The Strength of Our Life! ~ Raul Ries

“O, Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”

Psalm 84:12

French painter Emile Ranouf had depicted, in one of his paintings, on old man dressed in fisherman’s garb, seated in a boat with a little girl next to him. Both the elderly gentleman and the child have their hands on a huge oar. The old man is looking down fondly at the little girl and apparently told the girl that she may assist him in rowing the boat. The child feels as if she is doing a great task. It is easy to see, however, that it is the old man’s strong, muscular arms that are actually propelling the boat through the water.

It is so easy to get caught up in the tasks that we carry out every day, that we fail to see that God’s hand is on the oar as well, and it is His power that causes us to move forward!

Thought for the Day:

He is the strength of our lives!

Why is Your Spirit Cast Down? ~ Raul Ries

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
Psalm 42:5

It is said that the Devil once decided to go out of his business and he offered his tools for sale. They were attractively displayed: Trickery, Hatred, Jealousy, Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, and many other evil tools, each marked with a price. But in the center was a wedge-shaped, much worn tool priced higher than all the others. “What is that?” Satan was asked. “That is Discouragement,” he replied. “But why so costly?” “Because it can do my evil work better than all other tools. With it I can make the lives of many folks of no value. I can make then just lie down and ‘give up’ and become useless and they don’t even know I am the one who uses it”

Thought for the Day:

“If Satan’s arsenal of weapons were restricted to a single one, it would be discouragement.”

--C.S. Lewis