BBD 03.25.08 Pronounced Dead

#1 · March 25, 2008, 12:00 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on March 25, 2008, 12:00 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 150 countries.

Celebrating 10 years online since January 31, 1998. Since 1998 the Burning
Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than
11,000 subscribers across the world.

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 420 new subscribers since January 1, 2008

03.25.08

Pronounced Dead

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you
once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were
dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have
been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:1-10.

Zack Dunlap is feeling "pretty good," which is really good for someone who
the doctors pronounced dead on November 19, 2007! He was involved in
accident with an all-terrain vehicle two days earlier which gave him severe
head injuries. His father says that prior to his son being pronounced dead
that there was no activity or blood flow indicated on the brain scan.
However, while family members were gathered to say their goodbyes Zack was
able to move his foot and hand. Perhaps it was in response to hearing
doctors say he was dead and that soon his organs would be taken for
transplant into others. Zack is 21-years-old and is still recovering but he
is far from being dead. (Zack appeared on NBC's Today show yesterday. The
story has also been reported by the AP and has appeared in a multitude of
Internet websites.)

Zack's story is frightening and it is horrifying! You have to wonder if
anything like that has happened to anyone else but not with the same
outcome? In a spiritual sense, however, we have all been pronounced dead.
What you say? Yes, we are as the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2 "dead in
trespasses and sins."

Zack's family says that they feel blessed to have him alive and back with
them. This indicates that there was a spiritual component to the change of
condition from death to life. Indeed they are blessed. Blessed that for
unknown reasons God intervened and brought this young man back to life.

There is only one way that our spiritual condition can change from that of
deadness to that of life. It is only through the intervention of God that we
can be brought to life. The apostle Paul speaking to those who are alive
says, "And you He made alive.." Who made them alive? "God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.made us alive
together with Christ.made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus.in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." God through Jesus made
them alive. Why did God do that? ".because of His great love with which He
loved us.that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His
grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

What did it cost for Zack to be brought to life? Nothing. It was simply an
act of God. What does it cost us to be brought from being "dead in
trespasses and sins" to being "alive together with Christ?" What do we have
to do to have life? "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone
should boast." Does the recipient of a gift have to pay anything for it? No,
a gift is free of cost to the recipient or it would not be a gift.

What do we have to do to receive the gift of life? Jesus says in John 5:24,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who
sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has
passed from death into life." Jesus says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life." To pass "from death into life"
we must believe upon Jesus Christ - believe that He has paid the price for
the gift of eternal life which He freely gives to us. What was the price?
The price was His blood which He shed on the cross for our sins.

When do you pass "from death to life?" You pass "from death to life" when
you believe. Have you believed upon Jesus Christ receiving Him as your
Savior? He has paid the price you just have to receive the gift. Will you
take it?

Copyright © 2008. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi and Cody who are young boys with
cancer and currently both of these boys are not responding to the treatment
they are receiving. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website
on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and
they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am
always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org Streaming Videos of some of my
sermons are posted at: www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 150 countries.

Celebrating 10 years online since January 31, 1998. Since 1998 the Burning
Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than
11,000 subscribers across the world.

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 420 new subscribers since January 1, 2008

03.25.08

Pronounced Dead

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you
once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were
dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have
been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:1-10.

Zack Dunlap is feeling "pretty good," which is really good for someone who
the doctors pronounced dead on November 19, 2007! He was involved in
accident with an all-terrain vehicle two days earlier which gave him severe
head injuries. His father says that prior to his son being pronounced dead
that there was no activity or blood flow indicated on the brain scan.
However, while family members were gathered to say their goodbyes Zack was
able to move his foot and hand. Perhaps it was in response to hearing
doctors say he was dead and that soon his organs would be taken for
transplant into others. Zack is 21-years-old and is still recovering but he
is far from being dead. (Zack appeared on NBC's Today show yesterday. The
story has also been reported by the AP and has appeared in a multitude of
Internet websites.)

Zack's story is frightening and it is horrifying! You have to wonder if
anything like that has happened to anyone else but not with the same
outcome? In a spiritual sense, however, we have all been pronounced dead.
What you say? Yes, we are as the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2 "dead in
trespasses and sins."

Zack's family says that they feel blessed to have him alive and back with
them. This indicates that there was a spiritual component to the change of
condition from death to life. Indeed they are blessed. Blessed that for
unknown reasons God intervened and brought this young man back to life.

There is only one way that our spiritual condition can change from that of
deadness to that of life. It is only through the intervention of God that we
can be brought to life. The apostle Paul speaking to those who are alive
says, "And you He made alive.." Who made them alive? "God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.made us alive
together with Christ.made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus.in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." God through Jesus made
them alive. Why did God do that? ".because of His great love with which He
loved us.that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His
grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

What did it cost for Zack to be brought to life? Nothing. It was simply an
act of God. What does it cost us to be brought from being "dead in
trespasses and sins" to being "alive together with Christ?" What do we have
to do to have life? "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone
should boast." Does the recipient of a gift have to pay anything for it? No,
a gift is free of cost to the recipient or it would not be a gift.

What do we have to do to receive the gift of life? Jesus says in John 5:24,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who
sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has
passed from death into life." Jesus says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life." To pass "from death into life"
we must believe upon Jesus Christ - believe that He has paid the price for
the gift of eternal life which He freely gives to us. What was the price?
The price was His blood which He shed on the cross for our sins.

When do you pass "from death to life?" You pass "from death to life" when
you believe. Have you believed upon Jesus Christ receiving Him as your
Savior? He has paid the price you just have to receive the gift. Will you
take it?

Copyright © 2008. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi and Cody who are young boys with
cancer and currently both of these boys are not responding to the treatment
they are receiving. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website
on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and
they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am
always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org Streaming Videos of some of my
sermons are posted at: http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.