BBD 12.16.14 Proof of Life (Classic)

#1 · December 16, 2014, 1:48 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on December 16, 2014, 1:48 pm
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional
there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

Classic
from 2008

12.16.14

Proof
of Life

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a
teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is
with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” - John 3:1-3 NKJV.

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. - John 5:24 NKJV.

In 1976, Lal Bihari discovered that he had a problem. He
found out that he was dead! Bihari found out when he applied for a bank loan
that he had been declared legally dead. In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
when some greedy people wanted to inherit property and the relative continued
to live, they bribed governmental officials to have them declared legally dead.
This speeded up the process of obtaining the property. Even though Lal Bihari
was very much alive it still took 18 years for him to prove it. Even though
Bihari ran for office, filed lawsuits and even got himself arrested it was not
enough to prove he was alive. He eventually founded the “Association of Dead People”
to help himself and others to prove their existence. As a result of their
efforts, more than 80 officials have been punished for their role in these
scams.

Are you physically dead or alive? If you are not sure let
me help you out. If you are reading this you are definitely alive physically.
But what about spiritually? Are you dead or alive spiritually? Have you been “born again?” Have you “passed from death into life?”

In 1 Corinthians
2:14 the apostle Paul writes, “…the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.” What are some of the easily identified “things of the Spirit of God?”

Here are three: the Bible; prayer; and church attendance
or fellowship with other Christians. So, one way to identify whether or not you
have spiritual life and are not just a “natural
man” is to ask yourself this question: Does
reading the Bible, praying, and attending church appear to be “foolishness” to you? If those spiritual things and those
who practice those things look like foolishness to you then that is an
indication that you may still be a “natural man” and have not “passed from
death into life.”

The apostle John gives some additional indications to
consider in the determination of spiritual life. Do you have a desire to keep
God’s commandments, to do what God wants you to do with your life? (Read 1 John 2:3-5.) Do you love God more than you love the
things of this world, more than your job, more than your family, more than your
money, and more than your possessions? (Read 1 John 2:15-16; Matthew 6:33.) Are you
living your life as Jesus wants you to live? (Read 1 John 2:6.)

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you (2 Corinthians 13:5)?” Are you alive or are you dead?

Copyright © 2008-2014. Ed
Wrather. 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.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

The New Pastor's
Training Manual is now available for download on Amazon. You can READ for
FREE a LARGE SAMPLE (approx. 17 pages) which includes how God worked in my life
to Call me to Preach and other material. Click on the “Look Inside Link.” If
you do buy the 216 page eBook for $3 (FREE if you have KINDLE UNLIMITED.)
please write a review. Thanks! Here is the link: http://amzn.to/1ufa1ov
If you prefer a paper copy of the book you can order it from the Burning Bush
website at http://bit.ly/1uXDBnk
So far ten ebooks have been sold and one paper copy. Hopefully and prayerfully,
the book can be a source of encouragement to those who receive it.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
an end to the racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace
and love. Please pray for Justin Lewis who is battling cancer. He is a young
Christian man with a wife and two children. Unless God intervenes there is
little hope for him. Please also pray for Shane Hall who has cancer and for all
those afflicted with this terrible disease. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (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-join@welovegod.org

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

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our
devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at http://www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional
there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

Classic
from 2008

12.16.14

Proof
of Life

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a
teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is
with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” - John 3:1-3 NKJV.

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. - John 5:24 NKJV.

In 1976, Lal Bihari discovered that he had a problem. He
found out that he was dead! Bihari found out when he applied for a bank loan
that he had been declared legally dead. In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
when some greedy people wanted to inherit property and the relative continued
to live, they bribed governmental officials to have them declared legally dead.
This speeded up the process of obtaining the property. Even though Lal Bihari
was very much alive it still took 18 years for him to prove it. Even though
Bihari ran for office, filed lawsuits and even got himself arrested it was not
enough to prove he was alive. He eventually founded the “Association of Dead People”
to help himself and others to prove their existence. As a result of their
efforts, more than 80 officials have been punished for their role in these
scams.

Are you physically dead or alive? If you are not sure let
me help you out. If you are reading this you are definitely alive physically.
But what about spiritually? Are you dead or alive spiritually? Have you been “born again?” Have you “passed from death into life?”

In 1 Corinthians
2:14 the apostle Paul writes, “…the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.” What are some of the easily identified “things of the Spirit of God?”

Here are three: the Bible; prayer; and church attendance
or fellowship with other Christians. So, one way to identify whether or not you
have spiritual life and are not just a “natural
man” is to ask yourself this question: Does
reading the Bible, praying, and attending church appear to be “foolishness” to you? If those spiritual things and those
who practice those things look like foolishness to you then that is an
indication that you may still be a “natural man” and have not “passed from
death into life.”

The apostle John gives some additional indications to
consider in the determination of spiritual life. Do you have a desire to keep
God’s commandments, to do what God wants you to do with your life? (Read 1 John 2:3-5.) Do you love God more than you love the
things of this world, more than your job, more than your family, more than your
money, and more than your possessions? (Read 1 John 2:15-16; Matthew 6:33.) Are you
living your life as Jesus wants you to live? (Read 1 John 2:6.)

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you (2 Corinthians 13:5)?” Are you alive or are you dead?

Copyright © 2008-2014. Ed
Wrather. 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.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

The New Pastor's
Training Manual is now available for download on Amazon. You can READ for
FREE a LARGE SAMPLE (approx. 17 pages) which includes how God worked in my life
to Call me to Preach and other material. Click on the “Look Inside Link.” If
you do buy the 216 page eBook for $3 (FREE if you have KINDLE UNLIMITED.)
please write a review. Thanks! Here is the link: http://amzn.to/1ufa1ov
If you prefer a paper copy of the book you can order it from the Burning Bush
website at http://bit.ly/1uXDBnk
So far ten ebooks have been sold and one paper copy. Hopefully and prayerfully,
the book can be a source of encouragement to those who receive it.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn
profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
an end to the racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace
and love. Please pray for Justin Lewis who is battling cancer. He is a young
Christian man with a wife and two children. Unless God intervenes there is
little hope for him. Please also pray for Shane Hall who has cancer and for all
those afflicted with this terrible disease. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (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-join@welovegod.org

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

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our
devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org