5 Things the Prodigal Son Understood

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The story of the prodigal son helps us understand salvation (Luke 15:11-19).

At the beginning of the story, the prodigal thinks he's worthy of an inheritance he didn't earn, just as many people today think they're worthy of heaven. It wasn't until he came to the end of himself that he understood the truth.

⮞ First, he took responsibility for himself, getting a job instead of expecting handouts (v.15). 

We need to take responsibility for our sins without excuses or blame-shifting.

⮞ Second, he realized his poverty (v.16). 

We need to realize our spiritual poverty.

⮞ Third, he acknowledged his father's goodness (v.17). 

We must recognize God's goodness.

⮞ Fourth, he admitted he'd sinned (v.18). 

We must repent of our sins.

⮞ Fifth, he realized he was unworthy to be his father's son (v.19).

We have to realize that without Christ's mercy and grace, we would be unworthy to be members of His family (Romans 3:12; 3:23; 6:23).

The prodigal said: “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.” Luke 15:21

When we come to Christ with that same attitude, He does what the father of the prodigal did—He receives us with open arms and makes us His sons and daughters (Romans 3).

I'm a prodigal who returned home. Are you? 

♥ ♥ ♥

Prodigal doesn't mean a wayward person who returns home. To find out the real meaning, check out the Bite Size Bible Study about this devotion HERE. Bite Size studies are designed so you "don't bite off more than you can chew." Why not give it a try. 

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Bible Love Notes

God Wrote Us a Book....Incredible!!

When I came to the Lord at age twenty-four, one thing that excited me and gave me immense hope was the fact that God had written a book to help us understand who He is and who we are. It's a true story of mankind’s fall and God’s loving rescue, a book filled with clear descriptions of right and wrong, good and evil. A book with commands from our loving Creator who knows what is best for us. 

I was a young mother with two little ones in diapers. But I could hardly wait for their nap time so I could steal away and open this book that God had written because it was changing my perspective and changing my life (Psalm 119:130). 

Think about it. 

God wrote a book for us! 

Isn’t that incredible? 

It shows us how much He loves us and how much He cares about the details of our lives. He wants us to know our history, the good, bad, and ugly parts. He wants us to understand His incredible love, His rescue, redemption, forgiveness, and purposes. 

So He wrote us a book. 

I’ve been walking with the Lord for more than forty years, and that God-breathed book continues to change my life—teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training me in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Don’t you think it’s incredible that God wrote us a book? 

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

To read some other 1-minute devotions about God's wonderful book, the Bible:

Transformation, Not Information

Without the Bible, We're Lost

An Authority We Can Trust

We Need It: God's Word

Bible Love Notes

Not Mother Earth, but Father God

My “workplace” for Bible Love Notes is a room in our house with windows overlooking our front lawn. Early this morning, as I sat writing, two rabbits hopped around on the lawn, and I thanked the Lord for the wonder of His creation. 

I often take these things for granted, but when I pause to think about the many species of animals, the variety of trees and flowers, the colors of sky and sea, I stand amazed. 

More and more secular studies are crediting “Mother Earth” with mental and physical benefits. Of course, we Christians know that it’s not Mother Earth who deserves the credit but Father God, our wonderful Creator (Genesis 1). 

God designed creation with purpose and meaning. That's why it brings us mental, physical, and spiritual benefits (Genesis 1:31; Jeremiah 51:15; Psalm 19:1; Psalm 104:24; Romans 1:20).

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:11

God could so easily have made a vanilla earth. But He chose to give us sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures that bring us pleasure and improve our well-being. I encourage you to take time today and every day to gratefully enjoy God’s creation. 

To read more 1-minute devotions about creation, see the collection called God's Wonderful Creation. It includes God's Love Is Like a Colorado 14er and Look at the Firefly and Praise Our Creator.

Secular source: 10 Reasons Why Being in Nature is Good for You

Bible Love Notes

Two False Teachings Based on Acts 10

Acts 10 is a chapter where God helps Peter understand that the gospel is available to all people, Gentiles as well as Jews.(1)

 

God begins by telling Peter the dietary laws have ended. Three times He commands Peter to “kill and eat” foods previously considered “unclean.” When Peter objects, God says, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 

 

Dietary laws were one of many reasons Jews separated themselves from Gentiles, but they were part of the Old Covenant, showing us we are “unclean” without Christ's sacrifice for our sin (Matthew 15:10-11; Romans 8:3-4; Hebrews 10:1). 

 

In direct contradiction to this passage, the Hebrew Roots Movement continues to call foods unclean that God calls clean, and they believe following the dietary laws makes them superior to other Christians just as the Jews considered themselves superior to Gentiles.(2)

 

Despite these obvious errors, the Hebrew Roots movement boasts between 200,000-300,000 professing Christian followers. 

 

Gay revisionists also distort Acts 10, claiming God wanted Peter to accept practicing homosexuals as well as Gentiles!(3) 

 

Sadly, gay revisionist arguments have persuaded more than half of professing Christians to accept homosexuality as an appropriate lifestyle (source).

 

We need to pray for the strengthening of God's people. 

 

When we understand how these false teachings damage people's hearts and souls, we realize the importance of knowing Scripture and sharing it accurately.

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Footnotes:

(1) In the Old Testament, God wanted the Jews set apart from pagan people as He prepared them for the coming of the Messiah. This led many Jews to believe they were the only race chosen by God. Acts 10 is one of several Scripture passages where God corrects this Jewish mindset. Dietary, ceremonial, cleansing, and sacrificial laws were designed to illustrate our unworthiness and uncleanness before a holy God. Christ did not abolish these laws. He fulfilled them by redeeming us from our sins (Matthew 5:17). Please see Discerning Between Temporary and Permanent Bible Commands for more on this subject. 

 

(2) The Hebrew Roots Movement has created a theology based on dietary and ceremonial laws.This movement is largely fueled by false teaching on the internet, especially from a group called 119 Ministries. For more details and Scriptures refuting their teachings, see All or Nothing: Christ’s Fulfillment of the Law.

 

(3) See Confused Views of Acts 10 for more on this false teaching with additional Scriptures to refute it. This gay revisionist argument is over fifty years old and has never been taken seriously by legitimate Bible scholars. But it's showing up in modern revisionist writings from "progressive Christians" (ex-vangelicals).

Bible Love Notes

Fact or Fiction, Truth or Error, Life or Death

Have you ever wondered why reasoning people can sometimes completely ignore the facts? 

For example, there are those who insist that evolution is a fact, even though it’s an unprovable theory with some serious flaws (2 Peter 3:3-5). 

On the other hand, there are those who ignore the provable scientific fact that there are only two genders, male and female (Genesis 1:27).

But the hardest to understand are those who actively demand humane treatment of animals while approving torturous methods of abortion (Pain of the Unborn; Psalm 139:13-16; Deuteronomy 18:10).(1)

We human beings are stubborn creatures. It all started in the Garden when Eve believed Satan and decided a piece of fruit would make her as wise as God (Genesis 3:5). 

God tells each man and woman the same thing that Joshua told the Israelites: "Choose today whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15).

We’re given as much information as we need for this life, as much as our human minds can handle, as much as we need to fully trust Christ and live godly lives (Deuteronomy 29:29; 2 Peter 1:3).

Unsaved people reject the facts and choose to believe the fiction (Romans 1:18-21). Saved people let God transform our minds so we can separate truth from error, good from evil, and life from death (Romans 12:2).

Footnote: 

(1) “Without question, [abortion] is a dreadfully painful experience for any infant subjected to such a surgical procedure.” – Robert J. White, MD., Ph.D. professor of neurosurgery, Case Western Reserve University (source)

💙 Beyond 1-minute for those who want more  

Evolution: Bible Love Notes has a collection of 1-minute devotions, Addressing the Error of Evolution. In addition, I recommend the articles on Institute for Creation Research.

Transgenderism: What the Bible Teaches About Gender and A Letter from a Reader regarding transgenderism.

Abortion: What Scripture Says About Abortion and Would You Have Justified Slavery? 

Bible Love Notes