Jesus Saves

Acknowledgments

I want to thank my husband and best friend Eric Dauber for his continued support and inspiration that have enabled me to write this book.

I would also like to thank my dear friend and professional illustrator Mishel McCumber for the fantastic book cover that she created just for this book.

Most of all, I want to thank Jesus for saving me, and for giving me the inspiration to write this book so that I could share some of the benefits that He so graciously gave us on the cross.

Dedication

To all those who want to live in the freedom and the fullness of God’s grace!

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Table of Contents

Introduction

Abandonment

Adultery

Anger

Anxiety

Backsliding

Bad Attitude

Coveting

Curses and Possession

Death

Depression

Doubt

Fear

Financial Lack

Gluttony

Gossip

Guilt

Homosexuality

Idolatry

Immorality

Loneliness

Oppression

Persecution

Pride

Sickness

Substance Abuse

Temptation

Unforgiveness

Worry

Will You Hear His Voice?

Promises of God

Introduction

Jesus Saves! As believers in Christ Jesus, we know that He died on the cross and took our sins upon Himself so that He could suffer the due judgment and the punishment for them on our behalf. If He hadn’t done that for us, we would have faced the wrath of God that we’d so rightly deserve when the sin in us would have brought us to the Judgment Seat of Christ. Jesus saved us, and now we are free of sin. What a loving gift we were given—redemption back to God our Father! Now His Spirit is with us today and throughout eternity.

Jesus accomplished everything for us when He died on that cross; yet, many Christians don’t realize the fullness of what He actually did for them! Many continue to live defeated lives from daily stresses such as financial lack, loneliness, depression, and sickness—and all because they don’t go beyond the salvation of the cross.

We are blessed because God gave us the means to know the whole truth—He gave His Scriptures. Contrary to what the new age religion says, we DO need to read the Scriptures and OFTEN because they are God’s spoken words for our lives. The Bible teaches us all about God and His unconditional love for us. It’s God’s history book that begins with day one of His creation and takes us right through to the prophesied time of Christ’s return. However, it’s also a manual for us to study and live by, and the keyword is study because we need to know its truth.

God inspired the writers of the Bible, but He is the real author. He has given us the answer to every problem we could ever face here on earth. God not only talks about these issues, but He tells us why we have them, what brought them about, and what we can do through Jesus to overcome them.

Being a believer is hard work; it’s much easier to be a sinner. Why? Because we live in a corrupt world where sin is all around us. We were born in sin and so living in it comes naturally for us. Withdrawing from it takes work on our part. Many people want to go to Heaven when they die, but while they’re here, they like their lives and don’t want to give up any part of it.

The devil is the god of this world, and he’s loud and deceiving, and he’s doing all he can to keep you in his world and away from God—even if it means giving you all the desires of your heart so that you think you don’t need Jesus. Then he keeps the blinders on the eyes of those who have accepted Him so that they won’t realize all that Jesus has done for them on the cross. And he does this easily because so many Christians won’t study the Scriptures to know the truth.

We have the Spirit of God in us, and there is no one greater. The devil is just a lying, deceitful and angry angel who hates God. We have the Scriptures, God’s word, to read and study so that we can be wise in the ways of the devil, and so that we can know God, and know what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us. When we have the knowledge of God, He blesses us with His wisdom so we can do His will, win souls for His kingdom, and get the victory over what the world will throw at us.

When Jesus is Lord, who should we fear?

Unfortunately, many people don’t know how to study the Bible or don’t want to take the time to read it. They want someone else to do it for them and just tell them of the blessings that God has for them. But blessings come from God, and so if we want those blessings, then we need to know God. When we study the Scriptures to learn the truth that’s hidden within the pages, then God’s Holy Spirit will reveal His truth to us.

The world sees the Bible as a book of words, and contradictory words at that. They mock it. They curse it. They change the words to make it appeal to their sinful hearts. However, the Holy Bible is filled with God’s words for us, and it brings us to the heart of God. And when we can see God’s heart, we can be all He has made us to be, to His glory, and for His purpose.

It takes time and diligence to study the Bible and apply God’s truth to our lives, especially when we are surrounded by ongoing controversies. However, once we open our heart to the truth, God will continue to draw us closer to Him and teach us even more.

I wrote this book as a quick reference to help you find the answers to some of the issues that you may be facing today. These are not my thoughts, opinions or revelations. I’ve written God’s words from the Bible and put them into categories so you can read them for yourself. My hope is that they will encourage you to study the Bible prayerfully and learn even more.

I hope this book will bless you so that you’ll know Jesus more intimately and so that your relationship with God our Heavenly Father will become very personal. God alone has saved us, not only from the sins that would have condemned us but from the everyday issues that we endure.

My prayer is that you will read this book and learn just how much God loves you and why Jesus died on the cross for you. It will become easier and easier to love God and praise Him from your heart when you know Him, and know His will. When you keep your eyes in the Scriptures and your heart on God, you will discover the truth that the enemy has been trying to hide from you, and that truth is…Jesus Saves!

…Ronnie Dauber

Abandonment

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.—Proverbs 18:24

Following Jesus is the most significant decision you’ll ever make in your lifetime. Unfortunately, it may be one that will cause you to lose your family and friends. But don’t despair, because Jesus will become your best friend, and He’ll fill the void that the others left in you. He gave His own life for yours at the cross because He loves you, and regardless of how you feel when you are deserted by your loved ones, Jesus accomplished more at the cross than you may know.

Things you once enjoyed in life now seem wrong to you. You don’t have to talk about this transformation of your heart to your family or friends, but they see your withdrawal and are offended. They take your actions as judgment or criticism towards them. Before long, you’re not included in social events because you don’t fit in with them anymore. You become alienated, and this can be a harrowing treatment from those you love. It can make you wonder if you made the right decision.

Yes, you did make the right decision, but the devil is angry because he doesn’t want you to follow God. So he stirs up the attitudes and reactions of the ones you love and then plays on your emotions, hoping that you’ll turn back to him. He wants you to think that you made a big mistake, and he tries to make you feel as if no one cares about you anymore. This hurts when it comes from those you love.

But you are not alone! Even Jesus was deserted by His own kin during His earthly ministry. They mocked Him and didn’t believe that He was God’s Son, but Jesus prayed for them continuously anyway. It wasn’t until after He died and rose from the grave that they finally did believe Him. Your family and friends may not understand you now, but with prayer and time, you just may be that one who brings them to God.

Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."—Matthew 21:22

When Jesus comes into your heart, His love and His compassion will saturate your life. As you continue to seek Him, He will fill the void that your loved ones left in your heart, and you will know His love. As well, God will bring you into the fellowship of a new family, and He will give you new friends who love you unconditionally.

In the Old Testament, when Moses was very old and near his end, Joshua was about to inherit his leadership, and he was nervous. He had not only become friends with Moses, but he depended on Moses to govern the people. So when Moses died, Joshua felt very alone. The people were not all faithful to God and many rebelled. He knew the challenges he faced, and that Moses wouldn’t be there to help him, but God was with him and encouraged him.

The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.— Deuteronomy 31:8

King David also knew what it was like to follow God and then be deserted by family and friends. He even became hunted by those he’d once loved and trusted. Yet, he knew that the love of God was more significant and more real than the love that he thought he had given up to serve Him. David gives us words of encouragement and hope in an inspiring promise of God’s love for us.

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.—Psalm 27:10

It can be difficult to choose to follow God, who you can’t see, when the loved ones who you can see begin to mock you and leave you. You question your decision, but don’t let doubt in! That is the poison that will try to destroy the faith that you had when you received Jesus in the first place. God is very real! His love for you is unconditional. Jesus loved you enough to die for you even before you were born. He will become your best friend, and He will never leave you.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:38-39

Jesus warned us about the cost to follow Him. He said that many of us will have families and friends who will abandon us because they don’t want anything to do with Him. You see, it’s not about you—it’s about who you believe in—it’s about Jesus! Your friends liked you right up until you accepted Jesus as your Savior, but they don’t know Him, and they don’t want to know Him.

They are still part of this sinful world, and because you have turned away, Jesus—the one who turned you away from the world—becomes a great offense to them. So much so that they turn from you because you follow Him.

But Jesus promised that if, when you choose to follow Him and your families and friends desert you, He will bless you in this life and throughout eternity.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.—Matthew 19:29

One day, Jesus was telling His disciples that He was about to leave them because the time had come for Him to go to the cross and then return to Heaven. They loved Him and knew that He was God’s Son, but no one had ever died and come back from the dead and then gone up to Heaven before, and they weren’t able to grasp the fullness of what Jesus was saying. So, Jesus made them a promise that they could cling on to, that gave them the hope and inspiration they needed.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.—John 14:18

Jesus also promised that one day He’d return from Heaven to get us, and that He has prepared a place there for us. He gave this hope to encourage every believer to keep following Him and not go back into the world. So when we feel as if we’ve lost everything on this earth as the price paid to follow Jesus, we can have the confidence of a more excellent life waiting for us. In this new life, we will have a home, and a family and friends who will love us. And more than that, we will be with Jesus forever.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. —John 14:2-3

The love that God has for you is greater than your mind will let you comprehend. It’s not until you receive Jesus as your Savior that you can begin to realize just how real God’s love is. And it’s not until you stop looking to family and friends for approval that you will be able to open yourself up entirely to God.

Then slowly, as you study the Bible and spend time in prayer with God, He will begin to pour it upon you so that you will never miss what you gave up or who gave you up for Him. Instead, you’ll crave for more of His amazing love. When you want the friendship of the world, you must be friends with them, but when you give them up to know God, you will see that Jesus will become your best friend for life!

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.—Proverbs 18:24

Adultery

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.—Romans 12:2

God gave the Ten Commandments to us as His laws that we are to live by, and in Exodus 20:14 He said that adultery is a sin. Up until a few years ago, it was still considered to be an immoral act, and the people hid their sin