NOTE: THE FOLLOWING BOOKLET IS MY RESPONSES TO THE WONDERFUL WORKBOOK AUTHORED BY DR. MARK CRESS. THE BOOK BY THE AUTHOR IS TITLED 100 TRUTHS ABOUT THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE. THE BOOK OFFERS A STATEMENT ABOUT CHRIST WITH A SCRIPTURE REFERENCE FOR CONTEMPLATION. THE BOOK CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH LAMPHIER PRESS.
THE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ARE MY RESPONSES TO THE STATEMENTS ABOUT CHRIST, OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY A PRAYER. MY PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO READ IS MAINLY TO ENCOURAGE CONTEMPLATION IN THE SCRIPTURES ACCOMPANIED WITH YOUR PRAYERS TO KING JESUS. I HOPE WHAT I SHARE IS A BLESSING TO THOSE WHO READ.
100 PRAYERS TO THE KING
RELATIONSHIPS:
1. He was in heaven with God the Father before the creation of the entire universe (John 1)
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE it is telling me that Jesus existed before Bethlehem. He existed with God and He was God and is God. This is why I get to wear the “I am” logo on my chest. He is the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58 along with all the other “I am” statements made by Christ such as;
John 6:35 “I am the bread of life”
John 8:12 “I am the Light of the world”
John 10:9 “I am the door”
John 10:11 “I am the Good Shepherd”
John 11:25 “I am the Resurrection and the life”
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life”
John 15:1 “I am the Vine”
Some other great verses to consider are (Col 1:16-17; Rev 4:9-11)
Dear Lord,
I want to thank you for all the wonderful “I AM” statements about you in scripture. I thank you for the truth of your pre-existence. I thank you that you are THE BREAD THAT SUSTAINS ME, THE DOOR OF MY SALVATION, THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE, THE SHEPHERD OF MY SOUL, THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION OF MY LIFE, and THE VINE THAT DAILY NOURISHES MY SOUL. Thank you Jesus, you are “the real thing.”
__________________________________________________
2. He was born of a virgin mother, Mary (Matthew 1:18-25)
THIS TRUTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE my Lord’s birth was a supernatural birth. He had an earthly mother, but no earthly Father from the standpoint of being a biological father. He is the “incarnate God” of Isaiah’s predictions in Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). Some other good verses to consider here are (1 Timothy 3:16; Romans 9:4-5; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 20:28; Micah 5:2).
Dear Lord,
I thank you for the miraculous virgin birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I thank you God that your Son came into this world as the “sinless Son of God.” Though He was in every way human, like all of us, “yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). Thank you Lord for this miracle birth, because if this didn’t happen I could not experience “the miracle new birth” of becoming a child of God through faith in Christ (John 3:1-8; 1 Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5; James 1:18). For those who believe that you are not doing miracles today, perhaps they should reconsider, because every time a sinner places faith in Christ “a miracle birth” has occured. Thank you Lord for the one I have experienced. Thank you for your great work. I cannot save a soul, but I am grateful whenever you allow me to participate in a miracle with you by telling someone the “Good News of Jesus Christ.”
___________________________________________________
3. A big time king tried to kill Him when He was just a little baby (Matthew 2:16)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE that nobody can ever overthrow the purposes and plans of God. Herod was an earthly King. Earthly kings have their earthly decrees, just like Ceasar Augustus decreed that all the world be taxed in Luke 2:1. Here, Herod tried to use his kingly powers to kill Jesus but God who is Sovereign overthrew it here and He always does show Himself to be Sovereign in such matters (see Psalm 2:1-12; Daniel 4:34-35; Isa 46:9-11; Eph 1:11).
Dear Lord,
I know you are Sovereign over all things and I am grateful for this truth. This is significant to me not only in that your plans were not overthrown then, but also your plans in my life now will not be overthrown either. The security of my own salvation is at stake in this glorious truth of your Sovereignty.
______________________________________________________
4. He was John the Baptist’s cousin (Luke 1:39-45)
THIS PERTAINS TO ME in that I too, like John leap for joy at the thought of my Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and my God. Jesus is all about “joy” because on the Cross, “He carried our sorrows…” (Isa 53:3-12). In Psalm 16:11 the Bible says, “In the presence of the Lord is fulness of joy.” In John 15:11 Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you…” (see also John 14:1-3; 16:33).
Lord, I thank you that as I contemplate daily on the blessing of Christ my Savior Shepherd that it brings joy to my heart. Help me Lord to dwell in that place of joy and not allow anyone or anything to rob me of it.
________________________________________________
5. He had a number of half-brothers, including James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude (Matthew 13:55)
THIS IS INCLUDED IN SCRIPTURE BECAUSE of those who had difficulty believing in him, knowing he grew up in an earthly home with a mother and father and brothers and sisters. How could He, a mere human speak with such wisdom, was very perplexing. They were astonished and the whole synagogue missed who Jesus was. See also Isa 61:1-3 cp. Luke 4:18-19)
Dear God, I thank you that Jesus was willing to humble Himself to identify with humanity in the way that He did. I am grateful that he walked among men and endured all the afflictions of humans, so that I know he can not only sympathize with me in my affliction, but He can empathize with me as well (1 Cor 10:13).
____________________________________________________
6. When He was baptized, God spoke from the heavens for all to hear and God the Holy Spirit came flying down and landed on His shoulder like a Dove (Matthew 3:16-17)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE here at the beginning of the gospels Jesus is soon to embark upon His three and half year ministry. Now, what happens is His baptism, not to wash away sin, but to initiate Him into ministry. He had to do it to be obedient to the Father as we should as well at the appropriate time. The appropriate time for baptism is AFTER we have made a profession of faith in Christ.
We also see the Trinity here. This is fitting since it would take all three persons of the Godhead working in harmony to save our souls (Eph 1:3-14; Acts 10:38).
Dear Lord, I see all three persons of the Trinity active here as Jesus is about to begin His earthly ministry. I know that I could not be saved without you Father planning it, and here you are giving your stamp of approval on that Great plan. I also thank you that the Holy Spirit of God honors Jesus with His endorsment. Then, of course both here and later in John 17:1-5 Heavenly Father, you spoke of how you were so highly pleased with Jesus your only begotten Son. Thank you Lord, for beginning this work and finishing it as well personally in every child of God. I one day will get to say my, “It is finished” when I leave this world because Jesus carried out this plan on the Cross and uttered these very words Himself. I am estatic just thinking about it Lord.
__________________________________________________
7. He had some really good friends who traveled around with Him on earth for nearly three years (Matthew 10:1-2)
THIS TRUTH PERTAINS TO ME because I think Jesus was thinking big and long term. In order for him to carry out his long term big plan he needed to think small. This is why he spent less time with the crowds and more time with the disciples. He was thinking about equiping those who would be the foundation stones for the church that He would build and all of us (believers) would be a part of.
Lord, I am so grateful you worked your long range plan this way. Help me to model this in my life with others too. I want to not only be a part of what you are doing in the area of leading people to Christ, but I also want to be involved in discipling as many as I can. I think you value it all, and I need to place the same value as you do on the discipling of those who come to know Christ. Help me Lord in this endeavor is my prayer request for today.
________________________________________________
*8. He doesn’t mind mixing it up with His adversaries. {The correct scripture here is John 2:13-19}
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS ARE that we never need to be ashamed of the truth because it has stood the test of time.
(1) Jesus is the TRUTH (John 14:6)
(2) The Word of God is TRUTH (John 17:17).
(3) The Spirit is The Spirit of TRUTH (John 16:13).
Dear Lord, Help me to be bold like my Savior in standing up for what is true and right. I know Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). I also know that the Word of God is truth (John 17:17) and that the Holy Spirit is called “The Spirit of Truth” therefore I must abide in these things in order for me to bring glory to you Lord.
__________________________________________________
9. He had a conversation with the devil from a rooftop (Matthew 4:5-6)
THIS TRUTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE it is important that Jesus be victorious over temptation and testing.
In order for Him to qualify as our High Priest, and be empathetic to us in our trials and temptations (Hebrews 2:17-18).
In this chapter, Jesus models for us how we are to deal with temptations from the Devil as well (Hebrews 4:12 see also Job 23:12; Psalm 119:9,11; Matthew 4:4)
Dear Lord, I thank you for being victorious over temptation, otherwise you would not qualify to be my Savior. I also thank you that you show me here what I must do to experience victory over temptation in my life. I know I cannot without your help, but I know part of the help you provide for me is your Word. No wonder you prayed, “Sanctify them through thy Word, thy Word is truth.” Help me to spend much time in your Word and allow it to transform me into your image and likeness.
_________________________________________________
10. When demons hear His name, even today, they run for cover (Matthew 8:16-33)
THIS TRUTH IMPRESSES ME BECAUSE if Jesus didn’t demonstrate that He had power over demons, it means He would not have had power over the Prince of the demons either. This would also mean that mankind would be doomed. Thanks be to God that through Jesus Christ I too can have victory over the world, the flesh and the Devil etc. (Matthew 4:4 with 1 John 2:12-17 “world” ; Romans 7:24-25 “flesh”; and “the Devil” Matthew 4:1-11).
Once again, I thank you today Lord for the victory that I can experience over the world, the flesh and Devil through Jesus Christ my Lord as I continue to “abide in Him” (John 15:1-16).
__________________________________________________
11. Once He was with a close friend who happened to be a professional fisherman. The friend needed money to pay his taxes. Jesus told him exactly where to catch a fish that had a coin in its mouth valuable enough to pay the entire tax bill (Matthew 17:24)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE As God provided for Peter’s needs so He could do his religious duty (this was a temple upkeep tax), he can also supply for mine (Philippians 4:19).
Dear Lord, I thank you for reminding me that you can and will always “supply my needs, according to your riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19).
_________________________________________________
12. After He was raised from the dead, He walked seven miles with two friends in order to surprise and comfort them (Luke 24:13-32)
TO ME THIS MEANS that Jesus truly wants to assure our hearts and give us hope in the midst of our earthly despair. Jesus is our REALITY and the hope we have in Him is “lively” (1 Peter 1:3), “sure” and “steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19), “blessed” (Titus 2:13), and “purifying” (1 John 3:3).
Note: This can be said in contrast to the lost who have “no hope” because they are “without God” in this world (Ephesians 2:12)
Dear Lord, I thank you that I too can experience you walking with me in my journeys as a comfort to me. You may not be physically present with me as you were with these disciples, but I have your Word to read, and through it I can experience you in such a way that it is just as real as the experience of these disciples. Your Word truly is that much of a comfort to me.
_________________________________________________
13. Demons who used to be angels knew Him when He was in heaven (Mark 1:23-6)
MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE
Why would they sin and rebel, knowing who He is and what He was willing to go through for mankind?
How could they sin, when they were in this perfect environment?
Will there be “free will” in heaven and therefore the possibility to start the process all over again once we are in heaven?
Note: The answer to the last question I believe is found in Rev 21-22 where we are told that there will be no future defilement. Also, the Redemption of Christ is an “eternal Redemption” therefore it is good for all time and is not temporary.
Dear Lord, I thank you for the comfort of the “eternal redemption” that I have in Christ that assures me that this process of sin will not be repeated again once we are in heaven.
____________________________________________________
14. He is so humble that He washed the dirty feet of His followers during a dinner party (John 13:1-17)
THIS TRUTH APPLIES TO ME BECAUSE if Jesus was willing to be humbled enough to do that for his disciples, I surely can follow his steps and be willing to be a servant to others (Mark 10:45; 1 Corinthians 9:19-27; Philippians 2:5-11).
Some people think if they are not praying or doing a Bible study or something like that then they are not doing anything spiritual. This is not true. If you are repairing your neighbor’s car that is broken down and you are doing it for the glory of God and the good of your neighbor then what you are doing is spiritual. In fact, doing this is often referred to as “relational evangelism.” This by itself will not save the sinner, but it might earn you the right to talk to them at another time about Christ.
Dear Lord, help me to have a “servant attitude” toward others and be willing to be like Christ here in this passage of scripture (see also Mark 10:45; 1 Cor 9:19-27).
__________________________________________________
15. He allowed religious leaders to call Him a liar to His face (John 8:13-20)
MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE since Jesus is God why would He allow them to call Him a liar and not just squash them like a bug?
This is an obvious question, but I think is clear that his earthly ministry was not about retaliation or judgment. That will come later one day. He came the first time to serve (Mark 10:45) and to suffer and to die as a Lamb to the slaughter when “his hour would come.” He will come back though as a Lion and then al who believe their lies and don’t embrace Him as the truth will face severe judgment (Rev 21:8). Believe the truth in Jesus and then you will not face their fate.
I know Lord that you could have “squashed these religious leaders like a buy” if you wanted to, but you did not do that to them because your first coming was not to judge the world but to save sinners. I thank you that you were merciful to me too on many an occasion when you could have done that to me too. Thank you Lord for your mercy in not giving to me what I do deserve, and your grace in giving to me what I do not deserve.
__________________________________________________
16. Angels actually comforted frightened women who found Jesus’ empty grave (Matthew 28:5)
THIS PERTAINS TO ME because “the empty tomb” was an indication that Jesus rose from the dead. It was a message of comfort and hope that the angels were bringing to the women. The next verse reveals to us the gospel of Christ in four words.
“Come” (cp. Matthew 11:28)
“see” (cp. John 3:3)
“go” (Matthew 28:19,20)
“tell” (Acts 1:8; Mark 5:19)
Lord, I thank you for the comfort the resurrection of Christ is to me. If He did not rise, I could not either. Also, I thank you for the simple gospel message here that I can share with others. I hope today someone will “come” to Jesus, and then “go” and “tell” others “what great things the Lord has done for them” (Mark 5:19).
_____________________________________________________
17. One of His friends, who saw him after He came back from the dead, actually stuck his finger in the holes left in Jesus’ hands from the spikes on the cross (John 20-24-29)
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE
This presents to us one of the many proofs of the physical resurrection of Christ. This is important because the only kind of resurrection we could possibly hope for would be one just like Jesus.
This story also gives me hope because though I believe, many doubts can creep into our lives over the course of time, like Thomas doubts in this passage. I need to be strong in prayer and study the Word to remain strong and not grow weak in faith (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Lord, I am grateful that you were compassionate toward Thomas just like you are toward me when I demonstrate the weakness of my faith. Help me Lord to stay close to you, trust in you and embrace everything about you without doubting you in any way. If I am to be strong I must press forward in this way (Luke 18:1; 1 Thess 5:17; Hebrews 11:6).
________________________________________________________
18. He took two (three) of His friends to a mountaintop where He introduced them to two prophets that had been gone from earth for hundreds of years (Mark 9:2-13)
THIS TRUTH IMPRESSES ME BECAUSE this is a foretaste of things to come according to Jesus, therefore I am lead to believe that we will recognize one another in heaven as they were known on earth. This is a blessing to me, and I cannot wait to see all the saints in glory from all time. Jesus is the face I want to see most, but I think the fellowship with others that have blazed the trail before us will be sweet as well.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the comfort this passage of scripture brings to me. This passage makes me long more and more for that day when we will all be with Christ.
_____________________________________________________________
19. He doesn’t like divorce and tells people not to do it (Matthew 5:31-32)
THIS CHANGES THE WAY I THINK ABOUT how you value the marriage bond. I know that God wants me to place such a priority on my marriage that it reflects God’s attitude toward this union, and also reflects that union of Jesus Christ with His church.
Dear Lord, help me to invest a great deal of my energies into loving my bride in the way that I should just as Jesus loves His bride, the church.
________________________________________________________
20. He uses the symbolism that He was “knocking on a door” to explain how He speaks to our hearts to draw us gently to Himself (Rev 3:20)
THIS TRUTH APPLIES TO ME BECAUSE one day Jesus came knocking at my “hearts door” and I am so glad I responded in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord, as I think back to the day I first trusted in you to be my Savior I know that was the best and most important decision I ever made. I would not have had the sense to make such a choice had you not awakened me to my need for Jesus, and exposed the corruption of my own heart. Thank you Lord for what you did then and for what you are doing now in my life. Love you Lord.
__________________________________________________________
21. He told a major religious leader exactly how to get to heaven (John 3:1-21)
THIS TRUTH JESUS STATES IS so important because it clearly shows that being religious is not enough, and in many cases only stands in the way of a person having a relationship with God. Being a Christian, or follower of Christ is not about religion, as much as it is relationship. As a Christian, I grow in my understanding of God as I read the Bible and pray, and fellowhship with others who have experienced Christ in a real way. The need to be “born again” as Jesus calls it is a universal need regardless of what a person may call themselves. Lot’s of people are like Cornelius in the Bible in Acts 10 who was religious, prayed daily, gave charitably etc. Cornelius however, missed one thing in his life. He claimed to love God and was sincere as anyone could be about that, but God sent Peter into his life to tell him about Christ. Until we receive Christ into our life and acknowledge our need for him because we are sinners, and ask Him to be the Savior and Lord of our life, then God is always going to be on the outside. When we invite Christ into our heart, we are “born again” and Paul calls this being, “a new creation in Christ” (2 Cor 5:17).
Dear Lord,
Thank you for showing me the need for Christ to be in my life many years ago. I discovered that I was lost without you and I needed to call upon you. You saved me from the penalty of sin that day, and ever since that time, you have been saving me from the pollution and power of sin in my life. This is necessary, because, at salvation nobody is perfect in practice, even though from your viewpoint “in Christ” and “through Christ” we are already declared perfect (Acts 13:38-39). One day, when you call me home to be with you, I will be saved from the very presence of all sin. Then, I will be with you in my glorified body, and I thank you that I can have this great hope and confidence in you Lord.
_________________________________________________________
22. He was stabbed in the side by a Roman soldier while He hung on the cross (John 19:31-34)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE that this was done in fulfillment of what the scriptures predicted about the Messiah. This is what the scriptures say in the text about what happened that day. John 19:31-34 (MSG) “Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn’t stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. 33 When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. 34 One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.”
J. Vernon McGee makes this comment about this passage of scripture. ” 31 The first prophecy which John mentions was fulfilled. It says “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken” (Psa 34:20). The second one still awaits fulfillment. “… they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son …” (Zec 12:10). He has been pierced! That part has been fulfilled. But Zechariah says that He shall return again, and when He comes, then they shall look upon the One whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him.
Dear God, it is obvious that those who crucified Christ had no idea that they were doing all this in fulfillment of scripture, but this is exactly what was happening on that day. Your Word shows that what happened at Calvary was done by wicked men, but they were limited as to what they could do and allowed to do what they did do only by Divine Permission (see Acts 2:22-23). I am thankful Lord, that you are in control of this world and I know that nothing can happen to me that is bad that you will not cause to work together for my good (Romans 8:28).
__________________________________________________________
23. He taught a simple prayer intended to change anyone’s life (Matthew 6:5-13)
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS that I know Him as my Lord and Savior because one day some years ago, I heard the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for a sinner such as I, and I turned from my rebellious way and handed Jesus the “reigns” of my life. At the time, I thought that I did a lot of this as a pure act of my own will, but the more I learned about what my spiritual state was at the time the more I realize that even my repentance and faith were gifts of God due to the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
I realize now that my will was so bound, and my spirit so dead that if God did not awaken my senses I now know I would still be lost. This prayer teaches us an important pattern of prayer, and certainly we can even use this to direct lost people to Christ and share the gospel, by teaching them how to properly approach God. The first thing that everyone should know is how we get to call God, “Our Father.” No one can really call God his spriitual Father, unless they first call out to Jesus and ask Him ot be their Savior, otherwise the only relationship they have to God is that He is the Father of all by creation. God wants to be your Father by redemption. Redemption was secured for believing sinners at Calvary. If you call out to God right now in the way Romans 10:9-13 directs us to then, right now, you can begin life anew with Christ.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for showing me my need of Christ, and I want to thank you that I can not only call God my Father because you are the one who created me, but I can also call you my Father because I have embraced fully your Son, Jesus as my Lord and Savior (John 14:1-6).
___________________________________________________________
24. He made a personal promise to give all weary people rest (Matthew 11:25-30)
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE
Jesus was inviting specific people to come to him that day. The call, was for those who were burdened down with the load of their sin. He already stated in his prayer that the gospel was “hidden” from those who considered themselves to be “wise and prudent.” This is the way it seems today as well. Those who have little hope in this world are much more responsive to the gospel than those who worship the “gods of money, fame, fortune” etc.
I also see in this passage that there are two kinds of “rest” Jesus offers. The first “rest” I believe is the rest of salvation in Christ. The second “rest” is the rest of daily satisfaction in Him (see Psalm 23:1-6).
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the “rest” I found in you the day you showed me my sin and my need for a Savior. I cried out to you for mercy, grace and forgivness, and you came into my life that day. That day became the “first day of the rest of my life.” Now I get to celebrate two birthdays! Those who do not know you and die without you, will experience two deaths, but only one birth. They were born physically, but they will die physically and eternally as you point out in Revelation 20:11-16. This is so sad to know, Lord. Those however, who know you as Savior get to experience two births (John 3:1-8), but only one death (John 11:25-26). Until the day comes when you call me home to be with you I can experience “daily rest” as I “lean upon you” to guide my life (Proverbs 3:5-6).
________________________________________________________________
HEALING/MIRACLES:
25. His birth was prophesied nearly 700 years before it happened by the prophet Micah (Micah 5:1-2)
THIS TRUTH IMPRESSES ME BECAUSE
Fulfilled prophesy validates the Word of God. I am so thankful that the Word of God is trustworthy, and nothing can be added to it or taken away from it. It is the pure Word of God (Proverbs 30:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-20; Psalm 12:6-7).
Thank you Lord for giving me a reliable instruction manual that tells me not only how to be saved, but also how I can live a life that glorifies you (see 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:1-9). I know that I can completely trust in your Word because you saw to it that the human authors were kept from error as they gave it to us (2 Peter 1:20-21).
_________________________________________________________
26. He performed miracles here on earth for everyone to see. More than 37 are recorded and He did more than these (John 21:25)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE
Jesus is God and is therefore infinite. There is no limit to the meaning of His words or to the number of His works. While He was here on earth, He was still the Upholder of all things-the sun, moon, and stars. Who could ever describe all that is involved in keeping the universe in motion? Even in His miracles on earth, we have only the barest description. In a simple act of healing, think of the nerves, muscles, blood corpuscles, and other members that He controlled. Think of His direction of germs, fishes, animal life. Think of His guidance in the affairs of men. Think of His control over the atomic structure of every bit of matter in the universe. Could the world itself possibly contain the books to describe such infinite details? The answer is an emphatic “No.” (Believers Bible Commentary)
Dear Lord, I thank you for your awesome power. I know that some think you are not doing miraculous things any longer. How could this be so? I believe you do the kind of things we see in John today, from time to time, all within the framework of your Sovereign will (Deut 29:29). I also, believe that it is easy to overlook certain miracles you are doing every day, throughout the whole world. Every time a sinner trusts you to be their Savior and Lord, a miracle has taken place. A “spiritually dead” person has been brought to “spiritual life in Christ.” This is so beautifully displayed in Eph 2:1-10. Not only is this a miracle, but the fact that this “spiritual life” we have in Christ is something that will last forever is too a miracle from you. Everything in the visible world will one day pass away, but the spiritual life that a beleiver has will be forever. Just as you are right now “sustaining all things by the Word of your power,” so too are you sustaining me in the journey that I am pursuiing with you. I thank you for this Lord, because I not only had “no strength” to save myself (Romans 5:6), but I also do not have strength to keep myself saved either (Philippians 4:13), but with your “upholding hand” (Hebrews 1:3…”upholding all things by the Word of His power…”), and your firm grip on me (John 10:28) I never have to fear that my destiny depends on me. You not only saved me, but you have “sealed” me by your Spirit, until the day of the redemption of my body (Eph 4:30; 1:13,14). To God be the glory, Amen!
____________________________________________________________
27. He once lived 40 days without food (Matthew 4:1-2)
I UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS suffered and was tempted in all points like the rest of us, except that He did it without falling prey to any sin! This is amazing to me on two fronts. First, I am grateful for this because since He suffered like He did He can understand my suffering and pain of whatever sort it may be. He knows what it means to be hungry, thirsty, tired and to be homeless.
Secondly, since Christ went through the attacks of Satan in his temptation He demonstrates to me the way I can experience victory as well. The Bible clearly tells us that Christ was Holy Spirit “driven” (Mark 1:12), Holy Spirit “led” (Matthew 4:1-2) and Holy Spirit “filled” (Luke 4:1). We can also say, since He is the Divine Word of God, He was full of that too, as we can plainly see by reading the rest of this passage in (Matthw 4:1-11). How important it is for us to combat the forces of evil that are in this world today through the power of God, the Spirit of God and the Word of God. Every time the Devil tempted Christ, He did so by appealing to scripture THAT IS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. We must make sure we “hide the Word of God in our hearts” (Psalm 119:11) and yield ourselves to the Spirit of God (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16,25) if we ever expect to be victorious over the temptations of the Devil that come into our life.
Dear Lord, I know when I am physically at me weakest, when I am hungry and tired I seem most vulnerable to the Devil’s attacks. I am more prone to stray from my diet if I let myself get too hungry and my choices can easily end up being unhealthy for me. The Devil likes that because He wants me dead, unhealthy and out of service for my King. I also know that my mind can easily become distracted when I am tired and undesirable thoughts, or just not having any thoughts about you at all could easily be the direction I may find myself taking. Help me Lord, to recognize these triggers in my life, and remind me to take my afternoon “spiritual energy drink” of the Word of God or even wonderful Chrisitian songs to lead me back where I need to be. You own my life Lord, twenty four hours of the day, so help me to use my time wisely as a good steward of God. In Jesus name, Amen.
________________________________________________________
28. He was at a wedding in a city named Cana and His mother asked Him to do a miracle for the father of the bride when they suddenly ran out of wine. To everyone’s surprise, He took six big jars of water and turned them into the best wine the people had ever tasted (John 2:1)
THIS TRUTH IMPRESSES ME BECAUSE
Jesus is a miracle working God. He truly loves to bless people with good things. As Jesus was able to bring joy to this important occasion, we know that He can and wants to do the same for every marriage. Jesus should be invited into every one of our lives and marriages and every other aspect of our life as well. All we are without God in our life is “empty waterpots” and God wants to take the “water of the Word” pour it into our life and the result will be such a transformation that it will “make glad the heart of man,” of which the wine is a symbol of (Psalm 104:15).
” True happiness and fulfillment in life come only through faith in God. It could not be otherwise. We have been created in such a way that we can realize our destiny only when we acknowledge God as our Lord and Master. Pascal said it well: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart!” And Augustine put it this way: “Thou has made us, O Lord, for Thyself, and our heart shall find no rest till it rest in Thee!”
Dear Lord Jesus,
I thank you that you are a miracle working God. What you did in this story where the best wine was saved until the last is what you are doing today. I know that the best is yet to come for every true believer of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know I was “justified” by you through “faith” the day you became my Savior (Romans 5:1), but I am now being “sanctified” (growing spiritually) because of the daily work you are doing in me, through the Word, fellowship with other believers, prayer and your ongoing intercession in heaven for me. As good as that is, I know it gets better because one day I will be saved from the very presence of sin. I will no longer commit sin, or be in an environment of sin. This is exciting to think about, but I should never expect less than the best from you Lord. Amen.
___________________________________________________________
29. He healed an army officer’s son from paralysis (Matthew 8:5)
THIS IS INCLUDED IN SCRIPTURE BECAUSE
Matthew 8: 5-13 (NKJV) Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
I think there are several ways to answer this question of why God included this in scripture.
(1) First, I think Jesus wanted to make it clear that He is not only interested in saving Jews, but Gentiles as well. In the Bible there are basically only two classes of people. Either a person was a Jew or a non-Jew called a Gentile. That is the reason we have the statements in the New Testament that testify, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21 & Romans 10:13). When I see the word “whosoever” I immediately think, “Not just Jew, but Gentile too.”
(2) This also shows us that “Great faith” does not always correspond to Great revelation. What I mean is that it is better have little revelation and believe what you have than it is to have a lot of revelation and not believe it. The only two people in the New Testament that Jesus commended for their great faith, was a Gentile man here, and a Gentile woman in Matthew 15:27-28. In contrast to this we have the disciples which Jesus rebuked for their “little faith” many times and in one place He said “no faith” (Mark 4:40). So the disciples had much revelation and little faith wheras the two Gentiles had little revelation and much faith.
(3) I also believe this is recorded to show us the power of God’s spoken word. The Gentile soldier knew that Jesus need not be physically present to heal someone, and we who believe in Christ for salvation know that too (Romans 10:17). The Bible says that,”faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” I am not saying that I can do everything Jesus did with my words,, but I do believe when the Word of God, which is God’s time tested revelation, is preached, then God blesses and people believe it and are gloriously saved. What takes place when a sinner is saved is every bit as much a miracle as raising a physically dead person from the grave. This must be true, because God clearly tells us in His Word that all of us in our lost state were “spiritually dead” (Eph 2:1; 1 Timothy 5:6).
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for this Bible story that teaches me to believe your Word, and trust in you because your Word can be trusted. You did not lie back then, and your nature and character never changes (Malachi 3:6) so I can believe you will never lie (Numbers 23:19), and on the matter of eternal life you specifically state that you will not lie (Titus 1:2). I praise you Lord for who you are and the hope that I can have in you. Amen.
__________________________________________________________
30. He exercised demons out of crazy people (Mark 5:1-20)
THIS TRUTH IMPRESSES ME BECAUSE
There is nothing beyond the power of God. When Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18) he meant it. He had power to preach, to teach, to heal, to raise the dead, to cast our demons, to defeat Satan, and to save lost sinners. He truly is an amazing Savior and King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s.
Dear Lord, Help me to ever praise you for your great salvation which you said is to the “uttermost” to those who come to you (Hebrews 7:25). Your salvation truly is from the “guttermost” (Psalm 40:1-3) to the “uttermost!” Praise be to the Lamb of God that “takes away the sin of the world.” Amen.
___________________________________________________
31. When the mother-in-law of one of His good buddies was really sick with a fever, He took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her body (Mark 1:30-31)
I UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS came to serve others, and then finish his ministry to others by “giving His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This is the SERVANT GOSPEL more than any other. In the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11 Jesus didn’t get in a hurry at all, because JOHN PRESENTS JESUS AS GOD, and God never needs to get in a hurry. There are other reasons one might give for why Jesus “delayed” in that story, but the point is to see the contrast in the context of understanding Christ as the SERVANT. One of the characteristic words in Mark’s gospel is the word “immediately.” It is used here and it is used a total of 36 times in Mark’s gospel. Not only did our Lord move quickly to meet the need of the moment, but we find that the disciples, “told Him about her at once” (Mark 1:30). They too wasted no time.
Perhaps we should be as zealous for God when it comes to the souls of men and women who are on the road to Hell. The need for “spiritual healing” (Luke 5:31-32) is even greater and the consequence for not knowing Christ is much more severe too. Most people think of physical death as the “end” or the “finality” of things for mankind, but that is not what the Bible says at all. When people die, they “immediately” go to heaven or hell depending on what their relationship with Jesus was. If there ever was a reason for urgency it is in this matter of salvation. The Bible always teaches us that there is no better time than the PRESENT MOMENT to trust Christ if you have not done so. Consider the following verses in light of this thought (Isa 1:18; 2 Cor 6:2; Hebrews 3:7,8).
Isaiah 1:18 (NLT)
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)
For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now.
Today is the day of salvation.
Hebrews 3:7-8 (NIV)
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for taking care of such important matters so quickly in this healing story. I thank you for what you teach me about servanthood and how I can only be a good servant of my Lord in so far as I am willing to yield my life to the same cause that Jesus surrendered His lfe for. I want to be used of you Lord, to see lost people come to know Christ, and for the saved to grow into Christlikeness. Help me to abide in this work, for in light of eternity what else really matters. I know this is your desire for all Christians to be this way. A person does not have to quit thier job and go “full time” to serve you this way. We don’t need to look for some new field to serve you in, we just need to yield ourselves to your service right now where you have planted us. In Jesus name, Amen.
_________________________________________________________
32. He is the only person known to touch and heal leprosy (Luke 17:11)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE
Leprosy was the worst disease in biblical times, that offered no cure, outside of the miracle working power of God. Leprosy was to the people of that day what Aid’s is in our day, in many ways. Leprosy made a person a social outcast, and I remember when most of us first heard about AID’S. It was treated like the plague and people were afraid to go near a person that was reported to have it. Even though it is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, it is often associated by some as a disease of a particular class of society. The truth is, it can even be transmitted through blood transfusion etc. Sometimes a spouse may get it from a unfaithful husband or wife. The innocent party then becomes a victim of society because many will think they got it from being promiscious or from drug use. Even though the disease is more manageable today, as far as I know there is still no known cure. In the Bible, leprosy is a type and picture of sin. We can read Leviticus 13 and see many parallels as is brought out by Warren Wiersbe in his Old Testament Outline Series.
“If people thought they had leprosy, they were required to go to the priest for an examination. Note the characteristics of leprosy and how they picture sin:
A. It is deeper than the skin ( v. 3 ). Leprosy was not merely a surface eruption; it was deeper than the skin. How like sin! The problem is not on the surface. Deeper than the skin, the problem lies in sinful human nature. The Bible has nothing good to say about the flesh (the old nature) because our sinful nature is the source of so many of our troubles. Sinners cannot be changed by shallow surface remedies; they need to have their hearts changed. See Jer. 7:18 , Rom. 7:18 , Ps. 51:5 , and Job. 14:4 .
B. It spreads ( v. 7 ). Leprosy was not an isolated sore on one part of the body; it had a way of spreading and defiling the whole body. Sin also spreads: it begins with a thought, then follows a desire, then an act, then the terrible results ( James. 1:13 – 15 ). Read Sam. 11 and see how sin spread in David’s life. David left his army when he should have been fighting; he allowed his eyes to wander to his neighbor’s wife; he lusted; he committed adultery; he lied; he made Uriah, the neighbor, drunk; and finally, he murdered the man.
C. It defiles ( vv. 44 – 46 ) This means, of course, ceremonial defilement; lepers were not allowed to participate in the religious services. They were forced to mark themselves as lepers and to cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” to warn the people around them. Anyone who touched a leper was also defiled. This is the tragedy of sin: it defiles the mind, the heart, the body, and all that it touches. One sinner can defile a whole household; think of Achan ( Josh. 7 ). No person was ever made cleaner because of sin, for sin is the great defiler of mankind.
D. It isolates ( v. 46 ) “He shall dwell alone!” What sad words. “Outside the camp” in the place of rejection was the only place for a leper. Sin always isolates people. It takes them away from family, friends, and, ultimately, from God. When Christ was made sin for us He cried, “Why have You forsaken me?” Sin separates people from God–and this is what hell is.
E. It destines things for the fire ( v. 52 ). Any garment that was found defiled with leprosy was burned. There is only one place for sin, and that is in the fires of judgment. Jesus described hell as a place where the fire never burns out ( Mark. 9:43 – 48 ). It is sad to think of millions of “spiritual lepers” being consigned to the eternal fires of judgment because they have never trusted Christ as their Savior. How important it is that we tell the world the good news of the Gospel! People may laugh at sin, excuse it, or try to explain it away, but to God sin is serious. Note Isa. 1:4ff for the prophet’s use of leprosy as a picture of sin.” (Warren Wiersbe)
So, we can see that when Jesus heals a leper He is demonstrating His ability to conquer sin and its effects and consequences. This is what Jesus did when He went to the Cross, and this is so beautifully presented in Isaiah 53:4-6 as well as 1 Cor 15:55-57.
Isaiah 53:4-6 (KJV)
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
1 Cor 15:55-58 (KJV)
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Dear Lord, I thank you for demonstrating your ability to conquer sin, death, Hell, and the grave for my benifit. There would be no hope for any of us without your victory over these things. We are all spiritual lepers, and in need of healing, because, outside of Christ, “all our righteousnesses are as filthy (lepers rags)” (Isaiah 64:6).
_________________________________________________________
33. He raised a widow’s son from the dead (Luke 7:11)
I’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT this resurrection power. Paul said that He longed for the day to experience this power in his life. (Philippians 3:10-11 msg) I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. 11 If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
F. B. Meyer calls these verses a description of “The Soul’s Quest for the Personal Christ.”
Let us consider the comments in the BELIEVERS BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES.
“That I may know Him. To know Him means to gain practical day-by-day acquaintance with Him in such an intimate way that the apostle himself would become more Christlike. He wants the life of Christ to be reproduced in himself.
And the power of His resurrection. The power that raised the Lord from the dead is set forth in Scripture as the greatest display of might which the universe has ever seen (Eph 1:19-20). It would seem as if all the hosts of evil were determined to keep His body in the tomb. God’s mighty power defeated this infernal army by raising the Lord Jesus from the dead on the third day. This same power is placed at the disposal of all believers (Eph 1:19), to be appropriated by faith. Paul is stating his ambition to experience this power in his life and testimony.
And the fellowship of His sufferings. It takes divine strength to suffer for Christ. That is why the power of His resurrection is put before the fellowship of His sufferings.
In the life of the Lord, suffering preceded glory. So then it must be in the life of Paul. He must share Christ’s sufferings. He realized that there would be nothing of an atoning value in his own sufferings as there was in Christ’s, but he knew, too, that it would be inconsistent for him to live in luxury and ease in a world where his Lord was rejected, scourged, and crucified. Jowett comments: “He was not contented to share the triumph of Olivet; he wanted to feel something of the pang and chill and loneliness of Gethsemane.”
Being conformed to His death. As mentioned before, this is usually explained as meaning that Paul wanted to live the crucified life, to die practically to sin, self, and the world. But we feel that such an interpretation robs the passage of its shocking force. It does mean that, but also much more. Paul was a passionately devoted follower of the One who died on the cross of Calvary. Not only that, he was present when the first martyr of the Christian church died; in fact, he was an accomplice in murdering him! We believe Paul was actually anxious to pour out his life in the same way. Perhaps he would have felt embarrassed to meet Stephen in heaven if he had come by any more comfortable route than martyrdom.”
Dear Lord, It is hard for me to pray the way Paul did. He actually wanted to suffer and die like Christ. He wanted to experience everything His Lord did. He knew he needed “resurrection power” working on his behalf to go this far with Christ. I am not there yet Lord. I seem to be enjoying a much easier life right now than what Paul experienced in his time. I do pray however for the grace to live for you, in light of the evil I might face on this day or the days ahead. I pray for grace to be able to honor you in all the trials that may come my way. I pray this on behalf of other believers too. Give us strength today Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
__________________________________________________________
34. He read people’s minds (John 4:3-42)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE
Sometimes we may think that we can think evil things and we are safe because nobody really knows what we are thinking. This is foolish because God always knows. Sometiimes, in the workplace I will walk up on someone unexpectantly and someone will say, they just said a bad word and they hope I didn’t hear them. I remind them that Jesus hears everything and it is He they will one day give an account to and not me. I am not so occupied with what others say or think as I am my own wayward thoughts. I have more than enough to do in concentrating on my own thought life, without becoming preoccupied with others. I do know that God wants us to work on the issues of our heart, because that is where sin dwells (Mark 7:21-23; Romans 7:24-25). Christians need to surrender their very minds and hearts to God every day so that we can be renewed and conformed more and more to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2).
Dear Lord, Help every believer today with their thought life, so that our lives will honor you in every way. Help me to bring “every thought into obedience to Christ…” as the scripture teaches. I ask this for all believers, in Jesus name, Amen.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
_____________________________________________________
35. He could make a gale force wind stop blowing (Matthew 8:23-26)
THIS TRUTH APPLIES TO ME BECAUSE the same God that did that can calm the storms that I may experience today. I know that much of what a Christian believes is in direct contrast to the ways of the world and the values of those who know not Christ. It is for this reason that scripture often depicts the wickedness of this world to “raging waves of the sea.”
Isaiah 57:20-21 (KJV) 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Jude 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
We should read this verse in Jude in its context and see that the apostates in the last days will be just like this. Apostates are those who once knew the truth but turned their backs on it. They are like the Bible characters Cain, Balaam and Korah. We must know the characteristics of these and be on the alert for them.
Dear Lord, I pray for the storms that many Christians are facing today. I pray for your help to “deliver them from evil” or as some prefer to say, “the evil one.” Some are living in places where Christians are being beheaded for their faith in Christ. God help them, and help us all to stay close to you during these storms of life. Help us to always stay close to you even in the calm lest we be caught in any storm unprepared.
_______________________________________________________
36. He raised a rich ruler’s daughter from the dead (Mark 5:22)
I UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS is able to raise the dead because He is “life,” He is the source of all life (Col 1:15-18). This was just another one of the many ways Jesus shows Himself to be the Divine Son of God. He truly is amazing. Paul tells us He is, “the image of the invisible God, the FIRSTBORN over all creation. Sometimes people wonder why Paul would call Jesus the “firstborn” from the dead, since He raised others before He died and rose, and there were times when others in the Old Testament were raised from death too. Both Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:35) were used of God to demonstrate the power of God in this way. As a matter of fact, Elisha had such an anointing of God upon him that in 2 Kingss 13:2 a man came back to life from coming in contact with Elisha’s dead bones when the man was thrown in Elisha’s tomb! Now, how is the that for the power of God! The truth is, inspite of these events Jesus is called, “the firstborn” not because He was the first to rise from the dead, but because He was the GREATEST TO RISE from the dead, and because He rose from the dead to never die again. All others who rose from the dead before Christ, had to still die a natural death, but not so with our Lord.
He rose to be victorious over death for ALL WHO TRUST IN JESUS. It is because HE LIVES, that all believers too will all experience this same miracle, which is a resurrection of the dead. We need not be surprised at these resurrection stories, once we come to realize JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE!
Dear Lord, I thank you for reminding me of your awesome power. I want to rest in the Power of God today, and I hope you will help me to encourage others to rest in this amazing power as well. I ask this in the sweet name of Jesus, because there is “no other name given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Amen.
____________________________________________________________
37. A blind guy came up to Him begging to see again. He made some clay mud from the dirt on the ground and put it on the blind guy’s eyes and once it was removed, he could immediately see for the first time in his life (John 9:1-6)
I’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT the meaning of this miracle. I do know that Jesus could have just spoken the Word, and the same one who spoke this world into existence could have easily restored sight to this blind man. So the question we might ask is, “What could be the meaning that lies beneath the surface of the mud and the spittle?”
As I contemplate this I think the dirt, which is a product of the earth, must surely represent humanity, since all of us come from Adam and Adam came from dirt. The Bible says, “unto dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.” These are God’s words to Adam. The “spittle” I suppose could mean nothing more than moisture to help turn the dirt into clay mud, but I think surely there must be more to it than that! I think if the dirt represents humanity, and our mere lifeless flesh, then that which “proceeded out of the mouth of God” (John 6:63) Himself has to represent the power of Divine life. What Jesus did to the dirt, mixed with His spit represents what He does to all who trust Christ by faith. He takes our humanity and plants His divine seed within us (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9). I am not trying to suggest we all become “little gods” but what I am saying is that Divine life lives within every believer. This was a picture of what God would do for all after Christ rose from the dead. Today, the very moment that a person trusts Christ as Savior the Holy Spirit comes to take up a permanent residence in that person. God’s divine life will from that moment on live within. Glory be to God!
To add to this, we know that the man was commanded to go and wash the mud out of his eyes. We don’t know how he did that or who may have helped him to get the water to wash the mud off, but I do know as we wash the mud of the sin stains of this world off of us through the reading and mediation of God’s Word (John 15:3; John 17:17), then we can then see the things of God, the ways of God, and the plan of God much clearer.
Dear God, I pray that you will open blinded eyes today that sinners may see Christ and embrace Him as their Savior. I do know that you came to “open the eyes of the (spiritually) blind” (John 3:3; 2 Cor 4:4-6) and so I pray that you will lead me today to that person who is ready to hear about this Great Physician that is still today doing wonderous things. In Jesus name, Amen!
____________________________________________________________
38. He cast over 6,000 demons into a large herd of pigs (Luke 8:26-39)
MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE
Why did He grant the request of the demons?
To answer this difficult question I am going to appeal to one of my favorite online tools called GotQuestions.org. This is an excellent resourse and the following few paragraphs is the answer that they give to this question.
Why the demons begged to be allowed to enter the swine is unclear from the account. It could be because they didn’t want to leave the area where they had been successful in doing their mischief among the people. Perhaps they were drawn to the unclean animals because of their own filthiness. The demons may have made this strange request because it was their last chance to avoid confinement in the Abyss, the place of confinement to which evil spirits are doomed (Revelation 9:1-6). Whatever their reasoning, it is clear from the account that demons had little power of their own and were unable to do anything without Jesus’ permission. As Christians, we can take comfort in the knowledge that the forces of the enemy of our souls are under the complete control of God and can only act in ways He allows.
The Bible doesn’t explain to us Jesus’ reasoning, but displaying His sovereign power over demons could be one reason why Jesus sent them into the pigs. If the pigs’ owners were Jews, Jesus could have been rebuking them for violating Mosaic law which forbids Jews from eating or keeping unclean animals such as swine (Leviticus 11:7).
If the swineherds were Gentiles, perhaps Jesus was using this miraculous event to show them the malice of evil spirits under whose influence they lived, as well as displaying His own power and authority over creation. In any case, the owners were so terrified to be in the presence of such spiritual power that they made no demand for restitution for the loss of their property and begged Jesus to leave the region. The people were awe-struck but unrepentant—they wanted no more of Jesus Christ. This shows the hardness of their hearts and their desire to remain in sin. The healed demoniac, on the other hand, demonstrated the true faith and repentance of a changed heart and begged to be allowed to follow Jesus. Perhaps the unmistakable difference between the saved and the unsaved was an object lesson for the disciples and all who witnessed the event. Jesus sent the healed man away, giving him a commission that he joyfully obeyed: “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:17-20).
Dear God, I thank you that even the demons are subject to your divine permission and ordained will. I believe Satan never has good intentions for what he does, but I know you always do. I think about how Paul once prayed that you would take away his “thorn,” that you said was, “the messenger of Satan, sent to buffet” him. It seems strange that you would do this, but in that passage Paul tells us why you permitted the evil spirits to trouble Paul. They were the very tools of God to help keep Paul from being lifted up with pride like the Devil himself. So, even though Satan always has bad thing in mind for us, God always have what is, “for our good, and for His glory.” Amen.
________________________________________________________
39. He took a little kid’s lunch and turned it into enough food to feed more than 5,000 men. (20,000 plus people!) Later, He fed 4,000 more (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 8:1-8)
THIS TRUTH CAN HELP ME by reminding me that I must quit looking at my resources when it comes to doing God’s will. God wants me to give what I have, and be willing to surrender that to Him for His use, and He will take it and work miracles with it. I need to remind myself and others of this truth. Often we live in fear of the currrent situation or what the future might bring, and we forget the God we serve, is Unlimited, and All Powerful, and more than willing to supply “all our needs according to His riches in glory” (Philip 4:19).
Thank you Lord for the reminder that even the job I have came from you, and is only one of many resources you have to supply what I need in my life. If this “brook” dried up tomorrow, you will supply me with another resource that will take care of my needs. Just as you took care of Elijah in most unusual ways during a seven year famine you can do the same for me. Help me to trust in the living God, that you might always get the glory in every crises that may come my way.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
40. He made it possible for a deaf mute to hear and speak again (Mark 7:31)
DEAR LORD, THIS BENEFITS ME in the work you have commissioned me to do. You have commanded me to go and tell others about the Good News of Jesus Christ to lost sinners who are spiritually blind (John 3:3; 2 Cor 4:4-6) and spiritual deaf as well (John 8:43; Matthew 13:15; Romans 11:8). This is an awesome task, but I must realize what my responsibility is and what it is not. I am not commanded to save anyone, I am only commanded to speak to the “spiritually dead” (Eph 2:1) the wonderful life giving and life saving words of the gospel of Christ, and you Lord, are the one who gives life to the dead, sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf (Luke 4:18; Luke 7:22).
_________________________________________________________
41. He once became so mad a fig tree didn’t have any fruit on it to eat that He made it permanently barren (Mark 11:12-14)
MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE, “WHY DID OUR LORD GET MAD AT THE INNOCENT FIG TREE?”
FOR THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION I AM GOING TO APPEAL TO MY FAVORITE INTERNET RESOURCE FOR ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE BIBLE’S MOST DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. THE SOURCE IS GOTQUESTIONS.ORG
Question: Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?
Answer:
With His cleansing of the Temple and His criticism of the worship that was going on there (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17), Jesus was effectively denouncing Israel’s worship of God. With the cursing of the fig tree, He was symbolically denouncing Israel as a nation and, in a sense, even denouncing unfruitful “Christians” (that is, people who profess to be Christian but have no evidence of a relationship with Christ).
The presence of a fruitful fig tree was considered to be a symbol of blessing and prosperity for the nation of Israel. Likewise, the absence or death of a fig tree would symbolize judgment and rejection. Symbolically, the fig tree represented the spiritual deadness of Israel, who while very religious outwardly with all the sacrifices and ceremonies, were spiritually barren because of their sins. By cleansing the Temple and cursing the fig tree, causing it to whither and die, Jesus was pronouncing His coming judgment of Israel and demonstrating His power to carry it out.
It also teaches the principle that religious profession and observance are not enough to guarantee salvation, unless there is the fruit of genuine salvation evidenced in the life of the person. James would later echo this truth when he wrote that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). The lesson of the fig tree is that we should bear spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), not just give an appearance of religiosity. God judges fruitlessness, and expects that those who have a relationship with Him will “bear much fruit” (John 15:5-8).
DEAR LORD, Help me not to be like the “fig tree” and demonstrate no fruit in my life. As a child of God, it is ordained that I “go and bring forth fruit” (John 15:16). I know that my fruit bearing potential is only going to be as good as I am willing to stay connected to Christ, and in fellowhsip with Him (John 15:1-16), yield my life to the Holy Spirit’s control (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:22-23), and saturate my mind with the life sustaining Word of God (Heb 4:12; Joshua 1:8; John 15:3; John 17:17; Psalm 1:2; Col 3:16). Thank you Lord for this story, so that I can learn about the importance of not wasting this short life you have given me, but to instead live this day for the glory of God. Amen.
_______________________________________________________
42. He healed an ear that had been cut off of a soldier (Luke 22:49-51)
THE MAIN POINT IS that “(God’s) ways are above our ways, and His thoughts above our thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:8). I like what Andy Griffin once asked Barny. They were confronted with an issue and Andy asked, “Barny, How do you fight a fire?” and Barny quickly replied, “With fire!” to which Andy responded, “No, with water.” I think that would be a modern day way that Jesus might have spoke to Peter on this day. It is very similar to what Paul said in 2 Cor 10:4 (AMP)
“For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds.”
In the passage of scripture in Luke Jesus made it clear that we must be willing to endure short term pain, for long term gain. Peter was resisting the enemy, when God was using the enemy as a tool to ultimately carry out His Sovereign will.
Had Peter been successful and Jesus did not get arrrested, and consequently not go to the cross, then no one could be saved. I am glad Peter got rebuked on that day, and I am grateful for the lessons that I can learn from this passage too. I must be careful about using natural reasoning when it comes to discernment regarding God’s will. I must seek the Lord, otherwise my best intentions may be far off the mark from where God would have me to be.
Dear Lord, I know there are many lessons to be learned from passages like this, but I do thank you for directing my thoughts in this area. It is obviously something I must give thought to. I know how prone I am to plunge into things with zeal, and sometimes my zeal is misdirected. I do this most often when I do not think things through well because I have not consulted you in prayer. Your Word says, “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who will give to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” (James 1:5). You also tell us in James that, “we have not because we ask not,” and at times we have not, “because we ask amiss” (James 4:2-3). Lord, these verses are important, because I am reminded by them to slow down and not get ahead of you as though I have things figured out better than you do. Thank you today Lord, for this insight from your Word.
__________________________________________________________
43. He sent 70 men into cities to perform miracles to extend His ministry (Luke 10:1-12)
THIS PERTAINS TO ME in that I am also sent of God, and commissioned by Christ to continue the ministry of Christ. While I may not be gifted like the apostles to heal the sick, and raise the dead, I still have a great work to to do in sharing, “the life changing Good News of Jesus Christ” with a lost and dying world. This truly is not only important, but is even more important than healing the sick and raising the dead, because as great as those miracles are, they are only a temporary fix since those same people will still one day die, and then have to face God in the judgement (Hebrews 9:27). If I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and even cast out devils, but I do not share the gospel of Christ with them, then I have left off the most important of matters. After all, life here is very short when compared to eternity. James says it is like “a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).
The commission in the passage above was for seventy people, and they were empowered and equipped to do what God called them to do. Today’s commission is for all believers to “Go” and “Tell” others about Christ and His saving power. This is the Gospel that Paul would later call the “dynamite” of God (Romans 1:16). This task God has given us is not that difficult.
We are not responsible to save anyone, because that is the Holy Spirit’s job (John 6:44,63; Titus 3:5). My only responsibility is to tell them about their need for Jesus, and then if they are willing to lead them to “call upon His name” (Romans 10:9-13). I know some think that we should never try to lead a person to pray and invite Christ into their life. They think it is taking matters too far and that all we should do is tell sinners to come to Christ, and not lead them by the hand to Christ. That is not what the disciples did. When They found the Christ, they went and got others, and lead them to where Christ was. They didn’t just give them directions, lest they never find their way. Even the woman at the well did not say, “Go see a man,” she said “Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did, Is not this the Christ?”
I think we should tell others about Jesus and then encourage them to call out to Jesus. We surely should not expect that they will know exactly how to pray to God, if the disciples who had been walking with the Lord needed such teaching on the subject of prayer. Surely lost people could use a little help here, and the Holy Spirit is the one who will make it real in their life.
Dear Lord, Help me not to be shy about sharing the “life changing Good News” of Jesus Christ with others. I know some may get upset, or let me know that they don’t want to hear about it. I will respect their right to say no, but I do ask for the courage to share it. Since the gospel is the medicine for every sin sick soul, why would I ever want to keep it just for myself. That would be the most selfish way to live my life. After all, I know that in heaven I won’t be asked to apologize to anyone for telling them too much about Christ. As I ask for this strength to do your will Lord, I am already going to thank you for the answer, because I know you are more than ready to grant this request. In Jesus name, Amen.
________________________________________________________
44. Four days after one of His friends died, He brought him back to life and out of a sealed tomb in front of hundreds of witnesses (John 11:38-44)
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TRUTH IS that with God, “nothing is impossible.” I am told this very thing in many places in the Word, and here I see a wonderful illustration of what God does everyday when a lost sinner is brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The man was physically dead, but every lost sinner is “spiritually dead.” Lazarus needed a physical resurrection, and every one that does not know Christ needs a spiritual resurrection (Eph 2:1-10).
My God truly is now, as Sovereign as He was back then, for my God is the same “yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). There is no “shadow of turning” with God (James 1:17). He is the LORD, and He changes not (Malachi 3:6). The LORD came to Abraham many years ago when Abraham was well up in age and both he and Sarah were passed their child bearing years but God said they would have a child at God’s appointed time. Sarah laughed, as Abraham did earlier, but the Lord said, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer to this is most assuredly not! Nothing was too hard for God back then, and nothing is too hard for the Lord now either. God truly is the God of what seems IMPOSSIBLE! (Matthew 19:26: Luke 1:37).
So, my dear friends, whatever difficulty you may be facing now, you truly can look to the Lord, and He delights to make things “work together” for “good” if you love Him and delight in Him (Romans 8:28). If we can trust Him in the greatest of matters, which is the salvation of our souls, then it is reasonable to trust Him with any matter that might fall short of that lofty feat (Romans 8:32).
Romans 8:32 (MSG)
If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?
Dear Lord, I pray that you will use this passage of scripture to stretch the faith of believers today. You are an awesome God, and you have proven yourself time and time again to do Great things. You are a good God that delights to do “good things” for your children (Psalm 84:11). Help us in the weakness of our faith to look today to the God who cannot fail! In Jesus name, Amen.
_________________________________________________________
45. Simon and his friend had been fishing all night without catching anything. Jesus told them exactly where to cast their nets. Reluctantly, they did so and, to their astonishment caught so many fish the boat began to sink (Luke 5:4-6)
TO ME, THIS MEANS Jesus is Sovereign over all things. All throughout the gospels it is made clear that Jesus truly is the King of the Universe. While He willingly limited Himself, while in a body of flesh, nevertheless His divinity is still made known. In Matthew’s gospel in particular we see right from the beginning that Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of King David. The genealogy in Matthew one makes this quite clear. Not only is He in the Kingly line of David, but He also is in the line of Abraham, and the ulltimate fulfillment of the Genesis 12:3 prophesy made to Abraham where God says, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
In Genesis 5 in the Geneology of the “first Adam” we see death, over and over again, but in Matthew’s geneology the emphasis is on life, as the characterstic word “begat” is so frequently used. In Matthew chapter two, Christ is recognized as the true King, as Gentiles from the east come to worship Him. In Matthew 3 Christ is annointed by God at His baptism. As David was annointed prior to being made King, Jesus, who is the Greater King than David is annointed too with the heavenly dove of God’s approval resting upon Him.
Twice in Matthew’s gospel, God speaks out of heaven and says, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). No wonder Jesus was able to say, “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29b).
This is King Jesus! He is my everlasting King. In chapter 4, Jesus was King over Satan in the temptation. Jesus defeated Satan through the power of His Word. This was and is the Divine, Living Word of God, and He has given to us the Divine written Word of God (Hebrew 4:12), which too carries with it Divine power to save our very souls (1 Timothy 3:15; James 1:21). Then in Matthew 5-7 we have a record of the Teachings of the King about life under His Kingdom rule. In Matthew 9-10 this King begins to manifest His power to demonstrate His ability to be King. In Matthew 8:1-17 we see His power over disease. In Matthew 8:18-27 we see His power over Nature. This is what we see here in our #45th TRUTH ABOUT THE KING.
In Matthew 8:24-34 we see His power over Satan. In Matthew 9:1-17 we see His power over Sin. In Matthew 9:18-26 we see His power over death. In Matthew 9:27-31 we see His power over darkness. Finally, in Matthew 9:32-38 we see His power over demons. Then at the end of the gospel as Jesus commissioned the disciples He reinterated the truth that He demonstrated all throughout Matthew’s gospel, that, “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” This is the encouragement that every child of God needs as we do the work that God has called each of us to do.
In this 45th TRUTH ABOUT THE KING, Jesus shows that He is Sovereign over fish. This is good to see, because He called the disciplles to “be fishers of men” as He has called each of us to be too, and He does all the hard work. For us, it is mainly about AVAILABILITY and not ABILITY. We just need to be, “in the right place, at the right time, and doing the right thing, which is sharing with others the LIFE CHANGING GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST and God will fill our nets for us. We must never forget that our burden to see the lost saved, pales in comparison to God’s. Every single soul that makes it to heaven will testify that it was because of THE LONGSUFFERING of God that they made it there (2 Peter 3:9). Praise be to God for His Mighty knowledge to know where the fish are, and His Mighty power to fill the gospel net with lost souls for His glorious Kingdom.
Dear Lord, Thank you so much for the encouragment of this passage of scripture. I want to be a winner of souls for Jesus. Please direct me Lord to the right person, at the right time, to say the right thing, and watch you do your saving work in their hearts and lives through your Word and Your Spirit (John 6:63; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18; Hebrews 4:12). In Jesus name, Amen.
____________________________________________________________
46. He foretold His own death and resurrection (Matthew 20:1-17)
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TRUTH IS that Jesus is never surprised by what men will do, and even though He knew what would happen to Him, He willingly came to dwell among men, for the greater good for mankind (Luke 2:7; 2 Cor 5:21) and the Greater Glory of God. Sometimes I think, had I known ahead of time some of the difficult things I have encountered in life, I would have done all I could in my power to avoid them. This was not so with our Lord. Jesus lived a very Purpose Driven Life. That is the reason for so many of the “must” statements He made in the gospel accounts.
Matthew 16:21
“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”
Mark 13:10
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
Mark 14:49
“… the scriptures must be fulfilled.”
Luke 2:49
“…I must be about my Father’s business.”
Luke 4:43
“…I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.”
Luke 19:5
“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”
Luke 24:44
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
John 3:7
“…Ye must be born again.”
John 3:14
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”
John 4:4
“And he must needs go through Samaria.?”
John 9:4
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
John 10:16
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
Dear Lord, I thank you for showing me today how Jesus lived a purpose driven life. I see clearly how Christ knew why He was here, and He followed your plan perfectly. Had He missed it in one point, He could not be my Redeemer. Help me to live a purpose Driven Life too, so that I can make my life today really count for Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen.
____________________________________________________________
47. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophetic statements from the Old TestamenT.
TO ME, THIS MEANS I can trust God to come through with every promise that He has made in His Word that has not yet been fulfilled. If this statement proves anything, it surely proves that both God the Father, and God the Son can be trusted. It proves that the Word of God too is infallible, and can be relied upon, in its instructions on how to live life now, and how to prepare for that which is to come.
As far as what comes next, there is great debate over end time issues as to the timeline, and exactly how they will be fufllled. The one thing that all Bible believers embrace about the future is that Jesus will return for His people. This is promised in several places, and three of my favorite are (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Titus 2:13). These promises are quite clear and plain to most Christians. Let us read and ponder them in our hearts and make sure that we have received Christ as our Savior from sin, and that we truly want Him to be the Master of our lives both now and forever (Romans 3:23, 6:23a; 5:8; Romans 6:23b; Romans 10:9-13 etc.). These Romans passages will teach you what you need to know to be saved. You can trust Christ for salvation, for that is why He came the first time (Luke 19:10; Luke 5:31-32; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peters 3:18; John 3:17-19).
If we do not embrace Him as our Savior while we are alive then it doesn’t matter what you believe about the end times. If a person remains unconverted and dies in that condition then one sure prophesy for that individual is “eternal destruction” from the presence of the Lord (2 Thess 1:8-9) and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:41,46).
John 14 (AMP)
1 DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.
2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.
3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.
Titus 2:13 (WEB)
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ; 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the confidence I can have in you and your Word. I know I have the hope of not only eternal life now, but immortal life with you in the future. I praise you for this resurrection hope that all believers have, and this hope encourages them to keep on keeping on for Christ (1 John 3:1-3; 1 Cor 15:51-58).
________________________________________________________
48. He predicted with uncanny accuracy the time and method of His own death (Mark 8:31-39)
TO ME, THIS MEANS that if everything happened in the past in exactly the same time and manner that God said that it would then we should have every reason to believe the same for what He promises about His next coming, or anything else that He promises is yet to come to pass. A good example of this is the promise to Abraham and Sarah about the birth of Isaac.
Genesis 21:1-3 (KJV)
And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
Dear Lord, once again I thank you for knowing that you are a God that, “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). In Jesus name, Amen.
_________________________________________________________
49. A great earthquake occurred at the exact moment of His death (Matthew 27:51)
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TRUTH IS that Jesus opened the way for me to have access to God, and that I now, can freely come to God, with confidence, to find help in my time of need.
Notice what the BELEIVER’S BIBLE COMMENTARY says on this verse of scripture.
(27:51) At the time He expired, the heavy, woven curtain separating the two main rooms of the temple was torn by an Unseen Hand from top to bottom. Up to then that veil had kept everyone except the high priest from the Holiest Place where God dwelt. Only one man could enter the inner sanctuary, and he could enter on only one day of the year.
In the book of Hebrews we learn that the veil represented the body of Jesus. Its rending pictured the giving of His body in death. Through His death, we have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh” (Heb 10:19-20). Now the humblest believer can enter God’s presence in prayer and praise at any time. But let us never forget that the privilege was purchased for us at tremendous cost-the blood of Jesus.
The death of God’s Son also produced tremendous upheavals in nature-as if there was an empathy between inanimate creation and its Creator. There was an earthquake which split great rocks and opened many graves.
Dear Lord, I thank you so much that I can come to you because of the Cross of Christ, and I can talk to you as a child to a Father and I will not be rebuked by you for it. Thank you Jesus for doing all of this for me.
Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
James 1:5 (MSG)
If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.
_________________________________________________________
50. Dead people actually came out of graves at the time surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection (Matthew 27:52-53)
TO ME, THIS MEANS that I should have every reason to believe that though I will one day die a physical death, I too will come out of the grave and live forever and be with God. This gives me hope and confidence to live my life today in light of this great hope.
1 Peter 1:3-5 (MSG) What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, 4 including a future in heaven–and the future starts now! 5 God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all–life healed and whole.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for resurrection hope I have in Christ. Help me to live today in light of this hope. Help me to share the Good News of this hope to others so that they can rejoice too, regardless of how terrible their current situation may be. In Jesus name, Amen.
_____________________________________________________________
51. While His friends on earth watched, He was taken up in a cloud to heaven and He left two angels to break their amazement and encourage them and explain what they just witnessed (Acts 1:9-11)
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TRUTH IS that I can expect that Jesus will one day returnn in the same manner that He departed from this earth. The Bible even says that He one day will return to the same spot that He left (Zech 14:4). This is amazing to even think about. He left this world doing good for man, and giving His life that sinners like me can have eternal life, and then He comes back centuries later to pick up where He left off, to set all things in order and to take all who know Him as their Savior to be with Him forever. Praise be to God for this great hope and promise.
Dear Lord, I thank you for the promise that just as Jesus left this world, He will one day return. I know we may go through trials and tribulations in this life (John 16:33), but whatever we may encounter in this life, pales in comparison to that “eternal weight of glory” that is yet to come.
2 Cor 4:17-18 (MSG) Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! 18 All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other.
____________________________________________________________
52. When He left earth, He made it possible for God the Holy Spirit to live inside ordinary people, allowing them to perform miraculous acts (Acts 1:8)
THIS APPLIES TO ME BECAUSE I have been the recipient of one of those miraculous acts, by having been “born again” by the Spirit of God, through the preaching of the Word of God (Titus 3:5; John 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23; ; James 1:18). In fact, there is a certain sense in which I can say, “I was blind, but now I see” (John 3:3-8), “I was once lost, but now am found” (Luke 19:10), I was once “dead,” but now am alive (Eph 2:1), “I was once lame and could not walk, but now by God’s grace can “walk worthy” (Eph 4:1,17) and I was once a spitual leper, in that sin had contaiminated my whole being, but now “in Christ” I am “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:1-18).
Dear Lord, I thank you for the apostles who laid the foundation of the church that is built on Christ. I thank you that what they did for the physical needs of the body, you are doing now in an even much greater way through the power of your Word by saving lost souls. All who were healed miraculously back then, or even today, when you in your Sovereignity do such things, eventually all die, but when you save a lost soul, this issue is “sealed by the Holy Spirit, unto the day of redemption” (Eph 1:13-14, 4:30), which is a great encouragement to me.
Thank you Lord for your saving power, and for planting the Holy Spirit within me to enable me to live for you and be an effective witness for the cause of Christ and your Kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen.
__________________________________________________________
53. Some men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Jesus healed the paralytic and forgave his sins (Mark 2:1-12)
I UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS could forgive this man of his sins, because Jesus is God. Even the religious enemies of Christ knew that only God could forgive sin (Mark 2:7). I know that there are many opinions that people have of Christ today as well as back then. Some say Christ was a false prophet, like those in our passage of scripture. Others say that Jesus was “a good man,” “a religious teacher” or “a prophet of God.”
The truth is, if Jesus could not forgive sin, that would mean He was not God, and if He was not God, yet made the claim to be, then He would not even qualify as “a good man” or a “prophet of God.” I believe He was “a good man” and “a religious teacher” and “the Prophet of God,” but He was far more than all that too. Jesus Christ was and is, “God manifested in the flesh…” (1 Timothy 3:16) and this is an irrefutable and uncontraversial truth of the scriptures embraced by all true believers of Jesus Christ! To deny the truth that Jesus is God, is to disbelieve the scriptures, calling Jesus a liar, and undermining the only hope of salvation that any of us have, since the Bible clearly teaches that salvation is only in Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).
Dear Lord, I thank you for who you are, what you do, and most of all what you have already “done.” When you from the cross said, “It is finished” (John 19:30) that really means something to me. If you “finished” something on the cross, that means you accomplished redemption for every one who would ever trust in Christ. My salvation is secure not because of my great faith, but because of my Great Savior, who accomplished “a great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3), for me. Thank you for what you accomplished then, and help me to forever embrace this truth and live my life in light of the hope I have in Christ (1 John 3:3). In Jesus name, Amen.
___________________________________________________________
54. He will transform the earthly bodies of true Christians into glorious bodies when they meet Him in heaven in the future (Philippians 3:20-21)
THIS PERTAINS TO ME because I have believed in and embraced the “gospel of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:1-4). It also pertains to anyone who has embraced Christ as Savior. Some terrible things have been done to bodies of believers in the our of death. Some have experienced the ravages of war, and their body parts cannot even be found. Others have been burned alive, of the cause of Christ. This creates no difficulty for an omnipotent God. He can and will resurrect our bodies and it will be a new body, yet we will recognize one another in heaven according to the teaching of scripture. The older I get the more I look forward to that new body, without aches and pains. It seems that about seventy pecent of the prayer requests in chuches today concern the needs of the body. Those prayers are often answered only in death, when we go to be with Christ, and then later in the resurrection when we get our new body.
Thank you Lord, for the reminder of the hope of a new resurrection body because of Christ.
This 54th truth about my King reminds me of the wonderful song, “Because He lives.”
(Verse 1)
God sent his son, They called him Jesus
He came to love, Heal and forgive
He lived and died, To buy my pardon
An empty grave, Is there to prove
My Savior lives
(Chorus)
Because he lives, I can face tomorrow
Because he lives, All fear is gone
Because I know, He holds the future
And life and is worth the living
Just because he lives
(Verse 2)
How sweet to hold, A newborn baby
And feel the pride, And joy he gives
But greater still, The calm assurance
This child can face, Uncertain days
Because he lives
(Verse 3)
And then one day, I’ll cross the river
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain
And then as death, Gives way to victory
I’ll see the lights, Of glory and
I’ll know he lives.
Thank you Jesus, for the Hope of life because you were victorious over death, hell, and the grave.
___________________________________________________________
CHARACTER/ATTRIBUTES:
55. He refers to Himself as “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev 1:8)
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TRUTH IS that Jesus is everything to me. He is all the letters of the alphabet, from “A” to “Z” and everything in between. He is the “Author” of my faith, and the “Finisher” (Completer) of my faith too (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Thank you Lord, that my Savior is not only able to save me from the penalty of sin, but also from the power and pleasure of sin too. In the end of life in this world I will experience complete salvation from the very presence of sin. This is a great hope and a great salvation for which I must be erternally grateful. Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.
__________________________________________________________
56. He is God today, He has always been God and He was God in the flesh (John 1:14 & Heb 13:8)
THIS BENEFITS ME because if Jesus were not God, then He could not be rightfully my Savior (Isa 43:11: Acts 4:12). The fact is that if Jesus was and is not God, then much of the Bible would have to be explained away. Consider the following 25 points that clearly affirm that Jesus is God.
If Jesus were not God, then explain…
(by Matt Slick)
Why Thomas calls Jesus God in John 20:28? (Note, Thomas addresses Jesus specifically.)
Why does God call Jesus God in Heb. 1:8?
Why does John the apostle state that Jesus was the Word which was God that became flesh (John 1:1,14)?
Why is the phrase “Call upon the name of the LORD” (Hebrew, YHWH, i.e., Psalm 116:4) used only of God on the OT, and translated into the Greek in the LXX as “Call upon the name of the LORD (greek, KURIOS),” applied to Jesus in the NT (1 Cor. 1:2) if Jesus is not God in flesh?
Why does the apostle John say that Jesus was , “…calling God His own Father, making Himself equal to God,” (John 5:18)?
What did Jesus say that caused the Pharisees to claim that Jesus was making Himself out to be God (John 8:58)?
How was it possible for Jesus to know all things (John 21:17)?
How can Jesus know all men (John 16:30)?
How can Jesus be everywhere (Matt. 28:20)?
How can Jesus, the Christ, dwell in you (Col. 1:27)?
How can Jesus be the exact representation of the Nature of God (Heb. 1:3)?
How can Jesus be eternal (Micah 5:1-2)?
How can Jesus be the one who gives eternal life (John 10:27-28)?
How can He be our only Lord and Master (Jude 4)?
How can Jesus be called the Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) if there is only one God in existence (Isaiah 44:6-8; 45:5)?
How can Jesus be called the Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) and “God” also be called the Mighty God in Isaiah 10:21?
How was Jesus able to raise Himself from the dead (John 2:19-21)?
How can Jesus create all things (Col. 1:16-17), yet it is God who created all things by Himself (Isaiah 44:24)?
How can Jesus search the hearts and minds of the people (Rev. 2:23)?
Why was Jesus worshiped (Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; 28:9; John 9:35-38; Heb. 1:6) when He says to worship God only (Matt. 4:10)? (same Greek word for worship is used in each place.)
In the OT God was seen (Exodus 6:2-3; 24:9-11; Num. 12:6-9; Acts 7:2), yet no man can see God (Exodus 33:20; John 1:18). It was not the Father that was seen in the OT (John 6:46). Who, then were they seeing? See John 8:58.
Then why did Jesus claim the divine name, “I AM”, for Himself in John 8:58? see Exodus 3:14.
Then why did Jesus say you must honor him even as you honor the Father (John 5:23)?
Then why is it that both the Father and the Son give life (John 5:21)?
Then why did Jesus bear witness of Himself (John 8:18; 14:6)?
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the clear declaration in scripture about who Jesus is. I have no doubt that that Jesus was and is God, and is therefore my Savior, and can rightfully be called, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Help me Lord, to live my life in such a way that it demonstrates to others that you are my King and my Lord, and my Savior. In Jesus name, the “name which is above every name.” Amen.
____________________________________________________________
57. He was born in a livestock barn, possibly located in a cave (Luke 2:7)
I’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT what was going through the minds of Mary and Joseph as they traveled the long journey toward Bethlehem. Were they unflinching in their faith? or Were they very fearful of what may befall them? I know it is hard to know for sure, but one thing I do know is they chose a difficult path, that in human terms had danger and ridicule written all over it, yet they chose to be obedient to God, and follow God’s plan. They were blessed for doing it, as is true for all God’s people. We may not know what we all we will face in this life, in terms of life’s difficulties, but we can be sure, for all God’s people, things will end well, because our lives are always safe and our destinies are placed in the hands of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank you Lord that Mary and Joseph and Jesus would live thier lives in obedience to God and consequently the whole Christian church has been blessed. I know Mary gets a lot of credit, for her obedience to you, at least in some circles, but Joseph too, is a blessing to me. Most of all, it is my Savior who, “humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death” for lost sinners such as I, and for that I must be grateful and praise God for all eternity. Amen.
___________________________________________________________
58. He could talk to God the Father all night long (Mark 14:32-42 & Luke 6:12)
THIS BENEFITS ME because I know that even though the above scriptures do not tell us the content of our Lord’s prayers, many other places in the the New Testament do. If He prayed all night He must have had a lot to pray about, and a lot of people to pray for. We should never underestimate the importance of the prayers of Christ for us. I believe our Lord’s prayers before the cross. on the cross and after the cross are all very significant. None of us would be saved without the prayers of Christ, and none of us would ever peservere in the faith either without these prayers of our Lord. Consider the following scriptures, about our Lord’s praying.
PRAYERS BEFORE GOING TO THE CROSS.
John 17:9 (NLT) “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you.
John 17:20 (NLT) “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.”
Luke 22:31-33 (NLT) “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” 34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
PRAYERS WHILE ON THE CROSS.
Luke 23:34 (NLT) “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
NOTE: When 3000 people were saved on the day of Pentecost, this prayer was answered, because there is no doubt that many were in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost when Peter preached to the people and exhorted them to repent. God answered the prayers of Christ for these people when they repented at the preaching of Peter.
WHAT IS OUR LORD PRAYING RIGHT NOW WHILE IN HEAVEN?
Hebrews 7:23-25 (MSG) Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced. 24 But Jesus’ priesthood is permanent. He’s there from now to eternity 25 to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them.
It is quite clear to me that our Lord now, is praying the same way He did in John 17:9,20 and in Luke 22:31-33. Jesus was always praying for the salvation of the lost, and the upholding of the saved, to remain in the faith. We all should be so grateful for these prayers of our Lord.
Thank you Lord for praying for my salvation, and my sanctification as well. I surely do need it, and must cling to this hope every day. Like Peter, at times I fail, but by God’s grace will not completely fail to the destruction of my own soul by abandoning the faith. God help me to “keep on keeping on” for Christ Jesus my Lord. Amen.
___________________________________________________________
59. His ability to focus allowed him to pray all night long (Luke 6:12)
I’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT how to stay focused in the way my Lord did. I have never had an all night time of prayer. In fact, I don’t think I can say I have once prayed in succession for more than an hour. I need to learn more about this. I know that what has helped me in my prayer life and my Bible reading as well, is to do both of these things together, and have a conversation with you Lord. This works best for me, but I know I have a long ways to go.
Help me Lord! Help me to be more intimate with you in my prayer life. Help me God to be more consistent in this exercise of prayer. Help all your people to see the importance of participating in that one and only thing that reaches heaven before we ever get there. You encourage us to “come with confidence” to you Lord (Hebrews 4:14-16). As I read these verses I am encourged greatly by them. Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.
___________________________________________________________
60. He is powerful. He is omnipotent (Rev 1:5-8)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE that Jesus is omninpotent because Jesus is God. It is His omnipotence that keeps me safe and gives me hope. It is His omnipotence that gives me reason not to fear whatever may befall me in this life. God, help me to rest in the arms of Jesus Christ, who is the Omnipotent God, and may He reign right now in my heart, both now and forever more.
_____________________________________________________________
61. He is a great story teller and once preached the greatest sermon of all time (Matthew 5-7)
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TRUTH IS that since this sermon is so great, I need to study to know what it says and how it is to be applied to my life. Help me first to recognize what it teaches me in the beattitudes, where I clearly learn that I am “spiritually bankrupt” before you, and therefore have nothing and can be nothing without Christ. Help me to realize that only through Christ can I stand before God as righteous, and only with the help of Christ (1 Cor 1:30) can I be righteous in my behavior before the lost in this world. Many times I know that I come up short in the area of sanctification, but I know that if I keep my eyes on Christ, and build my life on that “solid Rock foundation” I will be able to withstand all the storms I will encounter in this life (Matthew 7:24-27). It is true that the Devil may knock me down, but I do not have to stay down. To be knocked down, does not mean I am knocked out. This was the testimony of the apostle Paul and it can surely be mine as well.
2 Cor 4:7-18 (MSG) “If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. 8 As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, 9 but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. 10 What they did to Jesus, they do to us–trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us–he lives! 11 Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. 12 While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
13 We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. 14 And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. 15 Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
16 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. 17 These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. 18 There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”
Oh Lord, I could never say these things like the apostle Paul said it, I thank you for these words of encouragement. If everything depended upon me, I would fail miserably, but because of you I can be, “stedfast, unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). Amen.
____________________________________________________________
62. He is very forgiving (Matthew 9:1-7)
THIS TRUTH APPLIES TO ME BECAUSE I am always in need of the forgiveness of Christ. I know that when Jesus went to the cross He paid for all my sins, past, present and future, as far as my STANDING with God is concerned. In fact, at the time He went to the cross all my sins were in the future since I was not even born at the time. The issue of needing forgiveness now is not for salvation, but for fellowship. When a Christian sins, he or she does not lose their salvation, but they do lose fellowship and intimacy with God. The same thing happens when a husband and wife get in a heated disagreement. The disagreement can hinder the intimacy, but it certainly does not destroy the marriage. When my son was young He sometimes disobeyed, and had to stand in the corner, but I never disowned him, nor does God ever disown those who are his children either.
Having said all that about a Christian’s STANDING with God, which is by grace and through faith in Christ’s person and work on the cross, I would like to address why I need to ask for forgiveness of God today on a regular basis. This is not about my non-changing STATUS OR STANDING with God, but it is about my current STATE. When I sin, my intimacy with God, and fellowship with God is broken, and it needs to be restored (Isaiah 59:1-2). The only way that can happen is for me to “confess” my sin to God, and God promises to forgive me for the sins I confessed and even the unconfessed ones too, for that matter, because when I come to Him to confess my sin, it is the attitude of my heart that God is concerned with most. This is clearly a FELLOWSHIP and INTIMACY issue, and it is very important for every Christian’s spiritual growth.
It is difficult to know for sure whether the person that Jesus was referring to in our Matthew 9:1-7 passage needed salvation, or restoration, and it is not really necesssary to know those details. The important thing for all of us to know is that “forgiveness” is very important for all of us to be where we need to be in our relationship with God and others too. Though only God can truly forgive sins, and that is why Christ could make this declaration, we still should confess sins to one another, when relationships are broken down. It is God’s way of humbling us and restoring relationships with others we have hurt or harmed.
1 John 1:5-10 (NLT) This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
Matthew 18:21-22 (KJV)
[21] Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? [22] Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
The above scripture is addressing the willingness of our hearts to forgive others who have wronged us. We should go beyond the, “three strikes and your out” policy of many. We should go beyond beyond Peter’s grace limitation of seven. We must be willing to forgive, “seventy times seven,” which really means indefinetely. In other words, we should forgive others the way Christ forgives us.
Having said that, the whole passage in Matthew 18: 21-25 is very instructive, in that it also addresses the offender. The person who commits an offense should be approached by the one who has been offended. The person who committed the offense needs to have a heart toward repentance. Repentance is the condition for true forgiveness with God, and for true restoration to take place, whether it be in regard to our walk with God or others. The person offended should always have a heart that truly wants forgiveness and restoration, and not be quick to hold the offenese over the offenders head. When believer’s have the proper attitude toward their own sins, and the sins of others, only then can there be true harmony in our relationships with God and others.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for your forgiveness of all my sins. This very thought is so encouraging, otherwise I would often be tempted to give up. I thank your for forgiveness for my salvation, and for the intimacy that confession of my sin permits me to have with Jesus Christ.
_____________________________________________________________
63. He is very generous (Matthew 14:15-21)
THIS TRUTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE it teaches me that I should be willing to be generous as well. If God is a generous God, then the God that lives within my heart will spur me to be generous to others as well. When I am willing to give what little I may have to give it is amazing what miracles God will do. God is inviting Christians all over the world to participate in His work in this world, and giving to good causes that promote the gospel of Christ and the advancement of God’s kingdom is very important.
Dear Lord, help me to be generous like you, and not be stingy and hold back in my giving. Use what little I have to bring the life changing Good News of Jesus Christ to others that they may be saved. Help me to give in faith, trusting you that out of the hands of the giver will flow the gospel of Christ, and a harvest of souls for Christ will be won, by the miracle working power of the proclaimed Word. In Jesus name, Amen.
_____________________________________________________________
64. He likes to ride in boats and spend time near the water (Luke 8:22)
THIS IS INCLUDED IN SCRIPTURE BECAUSE it shows that Jesus was not a recluse. Some people have the idea that being spiritual means that you spend your entire day locked up in a room with the Word of God and you just read and pray all day long. There certainly nothing wrong with doing this, but not even Jesus did that all the time. Of course, He was “the living Word” and didn’t need a Bible like we do, and I don’t doubt that He was always in an attitude of prayer. But, the fact is, Jesus took time to relax, travel, and He used the modern means of travel in that day. I really don’t think that Jesus would drive a compact car, if He were here today, contrary to what some may think. He probably would have driven a van that had room for at least 12 of his close companions. It is true that Jesus was and is Divine, but He was also very human. In fact, the Bible says that, He was human in all points except for the fact He committed no sin. His divinity was not obvious, like in the way it was on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus was so human that even John the Baptist said, he would not have known that Jesus was the Christ, if God did not tell him, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33 NIV).
Dear Lord, I thank you for reminding me that my Lord was human, though thank God for my sake and the sake of many, without sin. I thank you for giving me permission to be human too, though I know you want me to avoid sin too (1 John 2:1). I thank you that you show me in scripture that Jesus “wept,” He “got tired,” and He went away to “rest” at times too. I know all my time is not in private, alone with you in the Word. I know that some of my time is spent in the public, to be a public witness for Christ. I also, know that it is not a sin to rest, because Jesus rested too. You also gave us one day in seven, set aside for rest and worship, as a model, to teach us the importance of these two things. Lord, I thank you for the simple things you teach me in the Word that would completely fly over my head if your sweet Holy Spirit would not remind me of them. In Jesus name, Amen.
____________________________________________________________
65. He can walk on water (Mark 6:48)
THIS TRUTH IMPRESSES ME BECAUSE it demonstrates to me that Jesus had the power to rise above all circumstances. If most of us attempted to walk on water we would sink, and if we did not know how to swim, we would drown. This almost happened to Peter. Jesus however, rose above the water and did not become victimized by the elements. I think there is a great spiritual application to this story. I am not interested in walking on water, but I do need the Lord to help me today to rise above my circumstance and not to become a victim of it.
God help me to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, so that I can be victorious in the battles that I face in this life. Thank you Lord for the encouragment you give me to be an overcomer in Christ (1 John 5:4-5).
1 John 5:4-5 (NLT) For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
____________________________________________________________
66. He is in heaven talking to God on our behalf at any time (Romans 8:34)
THIS TRUTH JESUS STATES IS very encouraging to me, to know that the Son of God is praying for me right now. I know the prayers of the saints are helpful, but the Bible says, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). Jesus also tells us that He always did what pleased God (John 8:29), and twice in Matthews gospel God spoke about Christ and said, This is beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). I know that God is much more inclined to hear the prayers of the righteous than He is is those who have no heart for God’s law (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 28:9; John 9:31). Knowing these things to be true, I am very encouraged to keep on keeping on inspite of the difficulties of the battles of life. Knowing that Christ is praying for me helps me not to “faint” but to be encouraged to pray more myelf (Luke 18:1).
Dear Lord, I thank you for the encouragement of your Word. I thank you Jesus for praying for me, and upholding me by your prayers. I am weak without you, but with your strength I can say like David, “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.” (Psalm 18:29 NLT).
____________________________________________________________
67. He is the smartest to ever exist (John1:14)
I UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS is so smart that His wisdom is called, “the Wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24). In fact, Colossions tells us that, “In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). That being the case, if I am do know how to navigate through life properly and in a way that brings God the most glory and man the most good, then I need to tap into this wisdom. I am already told in scripture that, “in Christ” I not only have “righteousness, sanctification and redemption” but I also have “wisdom.” (1 Cor 1:30).
Because of Christ’s work in and through me I have daily access to the “Wisdom of God” so I should pray that God will give me, “the spirit of wisdom” through this journey called life (Eph 1:17; 3:10). That is why James tells us, “if any man lack wisdom, let Him ask of God…” (James 1:5). God’s wisdom is readily available to all of us through the Spirit that dwells within us (1 Cor 2:8; 12:8), the Word of God before us (2 Timothy 3:15), and Christ, who has made us, “the Wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:30).
1 Corinthians 1:30 (MSG)
Everything that we have–RIGHT THINKING and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start–comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.
____________________________________________________________
68. He enjoys a party (John 2:1-11)
THE MAIN POINT IS that Jesus knew how to socialize. He knew that in order to bring people to Himself He had to live among them. It becomes clear from the reading through the gospels that Jesus never wasted his time. He always lived to please the Father (John 8:29). He never lost sight of his mission no matter what He was doing. Even when he rested he teaches us the need to rest our bodies and our minds. We all need times of reflection and in order to do this we must “get away.” This is not wasting time, if we make good use of our rest and relaxation, and actually get refocused on the mission that God has called us to. The passion of Christ, should be the passion of every believer. When Jesus said on one occassion, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” (John 4:34 NLT). This reminds me of what Job once said as well, while in the midst of his trials, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:12 NIV). Jesus, lived a very purpose driven life, that always centered on his mission. He never engaged in anything that did not allign with this mission. Believers to have their mission from God, which one might say is driven by both the GREAT COMMISSION (see Matthew 28:19-20), and the GREAT COMMANDMENT (Matthew 22:37-40). When a lawyer once asked Jesus, what the greatest of all the commandments were Jesus responded by saying, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ 38 This is the most important, the first on any list. 39 But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ 40 These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (Matthew 22:37-40 MSG).
Jesus performed his first miracles at this social event, and He turned what could have been a disaster and a huge embarrasment into a wonderful experience. This is what Jesus always does when we include Him and allow Him to do for us what nobody else can do. He can fill the “empty waterpots” of our purposeless lives and give us real purpose by “filling our hearts and lives with the joy of the Lord,” which I think wine is a symbol of. Psalms 104:15 (NKJV) tells us that “wine makes glad the heart of man,” but Psalm 4:7 says that God will do more for us than that.
Psalms 4:7 (NLT) You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for this first miracle of Christ and how it speaks to me. Help me to make sure that you are at the center of all my lfie and that all my words, thoughts and deeds be brought in line with this purpose driven life of Christ (Gal 2:20).
_____________________________________________________________
69. He is a great listener (John 4:6-13)
TO ME, THIS MEANS that I too should learn to be a great listener. In this story about the woman at the well, Jesus broke through racial barriers in a remarkable way. He approached this Samaritan woman and asked for help for a need that He had. Jesus was genuinely thirsty, and needed his thirst quenched. It was during the hottest part of the day, and most Samaritan woman could come to this well during this time and never be confronted by a Jewish male. Jesus initiated a discussion with the woman and all throughout their conversation Jesus answered her questions, but also directed the dialogue in such a way that would help her to see her greatest need. They both had a common interest, which was water from the well, but the greater need of this woman, Jesus could fill. This was the real reason why Jesus went through Samaria to begin with (John 4:4).
Most Jewish males would travel around Samaria because of their disdain for what they would call, “half-bred Jews.” Jesus, however, was on a mission to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), and that is why He came into the world. Whether it was preaching to the multitude, or going out of his way to travel to this well, this is what was always on the mind of Christ. He took time out to meet the real needs of men and women, and that was to “save their soul.” What Jesus said, He clearly lived up to. He said on one occassion that, “the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28).
Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me to learn from Jesus, this, “meek and lowly one” to know how to be an effective witness for Christ. Help me to always be alert to listen for open opportunities to share the, “life changing Good News of Jesus Christ” with those who have not yet come to know Him. Help me to live my life in such a way that I earn the right to be heard by those who I would like to share with. Give me ears that are under the control of the Holy Spirit as well as a tongue that surrenders everything to the will of God too. I know I may have the ability and freedom to say a lot of things, but I pray that you give me the spiriual restraint to not say what does not need to be said, and the open door to say what needs to be said. In Jesus sweet name I petition you Lord, concerning these things. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________
70. He can be in all places at all times. He is omnipresent (Matthew 28:20)
I UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS is God and therefore He has that attributes of God. One of these attributes is to be OMNIPRESENT, which means that He has the ability to be present everywhere. We know that He willingly laid aside the use of some of these attributes while on this earth, with the limitations of a human body, but as the glorified, and resurrected Christ this would no longer be. Jesus tells the disciples about His omnipresence to comfort them in the mission that He has called them to do. This same comfort is extended to every Christian who has this same commission from Christ. Until Jesus comes back or we die and go to be with Him, this is the mission of every child of God. With every command of God comes a promise, and the promise here is the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for the promise of your presence today. Without you, I know I can “do nothing,” (John 15:5) and with your presence, “I can do anything,” knowing that your presence will strenghten me (Philippians 4:13).
___________________________________________________________
71. He often is highly misunderstood (Mark 12:18-40)
TO ME, THIS MEANS if Jesus was at times misunderstood, why should Christians be surprised when others with an entirely different world view, misunderstand them. Often, I see Christian pastors on television being interviewed and asked to explain why they hold to some particular view. They pick and choose their topics and always try to paint a Christian in the worst light possible. Usually they are not permitted adequate time to explain their positions, and are painted as though they they hate homosexuals, don’t like women, and are against research. None of these things could be further from the truth. It is true that everyone may be entitled to their own opinion, but everyone is not entitled to “their own truth.” There is only one truth, and that is God’s truth, and every Christian is responsible to live and act under the umbrella of that truth.
Dear Lord, I know that Jesus was misunderstood and we will too if we really believe the bible enough to act upon it. Help me Lord, not to be lead astray by the “deceitfulness of my own heart” (Jer 17:9), but instead, be wililng to follow through with my biblical convictions even if I must endure some pain and ridicule for it. I know that I am not obligated or responsible to get everyone to believe what I believe, but I do know I will one day answer to only One, and that one is Jesus Christ. If I sacrifice my relationship with Jesus Christ, in order to please the many, how can I ever be a true servant of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:10).
____________________________________________________________
72. He sought advice from God the Father (Luke 22:39-46)
THIS TRUTH APPLIES TO ME BECAUSE if Jesus, while here on earth sought out the Father’s will in a diligent manner, He left me the perfect example to follow. The first Adam was tested, concerning his obedience to God. He was created without sin, and his inclination was toward righteousness, but without a test, the big question would always be, Is Adam’s faith and trust in God perfect? The only way to know this would be for Adam to be tested. He was tested in the garden and he failed.
In contrast to the first Adam the Lord Jesus Christ fully trusted the Father in every way. He too was tempted, but when His reliance upon God the Father was put to the test, he passed every test. Adam was placed in a great environement for his test, but not so with our Lord. Jesus was in the wilderness, with the wild animals, fasted 40 days and was bombarded with Satan’s ongoing attacks, yet He passed the test with flying colors.
Even while on the cross as He suffered, he endured through all things, and never flinched an inch about doing the will of God. Some might say that their is a hint of reluctance in our Lord for at least a moment as He asked God to remove “this cup” of suffering, but I think this is recorded for our benefit, so that we will begin to get our arms around what Jesus did for us. What he went through, goes way beyond the fleshly torture of his body. He did what no martyr for Christ could do. Jesus took our sins and the punishment for us. This is amazing, and we must contemplate this. Look at what Hebrews says about what Jesus did, as our example and model, and see that what ever God calls upon us in this life to do, we can follow through on, as we too yield to God and rely mightily upon Him, in prayer.
Hebrews 5:7-9 (NLT) While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.
Hebrews 12:1b-3 (NLT) let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Dear Lord, I thank you for the encouragement of Christ, and the wonderful example He was for me to follow. Help me in this area of prayer to always draw upon your strength for doing what you have called me to do, and to navigate life with all of its trials and temptations.
_____________________________________________________________
73. He knows all things He is omniscient (John 4:25-29)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE that this is good for me in two ways. First, knowing that Jesus is OMNISCIENT (knows all things) is important to always keep in mind as a CAUTION, about thinking that I could do anyting contrary to His will and think, just so long as nobody knows, it will not matter. The one thing we must never forget is that the only one that matters always knows what we do, and what we say and what we think, whether we are in the presence of others or not. The one we all will one day bow before (Romans 14:10-12), is the one we will answer to, and He is the ALL KNOWING GOD. Another benefit for me, in thinking about this attribute of Christ, is that I can take COMFORT in knowing that God knows the good that I do, for Him, for His glory, whether anybody else acknowledges it or not. We should always be careful not to good, for the praise of men, otherwise our motives are not right and the only reward in that is the present praise, by men, which in turn robs us of the praise of God at the Judgement Seat of Christ.
So both things are important. I should understand this truth about the King for the CAUTION that it causes me to have as I live my life here, and as a COMFORT when I live out my faith before Him.
Proverbs 15:3 (AMP)
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. [Job 34:21; Prov. 5:21; Jer. 16:17; Jer. 32:19; Heb. 4:13]
Dear God, help me to keep this truth about my King Jesus always before me. Remind me when I begin to forget this, as I want this to be another great truth that helps me to draw closer to you and stay close to you as well. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
_________________________________________________________
74. He is referred to by the Apostle Peter as the “Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:18)
THIS TRUTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE it is important to recognize Jesus in this way. This term, “Son of God” is a significant phrase that identifes Christ as God. Peter had the correct response: “Thou art the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of the living God!” This confession was Peter’s response to the revelation God the Father had given him. Jesus Himself explained this experience in Matthew 11:25-27. This revelation was not the result of Peter’s own investigation. It came as the gracious act of God. God had hidden these things from the proud Pharisees and Sadducees and revealed them to “babes,” the humble disciples.
It should be noted that there had been other confessions of faith prior to this one. Nathanael had confessed Christ as the Son of God (John 1:49), and the disciples had declared Him God’s Son after He stilled the storm (Matt. 14:33). Peter had given a confession of faith when the crowds left Jesus after His sermon on the Bread of Life (John 6:68-69). In fact, when Andrew had brought his brother Simon to Jesus, it was on the basis of this belief (John 1:41).
How, then, did this confession differ from those that preceded it? To begin with, Jesus explicitly asked for this confession. It was not an emotional response from people who had seen a miracle, but the studied and sincere statement of a man who had been taught by God.
Also, Jesus accepted this confession and built on it to teach them new truth. It must have rejoiced His heart to hear Peter’s words. The Lord knew that Peter could now be led into new steps of deeper truth and service. All of our Lord’s ministry to His disciples had prepared the way for this experience. Let’s look at these great words and concepts individually. (QUOTE BY WARREN WIERSBE FROM HIS BE SERIES ON MATTHEW)
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for this great truth. It is one thing to know and believe that Jesus was, “God manifested in the flesh…” (1 Timothy 3:16), but what makes this passage even more powerful to me is that the New Testament church is built on this teachiing. Peter would never have come to realize this without you illuminating his heart, nor would I for that matter. I know I have Peter’s confession, but that too would fly right over my head, if you did not open my heart to it. There could be no church without you Jesus, because you are the foundation Rock that it is built on (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Cor 10:4). You are “the Rock in the two passages I just cited, and in (1 Cor 3:11) Paul says, “Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ.” (MSG). Thank you Jesus, for being my being both the foundation of my life and the church, but for also being “the head” of my life and the church (Col 1:18).
________________________________________________________________
75. He is identified by many different names and titles. (Bread of Life- John 6:35; Christ- 1 John 2:22; Deliverer- Romans 11:26; Good Shepherd- John 10:11,14; Hope of Glory- Colossians 1:27; I Am- John 8:28; Lamb of God- John 1:29; Light of the World- John 8:12; Lord of All- Acts 10:36; Master- Luke 8:24; Messiah- Matthew 1:16; Son of Man- Mark 10:45 to name a few)
I UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS all the titles that are mentioned here and many more are titles that could never be attributed to Christ if He were not Divine. Just reflected on each of the ones above and thanking Jesus for being these things for me, helps me to understand that what Jesus did on the cross was not just for the blessings of the future. When a sinner trusts in Christ, the wonderful relationship with Christ begins. In the beginning I recognized He was, “the Lamb of God” for me, and my Deliverer. But now, I realize He has not just saved me from the penalty of sin, for He wants me to continual feed on Him as my life sustaining bread, and follow Him as my Good Shepherd, trust in Him as my Hope, walk in His light, and to surrender to Him as my Master, and Lord.
Help me Lord to reflect on you in this way more often, so that I can get out of my self, and into your glory. I do not need to be thinking all the time about what is good for me, and my comfort. I must be thinking more about you and your glory. How selfish I can be at times Lord, and I ask that you will give me grace for the situations of life that call upon me to set myself aside for the good of others and the glory of God.
_____________________________________________________________
76. He never committed even the least of sins (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15)
THIS BENEFITS ME because, if Jesus had committed one sin He could not be my Savior from sin. Even while growing up with his brothers as a child, he never once lost his cool etc. I think about growing up with my older sister, and we just could never have made it through those years without sin. There are times its a wonder we didn’t really hurt each other bad. Jesus was never like that growing up, or all througout his ministry. Yes, He was human, but He never sinned, or ever even entertained the thought. Anyone that would say otherwise would believe so, in direct contradiction to these clear statements in the Word of God.
Dear Lord, I thank you for being the sinless Son of God. I know that the Old Testament lambs that were to be offered, until you came to be that ultimate sacrifice in fulfillment of all those lambs, were to be, “without spot and without blemish.” The best of the flock was required by the children of Israel, because only a perfectly healthy lamb could picture what you would be when you came to this earth. Thank you Lord Jesus for living your life this way for me. Help me, to live out this truth, by living a life that is righteous before God and man (1 Peter 2:24).
____________________________________________________________
77. He carried His own instrument of death (the cross) through the city where He was murdered (John 19:17-18)
THE MAIN POINT IS that Jesus was willing to go through this knowing exactly what was to come. In one sense it is clear that men willfully took Christ and put Him through all the pain and agony of what we read about (Acts 2:22-23). We also know that no one could have done any of these horrible things to our Lord if God did not will it (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Acts 2:22-23), and if Christ did not agree to voluntarily give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28; John 10:18).
John 10:18 (NLT) No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.
Dear Lord, I am so thankful that you were willing to endure such grief and sorrow for me, and many others like myself (Isa 53:3-6). You carried my griefs and “became a man of sorrows” so that I could experience your joy, and live and walk in it (John 15:11). Thank you Jesus for this “unspeakable gift” of eternal life. Amen.
____________________________________________________________
78. He was buried in a cave with a rock rolled in front to seal it off (Mark 15:43-47)
THIS TRUTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE when He would rise from the dead, the sealed tomb would have been good reason not to believe that anybody tampered with the tomb, but that indeed a miracle had occured when Jesus body was no longer in the tomb on resurrection morning. The following comments are a great read on the events of this day and the great efforts that were made by the enemies of Christ to secure this tomb.
“Mark 15:47 identifies these women as Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses and says that these women “…beheld where he was laid” at the tomb. The imperfect tense is used in Mark’s account, alerting us to the fact that these women took their time in making sure Jesus was properly laid there. It could be translated, “they carefully contemplated where he was laid.” If Jesus had still been alive, those who buried Him would have known it, for they spent substantial time preparing His body for burial. Then after His dead body was deposited into the tomb, they lingered there, checking once again to see that the body was treated with the greatest love and attention.
Once they were certain everything was done correctly, Joseph of Arimathea “…rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed” (Matthew 27:60; Mark 15:46). It was rare to find a stone entrance to a Jewish tomb in biblical times; most Jewish tombs had doors with certain types of hinges. A large stone rolled before the tomb would be much more difficult to move, making the burial site more permanent.
However, the chief priests and Pharisees weren’t so sure that the site was secure. Fearing that Jesus’ disciples would come to steal the body and claim that Jesus had been resurrected, the Jewish leaders came to Pilate and said, “…Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:63,64).
When the chief priests and Pharisees asked that “…the sepulchre be made sure…,” the Greek word sphragidzo is used. This word described a legal seal that was placed on documents, letters, possessions, or, in this case, a tomb. Its purpose was to authenticate that the sealed item had been properly inspected before sealing and that all the contents were in order. Aslong as the seal remained unbroken, it guaranteed that the contents inside were safe and sound. In this case, the word sphragidzo is used to signify the sealing of the tomb. In all probability, it was a string that was stretched across the stone at the entrance of the tomb, which was then sealed on both sides by Pilate’s legal authorities.
Before sealing the tomb, however, these authorities were first required to inspect the inside of the tomb to see that the body of Jesus was in its place. After guaranteeing that the corpse was where it was supposed to be, they rolled the stone back in place and then sealed it with the official seal of the governor of Rome.
After hearing the suspicions of the chief priests and Pharisees, “Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can” (Matthew 27:65). The word “watch” is the Greek word coustodia, from which we get the word custodian. This was a group of four Roman soldiers whose shift changed every three hours. The changing shifts assured that the tomb would be guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers who were awake, attentive, and fully alert. When Pilate said, “Ye have a watch…,” a better rendering would be, “Here — I’m giving you a set of soldiers; take them and guard the tomb.”
Matthew 27:66 says, “So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” Wasting no time, the chief priests and elders hastened to the tomb with their government-issued soldiers and the special officers assigned to inspect the tomb before placing Pilate’s seal upon it. After a full inspection had been made, the stone was put back in place, and the soldiers stood guard to protect the tomb from anyone who would attempt to touch it or remove its contents. Every three hours, new guards arrived to replace the old ones. These armed soldiers guarded the entrance to Jesus’ tomb so firmly that no one would have been able to come near it.
The purpose of the seal was to authenticate that Jesus was dead; therefore, we can know that His body was thoroughly inspected again for proof of death. There is no doubt that Jesus was dead, for He was examined again and again, even as He lay in the tomb. Some critics have claimed that only Jesus’ own disciples inspected His body and that they could have lied about His being dead. However, an officer from Pilate’s court also examined the body of Jesus. We can also be fairly certain that the chief priests and elders who accompanied the soldiers to the burial site demanded the right to view His dead body as well so they could verify that He was truly dead.
When Jesus came out of that grave several days later, it was no hoax or fabricated story. In addition to all the people who saw Him die on the Cross, the following individuals and groups verified that His dead body was in the tomb before the stone was permanently sealed by an officer from the Roman court of law:” (Excerpt from the book “Paid in Full” by Rick Renner)
Dear Lord, It gives me chills to read about this event. I thank you for the empty tomb and its powerful message for the world. It is so true as the song says, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.” Praise be to God for the resurrected Savior!
_________________________________________________________
79. He uttered what has become most offensive statement in human history. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS that I know Him as “the way of salvation” for me. I believe and trust Him as “the Truth” and He is “my lfe” for without Him I would be “spiritually dead” (Eph 2:1), which of course I was before I was saved by grace, through faith, in Christ (Eph 2:9-9).
Thank you God, for the truth of John 14:6. I know that the gospel of Christ is an offense to many, and Christ is called a “Rock of offense” and a “STUMBLING STONE to those who reject the truth of the gospel. But, I also know that to those who embrace this truth, He is a Rock of Refuge to lean on, and rest upon. He is my foundation Rock, which means He is the Rock to SUPPORT me (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Cor 3:11). He is The Rock who SUSTAINS me as well (1 Cor 10:1-4). As He supplied His presence, and nourishment to Israel of old, He does all that and more for me now. Thank you for this verse of scripture which clearly explains to me why all believers everywhere are NOT ASHAMED of JESUS. Help me Lord, to live my life everyday, like Jesus is first and foremost in my life in all that I say, think and do. In Jesus name, I make this request, Amen.
_________________________________________________________
OCCUPATION/PURPOSE:
80. He created all that is while in heaven with God the Father and The Holy Spirit before (HIS VIRGIN BIRTH AND MINISTRY ON EARTH EXISTED) the earth ever existed (John 1:3)
THIS TRUTH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE some think that Jesus is a part of God’s creation, yet the Bible is clear that Jesus was part of the Godhead, which is the Trinity. All three persons of the Godhead were involved in two great creation stories in the Bible. In both creation stories, the Truine God did what no man could ever do. First is the creation of Genesis one. The hebrew word for “create” is BARA, which means “out of nothing.” God did not need preexisting material to make anything. He sometimes made certain things out of preexistiing material, but since the preexisting material was also part of his creation, then we can say what God did when He created everything, including man, was OUT OF NOTHING. The material was created in Genesis 1:2, and this is how it is described in the MESSAGE paraphrase…
“Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness.”
This was the material that God worked with to create His world. From this point on, we first read that “the Spirit of God” hovered like a brooding mother bird over a nest of eggs. We also read that over and over again that “God said…” which demonstrates the power of the Word of God. From the New Testament we learn that Christ is the LIVING WORD (John 1:1-3,14,18). These references in John make it quite cleaer that Jesus was present and active in the events of creation. Jesus was not created, for He always has been, though not always in the flesh. Matthew through Luke show a beginning with Jesus because they emphsize his beginning on earth. John however, shows Jesus without beginning because God has no beginning. No wonder Micah 2:5 when prophesying about Jesus says He is the “everlasting God.”
Now, what the TRUINE GOD did in the first creation is essentially what He does in salvation for the lost of mankind without God. Man too, could be described as “empty” without Christ, and a state of “nothingness” without God. There is not a saved person on earth that would disagree with this. Outside of the NEW CREATION IN CHRIST (2 Cor 5:17) we are nothing and we are very empty. Everyone outside of Christ has a big God sized hole in thier heart, that many spend a good portion of their life filling with many things that never satisfy. They may appear to for a short time and in the end always leave the person empty. Jesus Christ however, is who can satisfy what is lacking in all our lives.
God, help us all today to look to Jesus as our salvation and hope, for the enjoyment of life and now, and forever throughout eternity. Amen!
_____________________________________________________________
81. He came to earth to redeem all of lost humanity (Matthew 18:11)
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I have an opportunity to make this personal. It is not only significant to me that Jesus died on the cross to redeem mankind, but it is even more important to me to know that He died for me (Gal 2:20). We really get to see this truth for what it is only as we trust Him for salvation. This is why the gospel invitations so often in the Bible include word “whosoever” (see john 3:15,16; 4:14; acts 2:21; 10:43; 13:26; Romans 10:9-13; Rev 22:17). And since all men are “lost” without Christ, then their is hope for all who are willing to acknowedge that without God and Christ in their life they will be left in their own sin, and have no hope of redemption and reconciliation. “In Christ” a person is no longer “lost” but is “found” and no longer in “darkness” but is in the “light” and is no longer “dead” but is “alive.” All of this is true spiritually speaking because of the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:20 (MSG)
Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME.”
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for dying on the cross for me. I know you had more than me in mind, but it is really personal that you shared this good news to me through your word, and that you convinced me that it was for me to receive and embrace as my very own. It reminds me of David in Psalm 23 who said, “The Lord is MY SHEPHERD.” It does very little good for me to know that you are the GOOD SHEPHERD, GREAT SHEPHERD and CHIEF SHEPHERD, if you are not MY SHEPHERD. Thank for saying “whosoever,” for that is like saying anyone who puts there name in place of the word “whosoever”, is personally embracing your atonement for them. And like the text says about the “Son of Man coming to seek and to save the lost,” once I realize I am lost “without Christ” that is the first step to getting real help from you God. Only when I acknowledge my lostness can I really be prepared to embrace what salvation in Christ is all about.
____________________________________________________________
82. He worked a real job as a small businessman in Nazareth (Mark 6:3)
I’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT the early years of Christ. If I had a time capsule and could come and go as I like to take a personal peak at various times in history. I would love to see and know more of those early childhood years and then our Lord’s daily routine working alongside Joseph. I would like to be able to personally observe his work ethic. I think this would help many Christians in the workplace who so easily forget to be “Christlike” when at work. Sometimes as believers we tend to be very “dysfunctional” and have difficulty putting what we learn on Sunday into daily practice while at work where it really counts the most.
Lord, Help me to be Christlike in all I do, and wherever I go. I want to be a 24/7 Christian and not just a Sunday Morning one. I need to your help Lord, in order to do this. I know you will help me too, because you promise to not only save, but to also keep us in Christ (1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1:24-25).
1 Peter 1:5 (AMP)
Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that *final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.
Jude 1:24,25 (MSG)
24 And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating– 25 to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Yes
____________________________________________________________
83. He led his first conference when He was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-52)
THE MAIN POINT IS that Jesus was very serious about the things of God even as a child. This is a rare glimpse into the life of Christ prior to his baptism when He was annointed for ministry by God the Father and the Holy Spirit. The fact that this is mentioned should be a good incentive for the youth of our day today. Chrisianity is not just for “old people,” it is for everyone, including the young. Ecclesiastes encourges us to live our lives while in our youth, for the great advantage of it. When the mind is sharp and able to retain what it takes in, is the time to remember scripture, memorize scripture and hide it in the heart with a desire to use that knowledge to live out life here on earth in a productive way for God’s glory and the salvation of the lost and the encourgement of others who are already in Christ. This is everybody’s call from God, and not just for Jesus or those who feel “the call” to the ministry. We often think of Jesus as God and therefore “all knowing” yet we sometimes forget that He willingly laid aside even omniscience in order to experience what humans experience. I think studying for a test in school was some of my biggest challenges, and this text indicates Jesus may have known something about that experience too (Luke 2:52).
Luke 2:52 (NETP)
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.
Eccles 12:1-6 (MSG)
1 Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young, Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, 2 Before your vision dims and the world blurs And the winter years keep you close to the fire. 3 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well. Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen. The shades are pulled down on the world. 4 You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt. The hum of the household fades away. You are wakened now by bird-song. 5 Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past. Even a stroll down the road has its terrors. Your hair turns apple-blossom white, Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body. Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest, While your friends make plans for your funeral. 6 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. 7 The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
Dear Lord, I pray for our young people, who I made to think about after reading this passage of scripture. I pray that you will help them to be focused on having a relationship with Christ, and on learning scripture, memorizing it and applying it. I know almost all of the scriptures today that I can recall from memory, which are over 300, are the result of work done when I was a teenager. It is so hard to memorize and retain scripture these days, so I ask that you will help our youth to store the treasures of God’s Word up in their heart at this most appropriate time in their life. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________
84. His public ministry did not begin until He was about 30 years old (Luke 3:23)
THIS PERTAINS TO ME because I know that as I look back on my life and ministry I began to pastor churches around the age of 25, which was a way too early for me. I should have not been in such a hurry. I was very unprepared for ministry back then. I should have been more patient. Jesus spent his whole life preparing for what began at age 30. Moses spent 80 years preparing for 40 years service, so I hope others can learn from Moses and Jesus how to do things right and learn from my mistakes of getting in too big a hurry.
Lord, I thank you for being able to help others learn from my mistakes, because I know everyone makes enough on thier own. I thank you that we can also learn from the mininistry of Jesus and Moses when it comes to proper preparation for ministry. I am still learning to wait for your timing on things that I want to happen right away. I am learning to wait on you, with the help of godly people in my church that remind me to do that. Thank you Jesus, for your Word, and the comfort and advice of other believers too.
_____________________________________________________________
85. He is a teacher who taught with authority (Mark 1:22)
I KNOW THAT JESUS taught with authority because of His power with God and being always lead by the Spirit. I also know He could teach with authority because he had a firm grasp of the truth, and He lived what He taught. His teaching was in such contrast to the religious Pharisees that people were made to marvel at his teaching.
Lord, help me to teach by my life as much as by my words, so that I will be more believable to those who here me, and because of the credibility I have with them, they will be more inclined to take a good hard listen to what I am saying from your Holy Word. In Jesus name, Amen.
1 Timothy 4:16 (MSG)
16 Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.
_____________________________________________________________
86. He said the two greatest things people can do are to love God with all their heart and to love their neighbors as they would love themselves (Matthew 22:37-40)
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TRUTH IS that what Jesus was doing here in many ways seems to actually summarize what the ten commandments teach. The first series of commands give us a description of of the way we can show God we love Him, and the second half of the commandments in Exodus 20 teach us what loving our fellow man is supposed to look like. If we could summarize what Jesus said in these two with just one word, it would be the word “love.” Paul actually did that in Romans 13.
Romans 13:8b
“When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along.”
Dear Lord, Help me to love you with all my heart and then to love others the way you would have me too. I know that later one my precious Savior actually gave me a better model for loving others that “myself,” and that model is Christ Himself. ” A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ” (John 13:34 KJV) I want to love what you love Lord, and hate what you hate. In Jesus name, Amen!
___________________________________________________________
87. He gives instructions on nine ways people can be blessed by God (Matthew 5:2-11)
THE TRUTH THAT JESUS STATES IS important for me, because these “blessed statements” by Christ teach me what the attitude of my heart should be. If I don’t get these things right, then I can never do any of the other things that follow. I cannot be “salt for the earth” or “light for the world” because I will always be a poor reflection of who Christ is to others.
Dear Lord, Help me to be all that you would have me to be. I want to always come before you recognizing I am “poor in spirit” or spiritually helpless without you. I want to come to you broken over my sin. I want to come to your hungry for righteousness, and thristy for truth to be lived out in my life and in this world. I want to be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker. I want to be a man of mercy toward others, and to be pure in heart. Help me to endure persecution for Christ sake, so that I can bring honor and glory to your name, Oh God. In Jesus name, Amen.
_______________________________________________________________
88. He tells people not to worry about anything but to seek God and His kingdom (Matthew 6:25-34)
TO ME, THIS MEANS that if I can trust God for the big thing, which is my eternal salvation (Romans 8:32), then I should be able to trust Him for everything else. If God can and does take care of the rest of his creation so diligently, then why would He not take care of me, since I am his child and since He has such great plans for me “in Christ.”
Dear Lord, help me not to be guilty of the sin of “worrry,” I know it is normal to carry concerns and burdens, but when it turns into constant worry it is sin. When I worry I am not trusting you. When I worry I am not believing in your Sovereignty over all things. When I worry I show the world that does not Christ that I am as “restless” as they are. This is dishonoring to you Lord, and I do not want to dwell there. With your help Lord, “increase my faith” so that I can honor you before a lost and dying world, and so that I can experience the “peace of God” that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)
6 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life
_____________________________________________________________
89. He prayed with such intensity that He actually bled (Luke 22:44)
I KNOW THAT JESUS put 100% of Himself into everything He did. I cannot imagine what I read in this scripture, but I do know He went through all this because He loves me and “the world” (John 3:16-17). The fact that He prayed for God to forgive me means a lot to me. Sometimes Christians go through doubts later on about their salvation after hearing a powerful sermon. It causes them to reflect back and wonder if they really fully repented and fully believed and fully trusted God for salvation and forgiveness of sins. Well, the matter of my forgiveness does not rest in my ability to work up a good case of faith. It is much more about the object than it is the amount of faith I have. Jesus prayed for the salvation of everyone who says, “Yes to Jesus.” That’s good enough for me to know that if Jesus prayed for my forgiveness then, His prayers were always answered by God.
I know there are some who pray to trust Christ who are not really sincere, and is clear from their lack of commitment to Christ that this is the case. I would not want to give such individuals like that any hope. But, for those who pursue God, and yet question from time to time their prior commitment, is actually a normal part of spiritual growth. After all, if you have been saved for ten years your relationship with God now, is probably so much more intimate than it was back then, that what you had back then may not seem like it was the real thing. I do not worry about the one who has occasional doubts near so much as I do for those who seem to have great confidence that they are prepared for the kingdom to come, yet live as though they were really “children of the devil.”
God, I thank you for what Jesus did on the cross for me and many others. Help us all to live our lives every day out of gratitude for all that you accomplished for us. Amen.
________________________________________________________________
90. He is in heaven right now, overseeing the construction of homes for His friends still on earth (John 14:2,3)
THIS PERTAINS TO ME Jesus said that if we believe in Him and trust in Him He would “go and prepare a place for us.” I know it has been said, “God said, and that settles it Amen,” but it sure is a whole lot better if we can say, “God said it, I BELIEVE IT, and that settles it for me, Amen.”
John 14:1-3 (AMP)
1 DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.
2 In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.
3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for going to prepare a place for me. I am looking forward to appreciate any gift that comes from you, but you are the greatest gift of all. Knowing that I am abiding in you and that you are abiding in me, and that one day I will be with you in an undistracted way, is something I look forward too.
________________________________________________________________
91. He compelled people to “repent” or “turn” from their sins (Matthew 4:17)
THIS TRUTH APPLIES TO ME BECAUSE true faith in Christ always includes repentance. Repentance with out faith, is like reformation without salvation, and “faith” without repentance is worthless to the one who claims to have it (James 2:14-26). I know some thing James went overboard with many of things He said, but the fact is, James clearly understood what salvation is supposed to look like before we ever get to heaven.
If I see a man walking down the street in full military dress I can almost be sure He is in that branch of service for our country. He looks like a military man, He even walks like a military man, and He carries himself like a military man. The reason for this is that He is a military man, and He is careful to conduct himself in such a way that does not bring reproach upon the country he or she serves. If a military person gets it, I think surely we should as well, since every Christian is a citizen of heaven, an ambassodor for Christ, and a soldier of the cross.
Help me Lord, to demonstrate in my life ongoing “repentance” and “faith.” I know when I trusted you as Savior you that all my sins, past, present and future were paid for by Christ. I know my confession was not thorough then, for I did not fully understand the depths of my own depravity. I am still learning about these things Lord. Help me to keep on “repenting” and “believing” so I can be conformed a little more each day into “the image of Christ” (Romans 8:29-30).
________________________________________________________________
92. All the books written since the beginning of time could not contain everything He did while here on earth (John 21:25)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE that I am looking forward to hearing, “the rest of the story.” If what has been written is so good, can you imagine what great things are yet to be heard?
Dear Lord, I thank you for the thoughts of heaven that you gave me. I am looking forward to hearing more, every day from my Savior. I can understand why when many of our gospel groups as they get older sing more about heaven. Preachers often in the later years will do this too. The closer I get to my time of departure, the more I think about it.
This could be my last decade on earth, in this body of flesh. In fact, I have no guarantee today that I will wake up on earth tomorrow. I do however have the wonderful assurance that if I were to die, today, I would immediately wake up in heaven with God. I know my body will not be there until resurrection day, but my “spirit” will be there. My “spirit” is the real me anyway. My body is my shell, but it is in my “spirit” that I connect with my God, and when I do, my “soul” is fed so that both my “soul” and “body” are conformed more into the likeness of my blessed Savior. Thank you Jesus. I am so grateful to dwell in your presence this morning. As my friend often says to me about everyday of life, for me, “This is the day, the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
_____________________________________________________________
93. He sacrificed Himself for everyone (John 1:29)
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE when I share the gospel with anyone, I can feel confident that anyone who places their faith and trust in Christ, will be saved. That is what Jesus did, when He went to the cross. He actually SECURED salvation for all who truly repent and believe in Christ. What an awesome Savior who eventually cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), and before the canon of scripture is completed my Lord reminds the world once again, by saying, “It is done!” (Rev 21:5-6) as He invites more thirsty souls to come to the waters.
Rev 21:5-6 (AMP)
5 And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine). [Isa. 43:19]
6 And He [further] said to me, IT IS DONE! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life. [Isa. 55:1]
Oh Lord, I am so grateful for what you have done for me already. There is still more to come. The most important thing I can do now, is practice my private worship of you and be in your presence daily. The more I get to know you, the more comfortable I will be when I am in your presence in heaven. How exciting this it to think about Lord. I have friends that are soon to be with you. I know you will be welcoming them home.
____________________________________________________________
94. He died on a cross (MARK 15:33-41)
I KNOW THAT JESUS died on the cross, and if that was the end of things, He would have been no different than other “great prophets” and leaders of other world religions. All others have died and that was it, but Jesus did not just die. Death couldn’t hold him, and the grave couldn’t keep him. Most others would need tombs for a long time, but Jesus couldn’t rest long as more work was to be done. He wanted to be in heaven at the right hand of the Father to continue his work of sanctification and salvation by praying for more souls to come into the kingdom and praying for those who have to be close to God (Hebrews 7:23-26).
Hebrews 7:23-26 (MSG)
23 Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced. 24 But Jesus’ priesthood is permanent. He’s there from now to eternity 25 to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them.
26 So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God’s presence in heaven itself.
Dear Lord, I thank you for dying on the cross and rising from the dead and giving me and many others a real and sure hope of a great future. Because I know I have this eternal destiny I am spurred on to want to walk with you more closely (1 John 3:3).
1 John 3:3 (NETP)
And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure.
_______________________________________________________________
95. He stands ready to provide for every need of those who truly believe in Him here on earth…even today! (Philippians 4:19)
THIS TRUTH CAN HELP ME before I ever get to heaven. So many seem to think that giving your life to Christ guarentees one a life in heaven but that is about it. While I am here things are a sort of “living hell,” many say. I know many are suffering even right now, but it is true that we can look to Christ, who along with God the Father, owns “the cattle on a thousand hills,” and I might add that HE OWNS THE HILLS ALSO, therefore we really can apply the promise of Philippians 4:19 for ourselves. It doesn’t guarantee that we will be “filthy rich,” but it does promise to supply for our needs, so that we can serve God in the way He would have us to. A good exampe of this is when the disciples assisted the Lord in feeding 5000. They were placed with an impossible task, but God supplied with such little substance from man. What God did for the disciples and the multitude, He is more than capable of doing still today.
Dear God, thank you for reminding me of this very special promise in the scriptures.
___________________________________________________________
96. He was buried in the tomb of one of the richest guys in town (Luke 23:50-56)
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRUTH ARE that this is another one of the many fulfillments of prophecy (Isaiah 53:9).
Because of His disgraceful death, the Jews intended the Servant to have a disgraceful burial along with the thieves (cf. Jn 19:31), but instead He was buried with “a rich man” in an honorable burial through the donated tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (Mt 27:57-60; Mk 15:42-46; Lk 23:50-53; Jn 19:38-40). {John MaCarthur}
Jesus is the sincere One. His enemies could find no fault in Him (Luke 23:4); the thief dying beside Him recognized He had done nothing amiss (Luke 23:41); and so sure of His innocence was Joseph of Arimathaea that he risked his standing in the community to provide Jesus a tomb. With Jesus, there is no fine print. He is exactly who He declared Himself to be and He does exactly what He says He’ll do. {John Courson}
Dear God, every time I read about another one of the many prophecies of the Old Testament coming to pass literally, just as predicted I am reminded of how I can trust you for all the promises yet to be fulfilled. I know that you do not lie (Titus 1:2), and that you never change (Mal 3:6), and you are no, “shifting shaddow” (James 1:17). I praise you that you will come back for me one day (John 14:1-3), just as you said yoiu would. Thank you God for these promises that move my heart to adore you more. In Jesus name, Amen.
____________________________________________________________
97. He came back alive from the dead and hundreds of people saw Him afterwards (1 Cor 15:6-8,20)
TO ME, THIS MEANS that all the theories that sceptics come up with hold such little value. For example, the idea that 500 people would all hallucinate at once, is harder to believe than the fact that He rose from the dead. Some say, the disciples stole the body, but all precautions were in place to keep that from happening. Besides, they were too depressed and had all but lost all faith at this point. They would not hardly steal the body of Christ to perpetuate a faith they were ready to abandon. There are more foolish ideas from sceptics that are not worthy of the time to refute them. I just believe the Bible. Some say, blindly, but I don’t think so. Some say, What if you are wrong? Okay, let’s put it this way. If I were wrong about everything concerning Christ, What would I miss out on that would be any different? We both will just die and cease to be. But, if I am right and those who disagree with me are wrong, they will miss out on eternity with Christ and “face everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thess 1:8-9). I think those who refuse to embrace Christ are taking the biggest risk. God is more real to me, and Christ is more real to me than anything I can see. I do not fear that such things are not true.
Dear God, thank you for the many “infallible proofs” of my Lord’s resurrection! Amen.
Acts 1:3 (AMP)
To them also He showed Himself alive after His passion (His suffering in the garden and on the cross) by [a series of] many convincing demonstrations [unquestionable evidences and infallible proofs], appearing to them during forty days and talking [to them] about the things of the kingdom of God.
____________________________________________________________
98. He is a very plain talker (John 14:6)
THE TRUTH THAT JESUS STATES IS the clearest and most profound statement made in the Bible. When it comes to eternal salvation and the way to heaven, there could not be a more bolder and plainer verse of scripture. Anyone who has trouble with this verse, does so, not because it is difficult to understand. The difficulty with this message is in the heart of the individual. The Bible tells us that, “The heart is deceitful, above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9) This is true of all of us, so in order to receive the message that “Christ is the way, the truth and the life” one must be willing to admit that there is a problem with the heart. Some are unwilling to do so, because they prefer to go their own way instead of God’s way.
Many today cannot accept the fact that Jesus is, “the ONLY WAY.” They think there surely must be more than one way to get to heaven. If that were true then I can assure you that Christ could not be one of those ways. If He is not the ONLY WAY, then He could not even be one of the many ways, because His claim would make him a liar. What it all comes down to is, Who are you going to believe? Are you going to believe what others teach about it, or what you just have concluded on you own, out of your logic? or Are you going to believe what Jesus says here? For me, I believe Paul had it right on, when he said, “let God be true, and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
Dear Lord, I thank you for the greatest revelation in the whole Bible, which tells me that Jesus is, “the way, the truth and the life” and that “no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6). I know what Jesus said was echoed by Peter in Acts 4:12, which is equally powerful.
Acts 4:12 (MSG)
Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
______________________________________________________________
99.He makes a specific promise to come to us when we are in need once He ascended back to heaven following His resurrection from the grave (John 14:18)
THIS TRUTH CAN HELP ME because I have His word on it. Jesus say’s this not only here, but elsewhere the scriptures testifies to this as well. The promise of this verse is concerning the Holy Spirit, which would come to dwell forever in God’s people. The Holy Spirit is called a “Comforter,” and it is accompanied by the word “another” which in this case means another of the same kind. This is why God the Father is also called the “God of all Comfort” (2 Cor 1:3-4).
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for being such a comfort to me, in all my aflictions, Amen.
2 Cor 1:3-4 (AMP)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement),
4 Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
100. His last words in the last chapter of the Bible emphatically say He is coming back and it will happen (Rev 22:20)
I KNOW THAT JESUS tells me several times that He is coming back, and I know that I can aways take Him at His Word.
(see also Zec 14:5; Jn 14:3; Ac 1:11; 1Th 4:14-16; 2Th 1:5-9; 2:1; 1Jn 3:2; Rev 1:7)
Acts 1:11 (AMP) … Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, Who was caught away and lifted up from among you into heaven, will return in [just] the same way in which you saw Him go into heaven
Dear Lord, I thank you for the hope of your soon return! This world is really messed up, and judgement is sure to fall soon. I pray for our nation to repent and turn to you. I pray for friends and loved one to repent and to turn to you. I pray pray for the salvation of my family and the family members of believers everywhere. I pray that you will give believers a humble spirit of repentance too, for we all surely want to be found living “godly in Christ Jesus” when He returns. Amen.
Dan McKenney — Grace, Growth and God’s Word 