Category Archives: Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Money / Finances / Wealth, Peace / Rest, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness, Worry/Anxiety

Can Worry Add Even An Hour To Your Life?

It is easy and natural to worry. We can worry about our family, our jobs, our children’s performance in school or extra curricular activities. We can worry about our favorite sports teams winning or losing. We can worry about what we will be doing next week. There are lots of reasons we can choose to worry.

But what does Jehovah have to say about worry? Actually, He has a lot to say. One such verse to explore is short and to the point.

Philippians 4:4-9

      4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

      8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I do want to make a point that there is a difference between “worry” about something and taking action to address a situation that needs you to do something. I need not “worry” about my future finances when I walk with Jehovah, but He expects me to plan wisely, consistent with His word, and to exercise self control and manage my affairs well. Let us be careful to avoid the mistake of saying “not to worry” means we ignore the situation. This would be wrong and lead to many troubles.

Rejoicing always sounds tough for most of us… but just because it is different than what we expect, does not mean that it is wrong. Often, what we have become accustomed to is wrong and we need to seek God’s way in the Bible and change our ways. Paul was more than just talk on “rejoice always”. He rejoiced even under persecution such as when he was beaten and put in prison. He rejoiced in the sovereignty and love of the Lord Jesus!

Be thankful for what we have in Christ and what He has already provided us even as we come before Jehovah to ask for our needs or requests.

When we focus on what is good, honorable, right, pure, lovely… we can truly learn, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to be anxious for nothing.

I leave you with a common expression you may have heard before for consideration and reflection.

“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

Do you know who said this first? It was Jesus, as documented in Matthew 6:27.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Follow The Example Of Christ, Our Loving Shepherd

We all have a tendency to stray, like sheep. Often foolishly straying into harm and away from our Shepherd. Jehovah’s plan included coming in the person of Jesus Christ to show us the example we should follow. What a loving Father indeed!

1 Peter 2:21-25

Christ Is Our Example

      21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Christ was without sin, so what better role model is there we should follow? None. He was reviled and hated, but refused to hate in return. He was threatened and beaten and killed, but did not threaten others. He entrusted Himself to our loving Father, the righteous judge. Jesus paid the penalty of our sins on the cross… the judgment that was due to each of us for our sin. By Jesus’ suffering and death, coupled with our genuine submission to Him as Lord, repenting wrong behavior and attitudes, and asking forgiveness… we are healed and reconciled with the Father.

We stray like sheep, but we have a loving Shepherd who cares for us and calls us to Him. Praise Jehovah for His lovingkindness! Give thanks to Him today. He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him where we could never have done so on our own.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer

I Delight To Do Your Will, O My God

How many of us truly delight in doing the will of Jehovah? To delight in doing His will goes well beyond just knowing and obeying His will. It reflects a deep and passionate relationship and trust in Him. There are times where I delight in doing His will… but there are still times where I am choosing to do His will because I want to serve Him. I do not always delight in doing His will.

Psalm 40

     1I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

      2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

      3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.

      4How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

      5Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

      6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

      7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

      8I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

      9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.

      10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

      11You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

      12For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

      13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.

      14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

      15Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

      16Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”

      17Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Pray with me that Jehovah will help you to understand His will, and want to do His will and even delight in doing His will. I will share this parting thought. The more time I spend with Him in prayer and study and the more I choose willfully to obey His instructions… the more often I truly delight in doing His will. It has a lot to do with continuing to actively develop a relationship with our heavenly Father. It has much less to do with always understanding and agreeing with what He tells us to do.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Reflections On Life, From One Who Nears The End

Many have rightly observed that as someone approaches the end of their life, they often have increasing insight into what was really most important… about what they did right and what they should have done differently. Sometimes even those who spent their whole lives pursuing some idol, such as money and power, begin to realize how empty that pursuit really was. How much more wisdom can we gain, then, from listening to a righteous man as he reflects on his life and walk with God.

Genesis 48

Israel’s Last Days

      1Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5“Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6“But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7“Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

      8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.” 12Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

15He blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

      16The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

      17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20He blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22“I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Israel found his relationship with God to be of highest importance. He reflected back on the promises God made and spoke of them in complete confidence that they would come to pass even though he did not yet see it with his own eyes. There is no hint of regret or lack of faith that God’s promises were not yet fulfilled as of the end of Israel’s life. Rather there is a confident faith that they are in the process of being fulfilled.

Israel valued family… in particular the family he had once lost and then had restored. He did not complain to God that Joseph had been lost, but rather gives glory to God that he was able to see not only Joseph again but also his children.

It was of high importance to Jacob to pass along his blessing to Joseph and Joseph’s sons. Once again, this demonstrates strong faith in the multi-generational promise of God.

There is no bitterness or fear in Israel. He reflects on the loss of Rachel and the sorrow he experienced in that, but gives every confidence from this record in scripture that he is prepared for death, prepared to continue his journey with God beyond the confines of this earthly life.

Reflect on your life for a few moments. Do not rush it. Does your life reflect the values that Israel reflected on at the end of his life? Are you satisfied you are living for God and obeying His commands? Does your life reflect God’s will or your own? Do you have a relationship with God in which you hear His specific directions for your life? Do you seek Him in prayer, study His word, and give honor, praise and thanks to Him consistently?

Are you satisfied with your family relationships?

Do you hold any bitterness or resentment toward others or God?

What changes do you think God wants you to make?

Whether you find yourself nearing the end of this life or anticipating decades yet to come, take time to evaluate your life. Humble yourself to be willing to admit, to yourself and to God, that you should make some changes and then go about making those changes while you still have time. None of our tomorrows are promised to us, no matter what are age and health may be.

Are you ready for what comes next after you die in this world?

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

Imagine you have a friend or child who only comes to you when they need something. They never thank you or say nice things to you… only come to you when they feel they are in trouble they can not get out of on their own. How would that make you feel? Do you feel that person loves you?

It is easy for most of us to think of God when we feel hopelessly overwhelmed or find ourselves in a tough situation we can’t get out of on our own. We think of Him and come to ask Him for help. But do we come before Him to thank Him or praise Him when we are happy or joyful… when things are going well?

Psalm 68:3  3But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

James 5:13  13Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

God wants to hear from us all the time, not just when we need help. I think most of us feel the same way. I certainly do. I want to help my children when they have a need, but I also appreciate when they thank me and appreciate what I have done to help them when things are going well. It certainly helps me know they love me!

Take a few minutes right now and give thanks to God for the good things He has provided. Every Christian has much to be thankful for… salvation to start with, a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe for another. Of course there are often many other things that He provides as well. Let us praise Him and thank Him!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Evidence in Scripture, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prophecy, Share the Good News, Wickedness / Evil

Jesus Is Risen!

Jesus is risen! What wonderful news for those of us who submit to Him as Lord of our lives. We do not serve a dead Christ, but a living Christ… one who has overcome death and the grave! Let us rejoice in the glory of God’s plans and trust in Him.

In Matthew 28:1- 15 we experience the resurrection of Christ… the fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus told His disciples before His crucifixion. As we take a few moments to read and celebrate this wonderful event.

Jesus Is Risen!

      1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

      8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

      11Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14“And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” 15And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

 

Let’s break this scripture down and look closely at it to see more detail that God is communicating to us in addition to the bigger message filled with joy that Jesus has risen.

1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

Jesus was crucified on Friday. He died early enough for His body to be put in the grave before Sabbath started Friday at sundown. Then nothing happened until after Sabbath was over on Saturday night at sundown. In fact, the next event occurs on Sunday morning… the first day of the week. God honored the framework of the Sabbath even in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ… as He also did following Creation of the universe when He rested on the seventh day. (Learn more about Sabbath.)

Jesus first reveals Himself after resurrection to women. Considering the context of the culture at the time, this is a strong argument toward the accuracy of the Biblical text. Men writing this scripture or telling the story of resurrection would have a strong tendency to depict men, Jesus’ disciples, as the ones to whom Jesus first revealed Himself if they were just making up this story. As it is, Jesus revealed Himself first to Mary and Mary and the scriptures record it accurately… as they do everything else.

 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

What an amazing site… an angel at once so intimidating that the well trained Roman guards shook for fear and yet the women who loved Jesus could be reassured to calmly converse with him. God’s messenger gave the women instructions and to their credit… they followed at once. He showed them the empty tomb as evidence.

  8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Consider the great joy with which they reacted upon hearing about Jesus. They ran to report it. Jesus met them along the way and they worshipped Him. Once again He had to reassure them not to be afraid and affirmed the instructions from the angel to take word to His disciples.

Each of us should consider… do we act with joy like that? Are we so excited to tell others that our Lord Jesus has risen from the grave that we run? Or do we take it for granted, thinking of it rarely and not letting it move us to share the good news of the gospel with others? Pray that God would help each of us to feel that joy and urgency to share the good news.

  11Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14“And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” 15And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

Again we see that when confronted with clear evidence of Jesus as Messiah… as the Christ… the chief priests act in the flesh and immediately plot and scheme to cover it up and maintain control through deception. They do not even seek God in prayer for the truth or hold out the possibility that Jesus is the Christ… the Messiah… God Himself in the flesh fulfilling the prophecy of scripture. They are filled with wickedness and led by hardened  hearts.

Even in their wickedness, they could not deny that tomb of Jesus had been opened and that Jesus was no longer there. The evidence was so strong that they could not even claim that it was the wrong tomb or that Jesus was not buried there or that Jesus was still in the tomb. Stronger evidence could not be provided for the fact that the tomb which held Jesus’ body had been opened and Jesus’ body was no longer there.

The best lie they could come up with was that well trained Roman guards were bested by the same disciples of Jesus Christ that ran and hid when they came to arrest Jesus at the garden of Gethsemane. The logic required is impossible to accept. The same disciples who fled when Jesus was alive, are now to be supposed to have confronted Roman guards when they believed Jesus to be dead? Impossible.

We are left then to accept the truth of God’s supernatural intervention by sending an angel to open the tomb and raising Jesus from the dead, as was prophesied by Jesus to His disciples and much earlier by Old Testament prophets of God.

Jesus Christ is risen! He died for our sins and has been raised from the dead. Praise God for His wise plans for redeeming us from our mistakes through His great love for us. May we never take this for granted, but rather may it always be on our hearts with thanksgiving and praise.

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Merciful, Mockers, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

No Greater Act of Love

The dreadful treatment that Jesus received up to and including dying on the cross gives us insight into what we deserve for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. He deserved no such treatment. Jesus lived without sin, in perfect obedience to God. God willingly chose to become man in the person of Jesus Christ and to suffer and die for our sins. There is no greater and more clear act of love than to take our punishment in our place. Picture yourself going through this suffering and death instead of Jesus… what would it be like? Then praise God for showing us love, grace, and mercy in taking our punishment for us.

Matthew 27:27-56

Jesus Is Mocked

      27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

      32As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

      33And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.

      35And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

      38At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43“HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

      45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

      55Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

There are consequences for our sin, for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. The wages of sin are death, but God offers us mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God offers mercy in that He will withhold from us the punishment we deserve if we accept the lordship of Jesus Christ. God offers grace in His offer of eternal life and forgiveness, which we do not deserve. God shows us love by paying accepting upon Himself the punishment we deserve. The consequences of sin had to be dealt with. They could not be ignored.  Jesus suffered for us.

We see also the wicked, who mock and scorn Jesus and those who follow Him. They reject and rebel against God. Ultimately, all shall recognize Jesus as Lord, but for those who reject Him throughout their lives on earth, it will be too late to accept His offer of forgiveness when they stand before Him after they die.

Romans 14:11-12

11For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”

12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Salvation

Yes, Jesus Loves Us That Much!

After Jesus finishes His  prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding when the temple in Jerusalem will be destroyed and the signs of Jesus’ return and the end of the age, He again returns to the topic of His impending death. As we studied previously in our teaching, Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection – He Went Willingly, Jesus has made  a point to clearly communicate multiple times to His disciples that He is to die and be resurrected. As the day approaches, He even tells them what day it will occur, during Passover.

Matthew 26:1-13

The Plot to Kill Jesus

      1When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”

      3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; 4and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 5But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”

Jesus clearly went willingly to His torture and death. God loves us all so much that He became man in the person of Jesus Christ and willingly suffered and died and was resurrected for us…for our sins… all of us. He extends the offer to us, having already paid the price for our sin and wrong choices. All we need to do is accept His offer. (To learn more, study our teaching, The Message of the Cross – Salvation.)

He loved His disciples enough to continually remind them in advance of what was going to happen so they would understand later and recognize the proper perspective that Jesus did so willingly in obedience to God’s plan. He confirmed multiple times what was to happen and then even when it was to happen. God truly loves us that much. The Bible records this history so that even today, thousands of years later, we can be clear that Jesus willingly laid down His life for our sins. He was not tricked or defeated… He volunteered to take our punishment. We deserved to be on the cross, but He went on our behalf.

If someone died saving you from being killed in a tragic accident, such as being run over by a truck… you would tell everyone about it with thanksgiving and praise for that person. You would probably remember and retell it your entire life.

If someone offered us $100 and all we had to do was accept it… and then told us they would offer the same deal to everyone, not matter what they have done wrong in their lives… no matter who they are…  we would take it, thank them, and tell everyone else we knew about this great opportunity.

Why is it that when we hear of this offer for forgiveness of all our past mistakes and reconciliation with God for eternity, we so often keep it to ourselves?

We would tell everyone about the $100 without worrying if we were insulting them by implying they need the money. If we do not feel the same way about telling them what Jesus offers we must consider deeply whether or not we, ourselves, really believe it is true and whether or not we love others enough to help them find Jesus.  Some will reject the message just as some would not believe you about the $100 offer… but some will believe and will come to Jesus.

Rejoice in being a worker in God’s harvest! Do not be “embarrassed” by your love for Jesus but rather be glad in it and share it with everyone!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Character of God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Forgiveness Comes From God Through Jesus Christ

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God is righteous and holy. We fall short of His perfect standard. God is also just, meaning that we must pay the price for our sin. The cost of sin is death.  However, God in His grace has made a way for us to forgive others and to be forgiven by Him. God alone can blot out our sins. Our good works and our best efforts are not good enough.

[Isaiah 43:25] “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

[Matthew 6:14-15] 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

[1 John 1:5-10] 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus[c] 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.

What a gracious and wonderful God we have! We need only confess our sins to God, genuinely turn away from sin in repentance, forgive others as we would ask God to forgive us,  accept Jesus as our lord and savior, and seek Him wholeheartedly and God forgives our sins.

I am glad to depend on God for everything! Always be cautious of depending on anyone other than God… whether that is a government or yourself. Only God can we trust to always be there for us and never fail us. Praise God! He truly is king of kings and lord of lords. He rules over all.

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Please share our devotionals with your friends and family. Help us to share the good news of the gospel!

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Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Miracles, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Satan

Some Will Always Find a Reason Not to Accept Jesus

In Matthew 9:27-34 we continue to walk with Jesus through His earthly ministry. We experience once again the joy he can bring when we come to Him in faith and ask for healing.

27 After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

28 They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”

“Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” 30 Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” 31 But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.

32 When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. 33 So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.

34 But the Pharisees said, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.”

Jesus demonstrates the ability to heal the blind and cast out demons. Those who have eyes to see… see Him for who He really is… God. They cannot contain their thankfulness and praise for God once healed. For those who have already decided to reject Him and do not consider the evidence before them openly… they find a way to convince themselves Jesus is not God.

The Pharisees even rationalized in this case that Jesus cast out demons because He was empowered by the prince of demons. How ridiculous! If He were serving Satan, than why would He cast out demons who also serve Satan. The Pharisees acknowledged that Jesus was casting out demons and still found a way to reject Him!

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should give thanks and praise for what He has already done for us… dying on the cross for our sins, so we can be forgiven and through grace be saved. He will not always provide physical healing in this world, even for His followers. But we must trust Him and praise Him when He does an even when He does not.

For those who do not yet follow Jesus or are unsure… cast aside the biased opinion of the world that God does not exist or the foolish assertion by other religions that Jesus really did everything the Bible says… but is not who He said He is… God. Look instead for the evidence around you… in creation and in the Biblical text and the long line of evidence in archaeology. Evaluate the evidence with an open mind and put some energy and time into it. Your eternal salvation (or damnation) and that of those you influence is at stake.

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Please share our devotionals with your friends and family. Help us to share the good news of the gospel!

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