GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY JANUARY 12, 2013
PROVERB:
For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the chords of his sin hold him fast. Proverbs 5:21-22
PROMISE:
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. I Peter 3:12.
PRAISE:
I will trust in Your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me. Psalm 13:5-6.
January 13, 2013
Ruin: January 11, 2013
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 11, 2013
RUIN
DEFINITION:
A moral or physical collapse; downfall, decay or destruction.
SCRIPTURE:
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:44
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The words of John 8:44 (above) were spoken by Jesus as a warning to us that Satan is a liar and a murderer. It was Satan that was the ruin of man. Man today would have to be spiritually blind, deaf and mute not to know that the whole world lies under the sway of Satan the wicked one. The verse in I John 5:19 reads, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the control of the wicked one."
In this verse from I John God reveals two classes of people. First, there are those who are no longer spiritually blind, deaf or mute to God's message. They are saved by the grace of God and know that they are the children of God.
Secondly, there is a whole world of unsaved souls that lies in the hands of the evil one, Satan. They are under his control. Satan is the father of the wicked and the one that has ruined mankind. Every nation, every tribe, every family, the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated, all participate in the ruin of man because we all have a common origin in Adam. We all share a common heritage, a common legacy and that is the ruin of man. When Adam fell we all fell and we are children of the devil until we become children of God.
The Bible clearly tells us that because of the sin of Adam and Eve, "The wages of that sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." (Romans 6:23) Death is universal because the ruin is universal. But thanks be to God, the gift He gave to us, for the asking, is eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son and our Lord.
Yes, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, mankind was ruined but in Jesus we have complete redemption. Peter reassures us of this in I Peter 1:18-19 where it reads, "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot."
As one who believes in Jesus you can rest assured that your ruined life is no longer ruined. Your life has been redeemed. Praise be to God, “He has rescued us from (Satan’s) dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13. Now you need to do all you can to become more Christ-like every day and love and serve God as you never have before.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Thank You dear God that You have provided for me salvation for my ruined life. Help me to love and serve You this day to the best of my ability. Take me out of the habit of living my life to please myself. Help me to surrender to Your will so You can lead me to accomplish what You want from me today.
RUIN
DEFINITION:
A moral or physical collapse; downfall, decay or destruction.
SCRIPTURE:
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:44
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The words of John 8:44 (above) were spoken by Jesus as a warning to us that Satan is a liar and a murderer. It was Satan that was the ruin of man. Man today would have to be spiritually blind, deaf and mute not to know that the whole world lies under the sway of Satan the wicked one. The verse in I John 5:19 reads, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the control of the wicked one."
In this verse from I John God reveals two classes of people. First, there are those who are no longer spiritually blind, deaf or mute to God's message. They are saved by the grace of God and know that they are the children of God.
Secondly, there is a whole world of unsaved souls that lies in the hands of the evil one, Satan. They are under his control. Satan is the father of the wicked and the one that has ruined mankind. Every nation, every tribe, every family, the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated, all participate in the ruin of man because we all have a common origin in Adam. We all share a common heritage, a common legacy and that is the ruin of man. When Adam fell we all fell and we are children of the devil until we become children of God.
The Bible clearly tells us that because of the sin of Adam and Eve, "The wages of that sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." (Romans 6:23) Death is universal because the ruin is universal. But thanks be to God, the gift He gave to us, for the asking, is eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son and our Lord.
Yes, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, mankind was ruined but in Jesus we have complete redemption. Peter reassures us of this in I Peter 1:18-19 where it reads, "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot."
As one who believes in Jesus you can rest assured that your ruined life is no longer ruined. Your life has been redeemed. Praise be to God, “He has rescued us from (Satan’s) dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13. Now you need to do all you can to become more Christ-like every day and love and serve God as you never have before.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Thank You dear God that You have provided for me salvation for my ruined life. Help me to love and serve You this day to the best of my ability. Take me out of the habit of living my life to please myself. Help me to surrender to Your will so You can lead me to accomplish what You want from me today.
Idolatry: January 10, 2013
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2013.
IDOLATRY
DEFINITION:
The worship of idols; a person or thing adored or revered.
SCRIPTURE:
You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. I Thessalonians 1:9b
"And this is eternal life that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is important for us to understand that when we talk about the word idols we understand what it means. Most people think of idols as a statue or figurine representing a god and idolatry as worshipping of an idol as god. But it goes much farther than that. The "things and people" in your life can become idols when they are more important to you than your relationship with the living God. The great concern that we have is that the majority of the people in this world have their idols that come before God. To know and follow God requires getting rid of whatever gets in the way of worshipping Him.
If you were to ask people if they believed in God, the majority would probably answer "Yes." If you were to ask what they considered most important in their life, their answer, would not be God but, most likely, money, fame, power or pleasure.
Many people create their own god. A report in the magazine NEWSWEEK said that a youth pastor asked teenagers "who they think God is?" One said that "He was like a grandfather. He is there but I never see Him". Another said, "He is an evil being who wants to punish me all the time." The report went on to say that most people form their own gods in life. What consumes one's time becomes one's god. The more time we devote to what has become a “god” in our lives, the more it controls our thoughts and consumes our energy.
In the two verses we have printed above, Paul and John remind us that as believers we have turned to God from the idols of life when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. They also remind us that the only true God, Jesus Christ our Savior, is the one that provides us eternal life in heaven.
Creating one's own deity today is common place but the god's we create have no lasting value. It is extremely dangerous because it robs a person of knowing who their heavenly Father really is. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, holy, just and unchangeable and He is waiting for us to establish a relationship with Him and make Him the one and only God in our life.
Idol worship has been prevalent down through the centuries and throughout the world. During the time that the Israelites were in Egypt, the Egyptians had many gods. Each god represented a different aspect of life. They worshipped many gods to get more blessings. The Pharaoh (AKHENATEN) pointed to the rising and setting sun as the great deity who gave life to earth. The religious symbol for him was a single disc of light with sunrays coming from the sun. This was his god but not the true God. Moses warned the Israelites to only worship the one and only God and not the god of Pharaoh. The first of the Ten Commandments God gave Moses was, “You shall have no other gods before me.”
When Paul came to Athens he saw all their objects of worship. The Athenians built beautiful temples to their gods. The remains of those temples can still be seen today. We have been there and have seen them. Paul was grieved by the idolatry in that city. They had the concept that there must be a higher power. Paul used the people's imperfect understanding of God to point them to the one and only true God of scripture.
In Acts 17:24 Paul wrote, "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." He wanted them to see that the one true God is greater than all their worthless idols they had built temples for.
The people around us may worship a god that they have invented for their life. We must make sure that we have a daily relationship with the one and only true God and His Son Jesus. Then we should reach out to those who have chosen their own idols they worship and through our words and deeds show them that there is only one God, the living and eternal God who is the God of all creation and the God of salvation.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Keep me from allowing anything to become more important in my life than You. Keep me away from the "things and people" that could become idols and would hinder my relationship with You. Keep me steadfast in my faith and give me the desire to serve You.
IDOLATRY
DEFINITION:
The worship of idols; a person or thing adored or revered.
SCRIPTURE:
You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. I Thessalonians 1:9b
"And this is eternal life that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is important for us to understand that when we talk about the word idols we understand what it means. Most people think of idols as a statue or figurine representing a god and idolatry as worshipping of an idol as god. But it goes much farther than that. The "things and people" in your life can become idols when they are more important to you than your relationship with the living God. The great concern that we have is that the majority of the people in this world have their idols that come before God. To know and follow God requires getting rid of whatever gets in the way of worshipping Him.
If you were to ask people if they believed in God, the majority would probably answer "Yes." If you were to ask what they considered most important in their life, their answer, would not be God but, most likely, money, fame, power or pleasure.
Many people create their own god. A report in the magazine NEWSWEEK said that a youth pastor asked teenagers "who they think God is?" One said that "He was like a grandfather. He is there but I never see Him". Another said, "He is an evil being who wants to punish me all the time." The report went on to say that most people form their own gods in life. What consumes one's time becomes one's god. The more time we devote to what has become a “god” in our lives, the more it controls our thoughts and consumes our energy.
In the two verses we have printed above, Paul and John remind us that as believers we have turned to God from the idols of life when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. They also remind us that the only true God, Jesus Christ our Savior, is the one that provides us eternal life in heaven.
Creating one's own deity today is common place but the god's we create have no lasting value. It is extremely dangerous because it robs a person of knowing who their heavenly Father really is. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, holy, just and unchangeable and He is waiting for us to establish a relationship with Him and make Him the one and only God in our life.
Idol worship has been prevalent down through the centuries and throughout the world. During the time that the Israelites were in Egypt, the Egyptians had many gods. Each god represented a different aspect of life. They worshipped many gods to get more blessings. The Pharaoh (AKHENATEN) pointed to the rising and setting sun as the great deity who gave life to earth. The religious symbol for him was a single disc of light with sunrays coming from the sun. This was his god but not the true God. Moses warned the Israelites to only worship the one and only God and not the god of Pharaoh. The first of the Ten Commandments God gave Moses was, “You shall have no other gods before me.”
When Paul came to Athens he saw all their objects of worship. The Athenians built beautiful temples to their gods. The remains of those temples can still be seen today. We have been there and have seen them. Paul was grieved by the idolatry in that city. They had the concept that there must be a higher power. Paul used the people's imperfect understanding of God to point them to the one and only true God of scripture.
In Acts 17:24 Paul wrote, "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." He wanted them to see that the one true God is greater than all their worthless idols they had built temples for.
The people around us may worship a god that they have invented for their life. We must make sure that we have a daily relationship with the one and only true God and His Son Jesus. Then we should reach out to those who have chosen their own idols they worship and through our words and deeds show them that there is only one God, the living and eternal God who is the God of all creation and the God of salvation.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Keep me from allowing anything to become more important in my life than You. Keep me away from the "things and people" that could become idols and would hinder my relationship with You. Keep me steadfast in my faith and give me the desire to serve You.
Prodigal: January 9, 2013
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9, 2013.
PRODIGAL
DEFINITION:
One who spends money with wasteful extravagance; a spend thrift.
SCRIPTURE:
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:20.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Chapter 15 of Luke contains information for us today to the extent that many say it is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. The message in this chapter is that we are lost and separated from God. But God in His great love for us is seeking for us to return to Him. It includes three of the most well-known parables told by Jesus while on this earth. Jesus was teaching His disciples and a crowd came around Him as He spoke. The crowd included some who believed in Him but the scripture says the crowd included Pharisees and scribes, tax collectors and sinners.
The scripture says they all drew near to Him which indicates they were hungry for the message that He had for them and that they were acknowledging their great need. This chapter relates for us the three parables that Jesus used in His speech to these people: the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son.
The parable of the Lost Son, better known to us as the Prodigal Son, has many messages for us. There are five stages in the life of the prodigal son that we can learn from.
As the story begins, we first see a wayward son. The scripture indicates that he was selfish, hard-hearted, independent, stubborn and worldly. He was the son of his father by birth but did not belong to his father in heart, mind and spirit as God wants us to belong to Him. The son demanded from his father his inheritance by saying, “give me the portion of goods that belongs to me.” Even though he had not earned his portion or even deserved it, he demanded it. He showed arrogant disregard for his father’s authority as head of the family. He was not entitled to any inheritance while his father was alive. He was only thinking about himself and what he desired to do. He did not take into consideration how it would hurt his father’s estate because that mattered very little to the son. The father gave his son his inheritance and the freedom to do what he wanted to do with his life and goods.
Secondly, we read that the son wasted his life in riotous living. He rebelled, revolted and journeyed into a far away country (verse 13). Finally, he came to the day when all began to go wrong. He had been living a worldly life, living for the pleasure of this world only. When his money was gone he was left with the fruits of his life of sin: poverty, bondage, enslavement, suffering, no friends, dissatisfaction, emptiness, destitution and hunger. He was alone, broken, humiliated, and facing starvation. You see when you get into the position that he was in without his father, he had no one to turn to who would help him. He had rejected his father.
In the third stage the young prodigal sees himself as he really is. He came to himself and snapped out of his insanity and remembered how good life was in the home of his father. He thought of his father and his enormous provision that he had given him. He evaluated what his life was like now. No man would help him. His life had been reduced to feeding swine. He knew that he needed to humble himself and repent and confess his sin and unworthiness to his father.
In the fourth stage, he responded to the conviction in his heart and took action. He got up and returned to his father. When the father came running to meet the son he repented and confessed his sin and unworthiness.
At the final stage, we see a restored son, forgiven by a loving father. When the father saw his prodigal son returning, he ran out to met him and greet him with a loving embrace. The father had already forgiven him, even before the son had a chance to give his confession of sin. The father not only accepted the son’s repentance and forgave him, but he restored him to his place in the family.
What a lesson there is for us in this parable. We are the prodigal son. We have turned and left God to live a life of sin. When we leave God, our father, we are like the prodigal son with no one to help us. Our Father is waiting for us to repent and return to the loving embrace of His arms and the forgiveness of our sins. He wants to restore us to our position in His family as one of His children. God wants us to always trust Him but if we fall away, He is loving and forgiving enough to accept us if we will return to Him. In verse 31 the father said to the son, “You are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” That is what our heavenly Father says to each of us. That is the God we serve. He is an awesome God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in GENESIS 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Thank You that You are my God and with me every day. Help me to keep on track to do the things and to live the life that honors and blesses Your name. Help me be the leader in my family so that they can see through my words and deeds what it means to know You and serve You.
PRODIGAL
DEFINITION:
One who spends money with wasteful extravagance; a spend thrift.
SCRIPTURE:
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:20.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Chapter 15 of Luke contains information for us today to the extent that many say it is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. The message in this chapter is that we are lost and separated from God. But God in His great love for us is seeking for us to return to Him. It includes three of the most well-known parables told by Jesus while on this earth. Jesus was teaching His disciples and a crowd came around Him as He spoke. The crowd included some who believed in Him but the scripture says the crowd included Pharisees and scribes, tax collectors and sinners.
The scripture says they all drew near to Him which indicates they were hungry for the message that He had for them and that they were acknowledging their great need. This chapter relates for us the three parables that Jesus used in His speech to these people: the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son.
The parable of the Lost Son, better known to us as the Prodigal Son, has many messages for us. There are five stages in the life of the prodigal son that we can learn from.
As the story begins, we first see a wayward son. The scripture indicates that he was selfish, hard-hearted, independent, stubborn and worldly. He was the son of his father by birth but did not belong to his father in heart, mind and spirit as God wants us to belong to Him. The son demanded from his father his inheritance by saying, “give me the portion of goods that belongs to me.” Even though he had not earned his portion or even deserved it, he demanded it. He showed arrogant disregard for his father’s authority as head of the family. He was not entitled to any inheritance while his father was alive. He was only thinking about himself and what he desired to do. He did not take into consideration how it would hurt his father’s estate because that mattered very little to the son. The father gave his son his inheritance and the freedom to do what he wanted to do with his life and goods.
Secondly, we read that the son wasted his life in riotous living. He rebelled, revolted and journeyed into a far away country (verse 13). Finally, he came to the day when all began to go wrong. He had been living a worldly life, living for the pleasure of this world only. When his money was gone he was left with the fruits of his life of sin: poverty, bondage, enslavement, suffering, no friends, dissatisfaction, emptiness, destitution and hunger. He was alone, broken, humiliated, and facing starvation. You see when you get into the position that he was in without his father, he had no one to turn to who would help him. He had rejected his father.
In the third stage the young prodigal sees himself as he really is. He came to himself and snapped out of his insanity and remembered how good life was in the home of his father. He thought of his father and his enormous provision that he had given him. He evaluated what his life was like now. No man would help him. His life had been reduced to feeding swine. He knew that he needed to humble himself and repent and confess his sin and unworthiness to his father.
In the fourth stage, he responded to the conviction in his heart and took action. He got up and returned to his father. When the father came running to meet the son he repented and confessed his sin and unworthiness.
At the final stage, we see a restored son, forgiven by a loving father. When the father saw his prodigal son returning, he ran out to met him and greet him with a loving embrace. The father had already forgiven him, even before the son had a chance to give his confession of sin. The father not only accepted the son’s repentance and forgave him, but he restored him to his place in the family.
What a lesson there is for us in this parable. We are the prodigal son. We have turned and left God to live a life of sin. When we leave God, our father, we are like the prodigal son with no one to help us. Our Father is waiting for us to repent and return to the loving embrace of His arms and the forgiveness of our sins. He wants to restore us to our position in His family as one of His children. God wants us to always trust Him but if we fall away, He is loving and forgiving enough to accept us if we will return to Him. In verse 31 the father said to the son, “You are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” That is what our heavenly Father says to each of us. That is the God we serve. He is an awesome God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in GENESIS 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Thank You that You are my God and with me every day. Help me to keep on track to do the things and to live the life that honors and blesses Your name. Help me be the leader in my family so that they can see through my words and deeds what it means to know You and serve You.
Unique: January 8, 2013
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 8, 2013
UNIQUE
DEFINITION:
Existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type and characteristics; having no like or equal; incomparable; not typical; unusual.
SCRIPTURE:
“The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this man.’” John 7:46.
“And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.” Luke 2:47.
“And they were astonished at His teachings, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In life there are many unique people, places and things. All of us have seen people that are unique because they have some unique ability. There are places on this earth that are unique because of the topography, wildlife and climate. We all have seen unique things, but today we want to talk about the most unique person that ever lived.
Jesus came to this earth as God in the flesh. Jesus voluntarily assumed a human body and a human nature without ceasing to be God. His divine righteousness made Him unique and different from all men. Following are seven ways in which Jesus was unique. They set Him apart and above all other possible messianic claimants.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS PERSON. The verses in Hebrews 1:1-13 proclaim His uniqueness as the Son of God, the Christ and the God-Man. He spoke in times past to the fathers of the prophets (verse 1). He was appointed heir of all things (verse 2). Through Him He made the worlds (verse 2). He is the out-flowing of the glory of God and expresses the perfect character of God (verse 3).He purged our sins (verse 3). He sat down at the right side of God (verse 3).
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS BIRTH. This uniqueness is outlined in Luke 1:26-35. He was born of a virgin. He was the incarnate God (born in flesh). He was born in the city of Bethlehem as prophesied. His birth was announced by angels. He was born a man, poor, in a stable, cared for in a feeding trough but worshipped by Kings. His birth was signaled by a star. Hosts of angels gave forth praises at His birth.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS MINISTRY. In Mark 1:21-28 and the other gospels, we are told that He preached with absolute authority. He was the greatest teacher that ever lived. He performed the mightiest of miracles. He was the greatest healer. He was absolutely Holy and sinless in His person, actions and standards. He was a friend of sinners always offering them salvation. His ministry fulfilled the Old Testament messianic prophecies.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS DEATH. In John 19:16-30 we are told that, as Messiah, He died for people’s sins. He prophesied that He would be put to death. He died as the Passover Lamb as prophesied. He died voluntarily doing His Father’s will. As He endured the agony on the cross He asked for forgiveness for His enemies.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS RESURRECTION. In John 20: 1-31, we read that He rose according to the Old Testament prophecies. He prophesied His own resurrection. He rose from the dead from a sealed and guarded tomb. He appeared alive first to a woman and then over and over again to His disciples for 40 days.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS ASCENSION. In Acts 1:1-9 we are told how He was taken into heaven just as Enoch and Elijah were. He went to be with the Father. Jesus made a promise at His ascension that the disciples would receive power to witness for Him after the Holy Spirit came. At His ascension Jesus gave a command for His disciples to go into all the world and be witnesses of Him. He went to heaven to take the seat at the right hand of God where He makes continual intercession for the believers to God.
HE WILL BE UNIQUE IN HIS SECOND COMING. In Matthew 16:27 we are told that Jesus will return to this earth in power and majesty. He will raise the dead in Christ. He will come as a thief in the night. He will begin the promised millennium Kingdom on this earth and will rescue the tribulation saints
YES --- Jesus is the most UNIQUE person we have ever met. Have you met Him?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
I give praise to You for Your uniqueness that sets You apart and above all other messianic claimants. Help me to be a testimony of Your uniqueness to others through my words and my actions. May the joy of Christ be seen in my life by my family and friends. Help me to lead others You put in my life to a personal relationship with You.
UNIQUE
DEFINITION:
Existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type and characteristics; having no like or equal; incomparable; not typical; unusual.
SCRIPTURE:
“The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this man.’” John 7:46.
“And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.” Luke 2:47.
“And they were astonished at His teachings, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In life there are many unique people, places and things. All of us have seen people that are unique because they have some unique ability. There are places on this earth that are unique because of the topography, wildlife and climate. We all have seen unique things, but today we want to talk about the most unique person that ever lived.
Jesus came to this earth as God in the flesh. Jesus voluntarily assumed a human body and a human nature without ceasing to be God. His divine righteousness made Him unique and different from all men. Following are seven ways in which Jesus was unique. They set Him apart and above all other possible messianic claimants.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS PERSON. The verses in Hebrews 1:1-13 proclaim His uniqueness as the Son of God, the Christ and the God-Man. He spoke in times past to the fathers of the prophets (verse 1). He was appointed heir of all things (verse 2). Through Him He made the worlds (verse 2). He is the out-flowing of the glory of God and expresses the perfect character of God (verse 3).He purged our sins (verse 3). He sat down at the right side of God (verse 3).
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS BIRTH. This uniqueness is outlined in Luke 1:26-35. He was born of a virgin. He was the incarnate God (born in flesh). He was born in the city of Bethlehem as prophesied. His birth was announced by angels. He was born a man, poor, in a stable, cared for in a feeding trough but worshipped by Kings. His birth was signaled by a star. Hosts of angels gave forth praises at His birth.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS MINISTRY. In Mark 1:21-28 and the other gospels, we are told that He preached with absolute authority. He was the greatest teacher that ever lived. He performed the mightiest of miracles. He was the greatest healer. He was absolutely Holy and sinless in His person, actions and standards. He was a friend of sinners always offering them salvation. His ministry fulfilled the Old Testament messianic prophecies.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS DEATH. In John 19:16-30 we are told that, as Messiah, He died for people’s sins. He prophesied that He would be put to death. He died as the Passover Lamb as prophesied. He died voluntarily doing His Father’s will. As He endured the agony on the cross He asked for forgiveness for His enemies.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS RESURRECTION. In John 20: 1-31, we read that He rose according to the Old Testament prophecies. He prophesied His own resurrection. He rose from the dead from a sealed and guarded tomb. He appeared alive first to a woman and then over and over again to His disciples for 40 days.
HE WAS UNIQUE IN HIS ASCENSION. In Acts 1:1-9 we are told how He was taken into heaven just as Enoch and Elijah were. He went to be with the Father. Jesus made a promise at His ascension that the disciples would receive power to witness for Him after the Holy Spirit came. At His ascension Jesus gave a command for His disciples to go into all the world and be witnesses of Him. He went to heaven to take the seat at the right hand of God where He makes continual intercession for the believers to God.
HE WILL BE UNIQUE IN HIS SECOND COMING. In Matthew 16:27 we are told that Jesus will return to this earth in power and majesty. He will raise the dead in Christ. He will come as a thief in the night. He will begin the promised millennium Kingdom on this earth and will rescue the tribulation saints
YES --- Jesus is the most UNIQUE person we have ever met. Have you met Him?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
I give praise to You for Your uniqueness that sets You apart and above all other messianic claimants. Help me to be a testimony of Your uniqueness to others through my words and my actions. May the joy of Christ be seen in my life by my family and friends. Help me to lead others You put in my life to a personal relationship with You.
Blessed: January 7, 2013
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 7, 2013
BLESSED
DEFINITION:
Praiseworthy; consecrated; sacred; sanctified; invoke God’s favor upon; made happy; fortunate or prosperous.
SCRIPTURE:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Most everyone that has read the Bible realizes that Old Testament people lived under the age of law based on the Ten Commandments. The purpose of the law was to show God’s people the way to practical holiness and to reveal to them God’s nature, and His plan for how they should live. The law was designed to protect all of us from the evils of the world by defining sin. Christ came into the world to fulfill the law by taking upon Himself the penalty of the sins of all who believe in Him. During Christ’s earthly ministry, He gave us His promise of the “BLESSED HOPE” of His return for those of us that have put our trust in Him.
This “BLESSED HOPE” is the most uplifting aspect of our knowing Jesus as our Savior. Every believer that has accepted Jesus as Savior is looking for that Blessed hope of His coming again to take us with Him. This “BLESSED HOPE” is prophesied many times. In fact, for every prophecy recorded in the Bible concerning the first coming of Jesus, there are eight prophecies on His second coming --- which is our” BLESSED HOPE.” To make sure that we understand that Jesus was coming again, the second time, there are 2,163 references in the scriptures. God fulfills all His promises so all of us as believers can look forward to that day with great assurance.
In Matthew, chapter five, we read the words of Jesus, as He preached the Sermon on the Mount, about what we call the Beatitudes. Jesus told the multitudes that were listening, the words that have been mentioned often down through the centuries. Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those that mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are the hungry, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers, and blessed are the persecuted.
Through this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was describing the traits He wanted in His followers. Jesus said that those who lived out these traits were blessed. Jesus lived out these traits in His own life. Today Jesus blesses us when we honor Him by following His example and making it our goal to become like Him.
When the building of the Temple was complete and the Ark of the Covenant was put in place, Solomon (I Kings 8:56-61) first prayed and praised God for His blessing on the building of the Temple. And then the scripture says that Solomon rose from his knees, as he was kneeling in front of the Ark praying to God, and spread his hands to the heavens and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice saying: “Blessed be the Lord.”
Solomon recognized that Israel had been blessed and their blessings come from God and he praised God for those blessings.
Daily God blesses us, as it is written in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Just as Solomon gave his praise to God, we should give praise to God for all the ways He has blessed us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Help me to count my blessings each day. Thank You for the way You have blessed my life and the lives of my family. Help me to be a blessing to others today. Thank You for the assurance of the “Blessed Hope” of Your coming again to establish us in Your glorious Kingdom.
BLESSED
DEFINITION:
Praiseworthy; consecrated; sacred; sanctified; invoke God’s favor upon; made happy; fortunate or prosperous.
SCRIPTURE:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Most everyone that has read the Bible realizes that Old Testament people lived under the age of law based on the Ten Commandments. The purpose of the law was to show God’s people the way to practical holiness and to reveal to them God’s nature, and His plan for how they should live. The law was designed to protect all of us from the evils of the world by defining sin. Christ came into the world to fulfill the law by taking upon Himself the penalty of the sins of all who believe in Him. During Christ’s earthly ministry, He gave us His promise of the “BLESSED HOPE” of His return for those of us that have put our trust in Him.
This “BLESSED HOPE” is the most uplifting aspect of our knowing Jesus as our Savior. Every believer that has accepted Jesus as Savior is looking for that Blessed hope of His coming again to take us with Him. This “BLESSED HOPE” is prophesied many times. In fact, for every prophecy recorded in the Bible concerning the first coming of Jesus, there are eight prophecies on His second coming --- which is our” BLESSED HOPE.” To make sure that we understand that Jesus was coming again, the second time, there are 2,163 references in the scriptures. God fulfills all His promises so all of us as believers can look forward to that day with great assurance.
In Matthew, chapter five, we read the words of Jesus, as He preached the Sermon on the Mount, about what we call the Beatitudes. Jesus told the multitudes that were listening, the words that have been mentioned often down through the centuries. Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those that mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are the hungry, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers, and blessed are the persecuted.
Through this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was describing the traits He wanted in His followers. Jesus said that those who lived out these traits were blessed. Jesus lived out these traits in His own life. Today Jesus blesses us when we honor Him by following His example and making it our goal to become like Him.
When the building of the Temple was complete and the Ark of the Covenant was put in place, Solomon (I Kings 8:56-61) first prayed and praised God for His blessing on the building of the Temple. And then the scripture says that Solomon rose from his knees, as he was kneeling in front of the Ark praying to God, and spread his hands to the heavens and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice saying: “Blessed be the Lord.”
Solomon recognized that Israel had been blessed and their blessings come from God and he praised God for those blessings.
Daily God blesses us, as it is written in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Just as Solomon gave his praise to God, we should give praise to God for all the ways He has blessed us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
PRAYER:
Help me to count my blessings each day. Thank You for the way You have blessed my life and the lives of my family. Help me to be a blessing to others today. Thank You for the assurance of the “Blessed Hope” of Your coming again to establish us in Your glorious Kingdom.
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