Messiah: October 21, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2016.

MESSIAH

DEFINITION:

The prophesied deliverer of the Jews; the One anointed by God to deliver His people and establish His Kingdom; a Savior to Christians; Jesus Christ.

SCRIPTURE:

You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. John 5:39

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Jews, scribes, and Pharisees searched the scriptures looking for keys to finding their Messiah. They diligently investigated the scriptures but they were spiritually blind to seeing their Messiah as presented in the scriptures. They saw only the Law. They were so legalistic that they searched the scriptures for only one purpose, to interpret the Law. They were so blinded by the Law that they did not recognize the Lawgiver, who came to fulfill the Law and give us eternal life.

As believers, Jesus is our Messiah and our Jewish friends still are looking and waiting to find their Messiah who is Jesus. Many of our Jewish friends today are realizing that Jesus is their Messiah and are turning their lives over to Him.

There are two facts that prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The first proof is Jesus’ resurrection from death into life. The second is that Jesus fulfilled every prophecy made about Him in the Old Testament. There are many, many prophecies about the Messiah and all were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

It was prophesied by Isaiah that the Messiah would be born of a virgin. Micah prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Jeremiah prophesied that Jesus would be a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. The Psalms foretold what Jesus would suffer and that He would be betrayed and accused by false witnesses.

Even His death by crucifixion was prophesied although it was hundreds of years before crucifixion was being used. The most important prophecy that Jesus fulfilled was the prophecy of His resurrection. Without the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we would all be doomed to suffer eternal death and separation from God.

Many of the Psalms prophecy of the Messiah and what would happen to Him. In Psalm 118 we read about the Messiah being rejected. In verse twenty-two it reads, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” The Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah but the Messiah has become the chief cornerstone of the body of believers, the church.

In Psalm 69, the Messiah is forsaken. In verse four the Messiah says, “Those who hate Me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy Me, being my enemies wrongfully.” In verse 8 the Messiah says, “I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children.” In verse 9, the Messiah says, “Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up.” He is referring to the Temple being desecrated with money changers and by those selling sheep, oxen and doves.

These Psalms go on to talk about the Messiah crucified (Psalm 22); the Messiah resurrected (Psalm 16); the Messiah as our high priest (Psalm 110) and the Messiah as King of Kings in Psalm 2. This Psalm closes with the words. “Blessed are those who put their trust in the King of Kings.” This King of Kings is our Messiah, our Lord and our Savior. Do you know your Messiah? He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you say as Andrew did to Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). When you get to know Jesus, your Messiah, you will want to exalt His name just as David did in Psalm 8:1, “O Lord, our Lord how majestic is Your name in all the earth.”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 1:24-25.

All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

PRAYER:

Thank You Almighty God, for sending Your Son to this earth to be my Messiah. Help me to communicate today to both my Jewish and Gentile friends, the good news of our Messiah who came to this earth and is in heaven today preparing a place for those of us who have accepted Jesus, Your Son, as our Savior.

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Jesus: October 20, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 20, 2016.

JESUS

DEFINITION:

The Son of God; a member of the Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

SCRIPTURE:

No man ever spoke like this Man! John 7:46.

And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority and not as scribes. Mark 1:22

Jesus said, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus encountered a wealthy man who called Him “Good Teacher.” The young man was right, for Jesus is both good, completely perfect, and the Teacher. He is the only One who can make this claim.

In this devotional today we want you to see and understand who Jesus is. Jesus is not just a good man or a good teacher. He is the Son of God. He was sent to this earth by God to pay the penalty for our sins. Because we are all sinners we must pay a penalty for our sins and God sent His Son to pay our penalty. He truly is our Savior, our Lord and our salvation. Make sure you know Him personally and after you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins develop your relationship with Him.

At the end of the third year of Jesus’ ministry here on earth, the chief priests and Pharisees sent their soldiers to arrest Jesus. When they found Him, He was teaching and they heard Him speaking and left without arresting him and returned empty handed. They had been emotionally, morally and spiritually stunned and reported to the chief priests and Pharisees (verse above) that no man ever spoke like this man.

Jesus, while on this earth, possessed qualities of moral integrity and divine righteousness that marked Him as being different than all men. His claims went far beyond the claims of any rabbi. His teachings were alive with the power of truth and godliness. His compassion for the fallen was genuine and His understanding of the Law astonished all that heard Him.

He was a man, but He alone possessed and displayed the God given credentials of the promised Messiah. Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah and they were fulfilled literally and exactly as written in the Old Testament. He was the Messiah and He had come into the world for a purpose. Jesus came to do the will of His father. Jesus said, “For I did not speak of My own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it.” John 12:49.

Certainly Jesus was not an ordinary man. No man has done the miracles He has done and no man has made a greater impact on the world. Jesus was unique as a man here on earth.

Jesus was unique in His mission. He knew His mission. He was sent into the world to do what no one else could do. He came to die for sinful man, every man, woman and child that ever lived, so that they might be reconciled to God and have eternal life. In John 10:14-15, Jesus stated His mission: “I am the good Shepherd and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

The writer of Hebrews in the first chapter verses 1-13 clearly states that Jesus was spoken of by the prophets and was above the angels. He would be worshipped by all and would sit at the right hand of God in heaven for eternity.

Jesus was unique in His birth, in His ministry, in His death, in His resurrection and will be unique in His second coming to this world. Do you know this man they call Jesus. He is knocking on the door of your heart now asking you to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Now is the time for your salvation, tomorrow may be too late.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 1:24-25.

All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

PRAYER:

Thank You, dear God, for sending Your Son Jesus to this earth to pay the penalty for my sins on the cross at Calvary. Help me to offer my friends an opportunity today to meet Jesus face to face.

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God: October 19, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2016.

GOD

DEFINITION:

The Supreme Being, creator, ruler of the universe and the master of all.

SCRIPTURE:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Do you know who God is? Do you think that He is some supreme being up in the sky somewhere that you can call upon when you have a serious need? What do you know about God? Do you know that God wants you to know Him and He has made it possible for you to have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ?

According to the scriptures, which are God’s Holy Word, the only way that one can approach God is by faith. Anyone that comes to God must first believe that He is.

However, true faith is more than merely believing God exists. In Hebrews 11:5, Enoch is described as a man that pleased God. We are not told of any great thing that Enoch did, but only that he “walked with God.” To say that Enoch walked with God indicates that not only did he have faith in God but that he enjoyed an intimate relationship with God. God was not only the focus of his life but the major desire of his life.

In Hebrews 11:6, the writer tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God and he also tells us what is necessary for us to believe to have that kind of faith. We must believe not only that He is the one and only true God but also that He will reward all those who diligently seek Him in genuine faith. So genuine and great was Enoch’s faith that God rewarded him by taking Enoch from this life to eternal life without facing death (Genesis 5:24).

God rewards all who diligently seek Him with the reward of eternal life. Faith begins by acknowledging that God exists. God wants more than just an acknowledgement of His existence. He wants a personal, life changing relationship with Him.

Enoch is an example for those of us who seek to know God and to please God. To please God we must accept God into our lives through His Son Jesus and then by faith walk with Him and live for Him. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and without faith it is impossible to know God.

God is a personal being. In Jeremiah 10:10 we read that the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. The personality of God is seen in certain characteristics ascribed to Him in the scriptures. God is not only all powerful and all-knowing but God is a caring God and He has feelings.

God is a God that grieves. In Genesis 6:6 we read, “He was grieved in His heart.” God becomes angry. In 1 Kings 11:9 we read, “The Lord became angry with Solomon.” God is a jealous God. In Exodus 20:5 we read, “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

Did you know that God laughs? In Psalm 2:4 the Psalmist writes, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.” God also is a caring God. In I Peter 5:7 it is written, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” God also hears us. In Psalm 94:9 the Psalmist writes, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?” And finally God sees. In Psalm 94:9 it reads, “He who formed the eye, shall He not see?”

God is eternal. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 102: 24-27 that God’s years are through all generations, God is the same throughout the years, and His years will have no end. God had no beginning. He always was “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God has no ending. He is eternal and exists totally from Himself.

Do you know God personally and have you made a decision to have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ? If you have not, now is the time for you to act. We do not know what tomorrow will bring.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 1:24-25.

All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

PRAYER:

Lord, I know You are the one true God and You are ruler over all. Thank You that You have made it possible for us to know You. How grateful I am that you are from the beginning and for eternity. May my family rejoice, as I do, that You are our God, our Lord and our Savior. Keep my faith strong and keep me walking with You so that my life might be pleasing to You.

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Bible: October 18, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2016.

BIBLE

DEFINITION:

The inspired Word of God; a collection of sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments.

SCRIPTURE:

For the Word of God is quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

An online Bible resource called “Bible Gateway” shows that the number one verse in the Bible searched for from their 9 million monthly visitors is John 3:16. Dating back as far as we can remember we heard and were taught that John 3:16 was the heart of the scriptures. It is the gospel message in a nutshell.

Born-again Christians, those that have accepted Jesus as their Savior, believe the Bible to be God’s very inspired Word from beginning to end. Nevertheless, many professing Christians are spiritually starving because they do not read or even open a Bible very often, if at all, and certainly do not read it with serious thought.

Most non-believers who say the Bible is just a historical book or perhaps even think it is just fiction have not ever read even a portion of the Bible.

The Bible is not simply a collection of sacred writings, as the dictionary defines it. The Word of God is alive, dynamic and powerful as we read in the verse that we have put above from Hebrews. It penetrates to the very core of our soul, revealing who we are and what we are not. One of the reasons people do not read the Bible is that when they read it it makes us aware of the evil that is within us and it opens our eyes to what is truly good for us.

If you are going to understand the Bible and learn how to study the Bible you must understand the following basic truths:

First, you need to know what the Bible says about itself.  In Psalm 19:7 (above) we read that the law of the Lord (the Bible) is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. We can be certain that the Bible is perfect because it is the Word of a righteous and Holy God. God’s Word makes us wise by making us aware of our sin and guides us to seek God’s holiness by converting our souls.

Secondly, you need to know what God intended the Bible to do for you. In Genesis 1:1, the very first verse in the Bible we read, in the beginning God. The Bible is God’s Word and in the beginning He wants us to know that He is God. He created the heavens and the earth and we can be assured that God is in control of all that He created. What greater source for life do we need than He who is the giver of life?

Thirdly, you need to know that the Bible deals with truth and therefore it is factual. Jesus said of God’s Word in John 17:17, “Your Word is truth.” God is truth and He does not change nor does His Word.

In Colossians 2:8 the apostle Paul was talking to the Christians at the church in Colossae and preached that the gospel is not a hollow philosophy based on human ideas and experiences or on principles of this world, which are ever changing, but on Christ’s life and His example. He then goes on to say that we are to beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ who is one with God the Father.

And finally, you are to know the correct methods of Bible study. The apostle Paul was a mentor to Timothy and instructed him to be diligent in doing his best to present himself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. Rightly dividing the Word of truth means to interpret the Bible correctly and to not accept false doctrine. It is wise to have a good accordance when you read the Bible so you interpret it correctly. Paul’s advice to Timothy is relative for us today as well.

The scriptures are filled with truths for each one of us to search out and share with others. In Psalm 119:97 the psalmist shared his thoughts about the Word, the Bible, and his desire to search it and be taught by God when he said, “Oh, how I love Your law.” The more you read the Bible, the more you will love the author.

Abraham Lincoln in a letter to a friend while he was in office as President of the United States said: “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this book upon reason that you can, and the balance upon faith. You will live and die a better man.” God’s Word does not change but it will change you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 1:24-25.

All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

PRAYER:

Thank You that the Bible, Your Word, is not only perfect and true but powerful. Give me the leadership and boldness today to teach my family and friends the truth of the Bible that can change their lives. Plant Your Word in my heart so that I might not sin against You.

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Sowing: October 17, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 17, 2016.

SOWING

DEFINITION:

Spreading seed over the soil for the purpose of growth; planting seed to produce a crop.

SCRIPTURE:

Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Matthew 13:3-4.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus was talking to the crowd of people who had gathered to see Him and He shared with them a parable about the sower going out to sow. Jesus often taught in parables when speaking about the things of God. A parable uses something familiar to the listeners to teach them a principle about something which was unfamiliar to them.

In this parable Jesus uses, as an illustration, the planting of crops. There were in that day many farmers so everyone understood this illustration that Jesus used to teach them. Jesus wanted all those that had chosen to follow Him to understand that planting seed (crops) to meet our physical needs (food) are compared to the need to plant the proper seed (the Bible) in our lives to meet our spiritual needs.

In Matthew 13:3-4 Jesus begins the parable as written in verses 3-4 above. He says to the disciples that, when anyone hears the Word (the seed) and does not understand it, the evil one comes (birds) and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.

Jesus goes on in this parable (Matthew 13:5-9) to explain that the seed which fell on rocky places sprung up quickly but soon withered away because it had no roots. Some seed fell among thorns and soon the thorns choked the good seed out. And then other seed fell on good soil and yielded a crop.

Jesus then in verses 20-23 explains that the seed falling on rocky places is like the man who hears the Word but it never endeavors to make sure it takes root in his life so ultimately when affliction and/or persecution comes his shallow faith withers and dies. The failure of his faith was not the seed but the soil. He heard the Word and agreed that it was good but he had no intention of obeying it. Due to the hardness of his heart the Word could not take root.

Jesus explains that the seed planted among the thorns relates to the man who hears the Word and quickly lets it begin to take root in his life but the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word from his life and he becomes unfruitful.

Finally, Jesus explains that the seed that was sown on good soil is like the man who hears the Word and not only understands it but allows it to take root in his life so that it bears fruit and produces a crop of new believers. This is the kind of life that our Lord wants from us.

The flooding caused by hurricane Katrina here in America, years ago, devastated much farmland. When the flood waters receded the soil in many places had too high a PH level to be good for farming. The soil needed to be treated and reconditioned. This is a good illustration of what can take place in our hearts when we allow the influence of the world to come flooding into our life. Our hearts need to be reconditioned by the nourishment of God’s Word and the healing power of prayer.

If you have allowed the sinful influences of the world to come flooding into your life and the Word of God has no affect on you then your heart needs to be reconditioned. Your heart and mind have become hardened and the seed of God’s Word cannot take root. It is time to make an about face and turn to the Lord and acknowledge your sins and ask for His forgiveness.

Do not be discouraged. You can change by just praying and asking God to open your spiritual eyes as you read the Bible and be willing to let God’s Holy Spirit speak to you.

This parable is a reminder to all believers to faithfully read God’s Word daily so that we are continually planting the seeds of God’s instruction into our hearts that will cause us to grow spiritually and enable us to bear more fruit.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 1:24-25.

All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

PRAYER:

Help my family realize the importance of the seed we sow. Help us to work each day to sow the good seed of the gospel that You can nurture and grow into a crop of new believers that will bring honor to Your name.

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