“Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

Whenever God reveals something, He expects us to believe Him and adjust our lives accordingly. What does this mean? It means we trust Him implicitly for all of our needs because He says He will provide (Philippians 4:19).  It means we approach crises with the assurance that God will bring good from them (Romans 8:28). It means we overcome anxiety during stressful situations because God instructs us to bring our requests to Him (Philippians 4:6). It means that we never worry that we are alone because God said He would never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). It means that, despite what happens in our lives , we will never doubt God’s love because  He  has told us that He loves us with an everlasting love ( Jeremiah 31:3).

            At times we try to justify our lack of faith! We know what God has promised, but we doubt that He will make a practical difference in our life. We are filled with anxiety and excuse ourselves by saying: “I am just a worrier!” We become bitter during crises and reason that “God could not possibly bring anything good out of this pain!” We appeal for help form everyone around us when we have a need; then we explain: “I know God can provide for my needs, but I think I should do everything I can, just in case.” God calls this faithlessness. Faithlessness is sin because it separates us from God. Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (“Experience GOD Day by Day” Devotional)

Luke 18:7-8: “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Matthew 14:31: “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

How do we let go and let God take control? It comes down to trust. Do we trust Him with everything in us? When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, He said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ (Matthew 22:36-40). Heart, soul and mind!

There is a reason heart is listed first. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Jesus stated, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15:19).” This is why we need to give our heart to Jesus because He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and then we can have the “Faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).”

Pauline Gesare Okemwa wrote in the devotional,“In His Presence,” the following :

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14, NIV)”

The faith of four Hebrew youths speaks to us in the time of crisis. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, stated their faith both in God’s power and providence (Daniel 3:16-18). And then the persecuting king saw a fourth Person, the Son of God, in the fiery furnace with the three young men whom he had thrown in for their refusal to bow to another god. The story of Daniel in the lions’ den also inspires faith.

I have been wanting to understand what faith means in my life as a Christian. At times, I pray and nothing seems to happen. When I read Christ’s comment about mustard seed faith being able to move mountains (Matthew 17:20), I yearn to have that kind of faith. I need faith! I need it to open the doors of heaven as well as doors at my workplace, in my family, in my studies, and in every decision I make.

I keep on praying daily to have the faith that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had. I need the fourth Person whenever I go. I need His help both for myself and also as I extend my hand to help others have faith in Him.

If we can have faith and walk with God, we will be changed. God will use us to draw many broken hearts to Himself. By faith we can win battles as it is He who arms us with strength for every battle against the enemy. Our battlefields will be changed into fields of blessings.

By faith we will see stumbling blocks turned into stepping stones. These things happen when we know who we are and Who holds us in the palm of His hand. None other than Jesus.

Another reason we need faith is so that we can wait patiently for the answers to our prayers. I like what David said to King Saul before the young man went to fight the giant, Goliath: “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him. . . . All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword, or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:32, 47).

For these praying Bible characters, faith was the hand on the key that opened doors for them. But prayer without faith is like a key without a hand to turn it.

Let’s pray with faith as did these Bible characters, and God will open doors for us as well.

Matthew 21:21-22 – “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

John 14:13 – “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Have you ever had to wait for the answer or maybe the answer was something you didn’t expect? He knows what we need and it may not be what we want. He knows what is best for us; we just need to trust in Him!

 “Faith grows strong by coming in conflict with doubts and opposing influences.” (This is why we need to endure and press through because He is there with us carrying us through and) “The experience gained in the trails is more value than the most costly jewels” (Testimonies for the church. EG White)

“The awesome wonder of space speaks of an all-powerful God who is the Creator of the universe. Frank Borman was commander of the first space crew to travel beyond Earth’s orbit. Looking down on the earth from 250,000 miles away, Borman radioed back a message, quoting Genesis 1:1, “ ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.’ ” As he later explained: “I had an enormous feeling there had to be a power greater than any of us—that there was a God, that there was indeed a beginning.”

“To get just a small idea of how unlimited God’s power is, let’s consider just one object in the heavens: the sun. Did God create the sun? Certainly. Genesis 1: 14-16 tells the story of God’s creating two lights to rule the heavens: the sun to rule the day and moon to rule the night. We exist on one of the planets that revolve around the sun. The sun produces more energy in one second than humans have produced in all their history. Take all the electrical power and all the energy produced by solar or coal or gas since the beginning of time, and the sun produces more in one second.

The sun has a diameter of approximately 860,000 miles and could hold a million planets the size of earth. But the sun is just one of at least a billion stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way. One star called the Pistol Star gives off ten million times the power generated by our sun. One million stars the size of our sun can easily fit within the sphere of the Pistol Star. Some Scientists estimate there are ten billion trillion stars in the universe. Someone has said that there are about the same number of stars as there are grains of sand on the seashore.” (Finley, M. (2021, Quarterly). Rest in Christ. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study (Adult Teachers), (Page 119, para 1 and Page 120, para. 3-4).

This is our Father God. He has everything in the palm of His Mighty hand. The Psalmist asks, “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the Son of man, that Thou visitest Him? For Thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned Him with glory and honour.” (Psalm 8:3-5).

And Hebrews 2:9 states this, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Jesus became one of us as John 1:1 and 14 reads, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”  Jesus was given to us—a tremendous gift. So for the above question, What is man that God is mindful of us in this enormous universe? We can go back a couple of verses in John to John 1:12 , “But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” The wonderful answer is that we are His sons and daughters through His Son Jesus Christ—that is who we are!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a child is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 

The woman at the well shows us how Jesus will meet us where we are in life. He already knows all our sins because “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) but loves us anyway. He wants to take us with Him when he comes again. He says in John 14:2-3, “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and, and receive   you unto Myself: that Where I am, there you may be also.” He is already preparing for us. Isn’t that wonderful news? But just who is Jesus?

Let’s go back to John 1: 1-3, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” And just who is this Word? For the answer go to Revelation 19:13, “And He was clothed with vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.”

John 1:14, John says, “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

How did John know this? It was because he had the Scriptures.  All our answers are right there in the Bible if we choose to seek Him with all our heart.

So let’s go back to the beginning in the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). When we get to Genesis 1:26 it says, “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and ever creeping thing that creepeth on the earth.” Did you catch that? We are made in Their image. Adam and Eve were given everything even dominion over the earth, but something went wrong. They broke God’s commandments.

We sometimes think they broke only one commandment, that of Genesis 2: 16-17, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” However, several of the Ten Commandments were broken the day of their sin if you really think about it (read Exodus 20:1-17). Eve put another in God’s place and believed the serpent over God.

How devastating that the children He created turn away from Him and gave dominion of the earth to the devil. But God had a plan in place from the beginning to save us all and you will find it in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel.” God’s provision was to give us a Savior, His Son, (see John 3:16), the One that would defeat Satan.

Matthew 1: 21 states “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” There are several stories in the Bible pointing to Jesus, and even from before His birth, Satan was working to destroy His lineage. And when He was born, the devil tried  his best to take Jesus out of the picture.

Jesus, Son of God

“Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

The Gospel of Luke 1:26-28  records, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto the city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among women.”

 In the next verse, we find that Mary was troubled at the words used by the angel so he expands on this greeting and tells her a wondrous and beautiful thing is to occur  in verses 30-33, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of his father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and His kingdom there shall be no end.”

There will be no end to His kingdom and Jesus is inviting us to be in His kingdom as well. We are all welcome and as Galatians 3:29 states, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” And what is this promise? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Most are familiar with this verse in the Bible but maybe not so much this one, John 3:36 states, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth in him.”

Did you catch that? I’ll admit I did not see it at first. It says “Believe the Son” not just believe in the Son. We must not only believe in Him, but also, believe that Jesus is just who He says He is. There is a Christian song called “Red Letters.” My Bible has Jesus’ words in red and in those words he tells us just who He is and what He came here to do for us.

Continuing in Luke 1, verses 34-38, “The Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren (Read about her in Luke 1:5-25). For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

Jesus said almost the same words regarding nothing being impossible with God. Matthew 19:25, 26 says this, “When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Jesus came to save us all. All we need to do is accept Jesus as our Savior, believe who He says He is, and have faith.  Ephesians 2:8 says this, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

Jesus came to give us that grace because without it we would all be lost. We have so long been in this world that there may be sins that we don’t even think about because it is the “norm.” Think about this, we lie to our children, saying there is a Santa Claus on a very day that many celebrate Jesus’ birth (although He was not born then) or there is an Easter bunny on a day celebrated for His rising from the tomb in glory and triumph, and we do this at the very beginning of their lives until they learn for themselves that Santa Claus or the Easter bunny was a lie from the beginning. Are we teaching them that lying is okay by setting this precedent from the beginning? Look around at the world today. We have TV shows that depict lying and backstabbing as something that is okay and/or that it is the way to make more money. What about the violence, language, and sexual situations in shows today. Many don’t think about these things. Proverbs 22:6 states “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Jesus is our example and when we choose to follow Him, He will help us overcome the world through the Holy Spirit.

“Now therefore fear (reverence) the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt (or in our case, what we now hold dear of the worldly things); and serve the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve: whether the gods your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods  of  the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”  Joshua 24:14, 15.

Jesus Is Born

Luke Chapter 2 records the birth of Jesus. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child” (Luke 2: 1-5).

Can you see God’s hand in this situation?  If you can’t let us read about where Jesus was supposed to be born, AND it was prophesied many years prior to His birth. Go to Micah 5:2 which reads, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;  whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (eternity).”

The decree to tax everybody brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem where He was supposed to be born according to the prophet Micah. Jesus is the only one who matches up with all the prophecies of the prophets in the Old Testament.  To see just how many match up click here.

When I look back on the life I have led, I can now see His hand guiding me to where I am now. Even when I was the one who was not following Him, He was following me asking me to come back to Him and saving me several times throughout my life.  As you get to know Jesus, you may start seeing the same thing in your life. Big or small He has us in His hand and no “man” can “pluck” us out of His hand (John 10:20). It has always been our choice to accept Him or not. If we accept Him, we should follow His leading. When we do not, that is when we make our choice to stray from His side.  When we stray from Jesus’ side there is another just waiting for the opportunity to grab us. As 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  And he can be very sneaky when doing so. He has had thousands of years to perfect his craft. So we need to be careful of the choices we make.

Continuing on in Luke, we come to the birth of Jesus. Did you ever think about Him being born in a stable? I admit I hadn’t for the longest time but where else would the Lamb of God be born? “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over the flock by night. And, lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: And they were sore afraid.  And the angel of the Lord said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David as savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2: 6-14). Did you catch this fact, also? The first to come to see Jesus were shepherds who tend the sheep and lambs. He is our Savior and there is no other. Only He can save us.

In the next verses, we find that the shepherds could have stayed where they were tending the sheep after they heard the news but they did not. “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven. The shepherds said one to another, Let us go now go even (straight) unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us” (Luke 2:15).   When we learn about Jesus, we should be just as the shepherds, eager to go and find Him. Isaiah 55:6 says it this way, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:” This passage tells us there comes a time when He may not be found (See “What is the Unpardonable Sin?” ). The Shepherds, as soon as they heard about Him, sought out Jesus. That is exactly what we must do when we learn of Jesus and all He has done for us.

“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them” (Luke 2:17-20). 

One of the greatest commissions was told to the disciples. Matthew 28:18-20 declares, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” So once we know Him, we are to share the good news of our Savior to all who will listen. It doesn’t necessarily mean we have to travel the world. It just means-SHARE. We can share with family, friends, and neighbors. That is exactly what the shepherds were doing, spreading the news of our Savior of the world born in Bethlehem.

“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, His name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord); And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:21-26).

So here is a man who has been waiting for Christ to appear and by the Holy Spirit, he will know Him. We also have that same power in the Holy Spirit to come to KNOW Christ. Not just know of Him. But KNOW Him. We all need that closeness, that relationship with Him. Through that close relationship with Him, He will send us the Holy Spirit. This is another one of the many promises He gives us. He told His disciples before His death, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:7-11).  

Did you catch that? He says He will send the Holy Spirit to us but not only that, He said “when He is come.” Not if He will come-He said when he is come. That is a promise to us when we truly seek our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We need to be true in our search for His presence in our lives. There are some out there who think going to church is the only thing that we “need” to do. They just do not seem to get it, yet. Hard days are here and more is yet to come.

How can we stand strong without Him by our side? Do we trust Him? Do we fully place our lives in His hands?  If the answer is no to the last two questions, we need to rethink what we know of our Savior. Right now we are in the last days before He comes. Peter says this “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

There will come a time when the door closes, and that time is coming soon. Right now He is gathering His people. Those who diligently seek Him will find Him and that is another promise (Jeremiah 29:13).

Which brings us back to Simeon, who has been waiting, “And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law, Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: A Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of Thy people. And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary His mother, Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (luke 2: 27-35).

The Holy Spirit revealed to him just who he was holding in his arms. The Messiah is who all of Israel was waiting for at that time but we must also seek and wait for the Lord. Many will fall away because they will think they have waited long enough or that His coming is so far in the distance that they will have time to change before He comes. This was a good story I heard in a sermon. (Paraphrasing) A man selling ice cream had a sign that said buy some Ice cream today and tomorrow’s ice cream will be free. So when the child came the next day expecting free ice cream the vendor said but this isn’t tomorrow, it’s today and you need to pay for it today. Here is the truth, tomorrow never comes. Tomorrow always becomes today and if we are waiting to change tomorrow it will be too late.

Continuing on with Luke 2: 37-38, “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, The daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

Our saving grace is found only in Jesus. John 1:17 states, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”  Some individuals leave it up to the leaders in the churches to tell them what to do, say, or how to act. Sometimes they barely look in the Bible. This is a dangerous way to go. How many times have you heard of leaders taking on the role of Jesus, even to the point of saying they were the Messiah or had the authority to do some awful thing in the name of religion?  There is a danger when we do not read for ourselves what the Bible has to tell us. Remember leaders are human and all have men sinned. Romans 3:10 says this, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” and Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” What Paul is saying is this; if they are not teaching Christ then they are on the wrong path.

So how can we know if we are being taught the right things? We need to pray and read for ourselves. The whole Bible is about Jesus and learning about Him is the only way to be sure we are being taught the correct message of our Lord. You may have heard the saying “be like the Bereans”. It comes from this passage after Paul and Silas spoke about Jesus to them. Acts 17: 11 says, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” 

They made sure what they were hearing was the truth. They did not rely on the word of someone else and we shouldn’t either.

12 Year-old Jesus

Luke 2:40-52, “And the Child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him. Now His parents went up to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.  And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto Him, Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I sought Thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? wist (know) ye not that I must be about My Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

So we see that Jesus was ready, at such a young age, to get started with his teaching. But even though He was ready, His parents were not ready to let Him go just yet. He honored His father and mother by returning with them to Nazareth.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Although the Book of Luke covers some of the same territory, let’s switch to Matthew as Jesus begins His ministry on earth. He came to save us all and to do that He gathers others to show us the way. After all, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by Me”(John 14:6). Jesus is the only way to receive forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life.

Beginning in Matthew 3:1-4, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, And saying Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias (Isaiah), saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His path straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts (I think from the Honey Locust tree?) and wild honey.”

When John says make the “path straight”, he was referring to how the royalty was treated in those days. When a king was coming, the servants would clear the path for them. Of course none of that happened for our Lord. He was hated, rejected, and killed by men (Isaiah 53:1-12).

Continuing on with Matthew 4:5-10, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and a cast in the fire.”

He was warning them that they couldn’t look to Abraham as their savior. These leaders were so steeped in tradition and Moses’ laws, that they totally forgot what God was going to do for them. He was going to send His Son, the Messiah, to save them and us. As a matter of fact, they thought that following the law meant they would have salvation. They added so many laws that it became a burden for the people. John is also telling them that they need to search their hearts and truly repent. There is no fooling our God. He knows our hearts and if we truly accept Him or not. If there has not been a change in us once we accept Him, then we have not truly accepted Him.

 Some individuals think that all they need say is that they accept Jesus and they are good to go. Really!!? If that was all that was needed, why would Jesus have died for us? Why the urgency to reach as many as He can through the Holy Spirit and His word. We need a deep relationship with Jesus, one of love, trust, faith and belief. Without all of that we are lost. And that was what John was saying to the leaders. “The axe is laid to the root” of the trees producing bad fruit and when that happens, the whole tree dies and is “cast into the fire.” He is warning that when Jesus comes again (and He is coming very soon) they will be burned up in the end.  

Matthew 4:11, 12 expands a bit more on the end times. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” This does not mean that people will be burning forever in a place a called hell. It just means that it is a fire that cannot be extinguished by man. (Click here for more information about unquenchable fire).

In Matthew 4:13, the verse states, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” And John 1:36 records, “And looking upon Jesus, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” Verse 14 of Matthew says this, “But John forbad Him, Saying I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?” John knew who Jesus was, the Savior of us all and he was like, really? I am the sinner, not You.  Jesus was totally sinless so why be baptized? I believe there is a twofold reason. One, to be our example and two, he was going to take everyone’s sin upon Himself and cover us with His robe of righteousness. Have you ever thought about that? He took everyone’s sins from the beginning of time to the future. The heaviness He must have felt before going to the cross! And then there will be some who will never have the chance to be baptized, such as the thief on the cross that was right beside Jesus’ cross (see Luke 23:42,43).

“And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer (allow) it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 4:15). So you see in order to be covered with His righteousness not only was He to die for us, but He got baptized for us, too. “And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 4:16, 17).

Woman At The Well

Through the Holy Spirit’s prompting, the story of the Samaritan woman was the first to be written and it happens to be one of my favorites. Some of you may not have a Bible yet, so I have been led to complete the whole story here with a few comments. This woman will meet Jesus for the very first time as some of you may be meeting Him for the first time. (Though the King James Version (KJV) does not capitalize the pronouns, I will be doing that throughout as a sign of respect for Jesus and God).

The story begins in John Chapter 4:1-4 (KJV).  “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His Disciples,) He left Judaea and departed again to Galilee. And He must needs (of necessity) go through Samaria.” If you are not aware of this already, the Samaritans and the Jews did not get along, to put it mildly. The Jews would make an effort to go around the whole area, even if it took them longer, thus avoiding conflicts.  Jesus, however, told His disciples He must go through Samaria.  

John Chapter 4: 5-10 states, “Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat on the well: and it was about the sixth hour (noon). There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink. (For His Disciples were gone away to the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which I am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.”  Jesus is our gift from God that was given to us to redeem us to Himself. You may have heard of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now think about this part of the story, He knew where she was going to be and waited for her just as He waits for you no matter where you are. If Jesus had gone to the city first, she may never have met Him because she may have never been with the other crowds in her situation. He meet us where we are on an individual basis. We just need to talk with Him.

The story continues in John Chapter 4:11-14, “The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her , Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  Jesus wants to saves us. In Revelation 3:20, He says, “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any men hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto Him, and will sup with him, and He with Me.” He is our bread and water, life sustaining necessities, which is why He uses these examples to describe Himself.

In this next section of John 4, the conversation continues between the Jesus and the woman. “The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that sadist thou truly. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet” (John 4:15-19). Oh, He is so much more as she will find out! Notice He KNOWS her. He knows who she is and what she has done. The reason she is by herself and drawing water at noon is because of the situation Jesus described. But He does not turn away from her nor cease speaking with her. She then brings up one of the other situations of why the Samaritans were separated from the Jews.

Continuing with John 4:20 she says, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men aught to worship.” Jesus warns of following the traditions of men. He said, “Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” We must be on guard ourselves so that we are not following tradition and doctrines that are not Bible based. In this situation it is true that the temple was a place to worship but the Jewish leaders were saying that it was the only place to worship where as she was saying form the very first the Samaritans had worshipped on the mountain. So Jesus answers her with astonishing information. “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24). Jesus is letting her know that there will be no need to go to the Jerusalem temple services because He is her and our sacrifice. Ephesian 2:18 says, “For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”  He took our place on the cross to bring us back to the Father after Adam and Eve’s sin separated us from Him. Jesus is our Mediator, our High Priest, and our Savior and He tells her so, “The woman saith unto Him, I know that the Messias cometh which is called the Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He” (John 4:25, 26). Can you imagine her joy as she realizes that He is not just a prophet, He is someone they have been waiting for from the very beginning of creation. This JOY is waiting for you, all you need to do is accept Jesus and, “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:15).

Continuing on, “And upon this came His disciples, marveled that He talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? Or Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did: Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came unto Him” (John 4: 27-30). Jesus knew just who he was to meet at the well and even though she was a woman, a Samaritan and in a sinful situation, He chose her to talk to first. He chooses us, too.  And just as he said to His Disciples, follow Me; He says the same to you. He says, “Henceforth I call you not servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends: for all that I have head of My Father I have made known to you” (John 16:15).

The last portion of John 4: 39- 42 states, “ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them: and He abode there two days. And many more believed because of His own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” Did you catch that? They said because they heard Him themselves they believed. There is only one way to know our Jesus. Spend time in the Bible. Reading the Word of God will show you The Father and Jesus Christ.  Jesus says, “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works” (John14:10). When we choose to follow Jesus, we not only become one with Him, but with the Father, also.

Isn’t that amazing? We are covered with Jesus’ righteousness when we choose Him and the Father gives us His Spirit through Jesus thus becoming one with them. He prayed for us in John 17:21, “That they all may be one; as Thou Father , art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” If you have not taken the time to read John 17, I highly recommend it. Jesus prays for us. He is about to be betrayed by one of His disciples and go through horrendous treatment culminating in His death on the cross and He prayed for us. When I really think about this, I almost cry. He is so focused on us and saving us from this world that according to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Jesus is coming soon all you need do is look around at the world today. He is holding off right now because he is waiting to save as many as possible and that includes you.

John 7:38 – He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:37 – In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Isaiah 12:3 – Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 44:3 – For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Revelation 22:17 – And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

So Come to the Well

“And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is for the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24).

When we read the verses prior to this the woman said, “Our fathers worshipped in the mountain; but ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:20). But Jesus replied “true worshippers shall worship God the father in spirit and in truth.”

Some would say that you need to go to church and confess which is what the Jews were saying at the time. As matter of fact, we have churches saying that now. But Jesus was letting her know that was not what was required, Jesus is our High Priest and He is the only one to forgive us. We need to have a relationship with Him.  That doesn’t mean we don’t need to get together  for church (Hebrews 10:25 and Proverbs 27:17) but true worship is from the heart and mind . “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The question is do we believe He can do what He says He can do.  Jesus says, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment: and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 3:5-6).

In John 15:7, Jesus states, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” And the latter part of John 15:5 states”…for without Me ye can do nothing.”  So when we ask for forgiveness of our Lord, Jesus, He will cover us with His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10 and Revelation 19:8) and forgive us—our slate is wiped clean. For “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:33-34 and Hebrews 10:16-17). So the wonderful thing is that we do not have to dwell on past sins (the devil’s weapon) because when we truly repent with our whole heart, our record is clean. We just need to believe Jesus!

Have you ever stopped to think what these money changers were doing in the temple? The selling of the sacrificial animals was not new; it happened in the Old Testament, also. The people forgot the true meaning of the sacrificial system.  They brought in animals for people to buy for their sacrifice. In the times past a lamb, of your own flock, that was without blemish was used as a sacrifice. Once the lamb was chosen, it was kept and nurtured before being used as a sacrifice. This sacrifice was a foreshadow of the Messiah to come. These people that were in the marketplace were making money selling the animals to those who were coming to the temple for atonement. Jesus was upset and for good reason.

Have you ever really thought about the sacrificial system that was put in place so long ago? I am thankful that Jesus has come and saved us through His sacrifice, which did away with the animal sacrifices. Colossians 2:13-14 reads, “And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened (made alive) together with Him, having forgiven all trespass: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way nailing it to His cross” (see Deuteronomy 31:26 for the ordinances that were against the people). And remember the Ten Commandments are in the Ark of the Covenant under the mercy seat of Jesus.

The whole temple service was about Jesus and He has promised to be with us always (see Matthew 28:20)

The Priest: Hebrews 9:11-15, “But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

The Altar: 1 Peter 1:19-21 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in the last times for you, Who by Him do believe in God, and raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”  Revelation 5: 6, “And I beheld, and , lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beast, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” And then there is this warning in Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

The Laver (cleansing): 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” and this one from Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,”  

The golden candlestick: John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, Saying I am the Light of the world, he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” and Luke 2:32 speaks about baby Jesus, “A Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people.”

The table of shew bread:  John 6:35-48, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and He that believeth on Me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me , and believe not. All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that all which He hath given Me I should loses nothing, but should raise it up again in the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. And the Jews then murmured at Him because He said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that He saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me. Not that any man hath seen the Father save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am that Bread of Life…” and verse 50 states, “This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die.”

Altar of Incense (Prayers) – John 14: 6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” and Revelation 8:3-4, “And another Angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayer of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.”

The Most Holy: it has the Ark of the Covenant, which has the Ten Commandments inside. The mercy seat is Jesus.  John 14: 15-17 Jesus says, “If you love Me keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”  And from the Ten Commandments, Deuteronomy 5: 8-9, “Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God , visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of the that love Me and keep My commandments.” So going back to the beginning of this post regarding the money changers and sellers, they forgot that the services all pointed to the Messiah and they did not recognize Him when He was in their midst. “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came to His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:10-11).

They had become so worldly that they failed to recognize Him (see 1 John 4:4-6). Do we sometimes do the same? Do we get so caught up in this world that we do not recognized Jesus when He is right there knocking at the door to let Him enter and abide with us (see Revelation 3:20)?

God loved us so much that he threw us a life (LOVE) line through His Son Jesus. From the very beginning a plan was in place should Adam and Eve succumb to the temptation of Satan through the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). This means that Jesus already made the choice to save us. I recently watched the first two episodes of Table Talk. In the video, they were talking about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and They were described as a Family of Three and we are invited to join their Family through Jesus, our Savior (author is using the uppercase letters for the Family of Three so this is not a distinction used anywhere else). I thought that was a wonderful way to describe Them but we still must remember They are one God. Isaiah 44:6 states, “Thus saith the Lord King of Israel and His Redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the first , and I am the last; beside Me there is no God.”

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Here are just a few of the verses that show how we are connected to this Family of Three once we accept Jesus. We will start with Galatians 3:27-29, “For as many of you as have been baptized (this is through the Holy Spirit) into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond or free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (also see Romans 10:12).  When we look around at the world today, there is so much dissension and most, if not all of the time, it comes back to our differences such as ethnicity, social status, financial status, etc. But when we accept Jesus, all of that should go away. We should not see differences in others because they are all our brothers and sisters. We have all become family grafted in to the Family of Three. Why do I say that? Let’s go to back to Galatians 4:4-7, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, made under the law (the same law that we are under–see Ten Commandments),To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoptions of sons. And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father (the closest translation for Abba, is like when we use the word Dad). Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

Have you ever thought about that? So we see in this one verse how the Family, all of them, work together to bring us into the fold. He, Jesus, becomes our Brother. And only our Relative was able to save us all. “If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold” (Leviticus 25:25). 

Paul says this, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal sold under sin” (Roman 7:14).  We have become prisoners of our sinful nature and it is what we do with it that will lead us on the path to destruction or to everlasting life. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of the God” (Romans 3:23) and “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Jesus, our Brother, took our place by suffering, bleeding, and dying on the cross for us. Hebrews 2 :14-16 states, “ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”  So here we see we were in bondage until our Brother, Jesus bled and died for us. 1 John 1: 7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light. We have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  Jesus cleanses us from sin when we accept Him! Did you also notice that walking in the light also means fellowship with one another? Jesus said this in Mark 12:28-31, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. The second is like, namely, this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these two.”

So we now know that Jesus becomes our Brother. Did you ever think about what He gave up to become one of us? Remember He was with God and he became flesh for us (John 1:1-3; 14). Hebrews 2:9 reads, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour: that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Jesus left the heavenly throne on high to become flesh knowing full well that He would have to die (see John 10:14-18). That is the truest form of love there is – God gave us His Son, Jesus, and Jesus made the choice to come and save us all!

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not Walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Jesus Is Our Light

“I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in the darkness” (John 12:46).

Perhaps you have heard the verse “Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). This verse could just as easily have “word” capitalized. Why? Because Jesus is the Word. Have you ever read the first five verses of John?  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (over powered) it not.”

When John speaks of the “life” being the “light” of men, we have to remember he is saying that those who accept Jesus have life and light. How do we know this? It’s because we are all under a death sentence in this sinful world. Romans 6:23 puts it this way, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And Romans 3: 23 states “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” So we being sinful have fallen under the death sentence and the only way out is through Jesus.

This is why I wanted you to meet Him. He will give us life when we choose Him. 1 John 5:11-12 states, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”  Jesus Himself said this, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” I just love the Bible. It shows us everything we need to know, all we have to do is seek Jesus in the word He gave us.

Continuing on in John, he speaks about John the Baptist coming before Jesus to let people know Jesus was coming soon and to get ready. Sounds like what we REALLY need to do today because He is coming soon for us! John 1: 6-9 says this, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (If you read “He Gave us His Son” and the Bible verses provided, you’ll find more about John and who he was to Jesus.) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe. He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

In this verse, John is speaking about life through the breath of life given to all people. We are made by Him because remember ‘without Him was not any thing made that was made.” He brings us into this world and it does not take long for the influences of Satan to enter into the picture to turn us away from our source of light and life.  Verse 10 and 11 have this to say, “ He was in the world , and the world was made by Him, and the world knew (recognized) Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.”  When I think about the time I was furthest away from Him, how disappointed He must have been that I was not taking His invitation–the gift of salvation. I thank the Lord that He did not give up me. As a matter of fact, I heard a sermon yesterday regarding this verse in Revelation 3:20 which states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” You see He not only stands at the door and knocks but He is talking to you. Not only do we need to open the door of our heart to Him, but we have to open our ears to hear Him. He is the only one with the spiritual food we need to make it through any situation we may encounter. He promises to be with us, too. John 14:18 says, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” and Matthew 28:20 says, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” There are so many wonderful promises when we choose Him. Only through Him we can receive the Light that will disperse the darkness.

We know that God Gave His only Son (John 3:16). There is a song that goes through my head all the time. Perhaps you have sung it yourself. The third verse goes like this,

“And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.

That on the cross, my burdens gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sins” (How Great Thou Art, Hymn).

The last line states “He bled and died,” because we needed both His blood and His death to overcome this world. But did you ever stop to thoroughly consider what else Jesus did for us? Remember, Jesus is the Word (Revelation 19:13) and the “Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1-2) and He chose to step down from heaven to become one of us. It is through Him, we become one with He and the Father (Hebrews 2:5-11). He and the Father were One from the beginning (Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 57:15) and they still are at this time, but there was a time when they were separated. How devastating that must have been for Jesus, not to feel the Father with Him right before His death on the cross. Remember, God cannot be where sin is and Jesus took ALL our sins from the beginning time to the future end of time on His shoulders, and He never sinned! The weight must have been tremendous, so tremendous if fact, He cried out to the Father (Matthew 27:46). Jesus was separated from the Father for a short time, a feeling He had never felt before. It must have seemed like an eternity to Him. And He did that for us! His life is an example and His death allows us to overcome everything in this world. Below are some of the gifts Jesus bestowed on us.

He gives us power to overcome Satan’s manipulations

Jesus was tempted as we are. In Matthew 4: 1-11, we read just how Jesus was tempted. Jesus overcame by using Scripture. That is how He was able to continue to be One with the Father. If we never read His word, how can we ever hope to stand against Satan’s manipulations? Remember the devil has had many years to practice his craft and he wants to draw us away from our Lord.

When we sin, we are pushing the Holy Spirit away. Jesus said this, “Nevertheless it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7). “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom  the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). Ephesians 4:30 states, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye were sealed unto the day of redemption” (See Outreach Bible Study Corner and see the Unpardonable Sin).

Through the Holy Spirit, we become one with the Father and Jesus because they are One (John 17:21). Jesus will never leave us. He is always trying to reach us saying, “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). We can trust His word, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18). And John 8: 31-32 has this to say, “Then said Jesus unto the Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Did you catch that? He said “if ye continue in My word” which means we can surely separate ourselves from Him when we do not continue in His Word. It is our choice. So, if we are truly sorry and repent, He comes even closer to us to give us the strength and the power to overcome using His words. He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And this is one of many things that Jesus did for us when He died for us!

He forgives our sins.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” From the beginning, God has had a plan in place just in case our first parents sinned (Genesis 3:15). Our God had such love for us that if they chose wrongly, He would send someone to die in our place. Adam and Eve had no idea our replacement sacrifice would be God’s only Son. The forgiveness we receive comes from Jesus covering our sins with His sinless life and death. We will never be sinless but because we have Jesus, our advocate and mediator; when God sees us, He sees His Son’s righteousness. Revelation 19:8 states, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” And this brings us to the next wonderful thing Jesus did for us.

He gives us His righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 reads, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus promises, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death into life” (John 5:24). When we truly accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us eternal life. God’s promises are all through the Bible, starting with the Sanctuary service. The Lamb (Revelation 13:8, a warning), the High Priest (Hebrews 9:11-12), the shew bread (John 6:35), the light of the candle sticks (John 8:12), the burnt offering (Hebrews 9:13-15), the laver (1 John 1:5-7), were all shadows of what Jesus was to accomplish for us.

He is our Mercy Seat

Romans 3:23-26 says this, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a Mercy Seat) through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through forbearance of God; To declare, I  say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”  And John 5:22 states this, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son.” As stated above, John 5:24 is a powerful promise. Jesus has already determined our fate as our judge and He promises that if we truly love Him and the Father, we have nothing to fear.  As John 1:12 states, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

He took our place!

He died the second death that sinner’s deserve. The second death is total (see Revelation 20:10-15) but because Jesus was sinless (1 John 3:5) and took our sins on Him, death could not hold Him. The Father resurrected Him. Through Jesus Christ and HIS righteousness He bestows on us, we can be sure of our resurrection, also. “Yet in a little while, and the world seeth Me no more: but ye see Me; because I live, ye shall live also” (John 14:19). Jesus is saying the world cannot see Him because they do not know Him. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not” (1 John 3:1 and see John 1:10-12). So, not only was He speaking of His death on the cross, but also, that the world did not know Him and would “see Him no more”. Romans 5:8 (ESV) states, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” If we have accepted Jesus and we die in Him, He calls it a “sleep” (John 11:11). And because it is temporary, He will come again to bring us home with Him (John 14 1-3) because we are not of this world when we put away worldly things (John 17:14). 

He ransomed us.

Isaiah 35:10 says, “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” And 1 Timothy 2:5-6 states this, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Notice it says “one mediator between God and men…Christ Jesus.” We need to be, oh, so careful that we do not allow someone to usurp the place of Jesus. And there are some religions that do just that. When we accept Jesus, we are redeemed through His sacrifice and only He is worthy and has the authority to act on our behalf in front of our Father God (Matthew 28:18). He is the only One that can save us!

He gives us His peace

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Did you know giving us His peace cost Him? Isaiah 53:5, “But He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” This peace we receive is sometimes hard to explain. When we have it, we want everyone to experience it, because joy fills the heart. Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” On a personal note, I do not fear what is happening in the world because Jesus told us what was going to happen (Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation). I do not fear death, because when He wakes me up when He comes again, the next face I see is His. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  

On a side note, remember Jesus will NOT step foot one this earth again. Many shall be deceived in the last days because there will be impersonators, even Satan will do so at the end of time. If you have not read Matthew 24 yet, I invite you to do so now. Notice in verses 22-27, Jesus warns, “And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.   Behold I have told you before (in advance). Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he (the Messiah) is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the Son of man be.” Notice it says” if it were possible” the very elect could be deceived. The only way we can be sure we will not be deceived is through Jesus and His word. If you do not know Him and His word, how can you possibly know truth from lies?

He gives us His faith

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Revelation 14:12 states this, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Romans 12:3 states, “For I say unto you, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (also see Galatians 2:16). We still have the choice whether to have faith in Jesus and when we choose Him, He gives us His faith. Think about it. The faith of Jesus is the faith we need, because it was unbreakable and, oh, so strong. He had so much faith in our Father that He was sinless and was able to endure the cross for us. Many times in Jesus ministry, He said, “Thy faith has made thee whole” (Mark 5:34; 10:52, and Luke 17:19). The wholeness was not only physical, it was spiritually, too. They had to believe in Jesus or they could never have become whole and that takes faith!

He gives us everlasting life  

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” His promises are sure and He tells us what is waiting for us. A New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3), No more sorrow or death (Revelation 21:4), and glimpse of what heaven will be like in Revelation 22. We have the promise of eternal life (John 3:16). And quoting this verse again, Jesus said in John 14:19, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more (see above), but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.” The time is now (tomorrow is never guaranteed) to accept Him as our Savior, so we can “see” Him and embrace these promises!

Jesus coming to save us was foretold by many prophets in the Old Testament. One chapter in Isaiah stands out to me. Isaiah 53:1 starts out with couple of questions, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” One of the things I like to do is match up verses. The first is an obvious question and the answer was that so many of those Isaiah was preaching to had turned their backs on the Lord our God. The second question made me think a bit – who is the arm of the LORD?  For the answer we can go to Isaiah 52:10, “The LORD hath made bare His Holy Arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

If you do not see Jesus in the answer above, let’s move on to Isaiah 53:2 which states “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” Isaiah states He will be an ordinary man, but to us He is most extraordinary!

For now, let’s focus on the first portion of the verse. In many places in the Bible, Jesus is compared to a plant or a root. In one area, Jesus Himself says in John 15: 1-6, “I AM the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

As for the root in the verse, one place we can go is Revelation 22:16 which reveals, “I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (see 2 Peter 1:19 for reference to the morning star).

The rest of Chapter 53 shows who Jesus is and what he has done for us. You can read it for yourself in the Bible, but I will reprint it here because it is SO VERY important that we understand what He has done for us. Isaiah 53: 3-12, “He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to His own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before he shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: (and) when thou (we) shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see of the travail (suffering) of His soul, and shall be satisfied: (and) by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

 Jesus made the choice to do this for us. Hebrew 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.”  When we see the statement “pleased the Lord to bruise Him,” we have to remember it in the context of “for the joy set before Him.” The Father took no pleasure in the pain Jesus was going to suffer but knew that His Son was going “justify many” and those who abide in Jesus become “strong” through Him, and He will share the inheritance or “spoil.” And we know this because in Galatians 4: 4-6 it states, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made (born) of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoptions of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

Have you ever gotten lost? I remember when I was little; our family went to an amusement park. As we were walking through the throngs of people, I was holding on to my dad’s belt loop and looking around at all the action. I only let go of his belt loop for a second and reached up to grab the belt loop once more but it was a stranger that was in front of me. I looked around and couldn’t find my dad or any of my family. Needless to say it was a scary situation for me.

If we are not holding on to Jesus, it’s a guarantee that another will take His place.

So what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus? Jesus’ disciple Peter certainly found out. Starting in Matthew 14:22-23, “And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain to pray: and when evening was come, He was there alone.” As we get to know Jesus, we get to know the Father, also. Jesus prays to the Father before all the things He does. He and His Father have such a relationship, He describes it in this way, “That they all might be one; as Thou Father art in Me,  and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me” (John 17:21).

One of His disciples (who has been with Jesus for a while now) asked this question in which Jesus answers in John 14:8-11, “Philip saith unto Him, Lord shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith to him, Have I not been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” This statement has so many aspects to it. Jesus is one with the Father and He is saying the Father is seen through Him.

Think about this, also. When we accept Jesus Christ, there is a marked change in us. People should see Christ in you. As Paul put it in Romans 13:13-14, “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” When we love the Lord, the change will happen because we want to please Him. It is hard to explain the love that pours out once you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. My hope is that you will find out.

As Jesus is praying, the ship is continuing on its journey, “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit: and they cried out in fear.  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.  And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind strong, he was afraid: and beginning to sink, he cried Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:24-30).

Fear can be such a debilitating emotion. Fear and doubt are Satan’s weapons that he uses against us. As a matter of fact, “Fear not” is used not only here in these verses here, but throughout the Scriptures. If we think about it fear can motivate us or keep us from being motivated. Fear can make us lash out at another or bottle us up when we need to take a stand. But the biggest thing is that it can keep us from the Holy Father and Jesus. Fear can separate us from Him. Revelation 21:7, 8 states, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things: and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”  On a side note, did you catch that? There is no hell that a person is tormented forever and it says so right here (for more information click here).

So Peter gets scared and takes his eyes off Jesus, the only one who can keep his path steady and straight. The most wonderful thing about Jesus is that He will come after us when we take our eyes off of Him and will save us when we fall. “And immediately Jesus stretched fourth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt. And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased” (Matthew 14:31-32).

These two verses show exactly who Jesus is and what He is doing for us. We call out to Him, He reaches for us; and He calms the seas raging inside us. That is SO beautiful!