The Mystery About Christ

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Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful. Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing this. Please pray that I will make the message as clear as possible. When you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time.

Colossians 4:2-5

The Apostle Paul prays that he will be able to “spread his message” and “explain the mystery about Christ.” The “Message” is the Good News about Jesus Christ and what He did for all of us! Jesus paid the price for your sins and mine. Because of what Jesus did, I do not have to suffer eternally in Hell! That really is Good News!

But what is the “Mystery About Christ?” The Good News is about what Jesus did, and I believe the mystery about Christ focuses on who Jesus is! Could God have created a “special angel” to hang on the Cross and die for us? I can’t answer that question, except to say that Jesus was not an angel sent to die for us! Jesus is the Son of God and according to His own testimony when you have seen Jesus you have seen the Father! Jesus is God!

The most amazing thing about the Sacrifice for our sins is not that it happened, but rather Who Did It! The mystery about Jesus is not that He loves us, but rather that He is God and He loves us!

If the Creator of all there is not only formed you in your mother’s womb, but also loves you enough to come to earth Himself and die for your sins, that is a jaw dropping reality!

Spread the Good News about what Jesus did for you and your sins, but also explain the “Mystery About Christ.” When you hold tightly to the truth of who Jesus is, the lies of Satan lose their power to control your mind! Your Creator is also Your Savior!

“Lord Jesus, thank You for what You did for all mankind, and Praise You forever for Who You are! May Your Glorious and Righteous Name be Praised for all Eternity! Amen!”

More Than Amazing

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Death ruled like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has been so kind to us, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings. Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God. The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God's kindness was even more powerful. Sin ruled by means of death. But God's kindness now rules, and God has accepted us because of Jesus Christ our Lord. This means that we will have eternal life.

Romans 5:17-21

The sin of one man began the Death March toward Hell for all mankind! One wrong choice started the ball rolling of Eternal Destruction for everyone. I can’t image what it was like when Adam realized that he personally ruined the lives of everyone. It is hard enough when you realize that your negative example may have led some others to rebel against God. But imagine if, you were the reason that all men are lost!

I feel certain that Adam never knew how many billions of lives would be impacted because of his sin. But Jesus knew that the exact number of men and women, lost because of sin, could turn to Him and be saved. That number is simple! Everyone who is headed for Hell because of sin, can turn around and be saved by the Blood of Jesus!

You cannot find a living human being who is beyond the reach of His sacrifice!

A well known, former United States President made the phrase “I Feel Your Pain” one that became rather meaningless because it was used so much. But Jesus actually did feel the pain that you and I were destined to experience had He not come to earth! The suffering that Jesus felt on the Cross had all of our names written on it!

“Lord Jesus, the suffering that I was owed because of my sin was certainly too much for me to bare. But You suffered for me and billions of times over for everyone else as well. You, Jesus are more than Amazing in every way! Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name, now and forever, Amen!”

Father of Fake News

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Jesus answered: If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and only from him. He sent me. I did not come on my own.  Why can't you understand what I am talking about? Can't you stand to hear what I am saying?  Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.  Everything I have told you is true, and you still refuse to have faith in me. 

John 8:42-45

If the Devil were a journalist, he would specialize in Fake News.  The essence of the warfare that has gone on since the Garden of Eden is the battle between Truth and Lies!  God tells the Truth and Satan tells Lies!  

When you dip your hand into the well of Truth, you touch the Water of Life!  When you touch the Lies of Satan, you are on the path to death and destruction!  

When lies rule in your life, Satan has a prominent place that gets in the way of your relationship with Jesus.  When Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan, the temptations came as He listened to the words of the Devil.  

Satan's favorite "Fake News" is when he tells you that God did not really mean what He said in the Bible!  That is the lie that he used with Adam and Eve and it still works today with those who want to "understand" everything that God has said.  Understanding the commandments of God has never been part of His expectation of those who come to Jesus!  

More than 50 years ago I remember listening to short wave radio broadcasts from communist countries.  It was curiously interesting because you knew that most of what you heard was a lie!  The people of those countries did not hear the truth reported by their news outlets.  Of course, the Bible says the "Truth will set you free."  Without truth oppressive governments are able to enslave the people.  

It is the same with Satan.  The lies that he tells are tools to keep you in bondage!  And they work quite well.  If you want to be free, seek the Truth.  If you want the Truth, seek Jesus.  The Bible says that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life!

Don't listen to the Father of Fake News!  Listen to Jesus!  Then you will be free, forever!

"Lord Jesus, thank You for always telling us the Truth!  And thank You most of all that You are the Truth!  May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever, Amen!"

FORGIVENESS AND FREEDOM

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His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy. I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who forgives our sins and sets us free.

Colossians 1:11-14

The immediate impact of the work of Jesus Christ on our lives has two parts. Jesus paid the price for the forgiveness of our sins! Forgiveness is part one! Without forgiveness you still owe a debt that is bigger than you could ever pay.

Part two is Freedom! Until forgiveness happens freedom is impossible! That is why Satan wants you to think that your forgiveness is partial or incomplete. If you are not fully forgiven, you will not have the boldness to step out in the Freedom of Christ!

After you turn your heart to Jesus Christ, every sin in your life is crossed out and “FORGIVEN” is written in its place!

You may say, I know what it is to be Forgiven, but what does it mean to be Free? Being Free as a follower of Jesus Christ means that you can come to God and talk to Him about anything and everything in your life. When you are forgiven nothing stands in the way of you being permanently in touch with the Creator of everything.

“Thank You Jesus for paying the price for all of my sins and thank You for the Freedom that can only come from knowing the Father! May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever, Amen!”

Power and Peace

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In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors, but none of them could make her well.  As soon as she came up behind Jesus and barely touched his clothes, her bleeding stopped.  “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. While everyone was denying it, Peter said, “Master, people are crowding all around and pushing you from every side.”  But Jesus answered, “Someone touched me, because I felt power going out from me.”  The woman knew that she could not hide, so she came trembling and knelt down in front of Jesus. She told everyone why she had touched him and that she had been healed at once.  Jesus said to the woman, “You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace!”

Luke 8:43-48 

The woman touched Jesus for a completely selfish reason.  She had been bleeding for a dozen years and believed that Jesus had the power to heal her! As she thought, when she touched Him the infirmity left her body!  

When the woman realized that she could not keep her secret touch of Jesus hidden, she came and knelt down before Him and confessed!  Her example is important for men and women today.

Over the centuries since this woman encountered the healing power of Jesus, there have been unknown numbers of people who reached out to Jesus and were blessed by His power and compassion!  

The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from God.   When a man reaches out and touches even the hem of God's garment what he will receive is the power of God applied to his life!

The woman who touched the clothes of Jesus received healing, but did not immediately receive peace.  She was still upset and worried, even though she was healed.  Then Jesus prayed that God would give her peace!

Reach out and touch Jesus so that His power will flow through your life, but also ask Him to give you Peace!  

"Thank You Jesus for Your healing power applied to everything in my life that needs it.  But most of all Lord, thank You for the Peace that comes only from You.  May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever, Amen!"

The Old Wine is Better

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Jesus then told them these sayings: No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and make the hole even bigger.  No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined.  New wine must be put only into new wineskins.   No one wants new wine after drinking old wine. They say, “The old wine is better.” 

Luke 5:36-39

When you first met Jesus Christ, and found out about His love for you, what a marvelous memory was burned into your brain!  Many followers of Jesus tell others about those days and call it their "testimony!"  That was when the "New Wine" entered your heart and you were thrilled and even overwhelmed to realize that having Jesus and His Holy Spirit in your heart is real in every way!

In the years since then, I do often long for the zeal and enthusiasm of youth as the Wine began to ferment and swell in my heart.  But these Words of Jesus say it clearly! "THE OLD WINE IS BETTER!"

When I was young I came to know that Jesus could heal any and every disease.  Now that I am old, I rest assured and know that being filled with the Spirit of God is better than being healed!  Then I heard His Word, now I also hear His Heart!  

Yes, old wine skins are more fragile and can break.  And that is the way it is with an old human body.  But the wine, oh the wine is so much better!

As a follower of Jesus, don't let your life be about the wineskin!  Center your heart on the Wine that Jesus poured into your heart when you gave your life to Him!  

"Thank You Jesus, for the Wine that you give to everyone who comes to You in Faith.  May Your Holy and Righteous Name be Praised, now and forever, Amen."

Jesus is the X Factor

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Don't fool yourselves! If any of you think you are wise in the things of this world, you will have to become foolish before you can be truly wise. This is because God considers the wisdom of this world to be foolish. It is just as the Scriptures say, “God catches the wise when they try to outsmart him.” The Scriptures also say, “The Lord knows that the plans made by wise people are useless.”

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

The plans made by wise people are useless because they purposefully ignore the reality of God Almighty which they could see all around them, if they would look! It would be like a student of mathematics trying to solve problems, but always leaving out the “X” in an equation! He deems the “X” to be, at least unimportant and even irrelevant. Needless to say, he will always get the wrong answers.

It doesn’t matter how high a man or woman’s I.Q., if they leave out God in trying to understand the world around them, they will always come up short.

And in fact, even a small child, with Faith in Jesus will understand more of the world around him than the greatest intellect on earth without the Lord!

Let your faith in Jesus be the foundation of your seeking wisdom and knowledge. Ask Him to give you the ability to understand the things that you see and hear, and recognize that all true wisdom comes from God!

“Lord Jesus, You are the “X” factor in every equation of life! May I always recognize You in seeking the answers to life’s deepest questions. Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name, now and forever, Amen!”

The Way of His Will for Your Life

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I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and you will understand the hope given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all God's people.

Ephesians 1:17-18

Have you discovered “the glorious blessings” that will be yours as a follower of Jesus Christ? Has the light of Jesus Christ flooded your heart? You see, it is only after the light floods your heart that you will discover the blessings!

When light floods your heart, you will see things that you could not see before. Image a football game at night with no stadium lights! There might be lots of sound and fury, but it would only be chaos and confusion. But with the light comes the ability to execute the plays with success and enjoy watching the game as it proceeds!

Without the light of Christ in your heart, your life will be filled with chaos and confusion! But with the light of Jesus Christ flooding your soul comes an understanding of things far beyond any human being’s ability!

As a follower of Jesus, never be satisfied to walk in the darkness. Ask Jesus to let the Holy Spirit light your path and show you the way of His Will for your life!

“Thank You Jesus, for letting Your light shine in my heart today and forevermore. Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name, now and forever, Amen!”

Anchor Your Heart in Jesus

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We must give our full attention to what we were told, so we won't drift away. The message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected it were punished as they deserved. So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we hope to escape? The Lord himself was the first to tell about it, and people who heard the message proved to us that it was true. God himself showed that his message was true by working all kinds of powerful miracles and wonders. He also gave his Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to.

Hebrews 2:1-4

Sitting alone on a lake in a small boat, on a beautiful day is perhaps the most relaxing thing a man can do. The soft sound of the tiny waves lapping up against the sides of the boat can lull you to sleep very quickly. A gentle breeze will cool you and enough clouds to keep the sun’s burning rays at bay will distract your attention from everything that might present a danger!

But unless your boat is firmly anchored to the bottom of the lake you will begin to drift! I have done that very thing, and looked up from my serenity with a flash of fear! “Oh, my, where am and I and how far have I drifted from the place I wanted to be?” If you are only a few meters from where you started, you can quickly regain your orientation, but if the drifting has gone on for hours or more you may find yourself in trouble.

Your job then is to get back to the place you wanted to be!

If you find that your life has drifted away from Jesus, it is time to get back to the place of dropping your anchor into the heart of Jesus. Then you will not drift away from Him. But if you pull up your anchor, even for a short time your life will drift away from Jesus! That is not what you want to do and it will not bring you to a place of peace, but rather turmoil and confusion!

Again, your job is to get your life back to the place where you can anchor your heart in Jesus!

“Lord Jesus, help me to never pull my anchor away from You as I travel through this life. Hold me tight to Your Heart and warn me if I try to pull away. Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name now and forever, Amen!”

Runaway Train of Sin

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Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke his message to our ancestors.  But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son.  God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven. 

Hebrews 1:1-3

Jesus is greater than you have probably ever imagined!  Jesus, at God's command created the Universe!  Jesus brought God's message directly to men and women without going through the prophets, as had been done before.  Jesus holds the entire Cosmos together by the power of His Word!

And Jesus, washed away our sins!

Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't simply "DECLARE THAT OUR SINS WERE GONE?"  If He could speak everything there is into existence, why did He have to hang on the Cross to get rid of our sins?

Jesus stepped on the tracks of the "Runaway train of sin" and survived the hit that would have killed us all forever!  When Jesus died on the Cross the celebration was not in Heaven, but Hell!  When Jesus came out of the Tomb and left it forever empty, the Shouts of Praise began in Heaven and will never stop!  

Until Jesus died, the penalty for Adam and Eve's sin had never been satisfied!  But with the death of Jesus, it was indeed finished!  Then, with the Empty Tomb came the hope of Eternal Salvation in Heaven with Jesus! 

"Lord Jesus, thank You for paying the penalty for my sin as You died on the Cross!  It is only because of what You did that I can live forever, with You in Heaven.  Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever, Amen!" 

I AM - Coming Soon

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The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Everyone who hears this should say, “Come!” If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It's free! Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book: If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book. The one who has spoken these things says, “I am coming soon!” So, Lord Jesus, please come soon! I pray that the Lord Jesus will be kind to all of you.

Revelation 22:17-21

The last Words of Jesus recorded in the Bible are “I AM COMING SOON!” The meaning of those four words is really very deep! We usually focus on the word SOON and think about how long it will be before He comes! There will be followers of Jesus who are still alive on the Day that Jesus comes. That morning will be like all the others. No one will know that in only a few hours we will all see Jesus, face to face!

It is important to remember that God Himself told Moses, His Name was “I AM.” These last Words of Jesus also might be read like this:

“I AM”

“COMING SOON!”

When God shows up on the Day of the End, everything will change, and it will change forever! Every problem will be solved with the Eternal Solution of Jesus Christ. Every conflict will be resolved by the overwhelming Righteousness of Christ. Every fear will vanish when Faith becomes sight as we see Him as He is!

Like a man born blind, we will all be staring for the first time at the beauty all around us, as we gaze at the amazing Glory of Jesus! Let your spark of a desire for Jesus Christ be fanned by the wind of the Holy Spirit into a full blown passion for Him.

“Lord Jesus, knowing You is the greatest thing in all the world, and in all of Eternity! Please Jesus, do come soon! May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever, Amen.”