How To Find Out About Jesus

How can we understand who Jesus is?  Who is he in history, and human affairs? The correct view of Jesus is possibly the most important understanding we can have- all eternity may depend on it

"Simon Peter answered, ' You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven.'"Matthew 16:17, NIV.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The words quoted are the conclusion of a conversation where Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Who do people say I am?" Peter replied that people thought he was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or some other prophet. Then Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?"

People have many ideas about Jesus; some say he was a teacher, mystic or just a man, and some deny his irrefutable existence but a few embrace his Deity.

So, who is Jesus? Peter declared he was the, "Christ the son of the living God,"

CHRIST
Christ is the one who is the Savior, chosen of God to rescue mankind from their sins, give peace to men's hearts, and bring them to a relationship with the Father.

SON
This not to say God gave birth in the physical sense but that God without giving up his deity took on the lower form of humanity, being both fully God and fully man.

LIVING GOD
This is referring to the true God, the only One, the Eternal One, who is active, Lord of life, a far cry for the gods the world then or today.

ENDORSED
Jesus replied, "This was not revealed by man but by my Father in heaven." Jesus did not say, "Peter, you got it wrong. I am not God," instead with the highest endorsement he reaffirms Peter's declaration.

The true person of Christ is something we must get right. We need the Father to reveal to us who he really is.

Pray...
     * For the Father to reveal who Jesus is.
     * To be willing to abandon preconceived ideas.
     * To be willing to change in response to what we learn.
     * As you read the Bible pray for God to show Jesus in its pages.

BLESSED
Christ said Peter was blessed because God revealed the truth to him. We will be blessed when we come to understand who Jesus is. Understanding Jesus will make all the difference in your life because no one who has a genuine encounter with Jesus remains the same.

To learn more about what Jesus means for your eternal salvation follow this link: Click Here.

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Use the share buttons below to save and share this to your social networks. 

(c)Adron Dozat

What Does Jesus Call Us To Do?

There is much confusion about what Jesus is asking of people. People say one thing and another, but few look at what Jesus himself said.

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28, NIV.

COME
If Jesus had a catch-phrase it would be the word, "Come." Over and over he says to persons and groups, Come to me..." His life was an open invitation to all. This invitation is to come to a person, Jesus, not a series of rules and regulations.  We come to the Man of Galilee not a creed or system of philosophy. Many find this to be difficult, because it is a relationship and relationships take work, unlike a cold impersonal set of rules to live by.

ALL
Christ invites all to come, all who are weary and burdened. No matter who we are, what we have done, or have experienced, Jesus welcomes us. No one is too bad or too wicked; there is not exception clause, he says all may come.

REST
Jesus offers something no one else ever does, or can, and if they did it would be insane. He offers rest. He says, "I will give you rest," this is a strange use of the word rest.  We would say, "Take some rest or get some rest;" but Jesus is saying something new and different here- he is the source of rest.

Christ offers the end of the struggle with guilt, victory over pain, and the finish of shame. If we rest in a chair it is temporary but Jesus offers a new, unending, and fully complete rest because in his next sentence, recorded in verse 29, he defines it as rest for your souls, this has to be a deeper, more complete, and more fulfilling rest than any other we could ever find.

WHAT AN OFFER
If we are weary of the struggle of our pain and burden he invites us to bring it to him. If we are tired of trying to solve our problems, and if the burdens of our hearts are too heavy to bear then Jesus is calling each of us. No matter what guilt, or shame, or pain we carry he says, "Come."

(c)Adron Dozat

What Is The Point Of Your Life? 2 Corinthians 4:5

If your life had a message what would it be? If your life told a story what would be the moral of it all?

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Christ's sake." 2 Corinthians 4:5, NIV*

These words from the Apostle come from a section of his writing where he shows that his motivation and actions were pure and without hidden agenda.

Paul the Apostle had a message but it was not about himself, he had no place in the message except to be the speaker of the message. He could have talked a lot about himself, his education, revelations, experiences, and more, but he had a message much greater than himself.

The false teachers of his day and ours want to be the center of attention and the recipients of the benefits of the philosophies they bring; but not the Apostle, his focus was on Christ and serving.

PREACHING
The message of the Gospel, which Paul the Apostle taught, was that Jesus Christ is Lord. Which means Jesus is God come down taking on human flesh to walk among us as a sinless example of righteousness and he offered his life, body, and soul as a sacrifice on the cross to pay for the sins of humanity, a sacrifice that was acceptable to God the Judge and evidenced in the resurrection of Jesus and his accession to the throne in heaven. We participate in the gospel by faith where we receive the blessings and benefits of salvation as a gift paid for by Christ. This is a humble gospel and leaves no place for pride and self-promotion. This Gospel was Paul's focus and purpose.

JESUS
Jesus is Lord, elsewhere in the Bible, it teaches that "Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." Philippians 2:10-11

SERVANT
Paul could have said, "I am an apostle and I have rank conferred on me by The Lord. So, serve me, do this and do that."  Nowhere does the Bible or outside sources attribute such words or actions to the Apostles. Instead, he says here, "We are your servants for Christ's sake." He was in the place of leadership of the church and acted like the lowest servant.

PAUL'S MOTIVATION
What drove Paul? What was his message and the point of his life? It was the last three words of the verse, "For Christ's sake." He did what he did to advance the Gospel. You might say all he did he did for Christ.

What would our lives be like if we followed Paul's example and made Christ all? What if our motto was, "I'm all for Jesus or I am nothing at all?"

To read this verse in other translations then follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat 12/30/12

Will Jesus Be Worshiped in Heaven? Revelation 5:8

What does the Bible say about Heaven? There will be worship in heaven, but who will be worshiped and who will be doing the worshiping.

"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb..." Revelation 5:8, NIV*.

WORSHIP IS HUMBLE
When Jesus, who is represented as the sacrificial lamb, takes the scroll (which some think is representing the title deed to the universe), the angelic creatures and elders fall down before him. You might say they lay down to lower themselves before Jesus. This speaks of an attitude of total commitment to worship. This reminds us of our need to be humble and even submissive in my worship.

There is a lot of singing in Revelation 5.

• The elders sing a new song, verse 9.
• The angels sing in loud voice, verse 11, 12.
• The creatures sing, verse 12.
• Every creature in heaven and earth sing, verse 13.

EXAMPLE
This example encourages us to participate in a worshiping community, there are no soloist in this chapter, it is congregational worship. Lets be thankful to be in a community that worships, and we must always participate in worship services.

SONGS
The songs they sing contains a declaration or proclamation, "You are worthy..." verses 9 12; To him...be praise honor and glory and power..." verse 13. I must remember that in my prayers to declare the worth or value that Jesus is to me.

REASON
The songs contain a because. The reason Jesus is worthy is, "Because you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation," verse 9b. Because Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay for our sins and deliver us from the wrath of eternal judgment He is so worthy of our praise and worship and service.

THE CENTER OF WORSHIP
This worship is centered on, "Him who sits on the throne and the lamb..." We may be blessed by the acts of worship, but the purpose and point of it all it to bless Jesus.

We need to make a renewed effort to daily worship the Savior.To learn more about how to find Jesus as your Savior follow this link; Click Here.

*To read this verse in other versions follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

Use the share buttons below to save and share this post to your social networks. 

What Did Jesus Do for You? 2 Corinthians 8:9

Can anyone fully appreciate what Jesus did for us?  Ponder what the apostle says:

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV.

GRACE
The word “grace” confuses people and in this context we see Jesus doing something he could have legitimately refused, yet did anyway- at great cost.

RICHES
We cannot define the riches Jesus had before his incarnation but they must have been beyond measure.  Heavenly riches supersede anything in this universe all the riches of this universe combined would not add up to a dust mote on the riches Jesus had in heaven.

POOR
He gave up those awesome eternal riches to become dirty, hungry, lonely, humble, and poor in the poorest country in the Roman Empire; to be born in a dirty,  stinky, stable and wander as a misunderstood teacher who was betrayed by his followers and abandoned by his students to be tortured to death on a shameful cross.  His worldly possessions at death were only the robe and the shirt off his bloody torn back.

WHY
Why would he do this? Jesus explained it on the eve of his crucifixion. “Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend.” (John 15:13). His love compelled him to do this, he did it for you.

What Did Jesus Do For You?

What is gained by his sacrifice?  He paid for the sins that enslave us and condemn us all to eternal judgment.   He did what we could not do, and became our sin offering. Jesus’ death paid for our sins and God gives salvation on the merit of his sacrifice for you.

God doesn't just say, “Ok, you are saved from hell now and I will no longer see your sin, so you can come and squat in some corner outside of hell for eternity,” God would be justified if he did, but He goes far beyond salvation and gives us wonderful riches- and that is grace.

Jesus did this wonderful and unimaginable thing for you and all he asks is that you turn from sin that hurt him and you, admit your need and let him into your life; and then you will receive the riches of salvation that he offers.

To learn more about salvation visit my other blog: click here.


(c)Adron Dozat 

Where Can You Find Loving Help If You Are The Most Worst Person There Is? Matthew 8:2-3.

This short post proves that no matter how bad off you are, how shameful or vile you are, there is someone where you can find compassion.

We have struggles with things that are shameful and are slowly eating us away from the inside out. Where can you go and get help without being judged and condemned?

“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, 'Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean.' Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.” Matthew 8:2- 3. NIV

THE NAMELESS LEPER

Every time he saw his hands, arms, legs, or feet, he would see the loathsome sores and rotting flesh of a painful creeping death.  This dreaded disease had the stigma of sin and God’s judgment.  The leprous had to wear rags and live apart from society, and whenever another person approached, they must call out, "Unclean! Unclean!"  The response would have been curses punctuated with thrown stones.

What beauty and compassion to see Jesus speak to him with tenderness and to do the unthinkable- to touch the man with leprosy and to risk the contamination of the disease.  The touch may have meant more to the man than the healing.

WHAT THE LEPER KNEW

The beggar called Jesus Lord.  This is in contrast to the action Jesus takes moments later.  A lord or king does not touch a common person, and in first-century Jewish culture, he would not even speak to a leprous person.  The beggar knew Jesus was the Lord.

He knew that Jesus was able to cleanse him. He did not ask, "Are you are able?" believing that Jesus was able is implied when he stated that if Jesus was willing, he could heal him.

He knew his place was on his knees before Jesus. Not only since Christ as Lord but as a humble petitioner.

COMPASSION

Jesus spoke kindly and gently to the beggar.  His words, "I am willing." are among the most significant words ever written.  Amazingly, Jesus touched the untouchable man, a man who has not known a human touch for so long- and he is healed.

This Savior who touches the untouchable is Lord and Master.

If Jesus were among us today, he would not steer away from people who struggle with addictions, abuse, deformity, poverty, ignorance, and slavery to harmful lifestyles; he would reach out to touch them.

I AM WILLING

Jesus said. "I am willing." as he touched this poor soul, and on his lips, those words are golden music from heaven.  He is willing to heal and to touch.  It is not only good wishes or good intentions, but he is purposeful in healing us.  He is willing- after all, he left his place in heaven. He came to be our Savior by dying for our sins and to give us eternal life, thereby dealing with the cause of our inner darkness and beginning the process of transforming us into new creatures.

THE TOUCH OF JESUS HEALS
When we come to Jesus with our own personal leprosy, we can kneel before him and say, if you are willing, you can heal me- and we can be assured that he is willing.

(c) Adron 8/18/10

What Is So Good About The Verse That Says The Wages Of Sin Is Death? Romans 6:23

Christians love to quote the verse that says “The wages of sin is death…” but overlook the part of the verse that makes the point.

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

SIN
Everyone agrees that sin is bad. This verse states the ultimate punishment is death; in the Bible death is eternal separation from the Giver of Life. It is the sin is death context which makes the second part of the verse such good news.

THE MISTAKE WE CHRISTIANS MAKE
We know that a person’s eternal state is important and as messengers of the Good News Christians want people to get right with God, but it is the Holy Spirit’s job to show people their sin, their guilt, and give them a burden for their soul’s future; that is not our job, we are partners with the Lord in the Good News, not the bad.

THE GIFT
The verse’s second part is the heart of it, “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God has a free, unearned and undeserved gift for us, and He offers it to all who are willing to take it. This gift is more than freedom from judgment but eternal and abundant life, the threat of death is completely and irrevocably removed.

The giver of this gift is God himself, there is no better security for our eternal souls.  Since God is the giver no one can offer a better gift of salvation.  You could not invent a better way to be saved than God did and no other religion or philosophy could compete with it.  Since this gift is from the Holy Creator of the universe no one could ever be worthy of it; that is why it is a gift- because we are not worthy and never could be.

CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD
This gift of “Eternal Life” is anchored by a source bigger than ourselves our efforts, sacrifices, or deeds, because the life promised is “in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Eternal life is not in anything that can be shaken like my own religion or good works but in Christ.  He is the Resurrection and the Life.  He paid for our sin by dying in our stead on the cross.  Death has been defeated because Jesus overcame death and the grave when he rose on Easter.

BUT HE IS LORD
Jesus is not just a savior or some fire escape from God's punishment, he is Lord.  You cannot accept his salvation and forgiveness for your sins and then go on doing those sins that he died to pay for- it is a slap in his face or worse.  He died to give you new life it is right to use that life for him.

If you want to know more about coming to Jesus for new life see my other post.

(c) Adron Dozat 8/12/10

Why Are There No Miracles In The Church Today? Matthew 13:58

This short post about miracles will give you something to think about.

Why do we not see miracles today? There is more than one answer to that but here is one we seldom consider and it could be the most important.

“And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” Matthew 13:58. NIV.

In the account of Jesus’ return to his hometown, the people hear him teach and see his power, but they questioned him. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers” (vs.55), and “Isn’t this the carpenter's son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary…etc.” (vs.56), and they go on and on. Eventually they “took offense at him,” (vs. 57).

We say, “familiarity breeds contempt.” It suggests that we become acquainted with someone and start to take them for granted. We get used to the person and think we know them, so we make assumptions, and cease to discover the person. Did the people of Jesus’ hometown have this problem? More alarming is the question; does today’s church have this problem? Have we become too familiar with a Jesus to know the wonders of the true Jesus?

We have a kind of “Jesus idolatry,” a false image of Jesus in our market driven modern culture that has caused us to stopped seeking the Jesus of the Bible. We are infatuated with the “Baby Jesus in the Manger” or the “Suffering Christ on the Cross,” or the picture of the “Misunderstood radical teacher on the hillside.” We need to rediscover who he really is. He is the one who said, “I am the truth the way and the life.”1. “I am the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.” 2. The Apostle John knew him as, “Lord of Lords and King of Kings” 3. The Apostle Paul said, “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.”4.

We need to nurture our faith, since “faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the Word of God, 5.” May I suggest:

• We need to apply ourselves to reading the Bible diligently.
• We need to memorize verses that teach who Jesus is.
• We need to confess our idolatry of shallow ideas about Jesus.
• We need to spend time with Jesus in prayer and worship.
• We need to set about to do the things he did and commanded.

What would happen in our lives and churches if we abandoned the superficial images of Jesus and sought to embrace Him afresh? Who knows? Possibly revival answered prayer or miracles. Certainly, we will worship The Lord afresh with more passion and we will experience a change in our lives.

To learn more about how Jesus can be Your Savior read my other post.

1, John 14:6; 2, John 10:11; 3, Revelation 19:16; 4, Philippians 2:10; 5, Romans 10:17.

(c) Adron Dozat 8/12/10

The Curse of Jesus. Galatians 3:13.

So just what does the death of Jesus man to me?

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” Galatians 3:13, NIV.

To redeem something is to buy it back by satisfying the terms of a contract.

CURSE
The “curse” is not some melodramatic enchantment like in movies where the nemesis utters mystical words and some evil happens. The “curse of the law” is God's judgment against sin which says sin must be punished. We are under the curse of sin's judgment; and are held hostage, and need to be redeemed.

LAW
God is holy and can’t compromise his law. He won’t break his word- He condemned sin and sin is condemned irrevocably. We have broken faith with our God and Creator by sinning and He must condemn sin and us.

GOD IS LOVE
But God loves us and took our place in judgment in the person of His Son, Jesus. He “became” the curse for us, and totally absorbed it; he completely identified with us and stepped into our place. There was no part of the curse left out, Jesus satisfied the terms of God’s holy law and condemnation. He endured all of God’s wrath. There is not a drop of the curse against sin left over to haunt the least
sinner.

ONLY JESUS
Only Jesus was eligible to become the curse for us. He was tested and even tempted by Satan and every time passed the test. He had no sin of his own to pay for, so he was free from the curse. That qualified him to pay for our sins and become the curse for us. With free will he could have chosen to allow the righteous judgment for our sins stand unsatisfied leaving us to face God the judge of the universe and endure our own punishment, but he chose to die for each of us to redeem, and rescue us from hell.

REDEMPTION
His becoming a curse for you is sufficient to bring you into redemption. To reject redemption is to choose to the curse. If you have not come to Jesus and accepted his redemption on your behalf you are still under the curse. Pray and tell God you acknowledge that your sins have put you are under the curse and accept Jesus’ work on my behalf, and then you will be redeemed.

To learn more about God's plan for your redemption see my other blog.

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

Use the share buttons below to save and share this to your social networks. 

(c) Adron Dozat

How to Get Ready for God. Matthew 3: 1,2,

Many people are trying to find God but do not have the right beginnings, but what are the right beginnings?

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the desert of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 3: 1, 2, NIV.

GOD'S TIMETABLE
This verse starts with God’s time, it says, “In those days.” This is a statement of fact but it tells us a lot. There is a time set aside for preparation, and often we see it only in hindsight. John came to make the nation ready, the thing that the nation needed was to turn from sin.

THE DESERT
The “Desert” is often a place where God deals with people; it is a bare place free from distractions. We need to get in “Desert Mode,” and live more simply, so we can focus on God, without TV, hobbies, and entertainment; a place for time in prayer, Bible reading, worshiping, meditation on God’s word, and fellowship in a good church. We can’t go to the desert but we can live the “Desert Mode” wherever we are.

JOHN'S MESSAGE
John the Baptist came "preaching." His message was clear and simple. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” The word, “repent,” means to turn around, or turn away, usually from sin. The gospel story begins with “repent.” It was preparatory, and it still is today. If you want God to do something mighty, if you want His blessings, or see His hand at work in it starts with me making a decision to “repent.”

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
A kingdom is a place ruled by a king. Not all church-going or religious people are part of God's kingdom. It is a kingdom that must be entered and its king is someone who must be known.

OUR MESSAGE
First, we must hear the message ourselves and live lives of repentance, and then warn others to become ready for God's kingdom by turning from their wrongdoings and serve the King of Kings.

To learn more about how to enter God's kingdom see my other blog.

(c) Adron 1/22/10