DAY 246 – JESUS’ PRESENT MINISTRY
Grand Central Station, New York City
“Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b
“… I go to prepare a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.” John 14:2b-3
What is Jesus doing now? What is His current ministry? The verses quoted above provide answers, as do John 14-15, and Ephesians 4.
- He is simply with us (Matt. 28:20). He promised to be with His followers to the end of time. When my wife and I were moving toward engagement and marriage, we most fundamentally wanted to be with each other. We were geographically separated and wanted that to end. We wanted to face life together. Now, after more than 50 years, that is still our joy, still fulfilling. Jesus was soon to leave His disciples in one sense, but assured them He would still be with them in another.
- He is preparing a place for us (John 14:2-3). I’ve wondered what that means. I think it is more than building walls and a roof and arranging the furnishings. The places we live in on earth provide a structure and more – our home is in a neighbourhood, with people and services nearby, surrounded by an environment. To help us understand what He is preparing, the Bible talks about a future setting that includes streets and a river, light, music, people, and animals. He is preparing a “place” that will be fulfilling in every way.
- He is assuring us of His presence – promising to take us to where He is.
- And what about John 14-15? The main thing is that He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us. The Holy Spirit is described as our “Helper” (John 14:16). He is teaching us, reminding us what Jesus Himself taught, giving us peace, and taking away fear of having to face life alone (John 14:2-27). The Spirit Jesus sends will speak through us to the world that needs to know God (John 15:26-27; 16:8-11). Jesus also assured us that He is praying to the Father on our behalf, watching over us, sanctifying us, and making us one (John 17:9,12,17,21).
- The oneness just noted is an emphasis of Ephesians 4. The Spirit whom Jesus sends is working to make of His children one body – unity of believers – based on one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Father (Eh. 4;4-6). This unity is something we learn through the people God supplies to equip us and enable us towards maturity (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers – Eph. 4:11-16).
- Elsewhere, we also learn that Jesus’ present ministry is like that of a High Priest. A priest and mediator between us and God.
Hebrews 7:24-25 …“He holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues forever. 25 Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Hebrews 9:24 “For_Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”
I John 2:1 – “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Your Turn:
- Read John 15.
- It was our Lord’s desire that, we who profess to follow Him, be one. He says that the Holy Spirit is working to make that happen. We must be a stubborn lot! There is so much division in Christianity, even within our own theological and/or denominational circles. The Spirit is also all about truth, so this unity must be based on the truth taught by Jesus and found in the Bible. What can you do to facilitate unity of God’s people.
- How real is your sense that Jesus is with you today? What can help you to realize His promised presence? During our courtship, if I ever began to doubt my fiance’, was thinking about me, all I needed to do was read her letters. Reading Jesus’ love letters to us – His words in the scriptures – is likewise reassuring.
DAY 247 – JESUS in the FUTURE
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7
What will Jesus be doing in the future?
- Coming again – The scriptures are quite clear about this. He will come again to inaugurate a new era.
Acts 1:10-11, And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
I Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
- Governing– His coming has two phases. Rev. 20:6 refers to a one thousand period of time (the millennium) when Jesus provides perfect rule. During that time Satan is confined. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is released and deceives those who still resist Christ’s salvation to follow him in a final battle. Christ prevails, confines Satan permanently in the lake of fire, and rules with righteousness and justice with “no end”.
Revelation 20:6, 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Isaiah 9:6-7, Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
Matthew 25:31-32, 31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.32 Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
- Serving justice – Part of Jesus’ reign is given to judgment on the wicked. This judicial rule is to the benefit of the poor and meek. It is a final judgment, ending in eternal separation from God.
Isaiah 11:1-10, There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from His roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins. …
II Thessalonians 1:7-10, And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
- Being with us – Believers desire Jesus’ presence and in the future they will enjoy His presence forever: “we will always be with the Lord”.
John 14:1-3, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
I Thessalonians 4:16-17, 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
- Supplying a new environment –Some description of the new heaven and earth, and the new Jerusalem, is provided in Revelation 21. The future includes a wondrous place where believers dwell with God, where there are no more tears or pain, and no more death. Jesus is preparing this place for us to be with Him.
Revelation 21:1-4, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Your Turn:
- Read John 14:1-7.
- What do you look forward to the most of these five things Jesus will be doing in the future?
- Think about how different the world in which live now will be with Jesus governing.
DAY 248 – WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT…GOD (Part 1)
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. I Timothy 1:17
We are beginning a new series – eleven questions that take this format: “What does the Bible say about … ? The eleven words/phrases that conclude the question are these:
What does the Bible say about God? about Jesus? The Holy Spirit? Itself? Salvation? The Church? The Future ? Angels? Demons? Humans? Sin?
The orderly study of these topics is called “systematic theology”. You can select a single volume systematic theology and study it, or you might select a multi-volume set that covers these topics in considerable detail. Obviously, the “Short Thoughts” approach is somewhat different – one to three pages, at most – with some reflection on what this means to us.
So, we begin with what the Bible says about God Himself. As you look at verses describing God, who He is and what He does, you soon discover that the Bible answers our questions in two ways. First, there are verses about the attributes of God, that is, who God is in His essence. Secondly, there are verses about the character of God.
Part 1: The Essence of God
- God is a Spirit. He is invisible but can reveal His nature to us in different ways. He is everywhere present.
John 4:24, “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Psalm 139:7-12, “Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day.
2. God is triune.
The Bible teaches that there is one God, but He exists in three persons. For example, it says in Philippians 1:2 that the Father is God (“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”), then in Titus 2:13 that Jesus is God (“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Jesus Christ”), and, lastly, that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4, “…Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…You have not lied to man but to God.”). The triune God is also identified in Matthew 28:19, “…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. It is important to note that while God is a spirit, He also took human form when Jesus came into the world at Bethlehem – but more on this in the next study. Enough to say now that if we wish to refer to one particular person of the Trinity, it is helpful to say, “God the Father”, or “God the Son”, or “God the Holy Spirit”.
3. Creator
God is the creator. He himself was not created; rather, all others were created by God. As Creator, God shows power, inventiveness, autonomy, innovation, and intelligence.
Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
4. King / Most High
God is given the title of King and is said to be the Most High. This implies authority to rule over His creation and also that He is worthy of our humble worship.
I Timothy 1:17, “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, he only God, be honour and glory forever and ever.”
Psalm 83:18, “That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.”
Isaiah 57:15, “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
5. The Only God / the One True God
Because this is true of God, any worship of other so-called ‘gods’ and idols is forbidden in scripture – see for example the first two of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-6).
John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
I Corinthians 8:4-6, “…we know that an idol has no real existence, and that there is no God but one. For although there may be many so-called gods in heaven or on earth…yet there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”
6. Mighty
We sometimes use the terms omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent to describe the essence of God. When we say He is omnipotent, we mean He is all powerful. He is Mighty.
Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will exalt over you with loud singing.”
Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
I Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God…”
Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
7. Eternal
God is not limited in ways we are. He is not limited by mortality, for example.
Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms…”
Your Turn:
- Read Isaiah 44:1-8.
- Considering who God is, how do you respond?
- Consider some problem you are facing. Is God able to meet that challenge?
- Also, in light of your problem is there an alternative to God that can solve your difficulty?
Day 249 – What the Bible says about God (Part 2)
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. Deuteronomy 7:9
We continue the consideration of what the Bible says about God by looking at His character. There are many familiar and precious words that are descriptive of the character of God. Here are those we will consider:
Loving Just Faithful Sinless Forgiving Full-of-grace Understanding Caring
- Loving
This must be the one character quality above all others. Did not God say in I Corinthians 13:13 that we are to be known for our faith, hope, and love, and that “the greatest of these is love?” God Himself is characterized as love. The verses below show that love is part of God. His love led to His greatest gift (Jesus). We are calmed or quieted by His love. His love does not run out, nor quit on us: it is abounding and steadfast.
I John 4:8, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is in your midst… He will quiet you by His love…”
Psalm 86:5, “For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You.”
I Chronicles 16:34, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.”
2. Just
What does it mean to be “just”? A just God is morally consistent, righteous, equitable, always truthful. The word has a relationship to what is legal – in this case, fitting with the laws of God. You and I may claim to be consistently fair and correct, but we sometimes stumble in regard to what meets God’s standard. God is always morally correct.
Deuteronomy 32:4, “The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.
3. Faithful
In our marriage vows we pledge our faithfulness. In our friendships we value loyalty. God is faithful to the promises He has made to us.
Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations.”
Exodus 34:6, “The Lord passed before him [Moses] and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin … ‘”
II Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself.”
4. Sinless
God never lies. He is without iniquity. Stated positively, God is truthful.
I John1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is not darkness at all.”
Titus 1:2, “…God, who never lies…”
Deuteronomy 32:4, “The Rock, Hs work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.”
Hebrews 4:13, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
John 17:3, “And this is eternal life that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
5. Forgiving
If God were not forgiving, there would no hope of eternal life for us. Forgiveness is part and parcel with salvation. His forgiveness makes it possible for us have a relationship with God.
I John 3:24, “You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin… “
Psalm 86:5, “For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You.”
Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear.”
Ephesians 2:3-6, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved…”
6. Full of Grace and Mercy
In the Bible we see God showing favour to those who don’t deserve it. We deserve separation from God in all His holiness, yet God sent His Son to bear our sins – something we surely did not deserve. The word ‘mercy’ is similar, referring to God’s generous compassion, kindness, and favour towards us.
Romans 5:15, “If many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many.”
John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Exodus 34:6-7, “…The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…forgiving…”
Ephesians 2:3-6, “But God, being rich in mercy…even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved…
7. Understanding and all knowing
God understands me and my circumstances thoroughly. I am often confused and unable to figure out the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of what is happening, but His understanding is unsearchable. This also means that He knows what I am going through – others may not understand but God does.
Isaiah 40:28, “…his understanding is unsearchable.”
8. Caring
Linked to His understanding is His care for us.
I Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
Your Turn:
- Read I John 2:28 – 3:24.
- Some people speak of God as a harsh judge. The eight character qualities above and their accompanying verses show God as a just judge full of love, grace and mercy, and care. Think of some ways God has shown His mercies to you or others in your lifetime.
- The false gods of Old Testament times made heavy demands on the people, including child sacrifice. Contrast that to the qualities shown by the one true God. Whom would you prefer to follow?
DAY 250 – WHAT the Bible says about JESUS
.. though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6-11
The name “Jesus” is found 925 times in the English Standard Version of the New Testament. Of course, there are additional references to Him under titles like ‘Son of God’ or “Messiah’ or “the Christ”, etc. To find out what the Bible says about Jesus, I looked at about 100 Bible verses and have summed up the findings under six descriptions.
Saviour Mediator Founder Compassionate God King
- God
It is a big assertion for someone to claim to be God! But this is precisely the claim made of Jesus in scripture. Consider these various ways this is said of Jesus Christ. He is spoken of as the “Son of God the Father. He is called the same name as is God the Father in Exodus 3:14, namely “I Am”. He is said to possess full deity. And He emptied Himself of aspects of His deity to become a man. No wonder Jesus is described as “God and Saviour”!
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 1:14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I John 5:10, Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning His Son.
John 8:58, Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
Colossians 2:9-10, For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Philippians 2:5-7, Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Titus 2:13, Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
2. Saviour
The name “Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua”, which means “God is salvation”. I recall as a young child, when the song leader for the evening church service would invite people to call out a favourite, I often asked my mother to request the hymn, “Jesus Saves”.
We have heard a joyful sound,
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the gladness all around:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land,
climb the steeps and cross the waves;
onward! ’tis our Lord’s command:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves! [Lyrics: Pricilla J. Owens; Music: William J. Kirkpatrick]
The whole purpose for Jesus to come into the world was for our salvation. We see this in Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ, as well as in the well-known words spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:16.
Matthew 1:18-25, “…. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.”…”
John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
I John 2:2, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
What do we need saved from? Why did the whole world need a saviour? I John 2:2 says the world – including ourselves – has sin. Sin separates us from God, hurts others, and prevents us from being the best God created us to be. The word “propitiation” in this verse means “satisfaction”. Jesus satisfies the demands of God for sin to be appeased – Jesus took the punishment we deserve when He died on the cross. He also provided the victory over it by His resurrection.
Then, there is the realization that there is no other way to find this salvation than through Jesus.
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Acts 4:11-12, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
3. Founder
Jesus is the founder of our faith. He is the cornerstone that establishes the building. He is the first to rise from the dead in new, eternal, heavenly body. Jesus is the beginning and end of our faith (as Jehovah God said of Himself in Isaiah 41:14, “I, the LORD, am the first; and with the last I am He.”
Hebrews 12:2, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Acts 4:11, This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
Revelation 1:5, And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood
Revelation 22:13, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
4. Compassionate One
Jesus is often seen showing compassion for the people around Him. He had a heart of empathy. He cares about us.
Matthew 9:36, Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.
John 11:35, Jesus wept.
5. Mediator
When two people or groups have a serious difference between hem, they sometimes call on a mediator to resolve the dispute. If your or I were one of the distanced parties, we would hope for a mediator who understands our point of view. Between God and humankind is a distance that needs to be bridged. Jesus is the bridge.
I Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
The problem we have is sin. Our mediator understands the pull of temptation. He has experienced it – but did not yield to it.
Hebrews 4:15, For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
I John 2:1, My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Jesus Christ, the righteous One, has completely dealt with the sin problem.
Hebrews 7:25, Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
6. King
God the Son humbled Himself and took the form of a servant – but He remains Lord and King. One day the King will complete His plan and put the forces of evil away forever.
Revelation 17:14, They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Matthew 28:18, And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Revelation 19:16, On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Your Turn:
- Read Matthew 16:5-17.
- How would you answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”
- Which of the six aspects of the personhood of Jesus discussed above is most needed in your life today?
DAY 251 THE HOLY SPIRIT
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be with you.” John 14:15-17
The third member of the godhead is the Holy Spirit. Many times the three persons of the trinity are seen in action together. Examples are as follows:
Luke 1:35 – The angel told Mary that the Most High and the Holy Spirit would produce in her the Son of God.
Matthew 3:16-17 – At Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove and the voice from heaven (the Father) said, “This is My beloved Son…”
John 15:26 – The Spirit is sent by the Father to testify of Jesus.
Romans 8:9 – He is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ.
Matthew 28:19 – In the Great Commission, Jesus’ followers are sent out in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:1-2; Colossians 1:15-18 – The members of the Trinity were together involved in creation.
The Holy Spirit is God.
What else does the Bible teach about Him?
- He is Power
This power was present at the incarnation, when Jesus was conceived within Mary, as well as at the resurrection.
Luke 1:35, And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
Romans 8:11, If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
The power of the Spirit enables us to have hope for this life and beyond.
Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
The Holy Spirit was sent to empower the early church and believers today to witness effectively for Christ.
Acts 1:8, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
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He is the Helper: He is the Helper Jesus promised to send after He ascended. The Lord especially emphasized that the Spirit would help us see and understand the truth, guiding us through life with the purpose of seeing Christ glorified. The Spirit also helps us to pray, while praying on our behalf as well.
John 14:26, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Isaiah 11:2, And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him [Jesus], the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel andmight, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
John 16:12-15, “… When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on his own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Romans 8:26-27, Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
- He is present.
God lives in believers in the person of the Holy Spirit. He provides fellowship.
Romans 8:9, You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
I Corinthians 6:19, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
II Corinthians 13:14, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
- He is the One who convicts.
It is only the Spirit who can open a person’s heart and mind, beginning with conviction of sin. Neither you nor I can do this; only God the Holy Spirit.
John 16:8, When He comes He will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgement.
- He is the giver of many good gifts.
Besides fellowship, truth, prayer support, and power, He gives us spiritual fruit. He Himself is a gift from God the Father. He created us, gives us spiritual life. He transforms us to Christ-likeness.
Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Acts 2::38, And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
II Corinthians 5:5, He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Job 33:2, The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Romans 8:16, The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Romans 8:15, For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
II Corinthians 3:18, And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Your Turn:
- Read John 16:4b-15.
- Having considered the three persons of the godhead, do you appreciate that each has a particular work to do?
- What will you thank God for today in regard to the presence and work of the Holy Spirit?
- Which of the six aspects of the personhood of Jesus discussed above is most needed in your life today?
Day 252 – What the Bible says about itself
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:14-17
In Christianity, the “Bible” is the collection of sacred writings comprised of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Protestants recognize 39 books in the Old and 27 in the New Testament. The word “bible” comes from the Greek”billion” and Latin “bible”, meaning “book”. We find a number of terms used in the Bible itself: word, scriptures, law, sacred writings, good news, or gospel
A. Authority
If the Bible had no authority, would it be worth our time and effort to study? It might be of interest to those studying human history, but could we legitimately allow it to guide our choices? But, we must note that the Bible informs us that it is authoritative because it comes from God. It is called “the word of God”, “the word of Christ”, “the revelation of Jesus Christ”, and scripture produced by the Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 4:4, But He [Jesus] answered [Satan], “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God'”
- Colosians 3:16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…
- Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- II Peter 1:20-22, Knowing this first of all that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
- Revelation 1:1, The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John.
B. Qualities
The Bible possesses certain certain qualities that make it desirable beyond measure.
- It is lasting – Isaiah 40.8, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Also, Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but its shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
- It is penetrating – see Hebrews 4:12 above.
- It guides in life’s decisions – Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
- It is life-giving and enabling – see Matthew 4:4 above.
- It is true and trustworthy – John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” Also, Psalm 119:160, “The sum of Your word is truth; and everyone of Your righteous rules endures forever.”
- It is reliable – John 10:35, “…Scripture cannot be broken.”
C. Benefits
Reading, meditating, studying, hearing the Bible brings a variety of benefits.
- We are blessed when we read it – Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear , and who keep what is written in it…” Also see Psalm 119:1, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!”
- It is a source of teaching that gives wisdom, understanding, and faith – Romans 15:4, “for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Also, Psalm 119:130, “The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” And, Romans 10:17, “So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
- It gives hope – see Romans 15:4 above.
- It gives protection from evil – Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” Also, Jesus used scripture to refuse Satan’s temptations – three times in Mathew 4:4, 7, 10 Jesus said, “It is written.”
- It gives salvation – II Timothy 3:15, “And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
D. What to do and what not to do with the Bible
- We are to walk according to the Word of God, keep it, and seek God through it – Psalm 119:1-5, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, and who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong but walk in His ways! You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping Your statutes!”
- We are to meditate on it and do what it says – Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Also, Psalm 1:2, “Nut his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”
- We are warned not to ignore the Scriptures, nor take some parts away or add some other parts our own making. Jesus said that it is wrong to remain ignorant of the Scripture’s teaching. Matthew 22:29, “But Jesus answered them, ‘You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.'” Also, Revelation 22:18-19, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add him to the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy. God will take away his share in theatre of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Your Turn:
- Read II Timothy 3:14–16
- To what degree are the scriptures a part of your life?
- Have you found the Bible hard to understand? Don’t be surprised – the Apostle Peter said he did, too! Read this from II Peter 3:15-18, “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote…There are some things in them that are hard to understand…” With the hard-to-understand sections, Peter tells us to take care that we don’t fall into error by accepting questionable explanations. Stick with t he Word and allow time to grow spiritually.
- Have you read your Bible today?
Abundant Living 