Tag: Jesus

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You Have a Purpose

JANUARY 2

MATTHEW 5:1_And seeing the multitudes…

By the time Jesus preached this sermon, He also had been baptized. John the Baptist did not want to baptize Jesus. He did not feel worthy (Matthew 3:13-17). As the Son of God, Jesus chose to become the Son of Man—baptism was necessary. John was the appointed baptizer.

John was also one whose birth may have caused much ridicule. He was born to parents who were old enough to be great-grandparents.

You may have been raised by your grandparents. You certainly should not let anyone cause you to feel shame. You were born for a unique purpose, regardless of how you got here. And grandparents are awesome, wise people!

God is excited about the incredible works He can accomplish through your life—if you let Him. The very fact you are reading this post in this blog is not by chance. This is a part of God’s plan, a message from God to you.

Your life is not about the circumstances into which you were born. Your life is about the decisions you make in your life, and being responsible for those decisions. 

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, Help me trust in You as I live the life You’ve given me.  Help me live it in a way which pleases You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ taught multitudes—many were just like me!

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To Know Jesus

JANUARY 1

MATTHEW 5:1_And seeing the multitudes…

JANUARY 1

MATTHEW 5:1_And seeing the multitudes…

Jesus sees multitudes. That’s an awful lot of people!

Several instances in Jesus’ life have prepared Him for the multitudes. Obviously, He has been born.

To know Jesus, you must take a look at His birth. Talk about unconventional! Talk about amazing! Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin?

To know Jesus, you must also get to know the God of the Impossible.

Jesus’ birth was questioned, ridiculed, and scorned. He grew up with that—a part of daily life.

Being honored and acknowledged as the Son of God was not a part of His daily life. 

So, if you were not born in accordance with the status quo, don’t let it depress you—it is not something you caused or can change. Besides, you share very good company. Jesus is an overcomer. He can help you become one as well.

Throughout this year you will learn a lot about how God planned life and His views on things like marriage. God’s plan is perfect. It can save you unnecessary hurts in life.

There is power in living according to God’s plan. 

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to be sensitive to the pain of others and to be careful about decisions I make.  In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves me—Unconditionally!

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The Great Liberator! The Great Metamorphosis!

DECEMBER 31

MATTHEW 7:29_and not as the Scribes.

You may think we’ve covered everything Jesus can be, but: He is The Great Liberator!

2 Corinthians 3:17 (KJV), “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

I don’t believe any of us can completely grasp all Jesus has taught in the past year. It will take meditating on His teachings, reading and studying, and prayer, to instill this radical lifestyle into our being. We will need faith and trust that only the Holy Spirit can build inside us.

We all experience life like a worm looking for a better existence. We want more than to inch and crawl our way through life. Oh! That’s something else Jesus is: The Great Metamorphosis! He takes our wormy existence and builds Himself around and within us. Jesus works from the inside, gradually changing hearts—this requires taking the broken pieces and gently making them whole again. With time, we emerge into something beautiful—no longer crawling, but flying!

Isaiah 43:18-19 (KJV), “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness [of our hearts], and rivers in the desert [of our lives].”     

 PRAYER

Holy and Resplendent God, I know there is no bondage in life from which You cannot free me! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ liberates and metamorphoses me—I can live free!

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An Ultimatum

DECEMBER 30

MATTHEW 7:29_and not as the Scribes.

Jesus’ authority came from His Father in Heaven. We need earthly authority during our days in this world, but ultimate authority reigns in heaven.

The Scribes and Pharisees craved, no, the better word is lusted for: power, authority, admiration, and respect. They wanted exactly what Jesus had!

Admiration and respect encourage and build up those in authority. When the authority rules by fear, respect becomes an ultimatum. It does not administer love.  Remember, sometimes love is administered with a firm hand. Since the people were astonished by Jesus’ kind of teaching, and saw it as totally different from the Scribes’ teaching—they obviously had not been administered love by their authorities. Their respect must have been more of an ultimatum. 

Jesus’ teachings led to truth and freedom. It gave the people answers to their struggles and created freedom in their souls.

This authority loves.

The Scribes’ teachings led to fear and bondage. The people feared the consequences if they rejected their teachings. It created bondage of the soul.

This authority oppresses.

 PRAYER

Good Shepherd, I respect and admire You because You give love to me! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ has the ultimate authority—He uses it to love me!

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No One Is Exempt

DECEMBER 28

MATTHEW 7:29_For he taught them as one having authority…

Every aspect of Jesus’ character is seen in this sermon.

He taught as The Creator: His principles of life go back to creation. No one is exempt. Regardless of how we fight against them—creation principles always prevail.

Jesus taught as The Great Transformer: This sermon has shown me my heart is wicked and deceitful. Jesus’ principles are righteous. I have learned to ask, seek, and knock in order to have my wickedness transformed into righteousness.

Jesus taught as The Great Balancer: He is perfect balance by example. He taught me how to balance. He taught me balance through topsy-turvy principles like:

…whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

To balance judgment and mercy is something I can only do by the power of Jesus in me!

 PRAYER

Great Transformer and Balancer, Help me apply what You’ve taught me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

 Christ has given me all I need – To transform and balance!