Just a Minute!

Jesus brought glory to his Father on earth.

Now here is how he did it.

He finished the work his Father gave him to do.

According to Hebrews, Jesus carried out the will of his Father by fulfilling the Old Covenant and establishing the new covenant. The covenant in which god remembers your sins no more.

And then he sanctified us, or made us holy, through the offering of his body once for all.

This is what God sent him to do.

To take away your sins once and for all and to make you holy.

This was God’s desire for you from the beginning.

Jesus finished the work and brought glory to his Father on earth.

You give glory to God when you receive and rest in Christ’s finished work.

So today, thank God you are forgiven.

Categories: Jesus Christ

Jesus.

It is the name that is exalted above every other name.

It’s the name that will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that He is Lord.

And this to the glory of God the Father.

This will happen.

But right now, the world is still in rebellion.

It has placed other people and things in that exalted spot.

And this has been the case throughout human history.

The Roman empire declared Caesar as Lord.

Today, people bow to money, sex and power.

But this will change.

One day, every knee and tongue will declare the truth that Jesus is Lord.

Here’s the good news, as a beleiver you glad you already know the truth. And aren’t you glad that Jesus is Lord in your life and that you experience His love and grace here and now.

Categories: Jesus Christ Grace

“For what we preach…”

These words flowed from the pen of Paul and were directed to the Corinthian church.

All kinds of spiritual gurus, philosophers and super apostles were bringing all sorts of messages to this city.

These guys were polished and persuasive with their presentations and they had many in Corinth questioning Paul and his apostleship.

Paul certainly didn’t compare as a speaker to these super apostles.

As he said, he came to the Corinthians in weakness and humility.

But as Paul pointed out, it is the message itself that matters.

What is preached.

When Paul opened his mouth, he preached Jesus as Lord.

He should be the message of every preacher.

Because in Him and Him alone is life, forgiveness and freedom.

Categories: Jesus Christ Salvation

Peter and John were arrested.

It was not because they had committed a crime or violated the law.

They were arrested because they healed a crippled man, and then explained to the people that it was through the name of Jesus the man was made well.

This annoyed the religious leaders. So they put Peter and John in custody.

The next day, these leaders asked Peter and John, “by what power or by what name did you do this?"

Peter stood, and filled with the Holy Spirit, said… “by the name of Jesus, this man is standing before you well.”

You see, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Well, let me ask, aren’t you glad his name was proclaimed to you.

Categories: Jesus Christ Salvation

When John saw Jesus, as he wrote in Revelation, he fell at his feet as though dead.

Jesus put his hand on him and said, “Fear not.”

There was good reason.

As Jesus explained, “I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I was dead and now look, I am alive for ever and ever.

And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

The thing we fear most is death and judgment.

This had such a grip on our lives, that the writer of Hebrews wrote this fear held us in slavery.

In Christ, fear loses its grip.

He is alive forever.

With his key, he has opened the door and released us from the power of sin and death.

You are alive and free.

And that’s good news.

Categories: Jesus Christ Resurrection

Do you know that Christ was chosen or foreknown before the creation of the world?

This is a truth we often overlook.

But it is important for us to know.

Think about it.

God demonstrated his love for you in this, that while you were a sinner Christ died for you.

Now God’s love for you didn’t start at the cross.

He loved you before the world began.

And his eternal love worked its way through human history and at a point in time, it found its way to you in Christ.

Peter put it this way: “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”

So that you could know and experience the love of God.

Categories: Love Jesus Christ Hope

How would you define faith?

Well here is how Martin Luther defined it.

“Faith is a living and unshakeable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.”

An unshakeable confidence in the grace of God.

The grace of God that…

• redeemed you and forgave your sins,

• that made you alive in Christ

• that marked you out as a child of God and gave you the Holy Spirit

• that declared you righteous and holy in his sight.

This is the amazing grace of God that saved you.

So today, ask God to give you a living and unshakeable confidence in his grace that was delivered to you in Christ Jesus.

You’ll be glad you did.

Categories: Faith Grace

“The righteous will live by faith.”

This verse from the Old Testament is repeated three times in the New.

Paul quotes it in the first chapter of Romans and in his letter to the Galatians.

And the writer of Hebrews uses it as his springboard to define faith.

The mere fact the New Testament quotes it three times means its important.

that we need to pay attention to it and find out what it means.

Here is why

As believers, faith in Jesus is our way of life.

It is how we live.

Not by law, or rules or regulations or even principles.

But by faith in Jesus.

This is the Christian life.

If you ever wonder what is your way forward in any given situation, faith in Christ is always the answer.

Why? Because the righteous will live by faith.

Categories: Faith Grace Hope

The spark that ignited the protestant reformation was Martin Luther’s discovery that salvation is not by works, but by faith alone in Christ.

Now it doesn’t make sense to the human mind.

I mean, don’t we have to do something?

But Scripture is clear.

As Romans 4 states, “When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.”

But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

Now Martin Luther tried to justify himself by works, but to no avail. As he wrote,

“I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience.”

No one is declared righteous through the works of the law.

This is a gift received by faith alone in Christ.

Categories: Faith Grace Hope

Have you ever prayed, “Lord, increase my faith”?

Well I have.

We all want more faith.

So did the disciples. At one point, hey asked Jesus directly, increase our faith.

Here is how Jesus answered, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed…”

Now many take this as Jesus saying that we don’t need a lot of faith to do great things.

But that’s not the lesson at all.

Jesus was teaching his disciples that faith isn’t about size. It’s about substance.

It’s about the one you put your faith in.

In other words, it’s all about Jesus.

Now this is why the writer of Hebrews encourages you to keep your eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of your faith.

So today, take a fresh look at Jesus and you will see your prayer answered in ways you never imagined.

Categories: Faith Hope