Jesus At the Center

-

"…We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote…" - (Jn. 1:45, NASB)

   It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of Jesus throughout the Word of God. Although I believe that Philip did not fully understand at that moment, he grasped the OT Scriptures enough to recognize that the man standing before him was the Messiah. Too often we limit the Biblical account of Jesus to the gospels. However, even a casual observer reading through the Bible should be able to see the fingerprints of Jesus throughout. Jesus, the anointed of God, is the central figure, and the great revelation of God to humanity. The OT hinted, foreshadowed, foretold, prophesied, and looked forward to His arrival on earth. The Gospels record His supernatural arrival, life, words, and ministry, along with the central event of creation: the cross, death, and resurrection. The epistles outline the meaning and application of His glorious existence, along with the effects of Jesus' ministry on humanity. And Revelation declares the ultimate exaltation and completion of God's marvelous plan. Quite literally, Jesus is present and primary from cover-to-cover. A Bible professor in my undergrad study proclaimed that in the timeline of eternity, the cross, death, and resurrection of Jesus was the central point upon which eternity past and future rested. Eternity rests on Him.
   The reason I share this is due to the continual pressure to alter our faith into something that is acceptable and not-so-offensive to those around us. The rule of thumb today seems to be that you can worship any god you choose, in any way you choose, as long as it is not Jesus. Yet, within the first 14 verses of chapter one John records for us that Jesus is God, Jesus as creator and sustainer, as light and life, and the only One who is able to give individuals the right to become children of God. Further study reveals Him to be our deliverer, restorer, healer, and baptizer, our hope, peace, and source of love. The miracles that Jesus performed as recorded in the NT verify His claims, and the miracles that He still performs today in the lives of men and women provide further proof of who He is. The bottom line is that whether it is offensive or unacceptable, there is only one path that leads to the true God, and the name of that path is Jesus!

Popular posts from this blog

Don't Waste Your Pain

-
Image
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction... - 2 Corinthians 1:3-9    Affliction (pain and suffering) is an inevitable, unavoidable, and repeatable part of life. None of us are exempt. While  we would all like to avoid affliction, the truth is that pain and affliction  serve a greater purpose , whether it comes from our own choices, the ordinary course of life, an attack of spiritual forces, or from God Himself.  Richard Cecil is noted as saying, "God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope, and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction.” Even  though we cannot avoid affliction, we can use it for the glory of God. That’s right. Your pain can be used to glorify God. How do we do this?    First, we need to learn to receive God's comfort. Much like in life, some folks are better at letting others "in" th
Read more

Dependent Upon God

-
Image
Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp..." Exodus 14:1    Have you ever stopped and considered why God led the Israelites to freedom by taking them through the desert? Really, think about the process for a moment. He led them out of the slavery for a day or two, then told them to turn back towards the city of their captivity, next to the sea, and make camp. This lead to their being trapped. Then He led them to a place with with plenty of water, but it was undrinkable. Not too long after that, when all their food provisions were depleted, He led them to a place where there was no food or water for themselves or their livestock. Why would God be so cruel? Well, if you know the rest of the story, then you may already know the answer. They were never trapped, for God parted the waters, allowing them safe passage through the sea and drowning their enemies. The undrinkable water was made drinkable, and they were provided food
Read more

Biblical Apprenticeship

-
Image
"...Go therefore and make disciples... ” - (Matt. 28:18-20)   The Greek word mathetai is the term we usually translate as disciple, and it expresses the idea of "student" or "pupil". To me, the best understanding today of the biblical principle of disciples is apprentices. Think about it, in a typical apprenticeship a new generation of practitioners are prepared with on-the-job training and often some accompanying classroom work and reading.  Apprenticeships typically last 3 to 6 years, and generally involve four steps:     (1)  Commitment - At this level the apprentice makes the commitment to stay the course by receiving the education and training necessary to become the “journeyman”.       (2) Classroom - At this phase, the apprentice receives the information necessary to understand and work within the sphere of labor.      (3) Training - At this phase, the apprentice begins to put the information they have learned into practice. First by wat
Read more